WILDLIFEREPORT

SINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWEForthemonthofMay,TwoThousandandSeventeen

Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 13,8˚C(56,8˚F) Forthemonth:25.0mm Sunrise: 06:23 Minimumrecorded: 10,7˚C(51,2˚F) Fortheyeartodate:620mm Sunset: 17:19 Averagemaximum: 26,7˚C(80,0˚F) Maximumrecorded:30,7˚C(87,2˚F) Autumnisreallytakinghertime–IusuallytakegreatdelightinthegoldenleavesoftheKirkiatreesfallinglikeconfettionourweddinganniversaryinmid-April,buttheyonlystartedfallinginmid-Maythisyear.Thelandscapeisstillwashedwithgreen,andtheseasonalpansareonlyjustbeginningtodryout.Wenoticedmovementinonemuddyareaand,oncloserinspection,foundsomesharptoothcatfish(Clariasgariepinus)writhingabout.Catfisharefascinatingcreatures–theyareabletocrawlondrygroundtoescapedryingpools;theycansurviveinshallowmudforlongperiods;they’renocturnalandtheyfeedonliving,aswellasdead,animalmatter.

Here’sourwildlifeoverviewforMayLionsThekingsofthejunglehavebeenseenfrequentlythismonth.Theredoesseemtobesometerritorialfrictionhappeningwithdominantmalelionschasingpotentialrivalsoutoftheirarea.LeopardsLeopardsightingshavebeenfleetingbuthopefullytheywillimprovewhenthegrassislowerinthecomingwintermonths.ElephantsThere’vebeenelephantsseeneveryday,thehighlightsbeingbreedingherdswiththeirbabies.Oneofthesehighlightswaswhenguestsandtheirguidewereparkedinsomeshadeatamudpanandwererewardedwithabout20elephantsandtheirbabiescomingtomudbathinfrontofthem.RhinosExcellentrhinosightings,asalways,ofbothblackandwhiterhinos.Mayisthemonththatrhinoconditionisatitspeakhere,soitiswhenweperformourannualearnotchingexerciseenablingustoidentifyandmonitoreachrhinoonthereserve.HyenasThehyenaclanthatwassoinevidenceinourcentralareasafewmonthsagoisonlyrarelyseennowduetotheinfluxoflionsinthatarea.AprideoflionsthatusedtostaymostlywestoftheChiredziRiversetupcampeastoftheriverwhentheriverwasflowingstronglyduringtherainyseason,andthisforcedthehyenastofindamoresuitableareaawayfromtheirarchenemies.

Buffalos

TheAfricanorCapebuffalohavebeenmakingthemostoftheprolongedgreenseasonandareinsuperbcondition.Therearemanycalvesaboutandlargeherdsofaboutthreehundredhavebeenseenthismonth.CheetahCheetahsaresorareanddifficulttofind,especiallywhenthegrassislong,butdespitethiswehavehadexcellentsightingsofacoalitionoftwomalesthismonth.WilddogsThewilddogpackseemedtodisappearoffourreserveforadayortwo,butthankfullythey’ve

returnedandareshowinginterestinoneoftheirdenningareas.Thepackhad27membersbutnowweareseeingacoregroupofabout18.Thisisgoodnewsasitmeansthatsomemembersmighthavesplinteredofftoformnewpacks.There’sastoryinthisjournalaboutasingledogfoundalonewithanimpalakill…Anawesomesightingthismonthwaswhen18wilddogsconfrontedtwospottedhyenasandanadultbullelephantinmusthwascaughtinthecrossfire!Thedogstriedhardtokeepthehyenasoutoftheirareaofoperationbutthehyenaskeptcomingbacktocheckthattheywerenotmissingoutonanysuccessfulhuntingattempts.Anotherhighlightwaswatchingthepackof18hunt,killanddevouranadultmaleimpala.They

alwaysseemtobeuptosomething–suchasafewdaysagowhenwecameacrossthemalongthesideofaroadwheretheyseemedtobehavingsome‘playtime’withaherdofbuffalobychasingthemabouthalf-heartedlyinwhatappearedtobeagameoftag.Plainsgame

Plainsgameviewingisatitsbestonthesemistymorningswiththeirgoldencoloursasthesleepysunbreaksthrough.Theelandwerewayoffinthedistanceandaresoskittish,butjustlookatthethicknessofthisbull’sneckcomparedtothatofthecows.Bullscanweighalmostatonintheirprime,andthisiscertainlyaprimespecimen.

