Kaye's MalaMala report
 

Hi everyone,

This will be very quick, as many people are breathing down my neck waiting for the internet!

Dreadful weather and I am sure the Sand River has risen one metre overnight!

Have finally seen the 9 Eyrefield Pride cubs and they looked wonderful! Hopefully got some good photos, as the sun was out for a few minutes. Have seen the Styx Pride but not with cubs and saw the poor Rollercoaster Male this morning curled up in heavy rain.

No dogs or cheetah, but have already had some excellent gameviewing in my 4 drives so far!

Had better go!

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

You already sound like you've had some wonderful sightings ..... hope the weather clears up soon, sounds like plenty of rain!!!

See you in January.

Best rgds,
Hari

Thanks for the update. Waiting for the next one!

Good news, glad you saw the cubs, I'm sure you'll see them many more times in the days ahead.

We saw the Rollercoaster Male in October and he was skin and bones at that time...glad to hear he is hanging on so the cubs can grow up.

Thanks for the update....

SSF

Kaye,

Thanks for sharing the report. Have a great holiday.

Granny Joan

I was just bidding you farewell a moment ago. Maybe you'll add snorkeling to your activities this trip with the rain and rising water levels. Thanks for the update.

Thanks for the update, Kaye. We had 4 days of constant rain earlier this month on my trip to Londolozi and MM (Dec 5-9th). Sure it was challenging for photography but us die-hards still got in some wonderful game drives. Any sign of the Ngoboswan female and her cubs? I wouldn't be surprised if she has moved her den site after some unwanted attention from a very persistant hyena. HFV (Happy Festive Viewing),Rob.

%%- Hello Kaye! What a great start to your trip. My top 3 "wish list sightings" on your first report ((y))

Thank you for checking in "live". Will also be reading the cyberdiary.%%-

Hoping for sunny days for you. ((#))

Kaye,

Glad you finally got to see the Eyrefield Pride cubs, hopefully you'll get to see the Styx Pride cubs soon. I hope the Rollercoaster Male improves, there are too many cubs depending on his continued health.

I hope you see some cheetahs soon (they're the only major signting we missed when we were there in July). Enjoy the gameviewing, I am so envious!

Happy Holidays,

Bob

Hi everyone,

Thanks everyone for all your kind words - I am having a wonderful time and seeing many wonderful things!

Finally a sunny day today, so hopefully the ground will begin to dry out a bit!

Wild dog was seen a few days ago, and my ranger/tracker went out to try and find them after breakfast. I went with them and we saw plenty of wildlife, unfortunately no wild dog! But they are somewhere around! Have had some great leopard viewing and lion viewing!

One of the daughters of the Campbell Koppies Female was attempting to mate with an older small male from Gowrie, and he had chased her up a tree. Then he moved off and we followed him to where the Campbell Koppies Female was with her 6 month old cub. He is not thought to be the father. While she tried to move the other direction to distract the older male, the cub bolted in the other direction. The old male got his scent and followed it, but seemed to get distracted by the remains of a kill! Thank goodness! In the meantime, the young female came into the picture and her and her mother had a brief physical fight with the older female chasing the young female off her territory! It was a wonderful sighting!

Have yet to see the cubs of the Styx Pride lioness and the Ngoboswan Female, but luckily have quite a few more gamedrives for this to happen!

Merry Xmas to all!

Kind regards

Kaye

Great sighting, Kaye.

Glad you are having a marvelous safari. Best times and good cheer for the New Year.

-Granny Joan

Merry Christmas to you too! Every day is like opening a wonderful present.

Hi everyone,

Another quick update.

This morning I have finally seen some of the cubs of the oldest Styx Pride lioness. Only saw 2 out of 4, but from a distance, but still good to see them.

Then this afternoon, for a short time we followed the small pack of wild dog - a female and her two offspring about 6 months old.

It was a great day!

Thanks again for all your good wishes and I wish you all a Merry Xmas and safe and healthy holidays!

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

Wow!!! More great sightings ..... btw, i just took a look at their cyberdiary and there is a pic of the sandriver which appears to be in full flow.

Happy Holidays

Rgds
Hari

=D> =D> =D> Excellent Kaye!

Who is your Ranger/Guide for this trip? Have the rains subsided? Must be a beautiful sight with the full moon over the very full flowing Sand River. Thanks for popping in with the latest.

Merry Christmas to you!

Carla <):)

Hi everyone

Yes Hari, the river rising was amazing, but really back to the usual now and we are back driving on nearly every road.

