Rangers Diary

Game Sightings - June 2007 Game Sightings: Members visiting the farm during June were treated to some excellent game viewing. There was a general increase in lion activity on the farm this month and regular sightings were reported by members. John and Jill Nicholson witnessed a lioness stalking and attempting to kill an impala near the Leadwood tree. A buffalo bull was killed at the Clubhouse Dam by a pride of nine lions and provided some excellent viewing. This pride was on the kill for almost four days, with a pack of seven hyenas in attendance waiting for a chance to feed. The interaction between the pride as well as the hyenas was incredible; this was really a fantastic sighting. A pair of mating lions was observed on several occasions in the vicinity of the Clubhouse. A beautiful lone male lion has been seen on numerous occasions, he seems to be in his prime and in perfect condition; totally unphased by vehicles and people and has provided some really quality sightings. The lioness with cubs seems to have moved onto the Thomas property in the Klaserie. They are now at the age where they will start moving further afield with the mother and I am sure that they will be introduced to the rest of the pride in the near future. Leopard sightings have not been very productive this month, although Lauren Pinker and friends from no10 had a special sighting of a mother and cub near the airstrip reservoir. A big male was also seen on the tarred road adjacent the Ndlopfu entrance. Cheetah sightings were good this month. The big territorial male has been recorded in the Umbabat and eastern Klaserie on numerous occasions this month. We have a classic photograph of him marking territory and spraying urine at the 50kph speed sign on the tar road…talk about attitude! Elephant have been common on the farm during June. Big breeding herds have been regular visitors and a herd of at least 60 elephant including many young calves were seen at the Big Dam. Elephant bulls are seen often and I have had numerous reports of them swimming in the Big dam. There still seem to be a number of collared bulls in our area at the moment. Rhino sightings have been good. A single male is very active to the north east of the farm and has a number of active middens. He has provided some lovely sightings; recently while sitting at Yankee Dam one evening he came down to wallow and moved within 5 meters of the vehicle, completely relaxed. This was a really special sighting as the full moon was rising at the same time. A rhino cow and calf are also seen on a regular basis, although they are still rather skittish at the moment. Buffalo sightings have been common on the farm this month. The big herds move through the property on a regular basis. General game sightings are still poor. Very few sightings of zebra, wildebeest and giraffe were recorded. Kudu sightings have increased as well as waterbuck. The hippo is still resident in the Big Dam and is often joined by another individual. The dry conditions are now forcing him to move further from the dam to feed at night and his dung has been recorded as far away as the Clubhouse and the airstrip. This time of year is not very productive for unusual bird sightings. Clive Pinker reported a very good sighting of a Martial eagle feeding on a large leguaan. (Tree monitor) ...
Game Sightings - May 2007 Game Sightings: May was not that productive for game viewing although a number of quality sightings were reported to me over this period. Jeremy Higgs of no 21 had some fantastic viewing on his visit to the farm and reported good sightings of leopard, lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant. Lion sightings were relatively quiet during May with only a few sightings being recorded. There is clear evidence of a lioness with cubs on the farm at present. I have seen a single, mature lioness on a number of occasions in the Yankee Dam area which is lactating heavily. I am under the impression that she may have cubs hidden in the drainage line near the big Schotia tree. There are tracks of possibly two cubs and herself in the river line leading into a dense thicket on the side of the river. (For obvious reasons I have been a bit hesitant to investigate this thicket on foot!) Evidence shows that this lioness has been to and from this area on a daily basis to drink water at Yankee Dam. The young lion cubs will normally be introduced to the rest of the pride at about 8 weeks and hopefully we should start picking-up sightings of them soon. Obviously this time is when they are most vulnerable to predators and often some of the offspring do not survive this period. I am also concerned about the cold weather that we have experienced lately as this might also affect their chances of survival. Leopard sightings were also scarce and very few sightings were recorded on the farm. Buffalo have been common on the farm during May and most members visiting the farm over this period will have seen one or perhaps two of the large herds. There were two sightings of cheetah recorded during May. Both sightings were of the big male who seemed very relaxed and provided some really good viewing. This male has an incredible range and moves between the Umbabat, Timbavati and as far afield as to the western side of the Klaserie Nature Reserve. Rhino sightings have been regular on the farm. A cow and calf as well as a single male are seen often. There are now a number of active middens on the farm which seem to be used on a daily basis. A lone hippo bull was seen submerged (as much as possible) in the pan near Hardies Crossing. I can only think that the other resident hippo in the Big Dam had kicked him out after a fight as he had a few battle scars and new wounds on his flank. Hippo activity around Big Dam has been sporadic and very aggressive at times as these bulls fight for territory over this prime piece of real estate. It is encouraging to hear of a lot more sightings and reports of the smaller mammals such as honey-badgers, civets, genets and African wild cats. General game sightings were not very good during May. Zebra, wildebeest and giraffe numbers decreased substantially this month, while kudu numbers seem to have increased. No unusual bird sightings were recorded on Ndlopfu during May. ...
Game Sightings - April 2007 Game Sightings: The beginning of April was reasonably productive as far as game sightings go and members visiting the farm over the first long week end were treated to some really quality sightings. Good lion sightings were recorded over this week-end. The pride of eight lions was seen regularly over this period. Other sightings recorded over this week-end were rhino, breeding herds of buffalo, numerous elephant sightings (including a breeding group) and a male cheetah. The second long week-end was not as productive from a game viewing perspective but reports of leopard, elephant, buffalo and two lionesses were recorded. On the 24th I witnessed the pride of eight lions on a wildebeest kill. This was the lone territorial wildebeest bull that was often seen slightly to the north of the Big Dam. This pride has been seen regularly on the farm over the April period. Elephant sightings have been good during April but certainly tapered off towards the end of the month. A small breeding group often moves onto Ndlopfu from the Klaserie and seems very relaxed. A number of calves make up part of this herd. There have been several reports of elephant swimming in the Big Dam recently. I have witnessed them swimming on numerous occasions this month and have had some really incredible sightings. Rhino sightings have been regular over the April period. A lone bull is very active between the Big Dam and Yankee Dam area, also moving between Ndlopfu and the KPNR. This bull is extremely relaxed and provides for some excellent game viewing. He has active middens on the Rietvlei cut-line and near Yankee Dam and I have regularly seen him drinking at Yankee Dam in the evenings. A cow and calf are also active on the farm (sometimes joined by the bull) but are still very nervous and skittish. Buffalo have been seen often on the farm this month. The big breeding herds have provided regular sightings and a few lone bulls have been recorded in some of the natural pans. Leopard sightings have once again been irregular and very few sightings have been reported by members. General game sightings were not as productive as previous months, there seems to be a drop in zebra, wildebeest and giraffe numbers this month. A few waterbuck sightings were recorded and members reported an increase in kudu sightings on the farm. Impala numbers are high and obviously very common on the farm at the moment. April is still very much part of the impala rutting season and big bachelor herds can be seen all over the farm. The familiar guttural, rutting call is evident throughout the day and night. At one stage during April, we had three hippos resident in the Big Dam. There seemed to be much fighting and aggression amongst them. It seems that two males were fighting over the female as well as the territorial rights to the Big Dam. No unusual or irregular bird species were recorded this month. Spur winged geese, African black ducks, Pygmy geese, giant kingfishers, a pair of saddle-billed storks, Wooley-necked storks, Fish eagles and Green-backed herons have been observed at Big Dam. African Spoon-bills and Saddle-billed storks can often be seen at the Clubhouse Dam. No unusual raptor sightings were recorded this month. ...
