WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE

For the month of November, Two Thousand and Eighteen Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 19,6˚C (67,2˚F) For the month: 38 mm Sunrise: 05:03 Minimum recorded: 15,3˚C (59,5˚F) For the year to date: 465 mm Sunset: 18:21 Average maximum: 32,9˚C (91,2˚F) Maximum recorded: 42,4˚C (108,3˚F) The first thunderstorms have arrived and after the dramatic skies clear we are treated to the most brilliant sunsets. The parched earth drinks thirstily as do leopard tortoises that endured the arid conditions in a state of aestivation. The first of the season’s baby impalas have been born and are an utter delight to watch frolicking about on their stilt-like legs.

Here’s a Sightings Snapshot for November: Lions

• The prides are targeting buffalo and quite a few kills of these formidable bovids have been made this month.

• At the scene of one buffalo kill near a pan we watched as a large male lion, a lioness and a tiny cub of about 3.5 months all waddled to the water, with fat bellies almost dragging on the ground, and drank directly opposite us.

Leopards

• Mavuto tracked a sub-adult male leopard only to find it four paces in front of him, resting in the shade of a mopane tree. We moved to within 10 metres of it and it had no idea or concern that we were there. After 15 minutes of perfect unobstructed viewing we left it to continue its uninterrupted siesta.

• We had excellent spotlight night viewing of two leopards in a marula tree. It was a female and her sub-adult cub relaxing and interacting.

• An afternoon was spent watching a relaxed female sub-adult leopard trying to catch geese and doves, climbing trees and sneaking up on some white rhinos.

Cheetah

• Two cheetah brothers were spotted hunting on the airstrip. They failed to catch an impala and all the noise caused from the hunt drew in three hyenas.

Hyenas

• An interesting sighting was of a hyena being followed closely by a troop of menacing baboons which was rather unusual as it is usually hyenas that are following other predators.

• A highlight was watching two adult hyenas feeding four cubs the afterbirth from impalas that were born in the night.

Elephants

• A delight was seeing a small breeding herd of elephants, including a baby, all bathing and swimming in Sosigi Dam.

• Watching two huge bull elephants drink and mudbath was so special but we also enjoyed watching the birdlife (African jacanas, a three-banded plover and a wood sandpiper) run around the elephants’ feet, taking advantage of the disturbed mud, which in turn provided rich pickings of aquatic delicacies for the little birds.

Rhinos

• There have been plentiful encounters with white rhinos, and sporadic sightings of black rhinos.

• A highlight during a spectacular sunset was of a mother white rhino and her tiny baby having a mudbath and then later, joined by another mother and her calf, coming over to the vehicle with the babies being fascinated by this ‘big creature’ that seems to live in their environment. It was such a special moment to see these innocent animals being so friendly and curious.

Buffalos

• Buffalos abound and, on one occasion during sundowners, we were surrounded by more than 500 buffalos and three elephants.

Wild dogs

• The pack of 14 wild dogs are chasing down the impala lambs with great success.

• After a feeding frenzy we watched the wild dogs resting in the shade, while zebras and impalas stood a few meters away knowing full well that the dogs were not in hunt mode.

Plains game

• There have been good sightings of sable, eland and Lichtenstein hartebeest as well as the more prolific species.

• A highlight was a real close-up with a female kudu that, while feeding on a pushed over tree, just ignored us and fed and walked within a couple of metres of the vehicle, while bathed in great light.

Rare sightings

• A hyena ambling along a track with an adult honey badger leading the way.

• A black mamba at the roadside surrounded by birds and squirrels all alarm calling.

• A cane rat relaxing on the shoreline of the dam. Birds

• Two rare birds seen in November were a Narina trogon and an osprey.

• An interesting sighting was when a bull elephant walked passed the vehicle and touched a mopane tree as it went by, causing a mopane moth to flush. Upon the moth’s exposure it was immediately seized by a fork-tailed drongo. The drongo caught the large moth with its feet, much like an eagle would, instead of using its beak!

Fishing

• We had an avid fly-fisherman with us this month which led to some fantastic sightings. While fly fishing for tigerfish, and landing one, four lionesses were sunning themselves on the bank watching the fly being cast back and forth. We then got even luckier by moving to fish another spot and discovering that we were being watched again, but this time by a beautiful leopard resting in the shade out in the open on the shoreline, completely fascinated with this fly-fishing business!

Some exciting and informative Bush Stories follow, as well as a November Gallery of images.

