Renewal, transformation & life at Umlani - Page 7

FOR MANY YEARS THE INFAMOUS MACHATTON PRIDE RULED THE CENTRAL TIMBAVATI, AND SIGHTINGS WERE ALMOST A DAILY OCCURRENCE HERE AT UMLANI. BUT IN NATURE NOTHING LASTS FOREVER AND THE DAY CAME WHEN THE PRIDE BECAME A MEMORY AND THEIR TRACKS NO LONGER APPEARED ON THE ROADS FOR OUR GUIDES AND TRACKERS TO FOLLOW ONCE THE LAST LIONESS PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR. THIS LEFT A VOID FOR NEW LIONS TO MOVE INTO PRIME LION REAL ESTATE, THIS IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE NEW FRESH GENES ARE CARRIED INTO AND AREA TO ALLOW DIVERSITY AND STRONG HEALTHY POPULATIONS OF THESE ICONIC BIG CATS. FOR MONTHS WE HAD LIONS COMING AND GOING AND NOT REALLY SETTLING BUT EXPLORING THE AREA. THAT WAS UNTIL THE 2 LIONESSES THAT ARE NO KNOWN AS THE ZEBENINE PRIDE ARRIVED AND MADE IT THERE HOME, COUPLED WITH THE MBIRI MALES THE PRIDE HAS GROWN BY TWO AND HAVE REALLY SETTLED IN NICELY, AND HAVE BROUGHT OUR LION SIGHTINGS BACK FROM HARDLY SEEING LIONS TO SEEING THEM MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.

LIVING AND WORKING OUT IN THE BUSH JUST NEVER GETS OLD, THE FACT THAT EVEN WHEN AT CAMP YOUR NORMAL OFFICE DAY CAN BE FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME EVEN AFTER SPENDING 16YRS OUT HERE. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AND THE TYPE OF DISTRACTIONS THAT ONE HAS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND NOT REALLY A DISTRACTION BUT AN EXPERIENCE, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT ITS AN EXPERIENCE THAT WILL STAY WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

THIS MONTH STARTED WITH A LIGHT SPRINKLING OF RAIN THAT WAS WELCOMED IN THE DRY, POST WINTER, BUSHVELD. THE RAIN, ALTHOUGH NOT MUCH, WAS ENOUGH TO FILL UP A FEW SMALL MUD WALLOWS AROUND UMLANI MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE LOCAL ELEPHANT AND BUFFALO.

OFTEN IF YOU SPEAK TO GUIDES THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE DRY SEASON IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR GAME VIEWING, THIS RINGS TRUE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE INCREDIBLE SIGHTINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THE LACK OF WATER AS WATERPOINTS BEGIN TO DRY OUT FORCES ANIMALS TO THE LITTLE BITS THAT REMAIN MAKING THEM AN ABSOLUTE HIVE OF ACTIVITY. THE SPARSE BUSHVELD AFFORDS US BETTER VIEWS IN AS WE TRAVERSE THE AREA IN SEARCH OF ANIMALS, WHICH ARE NOW A LOT EASIER TO FIND AS THEY MOVE AROUND MORE IN SEARCH OF BOTH FOOD AND WATER. ALTHOUGH IT IS A TRYING TIME FOR THE HERBIVORES, IT IS A TIME OF PLENTY FOR THE PREDATORS, AND WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS MONTH, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE ENJOY OUR HIGHLIGHTS CAPTURED IN PHOTOS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.

LAST NIGHT THE WATERHOLE IN FRONT OF THE CAMP WAS A HIVE OF LION ACTIVITY, WITH US SEEING THE TWO MBIRI MALES QUENCHING THEIR THIRST AFTER FEEDING ON A GIRAFFE CARCASS NEARBY, THEY WERE LATER JOINED BY THE 4 MYAMBULA LIONESSES AND THEY SPENT THE REST OF THE EVENING LOUNGING AROUND AND REPEATEDLY MOVING TO THE WATER TO DRINK OFFERING AN AMAZING SIGHTING AND INCREDIBLE PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES.