Author: Focus Online Dev

Greeting from a very windy Madikwe. Yes the August winds are howling and that can only mean one thing – Spring is right around the corner.

I have to admit that I am really ready for warmer days. Winter does have its perks and even though it has not been a very cold winter for us, I for one, am looking forward to summer.

One of the best perks of winter of course is great game viewing and August did not disappoint. We were spoiled to witness some truly amazing sightings this August.

One sighting that I can remember very vividly, is when we went looking for the small pack of Wild Dogs down in the South of the park.
We suspected that the dogs might be close to the Dwarsberg mountain range that forms the southern boundary of the park. We headed down to that area to see if we could pick up some tracks. After a bit of scratching around Gavin managed to pick-up on some fresh dog tracks and the chase was on.

I was on a road just north of Gavin checking whether the Wild Dog might have crossed over already. Lady luck was on our side. Not far from the road we spotted a Black Rhino, a great big bull and were we in for a treat, because this boy decided to come over and have a good look as to what is trespassing in his territory. My usual Black Rhino introduction to guests is, “It might charge but just sit still…” It was pretty amazing how quiet a group of people became as this black rhino is edged closer and closer. He eventually figured out we are of no great danger to him and turned tail and jogged of into the bushes accompanied by a nervous “Phew” from the seats behind me.

So by now Gavin had managed to relocate the wild dogs and I hurried up to meet up with him as he was following the dogs off-road. As we joined Gavin and it was evident that the dogs were out hunting and we knew we’re in for a treat. We followed the dogs for a while longer and then chaos erupted… THEY WERE OFF….GO GO GO called over the radio and we “put foot” as we say in South Africa trying to keep up with the dogs as they are chasing Impala all over the show.

But alas we are to slow and the dogs eluded us. Just then “IN FRONT OF ME THERE, HE’S ON, HE’S ON!!!!!” I shouted into the radio as an Impala with a Wild dog in hot pursuit raced past in front of me and we were off again, but to no avail, as no dog and no dead Impala were found. Then just as I am about to give up, a fellow ranger finds 4 wild dogs jogging down south and I decide to join him and see where the wild dogs will lead us. As I’m about to join him a call over the radio comes in – “Hurry up, they’re about to make a kill!”

I arrived on the scene to find the wild dogs busy killing a Gemsbok (Oryx) calf while the mom is still bravely trying to fend off the dogs with her long sharp horns. Not a scene reserved for everyone, but out here it is nature in its most brutal raw form and itis truly amazing to see. After a few short minutes the Gemsbok calf is dead and already partly devoured when 6 Spotted Hyenas arrived on the scene. They probably heard the kill being made or the smell of blood alerted them to the possibility of a free meal.

What a sighting to see the Hyenas chase the Wild dogs and then the dogs retaliated and sent a Hyena or two running as they bit at their hind quarters. We sat amazed at the scene playing of before us and only left when the sun had dipped below the horizon to go and have a sundowner and reflect on the scene we had just witnessed.

Apart from that great sighting we also managed to get a glimpses of the pups belonging to the small pack of dogs in the south. The confirmed number of pups is 6 and the confirmed number of pups in the big pack in the north is 8. It is truly heart-warming to know that this highly endangered predator is doing so well in Madikwe.

Our 4 Cheetah brothers are doing amazingly well, considering their prey of choice at the moment is Wildebeest and they are almost taking one down every second day. They of course consider themselves the wanderers of the park and constantly astonish us with the distances they move through the park. They can easily tranlocate from the east of the park to the west in a brisk 2 day march.
We caught up with them one morning after some serious tracking and spent a bit of time with them. They were marking some territory as well as sunning themselves on the chilly morning.

Our 2 new Kwandwe male lions also could not believe their luck as they stumbled onto a dead giraffe carcass, and spent almost a week feeding off it. Apart from the smell, it provided us with some great sightings. The jackals was especially exciting to watch, as they sometimes could just not control their hunger anymore and would then sneak up close to where a lion was feeding to try and steal a piece of meat.

These two young males is the Chimbro brothers and we found them enjoying the view from Tlou dam wall, maybe thinking one day we will be the rulers of this piece of Africa.

Well that is it from Tuningi for the month of August, now we can start looking forward to the rain and the migratory birds to bring some colour back into Madikwe.

Hope you all have a great September.
Regards Christo and the T-Team

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For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

The cold chilly mornings have added a new dimension to the safaris, but we are well prepared for the onslaught by equipping our guests with hot water bottles and warm fluffy blankets.

Let’s get into the wildlife sightings straight away…

One particular sighting that stands out for this month was when we witnessed our 4 cheetah brothers killing a wildebeest, but what made it special was the fact that a spotted hyena pitched up and actually fed with them on the same carcass, and this is how the full story went…

A special sighting in this caliber only comes around once or twice a year if you are lucky…..
This was one of those sightings, and this is how it all went down…

The 4 cheetah brothers were located in the morning, and we expected them to be there when we got back in the afternoon, but on arrival found nothing… After a quick tracking session, I determined that the tracks were heading west away from the original location, and it was not long before we located them with some serious intent on hunting something down. Their mood was clear…. they were hungry and determined to catch something to eat. Well, after following them for about 30 mins with not an animal in sight for them to hunt, I left the sighting to go looking for a black rhino that lives in that area. We did not find the black rhino we were looking for, so I decided to go back to the hunting cheetahs. The sun was just setting, and then a call on the radio came… ” You can join us here “. It was not 30 seconds after the call came through on the radio, when all hell broke loose !! Zebra and wildebeest were running in every direction, kicking up a dust storm that blanketed the commotion of the crime scene. The cheetah had just pulled down a young wildebeest, and we unfortunately did not see the actual take down, but arrived there minutes after, to discover that the cheetahs were catching their breath and still strangling the last life out of the wildebeest.

After the dust had settled, they began to feed, and one of the cheetah opened up the carcass from the shoulder area, and it was not 2 minutes later that 1, 2, 3, 4, but 5 jackals appeared out of the woodwork all hoping for a scrap to eat when the cheetahs would be done feeding. But, that was not the only scavenger that heard all of this raucous, and as if he had been given the memo, a spotted hyena came in to join the melee of fresh smells of the kill. The hyena started approaching the 4 cheetah brothers and their kill. One of the cheetah confronted the hyena, which by the way is something that cheetahs also avoid, as they are low on the predator hierarchy.

The hyena paid no attention to the cheetah’s attempt at chasing him away, and just made his way straight into the kill, and started feeding, which for me was incredible, as 4 cheetah would be able to chase off the lone hyena, but they allowed him in to continue feeding with the odd hissing and spitting attempt to discourage the scavenger.

I have never seen this behaviour before, however I have seen a leopard feeding off of a carcass with a hyena before, but this astonished me, and I can only assume that the hyena must have been a very low ranking male within his clan dynamics, and was used to showing generous amounts of sharing, while the cheetah, being the lowest ranking in the predator hierarchy did not want to loose their hard earned meal, and they knew that fighting this hyena would have been for naught, so they opted for a communal feed instead.

It just goes to show, that everyday out here in the bush a new rule book is written, and you can always expect the unexpected !!

