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OCTOBER 2023 WILDLIFE REPORT

As the mornings grow warmer, tans deepen, and the pool becomes a constant hub of activity, the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve and Makumu Game Lodge are buzzing with the latest updates. All images in this article were taken by Stefan Breuer, Owner, and Julia Love, Ranger. Wild Dogs: October has undeniably become the month dedicated to wild dogs, and we’ve been exceptionally fortunate to witness their frequent appearances. Our day began just like any other game drive, with a brisk morning breeze and everyone savoring their freshly brewed coffee. Then, an electrifying moment unfolded as we heard the distinctive contact calls of the wild dogs. Soon after, we encountered the adult wild dogs with a freshly caught impala, and before long, the delightful calls of the playful pups reached our ears as they made their way toward us. Leopard: In contrast, the leopards have proven to be quite elusive tricksters. However, when we do manage to locate them, the experience is nothing less than extraordinary. The stunning Shivindzi has graced us with her presence repeatedly. On a fortunate occasion, we had the privilege of observing her in a captivating hunt for an impala. Though her attempt was unsuccessful, witnessing her stealthily maneuvering from one bush to another was truly a remarkable sight. Elephants and Buffalos: Buffalo herds and elephants have been a regular sight at our watering holes, offering us a chance to admire their natural beauty. The buffalo herds move in harmony, while the elephants playfully bathe, showcasing their intelligence and strong bonds within their herds. These moments provide a deeper connection with the ecosystem’s rich biodiversity, inspiring all who witness them. Lions: And, finally, we can’t forget the majestic rulers of the jungle, the River Pride. They’ve been demonstrating their dominance by successfully hunting not one, but two giraffes in just one week. With their bellies full, these lions have been basking in leisure, creating ideal moments for capturing stunning photographs

SEPTEMBER 2023 WILDLIFE REPORT

Summer is here. With temperatures rising to 38’C, our guests enjoy splashing around the swimming pool with a cold beer. What better way to enjoy the endless views at Makumu? Welcome to another update from the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve and Makumu Private Game Lodge, your home away from home. I will cover some of the exciting things we encountered over the last month. All images in this article were taken by Ruan Ferreira, General Manager. Leopard: We did not need to travel too far for our afternoon game drive as our local female leopard, Xivinsi was right in front of the lodge. The guests were even able to view her from their room decks as she was in a tree right next to our water pan with an impala kill in the tree. We drove down there first thing the next morning just to find that she was not there anymore, but two different leopards. Our dominant male, Pale Male, was in the tree finishing off the remains of the kill with a younger female leopard waiting for her chance to eat. Not too far away we finally spotted Xivinsi resting in the grass as she was most likely chased off and had to give up her kill. Lion: This month we have been very fortunate with our river pride lion sightings. We came across two kills. One time a buffalo and the other time an adult giraffe. It was very nice to see the pride rejoin together again after being split up into smaller groups for a while. There were about 20 lions together which is always special to witness. Wild dogs: Finally, the dogs have returned after denning for a couple of months. And they came back with a bang, giving us a once in a lifetim experience. We followed the pack to our Malembeni waterhole where they hunted down and killed an impala right in the centre of the waterhole. They dragged it out so the rest of the pack could jump in and finish the kill. And the cherry on the top was when 9 of the newest pups came to join to feed on the carcass. Buffalo & Elephant: Now at the end of the dry season, our Klaserie River has been an active source of food and water for all general game. Including big herds of elephants and buffalo. One morning there was a big herd of 150+ elephants along the river blocking all the roads. Our guests were not able to pass through the big herd and ended up 30 min late for breakfast. Not a bad roadblock to get caught in.