Carla, so far I have had Andrew and Johnson as my team, absolutely fantastic. Everything we have gone looking for we have usually found, except for this morning when we went looking for the Ngoboswan Female with her cubs and never found her. We saw her on the way home last night and hoped she would be around her cubs, but not to be. Also saw this morning one of the older males from the Selati Pride, now called the Golf Course Males.


Yesterday was fantastic - mating lions and sitting with the Eyrefield Cubs for quite a few hours in anticipation of the adults returning and they did which is a wonderful greeting to watch! The lionesses are in need of a good meal so hoping that happens soon, as nothing last night! The Rollercoaster Male looks pretty dreadful!

Hari, still no sign of cheetah, which makes it one day closer to seeing cheetah!

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

Thanks ...... good that the weather seems to have settled down a bit.

Cheetah, yes let's keep our fingers crossed .... but, even otherwise it looks like there's plenty of great gameviewing at the moment from all your updates.

Rgds
Hari

Hi Kaye,

Merry Christmas !!!, good to know that you had wonderful sightings of lions, hope the rollercoaster male and family got something to eat.....keep us updated, thanks,Sonali

Hi everyone,

Hari, still no cheetah and some really cold windy weather, but thankfully warmer today.

Sonali - thanks, and I also hope that the lions got a good meal, but they moved over to Londo about 4 days ago and haven't returned as yet!

Have again had some more fabulous gameviewing - plenty of leopard and have now seen 2 of the 6 Eyrefield Males, the youngest 2. Last night one was by himself, and roared as he headed north over Gowrie! He looked fantastic, so I understand what a force the males are together! Apparently the first time they have been heard roaring on MalaMala. I have seen 3 new leopards that I haven't seen before including a new territorial male - a good looking leopard.

We had a lovely 3 nights at Rattray's and are now back in Main Camp so I still have a bit more gameviewing to be done! I am hoping that the cooler and overcast conditions are now gone. Until I go through the photos, it is hard to remember the good sightings I have had, but know I will have a few more before I am done!

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2008!

Kind regards

Kaye

How wonderful that you are writing your own cyberdiary! And you are seeing so many great sites. I am pea green with envy (in a good way!).

You're starting the new year in the perfect spot - let's have a toast over a cup of bush tea ((c))
Here's to the bright New Year
And a fond farewell to the old;
Here's to the things that are yet to come
And to the memories that we hold.

Kaye, thanks for the update. I will be out there for a few days in April.

Good hearing from you Kaye. Happy New Year.

regards - tom

Happy New Year Kaye! I am sure you are having a blast with your niece and all. I will be toasting here later this evening to Mala Mala in 2008!

Happy New Year to you too Kaye. What a place to ring it in.

Just checking to see if you had posted a report on Mala Mala trip, Kaye.

You are still at Mala Mala ... how great is that!

Have a Happy New Year.

Granny Joan

Happy New Year Kaye! Did they do anything special to ring in the New Year? Wishing you a very happy, healthy and rewarding 2008!
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

Hi Everyone,

Thank-you Cindy, Andy, Tom, Carla, Lynn, GrannyJoan and Dennis for your good wishes.

We are having a wonderful time and are having some great gameviewing. The days are so hot now, it is unbelievable that a week ago I was complaining about the Artic winds of MalaMala.

Dennis, they dont't do anything special other than a slightly later dinner, then just counting down the Old Year into the New Year. I stayed up until 12.20am then dragged my niece back to our room, as I am pretty sure she wanted to party on! All I think about is how many hours before we have to get up!

A few days ago, I finally got to see the two cubs of the Ngoboswan Female, absolutely wonderful as the cubs are about 2 to 2.5 months old and just beautiful! Not a great view and not great photos but as a viewing I'll take it! The mother moved off after about 10 minutes, then we had to leave soon after, as you can imagine, driving around small cubs would frighten the cubs without the calming effect of the mother!

We missed it, but saw it afterwards - the Ngoboswan Female killed a young wildebeest and had just started when the Bicycle Crossing Male stole it! When we were watching him, a hyena had been milling about but must have realised all of a sudden that the kill was on the ground, as suddenly the male leopard grabbed the baby around the neck and charged up a small tree! Exciting stuff!

Saw mating lions again this morning and last night came across the Rollercoaster Male, who had had a good feed, so was looking better and walking in a really determined fashion, scenting all the time - I felt he was looking for the Styx Pride.

So, that is all for now!

