WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE For the month of October, Two Thousand and Fifteen

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1 WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA PAMUSHANA, ZIMBABWE For the month of October, Two Thousand and Fifteen Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 21,1 C (59,1 F) For the month: 3 mm Sunrise: 05:31 Minimum recorded: 18,4 C (48,7 F) For the year to date: 196 mm Sunset: 17:52 Average maximum: 35,1 C (84,0 F) Maximum recorded: 40,7 C (94,2 F) Thank goodness for air-conditioners! October has been boiling hot, and while our guests relax in their cool villas, swim in their private pools and enjoy spa treatments, the animals try to do the same - well, in the shade of a tree, the waterholes and the mud wallows... Once the heat has simmered there's a concentration of activity, and both man and beast congregate at the plains and pans which results in excellent game viewing. Here's an overview of October's wildlife news:

2 Wild dogs: We've still had the pack of wild dogs on the reserve in October, and they're travelling great distances with the pups keeping up. The pups are tearing into fresh kills now, rather than waiting for the adults to regurgitate meat for them. Lions: Guests were lucky enough to have a close and calm view of a lioness with her two cubs resting on the banks of Chiredzi River, in the shade. The signs are good for more cubs to be born in about three and a half month's time because we've seen two pairs of mating lions this month. A kudu gave the whereabouts of a male lion away, when it sounded the alarm and we followed the sound to the vicinity of the lion relaxing under some thick cover. The coalition of three male lions is well, and no doubt sussing out where they can establish a territory. Rhinos: Our rhino sightings are as excellent as ever, and there have been some peaceful close encounters with black rhinos - see the story in this journal. Cheetahs: This mother cheetah and her female cub had sent all the plains game into hiding in the savannah area.

3 Elephants: Unbelievable sightings of big old bulls are to be had at the moment. They arrive at their favourite waterholes regularly each day for drinking, mud and dust bathing, tree rubbing and the inevitable male jousting, bumping and shoving. Buffalo and plains game: Two male cheetahs got a run for their money when nine buffalo bulls chased them away from th e waterhole they were drinking at. Relations were less fractious on another day when some buffalo bulls shared the pan with sable antelope, eland and warthog. Elsewhere there s been a lot of plains game to be seen, the likes of kudu, nyala, waterbuck, sable, Lichtenstein hartebeest and giraffe. Birds: It's such a joy to see the first migrants arrive for summer, and to hear their di stinctive songs. Photo hide: Our photo hide is the place to be when it is hot and dry like this. It is cool and dark and offers some of the best African wildlife photographic opportunities available. See the photo above and the story that follows. Walks: Guests have enjoyed walks along the shady riverbanks, while crocodiles lie basking on the shore and animals rest in the cover. Water safari: A cruise is the best way to end a day or a safari trip. One group were rewarded with an elephant bull drinking, three buffalo bulls lying in the water, pods of hippos snorkelling and a multitude of birds - while they sipped their sundowners.

4 Wild dogs waiting There is no better feeling in the world than following your instinct and finding this scene on a dirt road track. It was very early in the morning and the pups were waiting in the road, with a couple of babysitters, while the rest of the adults were hunting. When one or some of the dogs make a kill they will first make sure the animal is dead, then move off a couple of steps and make a distinctive low 'hoooo' call. This sound travels long distances and is retrieved by the' satellite dish' ears of the others. The waiting pack members mooch around looking bored and hungry, but the second they detect a contact call, or what might have sounded like one, they will move their ears towards it in order to maximise reception. To achieve this, the ears are controlled by at least 18 muscles, which allow them to tilt and rotate, pinpointing the direction it's coming from. In the first photo the sound was coming from just behind us - but it was a false alarm. In the second photo it was coming from deep within the bushveld, and it was the real deal. The dogs charged off leaving us in a cloud of dust, and that was that - that block was too thick to follow them by driving off-road.

