MalaMala - The Wildlife

Once again, white rhino were plentiful in December. On one of the days later in the month, no fewer than 27 rhino were seen on the reserve.

There is a great abundance of lush green grass in many areas now, so this is not limiting rhino movement. After some heavy rains in early and late December, there are now also large numbers of inviting mud wallows around, and many of the sightings of rhino have been in or near these wallows, particularly in the late afternoons.

Once again, white rhino were plentiful in November. Many of the sightings were along the recently burned firebreaks, which are now green. Other productive areas were the Matshapiri and Mlowathi river systems, along which several mud wallows can be found. In the south of the reserve, the bend in the Sand River near Rocky Crossing was a productive spot.

Good numbers of rhino were seen consistently in October, and a look at the map will show quite clearly which were the most productive areas for these fascinating animals. The availability of water and mud will play an important role in determining the movements of rhino. There were days when as many as 25 rhino were seen on the reserve.

September 2004

Rhino were seen daily on Mala Mala in September. A look at the map will show clear patterns of which were the most productive areas for white rhino. It is interesting to see how these patterns vary at different times of the year, and even between different years.

August 2004

There was an abundance of rhino sightings in the reserve again during August. Certain popular areas were again productive in terms of regular sightings. A couple of very small rhino calves were seen, one of which belongs to the old female with a fairly long, straight horn, often seen along the Mlowathi.

July 2004

Rhino viewing was good, with many sightings of these creatures in the consistently productive rhino spots, such as in the open areas in early evening, as well as in or near muddy wallows and pans. The late rains have resulted in many of these pans having water in them, and rhino's are very fond of wallowing, not only to cool themselves, but also to help with the removal of ticks and other skin parasites.

June 2004

White Rhino seen during June 2004

May 2004

The plentiful supply of food and water continued for rhinos and although sightings of them were certainly regular and predictable, the numbers of animals seen wasn't as high as could be expected under more resource-scarce circumstances. Nevertheless, towards months end, when the quality of the grass probably started to decline as winter conditions set in and the quantity of green material lessened and the rate of regrowth of grazed grass slowed, more rhinos were seen as they were forced to wander further to find the food which they wanted to eat.

Probably some of the most dependable rhino viewing this month was to be had on the airstrip where several males were almost always present, mostly in the early morning and evening. There were also several sightings of quite newly born rhinos this month, indicating perhaps an autumn surge in rhino births.

Rhino viewing was good this month, with the home-range/ territory-bound animals providing the bulk of the viewing. As was the case last month, the plentiful supply of grass, water and mud-holes has allowed the rhinos to remain localised, moving only from one feeding zone to the next and then repeating this once fresh leaves have appeared on the previously grazed areas.

A commonly viewed phenomenon when driving through tall grasslands in these 'rhino areas' is to come across a patch of short grass, perhaps only a few square metres in extent, but clearly made by a large grazer and surrounded by the tall stems of the grass which hasn't been eaten. Rhinos feeding under such conditions simply go from one such patch to the next and select only the succulent regrowth. As winter approaches, however, and the grass grows slower, so the rhinos will be forced to seek other material and the days of choice will be over.

With the grass growing rapidly following the heavy rains of late February and March, rhino viewing was not as good during March as compared to preceding months. Not only have several rhinos no doubt moved to areas which the drier conditions preceding these rains prevented them from going to, but the lush vegetation has meant that the resident animals have plenty to eat and mudholes around every corner. With these resources, rhinos don't really need to move around so much, resulting in fewer encounters with them. The tall grass has also made sightings of rhinos just that much more difficult.

Nonetheless, rhinos were seen on a daily basis during March, with many resident animals following patterns of 'rotational grazing' as they circulated among patches of grazed grass, eating the short, high quality regrowth. Certain mudholes also seem to be that much more popular with rhinos than others and these too provided at least some predictability on the movements of these animals this month.

As with the buffaloes, the rhinos have had a superb February, this thanks to the good rains which have fallen since the beginning of the year. Not only is food super-abundant, but so too are water-holes and mud-wallows, the latter so essential in rhino life to keep the biting insects at bay.

What can be expected is for rhino's to become quite predictable in their movements as they rotate amongst their favourite (and often self-created) grazing areas and mud-wallows.

January 2004

Rhino viewing was good this month and even the rains that fell, almost throughout January, did little to disperse them. The rains have of course provided the rhinos not only with a good supply of grazing, but also with the mud-holes, which they so like to wallow in.

With grass now growing rapidly and water supplies widespread, movements of rhinos should become a great deal more localised as they practice their own version of rotational grazing, eating grass down short and then returning to these patches a few days later to eat the regrowth.

One sighting of some interest involving rhinos this month saw a lone bull confront a female, her less-than-one-year-old and a sub-adult rhino. Hostilities were quite evident and every time the bull approach the trio, the large female chased him off. Then, almost without warning, the bull charged in and knocked the young rhino to the ground. The female rhino chased the bull off before any more damage could be done, but the young rhino lay on the ground for some minutes before it regained its feet. Later that day it was seen with its mother and the other sub adult, apparently none the worse for its experience.

MalaMala Game Reserve, PO Box 55514, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.
Telephone: + 27 11 442 2267 or 0861 SAFARI.
Facsimile: + 27 11 442 2318
e-Mail: reservations@malamala.com