AUGUST 2023 WILDLIFE REPORT

As stated in previous reports, this year we experienced substantial rainfall that extended into the later months. Even now, the Klaserie River maintains a modest yet picturesque flow, meandering through the reeds and over rocky terrain with its crystal-clear water. This period marks our windy month and the season for controlled fires, a crucial practice when executed correctly. Essentially, it serves as a surface exfoliation, while we remain concerned about the uncontrolled fires beyond the reserve during this dry season with scorching winter days thus far. Fortunately, our game reserve remains unaffected, bearing only a distant smoky haze on the horizon. During this time, we’re treated to absolutely breathtaking sunsets, offering our guests the chance to capture iconic photographs for their bucket lists. From a wildlife perspective, this month has been one for the books. Despite encountering a couple of cold fronts, animal sightings have been abundant. The sparse vegetation has simplified the process of locating and trailing animals. All images in this article were taken by Ruan Ferreira. Leopard: The leopard sightings have been out of this world, all across the traverse and especially around the lodge. The very well known Xivindzi has been giving us epic sightings, and as relaxed as always. She has been using the drainage in front of the lodge to stalk and ambush pray moving towards the lodge pan/watering hole. She has also been moving quite far to the north and west, looking for that beautiful young male that wonders between the windmill pan and malembeni. We have seen them together on two occasions now, so far, no babies or signs of pregnancy as she is now at the age where she could start mating. The male (Nzumba airstrip male) as mentioned above has also been very active and we have seen him moving more east and south, closer to Xivindzi’s area. Only thing is, we have been seeing a new young male wonder between malembeni and the lodge, so it will be interesting to see what will happen here. Lion: Lion sightings have been good and at the same time very on and off. The group of 14 killed a giraffe more south east of the lodge and gave us a very nice sighting for a few days, with some very nice hyena activity in the area. The smaller splinter of 5 moved in, and even though they are related, it got very heated, as strong social bonds have formed within these splinters. The group of 7 have been all over, the larger of the two males, the blonde one has broken away from the group with one female, so hopefully they have been mating, as we did see him show his dominance over her and his brother. His brother with the darker main, sadly got separated from the pride. I think and it is just my opinion. The 2 boys are now men and with no large males to control them, they will be next in line to mate. The two of them will both be attracted to the sexual messages given by the female, from where they will have a GO at one another to establish dominance for mating. Because of their strong social bond, they both broke away from the group, from where the larger male outcompeted the other one and then got separated. I am sure that he will find the rest of the group again as he has been very close the lodge to the lodge for about 3 to 4 days calling/vocalizing for them. Elephant: These big gentle giants have been all over, feeding on the river reeds while standing in the cool flowing water. Also, every single watering hole has been busy with elephants, there are tracks and dung all over the property and they have been destroying the young Knobthorn trees throughout the traverse. We have had some very nice sized herds +/- 50 in a herd, with lots of young ones and then some smaller ones, the young warriors (Askaris) and some very large bulls give us some great sightings and awesome relaxed walk byes, right next to the game viewer. Buffalo: Buffalo sightings have been really good, again and still just dagga boys (bulls). We had a breeding herd once or twice through the area, but they only stick around for a day or so and then move out the area. The buffalo bulls have been very active around the thicker drainage vegetation, up towards the lodge pan and then across the ridge to the river. Hyena: They have been all over, we have not seen the clan together, we do recognize individuals, so they are definitely still around and you see their tracks all over the place. They have been following the leopards around a lot, hoping to get a free meal. They always keep things interesting. Heading into spring soon and looking forward to what’s to come. Thank you for reliving this wonderful experience with us.

July 2023 Wildlife Report

It’s the height of winter meaning we are having very cool mornings and chilly afternoons, we’re fortunate to have relatively warm middays to keep us warm. Along with blankets and a nice fire in the boma. The days are short and chilly, but with the bush thinning out as the leaves fall, we can still find some amazing things this time of the year. A few giraffes appeared to have made their retirement home near the lodge, allowing us to see them close to everyday even from the lodge deck. Zebra, impala, wildebeest, duikers, steenboks all make great use of the waterhole in front of our lodge. This month has been another great one with some incredible sightings. All images in this article were taken by Thomas Veenema. Lion: Makumu hosts a few prides that love to move around the area and can travel quite some distance. We were fortunate enough to encounter a group of 18 casually strolling through the area. We were able to stay with them for some time while they moved from one area to the next. It’s incredible to see a big group like them walk along the road and pass you within a few metres of the vehicle. We were able to see how one female decided where to go, contact calling to let them know its time to move. Slowly but surely the rest of the group would follow her. Some of the teenagers were busy wrestling with each other and play fighting. This is a very important part of their upbringing to explore the limits of their body capabilities and strengthen their bonds with their siblings. Elephants: The photographic bunker that we have on Makumu can be a hit or miss, sitting for hours with little activity can be frustrating. But this time our patience was rewarded, two big bulls walked on to quench their thirst with us. Allowing us to look up at them and really admire their size. This particular day it was nice and warm, so they stayed with us for quite a while. This allowed us to take some beautiful photos watching them drink, rest and interact with each other. Seeing these creatures from a frogs perspective really makes you appreciate the beauty of these magnificent elephants. Leopard: My favourite leopardess was at it again this month. The female, Shivindzi, which has her core territory on the Makumu property had killed an impala and carried it up a tree no more than 300 metres in front of the lodge. She stayed with this kill for close to a week and she allowed us every drive to view her in the most incredible ways. The strength they can muster to carry a kill, close to half their body size, all the way up into a tree is an incredible achievement.

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