5 Some time later in the morning we found them again. They were full and looking for a good area to lie down and sleep off their meal and the heat of the day. Quite often this is in fairly open spots with patches of shade, and even though it's hot they'll curl up next to each other with entangled limbs. Being a member of, and bonded to, a pack is of utmost importance. A-lion-ce

6 We arrived at a large pan only to see churned mud and a cloud of dust blowing away in the far south -western corner. I was a bit disappointed to have missed hundreds of buffalo drinking, but set off to join them on the move. By now it was clear that they were moving quickly - not quite a stampede, but the were keenly moving into the thickets. And then, padding along with that 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' expression was a large male lion. He joined up with another two. These three had obviously chased the herd and missed a kill. We followed them a bit more and they went into hunting formation again. The buffalo were lowing and you could almost taste their distress. One lion raced after them, the other did a half-hearted trot to follow up, and the third barely moved. It was another failed attempt. We could see that they were full and probably not too bothered about hunting anyway. They settled down for their all-important day-long nap, affording us some fantastic photo opportunities. Coalitions are made up of lions that are brothers, half-brothers and cousins. I suspect these may be two direct brothers and an older half-brother or cousin who is not as habituated to human presence. They leave their natal pride some time after they're two years old. Becoming independent can be extremely stressful, as they have to learn how to hunt for themselves; but these three seem to have

7 learnt their lessons well and often kill adult buffalo. Successful coalitions find prides of lionesses and chase away or kill the resident males. They then spend their time mating, siring cubs, defending their territory from other males, and trying to expand their territory to seek out other lionesses in neighbouring territories. Strong coalitions, numbering up to seven lions, can end up us the territorial males of a few different prides of females. If a coalition is deposed, cubs younger than two years old could be killed. This is because the new male/s need to quickly rid the lionesses of their biological investment in another lion's cubs, so that they can mate and pass on their genes to a new generation. Strong coalitions lead to stable lion populations because they can defend their territories long enough to ensure the survival of their cubs. It is for this reason, and a multitude of others, that territorial male lions should never be shot as 'trophy' animals, because their removal from the dynamic perpetuates a death cycle of cubs, young adult males not ready for pride dominance, and defenceless barren lionesses. Curiouser and curiouser

8 I am convinced that the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) is misunderstood or has an unfair reputation. Granted, there are very few things scarier than being on foot and having a black rhino charge you - but when I've experienced this it has (thankfully) never been a charge with the flat-out intention to kill me, but rather to investigate who and what I am. Upon discovery that I'm a mere human the rhino canters off in a huff. I'm sure it is just their tremendous tanklike bulk and sharpened horns that make us so terrified of them. If rhinos came in the disguise of Maltese poodles we'd feel far less intimidated. I've also had the privilege of spending time with a hand-raised calf (due to a complex abandonment situation) and realising just how needy, sensitive, emotional and vocal these creatures are. I've experienced how adult black rhinos calm down very quickly when they are in the confined protected space of a holding pen or boma - more so than white rhinos. I believe they are intelligent sensitive animals that behave in an 'aggressive' manner because their poor eyesight renders them insecure and vulnerable. This handsome bull was having a drink when he saw us. He trotted off and then circled back. Slowly, and with scared yet curious movement, he hid behind a tree, then a bush, circling ever closer, until it was only a little thorn bush that separated us. By talking in soothing tones and letting him know exactly where we were, as peaceful respectful humans, he came right up to the vehicle before calmly walking away. The path to independence We spotted this sub-adult cheetah and her mother drinking, just before dawn, and then followed them as they strode through grassland and mopane areas looking for prey. Nothing much was on offer, so they settled down for a bout of grooming. How wonderful it is to see a bond like this, and to watch without interference or disturbance from a few metres away! This sub-adult is the only survivor out of a litter that probably numbered between three and five, and I'm pleased that she's a female - may she go on to independence and produce many cubs of her own to increase the numbers of this endangered species.

9 Cheetah mothers and cubs make bird-like chirping noises to call to one another when separated. This cub will leave its mother after about 14 to 16 months once she's mastered how to hunt successfully.

10 The cavalry arrives I'm not sure what alerted me to these four enormous elephant bulls heading to the water, for they didn't make a single sound. I was holed up in the photo hide in the heat of the afternoon, and watching a few buffalo bulls wade about and drink. The photo below shows their determined single-minded approach to the pan, the photo in the intro is of them lined up and drinking, and the photo at the bottom of this page is a wide -angle view of the scene incorporating the gap in the hide, just above water level. As you can see two of the bulls have particularly impressive ivory - and we refer to these old males as 'tuskers'. Elephant dentine has a characteristic cross-hatching pattern (also known as Lines of Schreger or engineturnings) that we can use to identify it. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life. Often the most gentle bull elephants have the largest tusks in a population, as they are less likely to break them in a fierce clash.