Game Sightings - March 2007 Game Sightings: Most of the migratory bird species have started departing the Lowveld. The Woodland Kingfishers have left us (they move north to Angola and beyond) There are still a few Whalbergs Eagles around, although most of them seem to have already departed. The Yellow-billed Kites seem to be on their way and the swallows and bee-eaters seem to be gathering for their long trek home. This is a sure sign of winter setting in. Raptor sightings were excellent during March. The following raptors were reported by members: Martial Eagles, Brown Snake Eagles, African Hawk Eagles, Black-Chested (breasted) Snake Eagles, Steppe Eagles, Steppe Buzzards, Fish Eagles, Walberg’s Eagles, Booted Eagles, Lesser Spotted Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Lappet-faced vultures, White-headed vultures, White-backed vultures, Hooded vultures, Bateleur Eagles, Dark Chanting Goshawks, Yellow-Billed Kites, Black- Shouldered Kites and Amur Falcons (Eastern Red-footed Kestrels). Some of the waders recorded around the Big Dam area were as follows: African Spoonbills, White-Breasted Cormorants, African Darters, Goliath Herons, Saddle-Billed Storks, Grey Herons, Green-Backed Herons, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Yellow-Billed Storks, Woolley- Necked Storks, Marabou Storks, African Openbill (uncommon summer visitor, I had a fantastic sighting of a single bird in the natural pan near David’s Crossing), Plenty of Hammerkop’s, Spurwinged Geese, Egyptian Geese, Comb’s (African Knob-billed Ducks), White Faced Ducks, Southern Pouchards, Yellow-Billed Ducks, Black-Winged Stilts and numerous small waders. Giant Kingfishers and Pied Kingfishers were also seen at the Big Dam. Lion sightings were good during March. Two separate prides have been frequenting the farm, one group of six (one young male and five females) and another group of seven (three young males and four females). Philip Fourie and family of no 32 were lucky enough to see both prides on their visit to the farm during the latter part of March. A beautiful big black-maned lion has also been seen regularly and seems to be dominant in the area at present. The pride of six was recorded recently without the young male. With this big dominant male taking-up residence in the area, he could possibly have ousted the younger male or possibly even have killed him. Elephant sightings have been common on Ndlopfu this month. Once again it seems to be the bulls that are dominating the area at present. I saw a group of thirteen bulls together recently in the Big Dam area. Elephants are often seen swimming and cooling off in the Big Dam during the heat of the day. A few small breeding groups have also been recorded on the farm recently. These groups seem very relaxed and have provided some lovely viewing. A number of big collared elephant bulls have been recorded on Ndlopfu during March. Historically, the winter period in the Umbabat has always attracted a number of big elephant bulls, single and in small groups. They seem to favour the mopane as a winter food source. Rhino sightings have improved this month. A single relaxed bull has been seen often as well as a group of three. (Two adults and a calf) The middens in the Yankee area are very active and I am sure that members will start seeing rhino regularly on the farm in the future as soon as these animals start settling down and becoming more habituated to people and vehicles. Large herds of buffalo have been common on the farm this month and I am sure that most members visiting the farm have been fortunate enough to see them. At times we have had two big herds on the farm at the same time. Leopard sightings have not been very productive this month. Evidence of tracks shows that they are active on the farm but very few sightings have been recorded lately. General game sightings have been good. The group of wildebeest is still resident on Ndlopfu and move between Hardies’ Crossing and Yankee Dam. They now number 15 with two young calves being lost. Zebra and giraffe are seen regularly. Waterbuck have been recorded near Windmill Pan as well as Clubhouse Dam. Impala are in the midst of the rutting season at present. Large bachelor herds are common on the farm. The dominant territorial males are kept busy defending their harems from other threatening males. Two separate sightings of serval were reported by members this month. There seems to be an increase in smaller carnivore sightings and African Wild Cat sightings have also been more regular. This might be due to the increase in rodents on the farm. ...
Game Sightings - February 2007 Game Sightings: Elephants have been prolific on the farm over the February period. Numerous collared elephant bulls have been seen and recorded by members on the farm. “Classic” has been seen often on Ndlopfu and seems very relaxed at the moment. He doesn’t seem to be in musth. The recent rainfall and abundance of new fresh, green vegetation and marula’s seems to have made some of these ellies a little frisky and aggressive and one or two elephant bulls seem to have serious attitude problems at the moment! Members are to be cautious of this and are advised not to try and get too close to these bulls. Breeding herds of elephant have been sighted regularly on the farm this month. A herd numbering approximately 30 animals with a number of young calves has been seen on numerous occasions in the Yankee Dam / Dave’s crossing area. This herd moves across from the (Thomas) Durham section of the Klaserie PNR. They seem very relaxed and have provided some lovely sightings lately. Rhino are still very active on the farm although not many sightings have been reported by members. The middens to the north of the farm are all fresh and active. The Rendall’s of no 8 reported a very good rhino sighting near Dave’s Crossing. Lion sightings have been average during the February period. The pride of six has been reported on a few occasions by members. Tom Hattingh (no 7) and family had a good sighting of them on their visit along the east/ west link on their visit to the farm. The group of six was seen on the Ndlopfu Clubhouse lawns early one morning, making their way down to the Clubhouse Dam for an early morning drink. Members visiting the farm over the week end of the 9th to the 11th of Feb were treated to a wonderful sighting of lions on a giraffe kill near the Ingwelala low level crossing. No leopard sightings were reported to me over the February period. Buffalo sightings have been regular on the farm. The big herds have spent a lot of time in the area, especially around the Big Dam. General game sightings have been good. There seems to be an increase in the number of kudu on the farm at the moment, including a number of young calves. As stated in my January report, impala numbers have increased substantially. The herd that occupies the open area to the south of the lookout tower near the big dam is in excess of 200 at present. This is more than likely two groups or (clans) that have joined over this time of the year due to the prolific water in the big dam. This may cause clan overlaps at certain times of the year. Members will notice an abundance of bachelor groups of impala on the farm at present; this is due to the onset of the rutting season which takes place during March and April. Active territorial males will spend a large amount of their time shepherding females and protecting their harems from competing males, time that would normally be spent feeding and digesting. This is also the time when active territorial males are most vulnerable to predation. Territorial males will lose condition over this period and are often replaced by stronger contestants. They will then re-join the bachelor groups to recuperate and try again, but will only be ready after once again rising to the top of the bachelor hierarchy in the herd. Interestingly, impalas become attracted to the place they first win a territory and when staging a comeback try to regain their former property, so more often than not, the male who replaces the current occupant is the former owner. The impala gestation period is approximately 200 days and the dropping of lambs normally coincides with the first spring rains, ensuring that there is an adequate food supply. These unique animals have a survival technique of delaying birth for up to a whole month until the onset of the rain season and favourable conditions. The guttural rutting call is a common sound on the farm at present. The herd of wildebeest is still resident on the open area to the north of Big Dam and has become very relaxed with vehicles. Unfortunately not all of the 5 new calves survived and we only have three left in the herd. Zebra and giraffe are being reported regularly by members. A small herd of zebra can be seen regularly on the open area in front of the Clubhouse. We now have two hippos in the Big Dam. The old resident hippo has been joined by a younger hippo. I’m not sure whether it’s a younger male or perhaps a new girlfriend! Raptor sightings have been good. We have a resident fish eagle at the Big Dam which provides some lovely sightings. The abundant water in the Big Dam has once again attracted a host of water birds and waders. No unusual sightings have been reported. I recently had two huge black mambas enter the Ndlopfu office whilst I was working on the computer. They were intertwined in a mating ritual with at least two thirds of their bodies off the ground and came sliding over the counter top onto my desk! Needless to say I had no choice but to take off out of the nearest office window! They were both in the region of two meters in length. ...
