WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA GRUMETI TANZANIA

For the month of January, Two Thousand and Twenty Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 20°C (60˚F) Faru Faru 192 mm Sunrise 06:48 Average maximum: 29°C (84,2˚F) Sabora 161 mm Sunset 18:48 Minimum recorded: 17°C (62,6˚F) Sasakwa 173 mm Maximum recorded: 32°C (89,6˚F) What a fantastic start to the year 2020, as January kicks off with some incredible wildlife sightings. As is usual in northern Tanzania, we tend to see a slight drop in rainfall during the month of January, almost a calm before the storm as we move in between the short and the long rains. This has certainly been true this year with the reserve drying out ever so slightly, allowing us to access some great wildlife hotspots! Even though the grass remains tall the sightings have simply been incredible, with good action from the Nyasirori lion pride and the leopards of the Grumeti North Hill. We have seen lovely elephant numbers coming back onto the concession which is always an impressive sight out on the plains. The dry period lasted no more than a week and towards the end of the month the rain came again, and on the night of the 27th Sasakwa Hill received 88 mm in a 12-hour period.

Here’s a sightings snapshot for January: Lions

• Daily sightings of lions were seen.

• We have seen most of the Butamtam Pride dispersing away from Sasakwa Hill in search of prey species. 12 members, however, remain close to the Sasakwa Dam area.

• The Nyasirori Pride have been offering some awesome viewing, especially when 14 of them climbed up into the sausage trees close to Sabora camp.

• The Nyasirori Pride lions were observed on numerous occasions on the high ground, south of Sabora camp.

Leopards

• The Leopard sightings this month have been incredible. The mother and two youngsters of the Grumeti North Hill have been visited daily and the young cubs continue to grow from strength to strength.

• Tulia’s two sub-adult young remain strong in the woodlands, west of Sabora camp. This male and the female remain close and have been seen regularly this month.

Cheetah

• A total of 32 individual sightings recorded this month.

• Despite the very long grasses, cheetah sightings have been great. Perhaps with the long grass, the animals are more likely to get up onto an exposed, higher position in order to scan for prey and this makes them easy to spot. Termite mounds and fallen over trees are often great places to see them.

Elephants

• Large elephant herds have been redistributing over the concession with some great numbers up in the Ikorongo. Good breeding herds have been observed on the Grumeti River too, between the Old German Bridge and Colobus Crossing.

• Lovely herds have been seen from Sasakwa Hill to the north, and on to the Mkomure drainage line. Hyenas

• A total of 133 spotted hyena were sighted this month. The Boundary Pan Clan have been very busy, offering some great viewing too. There are a further four more furry additions that are often seen playing at the entrance to the den.

Buffalo

• The large herds of buffalo remain on the long grass plains of Sasakwa and Sabora. Great buffalo bulls have been seen on the Mkomure and Rubana drainage lines.

Rhinos

• The rhino continue to do very well in the Ikorongo region. Each of the individuals seem to have found their ranges and are settling well. We have had some great sightings here and there.

Some exciting and informative Bush Stories follow, as well as a January Gallery of images.

A mother and her young girls The leopardess of the Grumeti North Hill and her two daughters have provided both guides and guests with some sensational viewing this month. It has been a real privilege to watch the two cubs grow from strength to strength over the last four and a half months. The mother certainly has her paws full with keeping her two daughters fed well, and she has not disappointed. She has regularly killed both impala and Thompson’s gazelle and successfully hidden the kills in the thickets or hoisted them safely into the tops of the trees for the youngsters to feed from without threat from other predators. On occasions she has also killed warthog piglets and grey duiker and she continues to do an incredible job of keeping her youngsters safe and well.

Whilst mother is off hunting, we have often seen the two daughters playing together on a termite mound or something of the sorts, honing their skills and working on their balance. What a pleasure!

Pictures by George Tolchard & Emma Wilson

Kings and queens of the termite mounds

With the very heavy rains over many months the Grumeti Reserve can be compared to an ocean of grass. This make life tough, not only for the prey species, but for the predators too. Out of the grasses and up upon the termite mounds is where you will find the cheetah these days as they survey the lands for a potential meal. We have been so privileged to observe these incredible cats out in the open like this as they move from one area of high ground to another, maintaining a vantage point whereby they may keep track of their quarry’s movements. We have had some fantastic photographic opportunities with these sleek cats as they sit up high and proud with the morning light shining down on them and the pristine wilderness backdrop that the Grumeti Reserve offers. Cheetah numbers remain stable here on the reserve and sightings over the years have been very good. During the drier months we find

that resident cheetah will focus their attention on the short grass plains where there are great concentrations of their favoured prey. However, with the grasses long and plains wildlife dispersed, these cats will move greater distances in the pursuit of existence.

Dancing widows and whydahs Widowbirds and whydahs have been dancing all over the grasslands this month with some lovely displays.

We have a number of different species here on the Grumeti and they all make for fantastic viewing. These birds are most impressive when they are breeding and this usually happens during the summer rains when the grasses are longer. Male widowbirds and whydahs are seen flitting over the top of the golden grasses as they present themselves to the females. A male’s territory is also known as an arena and this is where he will advertise to the females. The neighbouring territory may well be taken by another male that is competing for female widowbirds in the same way. Watching the males dance around their arena is a marvellous experience. This month we have seen the yellow-mantled widowbird very active as well as others such as the fan-tailed and white-winged widowbirds and the very impressive red-collared widowbird (below right). Whydahs this month include the pin-tailed, straw-tailed, eastern paradise and steel-blue, all of which are impressive to see in breeding plumage. When the males are advertising like this at this time of year they are entirely conspicuous and therefore exposed to predation but it’s worth the risk in order to gain breeding rights with the females and continue their bloodline. In non-breeding season the male birds will undergo a feather moult, losing their brilliant display feathers as they return to a rather drab eclipse plumage once again.

A red-collared widowbird. Photo by Emma Wilson

January Wildlife Gallery

Eric the black rhino looking very well. Photos by Emma Wilson

A black-backed Jackal. Photo by Emma Wilson.

A young leopard cub from the Grumeti North Hill.

Sasakwa plains male cheetah.

A young Nyasirori Pride member gets comfortable in a sausage tree.

The Nyasirori Pride hangs out up top.

A Grumeti River bull elephant.

A Mkuyu lion.

The Rubana drainage line, looking downstream to the west.

The Rubana drainage at Acacia Bridge, looking upstream to the north.

Compiled and photographed by George Tolchard, unless otherwise indicated.