WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH...
Transcript of WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH...
PhotobyJoffersMcCormick
WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAKRUGERNATIONALPARK,SOUTHAFRICAForthemonthofFebruary,TwoThousandandSixteen
Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&SunsetAverageminimum: 21°C (69.8°F) Fortheperiod: 11mm Sunrise: 05:30Averagemaximum: 35°C (95°F) Fortheyeartodate: 16mm Sunset: 18:40Minimumrecorded: 12°C (53.6°F)Maximumrecorded: 43°C (109.4°F)Ourwildlifereviewforthemonthisasfollows:
Buffalo:
Aherdofapproximatelyfiftybuffalowereseenfeedingintheeasternregioninmid-February.Asseeninthephoto,theherdleftatrailofdustbehindduetothedryconditions.Therewasalsoasightingofthirteenbuffalobullsinthefarnorthernpartsoftheconcession,andregularviewsoflonebullsonourwesternboundary.PhotobyBarryPeiser
Leopards:TheXinkelenganefemalewasseenonthreeoccasionsthismonth.ShewasfeedingontheremainsofayoungwaterbuckincloseproximitytotheShishangaanpride(whowerefeedingonabuffalocarcass).Fortunatelyshemanagedtoremainunnoticed.Fivedayslater,shewasseenagainandwasfeedingonayoungimpalaonourwesternboundary.WehadasightingoftheNdlovumaleclosetocampstalkingawaterbuck,buthewasunsuccessfulinhisattemptatcatchingtheanimal.Anunknownmaleleopardwasseenonourwesternboundaryanumberoftimes,andtheXikhovafemalealsomadeabriefappearancenearthelodgeentranceroad.
PhotobyJaniLourens
Cheetahs:Wehadamazingsightingsofcheetahsthismonth!Themotherandherfourcubswereseenonfourdifferentoccasionsintheopenareastowardthenorthofourconcession.Acoalitionoftwomalecheetahswasregularlyseeninthesamevicinity.Thecentraldepressionareawaspatrolledbyadifferentfemalecheetahwhohasthreecubs,andwasseenhuntingimpalaintheearlymorning. PhotobyBrianRode
Elephants:Thesightingsrangedfromlonebulls,smallgroupsoffemaleswithyoungandherdsexceedingfortyindividuals.Wehadnumeroussightingsofelephantscomingacrosslionsatthewaterholes.Ononeoccasion,afemaleelephantandheryoungcalfwalkedrightintothemiddleoftheShishangaanprideof18lions,whowererestingintheshadenexttoasmallpan.Thefemaleelephantmanagedtochaseallthepredatorsaway.Shewasfollowedcloselybyhersmallcalf,whowastryingtokeepup.Aftertheelephantshadtheirfillofwater,thepridereturnedtotheshadeasifnothinghadhappened.
PhotobyJoffersMcCormick
Lions:WehadoverfiftydifferentsightingsoflionsinFebruary,withtheShishangaanpridestillbeingdominantovermostofthecentralandsouthernareas.Anunknownprideoftenindividualsventuredoverournorthernboundary,andtheMountainpridefemaleswereseentogetherwiththeShishangaanpridemalesfeedingontheremainsofahippocarcass.
PhotobyMargauxLeRoux
Hyenas: TheCassiaclanwereactivearoundthenorth-westernarea,andwereseenfeedingonahippocarcassforafewdays.Wewatchedtheminteractingwiththevultureswhowerealsofeedingonthecarcass.TheH6clanalternatedden-sitesalongtheH6.Wehaveregularviewsoftheclanwithcubsintheearlyeveningastheycomeoutoftheirdentosocialize.
PhotobyJaniLourensVultures ArticlebyBrianRodeVulturesaresomeofAfrica’smosticonicbirds.Theyarealsoveryimportantbirdsinthattheyplayanecologicalroleincleaninguptheremainsofanimalcarcassesthat,iflefttocontinuerotting,couldleadtodiseasesbeingspread.Unfortunately,vulturenumbersallacrosstheworldareplummeting."Inthe1980stherewereasmanyas80millionwhite-rumpedvultures(Gypsbengalensis)inIndia,whenitwasthemostnumerousspeciesofraptorintheworld.Today,however,itspopulationisonlyinthethousands-thefastestpopulationcollapseofanybirdspeciesinrecordedhistory,includingthedodo.
