Author: Focus Online Dev

A warmest hallo to all of you once again.

April has been a wonderful month of fun filled sunny days and lots and lots of chocolate eggs, all over the place.

Although we are starting to feel a definite nip in the air in the evenings, the days are still comfortably warm and allow us to spend lazy hours reading our books next to the pool in the middle of the day. On other occasions you will find us lazily dozing off on the pool loungers while game spotting at the Lodges’ water hole.

On the 22nd of April, we celebrated ‘EARTH DAY’. We once again focused on the current mantra in the conservation world of :”Happy people on the fringes of the conservation areas”

I am sure that you all know by now, that Madikwe is one of the greatest success stories in this regard. The people living around our Game Reserve are some of the poorest in the world, but we have found a meaningful way in which to share the bounty of the Reserve and the Tourism Industry with them. We have created thousands of jobs, are providing education and teaching skills in all kinds of departments to our local communities. We are even helping some of the communities to run and uphold their own Lodges 100%.

We need , however, to continue educating our local communities, as well as the rest of the world about the importance of curbing overpopulation and recycling as much as we can, trying to stop climate change and planting as many trees as we can and most importantly to ‘Treasure Our Heritage’!!

If there was ever a time to support our scientists and conservationists with our money and our influence, it is now…

There is no doubt in my mind, that it only takes one visit to Tuningi, one sight of animals roaming free in the magnificent African bush, one mind blowingly beautiful sunset, one dinner around a roaring boma fire under the twinkling stars, one rhythmic song from an truly inspired traditional choir, one African thunderstorm or one roar of a handsome male lion to change a human being into a instant conservationist, and to inspire anyone to really try and make a difference.

This month, Gavin shares with us another wonderful day of game viewing at Tuningi.

Leopard VS Wild Dogs
Have you ever seen a leopard in the wild?
Most people in the world having travelled to the savannas of Africa will know that to see one of these most elusive cats is the pinnacle of every safari experience anywhere, anytime!!

My guests (The Cozzolino Family) have stayed with me now for 4 nights, and have been asking me to find them a leopard every day non-stop. So I set out this morning with “Mission Leopard” in mind as the number one priority. I decided to go and follow up on some leopard tracks I had found last night going east of the lodge. After driving down one of the dusty roads at a snail’s pace, searching and straining my eyes in the dull light of sunrise for any signs that she had been there, I found some very fresh tracks of the Mateya lion pride going south, instead. So, we followed the lion tracks toward the airstrip, still going west, and passed some very relaxed impala, wildebeest and zebra, all grazing happily as if they had never known that these lions had just passed within a hundred meters of them. By now the sun was just coming up over the Dwarsberg Mountains to the east, and gave that sense of a beautiful day that would unfold yet again in a crisp Madikwe Morning.

After a further 10 minutes of tracking the lions, I found them stalking something in the bushes to the north of us, but they aborted the hunt almost as soon as we got there, and re-grouped in the middle of the road, giving us some great photo opportunities in the perfect morning sunlight. We followed the lions for about 1 hour towards the Dam nestled in the ridge south of us until they clicked over into “play mode” providing us with some welcome entertainment as they chased each other all over the bush. We eventually left them drinking water at the dam, in need of a coffee break.

Coffee was, as always a treat in the bush and we listened to the morning bird song, exchanging our views on the behavior of the lion’s playful manner earlier.

As we headed out in an easterly direction after coffee and hot chocolate for the children, we bumped into some magnificent male elephants. About 4 of them were grazing in their full glory close to the vehicle. The sheer size of these beasts always seems to take your breath away as they go about their daily business of packing 300 kilograms of vegetation into their tummies.

So after we had left the elephants we were bumbling along the road when all of a sudden we saw 2 wild dogs, then 3, 4, 5, 6, all of them!!!! The whole Dwarsberg Pack was there in what seemed like a frantic manner jumping around and giggling to each other in high excitement. I told my guests that this was not normal behavior, and I knew something extraordinary was about to unfold…….

As we drove closer to the action, we discovered that they were jumping up at a shepherd’s tree in an attempt to reach something. This something was a LEOPARD, and its baby kudu kill which it had hoisted into the shepherds tree… (What an ironic name for the chosen tree). The dogs were harassing the leopard which was only about 2 meters from the yapping jaws of the dogs, until she jumped out of the tree abandoning the kill with the dogs in hot pursuit. My land cruiser was put into action, as we off-roaded after the commotion with some great speed following the dogs who had forced the leopard into another tree where she climbed right to the thinnest branch on top, looking down and hissing at the persistent canines. We pulled up next to the tree watching this once in a lifetime sighting unfold before our very eyes, taking photos of the scene.

The dogs were still persistent, squealing, giggling and yapping at this enemy of the bush. The leopard started to panic, and came out of the tree and right into the middle of the dog mob, and was extremely lucky to get only one or two nips to her hind legs before bolting off again with the dogs in hot pursuit. They had again forced the now, petrified leopard into another less robust tree still harassing the cat to bits.

The wild dogs after about five minutes eventually lost interest in the leopard and started moving back towards the shepherd’s tree where the kill had been stashed. This was the moment she was waiting for, and with one crazy jump leapt out of the tree from about 4 meters high hitting the ground with a huge thud accompanied by a loud grumpy growl. The grasses parted and she was off to safety…….

We then went back to the emotional dogs, as they were trying their utmost to get hold of one of the legs of the young kudu which was dangling out of the tree. One of the dogs managed to get hold of this leg, tugging it and pulled it right into the mouths of 16 hungry wild dogs. A feeding frenzy ensued with the dogs ripping the carcass apart in classic manner as only they can, and within 10 minutes the kudu was reduced to only a pile of bones.

This has got to be one of the best sightings of predator interaction I have witnessed in all the 10 years I have been guiding in the savannas of South Africa, and it will be remembered by me and Harry and the Cozzolino Family forever.

This just proves that the unexpected can happen at any time in the bush and is awaiting around the next corner…….

