Finally – the heavens have opened, and the parched soils of Black Rhino received much needed rain! During the first week of December, we had 82mm and then another 20mm of rain within the very next week. The bush has exploded into an oasis of lush green shoots and leaves. New life is abundant.
The festive season was clearly in full swing and guests at Buffalo Thorn Lodge are being spoilt by many sightings at our waterholes and elsewhere in the reserve. Elephants are a guaranteed gift, spotted twice or even three times a day around our lodge. We were fortunate to see Tale the Cheetah, and her two youngsters quenching their thirst at the lodge one morning. The Lengau dam pride of lions have been on Black Rhino for two weeks hunting wildebeest and zebra in quick succession. Both kills occurred on the same day. Take a peek at the videos on our Instagram page. #Buffalothornlodge
Tale and her two youngsters have totally brightened up our month with lots of memorable sightings of her and the cubs playing and hunting. By the looks of it, like in years before, she is here to stay for the near foreseeable future.
The cherry on top right now, is that we are in the heart of the “lamb season”. Apart from the new plant life, new animal life is everywhere. Wildebeest and Impalas all have new born babies. This presents an opportune time for the predators to teach their offspring the techniques and tips on how to hunt and survive in this harsh environment. Nature is a cruel mistress when new lives are taken in the interests of learning. Survival depends on it.
Here are some highlights of December/January:
From all of us here at Buffalo Thorn Lodge, we trust that you had a great festive season, and we wish you a prosperous New Year!
Kindest bush regards
Evan, Jumari & the BTL Team