Another amazing and special moment was when a white rhino and her brand new calf came down to the waterhole for a drink. When I say brand new… maybe a couple of hours old. He was so tiny with oversized feet and was stumbling around his mothers’ feet trying to reach her teats for a sip of the life giving milk she had been preparing for him over the last 15 months while she was pregnant.
Something like this does not come every day, and it is great to see that mother nature is fighting the scourge of rhino poaching going on in our country at the moment !!

The lion prides are also doing extremely well, and the Mica and Jamala females are been kept very busy in their endeavours to catch food for them as they are growing very quickly.

The Bulaya females are also doing very well, and the new editions which are around 2 months old now, are bringing us some cute sightings as they get bullied by their older siblings.

The Naledi Males which are the fathers of the all these cubs are also moving around a lot, as they are doing some serious territory patrols going as far as the north west corner of the park to search for the Kgala male who may be a threat to their offspring, and have on various occasions this month returned to the territory with new battle scars.

The Wild dogs are still being very elusive, and we are struggling to get some good quality sightings from them, as they have still not shown their new puppies yet, but I can report that they are starting to travel with the adults on hunting expeditions, and I am sure they will be seen shortly, and we can not wait to get some good images of the new pups.

The large pack in the north of the park have had a confirmed 9 puppies added to their total and have been reported to be doing nicely, and killing on a daily basis to feed all of 26 dogs.

The other highlights for this month includes the greatest challenge for us as guides….. finding Tsala, our resident female leopard.
I am pleased to say our tracking efforts have not gone for naught, as we are finding her on a regular basis, and she has even spoilt us with some great sightings, and there is speculation that she is pregnant, so we will be monitoring her movements with great anticipation.

Well, that is all for the highlights of this month, and I wish you all a great August, and we look forward to the spring time coming soon…

Regards
Gavin and the fabulous T-team.

Just a little last minute thought…

The conservation of our natural heritage lies solely in the hands of us humans, and it is so sad that we are experiencing the drastic and unforgivable acts of people slaughtering our African wildlife for the misperceived ideas of animal body parts to be used to cure diseases or enhance human performance.

I am talking about the gross killing of our rhinos for their horns.

Their have been over 450 rhinos poached this year (at time of publishing this article) and it does not seem as if it will stop shortly, as the demand for rhino horn in the Asian communities is still strong. So what is being done about this atrocity? Well, us as nature conservationists are doing all we can to protect these magnificent animals from becoming extinct in the wild by supporting conservation efforts such as this one we were a part of a couple weeks ago.

Thanks to my frequent returning guests, the Agrizzi family, sponsorship for the capture and microchip implants as well as DNA sampling was carried out on 3 rhinos on this day, as well as the capture of lions with the goal of giving them identifying brands for future monitoring purposes, and this is just a few images showing what we did on this day.

If you are also interested in being a part of this, you can get involved by contacting me directly, or the lodge on +27 (0) 82 894 0960, and we can arrange this once in a lifetime opportunity for you before the rhino becomes extinct !

The following photos show how it all goes down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We promise you that this will be a life changing experience for every single human being involved!
Till next month!

Please remember that we are a ‘child friendly’ Lodge, with lots to do for the whole family!

Hope to see you soon!

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Greetings from a chilly Madikwe!

Once again we had a fantastic month. Just as one begins to think that you have seen it all, Nature throws something amazing your way once again.

For instance; A while ago, the one Bulaya female lioness with her 2 brand new cubs were found close to Inkwe pan not far from the lodge. They were stashed under a very thick bush for a few weeks and then, one morning, one of the most memorable game drives of the month just happened without any effort at all.

This is how the morning unfolded…
We decided to go and look for these cubs and spend some time with them. On the way there I heard that someone else found them which resulted in all the other vehicles rushing in that direction, so I decided to let them be and to rather take it slow and easy making my way there.

We first watched the beautiful sunrise over Madikwe and then making our leisurely way to the lions, 2 Honey Badgers were spotted playing next to the road. I went crazy!

Not something we see often. They are the tanks of the bush, small but fearsome, they will force lions in another direction! After that excitement it was my turn to view the cubs.

When we arrived the other female with her 3 older cubs were there as well. The older cubs made the new mother a bit uncomfortable, as they wanted to play with the little balls of fur. The mother never rested. If it wasn`t the bigger ones playing too aggressively, the tiny cubs wanted to investigate our vehicles which made mommy very nervous.

Lucky for us the rush was over and we could really spend some quality time with then! What a morning!

This was also the month in which I saw my first chasing lion kill, EVER!!.
3 female lions were walking on the main road and soon after we got to them we noticed the one had disappeared, and then we heard it… She went to fetch some wildebeest and chased them towards us and the other females.

Everything just worked as planned. The young wildebeest ran into the ambush. A very clean, quick kill.

2 of the females disappeared while the other one had a feast. A few minutes later they came back with their 6 cubs, after which a feeding frenzy started. We were very lucky to see it all, from the start to the end.

Another surprise was a pangolin! We went far north east in search of a leopard one day.
The search was soon abandoned when we heard about the pangolin. Luckily we were close enough to go and view this amazing animal.

Up to a few months ago I was certain that they did not actually exist. And now I am lucky enough to say that this was my second sighting in one year.

Another bit of good news is that the female Brown Hyena in the Amphitheatre has 2 new very curious cubs. The Amphitheatre is one of the most amazing rock formations in the Enselsbergs I have ever seen.

We are very lucky to be able to spend time with them. With the youngster from last year also staying in the den, there is almost always some action.

The 4 cheetah males, who have now settled into Madikwe fully, are on the move all the time, making it very difficult to keep track of them. But if we`re lucky enough to get them it is always a highlight.

On one day they will be in the middle of the park and the next day they will be seen far down south, always keeping us on our toes. They do know how to strike the perfect pose every time!

Then last but CERTAINLY not the least!

Our favorite guests, the Agrizzi family, came to visit once again and was so kind to sponsor the helicopter as well as the vet for a full morning of conservation work in the park. We all got involved and had to work as the ground team, notching three rhinos, putting micro chips into their horns as well as branding some young lions and giving the lion girls some contraceptives.

No words can describe the feeling! To know that you have had a hand in saving these beautiful animals for our future!

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Greetings as always!

May is generally a quiet month for us here at the lodge in terms of been flat out busy as we normally are, which gives us a good opportunity to catch up on some of the maintenance issues that need to be dealt with.

But as Christo experienced the other day, sightings of some amazing things will just find you no matter where you are, and in the next bit he will tell you all about this awesome sighting.

Sometimes the most amazing things happen right on your doorstep, literally. Yesterday morning a Yellow-bellied sand Snake caught a Yellow-throated plated Lizard in my garden. Had a chance to get some nice shots as the snake took about 20min to gulp down the lizard.

 

 

 

The news from the bush is brimming with expectation, as we are going crazy knowing that the small pack of wild dogs has denned up in the highest parts of the Dwarsberg mountains in the deep south of the reserve and is inaccessible to even our tough land cruisers!

So we are hoping that they will move soon, and show us their puppies. The reason why we are so excited is that there are 2 females which were pregnant which is extremely rare within the wild dog social system, as it is usually only the Alpha female which will fall pregnant.

