What a week of game viewing it was!!! WOW!!
We had the Doig Family (over the weekend) and four lovely ladies (during the week) staying at the lodge. Each and everyone got to enjoy a little magic and tranquillity of the bush with all its animals. Over the weekend we saw rhino, lions…lions..and more lions. On our first drive on Friday evening we found the 3 sub-adult males at one of the waterholes, as they where all going to have a drink. Their stomachs were so full they could barely walk, they had caught something the night before and had to quench their thirst. The Saturday we decided to do a bit of a longer drive as the elephants were nowhere to be found and they really wanted to see the big giants of the bush.
On Thursday prior to the Doig families arrival there was an abundance of elephants on this side of the reserve. Big ones, small ones, ugly ones, moody ones, some in musth and some playful ones. But it seems that as soon as the skies show any signs of rain they vanish into thin air.
We drove around for hours unable to find even one elephant. And as the elephants predicted the heavens opened up on Saturday night and we had a great 40mm of rain.
The morning after the rains the bush was alive. Birds were singing, the insects were out and the lions drying off after a long wet night. The lions are like any normal cat, they hate to get wet. So as soon as the rains stopped they move into clearing soaking up the morning sun. We were lucky to find mom, 5 month old cubs and 3 sub-adult males.
On Monday four lovely ladies arrived. Two ladies where originally from South Africa now living in Canada and they bought two friends with from Canada to come and see and experience South Africa. As they have never been in South Africa they wanted the full bush experience. It truly was great week with four wonderful women, seeing 4 out of the big 5 with some great giraffe and plain game sightings added to it. And who can forget the quick sighting of the brown hyena. Unfortunately the leopard was nowhere to be found. They will just have to come back to visit Buffalo Thorn Lodge to find the elusive leopard.
A black rhino was also spotted in clear view. She stop to have a drink of water when 4 white rhinos rushed in. She looked up , stared at them for a few seconds and turned away dic today is not the day for a fight. She strolled away like they never existed.
On our last night drive on Thursday evening we stopped to look at a Bark Spider making his web in the darkness of the night. We herd a blood curdling screech- scream. The lions had just made a kill. Unfortunately the bus was too dense to see them but we could only hear small growls. As this happened only a few meters from the lodge, everyone lied wake till early hours of the morning listing and waiting to hear what other sounds the bush might have to offer!!
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