VulturespreviouslyplayedanimportantroleinpublicsanitationinIndia.Theirdisappearancehasresultedinanexplosionofratsandferaldomesticdogs;thespreadofdiseasesincludinganthrax,rabies,andplague;apublichealthcrisis;andatotalcostofupto34billionUSdollars(asof2015)"–Wikipedia.ThispopulationplummetwasasadirectresultofusinganinsecticidecalledDiclofenaconcattletotryandgetridofticksandexternalparasites.VulturesfeedingoncarcassesofanimalsthathadbeendippedinDiclofenacwerekilledoffrapidly.InAfricathemaincausesofthedeclineinvulturenumbersarehabitatdestruction,lackoffood(duetotherebeingsmallerandsmallerwildareas-inbuilt-upareascarcassesareusuallydisposedofbeforethevulturescangettothem),useofvulturebodypartsintraditionalmedicineandspellsandrecentlythekillingofvulturesbypoachers.Whenalargeanimalsuchasarhinoorelephantdieslargenumbersofvulturesgathertofeedonthecarcass.Gamewardensandgame-rangersoftennoticethegatheringsofvulturesandinspectthe
causeofthegrouping.Thisenablesthemtofindthepoachedanimalsquickerandtheycanstarttrackingdowntheculpritsmuchfaster.Thepoachershaverealizedthisandhavestartedtopoisonthecarcassesaftertheyhaveremovedthehornsorivory,inordertokilloffthevultures.Thishasledtothedemiseofmanyhundredsofvultures.Inonesuchelephantpoachingincident,neartheCapriviStripinnorthernNamibia,over600individualvulturecarcasseswerefound.Anotherincidentrecentlyoccurredinthe
KrugerNationalParkwhereover100vultureswerefounddead,nearbythepoisonedcarcassofanelephant.Vulturesareslowbreeders,andusuallyonlyhaveonechickatatime,andthereforepopulationsrecoververyslowlyaftercatastropheslikethese.Furthermore,vulturestravelextremelylongdistancesinordertofindfood.ItwasreportedthatayoungCapevulturefittedwithatrackingdeviceinNamibiaflewacrosssixcountriesinsouthernAfricaandcoveredatleast64000kilometres.PoisoningincidentssuchastheonesdescribedabovethereforedonotonlyaffectthelocalpopulationofvulturesbutalsoaffectthevulturepopulationrightacrossAfrica.ApoachingincidentkillingnumerousvulturesinSouthAfricawillthereforealsoaffectthenumbersofvulturesinneighbouringcountries.
FortunatelyhereatSingitaLebomboandSweniwestillseefairlylargenumbersofvultures.Thefivemainspeciesofvulturesthatweseeintheareaare,inorderofsize,lappet-facedvulture(Torgostracheliotos)withawing-spanofupto2.8metres,Capevulture(Gypscoprotheres),white-backedvulture(Gypsafricanus),white-headedvulture(Trigonocepsoccipitalis)andhoodedvulture(Necrosyrtesmonachus).Capevulture-photobyMargauxLeRoux
TheInternationalUnionfortheConservationofNature(IUCN)recentlylistedthewhite-backedvulture,thewhite-headedvultureandthehoodedvultureasCriticallyEndangeredSpecies,whilethelappet-facedvultureandtheCapevulturearelistedasEndangeredSpecies.Duetothedroughtthatwearepresentlyexperiencingintheareatherehavebeenquiteafewmortalitiesofbuffalosandhippos.Thishasgivenussomegreatvultureviewingopportunities.Itisanamazingsighttocomearoundthecornerandfindadeadtreecoveredwithvultures,likespectatorsatamajorsportseventorlikeaChristmastreecoveredindecorations.Uponapproachingtheareatheguestsareoftenover-awedbythehissing,squealing,heaving,squabblingmassofbirdsthatgathertofeedontheselargecarcasses.Atsomeofthecarcasseswehaveliterallyseenhundredsofbirdsfightingtogetsomeofthemeat.Itisoneofthemostamazingsightstoseethesuddendescentofmassesofvulturesontoacarcassandthenthearguingandfightingthatgoesoninordertogetaspacewhereeachcanfeed.Althoughvulturescanflyveryhigh(aRüppell’svulturewasrecordedtohavebeensuckedintoanaircraftengineoffWestAfricaatanaltitudeofmorethan11300metres)andhaveextremelygoodeyesight(itisestimatedthatvultureseyesightisuptoeighttimesbetterthanthatofhumans),theyareoftennotthefirstbirdstoappearatcarcasses.Usuallyitisthelower-flyingraptorsthatsuchastawnyeaglesandbateleursthatdiscoverthedeadanimalsfirst.
