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WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE
ForthemonthofSeptember,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 18,2˚C(64,7˚F) Forthemonth:1.4mm Sunrise: 05:30
Minimumrecorded: 13,5˚C(56,3˚F) Fortheyeartodate:402.9mm Sunset: 17:50
Averagemaximum: 33,2˚C(91,7˚F)
Maximumrecorded:40,2˚C(104,3˚F)
Greetingsfromparadise.Let’scuttothechaseastheweatherhasbeenhotandthegame-viewingiscooking!
WildlifeoverviewforSeptemberWilddogsWiththepupsstillquitesmall,wearedelightedtofindthatthepackhasspentthemonthonourreserve,
ratherthanheadingsouthtoGonarezhouNationalPark.We’vehadawesomesightingsofthem–suchasall27
fightingwithninehyenas;andanotherwatchingthemfeastonanimpalawhilethreehyenashungaround
hopingtostealthekillfromthem.Itwasveryspecialtoobservehowtheadultdogsletthepupsfeedfirstand
kepttheopportunistichyenasatbaywithsomewell-placednipsonthescavengers’rearends!
LionsWe’vereallybeenenjoyingseeingtheanticsofacoupleoftheprides’cubs.
Themajorityofthesightingscamefromthecoalitionofthreeadultmales–andonafewoccasionstheywere
relaxedenough,andguestsbraveenough,toobserveonfoot.
Thereweresomekillstoo–oneofthesewaswhenaprideofsixlions(twomalesandfourfemales)were
feedingonabuffalocarcass,withaboutahundredvultureswaitingpatientlyforashare.
CheetahCheetahsightingshavebeengood–especiallyoftheoldshort-tailedfemalewhoselife-storywe’vefollowed
forsomanyyears.She’sstillahuntingmachineandmadeacoupleofimpalakillsthismonth.Shewasalso
seeninthesameareaastwomalecheetahs.
LeopardWiththebushlowanddrywe’vehadsomegoodleopardsightings.Twospecialoneswerewatchingafemale
leopardhuntingagrysbok;andanotherofasleepybigtomcatcurleduplikeacroissant!
RhinosItseemstherhinoshavebeenkeepingeachothercompanythismonth,aswe’veseenbigcrashesofthem:ten
whiterhinoswiththreecalves;andthreeblackrhinosbrowsingatajunctionoftracks.
Averyinteresting,yetfrighteningsightingwasoftwoblackrhinosfightingatapanforoveranhour.
ElephantsLet’sputitthisway–it’sbeenhardtomissseeingatleastoneelephantoneverydrive.
BuffaloOurbestbuffalomomentwasofaherdof400feeding,bellowingandinteractingwitheachother.
PlainsgameTheplainsgamehasbeenplentiful,andwe’vehadgoodsightingsoftheusuallyshyandsecretivesablesthis
month.That’sasablebullphotographedonthefrontpage,headingtoawaterhole.
SmallwondersWhilesearching(unsuccessfully)foraserval,wefoundthreecivets,agenetandanelephantshrew!
Alovelyencounterwaswith30bandedmongoosesforagingaboutnearourairstrip.
RaresightingsTworarecreaturesshowedthemselvesthismonth–anAfricanwildcat,andthenabirder’sultimatetwitch,a
Pelsfishingowl!
PhotohideOurundergroundphotohideisveryproductiveatthistimeofyear.Onegroupofguestsspentafewhoursin
thehideandsawabullelephant,twoeland,eightLichtensteinhartebeest,andanAfricanharrierhawk.
WalksAgain,becauseofthedry,lowvegetation,it’sagoodtimefordoingbushwalks.Ononeoftheseweenjoyeda
goodsightingofsixwhiterhinosandfivebullelephants;onanotherwesawafemalecheetah,hyena,three
whiterhinosandtwobullelephants.Twobraveandintrepidfemaleguestssawthreemalelionswhileonfoot
andspentsomequalitytimeintheirpresencewhilechattingaboutlionhistoryandbehaviour.
BoatcruiseWeencourageallourgueststodoasundownercruise,anditreallyisameditativelyrelaxingwayofspending
anafternoon.Breakingthespellofzenononeoutingweretwoseparateblackrhinosightings,andthreemale
lionsrestingontheshore.
FishingBrilliantfishingwashadonemid-morningaswetriedourluckonthepredatorytiger-fish,landing12andlosing
farmore.Thetrophyofthedaywasa4kg(8,8lb)fighter!
