Mahlathini
Private Game Reserve
Manager’s Newsletter.March 2015
Rainfall forMarch,recorded at office –6mm.
Season to date total - 151mm.
I’m not going to harp on about the drought conditions. It’s just too depressing!
One noticeable observation however, as one moves around the reserve, is how the leaves on many of the tree species are changing into their winter colours already.
I guess the long and the short of it is if this is the start of the 7 year drought cycle, we will have to adapt as best we can.
But just to give an idea to those owners who have not been on the reserve for some time,
Judy from stand 43 sent pictures of her dam, taken last year and this year, at the same times of the month.
Above April 2nd 2014, and below, April 2nd 2015.
The main buzz this month has been the presence of the hyenason the reserve.
Mainly 3, sometimes 4, they roam the full extent of the reserve and have been sighted on numerous occasions, by various people.
They are unafraid of vehicles, or people for that matter, and will approach right up to a vehicle.
Most recently we suspect they took down a zebra foal near to Jim and Carine Fraser’s dam. Story to follow.
Some good photos were sent to me from owners and residents.
From Ann’s veranda.
Up close and personal from Rene at 24.
This one is a Brian Whiting special.
And 1 more, from Ray, at 21.
I think we should get a yearly competition going for the best photographs taken on the reserve.
The Leopards have been very obliging in making their presence known as well.
Ilse reported sightings at her waterhole and Brian managed to get some good photos at his dam.
Taken from Brian’s hide across the dam.
As they say, patience is a virtue.
Early one morning the guys patrolling noticed drag marks across the road from Jim’s dam.
We followed it and found the carcass of a Zebra foal that had been devoured. Only one back leg and some ribs and skin were left.
I decided to set up a camera, thinking we may get some shots of the hyenas and jackal coming in to finish off what was left.
We then backtracked to see what had taken place.
It appeared that 3 hyenas had caught the foal near to Jim’s house. From there they were obviously fighting and jossling with the carcass, and carried it more than 400meters onto stand 3.
No leopard tracks could be found where the young zebra was taken down, or anywhere along the trail, so the following photographs, now lead to some speculation.
This young male leopard was caught on camera about 30 minutes after we had set it up at the carcass.
Had the leopard caught the zebra, which was then taken away by the hyenas, or is the leopard scavenging from the hyena kill?
He is not either of our 2 big males, normally found on the reserve, but a younger animal that has moved in.
I’m hoping this young leopard will become a regular feature at Mahlathini.
Craig Young at Tingala lodge, across the way from us, mentioned seeing this young male in his area.
Just need to be in the right place at the right time, unless you do a Brian Whiting and sit patiently, for hours on end!!
Encounter of a different kind.
Judy and her hubby Peter arrived at their lodge at stand 43 to be greeted by this 2 meter Mozambique spitting cobra.
Luckily he was not aggressive and carried on about his business whilst they watched and photographed him.
Judy always manages to find the snakes when she visits.
Last time it was a huge 2.5 meter mamba.
What else is happening?
Remember Stompie, the elephant without a tail?
He’s back with 3 of his pals and keeping owners entertained when visiting their waterholes.
The Cheetah male has been in and out a few times. He has been targeting the young wildebeest.
The lion pride is still visiting from time to time, when they do their rounds, and pop in for a drink at stand 43 dam.
Their last visit was at the end of March.
During the full moon we had 3 persons enter with dogs on the property in the South Western corner.
They entered under the fence in the one river bed and were checking the warthog burrows at various anthills.
They were unsuccessful in their hunt and exited the reserve at a different point.
This is the first attempted poaching incident that we have encountered on the reserve for some time now.
Reports of poaching from numerous farms and reserves indicate a dramatic increase with this type of poaching.
For those uninformed, Rhino poaching continues at a furious pace, with the Kruger Park still being the hardest hit.
Some good successes against poachers have been recorded, but it’s the old case of catch 10 and another 100 appear.
There have been a couple of house breaking incidents on the plots outside the reserve lately, with no arrests being made.
Some property was recovered.
Further than that it’s been pretty quiet. We just need to continually be vigilant and keep our guard up!