SO BOOK TOMORROW AND …. COME WITNESS THE DRAMA OF THE UNBELIEVABLE AFRICAN BUSH UNFOLD IN FRONT OF YOUR VERY OWN EYES!!!

Warm regards,
The T team

PS : Don’t forget to check out the kiddies’ works of art!!

For enquiries please contact :

Warmest Greetings to you all once again.

We just can’t believe that a quarter of the new year has already slipped by without us even consciously noticing. Here where we live in the bush, it seems as if we are just floating from one week to the next. The silence is intoxicating and the background music provided by the birds and the insects buzzing about calms you down the instant you arrive at the lodge. Now and then a flash of lightning or a crash of thunder grabs your attention for a minute, just to let you peacefully slip back into your previous state of contentment again.

Luckily, here at Tuningi, we are all for some excitement during each day as well. Enter, the two game drives you get to go on each day……

As February was the month of the Wild dogs, we could easily say that March was the month of the lion. Our guests were sometimes treated to up to four different lion sightings on one day and the Etali female showed off her brand new babies twice, as well!

With the two oldest lions in the park (the Batia brothers) now both dead, the two gorgeous Tholo-Mateya males have taken over most of their territory, treating us with their presence near the Lodge, often!

 

On the last day of the month, our rangers found the Dipelo and Shabalala females playing with each other in a TREE! This is an extremely unusual thing to see, and unfortunately none of the other lodges would respond to us calling them to the sighting as they all thought we were playing the (April) fool with them!

This month, we asked Grant to tell us about Etali’s new babies in his own words.

 

Lions: A mother’s love

This was probably the highlight of the year so far for me. On the afternoon of the 13th of March 2009 we stumbled upon a couple of lions in the road close to Tau Game lodge. It was the Etali female with her brand new 2009 models. There were 4 cubs. It was the second time I had seen them in that area. We estimated that they were only a few weeks old. What a great privilege it is to spend time with these small lions. Mom was very patient with us, but every now and again we would get a snarl from her just to let us know to keep our distance.

This is now her third litter of cubs. She is an awesome mother and provides for the youngsters all on her own; she has never been part of a pride. When she gives birth she goes into isolation and keeps the cubs in hiding. During these weeks they are very vulnerable to predation especially by hyenas and other lions.

When they are about ten weeks old the female will introduce them to the rest of the pride, but in this case the female is alone so does do this. She has two other youngsters from 2007 and they will surely meet the new cubs. When females are in estrus the female and male will go into isolation for between 2-5 days where they will copulate 2-4 times per hour during that period……a very long honeymoon. During that time they don’t really hunt or eat. They have only one thing on their mind and that is making babies. The gestation period is 110 days and they will have 2-4 but up to 6 cubs have been recorded.

 

Getting to the sad part now…………

On the day we found these beautiful new babies, one of the youngsters at the back seemed to have injured his left back leg. He really struggled to keep up. Every now and then mom and his siblings would stop and call out to him. He was very weak. I knew that the mother was worried because it was getting dark and that the slow pace would put them all in danger. She went back probably 8-9 times to nudge him on. Everybody on the vehicle was touched very deeply by the happenings on that evening……. that’s nature. I now understand how hard it must be for wildlife photographers not to interfere with the natural course of nature.

In nature a mother’s love can only stretch so far. If she decided to stay with him she might exposed all of the cubs to predators or other dangers. As it was getting dark we left with the feeling in our hearts of, ‘is he going to make it through the night?’ After that night we have seen the mother on her own again a few times, but haven’t seen the cubs again. She is really hiding them well, as a good mother does. Up to now, we are still not sure if there are four or only three left!

As the cubs grow older they will all sit together around the dinner table, and it will be every cub looking to devour as much of the kill as possible. They still have to share the feast with their siblings that are now one year old already.

If there are males around, they usually eat first, with the females to follow. Only then do the children get a chance. On rare occasions, a big male lion will tolerate a cub around his food. Etali, being a single mother, almost never has to fear a visiting male near her cubs after a kill. The father will make a rare appearance now and then but he is usually very tolerable of his own cubs.

We often see her with last year’s cubs and will let you know how the new ones are doing as soon as she lets us have another glance

Till next drive
Grant

Well, that is all from us for March. Please remember to book that holiday, you well deserve, as soon as possible!

Come and relax at Tuningi. Revive yourself, run away from your hectic schedule, lock away your watch and just give yourself over to the slow rhythm of the African bush. In absolutely no time at all, you will be hooked!

We can’t wait to see you!
Kindest regards
The T-team

PS : Don’t forget to check out the kiddies’ works of art!!

For enquiries please contact :

Warmest greetings to you all once again.

Although February was very wet throughout, we still had a fabulous time sliding around in the mud and testing our 4×4 skills to the full.

Usually the skies cleared beautifully in the late afternoons just in time for Game drive. The up side of this is that the cats and dogs were out to play on the roads every day as they do not like walking around in the long wet grass. This made for magnificent sightings all month long and for the first time in a while many of our guests had the opportunity to actually see a kill right in front of their eyes.

It can be quite emotionally disturbing to watch such a gruesome act, but it is always an amazing experience and something that leaves all speechless at the way Nature goes about its way. I will let Gavin take you through one of these once in a lifetime experiences in his own words.

Once in a Lifetime…….

Every now and again, you are blessed with some kind of pleasure in your life, and this is what happened on the 2 February 2009. I was on an afternoon game drive with only two guests from England, who had never been on a safari ever!

We set out with the intent of finding some of the more common species found in Madikwe such as zebra, impala, wildebeest, and possibly the odd elephant, when a call came on the bush telegraph … “WILD DOGS AT BRAVO 3 “. As I was already almost in that general area I took up a standby position for this sighting of the breakaway pack consisting of 4 dogs. Now, as anybody knows, seeing the most endangered carnivore in Africa, second to the Ethiopian Wolf, is something that would be enough to pleasure the most intrepid of safari goers, as only about 500 of these very charismatic predators survive in all of Southern Africa today!

So we arrived into the sighting with some very relaxed and docile looking wild dogs, as they were just resting in the shade, and the odd flap of their huge ears giving their presence away as the tall grass concealed them. Then there was a yawn……….

