Mahlathini
Private Game Reserve
Manager’s Newsletter.June 2015
No rainfall recorded this month.
Well it’s been a really good month for Leopard activity.
The first incident was when I received a call from Silonque east regarding a hyena with a snare around its neck.
To put you in the picture quickly, there are up to 6 hyenas doing the rounds between us, Letaba ranch, Silonque east and the smaller plots outside the reserve.
In charge of this lot is a huge female hyena, commonly known as the matriarch.
They torment the leopards in the area by shadowing them and pinching their meal when they make a kill.
Anyway, one of the hyena pack was seen with a snare around its neck, and we decided to try and catch it and remove the snare.
The animal was not in any life threatening state due to this snare, [cable wire] as it was quite loose around the neck, like a dog collar. There was skin damage on the one side of the neck obviously from where it was pulling to break free. Luckily the wire didn’t tighten around the neck, when the hyena broke free.
In conjunction with Nature conservation a trap cage was set up to try and capture the animal, and remove the snare.
Trail cameras were set up by Craig from Tingala lodge, to monitor proceedings.
It did not take long for the hyena to arrive.
Getting them to go in the cage was a whole other matter.
They are more wily than we think.
Anyway next morning Craig and I go to check the trap early, before sunrise.
As we got out of the vehicle to approach the trap we were greeted with lots of grunts and snarling, and soon realised we had caught a leopard.
But we were not prepared for the “monster” that greeted us.
Must be the largest male leopard I have ever seen, 90 + kg. and full of pure aggression.
Now the trick was to release him without getting eaten. Suffice to say Craig and I managed to get him out without any incident, other than a bit of damaged pride, and shaking knees!
The second incident was when Eugene, Hermann and Berta’s son, climbed out of his car to remove a branch from the road that our friendly elephants had left behind.
As he went to pick up the branch a leopard broke out of the bushes nearby and took down a wildebeest, next to him, that he had not seen.
He witnessed the whole event, gobsmacked, before getting back into his vehicle. No time for pictures!
And finally Rene from 24 was driving to work one morning when he watched a leopard, [looks like a young female], tackle a warthog coming out of its burrow.
After much squealing and grunting the warthog got free and took off at the high port, leaving the leopard a bit bewildered.
Doesn’t get better than that!
The next big issue at the moment are the Elephant.
When they came onto the reserve in large numbers I had a mild heart attack.
But you know what? Up until now it’s not all bad.
In fact we can thank the elephant for helping in our velt rehabilitation plan, to date.
When they frequent the reserve, and you spend a bit of time with them, you quickly learn their pecking order, who hangs out with whom, and which are the delinquents.
We must consider that weunwittingly“lured” them in.
The letaba fence line served as no barrier, our dams and waterholes were full, as outside sources dwindled and our variety of tree species were just too much for them to ignore.
As our natural water sources also dried up, they turned to alternative sources, like plastic water tanks.
It now becomes a human / elephant conflict, and one ultimately the humans win, with the elephants being classed as “problem animals”.
It was agreed to have 4 elephant Trans located, ideally from one group.
The hope with this idea is that it may encourage the others to vacate the reserve.
But where too?
Should this not prove to be the case then they will be classed “problem animals” and destroyed either by hunters or nature conservation.
Hunterslike the big tuskers,which leaves behind a bunch of confused younger animals.
We all know young bulls, when pushed out of the care of the cow herds, tag on to older bulls, forming bull herds.
I really feel for the elephants.
Whilst one end of their continent they are being destroyed at a phenomenal rate by poachers, [last I heard over 40.000.00 in one year, I am open to correction on this figure], our end they are over populated and spilling over, into human settlements, resulting in conflict.
Picture taken by Ilse, at 26.
Anyway after that weepy lot, the decision is to move 4 to another area, and if the problem persists, then to apply for permits to hunt or cull some more.
Hunting we get some bucks and the meat; culling we get the meat and the Government gets the bucks!
As we speak the bulk of the elephant have moved to Silonque east, for the time being.
Other news on the reserve and around.
2 hides have been set up for bow hunters.
Feeding of the animals has begun in earnest as the natural vegetation dwindles.
Water supplies are also diminishing rapidly and animals become more dependent on the small water holes next to residences.
We are busy trying to get electricity onto the letaba fence line in the hope of deterring the elephant from entering the reserve.
We are also upgrading the electricity on the fence with Silonque east.
I think the elephant are the only ones who welcome load sheading!
6 Lion were reported to have been seen in Silonque east this month.
Rhino poaching in the Phalaborwa section of KNP has decreased significantly whilst in the south of the park they are still being hammered.