So until they come down off of the Dwarsberg, we just have to wait for them to come hunting on the plains below, and then we have to make sure we are in the right place at the right time before they head off back to the den to feed the puppies.

Our resident pride of lions have been acting really strange this month with good reason. Cornelius located on 2 brand new cubs which are in the region of 2 weeks old, and unfortunately we don’t have any images of them, they are going to show them to us sooner or later. This means that the pride is now at a total of 2 adult females, and 5 cubs, and of coarse the 2 Naledi males which have been spending a lot of time with them to ensure the safety of the cubs.
Speaking of the territorial Naledi brothers, they are causing havoc with the Kgala male to the far north west of the park, and have been sighted fighting and chasing the Kgala male deep into the hills, and then stealing one of the females for a five day mating session, which gave us some splendid sightings.

Our cheetah brothers are doing extremely well, and have broadened their horizons in terms of expanding their home range. They have been travelling large distances and we think they are in search of a female, which alas we are not able of attaining at the moment, as there are no “lion aware” females” available for relocation to Madikwe at this time. There is hope for these boys however, and we will hopefully have a couple of females for them before the end of the year.

Other exciting news is that we have had a large clan of hyenas move into a culvert under the road close to the airstrip, and they have been giving us some extreme close ups, as the sub-adult cubs come sniffing under the wheel arches of our vehicles. Hopefully they will stay around that area for some time, as they are a real treat to witness and observe some of the most misunderstood animals in the animal kingdom.

We also had some special moments with a newly born elephant and its family. This little guy could not have been more than a few days old, and was still stumbling around at its mothers feet, before latching on to the nipple for some welcome nourishment.

Tshala the leopardess has been very scarce this month, but she did give us one phenomenal sighting, as we found her feeding on an impala kill she had made. She is moving across large distances at the moment, and we cannot help but think that she may be looking to mate with a male somewhere, as we have not seen her cub that we have been seeing with her a couple months ago. So we will be keeping a close eye on her movements over the next month or so.

The last of our serpentine friends are also making their final appearances, as they search for hibernating homes to spend the worst of the winter months that are on the way. This black mamba was sunning itself on the road one afternoon, and was very lethargic, and gave us a chance to grab our cameras to get an image of one of the most feared snakes in the world.

So that is it for this month, and we get ready for the cooler winter nights by having copious amounts of gluwein on standby for our guests coming back from the amazing Safaris we produce for all of you visiting us here at Tuningi Safari Lodge.

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Carmen and Sean’s Bush Adventures

In this month’s newsletter two of our recent guests agreed to share their Tuningi experience with us. We hope you enjoy their bush adventure.

Tuningi Safari Lodge – Madikwe

Early last year I won a competition through Indiri and Rock-jumper safaris for a three night stay for two at the 5 star ‘Tuningi Safari Lodge’ located in the Madikwe Game Reserve. The following is a brief trip report of all we experienced. Now sit back, relax and let us take you on a journey of a lifetime.

Up at 4:30am on Monday morning, either of us not able to contain our excitement we packed the car with one clothes bag and three camera bags and off we went! Madikwe is approximately 380km from Pretoria and allowed ourselves 5 hours for the drive up, thinking a few stops and slow drive to check in at 10am. We arrived at Zeerust at 8am, with only 94km or so to go we decided to have a hearty breakfast at the local Wimpy and a coffee to rejuvenate ourselves for the last stretch. Arriving at Wonderboom gate at Madikwe Game Reserve was not at all what was expected, with only a small face brick and thatch roof and a boom gate to enter I think I was expecting an extravagant entrance. None the less we filled in our details on the entrance permit and the excitement began to build once more as the guard radioed in to Tuningi lodge announcing our arrival.

As we drove down the gravel road to the front of the lodge, we arrived and parked right in front of the reception entrance lobby. With its beautiful large wooden doors and thatch roof we were met by Lorraine who have us a very warm and enthusiastic welcome. After introducing herself and serving us our welcoming drinks (a divine sweet mix of litchi water and something I cannot pronounce) we were shown the lobby/entrance hall and filled in our details and indemnity forms whilst chatting about the drive up and what game we had seen (which was only a few zebra and elephant, but animals none the less!).

Once all the formalities were over, we were advised that lunch would be served at 2pm and until then we could walk around exploring the lodge and our room and relaxing. We drove up to our room, which was number 8, situated right at the other end, on the edge of the lodge next to an exclusive private pool area (which we were asked to make full use of). Our bags were taken to the room and we were allowed to settle in.

We spent the next hour or so looking around the room, amazed at not only the size but also of all the ‘little touches’ that turned out to make our stay so memorable.One of the many small touches, two mini Amarula and a welcome note with all the information you may need for your stay. Once relaxed and unpacked we proceeded to walk down to the main lodge to have a look around and a refreshing drink.

By the time we had finished our drinks it was time for lunch and we went and sat at our ‘allocated personal’ table set up for the two of us. A few more cool drinks were in order as it was quite warm and sunny…

As soon as were seated, Franz, the bar man came to check if our drinks were still alright, already with what we had previously ordered in tray. First off we were introduced staff member by staff member as they each came to serve us their own item such as drinks, coffee, tea, place our napkins etc. We started lunch off with freshly baked bread with the usual accompaniments such as balsamic and olive oil.

This was followed by a vegetable sushi. As many people know, and vegetables are suspect to me and I usually try avoid them at the best of times but I thought after close inspection that I might as well try it. I do not know what the different sauces drizzled on the plate were but before I knew it I had finished all of it and wiped my plate clean!

As a mains for lunch we chose and were served fried calamari…and oh my how delicious it was. A light, thin, feathery batter covered the tender calamari strips with a tartar sauce drizzled over. I had my fill of greens for the day and decided to skip the side salad but was assured by Sean it was delicious. For dessert, which I skipped as well, was a fried plum in an almost caramelised sauce with mango sorbet. Sean had it down in almost one gulp!

With our tummies full and completely satisfied, we slowly made our way back to the room to go check out the private pool area, but before this, were told dinner would be served in the boma, and we needed to be back at the lodge at 4pm for the afternoon drive. Our sun-downer drinks were taken down and prepared for the stop later on. The private pool area was absolutely stunning, secluded and a picture perfect representation of luxury in the bush. We decided the water looked irresistible and decided to take a quick dip to cool down but WOW the water was cold!

Once cooled down and refreshed, we got ready for our afternoon drive. Being eager beavers we arrived at 3:30pm and were introduced to our ranger, Christo. We then introduced ourselves to the other guests joining us, a German couple, exceptionally friendly and funny with a young very well behaved toddler who had been at the lodge for a few days. We got our water and were off!

Game viewing was a little bit slow and the frustration was clear on Christo’s side but fantastic being in the bush and enjoying the serenity of it all.

Halfway through the drive and after a bit of serious bundu bashing, we stopped in a clearing just as the sun was setting. Here Christo laid out an amazing spread of snacks such as chilly bites (which Sean seemed to polish off every time hahaha), crackers with cream cheese topped with a sweet chilly dressing and a few other bits. After finishing our sundowners (Hunters Dry for me and Amstel for Sean) we were on our way again.

As we arrived back at the lodge, we were taken to the front area for our boma dinner. The boma deck is situated under a big tree, filled with lanterns, overlooking a watering hole.