The dogs started stirring, and stretching their very lazy legs, they began scent-marking territory by spraying urine on the more prominent junction of the road we were at. They then decided to head in a southerly direction towards the lodge in the close vicinity, now looking hungrier and hungrier with each step.

We must have followed them south along the road for about 20 mins or so, when they changed direction again and started moving east towards a waterhole where I remember seeing some impala grazing on the southern bank a little earlier. Now every ranger in the worlds’ heart will miss a beat with the thought of wild dogs hunting and knowing that I had seen some impala in the area that the Dogs were moving into got me very excited. When we arrived at the waterhole we did not see any impala happily grazing, but instead we noticed this poor little wildebeest calf all on his own in the middle of a huge open clearing in full view of the Dogs……

The tension was rising as the dogs came into view of the wildebeest. And almost instantaneously their ears went FLAT !!!

One of the lead dogs was off….. Chasing the wildebeest down, and gaining on him quickly! The wildebeest’s legs were moving as fast as they possibly could with the African “Painted Wolf” fast closing in. At this point I told the guests that they should put their cameras on to “sports” mode as the action would be fast and furious. Little did we know….

They had chased the wildebeest straight into the water, or maybe the wildebeest was clever enough to run in there himself to get away from the snapping jaws of the now very excited wild dogs. The wildebeest then swam around frantically in the dam with the dogs wary of the water, and giving some very unique squealing yelps at each other. The wildebeest then found some shallower water where he stood and watched his enemy face to face.

This must be a sight that no animal would want to face, especially not with the most efficient carnivore in nature. The dogs tried to get at him, but they were too scared of the water, and backed off in frustration. This lasted about 2 mins when reinforcements arrived in the form of a territorial male wildebeest trying to drive off the dogs as they kept harassing the now shivering wildebeest.

The calf then tried to run out of the water thinking that the big male wildebeest would save him, but only succeeding in renewing the dogs’ excitement and determination, as they then pursued the fleeing calf with great speed straight towards the vehicle !!

The wildebeest was in a tight spot with dogs nipping at his rump and legs right in between our vehicles which seemed to resonate the blood curdling scream of the calf as he saw a gap and ran back to the water, and past the big guy making a feeble attempt at rescuing him, with dogs in tow.
(Check the expressions on the guests faces!)

This happened three times in and out of the water and around the vehicles with the big male wildebeest putting in more of an effort at saving the youngster from certain death .

This had now been going on for about 20 mins, and the dogs started losing interest in the calf now shivering with shock and cold in the water, and as quickly as they were interested, they were disinterested and started moving off in a northerly direction away from the waterhole, looking for another victim…..

And then the wildebeest made the fatal error!!

He started walking out of the water slowly dragging his now very tired legs through the water which made a noise, and in the distance the 4 very amazed dogs turned around, and upon seeing the wildebeest coming to land sprinted back to the scene, where the beginning of the end began…….

The cavalry arrived too late, only to look on as their family member was consumed by their worst fear.

These moments are some of the most emotional moments in any persons life, as our morals of life and death are something that most people question. But out here in the African Savanna the death of one will mean the survival of another, and if you have any safari experience, you will soon get to realise that watching something as brutal as a wild dog killing, is something that does not come around every day, it is probably a “ONCE IN LIFETIME” moment. So with that I just hope that these magnificent animals will be here for many generations to witness the same thing I witnessed on that day !!

So…… hope you enjoy these images, and get on to the site ( www.photo-africa.com ) and view more of these images (the more brutal ones) if you like.

Till next time, bush regards……..
Gavin

The Easter holidays are around the corner!! Make that booking now and give Mother Nature a chance to educate you and your family in her own special way…
Kind regards till next month!

The T-team

 

For enquiries please contact :

Warmest Greetings to you all once again.

The Festive season has left us all exhausted as it is by far the busiest time of the year in our industry. Although we are all a bit tired, we feel elated that we could share our wonderful lodge and game reserve with so many of you. Once again all our guests have gone home feeling pampered and revived. They have experienced the wild South African bush in its true sense and gathered enough knowledge and memories to last them a lifetime.

For our January newsletter, we have thought it a good idea to let our guests do the talking for once.

Instead of us telling you what you can expect to find on your next visit to Tuningi, please feel free to page through our visitors book….

‘Our third visit! I have a feeling there will be a fourth! Another great Tuningi experience. Thank you to Gavin, Heidi and all the Team. Brilliant drives including a truly memorable leopard experience that took the biscuit!!! Wonderful food too. Gentle, friendly, courteous service and beautiful singing in the Boma. So, thank you again. We shall be back……again!’
Malcom and Jean Hewitt, England

‘This weekend has been so fantastic. Tuningi and the staff made our group feel so at home ( we wish this was our home!) and our bush wedding was PERFECT. Exactly what we hoped for and the greatest memories.’
Lesley and Steve Gorman, England

‘Dear Tuningi Team. We had a great and peaceful stay in your Lodge! Everything was perfect! Thanks so much for the great gamedrives with Gavin, dinners, accommodation and nice events for the kids. We hope to be able to come back some day! Our holiday started much better than we hoped with seeing all the beautiful game.’
The Staleman family, Netherlands

‘A wonderful, wonderful place! We have had a fantastic time and are really glad we found somewhere that made our kids feel so at home. Thank you Grant for some wonderful moments in the bush!
The Fletchers, London, UK

‘Thank you so much for a wonderful 4 days. The service was fantastic, everyone was super friendly and we are sure that Gerry has some kind of 6th sense when it comes to finding the best animals….’
‘The Hicks and Theysmeyer families, Canada

‘Thank you for everything. We had a more memorable Honeymoon than we even thought possible. After spending a couple of days here I think that every human being should experience it in their lifetime.’
Ashleigh and Jim Garvey, USA

‘Truly Excellent!!! Game was spectacular. Many thanks to Grant for your first class tracking skills and driving- Food, atmosphere, service could not be surpassed. We will be back!!’
Pat and Mike Lewis, UK