I shall enjoy the rest of my gamedrives, of which the numbers are dwindling, and you all have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Kind regards

Kaye

Kaye,

Glad to hear you had a good New Year, I think the best New Year present was to see the cubs! Enjoy the time you have left, can't wait to see your pictures when you return.

Bob

Hi everyone,

Had a great day yesterday, as I have finally seen the 2 month old cubs of the Styx Pride - 4 of them! What a wonderful sighting! They are so cute and quite curious! Also briefly saw the tiny cubs of the Ngoboswan Female again yesterday - also very cute and a bit curious, though one hid up in a tree.

Today had a fabulous ele sighting, with a herd of about 20, swimming in the Sand River. The larger babies would completely be underwater and they were obviously having a fantastic time! I have never seen such playful behaviour in the water!

My time at MM, is quickly passing, but again I have been very fortunate in my gameviewing!

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

Been out of communication last few days ..... pretty excieted!!! my flight this morning to MM......

Rgds
Hari

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update.

Last night, we were watching 3 Styx Pride Lionesses walk and play along a road, when they flushed out a duiker. The poor thing had no chance and was finished off by one lioness with the others watching from a distance, as she carried on growling and charging any lioness that got too close.

Also saw another 2 males, Chernobyl Males some call them as one missing an eye and one missing part of his tail.

Still no cheetah, but I did see Hari this morning. We both shared a sighting at a leopard hunting impala, although the leopard was not successful this time.

Kind regards

Kaye

Kaye,

Thanks so much for your updates. I feel as though you've taken us along on your marvelous trip.

And you've had a Hari sighting! Perhaps cheetah will be next.

CW

KayeN-

I have really enjoyed your trip report from along the trail, glad to hear you saw the leopard cubs and the Styx cubs-I am confident those elusive Cheetah brothers will show up and wish you well.

Safe journey to you....say hi to the nine lion cubs for me!

ShellCat

So happy to read about your sightings Kaye as the cyberdiary hasn't been updated lately (probably due to the holidays). <):)

To KayeN, Hari and ellene
You are all together at MM at the moment and my biggest wish for all of you is to see Cheetah. I am holding thumbs and praying it happens not to mention my silent request to throw in the Dogs.
Here's wishing and lets see as you guys have 4 more drives as a collective.
Go For It

Great post, Kaye.

Safe journey home.

-Granny Joan

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your good wishes for my future sightings, as my gamedrives are rapidly disappearing. Once I am less than 10, I start to get a little panicky!

Have seen those beautiful Styx lion cubs a few times now, and they are so tiny! The Rollercoaster Male is back with them now, although still looking very bony in the rear.

The 5th Jan brought the Eyrefield Pride back, thankfully with 9 cubs in tow, so great news. They made a kill last night on the airstrip, but just missed it - apparently maimed the male impala and tried to get the cubs to kill it - I think the females stepped in at the end. It is amazing how aggressive the little cubs can be against female adults, but I guess their life depends on it!

Would now like to see the Ngoboswan Female and her cubs in an openish position. But still a few days left, even though the time is going way too quick!

I should not complain, as I am here, at least for the moment.

The cyberdiary is currently on hols and shall be two instalments in one I am told, so will be good to read what I am seeing!

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi all MM fans,

Summary of our gameviewing (Kaye, hope you don't mind this post in your thread .... thanks).

Eyrefield pride - 3 lionesses and cubs
Styx pride - 6 lionesses and 3 cubs.

Saw the rollercoaster male - once with Eyrefield and once with Styx.

The Styx cubs are the tiniest cubs on mobile. I think they just started moving around ..... Styx pride had their eyes on a dagga boy one day, but, lost interest very soon.

As expected 4 or 5 different leopards. But, the known ones we saw were the Manyaleti Male (Yep, he's a champion indeed!!!), the Ngboswan female, the others seen are new to the area.

Lots of tortoises around. Don't think i've seen that many in very few game drives.

My two stand out sightings would be - our Ranger Gordon handling a Rock Python around his shoulders one evening right before camp. A very ultra-relaxed Giant Kingfisher at the bridge - i don't believe i've seen one that relaxed and hadn't had a decent pic of one ..... also, saw a black Mamba cross a road!

Had a couple of good walks, too.

Gordon, our ranger was a very polite/patient/energetic/enthusiastic/knowledgable young man. John our spotter was outstanding! Most importantly, my folks had a good time!!!

Rgds,
Hari

It sound like you all are having great sightings! Cheetah wishes for you, Hari. Love the 'from the field' reporting.