THE MASHATU RANGERS' DIARY

GAME REPORT SEPTEMBER 2010

WEATHER AND VEGETATION

This month we experienced varying temperatures. In the mornings, temperatures were slightly above 10 degrees while during the day temperatures raised up to between 25 and 40 degrees. Vegetation is still green along the river banks and most trees have started flowering and pushing out new, green leaves (e.g. knob thorn acacia).

LEOPARDS

Leopard sightings have improved immensely this month .A group of six leopards were seen together on an impala kill. A female leopard and five of her offspring of different ages were observed on several occasions near Majale Island. About 26 sightings of these elusive large African cats have been recorded during the month of September.

LIONS

Lion sightings have been great for the month of September. The well known sub-adults from the Central Area pride (one male and three females) seem to be concentrating around Majale Island. The dominant male seems to be roaming all over the Reserve, sometimes he can be seen upstream on the Matobole river with one lioness which is said to be coming from Zimbabwe. A pride of seven lions was seen on an eland kill at Clive’s road. One lioness from the Majale pride has three newborn cubs and some of our guests had the privilege to see these new born cubs.

CHEETAH

Cheetah sightings were fairly good during the month of September. A coalition of three male cheetah were seen on several occasions, with guests having the opportunity to see them engaging in many different activities, ranging from hunting to feeding. A female was also seen with two cubs near the airfield on an impala kill.

ELEPHANTS

Mashatu Game Reserve is world renowned for having the largest population of free-ranging elephants on private land south of the Zambezi River. Family groups consisting of adults females with their calves and closely related groups form herds and can be seen on our morning and afternoon activities. At the Vlei herds of between 50 to 100 are seen almost every day browsing and grazing on the lush green reeds in the Vlei. Normally this time they break into small family heads to avoid too much food competition.

BIRDING

Mashatu boasts a species list of about four hundred birds, most of which are intra African migrants. Birding is still very good this time of the year and most activity is seen at our Vlei area (Also known as marshland), where we have hundreds of water birds can be seen. Below is a list of some of the common species that can be seen.

Open grassland:
Ground horn bill
Secretary bird
All Francolins
Kori bustard (the heaviest flying bird)

Water birds:
Egyptian geese
Black smith lap wing
Hammer kop
African jacana
And lots more.