‘Dear Tuningi Team. Thank you so much for making this a super fun holiday. I would specially like to thank Gavin for the game drives and Heidi and Adele for the shirt painting and all the other stuff we did!!!! I hope I can return one day. I LOVED it!!’
From Angus Bell (7years) UK

‘Thanks to all for the most awesome 3 days at Tuningi. Each and everyone has been so incredibly welcoming, friendly and hospitable. Grant and Monique, a special thanks to you both. You made our stay extra special. Wishing you all the best.’
Love from Ian, Jill, Linzy Miller,UK

‘What a wonderful experience that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. The friendly staff and Gavin who must be the best ranger in S.A. !! As Arnie says ‘ we will be back!’ Food, rooms, service was of the highest standard.
Ian and Simon, London

Well, there you have it—straight from the horse’s mouth.
Please remember that February is the month of ROMANCE!
Pick up the phone and make that booking today. Your loved one deserves to be spoilt rotten every now and then!!! Tuningi is ‘just the biscuit’ as Malcom would say!!

Please remember that return guests get preferential rates.

Can’t wait to see you all
‘Till next month,
Bush greetings,
The awesome T-team

 

For enquiries please contact :

 

December is always a busy time in the bush and this year was no exception. To compliment the festivities we hosted a wedding and, as always, the game viewing has been fantastic.

As all the Tuningi staff started gearing up for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in the bush we were lucky enough to host a stunning wedding for some guests and their close friends and relatives. The wedding itself was intimate and was held at sunset out in the bush. The couple had the entire African landscape to themselves as the small group of guests witnessed the ceremony unfold.

The ceremony was followed by champagne toasts and a short game drive as the wedding party made their way to a surprise bush dinner. It is a breath-taking experience to arrive in the middle of the bush where the beauty of the scene that has been created by the Tuningi staff is only rivalled by a spectacular full moon in the African sky. The guests had the most phenomenal evening as they enjoyed five star cuisine and great service under a canopy of stars. A truly memorable event for all the guests and the staff at Tuningi.

 

After the wedding things did not slow down and the lodge has been completely fully booked as group after group of guests arrived at Tuningi for their African adventure. Apart from the luxury and service at the lodge, Madikwe’s wildlife also joined in the spirit of the season and we had the most amazing sightings.

This time of year you can always be assured of seeing large amounts of young animals. Many of the herbivores give birth during November and December which coincides with the start of the rainy season. As the rains arrive the vegetation is regenerated. Large herds of impala, wildebeest and zebra paint the landscape as the new youngsters find their feet on the grasslands around the reserve.

We have even been lucky enough to, on numerous occasions, catch a glimpse of some of the youngest lions in the reserve. At three months of age the four cubs are starting to move around with their pride on a more regular basis. It is a truly unique experience to sit and watch as these youngsters attack everything that moves – from a grasshopper to their mom’s tail. For many of the guests these young cats have been the highlight of their stay in Madikwe.

 

The two largest male lions in the west of Madikwe have also made their presence known during the festive season and produced some memorable moments for many guests. The Tshola-Mateya coalition seem to be in the process of expanding their territory and have been moving more north from their regular ‘home’ in the south. This is great for us as it puts these magnificent beasts in Tuningi’s immediate vicinity and promises some more great sightings in the future.

 

Madikwe’s true superstars are the Wild Dogs. With the six new pups now approaching six months of age it has been exceedingly difficult to keep up with these very endangered carnivores. It seems, however, that even these amazing animals were in a giving mood over the Christmas period. Between Christmas and New Year we saw the dogs almost every day. Christmas Eve was particularly memorable as we spent almost the entire afternoon with the dogs as they chased impala around and ultimately succeeded in killing a young impala.

Watching Africa’s second most endangered carnivore at work is a true privilege and we drove back to the lodge thinking that we have seen it all. Little did we know that the Wild Dogs had other ideas. After our drive on 30 December we were all at the lodge for a well deserved drink when we heard it. The unmistakable sound of the Wild Dogs hunting and then the sounds of a kudu in distress. We all ran out to the vehicles with the idea of following the sound but this was not even necassary.

As we came out of the lodge front door we saw them. The large pack of Wild Dogs had chased a female kudu towards the electric fence around the lodge and as she jumped the fence must have clipped and broke the top strand of wire. All the dogs followed in a frenzied pursuit and ultimately pulled down the kudu a mere 20 meters from the lapa at the main lodge. (For those of you who have visited Tuningi before, this all happened on the lawn just on the side of the main lodge as you arrive back from game drive.)

It was an almost unbelievable scene as all the staff and guests stood in awe as the dogs started their feeding frenzy. Many people visit Africa again and again and never get to witness something like this. Even though it is extremely brutal and we try and attach emotions to these kinds of scenes this is nature at it’s brutal best. Even though it was difficult to watch everybody resisted the urge to look away and as the evening wound down we all felt privileged to have witnessed such a once in a lifetime scene. The electric fence was fixed first thing the next morning but the memories of the second last evening of 2008 will be cherished and remembered for a long time to come.

 

As we reach the end of 2008 we would like to say thank you to all the people who have visited us during the last year. We have witnessed nature at it’s best. We have shared amazing moments. We have shared Africa.

As the sun sets on another great year at Tuningi we wish you tenderness for the past, courage for the present and hope for the future.

We look forward to seeing you at Tuningi in 2009.

Warmest regards,

The Tuningi Team

PS: As always we end of with a few works of art form our younger guests!

 

 

For enquiries please contact :

A warm hallo to you once again!

In Africa, the month of October is often known as the ‘suicide month’. This is because, before the first rains, every body and every animal living in the bush gets to deal with the harsh reality of drought, hunger, thirst and sometimes even death. In South Africa the drought seldom hits us as hard as it does nearer to the Equator and things don’t tend to get as out of hand here as it does up there.

In Madikwe, it is now the time of the year when everyone is looking up at the sky constantly with unsinkable optimism; longing for a fabulous, cooling, dust settling, life giving thundershower. We never get to the point of giving up hope as the fat bellies of all the very pregnant animals and the Marula trees and Knob Thorns pushing out fresh green leaves even under these harsh circumstances, reminds us that it WILL RAIN SOON.