Mostvultures,duetotheirlargesizeandheavyweight(lappet-facedvulturescanweighupto13.5kilograms),donotstartflyinguntillaterinthemorningwhenthesunhasalreadyheateduptheearthcausingthermals(hotairpockets)torise,whichaidthevulturesinattainingheightwithouthavingtoexertexcessiveamountsofenergy.Oncethevulturesareintheairtheyarenotonlylookingfordeadanimalstofeedonorpredatorsthattheycanfollow,butrathertheyarewatchingtheothervulturesandbirdsofprey.Lappet-facedvulture-photobyDeirdreOpie
White-backedvultures(themostcommonvulturesinthearea)aremoreintentonwatchingtheanticsofothervulturesthantheyareonsightingakillthemselves.Thefirstvulturetodescendstartsachainreaction:thoseclosesttoitarethefirsttomakeamove,droppingoutoftheskywithamazingspeed,andothersfurtherawayfollowsuit.Severalhundredofthescavengershavebeenrecordeddescendingontoacarcassinlessthananhourandfromdistancesestimatedasfaras35kilometresaway.Theyneedtodropquicklyinordertobeabletocompetewithothervulturesforaspaceatthecarcass.Thiscanleadtosomeheatedarguments...
Hooded,Capeandwhite-backedvultures-photobyBrianRodeItmaylookchaotictotheguests,butthereisahierarchicalsystemoffeedingamongstthedifferentspeciesofvultures.Thehoodedvulturesareoftenthefirsttodescendonakill(duetothefactthattheyaresmallerthantheotherspeciesandcanthereforestartflyingearlierthantheothers).Unfortunatelyforthemtheyhaveaweak,thinbeakthatismoresuitedtopickingupsmallpiecesofmeatthattheothervulturescannotgetto(e.g.themusclesbetweentheribsandininaccessibleplaces).Theythereforeoftenjustmanagetopeckouttheeyesandgetatthesofterpartsofthecarcass.Theythenneedtowaitforeitherthelargevulturessuchasthelappet-facedvulturesorotherscavengerssuchashyenasorjackalstoopenupthecarcass.White-backedvulturesareoftenthenextvulturestoappear,buttheyalsoneedtowaitforthecarcasstobeopenedup(particularlyifitisathick-skinnedanimalsuchasabuffalo,elephant,rhinoorhippo).Theythus,oftenjustperchinthetreeswaitingforthecarcasstobeopened.Thevulturethatismostsuitedtorippingopencarcassesisthelappet-facedvulture.Theyarealsothelargestofthefivespeciesandthereforedominatethecarcass,takingthebestpiecesforthemselves.Thewhite-backedvulturesarethemostnumerous.Theyarefrantic,noisyfeeders,hissingandmobbingoneanothertogettheirshareofthespoils.Theywillfeedinsideacarcass,sheeringmeatfromboneswiththeirpowerfulbills.Themoresolitarywhite-headedvulturegenerallyremainstoonesideofthefeedingactivity,takingbitsofmeatandfeedingsomedistanceaway.Oncethelargervulturesarefinishedfeedingthehoodedvulturesonceagaincometothecarcassandfeedoffthescrapsandsmallerpiecesofmeatthattheothervulturescouldnotgetto.Largenumbersofvulturescanliterallyreduceacarcasstoaskeletoninamatterofminutes.White-headedvulture-photobyBrianRode
Februarymomentsintime
Olivegrasssnakeeatingaplaingrassfrog-photosbyBarryPeiserTheShishangaanpridefemalescaughtamaleSteenbokandfoughtoverwhowasgoingtogetthelion’sshare.
PhotobyMargauxLeRoux
PhotobyMargauxLeRoux
Elephantsunset-photobyJaniLourens
ArticlesbyBrianRodePhotosbyJaniLourens,JoffersMcCormick,MargauxLeRoux,BarryPeiser,DeirdreOpie&BrianRode
SingitaKrugerNationalParkSouthAfrica
Twenty-ninthofFebruary2016