RHINOCEROS SIGHTINGS - 2007
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White Rhino - Photographed by ranger Bruce Hedges
| RHINOCEROS SIGHTINGS - 2007 Archives: 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008
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| December 2007 There has been an exceptional amount of rhino sightings this month with an average of 5 sightings per day. Groups of rhinos, known as crashes, were frequently seen with as many as 9 animals in a group. Once again the swollen pans provided the best entertainment as the many rhino immersed themselves in the muddy water. All in all the population of rhino looks to be very stable with many of the rhino becoming recognised by the rangers due to distinctive features and we are seeing the same ones on a regular basis.
November 2007 Rhino viewing during the report period has been consistent with previous reports, with numerous sightings being recorded on a daily basis. Large concentrations of these beasts have been seen in the recently burnt areas, to the east of the Matshapiri. The coming of the rains has also led to the spread of rhinos in to eastern Flockfield and other typically dry areas. Great photographic opportunities have presented themselves around the prominent pans jotted around the property.
October 2007 Sightings of white rhino were down this month, when compared to the sighting figures for last month. This can be attributed to the returning rains and the fact that water is now widely distributed around the reserve. On a number of occasions large groupings of up to 8 animals together were seen and on a few days there were up to seven sightings of rhino in one day. All the sightings reported healthy rhinos and many of them are pregnant or have recently given birth adding to the extraordinary feeling of rebirth and renewal that spring and early summer brings.
September 2007 White rhino were viewed on every day during the report period. A number of very small rhino calves were also seen in close association with their mothers. Interestingly, with the water in the veld drying, the rhinos seem to have moved towards the Sand River, with many sightings concentrating in the Emsagwen region, as well as the firebreak that runs from West Street to Fred’s Tree. August 2007 The viewing of rhino has been good for this month. As is quite typical for August the winds have been picking up and this makes the rhinos fairly nervous, seeking the relative safety of the thicker bush and the valleys. Fair sized crashes of these large beasts have been seen fairly frequently, with a group of five being seen in the Lion Rocks area, and another equally sized group in the northern reaches of the Mlowathi.
A single rhino bull has been seen fairly frequently in the vicinity of the new airstrip. The male is sporting some serious wounds on his hindquarters, indicating that he had come off second best to another rhino bull. Although the injuries are an unpleasant sight, they do appear to be getting better, indicating the ability of most wild animals to literally bounce back after a set back.
July 2007 Rhinoceros viewing during the report period has been very stable, with numerous sightings being recorded along the lower reaches of the Matshapiri, the Kapen River, particularly the short cut that runs to the hyena waterhole as well as a number concentrating around the upper reaches of the Mlowathi and the Mlowathi dam itself. Several crashes of rhino have been recorded, with the most significant crash of seven animals around the Lion Rocks being seen on numerous occasions.
June 2007 During the course of the report period white rhino’s were seen fairly frequently. Mostly sightings were of females and calves, but a few large groupings (crashes of rhinos) were seen. The most notable of these groups is a group of 4 rhinos that have been seen fairly regularly around the southern end of the New Airstrip. There was also a group of 6 seen in the central parts of the game near a water hole called Cheetah pans. The distribution of the sightings indicates that rhinos are sticking mainly in areas that have large open grasslands but are surrounded by thick bush. This is very typical of white rhino behaviour as they graze out on the grasslands but on days where there is wind or rain they move into the thicker bush where they are less exposed. The largest group of rhinos seen this month was a group of 7 rhinos in the central parts of the reserve. May 2007 Rhino sightings for the report period showed that they were widely distributed throughout the property but the best viewing of this now common animal continued to take place around the central Matshipiri as well as almost daily viewing in the vicinity of the Kapen. The highlight of the month was a herd of 9 rhino seen along a road known as Zebra Skull north in southern Flockfield. April 2007 The White Rhino numbers seem to be strong with many sightings around the Matshapiri and Kapen Rivers. The usual crash size viewed seemed to be around 3 in number. The large aggressive male from the Emsagwen region seems to have relaxed slightly to the presence of vehicles, yet when around a female tends to be quite territorial.
March 2007 Rhinoceros viewing for the report period saw most of the sightings concentrating along the Matshapiri and Kapen river systems, particularly around Buffalo Bush dam and the Styx crossing regions. Several sightings of cows with young calves at foot were recorded, as well as a number of small groups of young bulls. February 2007 Many rhino were sighted during the report period, with a number of large crashes of the beasts being recorded along the Matshapiri and Kapen rivers. The aggressive bull rhino from the Emsagwen region was viewed regularly. The male continues to show aggression towards vehicles, however appears to have more tolerance towards vehicles when encountered alone.
January 2007 Once again White Rhino were seen frequently on the reserve. Most of the sightings took place on the north-eastern parts of the reserve. This could be due to the burns which took place there in late November, as after a large burn the ash fertilises the soil , allowing for rich new growth. The White Rhino is the world’s largest pure grazer and we believe this to be the reason for such numerous sightings in this region. The large aggressive bull from the Emsagwen region was viewed many times and seemed to be more relaxed when viewed on his own, yet showed the same old aggression when there was a female in the area.
MalaMala
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