18 February - 19 February

  Knowing full well a pack of wild dogs were lying up in the midday heat close to Nkorho, we stayed in the east and bumbled around, biding our time and waiting for the draining heat to abate.
The crepuscular canines most active at dawn and dusk, they made their appearance before 6pm, running down Gowrie Main straight past the Nkorho sign and on to our open area where they lay down and watched our resident herd of wildebeest. They eventually decided it wasn’t worth the energy and headed northward straight on to Torchwood, furry white tails the last thing we saw as they disappeared in the long grass.

Leaving the dogs behind, we stopped at Kudu corner in the hopes they would return for a drink of water before heading into the Kruger Park. Alas, we were not met by dogs, but we did gain great pleasure from visitations by first a lone buffalo bull, then as the sun set, a breeding herd of elephants. Not too shabby I’d say...

  The guests woke this morning a little sad that this would be their last safari before heading off on new adventures untold. So, in true Nkorho fashion we did our utmost to give them a final drive to remember!
First we managed to see a wonderful group of giant odd-toed ungulates, but thereafter we made a beeline for the west where purportedly, Tingana was atop a Maurla and straddling an impala ram in the early morning light.

It certainly was all it was reported to be, out on the edge of Simba open area with golden light almost making Tingana glow, he was still shuffling is kill about, trying to find the most comfortable and safe place to leverage it.

Hanging the impala over the main fork of the Marula, Tingana hopped out the tree, satisfied that his kill was safe. A good thing too, as there were two hyaenas milling about at the base of the tree, waiting for a costly mistake.

Once Tingana had settled in some shade to escape the morning heat, the hyaenas opted to do the same and moved off to the edge of the open area, maybe just a little too far from the kill for as they lay-up, the kill came crashing down, landing on the ground with a loud thud!

Like a lightning bolt Tingana sprang into action, sprinting out of his hidey-hole and grabbing the impala by the throat. With no time to waste he took two great strides and a single giant leap, clasping the trunk of the Marula with talons as sharp as a surgeon’s knives.
In another two bounds he was already in the first fork of the tree, and moments later, high up in the canopy and totally safe from the hyaenas.

What a sighting to behold, I can sincerely say I have never seen such a swift and powerful response. It is this that ensures the health of a great survivor. By his actions Tingana will maintain his health and dexterity and thus, remain king of the west.

  The trip home was no less eventful. First, on Triple M north Karula was found walking down the road. By the time we got there she had already moved off on to Vuyas but no matter, because just a little further down the road was Mvula, the reigning champion of the east.
He wasn’t interested in anything but patrolling his territorial boundaries having come from Double M boundary and walking all the way up Triple M, scent marking and ensuring that no other leopards were encroaching in to his area.

 At one stage he picked up the scent of a female, possibly in oestrus as once he picked up her scent, he exhibited flehmen gesture- a sheepish grin-like curling of the upper lips, exposing the large canines and front teeth, this gesture is commonplace amongst most male mammals when discovering females ready to be mated with.

After three phenomenal walk-bys we left Mvula walking up the road and headed home, a great sending off for the departing guests.