WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA SABI SAND, SOUTH AFRICA For the month of November, Two Thousand and Seventeen

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1 WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA SABI SAND, SOUTH AFRICA For the month of November, Two Thousand and Seventeen Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 18 C (64 F) For the month: 65 mm Sunrise: 04:59 Average maximum : 31 C (88 F) August 2017 to date: mm Sunset: 18:17 Minimum recorded: 13 C (55 F) Maximum recorded: 38 C (100 F As the year comes to an end it often allows a time to reflect back on what has been achieved and look forward to new goals that will be evident as part of our conservation purpose within Singita. Guiding in a pristine wilderness is incredibly satisfying and we see to it that our conservation ethos is practised daily. After a dry winter and hot introduction to spring, the summer season has finally arrived in all of its glory. Wild flowers, migrant bird species, baby impalas and the onset of good rains have the rivers flowing again. Excitement fills the air with the sound of thunder in the distant hills. Summer is in full swing! Here's a highlights package of the month's sightings: Lions It has been a tough month for trackers, as the lions have been moving consistently with very few periods of staying for a long time in a particular area. There are two attributes that come to mind about why the lions are constantly on the move. One is that the cooler weather conditions we have experienced this summer (generally the overcast rainy days will be considered temperate conditions) have made it suitable for the

2 lions to move during midday. The other reason is that the larger groups of buffalo have been moving in the western section of the Sabi Sand Reserve and the lions have been trailing them. Elephants On some days we have found it difficult to drive very far without stopping on every corner to watch an elephant herd. Yet, on a few days it has been tough to find them and the trackers have been tracking the herd animals to keep up with their movements. This is not an easy task when elephants move over vast distances in search of food and suitable water. Sometimes it seems to transpire that after all the hard work of tracking, we return back to the lodge to find them playing in the Sand River below the lodges! Buffalo A few smaller groups have been viewed in the south, however larger herds have been moving further west and east in search of palatable grass prior to the rainy season. As the season progresses the grasslands will flourish and draw for the larger groups will occur. Leopards The leopards have been moving around significantly. As the lions have been scarce, the leopards have been out to play! The Hlab nkunzi female leopard continues to move in close quarters to Singita Ebony and Singita Boulders lodge, often leaving her young cub within the surrounding areas as she moves out to hunt. This month the young cub has reached his first year in the wild. The Schotia female leopard has been viewed along the river just west of the lodges which is an indicating factor that her territory has shifted since the loss of her female cub. This week there was a sighting of the Hukumuri female leopard that has shown signs of possibly having cubs, due to the very prominent suckle marks, which means exciting times ahead as the females continue to dominate the sightings in the area. Hyenas There have been good sightings of hyenas this month and more so we have been fortunate on a few occasions to report them casually walking past our sundowner stops en-route to their dens or scavenging the surrounding areas. It is an interesting encounter and one that reminds us how wild it is out here, even when relaxing as we sip on a cold beverage whilst watching the sun set on the horizon. Wild dogs: Early in the month a sighting of the beta female along with three puppies was recorded, with two hyena moving in close quarters behind the pack. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have confirmed that the three puppies have not survived.

3 Conservation through photography Article by Warrick Davey In this day and age, we are bombarded with media. Photos and videos on Instagram, Facebook, in every news report we read and around every corner we turn. To get an impactful message out to the world is difficult. There are so many people saying so many different things, all wanting their voice to be heard, their message to be received. How do we cut through the clutter and make a difference for what is important to us? The most serious and most talked about situation in conservation at the moment in South Africa, causing widespread concern between conservationists, parks boards and government alike, is rhino poaching. More than rhinos have been lost to poaching the past decade. Three rhino are killed a day in South Africa. Yet it is not the only topic that causes need for concern. Africa's lion population has decreased at an alarming rate over the past 23 years, by over 40%. Animals considered staples of the savannah, such as zebra, elephants and giraffes are also dwindling in numbers, with African parks seeing nearly a 60% drop in the population of many big mammals. For me, and I assume for the majority reading this, Nature is an incredible gift. I grew up going to game reserves, learning about animals and seeing and experiencing them as they are meant to be experienced, as wild animals. I also assume for most of us, having the opportunity to photograph animals in the wild is the ultimate photographic experience. With so many people taking beautiful photos of beautiful animals these days and posting these photos on social media, surely we are having a positive impact on raising awareness for the plight of our animals. Or are we? Is just posting a beautiful photo enough? The question I pose to you is: can we use photography to truly make a difference in conservation? I believe we can. But maybe we just need to be more focused on the message we re putting across. They say a photograph says a thousand words, and this holds true for conservation. Great photographs have the ability to create a deep emotional response in people, as well as portraying messages to the lesseducated that would have been difficult to explain otherwise.

4 Photographs are a necessary and constant element of conservation communications. Conservation photography showcases both the beauty of our planet and its vanishing spirit, and it represents the 'pictorial voice' used by many conservation organisations to further their messages. It creates images that inspire and move people to change behaviours and take action. Even though anyone can take photos, it requires the empathy and sense of urgency necessary to create awe-inspiring images that move people to take the actions that ensure that our wild world persists.

