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We often touch on the weather in these introductory paragraphs of The Week in Pictures but the past week at Londolozi has been unlike any other I have experienced. With a major tropical depression forming in the Mozambican Channel, between continental Africa and Madagascar, the entire Greater Kruger National Park was hit with some of the highest rainfall its seen in decades. For perspective, our average annual rainfall sits at around 550mm. We received just shy of the that amount in the last 10 days! Its quite a spectacle to see the river systems bursting at the seams and every small gulley and seep-line flowing with real vigour. The landscape literally comes to life in a way I’ve never seen!
With that being said, these conditions make operating in the field a much more difficult task than usual. Multiple game drive vehicles have been getting stuck each day, and we’re still receiving the odd downpour, which makes each time we leave camp a whole new adventure.
Despite the challenging conditions, we have still managed to have some incredible sightings in the brief weather windows. The search for Ximungwe’s cubs continues, while the Nkoveni Female and Shingi Male have still been seen crossing paths a few times and feature heavily once again this week. The Msuthlu Pride have comfortably established themselves as the resident pride of Londolozi, having spent nearly a week within a mile of our camps. The birdlife is brimming after the rains, with quite a few rarities popping up across the region. The general sightings of plains game and elephants have also been incredible against the backdrop of a vibrant and lush landscape.
Londolozi is rejuvenated and full of life. What an exciting time it is to be here!
Enjoy This Week in Pictures brought to you from Bryce and I and let us know your favourite in the comments…
Moody skies have been a regular feature this past week. Here, a giraffe pauses while crossing the airstrip. The slope of the runway often allows for low-angle photo opportunities.
A bloody-faced hyena lifts her head from her resting place in a small gulley. She had just devoured the majority of an impala carcass that she managed to steal from the Shingi Male
Taken from the same sighting as the images before, another hyena stands boldly over the remains of the impala. Take note how full the belly is of this hyena – they have the ability to fill their stomachs with 10-15kg of meat in one feeding session!
A purple crested turaco explore the tree canopy alongside the Sand River.
A young giraffe watched us from behind a termite mound. Note how fluffy the young giraffe’s horns (technically referred to as ossicones) are.
While this pose of the Shingi Male may suggest he was hunting, he was in fact skirting around the edges of a a group of hyena that had just taken his impala carcass.
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
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An elephant calf safely sticks to its mothers side.
Predator and prey. The Nkoveni female trying to use the long grass as cover to sneak up on a pair of impala rams. She was unsuccessful this time but hunting conditions have certainly been in her favour this rainy period.
Londolozi’s most viewed leopard and prolific mother. This gorgeous female has raised multiple cubs to independence.
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The Shingi Male leaps down the branches of a fallen Marula Tree. Young leopards like him are extremely curious and adventurous making their behaviour quite unpredictable but equally entertaining.
A buffalo bull uses one of his comrades’ rumps as a pillow as he enjoys his slumber. I quite like how the oxpecker is framed by his horn – I’ll admit I only saw this once I was reviewing my images back home!
The Xinkhova Female finds some comfort in the branches of a fallen Marula Tree. The very wet conditions can drive the leopards into trees more often as they too aren’t quite at home in the puddles and mud.
Born 2021, daughter of Nkoveni. Young dynamo actively claiming territory near camps, showing promise as next generation’s dominant female.
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The Sand River, just days before it flooded, was visited by a graceful journey of giraffes. This exact area will now look vastly different with the river having reached its highest level in years now.
The reigning lions of Londolozi currently are the powerful Gijima Males. The duo have arrived with presence and power, meeting little resistance to their take over.
You may notice the pinkish/pale appearance of this young elephant calf. It was born with a rare genetic condition known ‘leucism’ which causes it to partially loose the darker pigment in its skin. Fortunately they tend to slowly darken with age and are only really threatened by sun burn.
A hidden gem of the riverbed. Malachite Kingfishers are strikingly beautiful birds that we seldom see given their diminutive size and tendency to hang around in dense vegetation.
A pair of Hooded Vultures patiently perched on a low stump, waiting their turn to feed on a buffalo that Msulthu Pride had brought down the night before.
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Chris Taylor
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