Sightings during the past week have been incredible here at Lion Sands Private Game Reserve. These included five different leopards on a single safari drive, the Charleston Pride males attempting to hunt a lone buffalo bull and elephant herds for all sizes. Yet, one rare sighting tops them all.

During the last couple of days we have been privileged enough to witness two large herds of buffalo moving through Lion Sands. The one herd was estimated at over 300 and the other over 500 individuals. Lone males or bachelor herds are more common on the property, which made these a sighting a sighting to remember. As if this wasn’t enough, there was a young male leopard following the larger herd. He had his eyes on a young calf at the back of the herd, but with so many eyes and sharp horns around, he never risked an attack.

Large breeding herds can reach up to 1500 individuals, rarely more and with so many buffalo, the herd has to constantly keep on the move in search of good grazing and fresh water. As a result, the old, sick and weak individuals often fall behind until eventually losing their herd. Old bulls that were previously with the herd will often form small groups known as bachelor herds. The bachelors normally settle down into smaller areas that have sufficient water and grazing to survive on and will often rejoin the breeding herds for short periods as they pass through.

Photographs By: D.J MALAN, Lion Sands Field Ranger