Game Sightings - January 2007 Game Sightings: Game sightings tapered off during the January period, but I think this can be put down to the fact that our occupancies were very low during the month and not many game sightings were reported. However some members reported a few quality game sightings worth mentioning. Clive Pinker (no 10) and Billy Rendall (no 8) reported a wonderful sighting of lion and elephant interaction at the Nyala tree natural pan in the riverbed during the week-end of the 12th of Jan. Clive also reported a very good rhino sighting near Yankee Dam. Lion sightings were not very productive this month. This is possibly due to the higher rainfall experienced in the rest of the APNR causing them to move to where the pickings are good with higher game concentrations. We now have a resident herd of wildebeest on the open area to the west of Big Dam, 15 adults and 5 calves. It’s great to have them back on Ndlopfu. They have probably moved across from the Klaserie as they recently re-stocked the reserve with 200 wildebeest. Rhino activity has increased on the farm again. There are a number of active middens near the Yankee Dam area. Although not many sightings have been reported, the tracks indicate that they are very active on the farm, possibly at night. Elephant bulls have been seen regularly. A number of collared bulls have been reported during the month. “Classic” was recorded on the farm during the first two weeks of January along with another smaller collared bull. I had a fantastic experience of watching two elephant bulls fighting near Yankee Dam on the 25th of January. This was a serious fight and not just a sparring competition. The strength and force of these two brutes charging and thumping each other is just amazing and indescribable. They seem to flatten almost everything in their path. At one stage I had to move rapidly out of their way as they seemed oblivious of my presence as they were so engrossed in killing each other! The one bull eventually gave up and took off screaming being chased by the victor. He was chased from Yankee Dam across the farm to N’tsiri. A small breeding group of elephants has been seen on the farm a few times. There are some really young calves with this group. No leopard sightings were reported by members this month. The big herds of buffalo have been recorded three times on the farm this month. One herd spent a night sleeping in front of the reception area and a few of them even ventured into the car park. The following morning it smelt and looked like a cattle kraal! A group of bachelor bulls have been recorded near the Nyala tree pan. A lone buffalo bull is still resident in the vicinity of Hardies’ Crossing and no 7 (Hattingh). Any members who decide to walk in this area please be wary of this bull. He seems to be quite aggressive and could be a problem to people on foot. On the 7th of January an unusual combination of two buffalo bulls and a cow with a tiny newborn calf was recorded at the Old Hide Dam by Francois Hugo and family of no 12. General game sightings have been fairly good. Giraffe sightings have picked-up again due to the acacia trees shooting new leaves. Two giraffe calves have been recorded with separate groups. Small groups of zebra are seen regularly. The group that is often seen on the Clubhouse open area now has two foals. As mentioned previously, we now have a resident herd of wildebeest on the farm. They’re still rather skittish but can be seen on the open area between Dave’s Crossing and the Big Dam. Over time they should settle down and become more relaxed with game drive vehicles. Kudu sightings have been good. A bachelor group of 6 big kudu bulls has been seen on the farm regularly. Water-buck sightings have not been common this month. A small breeding group of waterbuck is sometimes seen near Peru Dam and in the vicinity of the Ndlopfu entrance road. Impala herds have done well and are in very good condition at the moment. It seems that mortalities of impala lambs were low this season and most herds on Ndlopfu have increased substantially in size. The impala have really settled down well on the farm and have become really tame; this makes for really good game viewing. As common as they are, they are still lovely animals to watch. The hippo is still in Big Dam, even though the water level is very low. He sometimes moves away for a few days but always seems to return. No unusual bird sightings were recorded this month on the farm but sightings worth mentioning are a giant kingfisher which is seen regularly at Big Dam, Saddle-billed storks in the river-bed near the Nyala tree and Carmine bee-eaters near Dave’s Crossing. ...
Game Sightings - December 2006 Game Sightings: Game sightings over the December period were very productive on Ndlopfu. The pride of 7 lions took up residence on the farm for almost the entire month and provided excellent sightings to members. Most visitors to the farm over December reported very good lion sightings. The visitors staying in the guest cottages at the clubhouse (family of the Davis¡¦s of no 20) had a wonderful sighting of the lions drinking at the swimming pool on the night of the 27th of December. Sven Kreher (no 50) and his guests were also treated to a lovely sighting near their chalet. The lions drank at the birdbath and spent the entire day relaxing in the shade next to the chalet. Philip Kruger and his family (no 17) had a fantastic week end of game viewing on the week end of the 15th. They were treated to some really quality sightings and notched up all of the big five on their visit. Rhino sightings have not been regular, but a lone rhino bull has been seen on a few occasions. This bull is extremely relaxed and has provided some really close-up, quality viewing to members. Buffalo still pass through the farm periodically, although the big herds seem to be concentrated more to our west in the Klaserie due to the higher rainfall experienced there. We still see a number of lone buffalo bulls on the farm. A lone buffalo bull has taken up residence at the pan near no 7 (Hattingh) and can be seen there often lying in the water cooling off in the midday heat. Elephant bulls are seen regularly on the farm. The two big collared bulls (Classic and Mac) have been seen regularly. A small breeding group of approximately 15 elephant with some young ones amongst them have also been seen on the farm on numerous occasions. This group moves between Rietvlei, Klaserie and Ndlopfu and is also fairly relaxed. Leopard sightings were not common but some quality sightings were recorded by Philip Kruger (17) on his visit to the farm. Francois Hugo (no 12) had a good sighting of a leopard in the Nyala tree and a leopard kill was recorded below the Clubhouse in the drainage line. Jeremy Higgs (no 21) also reported a sighting of a young female leopard just to the north of the clubhouse. The hippo seems to have vacated Big Dam. This is more than likely the drop in the water level of the dam. Hopefully he will return soon. The general game sightings seem to have improved. Members are seeing a lot more giraffe, zebra, kudu and an increase in waterbuck numbers. A large flock of White-faced whistling ducks has been frequenting the Ndlopfu swimming pool. It¡¦s an incredible sight to see and a lovely call. I had a wonderful sighting of a group of Eastern red-footed kestrels recently in the open area next to no 44 (Strydom) These birds (once common in this area) are now considered rare and are non breeding palaearctic migrants from as far afield as Siberia, China and Manchuria. Raptor sightings have been very good on Ndlopfu lately. Most of the common raptors have been seen on a regular basis. Some of the more interesting raptor sightings that were recorded on the farm during December were: „X Martial eagles „X Tawny eagles „X Steppe Buzzards „X Steppe eagles „X Lappet faced vultures „X White-headed vultures „X Black-breasted snake eagles „X Walberg¡¦s eagles on a nest „X Bateleur eagles „X African Hawk eagles „X Black shouldered kites „X Bat Hawk „X Gymnogenes „X Eastern Red-footed kestrels. The Big Dam has also proved to be productive for birding and the following interesting water birds were recorded on the farm: „X Woolly necked storks „X Saddle billed storks „X Yellow billed storks „X Open billed storks „X Egyptian geese „X Spurwinged geese „X White-faced ducks „X Knobbilled ducks „X Southern Pouchards „X African Black ducks „X White-faced ducks „X Goliath heron ...
