Winter is here, and it is slowly taking hold of the bushveld, turning the once bright greens into deep yellows and soft oranges. There is now a definite nip in the air during the early mornings and late afternoons. What a
Being close to an adult elephant, of any size, is a special experience, but there are a few large elephant bulls who truly stand out above the rest. If you are fortunate enough to come across an exceptionally large bull,
May has seen huge activity on the game viewing front with several highlights. Most notable was the witnessing by some of our guests of lions killing a female buffalo – unfortunately the lions did not wait for the buffalo to die – much to the consternation of some of our guests – no – it is not the same as a national geographic documentary!
So I joined Herold again this morning drive, taking one of our loyal blog followers, Len, on a day of private drives to enjoy some photographic opportunities and a bit of time to do our own thing
At Tanda Tula Safari Camp we understand that there is a huge need for adult literacy throughout South Africa, and everyone needs to play their part to help those that cannot help themselves. As such, Nina Scott (Managing Partner of Tanda Tula) founded an adult literacy programme. The classes, which are headed up by Anne Watt, are focused on reading, writing, comprehension, conversation and general knowledge in the English language.
The month of April is one of my favorite months as it celebrates the start of the cooler months ahead. The colours of the bush are so vibrant when the morning dew finds a spot on the vegetation which enhances the colour of trees and grasses. The bush is still very green and the grass quality and quantity is still in abundance, making winter feeding for the grazers and browser good.
On a recent trip to town I bumped into two magnificent male lions which had moved in from the west. The scene was very special, as the sun was slowly appearing over the horizon while the two large males slowly trundling down the main road.
A few days ago we were treated to a spectacular morning drive, with a number of exceptional sightings. A pack of wild dog were found early in the drive and although we had to take our time to get to the sighting, our patience was rewarded and we were treated to something special.
This morning our intentions were to head out to the West along the Tsharalumi River and follow up on Makipi's and his brother Shindzuti with their Impala kill which Herold had found the previous evening. Starting a little later than the rest we had to take a detour as the initial part of our intended route had already been checked. It was on this detour that we found ourselves three very nice Tawny Eagles and on closer inspection we found a couple of White-backed Vultures in the same vicinity. This raised our alarm bells as the two different species only seem to congregate when something has died.
Last weekend delivered some fantastic sightings. The action all took place within a kilometre radius and guests were treated to seeing four large predators within a few hours.
We were lucky enough to see one of the white lionesses from the north who had just fed and was relaxing under a thicket. Unfortunately this didn't allow me a chance for a decent photo, but nonetheless she looked in wonderful condition and it is just a matter of time before a large male takes a serious interest in her.
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