UnusualsightingsIthoughtIhadn’tnoticedthisbird’snestbeforeandindeedIhadn’tbecauseitwasinfactaswarmofbees!Swarminghappenswhenthequeenbeeleavesthecolonywithalargegroupofworkerbeestobeginanewcolony.Newvirginqueensemergefromtheirqueencellsattheoriginalcolonyandthematingandbreedingcyclestartsafresh.Thephotoontherightisofadecayingpileofelephantdungthatisprovidinggrowingmaterialformanyseedlings,theintactseedsofwhichpassedthroughtheelephant’spoordigestivesystem.Oneofourguidesandhisgueststooktimeouttoexplorealittlerockyoutcropinthemiddleofwhatappearedtobe‘nowhere’,andfoundamedium-sizedclaypotintact,stillsittinginsitusincethedayitwasplacedtherebyourancestorsalongtimeago.Atrulyspecialfind.

BirdsWelovebirdingwithourguests,andthismonthsomeofthespecialswereDickinson’skestrel,Levaillant’scuckooandtheVerreauxeagle.Thesewattledstarlingsbreedincoloniesandhave,likethered-billedquelea,justcompletedabreedingcycle.Fishing&boatcruisesTigerfishhaveprovidedferociousfightsincontrasttoadrenalin-freesundownerboatcruises.

MarkingterritoryWestumbledacrossthesetwomalecheetahthatwerecatchingtheirbreathafteranunsuccessfulhunt.Theyusedafallentreetomarktheirterritory,anditsheighttosurveytheareaforanypotentialdanger.

LeapstoconclusionsAnimpalamakesanenormousleapoveragullytoavoidthepossibledangerofahiddenleopardorcrocodile.Incontrastthischeetahmakesanimbleleapoveramuddypatchtoavoidtheindignityofdirtywetpaws!

EndangeredvulturesendangeredbyanendangeredwilddogIhadjustdrivenintotheparkinglotatthelodgeatabout11amwhenaradiocallcamefromourscoutsthatthey’dseenawilddog(Lycaonpictus)onthecentralopenareas.Furtherquizzingrevealedthatthedogwaslyingdown.NormallyIwouldnotrespondtoafleetingglimpseofawilddoghuntingifI’mfaraway,becausetryingtofollowwilddogsisliketryingtofollowabowlofrubberbouncyballsdroppedonaborderlessbrickfloor.ButIdecidedthiswasworthashot,andspedofftothescene.Wefoundthedoglyingintheshadebeneathabush.Afterwatchingitforawhileafewwhite-backedvultures(Gypsafricanus)startedcirclingabove.Thenmoreandmorecameuntiltheskywasfilledwithacirclingswarmingmassoftheseendangeredavianscavengers.Theystartedlandingnearthewilddogandwewonderedwhatonearthwasgoingon.Thenthedoggotup,walkedafewpacestoaclumpoflonggrassandbeganfeedingonsomething.Itturnedoutthatithadkilledanimpalaallonitsownandwasrestingafterthekill.Idon’tknowifittriedtocallintherestofits27packmembersafterthekill,butitwasunusualthatitwasonitsownandthekillwasmostlyintact.Eithershehadsplinteredfromhernatalpackandwaslookingtoformorjoinanewpack,orhernatalpackweresimplytoofarawaytohearhercontactcallsaftershemadethekill.Butnowthevultureswereapproachingandtheirmarchwasrelentless.Shewouldtryandgulpafewmouthfulsdownbeforechasingsomevulturesaway.Themoreshechasedthegreatertheyencircled.Atonepointsomevulturesgotholdoftheleastdesirablestomachcontentsandthedogchasedthemoff,boundingthroughthegrassatthemandsnappingmouthfulsofair–untilitactuallycaughtavulturebythetailfeathers!Thewilddoghadnointerestinkillingavultureandthehorrifiedbirdtumbledthroughtheairandgrassbeforemakingitsescape.

