PhotobyJoffersMcCormick

WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAKRUGERNATIONALPARK,SOUTHAFRICAForthemonthofFebruary,TwoThousandandSixteen

Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&SunsetAverageminimum: 21°C (69.8°F) Fortheperiod: 11mm Sunrise: 05:30Averagemaximum: 35°C (95°F) Fortheyeartodate: 16mm Sunset: 18:40Minimumrecorded: 12°C (53.6°F)Maximumrecorded: 43°C (109.4°F)Ourwildlifereviewforthemonthisasfollows:

Buffalo:

Aherdofapproximatelyfiftybuffalowereseenfeedingintheeasternregioninmid-February.Asseeninthephoto,theherdleftatrailofdustbehindduetothedryconditions.Therewasalsoasightingofthirteenbuffalobullsinthefarnorthernpartsoftheconcession,andregularviewsoflonebullsonourwesternboundary.PhotobyBarryPeiser

Leopards:TheXinkelenganefemalewasseenonthreeoccasionsthismonth.ShewasfeedingontheremainsofayoungwaterbuckincloseproximitytotheShishangaanpride(whowerefeedingonabuffalocarcass).Fortunatelyshemanagedtoremainunnoticed.Fivedayslater,shewasseenagainandwasfeedingonayoungimpalaonourwesternboundary.WehadasightingoftheNdlovumaleclosetocampstalkingawaterbuck,buthewasunsuccessfulinhisattemptatcatchingtheanimal.Anunknownmaleleopardwasseenonourwesternboundaryanumberoftimes,andtheXikhovafemalealsomadeabriefappearancenearthelodgeentranceroad.

PhotobyJaniLourens

Cheetahs:Wehadamazingsightingsofcheetahsthismonth!Themotherandherfourcubswereseenonfourdifferentoccasionsintheopenareastowardthenorthofourconcession.Acoalitionoftwomalecheetahswasregularlyseeninthesamevicinity.Thecentraldepressionareawaspatrolledbyadifferentfemalecheetahwhohasthreecubs,andwasseenhuntingimpalaintheearlymorning. PhotobyBrianRode

Elephants:Thesightingsrangedfromlonebulls,smallgroupsoffemaleswithyoungandherdsexceedingfortyindividuals.Wehadnumeroussightingsofelephantscomingacrosslionsatthewaterholes.Ononeoccasion,afemaleelephantandheryoungcalfwalkedrightintothemiddleoftheShishangaanprideof18lions,whowererestingintheshadenexttoasmallpan.Thefemaleelephantmanagedtochaseallthepredatorsaway.Shewasfollowedcloselybyhersmallcalf,whowastryingtokeepup.Aftertheelephantshadtheirfillofwater,thepridereturnedtotheshadeasifnothinghadhappened.

PhotobyJoffersMcCormick

Lions:WehadoverfiftydifferentsightingsoflionsinFebruary,withtheShishangaanpridestillbeingdominantovermostofthecentralandsouthernareas.Anunknownprideoftenindividualsventuredoverournorthernboundary,andtheMountainpridefemaleswereseentogetherwiththeShishangaanpridemalesfeedingontheremainsofahippocarcass.

PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

Hyenas: TheCassiaclanwereactivearoundthenorth-westernarea,andwereseenfeedingonahippocarcassforafewdays.Wewatchedtheminteractingwiththevultureswhowerealsofeedingonthecarcass.TheH6clanalternatedden-sitesalongtheH6.Wehaveregularviewsoftheclanwithcubsintheearlyeveningastheycomeoutoftheirdentosocialize.

PhotobyJaniLourensVultures ArticlebyBrianRodeVulturesaresomeofAfrica’smosticonicbirds.Theyarealsoveryimportantbirdsinthattheyplayanecologicalroleincleaninguptheremainsofanimalcarcassesthat,iflefttocontinuerotting,couldleadtodiseasesbeingspread.Unfortunately,vulturenumbersallacrosstheworldareplummeting."Inthe1980stherewereasmanyas80millionwhite-rumpedvultures(Gypsbengalensis)inIndia,whenitwasthemostnumerousspeciesofraptorintheworld.Today,however,itspopulationisonlyinthethousands-thefastestpopulationcollapseofanybirdspeciesinrecordedhistory,includingthedodo.

