WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE

ForthemonthofApril,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 18,9˚C(72,6˚F) Forthemonth:35mm Sunrise: 06:13 Minimumrecorded: 14,7˚C(65,1˚F) Fortheyeartodate:383.5mm Sunset: 17:27 Averagemaximum: 30,1˚C(91,9˚F) Maximumrecorded:36,6˚C(103,4˚F) Thegrassisshoulderheightatthemoment,thankstothelateMarchrains,andgameviewingisatitsmostchallenging.Thatsaid,therearestillmanyspectacularsightingstosee.Thisisoneofthemoreunusualones,takendirectlyfromthesightingreportlogthatmorning,"Thehighlightofthemorningwasthe3.5metrepython,camouflagedinthegrassjustonthesideoftheroad.Aswetriedtomovethevehicleawaytogetabetterview,themonstersnakeboltedandslitheredunderthevehicle,nestingitselfontopofthefueltank!Thissenteveryonewhowasstillonthevehicleflyingoutinamatterofseconds.Twentyminuteslater,we

managedtogetthepythonoutfromunderneaththevehicle,andeveryonehadagoodandmuch-relievedlaugh."Herearesomeofthe'tamer'highlightsofApril:LionsVerygoodlionsightings-thankstoourdedicatedliontrackingteam.Thehighlightwasaprideonagiraffekill-thefullstoryfollows.CheetahsExcellentsightingsofacoalitionoftwomales.Cheetahspreferareasofopenspaceandshortgrass,andtheseareasarefewandfarbetweenrightnow,soitnarrowstheplayingfieldofwheretolookforthem.Themonth'shighlightwaswhenguestswatchedtwocheetahschaseandnarrowlymissawildebeestcalf.LeopardsAgain,thetallgrasshasitsadvantages-leopardsprefertomoveaboutontheroadsatduskanddawn,toavoidtheunforeseendangersoftallgrass,thenoiseitmakesandtheparasitesitholds.It'sbeenoneofourbestmonthsforviewingleopardsbecauseofthis.Here'sanotherextractfromoursightingreportlogwhereahyenaandtheopenareaaroundapanprovidedanunforgettableexperience,"HadashortgamedrivetoNyariPanforasundowner.Enjoyedsharingtheviewwithahyenacomingclosetothevehicle,althoughitsjumpybehaviourraisedsomesuspicion.Wetracedthebushwiththespotlighttoseewhatwasupsettingitandfoundahealthy-sizedleopardhidinginthethickgrass.Hewalkedgracefullytocomeanddrinkatthepan,rightinfrontofthevehicle."WilddogsWedon'twanttocountourchickensbeforetheyhatch,butwe'vebeencatchingglimpsesofapackofwilddogsanditlookslikethealphafemaleisscoutingaboutforaden-site!HyenasHyenashavebeenseenhereandthereatdawnanddusk-butthehighlightwastoseesevenofthemhasslingapackofwilddogsontheopenareaofourairstrip.RhinosTheblackandwhiterhinopopulationiswellconcealedinthelonggrassandthickbush.Thebestwaytoseethemnowistodoanapproachonfoot.Thisisrecommendedforviewingwhiterhinos,butblackrhinosareadifferentmatter-forthatyourtreeclimbingskillsandnerveofsteelneedtobehoned.ElephantsandbuffaloTherearevastherdsofbothspeciestobeseenatthemomentasalltherelatedfamilyunitsjoinuptofeedontheabundanceofgrass.FishingandboatcruisesTheratchetshavebeenzinginginthisperfectfishingweather,andmanytigers,breamandbarbelhavebeenlanded.Foramorerelaxingexperienceonthewaterthereisnothinginthisworldthatcanbeatasundownersafaricruise!PlainsgameTherearewonderfulsightingstobehadeverydayofzebra,wildebeestandgiraffe,buttheshyerplainsgamelikesableandhartebeestarewellconcealedintheirpreferredhabitat:

SeaofgrassAprilsafaristookplaceinaseaofgrassthatengulfedthewildlife,washedovertheplainsandrolledinwaveswiththewind.It'ssolateintheseasonandisthankstothesoakingMarchrainswe'dexpectedinNovember.Thisgreenlifecraftshouldhopefullytakeustosafetyoverthelongdrywinterthat'sonthehorizon.Thegrasseslentawispyframetomanyofthemegafaunaspecies:

Thisfemalenyala'scoatstandsoutagainstthegravelroad,buttoapredatoritmimicstheshaftsoflightbetweenbladesofgrass.Remember,nocturnalpredatorslikeleopardsandlionsseewellinlowlightbutdon'tseetherangeofcolourswedo.Theyseemoreinshadesofgrey,andthestripesanddotsofthiscoatpatterndisruptthe3Dformandlooklikeanareaofdappledlight.It'sheart-warmingtoseealong-leggedyounganimalfrolickingabout-especiallyinlonggrasswhentheyhavetoleapovertheticklishfronds.Thiswildebeestwasfriskingabout,doingjustthat.However,youreallycannottakeanychancesatthistimeofyear.Havealookatthephotoonthefollowingpage,andseeifyoucanspotoneofthetwopredatorsthatwerelyinginwait...

