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July update: Unique encounters with leopards

  • August 04, 2018 | Rhulani Safari Lodge

We are in the middle of the winter months, which means "low season" for our lodge operation and "dry season" for nature. Our guests enjoy more than ever the peace and privacy they would like to have on a trip to the African bush. Starry sky and beautiful wildlife viewing are guaranteed. Welcome to our July update of our rangers.

July statistics: Frequency of animal encounters per game drive

Astronomical highlight: The blood moon in July

Among the highlights were the many interesting phenomena in the clear night sky. In addition to the "blood moon", one could also see the five big planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury in one line (read the article here).

But as beautiful as the "Big 5" are in the night sky, our guests want to see the real Big 5 animals the parc has to offer. Once again, we got confirmed that the chances to find them are not dependent on climate. Even in the dry season, the statistics reveal that those animals can be seen on a three-hour game drive with the following likelihood: elephant 95%, lion 72%, buffalo 63%, white rhino 58%, leopard 24%.

Our rangers report that there were some unique encounters with the most elusive Big 5 animal, the leopard. Alasdair says: “I have had seven leopard sightings last week, and on three occasions we saw a leopard on a kill”. 

One day Alasdair observed the most frequently sighted leopard called “Munye” as he stole a prey from a cheetah. Another day, Munye lost his prey in a fight against a hyena, which was recorded on video. Another highlight was the two leopard-females Tsala and Bana on an impala kill.

Somewhat surprisingly we found the wild dogs denning in a hidden place. We have not had any sightings there yet, but maybe we'll talk more about that soon.

Leopard Munye at a kill