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