Once settled, Franz, the barman from earlier, already had our drinks on ice and waiting. The staff always seem to know what you want 2 minutes before you even ask for it. We were welcomed back from our drive with some medium cream sherry to warm up a little bit and told about the food to be served. It was a boma buffet with the most amazing options to choose from.

Starters consisted of fresh bread, salads and the usuals and this incredibly mouth-watering, bowl licking butternut and coconut soup. For mains, the buffet consisted of true African dishes such as pap and sauce, mixed vegetables, gem squash with sweetcorn and cheese, basmati rice and oxtail potjie, chicken with a creamy wholegrain mustard sauce and lamb chops and mint sauce. We were so tired and ‘stuffed’ we forgot to take a photo of dessert….Malva pudding and vanilla custard!

As dessert was being brought out, some of the staff came down the walkway from the top of the lodge in sing and dance, adding to the African flair and ambiance of the bush. Before making our way back up to the room, we were bid good night and asked if we wanted the 5am wake up call for the morning drive and told tea and coffee would be served at 5:45am and the drive leaving at 6am.

As we got back, a personal message and some yummy chocolates were left on our bedside tables along with the lights turned down, curtains drawn, bed turned down and mozzie nets let loose. The bath was so ginormous I could sit sideways in it!

We got our 5:30am wakeup call and I got to snooze while I was given coffee in bed (which happened every morning! :)) We got all our cameras together, dressed warmly and made our way down for the drive.

Once again, halfway through the drive we stopped in a clearing where Christo offered us coffee, hot chocolate, muffins etc. We enjoyed a nice hot cup of mocha lattes whilst looking around and stretching our legs.

As we got back from our drive we were seated in our usual area and offered tea and coffee. The breakfast spread consisted of crackers and cheeses, fresh fruits, cereals and flapjacks. The hot menu had two options, either the breakfast special or a hot breakfast where you could choose fried/scrambled/poached eggs, bacon, pork sausage, beef sausage, mushrooms, fried tomato and toast.

We both could not resist the breakfast special which was French toast, crispy bacon, pork sausage mozzarella and wholegrain mustard 🙂 After filling up on breakfast we decided to relax at the pool again.

After waking up and a little sun burnt we made our way back to the lodge for lunch, where the menu was given to us after breakfast to decide what we wanted. For lunch starters it was avo with a caramelised onion and sundried tomatoes. Mains was venison pot pie, which was so tender it left our mouths watering and for dessert was fresh fruit pavlova and cream.

After lunch we heard the elephants drinking at the waterhole and decided to pay them a visit before heading back up to the room to relax before the afternoon drive.Once relaxed we made our way back to the lodge for the afternoon drive once again. We could not imagine what was waiting for us later…

Quite a slow drive in the beginning, then the radio went crazy and Christo was on it as fast as you can imagine. As we rounded the corner, a large pack of wild dogs was waiting at the dam wall. The alpha male had recently died due to a broken leg from a hunting accident and a new alpha had taken his place. The Parks Board had just collared the new alpha and we caught them just before they moved off.

At first the pack was lazy and just enjoying the break from hunting…

Then the one female that was coming into season started trotting around and the whole pack followed with tackling and flipping and biting and chasing, putting on a real show. After a good run around they went for a drink at the dam. Before making their way back into the bush for hunting they made one last appearance on the dam wall for a truly African photograph. A white rhino later joined on its way to the dam for a drink and a giraffe allowed for some interesting silhouettes.

I had arranged a private dinner to celebrate Sean and my two year anniversary. The entire staff was in on it and kept it a secret from Sean, and no need to say he was very very surprised. They had set up a table beautifully at the private pool with all the drinks we needed and a roaring fire going in the fire pit. A phone was placed there where we could call when we were done with starters and wanted mains or more drinks and so on.

Once Wilma left she was to be back in about 15 minutes with the starters. As Sean and I got our drinks, all hell broke loose. About 15 meters on the pitch black of the night growls and screams and squeals rocked our ears. I had no idea what it was and thought a lion or leopard had caught an antelope. By the sounds of it, it was one hell of a struggle, all the while Sean is leaning over the deck poles shining a torch to see what is going on, I am on the phone calling reception to tell them something is being killed near us. Lorraine answers calmly and asks how it is going, I answer in a frantic voice that there is something a few meters from us, we can’t see anything and it sounds like it’s being killed. She answers with…”you will be fine…is there anything I can bring you?” I ran back to Sean as we heard whatever it was that was squealing get away and thunder past just meters away….we know there is something very big and very scary lurking in the bushes right by us and I am using Sean as a shield hahaha. Just after Wilma arrives with our starters and I run to her to tell her what happened. She laughs and says it was Brown hyenas fighting! OMW how could sounds like that come out of an animal???? After a good chuckle we settled down for our starters. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called but was salmon with a cream cheese type stuffing.

For mains I had the beef fillet with wedges and crispy vegetables and a peppercorn sauce and Sean has the Pork slithers with crispy vegetables. Unfortunately the camera battery died before we could get photos of the dessert which was a vanilla panacotta or something to that effect. After mains the elephant also paid us a visit to have a nice drink at the flow pool.

After a very eventful and memorable night we went to bed to be ready for our early morning drive. The next morning was quite chilly and we prepared ourselves for a great day out in the bush.

A good drive with various sightings of antelope, birds and elephants and once again a mid-drive stop in a clearing in the bush. While enjoying a good cup of hot chocolate and coffee an elephant decided to stop by and amber past us.

Once again there was a surprise waiting for us at another dam…two lionesses lying in the shade of some trees. The one had three cubs and they had not had a successful hunt for four days and so looked up with every sound, but in true lion fashion, slept.

When we got back to the lodge we were once again in for a feast. The normal spread of fresh fruits, cold meats, crackers, cheeses, cereals and pancakes. We again opted for the special breakfast which was an English muffin with scrambled egg, bacon and wholegrain sauce.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and unwinding getting our tummies ready for lunch which was a starter of a type of tuna pate, mains was chicken burgers (WOW) and dessert was a lemon tart which was similar to a lemon cheese cake.

Once lunch was done we placed our orders for dinner and relaxed in the room looking over our deck until the afternoon drive. Here we were surprised by some Little Bee-eaters, a white rhino having a good drink that was joined by an elephant. Our evening finished off with a spectacular sunset and a Giant Eagle Owl.

Every night after an evening drive we were welcomed back with a hot scented towel and medium cream sherry. For our last night meal we feasted on vegetable spring rolls for starters, lamb shank with a mint sauces and sundried tomato rice for mains and crème brulee for dessert.

With the beautiful skies at Madikwe we thought it only appropriate to try taking some star trails or some pics of the stars at least…Once finished with the star trails we got back to the room to an amazing surprise that the staff had organised for us…just another touch that made the trip so incredible.

On our last morning it was again an early wakeup call but it proved to be all well worth it. We arrived for coffee at 6am and went out right after we were finished. As we drove around we were greeted by the usual Madikwe animals…then after the last few days, all the hard work paid off and we located the four cheetah brothers.

After our last and final game drive where we were absolutely spoilt for choice it was time to say our farewells to our new found Tuningi family and only promise to come visit again soon…what a dream to be able to experience such beauty only found in the African bush.

