Wild Dogs
This month was a little quite as far as the Wild dogs go but I say that as we have been spoilt in the previous months with regular sightings of the three different packs we sometimes see. Also it is coming up to that time of year when they will start to look for den sights and there will be some changes in the makeup of the packs as alpha males or females sometimes split off into other packs to ensure the survival of their species so the gene pool remains strong. We had two different sightings of the Imbali pack this month and as usual it was a very mobile affair as they are constantly on the hunt and with the grass being so long these clever canids make use of the roads to cover ground a lot quicker dashing into the bush along the way to try and flush out potential prey. We are hoping the pack decides to den close by or even better on the concession this year so we will wait and see.
Elephant and Buffalo
Elephants have been seen all over the concession and we are seeing nice big breeding herds again as they take advantage of all the nutrient rich vegetation that has sprung up everywhere after the rains. Lots of the big bull Elephants are in musth and are giving the guides a reminder of who is in charge as when they are walking in the road you have no choice but to be patient and wait till they decide to go off in another direction. The Buffalo are proving difficult to find some days and this is also due to the availability of water and food everywhere and we speculate that during the drought lots of the bigger herds split up due to the lack of grazing and are now slowly coming back together so we are seeing nice groups of around 30 to 50 but none of the really big herds that sometimes move through the area which sometimes number in the hundreds.
Birds
The birdlife on concession is totally mind blowing at the moment with lots of species spotted that are normally not seen this far up in the park such as Fan tailed Widow which one person who has lived here for over 15 years has never seen in this area as well as various Whydas and other Widow species this is because of the amount of grass that has seeded attracting species that would normally not be here. Also we have had lots of different Storks , Ducks and Teals all around the different natural pans and water holes making it a perfect spot for sundowners and catching up on ones bird list.
The concession is looking amazing and full of life with an abundance of food and water about we cannot wait to share this with our guests and when the seasons change and the grass dies down a bit we are going to be spoilt in terms of sightings as we will have plenty of water for the dry season so it is going to be a superb year and full of excitement for guests and guides alike.
Hope to see you all soon here with us on the Mluwati Concession – till then
“May the call of the African Fish Eagle ring out through the savannas and may the roar of the lion vibrate through your soul….”
THE GUIDES OF THE MLUWATI CONCESSION.
