WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE

ForthemonthofSeptember,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 18,2˚C(64,7˚F) Forthemonth:1.4mm Sunrise: 05:30 Minimumrecorded: 13,5˚C(56,3˚F) Fortheyeartodate:402.9mm Sunset: 17:50 Averagemaximum: 33,2˚C(91,7˚F) Maximumrecorded:40,2˚C(104,3˚F) Greetingsfromparadise.Let’scuttothechaseastheweatherhasbeenhotandthegame-viewingiscooking!WildlifeoverviewforSeptemberWilddogsWiththepupsstillquitesmall,wearedelightedtofindthatthepackhasspentthemonthonourreserve,ratherthanheadingsouthtoGonarezhouNationalPark.We’vehadawesomesightingsofthem–suchasall27fightingwithninehyenas;andanotherwatchingthemfeastonanimpalawhilethreehyenashungaroundhopingtostealthekillfromthem.Itwasveryspecialtoobservehowtheadultdogsletthepupsfeedfirstandkepttheopportunistichyenasatbaywithsomewell-placednipsonthescavengers’rearends!

LionsWe’vereallybeenenjoyingseeingtheanticsofacoupleoftheprides’cubs.Themajorityofthesightingscamefromthecoalitionofthreeadultmales–andonafewoccasionstheywererelaxedenough,andguestsbraveenough,toobserveonfoot.Thereweresomekillstoo–oneofthesewaswhenaprideofsixlions(twomalesandfourfemales)werefeedingonabuffalocarcass,withaboutahundredvultureswaitingpatientlyforashare.CheetahCheetahsightingshavebeengood–especiallyoftheoldshort-tailedfemalewhoselife-storywe’vefollowedforsomanyyears.She’sstillahuntingmachineandmadeacoupleofimpalakillsthismonth.Shewasalsoseeninthesameareaastwomalecheetahs.LeopardWiththebushlowanddrywe’vehadsomegoodleopardsightings.Twospecialoneswerewatchingafemaleleopardhuntingagrysbok;andanotherofasleepybigtomcatcurleduplikeacroissant!RhinosItseemstherhinoshavebeenkeepingeachothercompanythismonth,aswe’veseenbigcrashesofthem:tenwhiterhinoswiththreecalves;andthreeblackrhinosbrowsingatajunctionoftracks.Averyinteresting,yetfrighteningsightingwasoftwoblackrhinosfightingatapanforoveranhour.ElephantsLet’sputitthisway–it’sbeenhardtomissseeingatleastoneelephantoneverydrive.

BuffaloOurbestbuffalomomentwasofaherdof400feeding,bellowingandinteractingwitheachother.PlainsgameTheplainsgamehasbeenplentiful,andwe’vehadgoodsightingsoftheusuallyshyandsecretivesablesthismonth.That’sasablebullphotographedonthefrontpage,headingtoawaterhole.

SmallwondersWhilesearching(unsuccessfully)foraserval,wefoundthreecivets,agenetandanelephantshrew!Alovelyencounterwaswith30bandedmongoosesforagingaboutnearourairstrip.RaresightingsTworarecreaturesshowedthemselvesthismonth–anAfricanwildcat,andthenabirder’sultimatetwitch,aPelsfishingowl!PhotohideOurundergroundphotohideisveryproductiveatthistimeofyear.Onegroupofguestsspentafewhoursinthehideandsawabullelephant,twoeland,eightLichtensteinhartebeest,andanAfricanharrierhawk.WalksAgain,becauseofthedry,lowvegetation,it’sagoodtimefordoingbushwalks.Ononeoftheseweenjoyedagoodsightingofsixwhiterhinosandfivebullelephants;onanotherwesawafemalecheetah,hyena,threewhiterhinosandtwobullelephants.Twobraveandintrepidfemaleguestssawthreemalelionswhileonfootandspentsomequalitytimeintheirpresencewhilechattingaboutlionhistoryandbehaviour.BoatcruiseWeencourageallourgueststodoasundownercruise,anditreallyisameditativelyrelaxingwayofspendinganafternoon.Breakingthespellofzenononeoutingweretwoseparateblackrhinosightings,andthreemalelionsrestingontheshore.FishingBrilliantfishingwashadonemid-morningaswetriedourluckonthepredatorytiger-fish,landing12andlosingfarmore.Thetrophyofthedaywasa4kg(8,8lb)fighter!