VulturespreviouslyplayedanimportantroleinpublicsanitationinIndia.Theirdisappearancehasresultedinanexplosionofratsandferaldomesticdogs;thespreadofdiseasesincludinganthrax,rabies,andplague;apublichealthcrisis;andatotalcostofupto34billionUSdollars(asof2015)"–Wikipedia.ThispopulationplummetwasasadirectresultofusinganinsecticidecalledDiclofenaconcattletotryandgetridofticksandexternalparasites.VulturesfeedingoncarcassesofanimalsthathadbeendippedinDiclofenacwerekilledoffrapidly.InAfricathemaincausesofthedeclineinvulturenumbersarehabitatdestruction,lackoffood(duetotherebeingsmallerandsmallerwildareas-inbuilt-upareascarcassesareusuallydisposedofbeforethevulturescangettothem),useofvulturebodypartsintraditionalmedicineandspellsandrecentlythekillingofvulturesbypoachers.Whenalargeanimalsuchasarhinoorelephantdieslargenumbersofvulturesgathertofeedonthecarcass.Gamewardensandgame-rangersoftennoticethegatheringsofvulturesandinspectthe

causeofthegrouping.Thisenablesthemtofindthepoachedanimalsquickerandtheycanstarttrackingdowntheculpritsmuchfaster.Thepoachershaverealizedthisandhavestartedtopoisonthecarcassesaftertheyhaveremovedthehornsorivory,inordertokilloffthevultures.Thishasledtothedemiseofmanyhundredsofvultures.Inonesuchelephantpoachingincident,neartheCapriviStripinnorthernNamibia,over600individualvulturecarcasseswerefound.Anotherincidentrecentlyoccurredinthe

KrugerNationalParkwhereover100vultureswerefounddead,nearbythepoisonedcarcassofanelephant.Vulturesareslowbreeders,andusuallyonlyhaveonechickatatime,andthereforepopulationsrecoververyslowlyaftercatastropheslikethese.Furthermore,vulturestravelextremelylongdistancesinordertofindfood.ItwasreportedthatayoungCapevulturefittedwithatrackingdeviceinNamibiaflewacrosssixcountriesinsouthernAfricaandcoveredatleast64000kilometres.PoisoningincidentssuchastheonesdescribedabovethereforedonotonlyaffectthelocalpopulationofvulturesbutalsoaffectthevulturepopulationrightacrossAfrica.ApoachingincidentkillingnumerousvulturesinSouthAfricawillthereforealsoaffectthenumbersofvulturesinneighbouringcountries.

FortunatelyhereatSingitaLebomboandSweniwestillseefairlylargenumbersofvultures.Thefivemainspeciesofvulturesthatweseeintheareaare,inorderofsize,lappet-facedvulture(Torgostracheliotos)withawing-spanofupto2.8metres,Capevulture(Gypscoprotheres),white-backedvulture(Gypsafricanus),white-headedvulture(Trigonocepsoccipitalis)andhoodedvulture(Necrosyrtesmonachus).Capevulture-photobyMargauxLeRoux

TheInternationalUnionfortheConservationofNature(IUCN)recentlylistedthewhite-backedvulture,thewhite-headedvultureandthehoodedvultureasCriticallyEndangeredSpecies,whilethelappet-facedvultureandtheCapevulturearelistedasEndangeredSpecies.Duetothedroughtthatwearepresentlyexperiencingintheareatherehavebeenquiteafewmortalitiesofbuffalosandhippos.Thishasgivenussomegreatvultureviewingopportunities.Itisanamazingsighttocomearoundthecornerandfindadeadtreecoveredwithvultures,likespectatorsatamajorsportseventorlikeaChristmastreecoveredindecorations.Uponapproachingtheareatheguestsareoftenover-awedbythehissing,squealing,heaving,squabblingmassofbirdsthatgathertofeedontheselargecarcasses.Atsomeofthecarcasseswehaveliterallyseenhundredsofbirdsfightingtogetsomeofthemeat.Itisoneofthemostamazingsightstoseethesuddendescentofmassesofvulturesontoacarcassandthenthearguingandfightingthatgoesoninordertogetaspacewhereeachcanfeed.Althoughvulturescanflyveryhigh(aRüppell’svulturewasrecordedtohavebeensuckedintoanaircraftengineoffWestAfricaatanaltitudeofmorethan11300metres)andhaveextremelygoodeyesight(itisestimatedthatvultureseyesightisuptoeighttimesbetterthanthatofhumans),theyareoftennotthefirstbirdstoappearatcarcasses.Usuallyitisthelower-flyingraptorsthatsuchastawnyeaglesandbateleursthatdiscoverthedeadanimalsfirst.

