Singita Kruger National Park Wildlife Report Nov 2015

Photo by Brian Rode
WILDLIFE REPORT
SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA
For the month of November, Two Thousand and Fifteen
Temperature
Average minimum:
Average maximum:
Minimum recorded:
Maximum recorded:
19.6°C
33°C
15°C
40°C
(67.2°F)
(91.4°F)
(59°F)
(104°F)
Rainfall Recorded
For the period:
27 mm
For the year to date: 183.5 mm
Sunrise & Sunset
Sunrise:
04:57
Sunset:
18:15
On the twenty sixth of November we experienced a spectacular electrical storm. We watched as lightning
struck and set fire to the surrounding grassland. The cover photo was taken at dinnertime, from the lodge.
How's that for Nature putting on a show!
Our wildlife review for the month is as follows:
Buffalo:
The movement of buffalo has remained in an east-west pattern along
the central area of the concession, and a large herd of around five
hundred buffalo regularly cross south over our northern boundary.
We often see other plains game like wildebeest and zebra trailing
behind the herds as they make their daily trip towards the water.
Photo Deirdre Opie
Leopards:
The Mahlangulene female was found in the northern parts of the concession resting in a tree. She had
killed a female impala and unfortunately lost her kill to hyenas as she had left the carcass at the base of a
tree. The Xhikelengane female was seen on a few occasions on our western boundary patrolling her
territory. We also had great views of the Ndlovu male and a few unknown leopards.
Photo by Brian Rode
Cheetahs:
The female cheetah and her four cubs have been the highlight for many of our guests. The cubs are
becoming more adventurous. We spent many hours watching them chasing each other in and around trees.
The cubs still have long fur on their backs that help to camouflage them. The mother had to move her cubs
away from the central depression area where they were spending most of their time, as the Shishangaan
male lions dominated the area for a few days.
Photo by Barry Peiser
Elephants:
After a few millimetres of rain we watched as a breeding herd of twenty-five elephant carefully walked
across the Dumbana rocks. They skilfully sucked up the fresh rainwater that was trapped in the rocky
hollows. After quenching their thirst, the herd moved off into the grassland. On our trips to and from the
airstrip we have seen big bull elephants feeding in the plains.
Photo by Barry Peiser
Lions:
The Shishangaan males have been roaming in the central and northern parts of the concession. They were
seen feeding on a giraffe carcass for a few days and we had great views of them chasing vultures away from
the kill. The Shishangaan females and cubs are spending a lot of time near the diminishing waterholes. The
females and cubs have full bellies and seem to be preying mostly on kudu and waterbuck. They were also
seen trying to steal an impala kill from two leopards. The leopards were trapped in the upper branches of
the tree until the lions lost interest and moved off. Both the Xhirombe pride and the Collared pride were
also seen this month along the northern and eastern boundaries of the concession.
Photo by Brian Rode
Hyenas:
Both the H6 clan and the Nyokene clan were viewed this
month. The cubs at the Nyokene den-site are usually seen
looking out from the entrance to their cave. The H6 clan has
been very active and we have been privileged to watch the
mother hyena suckle her cubs. The older cubs enjoy playing
and chasing each other around the entrance to the den-site
in the late afternoons.
Photo by Brian Rode
Thunderstorms and lightning
Article by Chantelle Venter
A thunderstorm is a series of sudden electrical discharges resulting from certain atmospheric conditions.
These discharges result in sudden flashes of light and trembling sound waves, commonly known as thunder
and lightning. Thunderstorms are associated with convective clouds and are often accompanied by rain or
hail. Droplets of water form as warm air rises upwards, cools and then condenses. If there is enough
instability in the air, the updraft of warm air is rapid and the water vapour will quickly form a
cumulonimbus cloud (large anvil-shaped clouds).
As the warm air continues to rise, the water droplets combine to create larger droplets which freeze to
form ice crystals. As a result of circulating air in the clouds, water freezes on the surface of the droplet or
crystal. Eventually the droplets become too heavy to be supported by the up-draughts of air and they fall as
hail. As hail moves within the cloud it picks up a negative charge by rubbing against smaller positively
charged ice crystals. A negative charge forms at the base of the cloud where the hail collects, while the
lighter ice crystals remain near the top of the cloud and create a positive charge.
The negative charge is attracted to the Earth's surface, other clouds and objects. When the attraction
becomes too strong, the positive and negative charges come together or discharge (known as a lightning
strike or lightning bolt). The rapid expansion and heating of air caused by lightning produces the
accompanying loud clap of thunder.
It is estimated that a lightning strike hits somewhere on the earth's surface approximately forty-four times
every second. Thunderstorms are created by intense heating of the earth's surface and are most common
in areas where the weather is hot and humid. Land masses therefore experience more storms than the
oceans.
Honey badger versus an African rock python
Photos and article by Chantelle Venter
We had just left a large herd of buffalo feeding in the plains and rounded a corner to find sand and dust
flying everywhere. We saw a honey badger (Mellivora capensis) digging vigorously at the base of a dead
leadwood tree (Combretum imberbe). He stopped briefly to sniff the air, and moved around to the opposite
side of the tree to resume digging. To our surprise a large African rock python (Python sebae) shot out of a
hole near the base of the tree to try and escape the claws of the honey badger.
We watched the standoff between these two incredible creatures. The honey badger would try to make his
move to catch the African rock python, only to be faced with the angry reptile's sharp teeth. The African
rock python made a fatal error by trying to climb up a nearby shrub. The honey badger took full advantage
of the python’s mistake, and managed to grab the snake behind the head. It proceeded to drag the large
snake to a nearby shrub. The badger started digging a hole to cover its meal. We decided to call it a day and
leave the honey badger to feed on its catch.
Photos by Chantelle Venter
Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaleo dilepis)
Photo by Barry Peiser and Article by Chantelle Venter
The chameleon has specially adapted feet (zygodactyl) in order to grip branches as well as having
independently movable eyes, allowing them to look in two different directions at once while searching for
insect prey. Each eye can scan almost 180 degrees, with the only blind spots being immediately above and
below the body. The chameleon’s brain switches rapidly between the two different images it receives,
concentrating on each image for a second before moving to the other.
Chameleons are able to change colour by adjusting a special layer of cells (iridophore cells) nestled within
their skin. These adjustments affect how light reflects off their skin.
The flap-necked chameleon is found throughout southern Africa and is one of the most widely distributed
chameleon species occurring in coastal forest, bushveld and grassland savannah. They can be found in
amongst branches of trees and shrubs as well as on the ground when they look for a mate or new feeding
grounds.
Female flap-necked chameleons are generally larger than the males and therefore out-compete them for
favourable hunting grounds. The females usually act aggressively towards the males, but will allow them to
approach during a short mating season.
Besides its natural enemies of snakes and birds, the flap-necked chameleon has man to worry about. It is
one of the most extensively exported chameleon species. It has therefore been listed on Appendix II of the
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and any international trade in this species
is therefore strictly controlled and regulated by annual maximum export quotas. Without proper
monitoring of the effects of harvesting them for the pet trade, the flap-necked chameleon’s population is
at a potential risk of decline.
.
Photo by Barry Peiser
November moments in time
Afternoon elephant viewing
Ammocharis coranica
Photo by Brian Rode
Photo by Barry Peiser
Impala sunset
Photo by Barry Peiser
Articles by Chantelle Venter
Photos by Barry Peiser, Deirdre Opie, Brian Rode & Chantelle Venter
Singita Kruger National Park
South Africa
Thirtieth of November 2015