We enjoyed a sensational 2 weeks. The end of winter are always good for game viewing, but this 2 weeks surpassed even our best expectations. Here are some of the highlights. On the 20th of July Big Boy and Mazinyo, the 2 dominant males, were found on a buffalo kill after a group of around 250 buffaloes were found close to Billy’s Lodge. On the morning of the 24th the whole lion pride were found feeding on a buffalo near 7th Avenue. A dead giraffe who died of unknown cause were found the same day near Pondoro main road and the next morning we saw one of the 4 subadult male lions feeding on the carcass. He was joined by one of his mates on the 28th and we saw them at the carcass until the 30th of July. We also found a dead elephant bull that seemed to have died after a fight with another bull on Cam 3. The whole York pride, however, found the elephant before us and we saw them feeding on the carcass for the next week. On the evening of the 30th the lion pride killed an impala barely 70 meters from the car and Shaun and Rul raced closer to find Big Boy feeding and fighting with some of the younger cubs. On the 1st of August the females and cubs were found on a buffalo kill and Big Boy and Mazinyo were found on another buffalo on the 2nd near the Olifants road. Two subadult male lions were seen at another giraffe kill close to River Lodge. It was definately not a happy time for giraffe as 4 young male lions were found on the 6th with 2 dead giraffes, one big and one small, lying next to them.
We also had 5 black rhino sightings during this time. White rhino were seen often, but any sighting of the rare black rhino always cause excitement.
We took some excellant video footage and I will put it on the blog under ‘videos taken by rangers’ in the next day ot two.