FlowersThesedefiant
beautieschoosethe
driesttimeofyearto
bloom,andthat
makesthemextra
special–notonlyto
usbuttotheinsects
thatpollinatethem
andrelyonthemto
seethemthrough
harshtimes.Leopardspotted
Wesetoffearlyonemorningwiththefirmintentionsoffollowinguponaprideoflionsthathadbeenseenthe
nightbefore.Itwasjustbeginningtochangefromdarknesstodawn,andinafewmoreminutesthespotlight
wouldn’tbeabletopickupreflectionsofpredators’eyes.Butwewerebarelyoutofcampwhenweroundeda
riverbankandfoundthismaleleopardcurledup,withpawstuckedinandhistailwrappedaroundhim.
Ourleopardsightingshereareoftenfleetingflashesoftheseelusivecats,butthismalewasquitecontenttolie
ashewas,andletusadmirehiminawedsilence.However,thevervetmonkeysfeltdifferently.Unbeknownto
themtheyhadsleptthewholenightinatreewithaleopardatitsbase!Attheinstantthatitbecamelight
enoughforthemtospottheleopardbelowtheybeganshrieking,alarmingandhurlingabuseatthepredator.It
waslikeareallyannoyingalarmclockgoingofftooearly,withnosnoozebuttonplusajammedoffswitch!A
fewminuteslatertheleopardcouldtakenomore,andflickedhistail,gotup,turnedaroundandslunkoff.
Whogoesthere?
Thetrackingteamhaddevotedhourstotrackingacoalitionofmalelionsinthickmopanewoodland,andonce
they’dspottedthemonfoottheycalledus,hoppedonourvehicleandguidedusintoposition.Butthelions
hadmovedoffalittlefromwherethey’dleftthem,andwescoutedaroundtofindthem.Thisisthemoment
whenwedid–youcanseehowthismaleislookingslightlyalarmedandhaslockedhisstareontome.Hesoon
settleddownandrelaxedagain.Canyouspothisbrotherinthebackground?
Overtheedge
ManyofourgravelroadstakeusalongthebanksoftheChiredziRiveranditsdrainagesystem,buttheroads
havetobesetwellbackforerosioncontrol.Asguidesweoftenstopalongtheroadsandwalktothe
riverbank’sedgetoseeifthereisanywildlifeactivitybelow.Onbothoftheseoccasionswewerelucky:
Thefirstshowsanoldelephantbullwithmassiveivory,eventhoughtheonetuskisbroken.Hewasbackedup
byan‘askari’a‘youngersoldier’wholearnsfromandhelpsprotecthiselder.
Thesecond
photo
showsa
lovelyscene
ofajourney
ofnine
giraffe
crossingthe
river.It’sso
enjoyableto
beonfoot,
onthe
safetyofan
elevated
bank,and
stand
quietly
watching
whatgoes
onbelow.
Reflections
WorldRhinoDaywason22September-althoughitiseveryday,hourandminutehereasweprovide
sanctuaryforthesepersecutedanimals.There’ssomethingespeciallypoignantaboutphotographingarhino
anditsreflection…
Phototips
Thered-billedquelea(Queleaquelea)istheworld'smostabundantwildbirdspecies,withanestimatedadult
breedingpopulationof1.5billionpairs,andsomeestimatesoftheoverallpopulationhavebeenaslargeas10
billion.Red-billedquelealiveandbreedinhugeflockswhichcantakehourstoflypast.Wecameacrossaflock
settlingonsomereeds,andwithtimeonourhandscouldsetupourcamerasontripodsandfindwaysof
photographingthemeffectively.
Thisistakenataspeedof1/1250second,andyoucanseehowthislightningspeed‘freezes’theirflightaction.
Thisistakenataspeedof1/60second,andyoucanseehowthebirdsinflightareablurwhichgivestheidea
ofthespeedtheyflyat.
Allatwitter
Birdingissucharewardingpastime.Herearethree
momentsfromthemonth:
Guineafowlshaveacarefulsundowner.
Brown-headedparrotsfindasculpturalperch.
Atrioofwattledstarlingsdisturbsomedovesby
takingabath.
Septembermoments
Ateenagehyenaleaveshome,boredwithclanrules
anditspeskyyoungersiblings,andtriestoekeouta
mealfromanoldgiraffelegbone.Beforenightfell
itboundedhome,fullofasulkyshamefulattitude.
Avervetmonkeygivesherselfapedicure.
Anelephantreachesgreatheightsinhisquestfor
thejuiciestleaves.
WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishin
SingitaPamushana
MalilangweWildlifeReserve
Zimbabwe
ThirtiethofSeptember2016
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