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WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAGRUMETI,TANZANIA
ForthemonthofMay,TwoThousandandSixteen
Mayhasbeenawetmonth,withushavingathunderstormalmosteveryafternoon.Aseachdaystretchedoutonecouldfeelthehumidityriseandthecloudsbuildup,whichculminatedinafternoonthunderstormandrainshowers.Withalltherainwehavehadthebushislookingbeautifullylushandgreen.Thisalsomadeforsomechallenginggameviewingasthegrassisextremelytall,allowingtheanimalsplentyofopportunitytotakecover.Thegreatmigrationarrives:Asthemonthdrewtoaclosewewereallanticipatingthearrivalofthegreatmigrationandthewildebeestdidnotdisappoint.Onthe19thwehadthefirstvisualofthemigrationenteringourconcessiononourfar
easternboundaryintheIkorongoGameReserve.Sincethenwehavehadasteadystreamtraversingthroughourconcession.Thisabundanceofplainsgamehasallowedthelargerpredatorstheopportunityofwatchingtheirfoodcometothem...
PhotobyJoeKibwe
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PhotosbyMarkNicholson
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PhotobyJoeKibwe
PhotobyAdasAnthony
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PhotobyAdasAnthony
Lions
Yetanothergreatmonthforlionsightings!Wehavealionesswithfourcubsthatwehavebeenseeingonaregularbasis,whichalltheguestshaveravedabout.Beforethearrivalofthemigrationthemajorityofourprideshadmovedout
towardstheNyasaroriRidgeandRangersPostarea,asthisiswherethemajorityofourresidentherbivoreshavemovedto.
PhotobyMarkNicholson
CheetahWehaveseveralmothercheetahsandcubsthroughoutourconcession.WehavebeenseeingamotherandthreecubsregularlyaroundKoroyaHillasthereisagoodnumberofimpalaandgazelleinthisarea.Thecubsareaboutthreemonthsoldnowandthefamilywasseenmultipletimesoverthemonth.
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(PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha)
PhotosbyJoeKibwe
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LeopardsOurleopardsightingshavebeenconsistentthroughoutthemonth.AmotherandasinglecubhavebeenseenonthesouthernsideoftheGrumetiRiver,closetoGermanBridge.AnothermotherandtwocubshavebeenseeninandaroundColobusCrossing.WehavealsoseenvariousleopardsalongtheRahoDrainage.
PhotobyMarkNicholson
PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha
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WilddogsThedogshavemadeafewappearancesthismonth,allofthembeingalongtheNyasaroriRidgeareaandRahoDrainage.Severalofourguideshavebeenfortunatetoseethemhuntingandkillingvariousantelopespecies.Wereceivedinformationfromthenationalparkthattheyhavestartedtodenapproximately1kmfromtheenclosurewherethealphapairarecurrentlyraisingalitterofpups.
PhotobyAnthonyNyambachaRhino'BigJohn'ashehasaffectionatelybecomeknown,hasbeguntobemorecomfortableleavingthesafetyofhisoriginalenclosureareaandhasbeenspendingalotmoretimeroamingaroundthebomafence,tobothguestandguides’delight.HewasspottedatleasteighttimesinMaybrowsingontheleafyfoliageoftheboma,andgivinglittleattentiontosafarivehiclesastheystopandviewhiminamazement.WehavealsoheardrumoursfromtheSingitaGrumetiFundteamthatheandLaikipiahavebeenspendinglotsofqualitytimetogether.Fingerscrossedthatthisfriendshipblossomsintosomethingmore.
PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha.
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HipposurpriseThehippopopulationatSasakwaDamhasexperiencedaratherslowgrowthratesincetheSingitaGrumeticoncessionwasacquiredandconservationworkbeganin2002.Abigbullhippofirstarrivedatthedamaround2008,andhasremainedthedam’sprimaryresidenteversince.Somemonthsafterthebigbull’sarrivalhewasjoinedbytwofemales,andthethreeoccupiedthedamforabouttwoyears.In2010,Grumetiexperiencedaparticularlyrainy,rainyseason.IntensefloodingcausedtheSasakwaDamwalltocollapse,andallofthewatercameflowingoutemptyingthedam.Withthewaterwentthehippos.Thedamwasswiftlyrepaired,andthebullhipposoonreturned,butthetwofemaleswerenotwithhim.Forthreeyearsthebigbullwasthesolitaryoccupantofthedam.Then,inmid2013,twofemalesappearedatthedam.Someeightmonthslater,atinybabyhippowasborn,bringingthedam’spopulationuptofour.Thissoonturnedbacktothreewhenthefemalewithoutacalf,left.
PhotobyAdasAnthonyThen,thisMay,wewereblownawaywithsurprisewhensevenhipposwereseenatthedam.Fournewhippos,twofemales,asub-adultmale,andonesix-month-oldcalf,hadjoinedthethreeresidentsatSasakwaDam.Theyremainedatthedamthroughoutthemonthandwehopetheycontinuetostay.WeareexcitedtoseewhatthenextchapterholdsfortheSasakwaDamhippos.
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SurvivalinterventionThefourlioncubsfirstseenontheSasakwaPlainsclosetothemainroadinAprilarestillaroundandthingsseemtobegoingwell,butforamomentthere,theirwell-beingwasuncertain.Atthebeginningofthemonth,thefourcubsandtheirmotherwereseen,butthemotherwasnotingoodcondition.Shehadclearlybeeninaveryintensefightwithanotherlionandshehadadeepwoundinherbackleftthigh,deepscratchesonherbackandfrontleftshoulder,andoneofherleftclawswaspartiallyseveredfromherpaw.
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Thelioness'conditionwasquicklyreportedtotheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationmanagementteam.Theteamandafewoftheguides,withthelocalvetintow,soonrelocatedthelioness.Thevetwasabletoeasilydartherwithatranquilizergun,andonceshehadsuccumbedtothetranquilizer,soongottowork.Asarule,theconservationteamdoesnotusuallytreatanimalsthatsustainnaturallyoccurringwounds.Theonlyexceptiontothisruleiswhenanendangeredanimal,likethislioness,isinvolved.Theteamcleanedherwoundsandsprayedthemwithastronghealingspray,whichassistsinrapidrecoveryofthewoundsbybothdisinfectinganddrying.Thesprayalsocontainsanelementthatkeepsfliesandotherbugsawayfromthewound.Theyalsogaveherinjectionsofantibiotics.Oncealloftheworkwasdone,theyplacedthelionessinaniceshadyspot,astheyknewshewouldbequitegroggyoncethetranquilizerworeoff,andwouldstayinthesamespotforawhile.Onceshewasintheshade,thevetinjectedthelionesswiththeantidotetothetranquilizer.Thelionessremainedinthatspotfortherestoftheday,dozingandsleepingoffthedrugs.
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Luckily,thelionesshadlefthercubsattheirdenningspot,sotheteamwasabletoavoidthecubsbeingputundertheunnecessarystressofseeingtheirmotherinthissituation.Overtheremainderofthemonth,themotherwasseenwithhercubs,herwoundshealingandmakingpositiveprogressdaily.BytheendofMayshewasalmostfullyrecovered,andhercubsarehealthyandwell.
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WeareverythankfulforthesupportoftheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationteamforalloftheirworkinensuringthesuccessfulsurvivalofthisfemaleandhercubs.
ByElizabethHamrickandMarkNicholsonSingitaGrumeti
SerengetiTanzania
ThirtiethofMay2016