Game Sightings - November 2006 Game Sightings: Once again, game sightings were not all that productive during November. I have had very few reports of good sightings from members recently. The first impala lambs were recorded during mid November while we were on leave. The lambing coincided with the first rains on the farm. The impala have done very well this year, one large herd to the north of the farm were recorded to have approximately thirty lambs in the herd. There have also been a number of new zebra foals and a number of young giraffe calves. The big male cheetah has been seen on a few occasions on the farm. He has also been seen on the eastern section of the Klaserie Nature Reserve. Elephant sightings have declined substantially this month in comparison to previous months. A number of single bulls still frequent the farm. The big herds of buffalo have been recorded on the farm regularly this month. Two big herds were recorded on the farm simultaneously recently, one of approximately 100 animals and the other herd in excess of 300. Lion sightings have been very scarce this month with very few sightings being recorded on the farm. No rhino sightings have been recorded this month but there is still a fair amount of rhino activity to the north of the farm. The Davis family of number 20 reported a very good leopard sighting on the termite mound next to the Nyala tree on their last visit to the farm. The woodland kingfishers arrived in mid November and it’s great to see them and have their familiar call on the farm again. Other migratory birds that have been seen farm recently are Steppe Buzzards, Steppe eagles, plum coloured starlings, Yellow-billed kites and red-backed shrikes. (Interestingly, the red-backed shrikes are nonbreeding Palaeartic migrants and come from as far afield as Czechoslovakia and Germany) The red headed weavers are now in full breeding plumage showing off their bright red colours and are common on the farm. They can be observed clearly outside the Ndlopfu office in the tall fever tree. A pair of saddle-billed storks is seen on a regular basis at the natural catchment area in the river bed near the Nyala tree. ...
Game Sightings - October 2006 Game Sightings: Elephant bulls have been seen regularly on the farm. Groups of up to 11 bulls have been recorded together at times. “Classic” the big collared elephant bull has been frequenting the farm and has been seen swimming in the Big Dam on numerous occasions. I had the pleasure of watching nine elephant bulls swimming and playing in the Big Dam, (much to the disgust of the hippo whose space was so rudely invaded!) The Rendall’s of no 8 had a fantastic sighting of 5 lions on the week end of the 20th. They were located in the area of chalet 11. From here they moved to Hardies’ Crossing where they spent the rest of the day resting in the shade of an apple leaf tree. Two sub-adult hyena cubs seem to have taken-up residence on the verandah at no 52. I have seen them there on numerous occasions, resting under the thatch during the heat of the day. I presume that there may be a den nearby. General game sightings seem to once again have increased. Giraffe are seen regularly (this is due to the knob thorns coming into leaf which is their favourite food). Zebra, waterbuck and kudu’s are also seen regularly. A group of six Kudu bulls is often seen between Yankee Dam and Dave’s crossing. It is encouraging to see an increase in warthog numbers on the farm again. There is a group of four who really like the clubhouse lawns, although they really do ruin the grass. Very few leopard sightings were recorded this month. ...
Game Sightings - September 2006 Game sightings: Generally game sightings have not been very productive this month. We still have a number of elephant bulls on the farm and a small breeding group has been recorded on a few occasions. The big herd of buffalo has been on the farm often this month, moving between N, tsiri, Cass, Ndlopfu and the Klaserie PNR. General game sightings have been quiet, although zebra and kudu sightings have picked-up. The pride of six lions has been seen on a few occasions, mainly in the Big Dam area and a big male with a younger male were also recorded on the farm over this period. A pack of wild dogs chased an adult kudu cow into the swimming pool at the Clubhouse. She was in a really bad way with her ears and nose chewed off and unfortunately I had to put her out of her misery. The meat was distributed amongst the Ndlopfu staff. The Old hippo bull is still resident in Big Dam and is often seen lying on the banks in the mornings catching the morning son. It is encouraging to hear that members are reporting a lot more sightings of the more secretive nocturnal species like civets, genets and African wild cats. Rhino sightings have not been very productive lately although there seems to be a lot of rhino activity on the farm. (Active middens and tracks) Once again they seem to spend most of their time moving at night. The migratory birds are slowly returning to our area. Whalbergs eagles are seen regularly as well as yellow-billed kites. Steppe buzzards, European bee-eaters, Carmine bee-eaters, Diedericks Cuckoos and Red-headed weavers are also seen frequently. Raptor sightings have been excellent this month. Game bird numbers have increased substantially this year with large populations of francolin and guinea fowl on the farm. This is a good sign as they generally indicate that the veld is in good condition. ...
Rangers Report: August 2006 Game Sightings: Game sightings during August were rather sparse, although there were a number of quality sightings recorded. Reported sightings were down due to the fact that August was not a very busy month with member’s occupancies. The hippo in Big Dam has been seen regularly by most members and has been a welcome addition to the farm. The highlight of the month has been a pack of wild dogs seen by members during mid August. The pack was made up of six adults and two sub-adults. They were seen near Yankee Dam by the (Fourie’s 32 and Groblers 4) They are still seen regularly in the Klaserie, next door and I have a strong suspicion that they might have a den there. Big herds of buffalo have been common on the farm during August. The one large herd seen near the clubhouse is estimated to be in the region of between 400 and 500 buffalo. A group of lone bulls is often seen around the Clubhouse area and regularly drink at the Clubhouse dam. Elephant bulls have been seen often on the farm. A group of ten bulls was reported swimming in the Big Dam together. Breeding herds of elephant on the farm have been scarce. There is a lot of rhino evidence on the farm and the midden near Yankee Dam seems to be well used again. No reports of rhino were received from members. Generally it seems that once again the rhino have been moving nocturnally. Lion sightings are becoming more frequent again. A pride of six, (2 young males and 4 adult females) has been seen occasionally on the farm. They seem very relaxed and habituated to vehicles. There were very few leopard sightings recorded over the August period. A leopard killed an impala at the building site of number 44 (Strydom) and evidence suggests that the kill was stolen by hyena shortly afterwards. General game sightings have not been very productive during August on the farm. Zebra and waterbuck sightings are down and might start improving again after the rainfall season. There has been a remarkable increase in kudu activity with a lot of young kudu’s included. The hyena den on the road to the airstrip is once again active. Only one adult and one cub have been observed in this mound. The migratory birds should be returning to our area in the near future. To date, no special sightings have been reported. The first migrants reported on Ndlopfu were Yellow-billed kites. There have also been unconfirmed reports of the first Wahlbergs eagles arriving. A large flock of White-faced whistling ducks has been seen regularly at the Big Dam. This is a lovely sight and they have such a lovely whistling call. ...
Game Sightings 1st to 3rd September 2006 Game Sightings: Ndlopfu for week-end 1st to 3rd September 2006. This was a relatively quiet week-end as far as game sightings go on Ndlopfu. This is also due to the fact that we had very few members on the farm over this period. Dirk Ackerman and friends from number 35 were fortunate to see a pride of lion on the farm near the Ndlopfu access road. This pride is made up of four females and two young males. The two males are estimated to be approximately three years old. The lions did not stay on the farm for long and moved into the Klaserie where they were seen on the Thomas property. A group of seven elephant bulls were seen on the farm spending a lot of their time in the area between Yankee Dam and the Big Dam. The Hippo is still resident in the Big Dam and is seen regularly by members, he is getting over his initial shyness and is often seen basking in the sun outside the water. Members are reporting a lot of Kudu sightings which is encouraging. A group of six kudu bachelor bulls was seen near Dave’s Crossing, totally relaxed with the vehicles and people around them. No unusual sightings were recorded for this week-end. Members are encouraged to please note their sightings in the new sightings book before departing the farm. It could be very useful information for us in compiling a data base as well as being informative to other members. ...
