In the new year, Rhulani's Rangers continue to report via meticulous statistics, what we see with our guests on the daily game drives. The Big 5, a major attraction for many guests, were seen with a very high likelihood. Here is the update from the bush of January 2018.
The first month of the year almost brought us a surprising new leader in our animal sightings statistics. As we know, the elephant has been ranked number one since the beginning of our monthly reports, which means, it is the most viewed mammal of the "Big 5". In January, the elephant reached again a high score (75% chances to find one on a game drive), but this time he was almost overtaken by the lion, which we find more often in the bush, with a 73% chance per drive.
Our Rangers say that we have currently a very good sense of where the lions might be roaming around in their territory, whereas right now, during the rainy season, the elephants are not necessarily in the places we know, and therefore harder to find.
Lions are extremely interesting to watch. One day, we were next to them when they roared, or when they were playing. On another day, a lion chased after a buffalo, or we found a lion pride eating on a kill.
Thanks to higher scores, the distance to buffalo (64%) and white rhino (60%) has also narrowed, so it can sometimes happen that a guest can experience the "perfect safari": all Big 5 on a single game drive. The hard nut to crack remains the shy leopard, which we discover about once in ten game drives.
If we look through the list of what else we saw in January, we find some rather unique occurrences. It confirms that the bush has always something new to offer even for experienced visitors. With a smile we had to help our experienced ranger Sean, who got stuck with his vehicle in a hole.
Our snake lovers were enjoying seeing a rock python or the dangerous boomslang. Our guests with a keen eye for smaller things have spoted a cameleon, a leopard turtoise, or beautiful, rare birds like African crake or golden oriole.
Related articles
Life of a Ranger: Bushbuck baby
| Rhulani Safari LodgeDid you know that a bushbuck family has been calling Rhulani home for some time now, and they're regularly having babies, much to the delight of our guests? Rhulani's head guide, Alasdair, introduces ...Rhulani Minute Safari - Steenboks in the high grass
| Rhulani Safari LodgeSteenboks, one of the smallest antelope species, are rarely seen in the high grass, but we spotted them anyway. These animals, who live in monogamous pairs, are protected from predators and find food ...Rhulani bush stories: The lions and the rock monitor
| Rhulani Safari Lodge"The bush always holds new surprises," says Rhulani's head ranger Alasdair, as he was actually looking at the lions and their cubs when he heard a strange hissing. This led to a hilarious encounter be...Rhulani Minute Safari - The hump of the giraffe's neck
| Rhulani Safari LodgeThe “hump” you see at the base of a giraffe’s neck is actually a distinct anatomical feature, not just a random bulge. It essentially acts like a “biological crane support.” It compensates for the eno...Rhulani bush stories: A massive leopard
| Rhulani Safari Lodge"That was a gigantic leopard, the biggest I've ever seen, almost as big as a lion," says Rhulani's field guide Willem, upon seeing this big cat high up on the rock at Ambush Alley, which later reveale...Life of a Ranger: Wild dog killing machine
| Rhulani Safari LodgeDid you know that wild dogs in packs are among the most successful hunters in the African wilderness, tearing their prey to pieces and devouring it whole within minutes? Rhulani's ranger, Willem, show...