Our spotted golden girl By Alex Naert The first time we saw this female leopard she was with her mom on an impala kill in the tall grass. She was very small and when her mom left her alone at the carcass to go and drink at the nearby spring, the leopard cub didn't mind us and carried on feeding, completely undisturbed by our presence. Now, we see her on a regular basis, always around the Banyini area. We often see her in broad daylight, sitting on the edge of the open plains under a thick bush, while surveying the scene. On this particular occasion, from very far away, we spotted a herd of buffalo emerging from the mopane forest. As we drove a little bit closer to have a better look at this herd of two or three hundred on their way to the spring, we spotted her. She was as intrigued as we were by this huge herd, kicking up clouds of dust as far as we could see through the forest. As the herd passed by, the sun was getting closer to its zenith and she walked off into the forest, most probably to find a nice patch of shade to spend the rest of the day. Recuperating rhino By Dharmesh Daya In July 2018 a young hook-lipped rhino (hook-lipped is an alternate name for black rhino, and the one I prefer as I think it’s a more accurate description) was seen in the Hwata area. We identified him by his ear notches as an eight-year-old bull that we call Hunzulukani. He was in poor condition and on closer inspection it was evident that he had been in a fight with another hook-lipped rhino, probably a dominant territorial male.

In the years since Hunzulukani left his mother, he would have been very cautious about where he went to feed, drink and rest during the day. Body language would have played an important role in his endeavours to exist without upsetting any territorial male whose path he crossed. Now that he is a mature adult he is driven to establish his own territory that attracts females with which to mate and pass on his genetic lineage to calves. Establishing this requires him to change from being submissive in his approach to more confident. This change of character does not go unnoticed by territorial bulls, and with this change comes conflict. A territorial conflict would have left him in the state that we found him in, in July. Over the past few months we’ve been seeing Hunzulukani on a regular basis near a permanent pan where he is convalescing and recuperating. We’ve seen him so regularly and frequently that we are now at the point where he has become relatively relaxed (for a hook-lipped rhino) around our vehicles. One of the things this species of rhino is notorious for is charging anything they perceive as dangerous, and being charged is a truly intense experience that usually involves a lot of adrenaline, snorting and dust. Hunzulukani’s history and family tree is a great one. His mother, Tendai, was the second hook-lipped rhino to be born on Malilangwe, in January 1999. Tendai has given birth to six calves and Hunzulukani is her third. Tendai’s mother (Hunzulukani’s grandmother) Bangweni is still producing calves at an interval of two years and gave birth to her ninth calf last year! Bangweni likes to roam around the open areas of Banyini and hence is regularly seen by Singita Pamushana guests. We shall be monitoring Hunzulukani closely to see his progress, and so far he seems to be healing well. However, the tendency of hook-lipped rhinos getting into fights often causes severe injuries and death. While this is natural behaviour these animals are critically endangered and we need to do everything in our power not to lose a single one. Finding suitable and safe habitats to relocate above carrying capacity stock is crucial.

Tight Lines – fishing at Singita Pamushana By Tengwe Siabwanda I really enjoy fishing, and have angled myself to be in charge of fishing activities, so here’s an overview of this activity that we enjoy with our guests. The fishing has been really great for the past three months, and the best time to catch is early in the morning from 06:30 to 10:30 or in the afternoon from 15:30 to 18:00. The temperature is high these days and fishing at midday is not comfortable. We set out on our well-equipped and purpose-built pontoon boat, and just as important as all the gear is the cooler box packed with icy refreshments! We have been reeling in Mozambique, three-spot and red-breasted tilapia and we’re catching them on earthworms. Most of the big tilapia are weighing in at more than 2 kg (4,4 lbs) and the biggest has been 2.7 kg (5,9 lbs). The tilapias are all over the dam, especially around the bases of the dead leadwood trees, but I have my favourite spots (a secret I’ll share with you when we’re on the water) where every cast is a fish! They make good eating too.

Tengwe Siabwanda with a tilapia

Loitering about on the bottom of the dam are sharp-toothed catfish, and they can be hard work to get to the side of the boat before they’re scooped up in a net. The biggest thrill of all is given by the tigerfish – and there are plenty of them! To catch them we use lures and fish fillets on hooks. You may be sitting there quietly, enjoying the tranquillity and listening to sounds of nature, birds and hippos, when suddenly the rod, reel and line are almost yanked out of your grip and you strike in reflex! You’re on to a tiger and you’re in for the fight of your life! The largest one we’ve landed has been about 6.8 kg (15 lbs). Fishing is always enjoyable, even if the fish aren’t biting. In the last few weeks a couple of leopards have been sighted drinking or walking along the shoreline whilst we’ve been catching fish. Jenny Hishin with a tigerfish (Photo by David Jojo)

David Jojo drives the pontoon, releases a tilapia and nets a tigerfish.

Mavuto Mukape holds up a bream that weighed in at 2.4 kg. (Photos by Mark Friend)

November Gallery

A herd of buffalo leave a waterhole after drinking, kicking up dust as they go. Following page: A zebra foal and mare, in their exquisite early summer surroundings;

and a backlit white rhino in the golden grasslands.

The grasslands are dry but the first touches of green are beginning to show – it’s the perfect camouflage for the tawny lions.

Written and photographed by Jenny Hishin, unless otherwise indicated

Singita Pamushana Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Zimbabwe Thirtieth of November 2018