Until next time…

You can see more pictures by visiting Carmen and Sean’s blog here >>>

We look forward to welcoming you on your own bush adventure soon.

Kind regards,
The T-Team

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Bush Greetings from Tuningi to you all once again.

Slowly but surely the season is turning and the nip in the early morning air is telling us winter is creeping closer yet again. The grass has already turned golden yellow and dried out and even the trees are starting to lose their leaves. But we are not in the least complaining, because traditionally winter is the best time for game viewing. With the grass short, no leaves on the trees and water only in the bigger dams, Madikwe becomes a game drive paradise.

During March we had some incredible game drives and we will share some of the highlights with you. Our four new superstars have yet again produced some of the best sightings this month. Yes you guessed it, I am talking about our coalition of 4 male cheetahs and the highlight was when we found them on a young redhartbeest kill. The kill was still fresh as they had only started on the succulent rear of the redhartbeest. It was rather amazing to see just how quick they stuff their faces to get as much meat in as possible, before they are disturbed by other predators. Lucky for them no other predators showed up and when we went back the afternoon to check on them, we found only bones and 4 very uncomfortable cheetahs.

The Bulaya females and the 3 cubs are also providing us with endless pleasure, especially since they hang around close to the lodge and are the first thing we look for early in the mornings. The cubs are becoming rather big and mom has her handful looking after the 3 youngsters as they start exploring more and more.

Our 2 lion males from the south, the Naledi brothers are as busy as ever and have brand new cubs to show for their effort. The Jamala females have both had new cubs, but are still hiding them in the thickets so we are super excited to get a first glimpse of them. This will make the southern pride a bit of a super pride as they already consist of 15 lions. So I am sure some great sighting is to come of them.

The Wild dogs have as always produced super sightings and one morning we found them running down the road. We must have spent almost an hour with them as we watched them trying to secure breakfast, unfortunately unsuccessfully. Until after a few kilometres they decided to rather head to a watering hole and spent the day lounging around.

The kids program at Tuningi keeps on entertaining lots of children! This month Solomon, Sami & Tobi Mhar who returned to Tuningi, also won one of the clay building competitions.

A new game has arrived at Tuningi and we are calling all children to come and join in the fun!!

Remember to book your spot at Tuningi for the winter months. Come and enjoy some wine around a cosy fire, relax with a book / camera at the lodge watering hole were animals will entertain you from breakfast to dinner and enjoy the adventure that Tuningi game drive has to offer.

Well that is all from us for this month!
For more daily updates follow us on facebook:
or read all about our guests experiences on trip advisor:
Till next time!

Bush Regards
Christo & The Tuningi Team

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Hello again to all our extended family !!

Its time again for the monthly newsletter, and February will not disappoint you….. as if it has before !
It has been an extremely dry month, with hardly any signs of the heavenly fluid needed by all to survive here in the Madikwe savannas. The grasses are starting to lose their vibrancy, showing signs of an early winter.
One positive facet of the drier times is that we are able to track animals for our guests a lot easier, as the sand is softer and allows us to read the signs clearly.

An animal that needs a lot of tracking skill is that elusive spotted creature we call the Leopard! We are extremely lucky at the moment with our resident leopardess and her new cub, as she has finally allowed us to come close to her 4 month old female cub. One fabulous afternoon, after a long and patient tracking session to the south of the lodge we found her snoozing up in a marula tree. Happy with our efforts it was a brisk walk back to the vehicle to give the guests the good news. On approach to the sleeping beauty, something moved above her in the branches, and out poked the cutest thing you had ever seen. It was her cub ! Unbelievably she allowed us to view her without being a slight bit frightened of the new sights and sounds of people so close to her, and I definitely think it has all to do with her mother who is super chilled. Needless to say, we had a great time with the two of them resting in the tree, before mom decided it was time to go “shopping” for an impala for dinner.

Another memorable sighting this month, was at Tlou Dam in the north one morning when we came across a herd of about 200 buffalo all quenching their thirsts in the golden light of sunrise.

Then all of a sudden their was a loud crack, and dust erupting from behind a bush when two large males popped out with their horns locked in battle ! It is not a very regular sighting to see two males having a serious fight, and the display of power was immense, as they wrestled for dominance. This must have gone on for about 30 minutes before they vanished into some thickets.

The Bulaya females and their 3 cubs are also doing extremely well, and the highlight of the month with them was one crisp morning after a bit of rain when we located them finishing off a wildebeest carcass. They were in a very happy mood as they were bouncing around all over the place, obviously chuffed with their mothers who had brought dinner to the table that night. The cute factor tipped the end of the scale as they stared at our guests with those mesmerizing eyes.

As far as the wild dogs go, they are still causing carnage all over the park, killing on a daily basis. We as guides get all very excited when we follow these super efficient predators on a hunt, as we know we have a pretty good chance of witnessing a kill. Wild Dogs kill about 80% of what they chase, and if you can keep up with their pace as they chase impala and kudu you will be in for a once in a lifetime experience.

The heat is also bringing huge amounts of elephants to the dams, especially in the afternoons where they come to drink and cool off. And when they cool off it is somewhat of a spectacle, as they splash mud all over the place, and then even climb into the water for a leisurely swim.

Finally, the cheetah introduction is also doing very well, as the 2 different coalitions are hunting and killing successfully, and wowing us with their astonishing speed as they set off after their preferred prey items such as impala and kudu.

They have been setting up territory close to the lodge, and we are very happy that they have chosen this area to settle down in. This means we are seeing them on a very regular basis and adds value to the already great sightings to be had here at Tuningi Lodge.

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Greetings from a green and sunny Madikwe! Yes January has come and gone and as always Madikwe has produced some top quality sightings in the New Year.

One of the highlights this month is our new cheetahs. We have been lucky enough to see them on a regular basis as they are keeping mostly to the South of the park and already playing a big part in daily sightings. One morning Gavin and I went looking for them. We searched high and low and eventually Gavin found them close to the park’s Western boundary. Just as I arrived they went up a ridge and disappeared from sight. Wanting to see them, I remained positive and went around the ridge to the other side in the hope that they will make their appearance. I was still driving slowly along the foot of the ridge expecting to see them coming down when all hell broke loose further ahead of us. The cheetahs came down faster than I thought and was trying to get their teeth into some wildebeest, apparently succeeding as we heard the distress calls of one unlucky wildebeest. We sped off to where the wildebeest were still snorting in alarm and found the cheetahs sitting in a big open clearing with wildebeest running in all directions. We just missed the action as they probably managed to get hold of a wildebeest, but it must have gotten away…damn!

The leopards of Madikwe have continued to amaze us with sightings in 2013 and I’ve enjoyed some of the most impressive leopard sightings to date. Tsala the female from the South apparently has a cub, but we have yet to see it to believe it (please, please, please). Yet, in the first few days of January we found her with a young wildebeest kill that she stashed up in a big Maroela tree. Tsala has become totally relaxed with vehicles so we were able to park underneath the tree and mesmerisingly watch this magnificent creature without her even batting an eyelid at us.

