July sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month!
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month! There were 226 recorded sightings in the sightings book, with an average of 7.5 sightings recorded per day.
Here is the number of recorded sightings of a few species during the month:
Highlights:
- Changing from previous months, leopards represented the most frequently recorded species for August, followed by elephants, lions and buffaloes. Highlight leopard sightings included a sighting of a leopardess and two cubs on a kill near Sibon camp, a leopard with a kill in a tree near the tennis court, and two adult leopards with a kill at the Ingwelala airfield.
- A female cheetah was seen opposite the Platform on Buffelsbed!
- There were three caracal sightings during the month, with the “hotspot” for sightings still being in the vicinity of Aloe Ridge on Buffelsbed.
- Genet and bushbaby sightings in camp were frequent, including sightings with youngsters: a family of two adult genets with three kittens, a family of one adult genet and two kittens, and a family of seven bushbabies!
- A pack of wild dogs had a kill in camp, with hyenas and vultures remaining in the area for two days!
- Sightings of mating lions and of lionesses with cubs remained frequent. Only three cubs have been seen with the Western Pride this month.
- Birding highlights included a pair of Lilac-breasted Rollers nesting on Buffelsbed, a Grey Heron fighting over a frog kill with a terrapin, a Lappet-faced Vulture seen in camp, and a Striated Heron with three newly hatched chicks at Buffels Hide. A Western Barn Owl has been seen multiple times in camp, and there were multiple sightings of a Western Osprey.
- Reptilian highlights included multiple relocations of black mambas, with regular sightings on the reserve as well, and a large snouted cobra seen in camp.
Images courtesy of Maureen Kirk- Mammalian species recorded: Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena, African Wild Cat, Caracal, Honey Badger, Black-backed Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, Spotted Genet, Lesser Galago, Impala, Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hippo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Duiker, Steenbok, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Springhare, Scrub Hare, Tree Squirrel, White-tailed Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, and Dwarf Mongoose.
- Reptilian species recorded: Water Monitor, Black Mamba, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Snouted Cobra, Puffadder, Nile Crocodile, Flap-necked Chameleon, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Rainbow Skink, Giant Plated Lizard, and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- For the full list of bird species recorded during the month, please click here.
Images courtesy of Oliver McCormack
Images courtesy of Oliver McCormack
Images courtesy of Craig McCann
Images courtesy of Deon Wessels
Images courtesy of Deon Wessels
Images courtesy of Craig McCann
Images courtesy of Craig McCann and Frank Hurst
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Craig McCann, and as noted on individual photos or sets of photos.