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The Leopard's Tale - September 2011
Good Day to all our Leopards Tale Readers
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This past month we had the First Sighting of the Lion out of the Boma.
It was a Perfect Setting at the Manyoni bridge on the Rocks. Both of the Game Drive vehicles from Leopard Mountain got a viewing of them, and we had a breeding herd of Buffalo near the lodge and the Breeding herd of Elephant at the site where Ryan & Jo Vivier were married, really good Game Drive with 3 of the BIG 5 all in 1 morning drive
Exciting Additions
Walking Safaris
Leopard Mountain is pleased to be able to offer guests Walking Safaris as an additional activity at the lodge. The trails go out twice daily and are the perfect opportunity for guests to get closer to nature. The game viewing vehicles are restricted to driving on the roads of the reserve but the trails are able to get into areas that guests have never seen before making for some very exciting and unforgettable wildlife experiences.
So far Black Rhino and Buffalo have been seen numerous times and a few lucky people were even able to see a Leopard while walking in the river bed. Birding has been amazing with African Crowned Eagles and Twinspots being regular sightings, Narina Trogans have been seen and African Broadbills have been heard hiding in the forest canopy.
Out of the vehicles and walking on foot allows a guest to use more of their senses making you apart of the experience not just a spectator.
New Team Member
At Leopard Mountain we take great pride in the meals we offer our guests, from the scrumptious English breakfast, the divine afternoon tea and the tempting-cant-get-enough Biscuits that occupy the Tea and Coffee Station in the Lounge. With this we are proud to introduce Ashton Mitchell, our new Head Chef. Ashton joined our team in May 2011 and has been offering our guests some of the most mouth watering dishes to date!
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Don't FORGET, coming up this month
DO your bit for conservation; check out these websites to see how you can help!
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OUR RESERVE
The Rangers Report, our Ranger, Wesley, gives us some wonderful updates as to what everything is up to:- This past months sightings on both walks and drives have been fun filled and extremely interesting.
With the recent release of the lion into the Zululand Rhino Reserve all the lodges guides have been racing to get the "BIG 5 in one Drive" and it is with great excitement that Leopard Mountain can boast that Ivor, our Trails Manager, managed to do it first.
The drive started with watching the Lions lazing around in the shade of some trees near one of the dams. After leaving the lion, Ivor found one of the Elephant bulls feeding on some Acacia Tree roots next to the main road through the reserve. After sunset drinks break two White Rhino were found grazing happily in a Knobthorn Tree thicket. While moving through an area of very dense bush looking for Chameleons, a Leopard was seen sitting on a game path. The leopard sat for a while illuminated by the spotlight of the Game Viewer before moving off into some thick bush next to the path. About 2km from the lodge every bodies eyes were peeled staring hard into the darkness looking for the last of the 5, the Buffalo, and as the vehicle rounded a corner 3 Buffalo Bulls stepped into the road, they fed for a while on the grass next to the vehicle and then disappeared into the Bushveld.
For the first time in more than 50 years all of the BIG 5 had been seen in one day at Leopard Mountain Game Lodge.
The elephant breeding herd has been spending a large amount of their time around the lodge and in the Msunduze riverbed just below the lodge. There is a few of the sycamore fig trees just starting to flower at the moment and this seems to be one of the larger attractions for the elephants in and on the banks of the river. Having the elephants in the riverbed also gives us an opportunity to view them from a completely different perspective, from above, looking down upon them.
One of the Elephant Bulls' has also been milling about in the same area; we believe he is following the breeding herd with the possibility of one of the females heightened oestrus levels being the main attraction.
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Elephant cows generally come into oestrus cycle once every sixteen weeks, for two to three weeks at a time. This is prime time for bulls to mix with the herds of cows and calves, especially if the bull is in musth as this is when mating takes place and ensures a more successful impregnation rate.
