Quality time

The bush amazes me to no end...the minute you just slow down to take it all in the bush just rewards your patience with the most amazing sightings. The moment you start chasing it all breaks down and you end up missing everything. My guests at the moment have spent a few days in another lodge before coming through and had seen quite a bit which has just allowed us the freedom to spend quality time with the animals we find. 

Yesterday afternoon was no different as we found an ENORMOUS elephant bull feeding under a marula tree, enjoying the delights that had dropped to the grass below. He was so relaxed he ended up feeding no more than 3 metres from us at one stage and walked passed the car so close that I could have touched him. I would never let this happen normally but by that stage it was to late to move as the sound of the engine starting might have startled him. 

We watched him for a good thirty minutes before moving off to see how our leopard was doing with the warthog that he caught yesterday. By the time we got there he was just finishing the skull...yes, the skull...by my mate Trevor's accounts he had devoured the entire skull and all that was left was the lower jaw. The night was finished off with an amazing sunset and view of the Drakensberg mountain range.

This morning we headed south to have some coffee down at the Sabi river and see if the lions had crossed back from the next door property. Coffee was brilliant as we had a very introspective bit of time just listening the sound of the river flowing and the birds calling. Unfortunately all signs pointed to the fact that the lions had not come back yet and I took a nice drive through some of the beautiful scenery that the southern section has to offer on the way back to the lodge. Before I knew it we were on fresh lion tracks and it looked as if the cubs were with the females. After following for a short while the tracks led into the bush and we headed around to where we thought they might pop out. We got the calculation just right and the lions were out on an open sodic site with the cubs. The cubs are however looking very skinny and are in need of a good meal otherwise there will be some tears flowing...lets just hope that everything works out for them.