|
2007 Game sightings
January 2007
Peak of the rainy season with hot and humid days. The vegetation is lush with flowers in bloom and fruit on certain the trees. Many nursery herds and lots of predator activity. Buffalo and elephant sightings every 2 to 3 days along the riverfront. Rhino seen four times during the month. Hyaena sightings on the 4th, 14th, 19th, 21st and 26th. Hippos, crocodiles, impala and waterbuck seen everyday and kudu seen every week. Sightings of bushbuck, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, baboons and vervet monkeys were reported throughout January
February 2007
Weatherwise February is very much like January. Animals disperse to new grazing grounds and the river levels continue to be high. The viewing highlights for February were the cheetah with two cubs on the 5th, wild dogs and hyena also on the 5th and a leopard on the 10th. In addition hyena were seen on the 14th and 21st. On the 11th a hippo gave birth opposite chalet 84. Buffalo were reported on 12 separate occasions throughout February and elephant visited the river 9 times between the 3rd and the 26th. White rhino were seen twice on the 9th and 16th. Other game seen during February included wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, kudu, warthog, bushbuck, impala, waterbuck, baboons, vervet monkeys, crocodiles and hippos.
March
The viewing highlights for March included the lion kill of an impala on the floodplain on the 6th and the sightings of Hyaena on 8th,13th, 20th, 25th and 31st . Buffalo were reported on 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 29th and 30th and elephants were seen almost as frequently. Rhino were seen on 3rd, 8th, 10th, 11th, 20th and 24th. Other sightings during March included wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, bushbuck, impala, hippos, crocodiles, baboons and vervets.
April
No Big Cat sightings were reported during April. Hyaena were only seen on the 5th and the 19th. Buffalo seen on 18 separate occasions throughout the month, elephant on 11 separate occasions and white rhino on five separate occasions. The balance of game sightings reported was very similar to those of March.
June
The viewing highlight for June occurred on the 18th when a crocodile caught an impala in the river upstream from the restaurant deck. Lions were only reported once (on the 25th ) but hyaena were seen 7 times throughout the month. Rhino were seen twice, on the 9th and 27th. Elephants visited the riverfront 8 times mostly during the latter half of the month. Buffalo were seen 18 times equating to more or less four times each week during June. Hippos and crocs were seen daily as were the more common antelope species such as impala and waterbuck. Other sightings reported included giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, kudu, bushbuck and warthog. Baboons and vervet monkeys were also seen on a couple of occasions.
July
Carnivore sightings included lions on the 2nd and hyaenas on 6 occasions throughout the month. Rhino were seen on the 9th , 12th and 23rd . Elephants visited the riverfront 12 times throughout the month and buffalo were seen on 15 different days. Hippos and crocs were seen daily as were the more common antelope species such as impala and waterbuck. Kudu sightings were more frequent than during June being reported along the riverfront on 12 occasions throughout July. Other sightings included giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, bushbuck, warthog, baboons and vervet monkeys.
August
The viewing highlight for August was the excellent sighting of two leopards in the reed bed directly in front of the restaurant deck one evening during the second week of August. Elephants and buffalo visited the riverfront regularly throughout the month. The frequency of rhino sightings increased to seven times throughout August. Bushbuck and zebra sightings also increased during August. Increased visitation to the riverfront reflects the increased demand for sustenance provided by the riverine environment during the dry season. As for the rest it was business as usual along the riverfront.
September
September was a bumper month for lion sightings (5th, 13th, 15th, 24th, 25th, 28th). Hyaena were seen more or less around the same dates (2nd, 8th, 23rd, 24th, 28th). Elephants were reported 11 times throughout the month and buffalo were seen a staggering 19 times between the 1st and the 28th. Kudu were reported 11 times and giraffe were seen 8 times throughout the month. The frequency of rhino sightings increased to nine times throughout September. Bushbuck, baboons, vervets, zebra, wildebeest and warthogs were reported a couple of times during September whilst impala, waterbuck, hippos and crocodiles were seen every day.
October
There was only one reported lion sighting (30th ) during October. Hyaena were seen with more-or-less the same frequency as the previous month (6th, 9th, 15th, 24th & 28th). Elephants were seen along the riverfront on 7 separate occasions between the 2nd and 26th and buffalo 13 times between the 2nd and 20th. Rhino sightings were reported nine times (5th, 10th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 29th, 30th & 31st ) which was the same frequency as in September. The frequency of kudu and giraffe sightings was the same as for the previous month. Other game that visited the riverfront during October included warthog, bushbuck, zebra, impala, waterbuck, baboons and vervet monkeys. Hippos and crocs were seen every day.
December
Once again no big cat sightings reported during December. However, hyaena continued to be seen on a number of occasions throughout the month. December was a bumper rhino sighting month with reports of sightings on the 4th, 10th, 18th and everyday between the 25th to 30th. Once again buffalo were seen almost daily and elephants were reported on the riverfront almost every third day throughout the month. As for the rest it was more or less as for the previous month.
|