Rangers Report: July 2006 Ndlopfu farm report: July 2006 Rainfall and climate: No rainfall was measured for the month of July. The maximum temperature recorded was 33 degrees c and the minimum for the month was 3 degrees c. We experienced some really cold weather on the farm during July as a number of cold fronts moved through the Lowveld. Hydrology: The level of Big Dam is dropping and at this stage the level is at least 2m below the dam wall. The only waterhole being pumped at the moment is the clubhouse pan. No major problems were experienced with the pipeline during July, except an incident of elephant damage at the water tanks which is discussed under problem animals. Ecology: Generally the farm is in good condition. Certain areas around Big Dam are still being heavily utilised and the grazing impact, especially from buffalo is very evident. We will be doing a production analysis on the farm during August to determine biomass figures in certain areas to see whether we should implement a controlled burning programme for the forthcoming season. Ground Hornbill Conservation Project: There have been numerous reports of ground hornbill sightings on the farm during July. The nest on Baobab as well as the Clubhouse nest has been very active lately. Two separate groups of three birds have been sighted at both nests. With the breeding season not far off, the birds will be exploring all possible nesting sights and cavities for the forthcoming season. The birds have been very vocal in the early mornings, sometimes starting to call as early as 04h30. They can be seen on most mornings in front of the clubhouse on the open clearings and have even been seen on the clubhouse lawns. Ground Hornbill sightings data sheets will be made available at the Ndlopfu reception. It would be appreciated if members would take the time to fill in any sightings and/or observations. This is important for research purposes as we are in the process of compiling a comprehensive data base for the project. The APNR Ground Hornbill Research and Conservation project will be working with a new research candidate from the USA as from next month. Apparently the new researcher has considerable ornithological experience and has done some interesting studies and published various papers on wild turkeys and conservation in the USA. This might renew the interest and motivation within the APNR GH Project. Game sightings: Generally game sightings were not very productive during July. There were a number of members that had very quiet game drives during their visits. Rhino activity has once again picked-up and an adult cow and sub-adult calf have been seen a few times. A single bull has also been seen on the farm. Big herds of buffalo have been seen regularly and there is a resident herd of buffalo bulls that frequent the open area to the north of Big Dam. Elephant sightings have decreased substantially over the last month. Single bulls are still seen regularly but the breeding groups were not all that active during the July. Very few lion sightings were reported for the month. Leopard sightings have been very good with a number of sightings being recorded by members. Eric reported seeing three leopards together on the airstrip. (I presume that it must be a male, female and sub-adult) A big male leopard has been reported often and seems to be very relaxed with vehicles. Any member upgrading a digital camera please let us know as I would love to give Eric a camera to use. Eric is out in the bush constantly and knows a lot of what is going on in the field. The hyena den is still active on the road to the airstrip although they seem to be active much later in the evenings than before. It appears that all of the cubs are still alive and doing well. General game sightings have not been very good. Small groups of zebra have been seen on the farm and a small herd of wildebeest has also been recorded on the airstrip. Giraffe numbers are also down for July. We now have a resident hippo in Big Dam. I think he must be the old bull that normally stays in the dam on N’tsiri and sometimes Peru Dam. He is a really old bull with one broken tooth/tusk. He is easy to identify as he has a pink spot on the side his face. This could be from an old wound or possibly a pigment defect. He really puts on a show and it looks like he’s trying to impress with his territorial displays, opening his mouth as wide as possible and snorting. Let’s hope he stays at Ndlopfu for a while. We now have a new sightings book in the reception area. It’s a really nice leather-bound book (thanks to John Nicholson for organising this). Please record your sightings and observations. We would like to start a data base on Ndlopfu game sightings and find out if there is a general trend or movement of certain species and this information would assist us immensely. Many thanks and regards from the Ndlopfu McDonald clan, Kind regards Bruce. ...
Ground Hornbill Project A lot of effort was put into the ground hornbill project during November and this has been well worth it. ...
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Elephant "Classic" has again been seen at the airstrip as well as Cass Dam, in the company of two other elephant bulls. Other sightings of breeding herds at Big Dam and also the N1 have been reported....
Rhino 2 Adult Rhino and a calf were sighted at Yankee Dam, fom where they moved further onto Ndlopfu but only tracks were found and no further sightings were reported....
Leopard A leopard was sighted drinking at the Pan near Concrete Causeway, and appeared very interested in Impala that were in the vicinity....
Lion Two large male lions (possibly the Sohebele males) were seen at the Pan near Concrete Crossing, and were heard again near the staff village. Their tracks were found heading off into the Klaserie....
Elephant "Classic" the collared elephant bull, has spent a considerable amount of time on Ndlopfu. He was spotted on several occassions in the airstrip area, and then also enjoying a "bath" at Big Dam. There have been several sightings at different locations on the farm as well as a breeding herd on the airstrip, and on the N1....
General The open area at the Clubhouse has been spectacular, with recent sightings of Giraffe,Elephant, Impala, Waterbuck,Zebra and Warthog. ...
Buffalo A breeding herd of Buffalo was sighted at the Clubhouse Dam and again near the Lookout Tower and Boabab Dam....
Elephant A breeding herd of about 40 elephants visited Big dam, to cool off in the heat of the day. Apart from this we have elephants moving to and from the Clubhouse Dam and the open area at the Clubhouse quite regularly. ...
Lion A pride of 8 lions that are new to the farm were sighted on the airstrip, where they had killed 2 young wildebeest. This same pride was seen again at Cass Dam in the company of eight elephant bulls....
Rhino A lone cow visited the Clubhouse open area for a short while and then disappeared in the direction of Cass Dam....
Buffalo A herd of approx. 300 buffalo visited the Clubhouse Dam, and were seen again in the Big Dam and Lookout tower area....
Unusual Sightings Aardvark: This very rare creature was sighted on a night drive in theArea between Unit 53 and 54. The Carmine Bee Eaters have arrived back and can frequently be seen on the Main Argyle Road powerlines and also around the farm....
Lion A pride of 8 lions that are new to the farm were sighted on the airstrip, where they had killed 2 young wildebeest. This same pride was seen again at Cass Dam in the company of eight elephant bulls....
Wild Dog 3 Wild Dog were attracted to the Clubhouse open area by grazing impala, although no kill was witnessed....
Elephant Lone elephant and herds of elephant have been spotted at Clubhouse Dam and Big Dam on a few occassions....
Lion A lion and lioness were seen on the airstrip -possibly a mating pair. Tracks of adult lions and cubs were found on Middelpad, close to Windmill dam, and lions were also heard in this area, but unfortunately no sightings. ...
Leopard A leopard was sighted on the airstrip, near the reservoir, and another killed an impala on the front lawn of the clubhouse and dragged it into a tree on the river....
Buffalo Two "Dugga" Boys were spotted at Big Dam and then also a large herd of about 200 were seen in the vicinity of Unit 10 ...
Rhino Rhino sightings have been reported in the area between Yankee dam and Dave's Crossing. Another rhino and calf were seen at Windmill Dam, heading in the direction of Units 35 and 37....
Lion Two lionesses were sighted outside Unit 46 and the 7 Lionesses near Unit 10. Another pride of 4 lionesses and 1 male were spotted "on the hunt" at Big Dam....