Podile the female from the Tlou dam area has also shared some breathtaking moments with us. Specifically one morning when some of the guides found her hunting impala. When I joined the sighting she was resting in a serious thicket, taking a break from hunting and try as I might, I could not get to see her. Rather desperate, I decided to play the waiting game and hoped she would come out again. After a bit of waiting Podile did not disappoint as she strolled out of the thicket and ended up walking straight to the vehicle. She passed the vehicle’s bumper by millimetres and proceeded to stalk the impalas that were still in the area.

Earlier this month, I was honoured with another wonderful sighting. For a while now we’ve suspected that the two Bolaya Lion females in the South have had cubs, but try as hard as we could we were not able to find them. Then one morning we found the 2 females close to the Western Airstrip. They were walking down the road and as they turned off into the bush I decided to stay with them in the hope that maybe, just maybe, I will get lucky and see the cubs. We followed the two females for about 300 meters into the bush where they sat to rest. One lay down in the open, and the other one crawled under a low branched Karee tree. We struck gold as one little cub made his appearance and started suckling on his mom lying under the tree. We could not see the cub clearly through the branches and leaves, but what a feeling to find this new lion cub. Since then we have sighted these females and their youngsters (the first female has 1 and the other female has 3 cubs) on a few occasions and it is always a treat to see what antics these cubs get up to.

One morning we decided to pack provisions for 3 day trip (including our passports) and said good-bye to friends and loved ones for our perilous journey… to the East. The reason for this brave and dangerous act was to go and find some wild dogs. During this time the small pack was in hiding and we had this irresistible craving to see the wild dogs again. So after a long journey through unchartered lands and mysterious places, Gavin located the pack of wild dogs where they had just finished eating an impala they had killed. They were just lazing around digesting their food. Then the magic of this new wonderful world kicked in and we watched as four rhino’s strolled out of the bushes to come and satisfy their curiosity. The dogs did not mind them but respectfully stood up and left when a rhino came too close. This same respect was not shown towards a herd of wildebeest who shortly thereafter also came into the area. Tthe dogs flew off after the wildebeest to try and secure another meal. The wildebeest not too impressed by this, then ganged up on the wild dogs and started chasing them around, leaving the dogs with no meal and a red in the face. Luckily we survived this death-defying journey and made it back to the lodge just in time for a well-deserved breakfast, that same morning I might add.

Cornelius also had a busy January and I’ll let him tell you more about the conservation work he helped with:

I had the most memorable weekend out in the bush.

Wild Eye Destinations organized a conservation weekend and chose Tuningi as the venue. Friday morning we headed to the east of Madikwe where the four male Cheetahs stayed in the boma. The task of the day was to dart and collar one of them.

It’s been some time since Madikwe has had cheetahs, so it was necessary for the collar to be put on so they could be monitored and also found on game drives. To be able to get that close to these animals were fantastic.

Saturday was filled with so much emotional excitement. We started very early with the darting and branding of lions. It was the Tshaba pride from the North West of Madikwe that had to be marked. The brand mark is to differentiate the pride members.

Three of the pride members were darted by the vet. At first I was very cautious of these massive cats. To see the animals on a game drive is one thing but to touch them, O MY, the feel of their rough tongues, the sharp teeth and those massive paws. I still pause and think back to that day.

As soon as the lions woke up we left them in peace. Now it was time for the rhino ear notching. We dropped the pilot at his helicopter after which he took the vet and one of the guests up to start the search for the rhinos. Luckily it was an overcast day which helped lessen the heat and stress of the animals.

The first animal was a big female. Her size was mind boggling! Lying down she was still more than a meter high. The next in line were a female and calf. The calf was so cute, it was almost sitting up and waiting for us.

Everyone involved was extremely passionate towards their work on that day and we all learned so much. In total four rhinos were notched and micro chipped. Live on, amazing beasts!

Sunday was the big finale! The four male cheetahs were released. An impala was used to lure them out of their safe haven of the past 2 months. It was such a rewarding feeling to see them walk through the gate out into the wild. After a bit of feeding one of them already stretched his legs and ran into the distance.

It was such an honour to be part of the whole experience.

This month the kids at Tuningi again created the most amazing animals out of clay. Thank you to Daniel & Henro Rossouw who shared their photo with us!

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :
reservations@tuningi.co.za

Warmest greetings to all of you for the last time in 2012!

We have had a wonderful, busy Festive Season and all feel proud of what we have achieved at our very special Lodge this year.
We are so happy that so many of you have returned for a second, third or even fifth visit, and are continuing to spread the word amongst your friends.

We are also extremely grateful to all of you writing beautiful reviews on your visits to Tuningi on Trip Advisor, for all the world to see.

It means the world to us and has put us on the map with all of the other BEST lodges in South Africa!!!
This month we are republishing snippets from the Rangers Reports of the previous year, just to remind you why you are all coming back for more every year!

And then, for next year…..
We wish you TIME!
Time to notice the world, its fragrances, its miracles, its blessings and grand design.
To live life, have more fun, laugh more and worry less.
In a nut shell- TIME to visit Tuningi……………

Please read on for more reasons to start planning that trip today!!

2012 was a spectacular year for our guides, as they were treated to some really unbelievable sightings, and in this, the last newsletter for 2012, we will take you through some of the highlights of 2012 as far as safaris go…….

The first one was from Cornelius as he witnessed the birth of a zebra……
We as guides, at times, might be spoiled with sightings and just want more and more.
Something very special I saw recently was a zebra giving birth.
I was close to the airstrip with lots of zebras around us. I saw this one behind some trees making a huge pee… “its not a pee, her water broke“ someone shouted as we saw a leg of the calf coming out. She walked a short distance and lay down in the tall grass. I drove closer slowly not wanting to disturb her more. Some other guides joined me and we waited. About 5 minutes later the female got up and started licking the little one. It was obviously getting used to the light and very new surroundings, as it was shaking its head. The female was desperately trying to help it to get it on its feet and walked off for short distances.

After a few failed attempts it got to its feet and was determined not to fall again. By this time we were all relieved and excited to see him standing. I was sitting with the guests at the back of the vehicle trying to get a photo of this very rare scene.

The now very nervous mother walked further away. The newborn quickly got the hint and with stiff legs gave its first few steps. It quickly got use to the legs and feet and followed its proud mother. After they have gone we had a look at the afterbirth.

No wonder the female wanted to get out of there with that lying around. The smell of blood could attract predators and scavengers.
Never a dull moment in this place! That’s for sure!

The next high and low experience was by Gavin…..
The circle of life in the bush can also throw you into an emotional roller coaster especially when you witness things like births, injuries and deaths, but life in the bush would not be complete without the darker side of life, as happened with one of our most beautiful pride male lions (Etali) While he and his brother were trying to kill a buffalo, he, as well as the buffalo died next to each other under a tree! What a shocking scene to arrive at! At least he went down fighting, but we will miss bumping into him every few days, badly!

The middle of the year always brings big news, with the birth of the wild dogs, and gets the rangers in a competitive frenzy to see who can locate on the den first…nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition hey? After tracking them for days, our guides found the small pack’s den one morning!
Some other Rangers on the other side of the Park found the big pack’s den almost at the same time.

This made the most amazing sightings of both packs of Wild dogs at their den sites possible, and we are glad to report that they are all doing extremely well, and we look forward to following them around in 2013….