The musth cycle is when a bull elephants' testosterone levels are at extremely heightened levels. Indication of a bull in musth can be identified by the secretion of flued from the temporal gland, a gland between the eye and ear cavity, leaving wet stains on the facial area of the elephant. A musth bulls back legs are also constantly wet.
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| Predator sightings
With the lions being introduced recently, things have been getting really exciting. The coalition of three brothers seems to be spending the majority of their time about three to four kilometres from Leopard Mountain Lodge.
The area they are currently using for relaxing during the warmer hours of the day and hunting by evening or early morning, boasts a large number of river crossings through the Manyoni river.
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The three brothers have been hunting with a fairly good success rate, even bringing two blue wildebeest (brindled gnu) down in the space of only a few days.
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A few fantastic leopard sightings have also been shared amongst the Leopard Mountain guides this month, one of which was spent with a very relaxed female believed to be resident in the area. While following the nervous barking of Kudu and Nyala Ivor, one of the trails rangers, came upon a male leopard crossing the Msunduzi River bed at about 7:00 on one of the morning Walking Safaris, they watched the leopard for a few minutes before it disappeared into a low part of the river to drink water, while it was out of sight the trail changed position and waited for the leopard to reappear. After a short while it came out of the dip, crossed the river again and disappeared into the thickets. A male and female leopard have also been heard calling to each other in the river bed below the lodge.
Tracks and signs are also ever present in the riverbeds and the sound of baboon troops alarm calling in panic is good proof of leopard activity.
Birds
The abundance of bird life and all of their colours starting to brighten now, is proof of the summer months creeping ever closer.
Eagle sightings have been very abundant with sightings of African Crowned Eagle, Marshal Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Wahlbergs Eagle and Bateleur Eagle making a presence on the spring stage. Nesting sites for both African Crowned Eagle and Wahlbergs Eagle have been found and monitored, making for some amazing learning about birds of prey, their hunting and behavioural patterns.
A great sighting of the small, yet not to be underestimated Pin Tailed Whydah was also added to the bag. This little male Pin Tailed Whydah was just starting to develop its long tail and bright red bill and was not having any of the Fork-Tailed Drongos share its space.
A juvenile African Jacana has also made residence at one of the waterholes nearby and can be closely observed for long periods of time, walking along the bank of the waterhole, doing its rounds in search of insects, aquatic larvae, small crabs, snails and seeds.
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Kim Steinberg Photography: - Tip of the Month
Each month we take a look at something simple that we can do to help make our photos even betters:-
There are some simple rules to follow to compose stronger, more interesting images. The position of the horizon can have a huge impact on an image. It can direct interest to the foreground if there is a dominant element in this part of the frame, or it can make a big sky look even bigger and add a sense of scale.
Do this by deciding what the focal point of your image is. If you want to show a storm over a mountain, then place your horizon at the bottom of the frame to allow the storm clouds to dominate. If your image is about the mountain range itself, then position the horizon higher in the frame to show the height of the mountains.
Email me on
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
if you have any questions. Till next month, keep shooting. www.kimsteinberg.com
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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?
Is there something that you have always wondered and never been able to answer, let us help, send us your questions and we'll send the answers!
Have you ever wondered about our majestic Hippopotamus?
The word Hippopotamus is from two Greek words meaning 'River Horse'.
Hippos spend most of their time partially submerged in water. While in the water the hippos propel themselves along by pushing off the bottom with the feet.
The male is able to hold his breath for up to 7 minutes, the female can hold her breath up to 5 minutes, however the calf can only hold its breath for a mere minute. The calf is born and suckles under water. The gestation period of a female Hippo is 240 days and they are able to produce young from 7 years of age. When hippos are under water their ears and nose close automatically to prevent water from entering the ear and nasal cavities.
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Other interesting facts about the hippopotamus:
Its body is 12 – 15 feet in length and can weigh up to an incredible amount of 3 ½ tons. The tail can grow up to 50cm in length.
The enormous canines known as tusks can grow up to about 30cm long and are used in defense and territorial disputes.
