Today is the 3rd of March; it is also World Wildlife Day.
For those of us who call MalaMala Game Reserve home, this is a day to celebrate the ones we spend more time with than our families, those whom we thank for our livelihoods, and those who impart profound lessons simply by being themselves. We’re talking about wildlife.
On the 14th of December, we posted a blog detailing the end of the Gowrie male’s era on MalaMala. With time, our conjectures became accepted; the older Gowrie male had passed away, and the younger one was coming under pressure from the likes of the Ndhzenga males.
At MalaMala our leopard statistics speak for themselves. In April alone, we viewed 34 leopards in 117 sightings. Naturally, when one spends the amount of time that we do with the same leopards, one becomes invested. The Island female is one such individual.
This morning, just as the sun greeted the savanna, an unknown coalition, seemingly hailing from Kruger, brought an insurrection against the Ndhzenga males. Before we give an account of what unfolded, we wish to set a disclaimer: this is a dynamic that is currently unfolding, and as a result, what we report is what we have observed and pieced together.
Interactions between species make for some of the most thrilling game viewing. When prey species ingeniously evade predation, one is left marvelling at the distinctive adaptions to each animal that make survival possible. Let me share one such sighting with you – a sighting that has gone viral on almost every social media platform! View the video at the end of this blog.
The Emsagweni female leopard is one of MalaMala’s most iconic cats. Sporting one eye and frayed ears, this battle-axe of the bush holds a large territory in some of the more rocky and wooded parts of the reserve. Although sightings of her are not as frequent as some of our other beloved leopards, she remains a guest favourite because of her scrappy appearance and hardcore demeanour.
The Gowrie males are arguably one of, if not the, most successful coalition MalaMala and the Sabi Sands have seen in recent history. They have reigned supreme for more than half a decade; in which time they have successfully sired the next generations from five different prides.
If you’re one of those people that likes to while away hours of the day watching wildlife videos, it’s likely you have encountered the YouTube video that MalaMala posted on the 2nd of December 2021. If you are not, we suggest you watch it before you read any further…
In recent days, the soundtrack to life at MalaMala hasn’t been the “krit-trrrrr” of the returning Woodland Kingfisher, nor is it the “dee-dee-deederik” of the Diedrick Cuckoo, rather, it’s been the deep, bellowing “ohhhhffff” of lions roaring.
If you read the last blog on lions you may recall the statement, “for the most part, we like to think we have our finger on the pulse”. The events that have unfolded in the last few weeks may serve to prove this wrong.
On the morning of the 17th of October, several lions were found feeding on a buffalo carcass. While it is common to view lions feeding on an eviscerated bovid, the composition of the group and the events that unfolded in the days that followed left us scratching our heads….
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