11 This elephant bull was feeding on some roots, way up in the northern part of the reserve. It's slim pickings now in the dry season, and this resourceful old soul gave us a fascinating and peaceful demonstration of how to dig up a root, wrap it around a foreleg, hold it with his trunk - like a piece of cotton thread, and then strip the nutritious outer later from the root using his tusk. Such nimble dexterity and so remarkable! The court jesters These funny little dassies / rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) gambol and romp around palace Pamushana,

12 and amuse us greatly. (Yes, they are the closest living relatives to elephants!) This one seemed to be giving us a Jamie Oliver-style salad demo. I know I shouldn't, but I'm going to anyway... To me he could've been saying," Select some wicked herbage, chuck away the dry bits, whack it in your gob, and you got yourself a pukka summer salad, mate!" Not such plain game 'Plains game' is a generic term we use for species of large, non-dangerous, antelope typically found on open plains or in savannah habitats. At Singita Pamushana it includes eland, giraffe, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, impala, kudu, sable, wildebeest and zebra. Others that don't quite fit this term because they are found in different habitats would be bushbuck, duiker, grysbok, nyala, steenbok - areas of denser bushveld; klipspringer - rocky areas; plus reedbuck and waterbuck - riverine or swamp habitat. Here and on the following page are a couple of these antelope that you are guaranteed to see on your Zimbabwean safari: A kudu family - the male with an extremely impressive set of corkscrew horns.

13 A male waterbuck. A female giraffe. Idyllic scenes of the darlings of the bushveld - impala.

14 Raptor ratchet system Last month I mentioned the birding highlight being a pair of nesting crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus), and this month, the highlight sighting for me was one of these eagles with a guineafowl kill. I'd been scouting about and as I drove up the riverbank I saw this scene of a crowned eagle plucking a killed guineafowl. I immediately stopped to avoid disturbing it, as it would feel vulnerable being on the ground. It glanced at me, then gripped the bird in its talons very protectively. A standoff resulted, so eventually I reversed quietly down the bank again. I waited a few moments and drove back, and now the eagle was in a tree with its kill, and had resumed ridding it of its feathers, in preparation for eating. The power of an eagle's grip comes from its leg muscles, tendons and bones. The talons are closed by the muscles, anchored on the leg bones, by contracting the tendons. The tendons are contained in tendon sheaths. Both the tendons and tendon sheaths have tiny ridges. When the tendon is contracted the ridges on the tendons and the tendon sheaths interlock, creating a kind of 'ratchet' effect, enabling the eagle to maintain tremendous pressure on the talons without continuously maintaining the tremendous contraction force on the muscle. As a result, a raptor is able to keep its talons closed over long periods of time while subduing relatively large prey. Crowned eagles possess unusually large talons and strong hindlegs, and may kill by crushing a prey item's skull. They prey upon small antelope, dassies, monkeys, birds and lizards. These forest mavericks are considered Africa's most powerful eagles when measured in terms of the weight of their prey items.

15 Flashes of colour If you stop and look very closely (especially if you are on a walk) you'll notice tiny details and flashes of colour here and there - whether it be the red tannin-filled new leaves of a tree or the green berries of a bush or orchid-like flowers. Top to bottom, left to right: Sand potato bush (Phyllanthus pinnatus) Gardenia (Gardenia resiniflua) Xerophyta suaveolens Sand ochna (Ochna barbarosae) Brachystegia glaucescens Flame creeper (Combretum microphyllum) Hibiscus micranthus Green apple (Monodora junodii)

16 Moments in time "Can you touch your nose with your tongue?" a young hyena seems to tease. A white rhino calf is all ears while an oxpecker snoozes on its mother's back.

17 The idyllic scenes from a sundowner cruise. Go a little closer to the rocks and you'll see they're full of life too. Written and photographed by Jenny Hishin, unless otherwise indicated Singita Pamushana Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve Zimbabwe Thirty-first of October 2015