Oh, how we long for the big white voluptuous clouds to appear on the horizon, the wind picking up, blowing them towards us, the thunder rumbling closer and closer and then…….. the first smell of a fat raindrop hitting the sand road. There is absolutely nothing more exciting than that!!

In the meantime, we are pumping water into all the water holes in the reserve to keep the thirst at bay and luckily for us, with the fantastic wet year last year, the green grass is pushing through the burnt areas regardless of new rain and bringing welcome nourishment for all the grazers and the new spring shoots on the trees are appearing everywhere to great surprise of the browsers.

As you all know by now, the dryer conditions in the bush is great for game viewing. Our water hole at the lodge has attracted every kind of living species you can imagine this month. We even had the elusive leopard drinking at the lodge twice in two days during dinner time! On one evening, three of them came to drink at once, even though there were about forty elephants around at the same time. Although leopards are usually solitary animals, this was a mother with her two half grown cubs. Just last night they were spotted again on an Impala kill very close to Tuningi!

 

The leopard sightings on game drives have also picked up significantly. Almost every guest had the opportunity to watch these gracious animals go about their business. One evening we were all stunned when two lions appeared out of the blue at a leopard sighting and stole the poor girl’s freshly caught Impala right from under her nose. A leopard would never try and defend themselves against lions under these circumstances as they have to avoid injury at all cost. So she just had to sneak away and accept defeat. Sometimes Nature can be very cruel.

The most exciting event of the month happened three days ago! The wild dog pack of thirteen dogs, which had babies four months ago decided that it was time to bring them out of their den at last! Talk about patience…. We have all known about the pups, but they have been hidden so well that absolutely nobody has even had a glimpse of them for four solid months! Well, they decided to come and show them off right here at Tuningi Lodge, running up and down the valley in front of room 6 and 7 and then stopping for a quick drink at the water hole for all to see in broad daylight. We counted eight pups all together which brings the pack to 21. This is just great and with them being such a huge pack it will make it very easy for the rangers to track them from now on. You will just have to make a plan to come and see them!

As usual, we bring you a page or two from one of our ranger’s diaries.
This month Grant recaps on a honeymoon couple’s five night stay during October.

 

Safari on honeymoon from termites to elephants

The last 5 days I had a honeymoon couple and 2 ladies join me on my vehicle. They were great fun and they saw the most amazing things. Apart from all the big stuff, we had great sightings of all the antelope and the smaller things in life like the String of Stars (small white flowers) and termites; all very interesting too! The honeymooners arrived by plane and the first thing they saw was white rhino on their way to the lodge. I knew then that they were going to see the most amazing animals and it was their first safari! On the afternoon safari we saw the old boys the Batia brothers and loads of elephants. The Sereti females were with the Batia’s for a while, but have now been relocated to different reserves and so the Batias are alone. These old lions are going to find it a bit difficult getting food without the lioness’ help.

The next morning we went south. The morning started off very quietly; a lot of wind and then we bumped into two white rhino right next to the road, they got quite a fright but luckily they moved in the opposite direction from the cruiser. Half an hour later in an open clearing we saw some black rhino, a female and her calf. She was a bit skittish but we could clearly see her and the calf and all the distinct features of the black rhino. After breakfast I took Gary and Suzy to some lions that were feasting on a wildebeest. On every drive something exiting happened. Going out is always different no matter where you go and it is always a challenge looking for game. In the afternoon myself, Gavin and Zede were tracking lions on foot, after walking in a few circles we found them. They saw us long before we saw them. Every time you get lions on foot it sounds like a Harley Davidson starting up and gradually picking up revs…….great feeling! After the revs you see that golden beast mock charge you, then you swear in all the languages you know. The best expression is ‘FOERTSEK, FOERTSEK, FOERTSEK’ and clapping your hands until they become numb and more shouting. 99% of the time it works (Foertsek means get lost). Once we had found them the chances that they would move off was big so I pulled the short straw to stay with them while Gavin went back to fetch the vehicle. The five minutes I was alone with them was something special, just the fact that they allowed me to share their space and be that close to them was incredible. When we left that sighting we got a call on the radio that there were some more lions, the Tshabas, at Tau dam. Very unusual for them to come this far south; their territory is in the north western section, but we think they got chased by the three Serety males; a very powerful coalition. We got there with the sun just disappearing on the horizon. While watching them two big dagga boys came to drink (old buffalo bulls that have been kicked out of the herd). The six lions didn’t pay too much attention to them because their tummies were full to the brim. On our way back we saw some elephant but just ignored them, because they get quite edgy at night with the spotlight. Driving along looking for that ‘elusive spotted one’, I saw some big eyes reflecting back from the runway and thought it was our lucky night. Then two more sets popped out and I knew it was spotted hyena making a move on some wildebeest but they lost interest very quickly and strolled off into the darkness. Another great day in Madikwe! So we went home for dinner and a few drinks and reminisced about the great sightings we had had so far………

After the 5:45am coffee we went in pursuit of the leopard again with great determination. Driving along Diperoro road (meaning waterfall in Tswana) I found some fresh leopard tracks and feces; they were heading towards our neighboring lodge. I called Lucas and he said a young male had been at the water early that morning but had moved towards the valley, not good for us. But, not losing faith, we carried on to the elephant boma where the Serety female is held. Lots of big male lion tracks around the boma………….got a call the wild dogs were busy killing a kudu, so we turned around and went there straight away. I told my guests to hold on and off we went on a real Ferrari safari for the next 15 minutes but it was worth it. They had killed a kudu but by the time we got there it had been demolished, the dogs were busy picking clean the bones. Wild dogs make sure there is nothing left behind for any of the scavengers. We stayed with them for about 20 minutes before the first vehicles came in to the area.