AfeastfitforkingsIt'shardworkforlionstohuntatthistime.Theplainsgameareattheirfittestandthere'ssurfacewateralloverwhichmeanstheycandrinkwheneverandwherevertheyare-theyarenotforcedtothepermanentwatersourceswherelionscanlieinwaitfortheir'meals'tocometothem.BeforethiskilltheHippopridewerelookingterrible-verythin,angularandhungry.Theheavywakeofvulturesweighingdownthesurroundingtreebranchesledmetothisscene.TherewefoundtheHippopridefeedingonagiraffecarcass.Agiraffeisanenormouskilltomakeandararepreyspecies,butwiththelonggrassaboutitmakesperfectsensetohuntthem.Firstly,theycan'tconcealthemselves,andsecondlytheycan'thavesurefootingwhentheyarebeingchasedduetothegroundcover.Lionscan'ttakegiraffesbysurpriseeither-theyneedtochasethem,tirethemandideallygetthemtotripinadongaoroverfallenbranchesandtreestumps.ExactlyhowtheHippopridecaughtthisgiraffewillremainamystery,buttheywere

makingnobonesaboutfeastingonit!Itlookedliketheycouldn'ttakeanotherbite,andyettheykeptatit,restingbetweenfeedingboutsandchasingoffthepresumptuousvultures.

WhatelephantseatImaginehavingtoeat150kgofgrassaday.Andthenproducingabout100kgofdung!Elephantseatanyplantmaterial:grass,forbs,leaves,branches,bark,roots,fruit,seeds,pods,wood,reeds,sedges-younameit,theyeatit-especiallycommercialcrops!Therearemany'acacias'treeshereandwhenbrowsingthesetheyswallowmorewoodthanleaves.Atthemomenttheirdietisabout98%grassandtheyarereapinghugetrunkfullsofitwhilechewingthepreviousmouthful.Inwinterthey'llhavetoliveoffthewoodyplants.

Elephantsalsoeatsoil,saltencrustationsandrockstoobtainsodiumandessentialtraceelements.Elephantsarelargelyresponsibleforcyclingnutrientsfromplantstodetritus.Inmanywaystheyare'ecologicalengineers'becausetheycreateandmaintainecosystemsbyphysicallychangingahabitat.Theiractivitiesmodifyahabitatinawaythataffectsotherspecies.Bypullingupgrassandknockingdowntreestheychangetheshapeofthelandscape.That100kgsofdailydungalsocontainsmanyseedsalreadyembeddedingreatfertiliser,sotheirdunggivesrisetonewplantsthatrejuvenatealandscape.

BrothersinarmsIwasdrivingalongtheonepublicroadthatconnectsourreservetotheGonarezhouNationalPark,musingtomyselfthatapartfromamassiveherdofabout600buffaloithadbeenarelativelyquietmorning.ThenIsloweddownforacheetah.Isnappedbackintothemomentthinkingthatcannotpossiblybetrue-acheetah,Africa'smostendangeredcat,justlyinginthedappledshadeonthesideoftheonepublicroad.MakingaslowandcautiousapproachinthegameviewerIsawitwasamale,andwassuretherewouldbeanotheraround-andtherewas,hewasjustinthegrassfringe.Isatwiththembothforsometime,andtheonegotupfromthefringe,strolledovertowhereIwasparkednearhisbrother,floppeddownandinitiatedamutualgroomingsession.Theyweresocontent,butthisendedalltosoonwhenapublicvehiclecamepast.Theyimmediatelygotup,crossedtheroadanddisappearedintothebush-analltooclearreminderofhowslowlyandcautiouslyweallneedtodrivewheninawildlifereserve.ThereisaCheetahConservationProjectforZimbabwethataimstoconservecheetahsthroughappliedresearch,education,collaborationandcapacitybuilding.WhentheystartedtheirprojectitquicklybecameapparentthattherewaslittlereliableinformationavailableoncheetahdistributioninZimbabwe,whichiswhytheyarecurrentlycarryingoutacountrywidecheetahpopulationsurvey.BysendingthemIDphotos(side-onviewoftheirbodiesforthespotpattern)theywereabletotellmethatthesetwomalesareabout7yearsold,andarerelatedtoafemalecheetahwithashorttailthatweseeonoccasion.Ifyou'dliketofindoutmoreaboutthisconservationinitiativevisithttp://www.cheetahzimbabwe.org.

Theautumncolourshavecreptintothecanopy,andthelastofthelatesummerflowersarebeingpollinated.

WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana

MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe

ThirtiethofApril2016