The Makuleke Contract Park has been alive with the hussle and bussle of the wilderness. Hearing the calls of the Fish Eagle resonating and watching the buffalo wallow in front of Pafuri Camp, along the Luvuvhu river has made for a beautiful April in Pafuri.
LIONS:
The pride of lions consisting of 2 females, 3 cubs and 1 male lion continue to visit Makuleke. The remains of a Buffalo kill where found at the Hutwini Ridges along Luvuvhu East. It was an old female buffalo that the lions had killed. Unfortunately, for them, a large group of hyenas arrived on the seen to steal the kill. The female lions moved off to keep their cubs out of danger.
LEOPARD:
We had great sightings of a female leopard on crooks access road with her 3 cubs. The female had a Nyala kill there. She moved to Nyala pan and made another Nyala kill there. She was only spotted once more in this area and moved back to the crooks access road.
Guests have had amazing sightings of a big male Leopard along Rhino Boma road and Pafuri Main between during their evening game drives.
HYAENA:
The Pafuri hyaena have been very active with a clan of about 18 Hyenas in total. Living around Nwambi link and fever tree forest, with another 7 around Mangala, they are strong at the moment and have killed a Buffalo around the airstrip area.
BUFFALO:
The breeding herds are still here and are occupying mainly the Luvuvhu flood plains with smaller herds around the Hlangaluwi Limpopo flood plains area. Guests have encountered herds of up to 100 buffalo at a time.
ELEPHANT:
There was a definite drop in the population of elephant herds in the area during April, although some beautiful big bulls were seen.
ZEBRA:
Makuleke’s population of zebra is very healthy. The zebra’s in the north are like the impala in the south, plentiful.
GIRAFFE:
With only three giraffe in the Makuleke Contract Park, it has become a special occasion when we do see them. One bull was seen on a morning drive this month, although there was a herd hanging around the pans 1km from the bridge. Hopefully we will get to see more soon.
Content and Images by Zane Du Plooy