FlowersThesedefiantbeautieschoosethedriesttimeofyeartobloom,andthatmakesthemextraspecial–notonlytousbuttotheinsectsthatpollinatethemandrelyonthemtoseethemthroughharshtimes.LeopardspottedWesetoffearlyonemorningwiththefirmintentionsoffollowinguponaprideoflionsthathadbeenseenthenightbefore.Itwasjustbeginningtochangefromdarknesstodawn,andinafewmoreminutesthespotlightwouldn’tbeabletopickupreflectionsofpredators’eyes.Butwewerebarelyoutofcampwhenweroundedariverbankandfoundthismaleleopardcurledup,withpawstuckedinandhistailwrappedaroundhim.Ourleopardsightingshereareoftenfleetingflashesoftheseelusivecats,butthismalewasquitecontenttolieashewas,andletusadmirehiminawedsilence.However,thevervetmonkeysfeltdifferently.Unbeknowntothemtheyhadsleptthewholenightinatreewithaleopardatitsbase!Attheinstantthatitbecamelightenoughforthemtospottheleopardbelowtheybeganshrieking,alarmingandhurlingabuseatthepredator.Itwaslikeareallyannoyingalarmclockgoingofftooearly,withnosnoozebuttonplusajammedoffswitch!Afewminuteslatertheleopardcouldtakenomore,andflickedhistail,gotup,turnedaroundandslunkoff.

Whogoesthere?Thetrackingteamhaddevotedhourstotrackingacoalitionofmalelionsinthickmopanewoodland,andoncethey’dspottedthemonfoottheycalledus,hoppedonourvehicleandguidedusintoposition.Butthelionshadmovedoffalittlefromwherethey’dleftthem,andwescoutedaroundtofindthem.Thisisthemomentwhenwedid–youcanseehowthismaleislookingslightlyalarmedandhaslockedhisstareontome.Hesoonsettleddownandrelaxedagain.Canyouspothisbrotherinthebackground?

Overtheedge

ManyofourgravelroadstakeusalongthebanksoftheChiredziRiveranditsdrainagesystem,buttheroadshavetobesetwellbackforerosioncontrol.Asguidesweoftenstopalongtheroadsandwalktotheriverbank’sedgetoseeifthereisanywildlifeactivitybelow.Onbothoftheseoccasionswewerelucky:Thefirstshowsanoldelephantbullwithmassiveivory,eventhoughtheonetuskisbroken.Hewasbackedupbyan‘askari’a‘youngersoldier’wholearnsfromandhelpsprotecthiselder.Thesecondphotoshowsalovelysceneofajourneyofninegiraffecrossingtheriver.It’ssoenjoyabletobeonfoot,onthesafetyofanelevatedbank,andstandquietlywatchingwhatgoesonbelow.

ReflectionsWorldRhinoDaywason22September-althoughitiseveryday,hourandminutehereasweprovidesanctuaryforthesepersecutedanimals.There’ssomethingespeciallypoignantaboutphotographingarhinoanditsreflection…

PhototipsThered-billedquelea(Queleaquelea)istheworld'smostabundantwildbirdspecies,withanestimatedadultbreedingpopulationof1.5billionpairs,andsomeestimatesoftheoverallpopulationhavebeenaslargeas10billion.Red-billedquelealiveandbreedinhugeflockswhichcantakehourstoflypast.Wecameacrossaflocksettlingonsomereeds,andwithtimeonourhandscouldsetupourcamerasontripodsandfindwaysofphotographingthemeffectively.Thisistakenataspeedof1/1250second,andyoucanseehowthislightningspeed‘freezes’theirflightaction.Thisistakenataspeedof1/60second,andyoucanseehowthebirdsinflightareablurwhichgivestheideaofthespeedtheyflyat.

AllatwitterBirdingissucharewardingpastime.Herearethreemomentsfromthemonth:Guineafowlshaveacarefulsundowner.Brown-headedparrotsfindasculpturalperch.Atrioofwattledstarlingsdisturbsomedovesbytakingabath.

SeptembermomentsAteenagehyenaleaveshome,boredwithclanrulesanditspeskyyoungersiblings,andtriestoekeoutamealfromanoldgiraffelegbone.Beforenightfellitboundedhome,fullofasulkyshamefulattitude.Avervetmonkeygivesherselfapedicure.Anelephantreachesgreatheightsinhisquestforthejuiciestleaves.

WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana

MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe

ThirtiethofSeptember2016