 

 There was also more sad news in 2012, as “Hansa” our beloved and resident black rhino bull had passed away, and this is what Christo had to say about it…

On a much sadder note, the old Black Rhino bull that used to hang around our watering hole and was as much part of the T-Team as the rest of us, has unfortunately passed away. He was seen limping badly and reported to Parks Board that started a helicopter search for him the next day. He was found on the ridge opposite room 6 & 7, darted and from what could be seen looked like he was in a fight with another Black Rhino bull that badly injured his right hind leg. The wound was treated and we left hoping for the best, but unfortunately due to his old age, (he was estimated to be 31) and the severe beating he got from the other rhino he did not survive. So cheers big guy and thanks for all the amazing sightings.

 There was also more sad news in 2012, as “Hansa” our beloved and resident black rhino bull had passed away, and this is what Christo had to say about it…

On a much sadder note, the old Black Rhino bull that used to hang around our watering hole and was as much part of the T-Team as the rest of us, has unfortunately passed away. He was seen limping badly and reported to Parks Board that started a helicopter search for him the next day. He was found on the ridge opposite room 6 & 7, darted and from what could be seen looked like he was in a fight with another Black Rhino bull that badly injured his right hind leg. The wound was treated and we left hoping for the best, but unfortunately due to his old age, (he was estimated to be 31) and the severe beating he got from the other rhino he did not survive. So cheers big guy and thanks for all the amazing sightings.

The next amazing event in 2012 was getting involved in the conservation of our rhinos, as we hosted a Brazilian film crew who sponsored the notching, and micro-chipping of our rhinos, and collaring an elephant all in the name of conservation of our heritage.

The next sighting was probably the biggest one of the year, and this Is what Cornelius had to say……..
Here is the biggest treat of all…I saw my first Pangolin!!! Five years of guiding was all worth it for that moment. This is how it happened.
It was still cold and cloudy from the previous days rain, which by the way we are very happy about. It was quiet with little animals around. We decided to try and relocate on the Wild dogs that we saw the previous night on the northern fence. On the way there someone did find them so we took it slow not to get too cold. While on standby to go into the sighting we stopped at the Cheetahs in the boma close by. Then I heard the word, KGAGA (Pangolin in Tswana). I took out the map, not knowing the eastern side of the park that well, and saw we weren’t too far away. I forgot about the Dogs and Cheetahs and went for it. The excitement grew as I went up in the standby positions hoping it will still be there.
I was called in… I took my camera, almost forgetting about the guests. I had to stop myself from running to where this THING was.

I was speechless. I still can`t express that moment in words. It looked even more stranges than what I imagined. It was slowly moving around in an open spot next to the road making for some nice photos to be taken. They have strong claws for breaking open Anthills. They eat ants and termites with those small mouths. By now it was on the move back to it`s burrow since they are mostly nocturnal.

As it crossed the road I took this shot lying flat on the ground.

I was smiling for almost 2 days straight and still get exited thinking back to that day!!! Make that booking now, and come and join me on my next exciting game drive! As you can see, it gets better every day! Till next time
Cornelius

The last of the highlights for 2012 was the exciting news of the cheetahs which would make their appearance back into Madikwe after a 3 year absence !!
2 of the 8 males have been released in late December, and have already impressed as they made their first kill, in front of our guests and I have no doubt that 2013 will bring some superb sightings of these amazing cats.

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :

reservations@tuningi.co.za

Warmest greetings to all of you,

At last I have the news you all have been waiting for! Rain at last!
Oh how wonderful to feel the first fat rain drops landing on your head, the smell of the dry earth resisting being soaked, little dust clouds forming around each drop landing, and then the tiny streams starting to form and run wildly around your feet… MAGIC!

It only took two good rain storms to turn the whole of the reserve from yellow and dusty to sparkling green. We had to wait for the rain before we could plant the seeds for the Lodge’s summer herb garden and could do so in the beginning of the month. Now the chefs are already harvesting. There is nothing better than to eat food cooked with love and fresh herbs from your own garden.

October is usually the busiest month of the year for us and we were once again so lucky to have lots of return guests as well as loads of new families that we have never met before.

The children made lots of new friends and are all trying to convince their parents to book a return visit for the same time that their new friends are planning to come back. Needless to say, our newly re-furbished patio area was abuzz with activity, morning, noon and night.
We could not believe the amount of creativity the kids have shown us especially in the regular World Championship Clay Molding Competitions held.

The Reserve is teeming with game once again as more than 4200 head of game has been reintroduced into the Park over the previous couple of months and we are expecting another 2500 early next year. We also just heard that another 4 cheetahs were dropped off this morning! This is really just amazing and obviously make for even better game viewing than ever before!

Out in the bush, Cornelius had some of his most memorable game drives in his career, but let’s rather hear it from the horse’s mouth.

Hallo Again !

Yet again the most amazing things are happening and making every moment out here worthwhile.

The introduction of animals went well and it is so nice to drive and see something around every corner, even if it is only an Impala.
Best of all that was introduced is 2 male cheetahs. They are still in the enclosed boma, but will soon be released in the wild. After them 4 more will come in and then 2 more. 8 cheetahs in total, can’t wait to see these guys out on the plains. Surely some awesome photos to follow.

 

Watch this space…

The lions are having a feast with the new game that was introduced. A very good time for the youngsters to practice their hunting skills. We often see lions eating something.

The Wild dogs are also doing extremely well. The big pack that was denning on the private land next to Madikwe are all moving together, all 25 of them!

The small pack that was denning in the Dwarsbergs are out with 6 pups and spending most of their time in the south of the park.

 

 

But…
Here is the biggest treat of all…I saw my first Pangolin!!! Five years of guiding was all worth it for that moment. This is how it happened.

It was still cold and cloudy from the previous days rain, which by the way we are very happy about. It was quiet with little animals around. We decided to try and relocate on the Wild dogs that we saw the previous night on the northern fence. On the way there someone did find them so we took it slow not to get too cold. While on standby to go into the sighting we stopped at the Cheetahs in the boma close by. Then I heard the word, KGAGA (Pangolin in Tswana). I took out the map, not knowing the eastern side of the park that well, and saw we weren’t too far away. I forgot about the Dogs and Cheetahs and went for it. The excitement grew as I went up in the standby positions hoping it will still be there.
I was called in… I took my camera, almost forgetting about the guests. I had to stop myself from running to where this THING was.

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :

reservations@tuningi.co.za

Warmest greetings to all of you,

We had another fabulous month at Tuningi with a lot of visits from return guests, spectacular boma dinners and amazing sightings.

First of all, it is still very dry in Madikwe and even though the rest of South Africa has had some amazing early rain, here in the west of the country it is still bone dry. But as you’ll see this has accounted for some of the most amazing sightings and even an unbelievable amount of Leopard sightings.

I am not too sure what went on this past month but there were leopards left, right and centre. We totalled an amazing 9 leopard sightings this month, the most that I know off ever. It all started out in the beginning of the month when I was lucky enough to strike a grand slam two evenings in a row. Now a Grand Slam is when one gets the Big 5 all in one drive and it does not happen too often.