That afternoon we went to Thlou dam to see the Etali youngsters, two young lion brother and sister. We just enjoyed the scenery with the lions on the wall and the ellies drinking water. After the elephants left it became quiet and all of a sudden a big herd of buffalo approached us from the east; +- 100 of them in total. There motive was clearly visible and that was to drink. The lions didn’t even move a muscle with all the commotion going on; what a brilliant sighting at the dam. We moved on for sundowners so relaxed after so many amazing things so you can imagine our surprise when we spotted a leopard in a Leadwood tree! A leopard at last and when we least expected it.

 

The next morning after drive, we saw 4 of the big 5 again…..just thought I’d mention that. I took Gary and Suzy on a bush walk after breakfast and told them with the briefing that chances of seeing anything are slim, so we are going to concentrate on the smaller things, but you never know what is lurking out there. I was busy making them a toothbrush from the kwarrie bush and we discussed elephant dung and then all hell almost broke out. A herd of elephants thrashed through the bush about 80 m from us. We immediately backed off and got on the right side of the wind. One bull came towards us. I stood my ground and had a stand-off with him with the guests safely behind me. What an afternoon! We skipped the afternoon drive and instead went to a bird hide for the afternoon and had some more amazing sightings like a Caracal that came down for a very reluctant drink. We also saw elephant, jackal and spotted hyena. The 8th of October was our last morning drive and we just thought we were going to take it easy. Started of slowly but ended with a big bang. Driving along Wonderboom road I saw something in the distance lying in the road; it was a leopard! As we got closer he looked at us once and kept on cleaning himself then got up and strolled off into the thick bush. That made up for the other night when we only saw the silhouette in the tree.

Coming on safari for your honeymoon is a great treat, just do it on the first leg of your honeymoon, because it is hard work……………… all the early mornings I mean.

I‘ve got a saying: “When you come on safari always expect the unexpected and you won’t be disappointed”.

Hope you enjoyed the recap of our 5 day honeymoon safari at Tuningi
Till next time
Grant

Well, there you have it straight from the Ranger’s pen. We suggest that you start planning your next trip to Tuningi right now, as no matter which time of the year you come for a visit, each month holds its own special secrets and treats.

We were once again very lucky to have lots of kids around this month so don’t forget to have a look at our beautiful kids’ art gallery!
Till we meet again
With kindest regards
The T- Team

 

For enquiries please contact :

 

Greetings to you from all of us at Tuningi!

We are happy to announce that the worst of the cold has disappeared and that most of August as been warm and sunny. Although a bit windy and very dusty out in the bush, the game sightings have been phenomenal this month. The new shoots are just starting to show on most of the thorn trees and green grass is pushing through in the areas where we had to do some fire breaks to prevent run away fires this dry season. We are already dreaming about the first thunderstorm that should take place in September when spring will officially be here. The animals are still coming to the lodge water hole every day for a drink and the odd rub, as there is not much water to be found out in the bush. The elephants have taken it upon themselves to expand our water hole by playing and rolling about in it for hours each day. They have also found that our boma railings are the perfect scratching post to every ones great surprise!

We have fantastic news for you this month!!!

After two years of dreadful, endless paper work, we have finally received gun licenses for the Lodge. This means that we can now take you on adrenalin rushed, highly informative WALKS in the bush. The walks are not necessarily aimed at walking into, or finding the big, dangerous animals out there, but are really geared to give the rangers a chance to show you the smaller, very interesting things around that you can not spot on a drive. They will teach you how to track an animal and how to identify a poisonous plant and how to make a tooth brush in the veld. They will find bird’s nests and eggs, rhino scrubbing posts and teach you about the termite mounds. You will identify pooh and clutches of hair left on a thorny bush. The knowledge they have to share with you is endless! Just be aware that by law children are not allowed to go on the walks in such a dangerous big five area. This is just for the adults. While the grown-ups are on the walk, we will gladly entertain the kids back at the lodge with t-shirt painting, treasure hunts, clay molding and lots more. You will just have to come back now to experience Tuningi from this new, different angle!

More good news is that we have just received the Diners Club PLATINUM award for the Wine list of the Year competition. Last year we won Gold.

What this means is that we have added even more amazing wines to our existing wine list. We now have added more auction wines, some imported wines and even an organic wine. The judging criterion includes content, in the number of wines, original and innovative choices and cultivars sourced from appropriate regions. Balance between modestly and expensively priced wines and between local and imported wines. Suitability, in the matching of the wine with the cuisine. Presentation of the wine list in showing the vintages and regions correctly is also judged and we had to send menus and samples of the type of glasses we use in the dining room.

We are very proud of this achievement and are inviting you to come and join us here at Tuningi for a glass of the best!

Hi!

The last few weeks have again been unbelievable as Madikwe continues to entertain and educate all of us on Africa’s beautiful natural heritage. I could write about the Batia Brothers, the oldest lions in Madikwe, who have been spending an unusual amount of time around Tuningi’s waterhole or the way the environment is starting to raise from the ashes after all the controlled fire breaks we had to do this year but I am going to focus on one specific day. A Big day. A Big 5 day!

7 August 2008 – Five out of Five!!
Just when you think it could not get any better you get an evening like this. Going to try and give you the shortened version…
After having found almost all of the Big Five, Wild Dog and Black Rhino my very lucky guests and I headed out to find the one animal that still eluded us – the spotted cat, Panthera pardus; the leopard! Grant was still taking a few days off and decided to come along to take a few pictures. Looking back now… a very good decision!

The drive started off with us driving into breeding herd of more than thirty elephants. Great sighting as the grey ghosts of the bush walked towards us with the sun playing on their large grey canvases. The majority of them passed behind us as they disappeared quietly into the thick tree line but a few of the young males decided to come and eat right in front of and to the side of our vehicle. Awesome sighting (Probably going to say that quite a few times in this post). Grant got a few images of the young guys dusting themselves. The guests, whom by now had seen a lot of ellies, enjoyed being with the youngsters and watching them up close. This mom gave us a clear warning not too come too close but we were very happy to watch the large animals as they disappeared into thicker bushes. A beautiful scene.