General The first Impala lambs of the season were seen last week. A 4 metre long python was found on the N1 - a magnificent specimen ...
Elephant Several sightings of elephant at the Clubhouse Dam and open area near the Clubhouse as well as Big dam....
Rhino After a long abscence a Rhino was sighted on the open area near concrete crossing, and later a cow and calf were spotted near Cass Dam....
Lions The occupants of Unit 44 had an intersting sighting, from their deck, of a lioness crossing the dam wall. Her mate was heard calling from the dam on the other side of the wall. ...
Buffalo The buffalo have been frequenting the farm on a regular basis, and large herds have been sighted at several areas on the farm....
Leopard The owners of Unit 17 were woken one evening to the sound of leopard walking on their deck. They were provided with some exciting viewing and a few heart stopping moments. Tracks of leopard were also found at the entrance to Unit 20....
Cheetah The Rendall's spotted a cheetah at the Marula Tree on the entrance road, and the same cheetah was again spotted on the N1....
Wild Dog Wild Dog which have not been seen on the farm for some time, were sighted near Unit 54....
LIONS 2 Male lions killed a buffalo bull near Cass Dam. This provided some excellent viewing for our members over the long weekend. The lions played the game and stayed in the area for about 5 days. A male lion had killed a buffalo calf near the airstrip, and by the next morning, the lion and hyena had consumed everything....
Elephant "Classic", a collared elephant has been spotted twice near the airstrip. This elephant has exceptional tusks that are very long and symetrical. There have also been several other sightings of elephant at the airstrip and at the Clubhouse and Big Dams....
Leopard Hardie Joubert spotted a leopard near Dave's Crossing and other members that were on the farm, were fortunate to share the sighting. It was very relaxed, and stayed there for all to see....
Unuual Sighting A large porcupine was sighted near Unit 8 and put on a good display of quills for the Rendall's....
Buffalo Buffalo have been frequenting the farm, with large herds spotted on the airstrip, Clubhouse Dam and also near Unit 52. ...
Lions One morning while getting ready to start work, Jamie heard Lion nearby, and decided to investigate. At the workshop entrance he came across 2 male lion in the middle of the road. A couple of shareholders were able to share this sighting with Jamie, before they moved off onto Cass and then were spotted one more time in the riverbed. Shortly afterwards 5 young males were found in the rain near The Cass access road. Two male lion were found at Peru Dam, and these lion were closely persued by the 2 large Sohebele males. They walked from Peru Dam, past the Marula Tree, down the Klaserie cutline and then dissappeared into Klaserie, but non the less provided some of us with spectalar viewing. A Lion and Lioness were spotted lying next to the water at Big Dam. Both of them were very thin, and this could have been due to their mating procedure which left no time for hunting....
Leopard Peter Joubert reported seeing azebra leg on the entrance road, close to the workshop entrance. On investigation it was discovered that a zebra foal had been killed by a leopard. After much searching and spotting a leopard was spotted near the Marula tree in the area. There were subsequently 3- 4 sightings of leopard in this area. Phillip Kruger had a leopard sighting at Peru Dam. 2 Male Leopard were sighted in the open clearing near Hardie Joubert and Hennie Steyn. It would seem that these 2 males wanted to challenge each other for territory, as there was a lot of rasping and noise. ...
Rhino - The Pinkers stopped at Peru Dam, on their way into the farm and were fortunate to spot 2 Rhino drinking. Fresh rhino spoor has also been seen near Yankee dam, but these have proved elusive. ...
Cheetah - A male cheetah was spotted on Argyle road by Jamie. The cheetah then proceeded to Peru Dam where Phillip Fourie was also able to see it. Willie Du Plessis spotted an injured cheetah on the road near the water tanks. Shortly afterwards the Pinkers spotted a male cheetah on the Klaserie cutline. A male cheetah was spotted by Phillip Kruger at the Gomo Gomo entrance road. This cheetah had made itself at home ontop of the kern indicating the entance to Gomo Gomo. ...
Buffalo A large herd of Buffalo was seen near unit 16 and the herd then moved around in that area for a while until it disappeared. A large herd was also spotted on the Cass/Ndlopfu cutline. Evidence has often been found of buffalo activity through the property as well, with the occasional spotting of lone "dugga" boys. ...
Elephant The elephant have been seen all over the farm, with several sightings from different units. Whilst working on the new sundowner spot a Dave's Crossing a breeding herd of elephant was playing in the water just below the new sundowner site. Sightings of elephant swimming in Big Dam have been reported on several occasions, with shareholders being able to enjoy this spectacular sight. Shareholders have also had sightings of elephant drinking out of the swimming pool. ...
BUFFALO A large herd of bufalo has been active on the farm and has provided some excellent viewing. A bonus has been the number of very small calves in the herd....
HYENA The Hyena have been very active, with numerous sightings being reported from various units, and they also have been very vocal at night. ...
LIONS Lions have been sighted on a number of occassions on the open area in front of the clubhouse, following a herd of buffalo. A large male and his companion were seen lying in the road,leading to the workshop, and provided excellent viewing. ...
ZEBRA A herd of zebra - 6 adults and a foal have been on the open area at the clubhouse,every day, for the past week. ...
Leopard - Jan "04 The Clubhouse leopard was seen crossing the N1 with an impala lamb. Eugene Wessels was fortunate to spot it later in the day on the Big Dam wall...
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Dams Thanks to good rain in the catchment area, he big dam is 90% full and still filling....
Elephant - Feb '04 A herd of 10 elephant visited the open area at the clubhouse. They included a very small calf and some impressive tuskers....
Hippo - Feb ' 04 The resident Hippo from Peru Dam, has on several evenings been spotted grazing on the lawns in front of the clubhouse. ...
Rhino Jan '04 Willie Du Plessis was fortunate to come across a mother and calf rhino on the airstrip. They were moving in the direction of Ntsiri. Rhino tracks have been spotted on the property since then on a few ccassions....
September " 03 - LIONS The Yankee Pride was spotted on the airstrip, by Chad Short (unit 37). They were lying near the aeroplane, and were not preturbed by the presence of the vehicle....
November ' 03 - CHEETAH The day after the cheetah was spotted at Unit 53, a male cheetah was spotted on Elephant Bones Road. He lay under a tree for an entire morning, providing some excellent viewing and phographic opportunities. ...
November ' 03 - CHEETAH & IMPALA Whilst waiting at Unit 53 for the staff to arrive, we Olga had an incredible experience of an impala running through the walkway of the house, closely followed by a cheetah. The impala collided with the front of the vehicle whereon the cheetah caught it. It dragged the impala a short distance into the bush and lay down to catch its breath. After a few minutes the impala suddenly jumped up and ran off, leaving the exhausted cheetah looking rather bewildered. ...
October ' 03 - ELEPHANTS A herd of 5 elephants was spotted near windmill dam. Amongst them was a large tusker - the largest seen on Ndlopfu recently. ...
Ndlopfu trail... Taste a scaly insect case & walk with an elephant. From great to small we experienced this, on foot, at Ndlopfu....
