15th July 2000
A rather despondent crew (cam still down) took up the trail of Tjololo in the afternoon. He was again on the move early and back on Mala Mala heading towards Rocky crossing. I managed to get some really great low angle shots of him walking towards camera and past, not showing the slightest interest in me only metres from him. The trust we are developing with him is awesome and something hard to imagine with one of the worlds most aggressive of all cats.
He followed the Sand river all night heading at first west and then north. Bumping into some lion tracks he froze and with the wind blowing rustling the bushes he was clearly nervous. Unfortunately for him the lions were moving with the wind and if he continued on their trail they would pick up his scent long before he saw them. Wisely he diverted.
By dawn Tjololo was already resting up in the Sand river.
We picked up on Khayeni at dusk as she headed west from Three Baobabs. She took us through some horrendous bush and we just didn’t get to see her. Luckily she then popped out on a road but continued north into the bush. We took the road and looped round to intercept her from the north.
We got to Nhoro pan just as she arrived. She was showing some interest in a herd of zebra drinking but she really didn’t have a chance.
It’s funny how she still thinks she can take on anything that moves no matter its size. She’s really still a playful big cub.
Then a Scrub Hare popped out the tall grass and the chase was on. Khayeni lost it, but found it again just over the dam wall and chased again. Back across the dam wall and into some thick bush which was its mistake as Khayeni nabbed it in the thickets. Stunning to see a leopard move at such pace and always a wake up call to remember we could not outrun a leopard.
She moved in to the thickets to feed.
At dawn I was back on Banyini checking for any lion activity. There were tracks everywhere but generally seemed to head west. I was out of luck.
At Chekwa pan a big herd of buffalo had just drunk when I got there and moved on to the north into mopanie country. I was in two minds whether to stay and see what else may arrive or to drive around.
I took the drive down to Hwata pan where a herd of elephant were just leaving. I really must have missed ‘tea time’ this morning.
On the way home passed Chekwa again this white rhino bull came to drink. But he didn’t want company and waited for some zebra to move off before he drank.
14th July 2000
Tjololo was on the move before sunset heading southeast. But it wasn’t long and we were stuck, both vehicles. That was just the final cherry, the cam down and now being stuck! An hour and a half later we were out.
Tjololo kept heading southeast resting up close to the Kruger boundary where he rested and only moving into Kruger just before dawn.
Tjellers was finishing scraps of her carcass on the ground at sunrise. She’d probably dropped her carcass and hyaenas polished off most of it.
I moved out into the cold morning in search of lions calling close to camp. They called all around me but just didn’t want to make an appearance.
Instead a herd of buffalo had moved on to drink at Banyini pan and then back into the mopanie.
Just then a small herd of elephant split the mopanie in front of me, a young cow trashing a tree right next to me.
She continued to trash bushes all around me and even going down on her knees. Her friends wanted to join in but just weren’t too sure of it. So the cow decided to show them how to do it and more bushes were trashed.
But the most hilarious part was as she grabbed a small branch and flung it from side to side, slapping the ground with each sweep and then tossed it aside. I was sure she was demonstrating to me what she planned to do with me, if only she could brave it and overcome her fear to actually pluck me from the car.
13th July 2000
We didn’t find Tjololo at his last kill and so sign of the kill, but we did hear a leopard calling in the Sand river not far off and it didn’t seem to be moving.
No point hanging around waiting for him to move up along the river, so it was on to Tjellers. Mala Mala rangers found her with an impala kill up a tree. She wasn’t up to much when we got there, just sleeping on her prize.
Later went to check on Tjololo again. He was still in the Sand river not having moved. Presumably sleeping off his barrel tummy.
Back with Tjellers some hyaenas had harassed her and she was back in the tree with her kill.
In the early hours we were back on Tjololo’s trail finding him a little further north from where we’d left him. Yes, he sure was decidedly round carrying the remains of the bushbuck carcass in his gut.
North of the Kapen river he seemed on edge and drooling a little. This he usually did when another male was in the area. We didn’t find any signs of another guy.
It was a whole day of traveling for me today. All the way to South Africa and back to drop off the girls before they get back to school.
The short hectic break is always nice and good to have a change but i’m always happy to be back in the field.
Tomorrow night we will again be on Khayeni’s trail.
Recent Comments