WEEK IN PICTURES #13
This week the 3 Machaton males were the highlight of almost each safari, becoming more relaxed and familiar with the area and they even managed to take down an adult buffalo cow but between the 3 of them the kill didn’t last very long. Tough times are ahead of the Mohlabetsi coalition of males since they haven’t been seen for nearly a week now. The way things are going now it does seem like the Machaton coalition is here to stay.
Mandleve was seen on only one occasion this week along with the 4 cubs. She has been staying out of sight most likely hiding the cubs from the Machaton males to ensure their survival. The cubs are unfortunately still in the age group where they would be killed by new males if found.
There has been many scattered herds of elephant around and at one point even chased the Machaton males of their buffalo kill. The herds have been very energetic and the younger elephants kept pushing and shoving each other around at the water holes. Being in the middle of the dry season the water points are good areas to find the elephants not only for drinking but also to cool themselves down. Ezulwini was also seen a few times, he is a real pleasure to be around not only because of his size but his gentle behavior around vehicles allows the guests to really get a good look at this magnificent animal.
Sightings of both the white and the black rhino were enjoyed. When viewed the white rhino will most likely be grazing going about it’s normal daily routine, whilst the black rhino is more inquisitive often approaches the vehicle for a better look. The black rhino are known to have an aggressive behavior compared to the larger white rhino, but given enough space they to can be relaxed.
