Changing Seasons Savute Safari Lodge

Savute has definitely seen some changes during the last couple of weeks. The long, dry spell has at last been broken with good rainfalls being recorded throughout the region. One particular storm has provided 130mm of rain in three hours! This has turned the previously dry region into an emerald paradise.

Then

Now

Suddenly the skies are filled with migratory bird species, making Savute a Bird Watchers heaven. During one short drive I was able to spot six different species of Stork alone (Marabou, Yellow-billed, White, Abdim’s, Woolly Necked and Saddle Billed Stork) The Carmine and European Bee-eaters are adding bright splashes of colour to the green grass lands, and Swallows and Swifts are seen in thousands hawking insects from the skies.

Birds are not the only ones that has arrived in force. The Impalas has started dropping lambs, and every herd is accompanied by some small lambs, most less than a month old. This provides a great training opportunity to the Wilddog pups. On three occasions we were lucky enough to observe the adults training the pups in hunting Impala. The smaller lambs are an easy target for the pups, giving them the ideal opportunity to train for the day when they will have to start joining the hunt for larger prey.

The Buffalo has also returned to the area. With the sprouting of new grass, the boys are coming back to Savute, looking for the succulent new growth. Currently the Buffaloes are restricted to groups of old bulls, but soon this will change as the cows also come through to share in the abundance of food. All the other grazers are also making a return to the area, with regular sightings of Zebra and Wildebeest dotting the area around the marsh.

With the abundance of game in the area, the predators are also making use of every opportunity. Two “new” adult male Lions has came into the area during the last couple of days. They both appear relatively young and in a very good condition. They were also able to link up with a local female that is seen with them on a regular basis. This leads to some major conflict between them and our regular males – the Mababe Boys. Every evening the sound of males roaring reverberates through the camp. At this stage the competition seems to be restricted to a roaring contest, a means of advertising their presence in the area. This will however soon escalate to full on warfare, where battle lines will be drawn as to whom will be the top dog (or is it cat?) in the Savute region. The Mababe Boys are substantially older than the two youngsters and are past their prime, whereas the two new guys are just reaching their peak. In the advantage of the Mababe boys is that they are three (one older and two younger brothers) compared to the two new males. The question is therefore a lot easier than the answer: Would numbers and experience prevail over age, or would strong, vibrant muscles overcome old weary ones? Only time will tell, and we will keep a beady eye on all the happenings.

Kobus Lubbe, Manager at Savute safari Lodge