BUSHTELEGRAPH. From a much drier and dustier Ndlopfu we send you news of Some of the activities and happenings on the farm. LION. Lion sightings have been fairly rare in the last few months. We had nine lion kill a Gnu at the club house dam one night and when we woke in the morning they could be seen walking around at the club house, one of them carrying the Gnus head in its mouth.These lion then moved of towards Cass. The Groblers were up not too long ago and they saw lions in their car park but were unable to make out details, as it was at night. One lioness with cubs was seen at Peru dam. These lions were on the other side of the dam, so it was a bit to far for us to have a good look at them. The Yankee pride has been around a few times and the other night walked around in the car park then across the lawn and onto the club house dam before moving off into the Klaserie. LEOPARD. The Leopard have been rather rewarding of late. A large tom was seen at the entrance of the car park, as well as a tom seen near hide dam. Tracks were seen in the turning circle of unit 46. The Clubhouse female killed a baboon in the monkey thorn tree Just outside the managers house on the front lawn. She came back 3 nights in a row and provided some spectacular viewing for Some of us. Last weekend Bruce Jenkins (Unit 20) was on a drive and came across an ailing Impala, and on closer investigation found a female leopard, who the dragged her prey into the bush. Later that day the female leopard was found with her cub feeding on the impala and provided some real excitement for those of us fortunate to see it. ELEPHANT. As many of you will have noticed, the farm is full of elephants. The pool of water near unit 46 has had elephants there almost every day as well as wind mill dam. There is one breeding herd of aprox 30 animals that is spending most of its time on the farm. There are also many small herds of aprox 4- 5 bulls walking the river. Some of the shareholders have had real close encounters with some of these, and have even had to wait to be able to get into their units. WILD DOG. A pack of 14 dogs was seen on Peru, so there is slight chance of a sighting on Ndlopfu. Eric spotted 3 wild dog at the Marula tree near the entrance and they headed in the direction of the Cass property, with no further sighting. RHINO. Two Rhino were seen near Yankee dam but moved away rather fast towards Rietvlei. UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS: Jamie spotted a pangolin at the turn off to the workshop area at the main complex late one evening. Phillip Fourie was fortunate to enjoy the sighting of a porcupine near Dave’s crossing. GENERAL GAME The sightings of the general game have improved over the last two months with the warthogs being regular visitors to the pool area, as well as numerous other lovely sightings of giraffe, waterbuck, kudu and such like. ...
21 July - Leopard and Baboon Clubhouse leopard killed a baboon in monkeythorn tree outside clubhouse, and came back 3 nights in a row to feed, providing some excellent viewing....
August '03 - Male Leopard - Hide dam Whilst on a short night drive, closely encountered large male leopard on Hide Dam Road...
29.06.03 Lions on main road (Peru dam)....
24.06.03 Hyena, ...
23.06.03 Massive herd...
28.04.03 2 Leopard...
27.04.03 Breeding herd ...
13.04.03 Herd of ...
05.04.03 3 ...
19.03.03 Leopard ...
17.03.03 Lionesses...
22.02.03 Lions, lions...
Jan 13 to Jan 19 - Week 03 Awoke to a huge male lion on ...
Jan06 to Jan 12 - Week 02 The warthog and her three piglets have been ...
Dec 27 to Jan 05 Week 01 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! To all ...
Dec 20 to Dec 26 - Week 52 The impala lambs are getting ...
Dec 06 to Dec 12 - Week 50 Bronze winged Coursers and Nightjars ...
Nov 30 to Dec 05 - Week 49 The elephant bulls are around, ...
Nov 25 to Dec 01 - Week 48 We have had some unusual elephant damage ...
Nov 18 to Nov 24 - Week 47 Some excellent elephant sightings this week,...
Nov 11 to Nov 17 - Week 46 The herd of buffalo were on the farm,...
Nov 04 to Nov 10 - Week 45 This has been a week of extremely...
Oct 28 to Nov 03 - Week 44 A lot of impala and warthog were seen ...
Oct 21 to Oct 27 - Week 43 The herd of buffalo were seen ...
Oct 14 to Oct 20 - Week 42 The lions have now left the ...
Sunday 14 October Lionesses still at the buffalo carcass ...
Saturday 13 October A kill!!! ...
Friday 12 October 3 lionesses spotted close to No.44, at the Big dam. Elephants on the airstrip and the N1. ...
Thursday 11 October Lovely warm weather, big ...
Wednesday 10 October Big herd of buffalo...
Tuesday 09 October Big herd of...
Monday 08 October Big herd of ...
Sunday 07 October Lions seen...
Saturday 06 October Elephants on the Cass-Wilkens cutline on their way to the Peru dam. Hippo spotted in Peru dam. Zebra, wildebeest and kudu seen on various spots along middlepad. ...
Tuesday 02 October Waterbuck and giraffe on the entrance road. Impala are sleeping on the lawn every night now. The family of warthogs visit us daily for the only green grass around. Elephants, especially two bulls, an older one with large tusks and a youngster with a hole in its right ear, are seen on a daily basis. ...
Monday 01 October Elephant seen on the entrance road, warthogs on the lawn. Giraffe at the clubhouse dam, Impala, kudu, steenbok, duiker and waterbuck were also seen during the course of the day. ...
Sunday 30 September 4 lions spotted at the Big dam. 2 elephant bulls were also milling around. A variety of general game – kudu, impala, giraffe, zebra. Hyena chewed and pulled at the lapa fence at Unit 9, appeared quite aggressive....
Saturday 29 September 7 Elephant spotted at the mud hole close to unit 54. Hippo wallowing in Peru dam, general game such as impala, wildebeest, zebra also seen. Hyena chewed his way through the fenced lapa at unit 4, possibly smelling the fat left on the braai grid. Bush babies spotted in a tree....
Friday 28 September Elephant seen on the N1. Waterbuck bull spotted on the entrance road. Zebra and wildebeest seen grazing close to unit 53....
Thursday 27 September Lion spoor...
Tuesday 25 September An elephant...
Monday 24 September 2 leopard,...
Sunday 23 September 4 Elephants...
Saturday 22 September 3 lionesses ...
Friday 21 September Long weekend has arrived. 3 lionesses...
Thursday 20 September Baboons were extremely ...
Monday 17 September Porcupine spoor on ...
Sunday 16 September Wind has died ...
Saturday 15 September Very windy ...
Friday 14 September Cold wind ...
Thursday 13 September Weather seems to ...
Wednesday 12 September Brown headed kingfisher...
Tuesday 11 September Baboons were...
Monday 10 September Warthog on the...
Saturday 8 September Giraffe seen in ...
Friday 7 September Giraffe on Cass ...
Thursday 6 September Waterbuck seen on...
Wednesday 5 September Waterbuck at Peru ...
Tuesday 04 September Signs of 2-3 buffalo...
Monday 03 September Pair of bateleurs ...
Saturday 01 September Spring has officially...
Friday 31 August Saw 3 zebra ...
Thursday 30 August 3 lionesses ...
Wednesday 29 August Ground scraper thrushes ...
Tuesday 28 August We recovered a black...
Monday 27 August 1 lioness seen at the ...
Sunday 26 August Mating pair of lions ...
Saturday 25 August 2 lionesses at the Nyala ...
Friday 24 August 3 Lions at the...
Thursday 23 August 2 Young lionesses ...
Wednesday 22 August Rhino spoor ...
Tuesday 21 August Marabou stork ...
Monday 20 August Golden tailed woodpecker...
Sunday 19 August Fork tailed drongo...
Saturday 18 August Baboons did ...
Friday 17 August 4 elephant bulls...
Thursday 16 August White tailed mongoose...
Wednesday 15 August Warthogs and impala...
Tuesday 14 August Dwarf mongoose seen...
Monday 13 August Lion heard...
Sunday 12 August Cheetah seen ...