5 Photography has the power to turn public opinion around, to lead a fight against governments, and to pioneer a choice to be aware and take responsibility. The winning image in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 awards was a photograph of a black rhino bull that was poached in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi game reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal. It is a brutal image of a magnificent animal that had his horn hacked off. It is difficult to look at, but it speaks the truth. It is the reality of the situation we are facing and I am sure many people were stirred by this jarring image. Another great example is photographer Nick Brandt. His images are both powerful and inspiring. He has managed to capture the romanticised soul of the African wildlife, and through his photos has shown the people of Africa and the rest of the world, what we are about to lose. He has been hugely successful in raising awareness through his photography and raising funds to combat poaching. His images inspired and motivated me to be here today, to play a role in preserving our beautiful world and to show others how incredible it really is. Brandt's main goal was to record a visually poetic last testament to the wild animals and places in Africa before they are gone at the hands of mankind. He embarked on his ambitious project: a trilogy of books to memorialise the vanishing natural grandeur of East Africa. The photographs start off beautiful and light, full of hope and wonder. Yet they gradually become darker and more despairing, depicting, again, the harsh truth. I am not saying we need to portray disheartenment and death in photography to make a point, but maybe we can be more conscious in the message we are trying to get across. Instead of merely trying to take a pretty picture, let us be conscious of what we could possibly achieve with a photograph that is shown to the world. I believe every one of us has the ability to influence at least a few people through a photo taken. And for every person who starts caring, we are a step closer to saving our natural world. I quite like planet Earth. I want to keep it around for a little while longer. How about you?

6 Conservation at its finest Article by Joffers McCormick All throughout Africa there is poaching that is taking place from the south all the way through to the north. The poaching does not only involve the larger game such as rhino and elephant, but it also includes poaching for meat such as poaching smaller antelope. At Singita this is something that we take very

7 seriously. We have got our anti-poaching units that patrol and ensure the safety of our animals. My guests got to see conservation efforts happening first-hand recently. We had a great morning game drive and as we were on our way back to the lodge we came across a large elephant bull feeding next to a termite mound. Whilst he was standing feeding, the elephant appeared to be resting his foot as they do due to the large body weight they must support. The foot looked a lot larger than normal, so I took a look with my binoculars and to my surprise noticed that there was a piece of wire wrapped around the front left leg. It was a snare. When poachers are trying to catch smaller game, they will place multiple snares in one area to increase the chance of catching something. This elephant bull had unfortunately fallen victim to a snare. The wire was still fresh and had not done any damage to the elephant just yet. I got on the radio to our head guide to inform him of the situation. Straight away he got hold of a vet to come through to remove the snare. The speedy response would ensure the survival of the elephant. We had to follow the elephant for some time waiting for the vet to arrive. Luckily Marc, one of the other guides, came to help us keep sight of the large elephant to ensure we knew its whereabouts throughout. Due to the day being quite hot, the elephant walked down to the river to drink. This is where he would be tranquilised. The vet had arrived and it was now time to head out to save the animal. We got onto the vehicles and headed down into the river; as we went into the river, a large herd of about 30 elephants came down for a drink, so we watched the scene and waited for the bull to come out of the river. The vet saw the elephant and took the opportunity to dart it; after a few minutes the elephant went down and was sleeping. Everyone had a job to do to ensure that it all went smoothly, some to keep the trunk open whilst others were keeping a look out for the elephants in the river while the snare was being removed. We were fortunate enough to be able to touch and take a closer look at the animal. What an amazing experience it was, from feeling the breath at the trunk to feeling the rough skin. This truly was an amazing experience. The elephant then stood up and started to gather himself, waiting for the tranquiliser to wear off. He then moved back to the river and carried on with his daily activities. This was very special to be a part of, as it was Singita s conservation taking place. It is a great privilege to work for a company that is so conservation-focused. The Singita family truly does extend as far as the surrounding wildlife.

8 The most elusive of cats Article by Iska Meyer-Wendecker For the past 20 years Singita has been working with the Panthera Organisation, an institute that researches wild cat species all across the globe. Due to our high density of leopards and lions in the Sabi Sand we have been able to send Panthera a vast amount of data about our larger cat species (leopard, cheetah, and lions) over the years and we therefore proudly contribute towards a deeper awareness of the behaviour and survival needs of these animals. During our winter months this year Panthera joined us at Singita in the Sabi Sand to conduct a more detailed research project, where over 40 motion-sensored cameras we installed across our property, with one of the aims to gain a better understanding of territorial boundaries of our leopards. Over a timeframe of just over a month nearly photos were taken of a vast number of different animal species, including a few that some of us guides had never seen with our own eyes (aardvark, pangolin, Meller s mongoose, melanistic white-tailed mongoose to name a few). But the most significant surprise of all was a handful of pictures taken in the north western part of our traversing area: a large mature male leopard was captured on camera on numerous occasions, without any of us having ever seen him. The consistency of pictures of him in the area means he clearly occupies a large territory here. He has undoubtedly figured out how to hide from our safari vehicles and despite his hefty size is a rather shy individual. Having worked in the Sabi Sand we sometimes forget how elusive these species can be: most of our individuals here are extraordinarily confident and relaxed and we can enjoy

9 prolonged and frequent sightings of them. But for the most part of the world where leopards exist the animals are well known for their secretive behaviour and talent to hide. The results of these photos has brought back a kind of magic towards these animals and a deep desire to perhaps one day get a glimpse of this mysterious male leopard with my own eyes Photographs on location by Ross Couper and Joffers McCormick Singita Ebony and Boulders Lodge Sabi Sand South Africa Thirtieth of November 2017