Mostvultures,duetotheirlargesizeandheavyweight(lappet-facedvulturescanweighupto13.5kilograms),donotstartflyinguntillaterinthemorningwhenthesunhasalreadyheateduptheearthcausingthermals(hotairpockets)torise,whichaidthevulturesinattainingheightwithouthavingtoexertexcessiveamountsofenergy.Oncethevulturesareintheairtheyarenotonlylookingfordeadanimalstofeedonorpredatorsthattheycanfollow,butrathertheyarewatchingtheothervulturesandbirdsofprey.Lappet-facedvulture-photobyDeirdreOpie

White-backedvultures(themostcommonvulturesinthearea)aremoreintentonwatchingtheanticsofothervulturesthantheyareonsightingakillthemselves.Thefirstvulturetodescendstartsachainreaction:thoseclosesttoitarethefirsttomakeamove,droppingoutoftheskywithamazingspeed,andothersfurtherawayfollowsuit.Severalhundredofthescavengershavebeenrecordeddescendingontoacarcassinlessthananhourandfromdistancesestimatedasfaras35kilometresaway.Theyneedtodropquicklyinordertobeabletocompetewithothervulturesforaspaceatthecarcass.Thiscanleadtosomeheatedarguments...

Hooded,Capeandwhite-backedvultures-photobyBrianRodeItmaylookchaotictotheguests,butthereisahierarchicalsystemoffeedingamongstthedifferentspeciesofvultures.Thehoodedvulturesareoftenthefirsttodescendonakill(duetothefactthattheyaresmallerthantheotherspeciesandcanthereforestartflyingearlierthantheothers).Unfortunatelyforthemtheyhaveaweak,thinbeakthatismoresuitedtopickingupsmallpiecesofmeatthattheothervulturescannotgetto(e.g.themusclesbetweentheribsandininaccessibleplaces).Theythereforeoftenjustmanagetopeckouttheeyesandgetatthesofterpartsofthecarcass.Theythenneedtowaitforeitherthelargevulturessuchasthelappet-facedvulturesorotherscavengerssuchashyenasorjackalstoopenupthecarcass.White-backedvulturesareoftenthenextvulturestoappear,buttheyalsoneedtowaitforthecarcasstobeopenedup(particularlyifitisathick-skinnedanimalsuchasabuffalo,elephant,rhinoorhippo).Theythus,oftenjustperchinthetreeswaitingforthecarcasstobeopened.Thevulturethatismostsuitedtorippingopencarcassesisthelappet-facedvulture.Theyarealsothelargestofthefivespeciesandthereforedominatethecarcass,takingthebestpiecesforthemselves.Thewhite-backedvulturesarethemostnumerous.Theyarefrantic,noisyfeeders,hissingandmobbingoneanothertogettheirshareofthespoils.Theywillfeedinsideacarcass,sheeringmeatfromboneswiththeirpowerfulbills.Themoresolitarywhite-headedvulturegenerallyremainstoonesideofthefeedingactivity,takingbitsofmeatandfeedingsomedistanceaway.Oncethelargervulturesarefinishedfeedingthehoodedvulturesonceagaincometothecarcassandfeedoffthescrapsandsmallerpiecesofmeatthattheothervulturescouldnotgetto.Largenumbersofvulturescanliterallyreduceacarcasstoaskeletoninamatterofminutes.White-headedvulture-photobyBrianRode

Februarymomentsintime

Olivegrasssnakeeatingaplaingrassfrog-photosbyBarryPeiserTheShishangaanpridefemalescaughtamaleSteenbokandfoughtoverwhowasgoingtogetthelion’sshare.

PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

Elephantsunset-photobyJaniLourens

ArticlesbyBrianRodePhotosbyJaniLourens,JoffersMcCormick,MargauxLeRoux,BarryPeiser,DeirdreOpie&BrianRode

SingitaKrugerNationalParkSouthAfrica

Twenty-ninthofFebruary2016