A Rare Sighting. A Rare Day.

It was a very sad morning for this young female Leopard, as her short lived life was suddenly ended. The morning started off very quiet until a radio call was put through on a location of two Leopards.

I made my way to this sighting and had caught the end bit of this sadness. Just before I arrived, the young female had made an Impala kill and had stashed it in a tree, not long after, a mature male Leopard saw his opportunity and decided to attack this young Leopard for her food. In a fierce battle for food this female tried to defend it, but unfortunately succumbed to serious injuries.

The Male had clamped his powerful jaws around her fragile head and had pierced the skull casing as well as a jugular. As I got there, I witnessed this female’s death. One minute she was alive in front of my eyes, and then next minute she slipped away into a permanent sleep. Very heart breaking. So it was up to me and the other rangers to lift this Leopard into a tree so as to avoid being eaten by Hyena, as the Ecologist needed to confirm her wounds and identification.

Sad as this was, this is Africa, and only the strongest survive.

The Meaty Bits

Lion, lion, lions. You ahve to love them! Went out for an afternoon drive and our goal for the afternoon was to find Lion cubs, which I thought was going to be a real hit and miss. Never the less we cracked on. Pearl, Azriman, and I had one goal. Cubs!

As we were approaching the road I wanted to look on, a massive elephant bull crossed the road in front of us. So we drove up and viewed the lovely, grey giant. After sitting for awhile, I hear that distictive 'meow' sound. Thats all I needed. If it weren't for that Elie, we would never of seen these cubs.

But there was a bonus to all this...a Lion kill!!!! Watching the cubs was apleasure but then out of the middle of nowhere a Lioness that we didn't see nailed a Wildebeest, right in front of us!!!

We watched the whole suffocation process, and one word to describe it...Intense!!! After the hard to watch bit, the females started opening up the animal and allowed the cubs to have a large meaty meal!

Luck as they say! But for James and Emma, as I know you wanted these cubs bad. So here they are these images are dedicated to you! A drive too late, unfortunately!

The Highlight of My Career

Who would of ever thought!!!! I was off on a morning game drive with the lucky Geraldine, who at the time was my only guest on the vehicle! All she wanted to see was Lions for her last drive. As the morning progressed we came across two males and two females. I thought wow, lucky us and great for her to see them on her last drive.

While on drive, the other ranger from the lodge, mentioned to me over the radio that a single lioness was seen on our property. At the moment I realised that she was the female who has been pregnant for three months, and had been trying endlessly to find her and the possible cubs.

After much searching in an area where I though she was going to give birth, it turned out that day 20th of July at about 9:30am, she popped her head out! Well spotted Geraldine! I quickly shot up, turned my engine off, then...and then the 'meows' started!!! I couldn't believe it! here they were, four of them!

Tiny as a shoe, and as helpless as they come, their mother was there to love and protect! These images that I got, do not show the moments of her repeated charges at my vehicle! WOW was it a rush!! Anyway I informed the reserve of our new members.

Nice thing about all this, is that I get to name them, and have decided to call them the Lesego youngsters, which means 'Lucky'

I hope the best for them!!!

Thanks Geraldine for your luck!