Saturday 11 August Herd of buffalo spent...
Friday 10 August Elephant all around...
Thursday 09 August Herd of buffalo...
Tuesday 07 August A giraffe family...
Monday 06 August Herd of buffalo ...
Sunday 05 August Lone elephant...
Saturday 04 August Wild dog...
Friday 03 August Lion heard ...
Thursday 02 August One elephant ...
Wednesday 01 August 4 Elephant bulls...
Tuesday 31 July 4 Elephant bulls...
Monday 30 July Windy, but...
Sunday 29 July 3 lionesses ...
Saturday 28 July Zebra spotted...
Friday 27 July A flock of guinea...
Thursday 26 July A Fish eagle...
Wednesday 25 July Cold and windy...
Tuesday 24 July Waterbuck on the ...
Monday 23 July Signs of one elephant on ...
Saturday 21 July The day has finally ...
Friday 20 July Lots of smoke in the air,...
Thursday 19 July Steenbuck on the airstrip with ...
Wednesday 18 July Lone elephant bull on the open ...
Tuesday 17 July Two elephant bulls seen on ...
Monday 16 July Two lionesses and a huge male ...
Sunday 15 July Been very quiet from a game ...
Saturday 14 July A lovely sighting of 4 ...
Friday 13 July 2 Elephant bulls seen on ...
Monday 9 July Pair of African Hawk...
Sunday 8 July 3 lionesses...
Saturday 7July Cold and windy, impala...
Friday 6 July Herd of buffalo ...
Thursday 5 July Tawny eagle seen eating...
Wednesday 4 July Windy but sunny today. 3 Elephant bulls ...
Tuesday 3 July Elephants everywhere....
Monday 2 July Large herd of buffalo...
Sunday 1 July Impala and warthogs...
Saturday 30 June White tailed mongoose ...
Friday 29 June Wildebeest and Zebra...
Thursday 28 June 3 mm of rain,...
Tuesday 26 June Ground hornbills (6), Grey headed Bushshrike (Spookvoel) spotted ...
Monday 25 June Strange weather, ...
Sunday 24 June The three elephant bulls were ...
Saturday 23 June Leopard on the entrance ...
Friday 22 June The elephant are still ...
Thursday 21 June Nice and chilly this morning, signs of ...
Wednesday 20 June Heard the lionesses calling last ...
Tuesday 19 June 3 lionesses lazing at ...
Monday 18 June 5 Kudu cows...
Sunday 17 June 3 Dagga boys...
Saturday 16 June Herd of buffalo seen...
Friday 15 June Three magnificent kudu bulls seen on ...
Thursday 14 June Saw a sand snake...
Wednesday 13 June Elephant bull...
Tuesday 12 June That big bull elephant tried...
Monday 11 June Zebra on the airstrip...
Sunday 10 June Elephant bull tried to break...
Saturday 09 June Lion ...
Friday 08 June Elephant on the...
Thursday 07 June Large male...
Wednesday 06 June Injured male...
Tuesday 05 June Lots of lion activity ...
Monday 04 June Two Honey badgers were ...
Friday 01 June Pack of wild dog on ...
Thursday 31 May An elephant bull seen ...
Wednesday 30 May A herd of buffalo and two ...
Tuesday 29 May Leopard seen last ...
Monday 28 May Lion spoor all ...
Sunday 27 May Heard the lion again last night ...
Saturday 26 May Lion spotted at ...
Friday 25 May 4 chalets in for the weekend. While working on ...
Thursday 24 May Herd of elephant...
Wednesday 23 May Herd of buffalo...
Tuesday 22 May Breeding herd of elephant...
Monday 21 May Manager's house surrounded...
Sunday 20 May Herd of buffalo at...
Saturday 19 May Leopard seen...
Sunday 13 May Another vine snake caught in the ...
Saturday 12 May Impala ram looking fine ...
Friday 11 May The TLB has blown a ...
Thursday 10 May Work is still continuing on ...
Wednesday 09 May It is safe to say that the mopane ...
Tuesday 08 May The baboons were very noisy this ...
Monday 07 May The wildebeest and zebra have made thier way to ...
Sunday 06May Wildebeest and zebra on ...
Saturday 05 May A pride of 11 lions ...
Friday 04 May 2 Elephants ...
Thursday 03 May Lions heard in the direction ...
Wednesday 02 May Overcast, miserable and cold. Some ...
Tuesday 01 May Most of the Shareholders have ...
Monday 30 April The TLB and tractor are ...
Sunday 29 April Elephants are the cause ...
Saturday 28 April A pressure leak was the cause ...
Friday 27 April Elephant bull has ...
Thursday 26 April Quite a number of ...
Wednesday 25 April There seems to be a lot of ...
Tuesday 24 April Some lovely giraffe and warthog ...
Sunday 22 April Watched the sunrise this ...
Saturday 21 April An elephant bull has ...
Friday 20 April Ground Hornbill heard in the ...
Thursday 19 April Work has began on the ...
Wednesday 18 April The baboons are making a ...
Tuesday 17 April The long week-end rush ...
Monday 16 April Lots of lion activity ...
Sunday 15 April A big black maned lion was ...
Friday 13 April Cheetah spotted on Elephant bone ...
Thursday 12 April We repaired a water problem this morning. An old lioness was ...
Wednesday 11 April A family of 6 warthog seen up ...
Tuesday 10 April It seems as if the elephants are ...
Monday 09 April The wild dog are in the ...
Sunday 08 April The lions were heard roaring ...
Saturday 07 April Some nice kudu at ...
Friday 06 April The herd of buffalo has ...
Thursday 05 April The wind has been blowing the ...
Wednesday 04 April The weather took a welcome turn ...
Tuesday 03 April It looks like the Serengeti ...
Monday 02 April A night visitor at the clubhouse.Zebra and ...
Sunday 01 April Lots of elephant, buffalo and ...
Friday 23 March 2001 Breeding herd of elephants ...
Saturday 24 March 2001 Big herd of wildebeest was seen ...
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Sunday December 31 Sunday December 31. The “New Years Potjie Party” at...
Saturday December 30 Saturday December 30. It’s all happening at...
Friday December 29 Friday December 29. A frisky bull elephant was...
Wednesday December 27 Wednesday December 27. We are still experiencing cool weather. ...
Tuesday December 26 Tuesday December 26. It finally happened…...
Monday December 25 Monday December 25. Dead lioness found on...
Sunday December 24 Sunday December 24. An Elephant bull in musth, at the marula tree on entrance road, provided some excitement when he charged # 12! Later in the day a breeding...
Saturday December 23 Saturday December 23. With the Wild dog still...
Wednesday Decemder 20 Wednesday December 20. Wilddog was hunting Zebra on...
Tuesday December 19 Tuesday December 19. Nothing to report ...
Sunday December 17 Baboons are getting bold again! At no14. a large male...
Thursday December 14 Today, while mapping the rivers within Ndlopfu and neighbouring traversing area the following exiting observations were made. 3 Sets of leopard...
Wednesday December 13 An absolute birders day! To mention but a few; Plum coloured starling,...
Tuesday December 12 Now that the cleared Mopani trees at the bushclearing site have died...
Monday December 11 Male paradise Whydahs in full breeding plumage were observed on entrance road....
Saterday December 09 5 zebra in open area....
Friday December 08 5 zebra in open area....
Saterday December 02 Large herd buffalo on clubhouse lawn, no.14 and 44 had a good sighting. Two elephant at main house....
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