Blog - Page 5

MANY PEOPLE READING THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG WILL THINK THAT ANY LEOPARD SIGHTING IS PERFECT, AND FOR THE MOST PART I TEND TO AGREE. HOWEVER, EVERY NOW AND THEN A LEOPARD SIGHTING IS EXTRA SPECIAL. IN THE CASE OF THE SIGHTING WE HAD RECENTLY I HONESTLY BELIEVE IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT. IT HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AND PROBABLY SOME MORE. STARS ALIGNED, LUCK WAS ON OUR SIDE AND TIMING WAS EVERYTHING. HERE IS MY ACCOUNT OF THIS INCREDIBLE ENCOUNTER WE HAD WITH THREE VERY SPECIAL LEOPARDS THAT CALL THE TIMBAVATI HOME.

ANOTHER MONTH HAS FLOWN BY HERE AT UMLANI BUSHCAMP, WINTER HAS DEFINITELY SET IN WITH VERY FRESH MORNING AND EVENING TEMPERATURES. WE ENJOYED ALMOST DAILY LION SIGHTINGS IN JUNE WITH THE MYAMBULA PRIDE TAKING UP RESIDENCE ON OUR PROPERTY CLOSE TO THE PERMANENT WATER OF MARCOS DAM. LEOPARDS WERE A LITTLE MORE SCARCE PROBABLY DUE TO THE CONSTANT PRESENCE OF THE LIONS. WE STILL ENJOYED HUGE NUMBERS OF ELEPHANTS MOVING THROUGH OUR TRAVERSING AREA AND EVEN GOT TO SEE THE ODD BIG GROUP OF BUFFALO AS THEY SEARCH FOR WATER AND GOOD GRAZING IN THE TOUGH DRY SEASON. ENJOY THIS MONTHS INSTALLMENT OF OUR SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS FOR JUNE.

IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT WHEN GUESTS REQUEST TO SEE A KILL WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS NOT JUST ANY KILL THAT THEY WANT TO SEE, BUT WHEN THEY SPECIFY THAT THEY WANT TO SEE THE MOST ULTIMATE SPECTACLE THAT THE BUSH CAN PROVIDE IN THE FORM OF LIONS TAKING DOWN A BUFFALO. WHEN IT COMES TO WITNESSING KILLS A MIXTURE OF PATIENCE, LUCK AND BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME ALL NEED TO COME TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME WHICH IN ALL HONESTY DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THAT OFTEN ALTHOUGH THE ACT OF PREDATORS KILLING HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS SOMEWHERE IN THE AFRICAN BUSH.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE GUESTS MADE THIS REQUEST NO ONE EXPECTED WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN AND THE LONG TIME DREAM OF WITNESSING THIS EPIC BATTLE BETWEEN AFRICA'S LARGEST CARNIVORE AND AN OPPOSING ADVERSARY IN THE FORM OF THE CAPE BUFFALO TO BECOME A REALITY. HOWEVER IT DID...AND HERE IS THE STORY

A DRASTIC TEMPERATURE DROP IN THE MORNINGS CAN BE FELT AS WE HUDDLE AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, HOT CHOCOLATE AND COFFEES IN HAND AWAITING THE MORNING GAME DRIVE, A SURE SIGN THAT WINTER IS WELL ON ITS WAY. HOWEVER WITH THE QUALITY OF SIGHTINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD THIS MONTH IT IS WELL WORTH BRAVING THE COLD. THE MONTH OF MAY WAS DEFINITELY A BIG CAT MONTH ALTHOUGH WE DID HAVE MANY OTHER GREAT SIGHTINGS OUR LOCAL LIONS AND LEOPARDS DID NOT HOLD BACK ON GIVING US A GREAT SHOW.

YET ANOTHER MONTH HAS FLOWN BY AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MONTH IT WAS, WE RECEIVED A FEW LATE RAIN SHOWERS TO END OFF THE WET SEASON AND THE BUSH IS LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER AS WE MOVE INTO THE DRY SEASON. OUR SIGHTINGS CONTINUED TO BE OUT OF THE TOP DRAWER AS WE SAW MORE OF MARULA'S EVER GROWING CUBS AND MANY MANY MORE AMAZING SIGHTS WHILST OUT ON SAFARI.