As we moved on we were quite happy to just bumble our way along to the dam where we were hoping to find a large herd of buffalo. We then bumped into the three Sereti brothers. These male lions are around 4 years old and absolutely beautiful. The sun was still a little awkward and sharp but this did not stop us from making the most of the chance to photograph these beautiful animals.

Even happier to slowly make our way to the dam we bumbled along and stopped to watch the millions of Red-Billed Queleas as they continued with their late afternoon ballet in the sky. It is amazing how these little birds don’t bump into each other as they mimic a great cloud of smoke.

We sat for quite a while watching, not knowing what would happen next. As we approached Tlou dam we heard that the Buffalo were leaving the water so we took a little link road that we hoped would take us right to where they were heading. Perfect timing as about 2 minutes later we found ourselves in the middle of a herd of buffalo about 100 strong. Photography was a little bit difficult as by now it was already pitch dark and we were using the spotlight to view the animals all around us. Being part of nature and getting so close is what it is all about. Having the animals look at you, accept you and carry on with their normal activities. Awesome!

So we decided to move towards the water where we bumped into 5 White Rhino as they all milled around the water. They were just as relaxed and again it felt like we were part of their world rather than being observers. Surely this was enough and it was now time to move on. What are the chances of finding the ever elusive leopard and getting a glimpse of this beautiful cat. Apparently our chances were quite good!

A few days ago a rather large male leopard killed a zebra right next to one of the roads. Since then people have been popping into the area every now and then with only the occasional sighting. What we found however blew our minds! We edged towards the kill and there was one of the largest males I have ever seen feeding on his kill.

This was no ordinary leopard sighting as he was extremely relaxed and seemed also to accept us as a part of his world. We all sat in complete awe of the beautiful spectacle that was unfolding right in front of us. Now photography was also quite tricky as we had to contend with the spotlight but we all made the most of it and both Grant and I will hopefully be uploading quite a few more of the images to the Photo-Africa Stock Library soon.

A Big Five Drive. Brilliant! Just when you thought it could not get any better; the fact that all the animals made us feel a part of the African story is what made it really special. I could have turned this into a marathon post, and will remember this day for quite some time to come but for now will leave you with a great quote from Sir Ian Maccallum which is exactly what you feel like after a day like today!

“Welcome home to your wild origins. Learn whatever you can from our animals, our wild coastlines and landscapes and from those who have identified themselves with this continent. Africa can teach you a lot about who you are and your place in the world. But you must come soon, before it’s too late.”

As always I look forward to hearing from you!
Gerry
* * *

Well, is time to say goodbye again. Do not forget to book our special birding week ends coming up in November. We guarantee lots of fun as well as serious ticking in your bird books! Just phone our bookings office to find out more about it.

Until we chat again, keep well and start planning your return trip to Tuningi.

With kindest regards,

The T-team

PS: Please remember to have a look at our fabulous kids art gallery!.

For enquiries please contact :

 

 

A warm hallo to you all once again!

We have had a fantastic month out here in the wonderful Madikwe Game Reserve.

We all love the bright, warm, sunny Winter days in the middle of the year. The evenings are still extremely chilly but create a great opportunity for our guests to sit in front of the cozy fires in the lodge after game drive and sip on a glass of luxurious South African red wine before going through to dinner and feasting on our chef’s fantastic creations.

Game viewing is at its best this time of the year as the bush is dry and has thinned out and all the animals have to visit the water holes on a daily basis to quench their thirst. The dry and dusty conditions in July also create amazing photographic scenes, especially the dramatic sunsets!

As a new feature in our newsletter, we are introducing some extracts from our ranger’s diaries for you. This month we took a page from Gavin’s diary as was written on the 10th of July. We hope you enjoy it as in this way, you will be able to get a better insight into the thrilling experiences of the rangers out there in the field on a daily basis.

 

10 July 2008
Last week we experienced one of those unforgettable days in the bush when out on the afternoon safari everything just fell into place….

Firstly, the Diperoro leopardess that has been making her presence known more and more regularly, popped out into the road in front of us, to be greeted by my guests with massive excitement and awe as this majestic cat strutted her stuff in true cat fashion before disappearing into the thick undergrowth.

After the euphoria of sighting one of the most elusive creatures in the Madikwe Reserve, we continued the safari with countless sightings of general game, and a plethora of bird species entertaining us with a splash of color every now and then.

 

Not long after the leopard sighting, we bumped into the Tshaba Lioness on her own looking intent on finding something to hunt, with a serious glint in her eye which had that “I mean business” look. There were some wildebeest in the area which she pursued and then also vanished into the thickets, only to return a half hour later with all her youngsters greeting her with hopes that she had caught something, but alas, it was not to be…..

Then elephants at Tlou dam, quenching the days thirst with white rhino as the backdrop.

Then a quick visit to one of the Tsholo-Mateya lion. This guy seemed to be badly beaten up in a fight with, we presume, the Batia males, who by now you know are now getting very old, and are feeling the pressure from these younger boys from the south.

