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THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER NOT ONLY SAW US HAVING SOME INCREDIBLE SIGHTINGS BUT IT WAS ALSO THE MONTH THE FIRST BIG RAINS FOR THE SEASON ARRIVED TURNING THE BROWN ARID BUSHVELD INTO A LUSH GREEN PARADISE. AS ALWAYS THE BIG CATS BROUGHT MANY SIGHTINGS FOR THE MONTH BUT WE ALSO SAW AN ABUNDANCE OF ELEPHANTS AND GENERAL GAME TOO. WITH THE RAINS THAT WE RECEIVED A FEW OF THE SMALLER THINGS LIKE THE TORTOISES AND VARIOUS FROG SPECIES HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT FILLING THE NIGHTS WITH THEIR CHORUSES, NOVEMBER HAS DEFINITELY SIGNALED THE START OF THE TIME OF PLENTY.

SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARULA WE DEFINITELY FELT IT WITH A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE REGULARITY OF LEOPARD SIGHTINGS, HOWEVER IN RECENT WEEKS SOME OF OUR OTHER LEOPARDS HAVE BECOME MORE REGULAR AND SEEN A LOT MORE INCLUDING A NEW YOUNG MALE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE MADE THE AREA AROUND THE TREEHOUSE HIS HOME FOR NOW UNTIL THE LARGER ROTHSAY MALE PICKS UP ON HIM AND CHASES HIM OFF.
WE RECENTLY HAD TWO INCREDIBLE SIGHTINGS OF THESE DIFFERENT MALES RIGHT ON THE CAMPS DOORSTEP.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG HERE IN THE BUSH, AND ALTHOUGH WE STILL AWAIT THE FIRST REAL RAINS OF THE SEASON TO BRIGHTEN EVERYTHING UP, THE GAME VIEWING HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. IT HAS BEEN A MONTH OF EXTREMES, NOT ONLY HAVE WE EXPERIENCED MASSIVE WEATHER FLUCTUATIONS FROM SUMMER-LIKE HEAT TO GUSTING WINDS THAT DROPPED THE TEMPERATURES INTO THE LOW TEENS, BUT THE SIGHTINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN OFF THE CHARTS...ON BOTH ENDS OF THE SCALES. OUR LION SIGHTINGS WEREN'T AS GOOD AS PAST MONTHS AS THE MYAMBULA PRIDE TOO SHOWED SOME EXTREME BEHAVIOR AND ALL BUT DISAPPEARED FROM OUR TRAVERSING WITH ONLY A COUPLE OF SIGHTINGS OF THEM WHEN THEY MADE THE ODD APPEARANCE. WITH THE ABSENCE OF THE LIONS THOUGH OUR OTHER TOP PREDATORS CAME TO THE PARTY, WE HAVE HAD A PACK OF WILD DOGS DENNING ON OUR TRAVERSING AREA, THE LEOPARDS HAVE BEEN A RELATIVE CONSTANT THROUGH THE MONTH AND ON ONE OCCASION WE EVEN GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH 3 CHEETAH BROTHERS. SO ENJOY THIS INSTALLMENT OF OUR MONTHLY SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS.

CONCERNS AMONGST THE GUIDES AND TRACKERS IN THE CENTRAL TIMBAVATI WITH REGARDS TO MARULA FEMALE LEOPARD CONTINUE TO GROW WITH EACH PASSING DAY THAT SHE IS NOT SEEN. WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR ONCE MOST VIEWED LEOPARD? WHEN IS IT TIME TO GIVE UP HOPE AND MAKE THE CALL?

AS THE MONTHS PASS BY IT SEEMS OUR SIGHTINGS JUST SEEM TO GET BETTER AND BETTER. JUST WHEN WE THINK IT CAN'T GET ANYMORE INCREDIBLE, MOTHER NATURE DELIVERS EVEN MORE SPLENDOR. JULY AND AUGUST SAW US HAVE ALMOST DAILY SIGHTINGS OF THE MYAMBULA PRIDE WHO SEEM TO DEFINITELY HAVE MADE THE CENTRAL TIMBAVATI THEIR NEW HOME AND CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THEIR NEW FOUND TERRITORY. THE LEOPARDS REALLY ALL CAME OUT TO SHOW THEMSELVES AS WELL WITH US SEEING 12 INDIVIDUAL LEOPARDS. HOWEVER IT WASN'T JUST THIS THAT WAS OUTSTANDING IT WAS THE SHEER QUALITY OF LEOPARD SIGHTINGS THAT WE HAD THAT TRULY STANDS OUT. ELEPHANTS AND BUFFALO HAVE BEEN EVER PRESENT WITH LARGE HERDS OF BOTH SPECIES FREQUENTING OUR TRAVERSING AREA AROUND THE LAST REMAINING WATERHOLES. THEY SAY WINTER IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR GAME VIEWING AND FROM THIS LAST MONTH, WE COULDN'T AGREE MORE, SO FOR NOW ENJOY A BUMPER ISSUE OF THE LAST TWO MONTHS SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS CAPTURED IN PICTURES.