When I first got to the dam a few days ago the hippo were already back from their night jaunts in bush and lying in the dam swallowing the early morning steam rising off the water.
But with the light from the front it all looked rather bland.
It was only when I gave up on the hippo and looked east to the rising sun that I was struck by the beauty of the rising steam and birds patrolling the waters.
But that all seems so far away from where I am right now in the big smoke of the city of Johannesburg. And what a shock it was arriving here yesterday evening to hit Jo’burg rush hour traffic. Ahhhhhh…………………!!!!!!!!!!!!
24th August 2000
The fires continue on Mala Mala. Although the area near where Tjololo has his kill was burnt a couple of days ago, the rest of it got burnt this afternoon. Probably started by a smouldering log and a breeze helping it on again. In wild unmanaged areas fires can carry on burning like this for weeks, dying down at night and starting up again in the day when the winds pick up.
Tjololo showed no concern towards the fire as it approached him. When some 50 meters away he ambled towards it, found a gap where it wasn’t burning and strolled through walking in the already burnt area. It’s comforting to know that he is fully aware of fire and seems to be totally in control.
Having moved away from the fire he rested up until midnight before returning to feed. He was lucky he meal hadn’t been cooked, the fire not getting into the thicket.
At dawn a different unknown female leopard arrived on the scene. Tjololo wasn’t impressed chasing her into a tree. The terrified cat yeowled from the top of the tree as Tjololo made his stand scraping at the base.
The stand off lasted nearly an hour until Tjololo moved on back to the kill and the female left the area. There was to be no sharing of his kill.
Shololwane was back in his mother’s territory this morning.
At this time of year it’s mainly the elephant bulls that hang out on the Chiredzi River feeding on the big Mopanie’s and Umbrella thorns.
Actually the area looks like a war zone the way they’ve been trashing huge trees. The destruction is really alarming.
Permanent water in the river means they’ll be working these areas intensively destroying the place until the rains come.
I’m going to be away to attend the WildTalk Wildlife Film Festival but will continue posting video clips of footage shot in the last month.
23rd August 2000
Shololwane has started his days of wandering as we found him a long way west of his mothers’ territory on his own. As a young male he’ll keep moving out of his mothers’ territory as he explores and slowly becomes independent. As he gets older he’ll have to stake out a territory and possibly fight for the rights to it. But that’s only in a few years and for now he’ll live a free life still returning home on occasion, especially if there’s food around.
Tjololo moved on north in the Sand river and then headed east. He was interrupted by a couple of lionesses and made a hasty get away. But it didn’t last. He killed an adult male impala and before he could feed the lions were back and he had to abandon it.
Carrying on east he was successful again where we eventually found him having killed a subadult female kudu, which he proceeded to drag into a thicket not allowing us any visibility. The carcass was too large to tree and leaving him in the morning he was still lucky to have the kill to himself on the ground.
At least today I got my timing and location right.
With much to do before I head off tomorrow for a couple of weeks, I was stuck in the office all day. But ventured out at noon to get the elephant wallowing at the top end of Malilangwe dam.
Yes they were there! About 40 of them grazing on the sedge. And just as I arrived as if on cue, they moved into the mud wallows and water to drink and wallow.
Of course it was the little guys who had the biggest party, and like kids they were beside themselves having fun and reluctant to leave when mom moved out.
At sunset a herd of about 300 buffalo moved onto the shores of the dam to graze but it was now too dark for me to shoot anything.
22nd August 2000
Can it be true? Tjololo turned down every offer made to him by a pretty girl for some 30 hours plus. She was very clear with her motives, so no excuses like “oh, I didn’t realise she was keen”.
It’s hard to understand why Tjololo did not give in to her. As far as species survival goes this is a basic instinct that is usually carried out whenever the opportunity arises. Animals must reproduce to survive and as regularly as possible.
Finding Tjololo and his girl before sunset, they had commandeered the remains of an adult male bushbuck carcass from the Kapen female and Mziggi. The carcass was a bit smelly so probably a few days old.
The Kapen female was also not happy with the presence of the other female but while she was with Tjololo there was little the Kapen female could do. Mziggi kept a distance off sleeping in a tree during this whole performance.
Having fed Tjololo treed the remains of the carcass and while in the tree his girl ran up to throw herself at him in the branches. A rather uncomfortable place to hope to get lucky.
Having left the tree the female continued to pester Tjololo, and Tjololo continued to rebuff her.
With the stalemate in play we headed back to camp for a few hours to go through some of the 20 hours of footage already shot, to start looking at how we’re going to structure the film and what is still needed.
Back with the leopards after midnight, Tjololo had just dropped the carcass and a hyaena claimed it. Tjololo sneaked closer hoping to steal it, but the hyaena would have none of it and charged. Tjololo side stepped the charge and went in after the carcass but the hyaena was on to him and he fled.
The hyaena finished off the carcass.
Tjololo headed north with his girl still following and proposing to him, but then she gave up and left. Tjololo continued up north in the Sand river.
At dawn the Kapen female and Mziggi headed north east. Mziggi climbed into a huge Jackalberry tree to rest while her mother went on hunting.
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