This was all happening as the sun was setting, but wait that wasn’t all….. As we were about halfway through our drinks break, Ryno (one of the other Guides) was approaching us when he suddenly shouted from about 80 meters away “PANGOLIN!!”, and I said, “WHAT !?”….”PANGOLIN!!”. Needless to say I shouted to the guests to get in the vehicle, and the cooler box with snacks and all was in the vehicle in about 3 and ½ seconds flat. The following images, are, unfortunately not the best quality, but this is only the third time in 9 years of my guiding career that I have seen a pangolin. Here is some info on these secretive creatures….. Near Threatened (IUCN 2.3)[2] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Pholidota Family: Manidae Genus: Manis Species: M. temminckii The Ground Pangolin (Manis temminckii), also known as Temminck’s Pangolin or the Cape Pangolin, is one of four species of pangolin which can be found in Africa and the only one in southern and eastern Africa. Although it is present over quite a large area, it is rare throughout it and notoriously difficult to spot. Its scarcity is partly because it is hunted by humans for its scales, which are used in love charms, and partly because it is often burnt in bush fires. The IUCN only lists it as “near threatened” on its Red list. With the exception of the underside, it is covered in extremely hard scales. When threatened, it will usually roll up into a ball to protect the vulnerable belly. The scales on the tail can also be used as blades to slash at attackers. The Ground Pangolin can grow to a length of about 1 meter, with the tail typically between 30 and 50 cm. It has a disproportionately small head, powerful hind legs, and small forelegs. Like other pangolin species, it is largely nocturnal, although it is also entirely terrestrial and usually found in savanna or open woodland, generally feeding on termites or ants. It is well adapted to this, with a very long (up to 50 cm) sticky tongue which is stored inside a pocket in the mouth until needed. Although it is capable of digging its own burrow, it prefers to occupy disused holes dug by Warthog or Aardvark or to lie in dense vegetation, making it even more difficult to observe. This animal was named by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. Pangolins lack teeth and the ability to chew. Instead, they tear open anthills or termite mounds with their powerful front claws and probe deep into them with their very long tongues. Pangolins have an enormous salivary gland in their chests to lubricate the tongue with sticky, ant-catching saliva. Cheers for now, Gavin Well, it is time to say goodbye again. We are ready for our last month of Winter and expecting Spring in September. Please do not hesitate to make that phone call and book your life changing holiday at Tuningi. We can’t wait to meet you! Kindest regards The T- Team P.S. Do not forget to check out the kids gallery that has been updated again! We love sharing these works of art with you!!!. For enquiries please contact : reservations@madikwecollection.com

 

 

A very warm hallo to all of you once again.

We are now in the middle of our Winter season with freezing cold temperatures in the night. The days , however, are still clear and warm and very comfortable. Although it takes a lot of guts to get up at five thirty in the morning to go out on game drive, it is always worth your while as game viewing is at its best this time of the year. The grass has thinned out a bit and makes it much easier to spot the animals. The bush has now turned from green to gold. Most of the intimidating insects and scary reptiles of summer have disappeared. No flies and moths are bugging us at the lunch and dinner table any more. No ants are patrolling the kitchen door and most snakes and spiders have also gone to bed for the rest of the cold season.

Some of the smaller water holes have dried out by now, which forces the animals to frequent the bigger dams and come to fresh bore hole water at the lodge. We love to drive out to Tlau dam in the afternoons and just sit there and wait for someone to come and drink. Just yesterday we were spoilt by spotting elephants, rhino and buffalo at the dam in quick succession and then, as we were about to leave, to our great excitement, a leopard carefully made his way to the water, right in front of the vehicle!

Seeing a leopard in the wild is always a breathtaking sight. It is just the most beautiful animal on earth and one does not often get the chance to watch them for a long time as they are very aware of the vehicle and usually move away as quickly as possible. When you are sitting dead quietly in a parked vehicle and they approach you, it is awesome and you can consider it one of your lucky days!

We are of course not only interested in the big five and their friends and are always on the lookout for the smaller, interesting creatures as well. The rangers are extremely good at spotting things like little bush babies and even chameleons with their spotlights at night on their way back from the game drive. Sometimes they will bring the chameleon back to the lodge to give the kids a chance to study them better in the day time after which they set them free again.

The flap neck chameleon, as seen in this picture, while awake, resting and unstressed, is usually an emerald green colour. However, this species is renowned for its ability to change colour, varying from almost black when stressed, through to all shades of green, yellow and brown. The body becomes a washed out whitish green or yellow while the animal is asleep, making them easy to find with a spotlight. Most lizards are capable of focusing each of their eyes on a different object simultaneously, but chameleons have mastered this. Each eye can scan almost 180 degrees. They have much more acute vision than humans. They feed on grasshoppers, beetles, flies and butterflies, snaring them with their long, sticky tongue which equals their body in length when fully extended.

 

Back to the bigger species. We are very sad to announce that we have lost a lot of the highly endangered wild dogs that have been doing so well in our Game Reserve. The lions have killed three of the Collection Pack, which previously consisted of seven dogs, in a huge fight. They also injured the female, who just had her cubs, in such a bad way that all her milk dried up resulting in all of the cubs dying. It is such a huge pity as we were hoping that the pack of seven would now be the pack of seventeen! Unfortunately, the pack now only consists of two healthy dogs and one fighting for her life.

At least the two dogs, luckily one male and one female, are still coping well and catching enough food for themselves without any problems. We will certainly have to intervene once again and try to get some new blood into the reserve soon in order for them to form a full pack again. The good news, on the other hand, is that two groups of lions have added some cubs to their families. The Dipelo female had three babies who are now ten weeks old. They are just too cute and a high priority for our tick list on game drives at the moment.

We have also heard that the Mica pride was spotted with three new born cubs. Unfortunately we do not have pictures of them yet, but will certainly show them to you as soon as we can!.

Just a quick reminder!

November 29 is Birding Day. This is a VERY exciting day for all professional and non professional birders all over the world. Birding day lasts 24 hours and the objective is to see how many species a team of three or four people can positively identify within a 50-kilometre radius. A birder may also tick a bird if he only heard it and could identify it by sound. As you all know by now, we have very highly qualified guides at Tuningi who even know their LBJ’s (little brown jobs) by name. We would really like to put two teams out into Madikwe from Tuningi on Big Birding Day. If you would like to come and join in the fun, phone SA 011 805 9995 and book your place on the team. Make a weekend of it and bring the family along. We would love to meet you all and need your expertise!

We are seeing a lot of the crimson breasted shrikes at the moment., they are any bird lovers dream! The lilac breasted roller may be a common sighting, but still remains one of the most beautiful birds out there.

Remember to pack your Winter gear if you are on your way to us this month! We will warm you up with the wood burning fires at the lodge and a sneaky hot water bottle here and there, but be warned, it is really cold out on game drive! At least there is always hot chocolate available and a port or sherry or two!

Well, we have to say goodbye once again. We hope you have a lovely month of July until we chat again

Kindest regards
The T-team

 

P.S. We are having trouble with scanning the kids art this month . Instead we are showing you some of our favorite ‘Kids on safari at Tuningi’ photos of the past year.

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