Thedogfedonabouthalftheimpalabeforethepressurefromthevulturesbecametoomuchanditabandoneditshugemealtoawhite-backedfeastingfrenzy.Queleabreedingseason

Red-billedquelea(Queleaquelea)arethemostabundantbirdonearth,withthetotalpost-breedingpopulationsometimespeakingatanestimated1½billionindividuals.EarlyMaysawthetail-endofabreedingseasonhereattheMalilangweReserve,whereourecologistshavemeasuredbreedingcolonies20km(12mi)longand1km(0.62mi)wide.Coloniescanconsistofmillionsofnests,andover6000nestsinasingletreehavebeencounted.Thereareusuallythreeeggsineachclutch.

Thequeleasbreedingcycleisoneoftheshortestknowninanybird.Incubationtakesnineortendays.Afterthechickshatch,theyarefedwithprotein-richinsectsandlaterseeds.Theyoungbirdsfledgeafterabouttwoweeksinthenest.Previouspage: Queleasarrivingforadrinkfromapan.Top: Aqueleachick,stillwithsomedownyplumage

onitshead,waitstobefedbyaparent.Left: Athornytreefilledwithqueleanests.Above: Queleasalightfromabranch.

ArmedtotheteethThistroopofelephantswalkedawayfromusanddisappearedintothethickets,butthenreappearedandcamedirectlytowardsus.Theone-tuskedmatriarchledherextendedfamilypastusinacalmandorderlymanner.Someofthelittleoneshadn’tmasteredtheirmannersandflappedtheirearsandwavedtheirtrunks,muchtoourdelight.WewereengrossedinthesceneandIenjoyedhowthedappledhigh-contrastlightfellontheirgreyskin.Butthenthescenethroughmycamera’sviewfinderseemedtodarkenandIlookeduptoseeatoweringbull,infullmusth,approach.Hewasthereasonthebreedingherdhadmadetheabruptturnandwalkedbackpastwherewewere.Thematriarchwantedtoleadherfamilyawayfromanytroublehemightcause.Interestinglythebullalsoonlyhadonetusk.Tusksaresimplyelongated,continuouslygrowingfrontteeththatprotrudebeyondthemouth.Bothmaleandfemaleelephantshavethem,andtheystarttogrowinafterbabyelephantslosetheirprimaryteethintheirfirstyearoflife.Butsometimesanelephanthasonlyonetusk,orevennoneatall.Tusklesselephantsarelesslikelytobepoached.So,theyaremorelikelytobreedandpassonthetraitfortusklessness.Forseveraldecadeselephantsintheareasouthofourreservewerepoached,andmostoftheelephantswehaveherearefromthisgenepool.

Bullishbehaviour

Isn’tthisbullwhiterhino(Ceratotheriumsimum)fantastic?Wefoundhimnearawaterholeanditwasclearthathewasinthemoodtoletusknowthatheclaimedsoleownershipofthewatersource.Hewouldtrotaroundinsemi-circlesadvancingonus,andthenmakeoutthathewasgoingtocharge,butbluffingallthewhile.Makingtheprospectofover2000kgs(4500lbs)gallopingtowardyouevenmoreintimidatingwasthefactthathe’drecentlyspentalotoftimesharpeninghishorns.Thisisdonebyrubbingthehornsbackandforthontreesorrocks,sandingthemtoapoint.Arhinousesitshornsformanypurposes.Hopingtoavoidafight,arhinocerosposturesbyloweringitshorntotheground.Ifaphysicalfightisunavoidabletherhinotriestogoreitsopponent.Thehornisusedasanindicatorofastrongmate,solargerhornsaremoredesirable.Thesharphornisalsousefulfordiggingindry,compactsoilsforediblerootsortofindanundergroundwatersupply.Femalerhinocerosesusetheirhornstosteertheiryoungandguidethemuntiltheyarecapableofnavigatingontheirown.Malerhinocerossometimesusetheirhornstomovetheirexcrementintopilesthatdemarcatetheborderoftheirterritory.

MatesforlifeWecameacrossthispairofbateleureagles(Terathopiusecaudatus)earlyonemorningengagedinatenderscene.Theyweregroomingoneanotherinagentlecaringmanner,preeningtheareasaroundeachother’sheadandneckwhereitishardtoreach.Allogroomingisatermusedtodescribesocialgroomingbetweenmembersofthesamespecies,andit’sawaytoreinforcesocialstructures,familylinksorbuildrelationships.Bateleureaglespairforlife,andtheirlifeisalongoneofabout25years.

WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishin,unlessotherwiseindicatedSingitaPamushana

MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe

Thirty-firstofMay2017