WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAGRUMETI,TANZANIA

ForthemonthofMay,TwoThousandandSixteen

Mayhasbeenawetmonth,withushavingathunderstormalmosteveryafternoon.Aseachdaystretchedoutonecouldfeelthehumidityriseandthecloudsbuildup,whichculminatedinafternoonthunderstormandrainshowers.Withalltherainwehavehadthebushislookingbeautifullylushandgreen.Thisalsomadeforsomechallenginggameviewingasthegrassisextremelytall,allowingtheanimalsplentyofopportunitytotakecover.Thegreatmigrationarrives:Asthemonthdrewtoaclosewewereallanticipatingthearrivalofthegreatmigrationandthewildebeestdidnotdisappoint.Onthe19thwehadthefirstvisualofthemigrationenteringourconcessiononourfar

easternboundaryintheIkorongoGameReserve.Sincethenwehavehadasteadystreamtraversingthroughourconcession.Thisabundanceofplainsgamehasallowedthelargerpredatorstheopportunityofwatchingtheirfoodcometothem...

PhotobyJoeKibwe

PhotosbyMarkNicholson

PhotobyJoeKibwe

PhotobyAdasAnthony

PhotobyAdasAnthony

Lions

Yetanothergreatmonthforlionsightings!Wehavealionesswithfourcubsthatwehavebeenseeingonaregularbasis,whichalltheguestshaveravedabout.Beforethearrivalofthemigrationthemajorityofourprideshadmovedout

towardstheNyasaroriRidgeandRangersPostarea,asthisiswherethemajorityofourresidentherbivoreshavemovedto.

PhotobyMarkNicholson

CheetahWehaveseveralmothercheetahsandcubsthroughoutourconcession.WehavebeenseeingamotherandthreecubsregularlyaroundKoroyaHillasthereisagoodnumberofimpalaandgazelleinthisarea.Thecubsareaboutthreemonthsoldnowandthefamilywasseenmultipletimesoverthemonth.

(PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha)

PhotosbyJoeKibwe

LeopardsOurleopardsightingshavebeenconsistentthroughoutthemonth.AmotherandasinglecubhavebeenseenonthesouthernsideoftheGrumetiRiver,closetoGermanBridge.AnothermotherandtwocubshavebeenseeninandaroundColobusCrossing.WehavealsoseenvariousleopardsalongtheRahoDrainage.

PhotobyMarkNicholson

PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha

WilddogsThedogshavemadeafewappearancesthismonth,allofthembeingalongtheNyasaroriRidgeareaandRahoDrainage.Severalofourguideshavebeenfortunatetoseethemhuntingandkillingvariousantelopespecies.Wereceivedinformationfromthenationalparkthattheyhavestartedtodenapproximately1kmfromtheenclosurewherethealphapairarecurrentlyraisingalitterofpups.

PhotobyAnthonyNyambachaRhino'BigJohn'ashehasaffectionatelybecomeknown,hasbeguntobemorecomfortableleavingthesafetyofhisoriginalenclosureareaandhasbeenspendingalotmoretimeroamingaroundthebomafence,tobothguestandguides’delight.HewasspottedatleasteighttimesinMaybrowsingontheleafyfoliageoftheboma,andgivinglittleattentiontosafarivehiclesastheystopandviewhiminamazement.WehavealsoheardrumoursfromtheSingitaGrumetiFundteamthatheandLaikipiahavebeenspendinglotsofqualitytimetogether.Fingerscrossedthatthisfriendshipblossomsintosomethingmore.

PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha.

HipposurpriseThehippopopulationatSasakwaDamhasexperiencedaratherslowgrowthratesincetheSingitaGrumeticoncessionwasacquiredandconservationworkbeganin2002.Abigbullhippofirstarrivedatthedamaround2008,andhasremainedthedam’sprimaryresidenteversince.Somemonthsafterthebigbull’sarrivalhewasjoinedbytwofemales,andthethreeoccupiedthedamforabouttwoyears.In2010,Grumetiexperiencedaparticularlyrainy,rainyseason.IntensefloodingcausedtheSasakwaDamwalltocollapse,andallofthewatercameflowingoutemptyingthedam.Withthewaterwentthehippos.Thedamwasswiftlyrepaired,andthebullhipposoonreturned,butthetwofemaleswerenotwithhim.Forthreeyearsthebigbullwasthesolitaryoccupantofthedam.Then,inmid2013,twofemalesappearedatthedam.Someeightmonthslater,atinybabyhippowasborn,bringingthedam’spopulationuptofour.Thissoonturnedbacktothreewhenthefemalewithoutacalf,left.

PhotobyAdasAnthonyThen,thisMay,wewereblownawaywithsurprisewhensevenhipposwereseenatthedam.Fournewhippos,twofemales,asub-adultmale,andonesix-month-oldcalf,hadjoinedthethreeresidentsatSasakwaDam.Theyremainedatthedamthroughoutthemonthandwehopetheycontinuetostay.WeareexcitedtoseewhatthenextchapterholdsfortheSasakwaDamhippos.

SurvivalinterventionThefourlioncubsfirstseenontheSasakwaPlainsclosetothemainroadinAprilarestillaroundandthingsseemtobegoingwell,butforamomentthere,theirwell-beingwasuncertain.Atthebeginningofthemonth,thefourcubsandtheirmotherwereseen,butthemotherwasnotingoodcondition.Shehadclearlybeeninaveryintensefightwithanotherlionandshehadadeepwoundinherbackleftthigh,deepscratchesonherbackandfrontleftshoulder,andoneofherleftclawswaspartiallyseveredfromherpaw.

Thelioness'conditionwasquicklyreportedtotheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationmanagementteam.Theteamandafewoftheguides,withthelocalvetintow,soonrelocatedthelioness.Thevetwasabletoeasilydartherwithatranquilizergun,andonceshehadsuccumbedtothetranquilizer,soongottowork.Asarule,theconservationteamdoesnotusuallytreatanimalsthatsustainnaturallyoccurringwounds.Theonlyexceptiontothisruleiswhenanendangeredanimal,likethislioness,isinvolved.Theteamcleanedherwoundsandsprayedthemwithastronghealingspray,whichassistsinrapidrecoveryofthewoundsbybothdisinfectinganddrying.Thesprayalsocontainsanelementthatkeepsfliesandotherbugsawayfromthewound.Theyalsogaveherinjectionsofantibiotics.Oncealloftheworkwasdone,theyplacedthelionessinaniceshadyspot,astheyknewshewouldbequitegroggyoncethetranquilizerworeoff,andwouldstayinthesamespotforawhile.Onceshewasintheshade,thevetinjectedthelionesswiththeantidotetothetranquilizer.Thelionessremainedinthatspotfortherestoftheday,dozingandsleepingoffthedrugs.

Luckily,thelionesshadlefthercubsattheirdenningspot,sotheteamwasabletoavoidthecubsbeingputundertheunnecessarystressofseeingtheirmotherinthissituation.Overtheremainderofthemonth,themotherwasseenwithhercubs,herwoundshealingandmakingpositiveprogressdaily.BytheendofMayshewasalmostfullyrecovered,andhercubsarehealthyandwell.

WeareverythankfulforthesupportoftheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationteamforalloftheirworkinensuringthesuccessfulsurvivalofthisfemaleandhercubs.

ByElizabethHamrickandMarkNicholsonSingitaGrumeti

SerengetiTanzania

ThirtiethofMay2016