Our guests were also treated to 2 leopards at our waterhole one night during a boma dinner, after they’ve also seen a leopard at Tlou Dam walk right past us on the road. This group of guests really had a lot of luck.

There were also a few bizarre leopard sightings. I knew there were lions seen at Vleipan, an amazing waterhole in the South East of the park, so decided to pop in for a quick look. I drove in to the area but only noticed a few White Rhino standing around, so I started searching through the bushes with my spotlight for the refection of eyes from the lions.

Ah bingo, there they are, so off we go to have a look. But as I get to the spot, no lions… OK, I thought I saw one of the cubs and he was moving just around this bush, but now he’s gone, wow fast lion. So I swing the spotlight around to see where the cub went off to. Eyes! Good there he is and I drive a bit closer for a better look. My, my but this cub has lots of spo… oh! And there he was sitting in my light not 10m away from us happily having a look around before starting to make his way to the waterhole. We went to wait for him at the waterhole, but before he could come in to drink, an elephant moved through the bush behind him and we just saw him slinking back into the thickets.

The second bizarre leopard sighting still gives me goose bumps. We were also sitting at Vleipan, that pan is cooking, and decided to make for home. Spotlight on… Spotlight on…. Bugger. Ok not a problem just the globe that blew, check the globe, globe is fine. So now I start preparing the guests for a drive back home with no spotlight. Wait, maybe a loose connection on the wires, no loose connection. Has to be a fuse then, so we take off to go back to the lodge, but I start contacting some of the other guides to beg a fuse, but no one can help. After a bit more driving, with no spotlight and a bit of contemplating I decided to see if there is a spare fuse in the fuse box I can use for the spotlight.

Eureka, I am almost certain I don’t need the wipers to work, not that I have wipers in any case. So as I get the spotlight working again, I can remember a comment that went “We better find something now” and not a 100m down the road a leopard crosses right in front of us and we are able to follow it a few meters into the bush. The thing that makes this so amazing is the timing, had my spotlight not blown a fuse we would have never seen that Leopard, if I did not stop 3 times to try to fix my spotlight we would have missed it. I guess sometimes one should not wonder about these things too much as you might blow a fuse.
P.S We also got to see a Black Rhino a little bit later.

 

 

Like I mentioned the Vleipan area is just bustling with wildlife at the moment. Every morning from around 8:30 animals start filling in for a drink and it is breath taking to see between 300 to 400 animals around the pan area, ranging from Impala, Zebra, Wildebeest, Kudu, Red Hartebeest, Ostrich and Giraffe and sometimes even lions.

We spent one morning there with the big pride of lions from the South-East. Herds of animals started coming in to drink. One could just see these lion’s eyes lighting up as they could not believe their luck and we sat in anticipation as some of the females started to stalk some Zebra. It was like seeing a child let loose in a candy factory and he can eat as much as he can get. The only evil twist is that if this poor kid moves the candy is gone. Because of the sheer number of animals and the open land scape the poor lions did not stand a chance and we eventually went do drink coffee and left the lions visibly upset about their predicament.

 

P.S. Remember to befriend us on FACEBOOK for daily updates of sightings and special rates!

For enquiries please contact :

reservations@tuningi.co.za

 

Hello everybody….

One fabulous day in August, we were privileged enough to experience a project for the conservation of our rhinos, elephants and lions in Madikwe.

A crew for a TV program from Brazil stayed with us at Tuningi, and funded this project, and this is what we did…….

We woke up early to meet all the people necessary to make it all happen, such as the Madikwe park ecologist, the vet and helicopter pilot and got briefed on the procedures of the activities to follow while having a strong cup of coffee and delicious cappuccino muffins.

The helicopter then took off in a cloud of dust and was high up above the park to look for a herd of elephants of which we would fit a satellite collar to the matriarch, which would enable us to monitor the movements of this herd to identify which areas they prefer to feed in at which times of the year, and to monitor their seasonal movements around Madikwe.

We were all awaiting the call on the ground via air radio from the vet who had spotted a suitable herd to work on, and then raced in the direction of the hovering helicopter. “ The dart is in” bellowed out on the radio, and we drove closer to the action, when the vet said that there was a young calf which would not leave the matriarch, and he said that he would have to dart and immobilize the little guy too.

As the drugs started taking full effect on both animals, the vet signaled that it was safe to approach, and we carried the collar, and all the necessary paraphernalia we would need to complete the procedure towards the two sleeping bodies. The first thing that had to be done was to make sure that the elephants were lying on their sides, so that they don’t crush their lungs, and make sure that the trunk was straight and a stick placed inside the tip to ensure that the airway is open for them to breathe, as well as flapping their ears over their eyes to prevent them from drying out..

While this was being done, the vet started fitting the collar to the matriarch, while the breathing rate was monitored. Once the collar was fitted the elephants’ details were recorded such as, tusk girth and lengths, shoulder heights etc.

Once all this was complete the reversal drug was given to both elephants, and they woke up within 2 minutes and gathered their feet and moved off slowly, but happily.

The next job in the pipeline was to look for 2 rhinos which did not take too long as the call came from the helicopter 10 minutes later.

The pilot had found 3 rhinos, one big bull, and a female and her calf. The bull was darted first, and was herded by the helicopter pilot to the road where we were waiting for it to become safe for us to get close to this mammoth male white rhino.

As we arrived at his side, a cloth was put over his eyes, and old rugby socks stuffed into his ears to make him more relaxed, as rhinos are still fully conscious while under the anesthetic. Once this was done Heidi was put in charge of monitoring his breathing rate, so that the vet could see if his condition was deteriorating.

While this was going on, a DNA kit was cracked open, which contains various containers for skin, tissue, horn and toe nail scrapings which was then recorded and put into the sealed containers which would then go for analysis, and put in the national database for future reference. The horn was also fitted with microchips, which in future will help to identify the animal, and these chips were also recorded in the national database.

The ears were also notched or cut in specific places in order to identify the rhino when seen from the ground. The rhino’s horn lengths, girths and shoulder heights were also recorded, before he was given a good dose of antibiotics and vitamins to boost him before he was woken up very quickly with the reversal drug.

This procedure was the same for the mother and calf, which was darted after the big bull, had disappeared into the bush.

After a cold drink and some high fives, it was into the vehicles and off to find the big pride of 11 lions in the north west of the park, which would be branded for identification purposes. A brand marking is made so that should the lion possibly escape from the park and into neighboring Botswana or cattle farms, it can be positively identified as one of madikwe’s lions for insurance purposes should the lions find themselves a cow or other livestock to eat along the way. It also helps the park to manage the genetic movements of these lions within the park, and can be a very useful tool in the prevention of inbreeding monitoring in the future.

After finding the lions in some very difficult terrain with some serious thorn thickets, 2 lionesses were darted and tranquilized, and after some painful excursions through the thorn trees to extract the lionesses from the bush to work on them, the procedure begun.

Again cloths are put over their eyes, and breathing rates monitored while a fire is made to heat up the branding iron. While this went on the vet gave the lions a good once-over and injected some vitamins and antibiotics.

The branding was done and the lions were poured with water to cool them down, before placing them in a safe and shady spot where they would have to work off the effect of the drugs. The drugs used on elephants and rhinos are different to the drugs used for lions, as there is no reversal used for lions.

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