Lion Sands Journals » 2009

Ecologist Report – March 2009

Rainfall and Temperatures

Temperatures have slowly started to decrease with the onset of the autumn months. The average maximum temperature for this month was 30°C / 86°F and the average minimum temperature 20°C / 68°F. The average maximum temperature for March 2009 falls within the range of temperatures that have been experienced during the previous years which gives the indication that temperatures are not increasing. The highest temperature recorded for February was 44°C / 111.2°F and the lowest was 16°C / 60.8°F.

Rainfall

March has been a relatively high rainfall month and this has kept the vegetation looking lush, green and in excellent condition. A total of 110 mm was received during the month, bringing the total rainfall received during this rainfall season to 732.5 mm and the total for 2009 to 371 mm.

Field

Maintenance

Much of the maintenance work undertaken at Lion Sands during March revolved around the repair and rehabilitation of “two-track” which is caused by game viewing vehicles going off-road to give our guests the opportunity to see predators on a kill. Only a few two-track are in need of repair and rehabilitation. Two-track repair and rehabilitation involves chipping the soil crust and adding rhino dung, before brush packing the sight with vegetation. The soil is chipped to allow water to infiltrate the soil while the rhino dung acts as an important seed source of various grass species and the brush packing reduces the impact of raindrops on the soil surface while also reducing herbivory on the sprouting grasses.

Roads

Limited work has been undertaken on road repairs during the month with only a couple of roads receiving repairs. Chalkleys, Ivory Access, Bonsela, Tamboti and 1933 Access required the addition of a couple of mitre drains to facilitate the removal of water from the roads surface as well as to repair potholes. The mitre drains on this section of road were also opened and their associated humps were repaired. These mitre drains and humps are extremely important as they prolong the life of a road and ensure that the surface water is quickly removed from the roads surface which prevents damage to the roads surface.

During April several more roads will undergo routine maintenance, these will include: Tamba, Xidulu, Kasamula, Ingwe and Hammerkop.

Vegetation and Water

The vegetation throughout the Reserve is noticeably drier than the previous month due to the small amount of rainfall received during the month and as a result of the approaching winter season. March this year on average has had less rainfall compared to previous years, a factor facilitating the speedy drying out of the vegetation. However, the rainfall experienced at the end of the month did bring some welcome relief and the vegetation in once again lush and green.

Water levels in the three major pans of the Reserve are still relatively high due to the rainfall received during the beginning of the month. In addition to these several smaller natural pans have been formed throughout the Reserve providing ample water to all the animals on Lion Sands. Water is essential as all of the animals on the Reserve depend on water for their survival either by being directly dependent on water for drinking and pest removal purposes or by being dependent on the animals attracted to the water for their survival.

Animals

Birds

Bird activity has once again been relatively high during the month. Many of the migratory birds have already begun leaving Lion Sands before the approaching winter sets in. We are still fortunate enough to encounter the occasional migrant which includes Eurasian Bee-eaters and Woodland Kingfishers. We have also been really fortunate to see Marabou Storks (Image below) feeding at Warthog Wallow Pan and sunning in the surrounding open areas.

A Marabou Stork perched in a dead tree

Reptiles

March has been a relatively busy month when it comes to reptile sightings, probably as a result of the limited amount of rainfall and the warmer temperatures experienced in the Reserve during the past month. On days when the temperatures have been warmer we have been lucky enough to sight the following species:

Leopard Tortoise (Geochelone pardalis)
Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)
Flap-neck Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
African Rock Python (Python sebae)

Special Sighting

Male Leopard steals Impala Kill …

Our guests were on their early morning game drive which was full of anticipation as one of our Rangers had discovered the tracks of female leopard on Marula Road. The tracks were fresh and easy to follow thanks to the rains received during the previous night. After following the trail we located drag marks. The leopard must have made a kill earlier in the morning and decided that she would take her quarry to a safer location. We followed for a short distance and then located a beautiful female leopard. It was a young female with an Impala kill in the branches of a False Marula Tree.

We all sat in awe as we watched her enjoying her meal. Suddenly something caught her attention, her eyes were fixed in the direction of a noise and so were ours. There was a rustle in the vegetation, then silence, but something was bothering the leopard. She seemed to know of impending danger and grabbed onto her meal as if she knew she might loose it. Before we knew it, a big male leopard appeared out of the bushes and leapt into the tree! He pushed the female leopard off her kill and down the tree whilst he started enjoying the impala.

We could see the female waiting patiently at the base of the tree, she was obviously hoping that she would be able to return to her kill but unfortunately this did not happen and she was forced to leave the area in search of another meal while the male leopard enjoyed hers.

Mammals

Leopard

Leopards have been an illusive quarry during the past month but we still managed to see some incredible sightings of these magnificent cats, from several leopards resting in trees, two of the males mating with several females and the male leopard stealing the impala kill from the female leopard in the tree.

Lion

Lion sightings have once again been incredible over the past month with these majestic creatures being located almost every single day! The Southern Pride is still strong and healthy and consists of the two pride males, five females and the ten cubs aged between 7 and 13 months. The females spend most of their time with the cubs protecting them from other predators and catching prey while the males are seen regularly patrolling their territory and protecting it from rival males who would be a threat to the young cubs.