The hippo is a herbivore and leaves the water to feed from dusk to dawn. During this time it can travel up to 8km away from water to graze. It can consume about 60kg of grass. Hippos consume an incredible amount of up to 56 gallons (250 l) of water per day.
When hippos are in a group in the water they are classified as a pod and then on land they are called a herd.
The Zulu name for a Hippo is 'Mvubu'
Interesting fact you may not have known:
While basking in the sun a Hippo secretes an oily red substance from their skin, which gave rise to the myth that they "Sweat Blood". This however is not true and the liquid is actually a skin moistener, sun block and protects from insect bites.
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BUSH CUISINE
Choc Chip Cookies
Ingredients
| Butter (melted) |
180g |
| Flour |
375ml |
| Baking Powder |
8ml |
| Sugar |
60ml |
| Condensed Milk |
30ml |
| Vanilla Essence |
1ml |
| Chocolate Chips |
125ml |
Method
- Sift all dry ingredients together
- Mix condensed milk, vanilla & butter
- Mix wet & dry ingredients & then add choc chips. Mix Well
- Drop teaspoons of biscuit dough onto a baking tray & bake at 189 for 15 minutes
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Leopard Mountain Wine of the Month
This Month I would like to introduce to you a new elegant addition to our wine cellar the "Carpe Diem Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009".
As some of you may know Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety.
We can gratefully thank the creator of this wine Abraham Izak Perold, whom without we would not have the privilege to savor such a magnificent wine.
This varietal is a product of the crossing of the Pinot Noir Grape and the Hermitage grape, hence the name Pinotage. The first marketed Pinotage was the Lanzerac Pinotage in 1961
The Pinotage grape is profoundly known for producing pleasant banana, cherry & chocolate flavours.
The Carpe Diem Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009 boasts lovely hints of cherries & blueberries with sweet vanilla undertones, followed by soft mouth-filling tannins.
This wine is a fabulous compliment to dishes like Lamb Casserole, Tender Venison dishes as well as a decadent chocolate mousse. As we say "a glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away" - it contains high concentrations of resveratol and anti-oxidants, which show the ability to reduce the risk of cancer & heart disease. And why Pinotage rather than any other red wine, because it is uniquely South African and it allows you to strike a blow against tyranny of conventional.
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Funny Bones
The Panda
A panda walks into a bar, sits down and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun and shoots the waiter dead.
As the panda stands up to go, the bartender shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!"
The panda yells back at the bartender, "Hey, I'm a PANDA! Look it up!" The bartender opens his dictionary and sees the following definition for panda:
"A tree dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves.
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THIS MONTH'S COMPETITION
You could be the lucky person to win yourself and a partner a free night including dinner, bed & breakfast and game drives at the lodge. You may email us your answer to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(competition closes 30th September 2011 terms & conditions apply):
Solve this Riddle:
The person who makes it, sells it. Ther person who buys it never uses it and the person who uses it doesn't know they are using it.
What Is it?
Last Months Winner Was:
Thank you to everyone who responded to our competition! The winner of our LEOPARD MOUNTAIN competition for last month is Glenda Du Toit. Congratulations - you have won yourself and a partner a free night .
Last Month's Ridde was:
Weight on my belly,
Trees on my back,
Nails in my ribs,
Feet I do lack,
What am I?
A Ship
BEST GUEST COMMENTS
Date: 27 August 2011
Guest: Sheila Sergy
Thank you for an amazing adventure
Date: 27 August 2011
Guest: Chris & Tanja
The Best by Far, Thanks. Highly Recommended
Date: 12 august 2011
Guest: Steffen Leitner
Very nice staff, amazing panorama, delicious dinner, really nice.
Date: 10 August 2011
Guest: Pia & Paolo
It's really a little piece of paradise down here. Very warming welcome, everything is really perfect with no exception. Delicious Picnic basket, breakfast and dinner. Suggestive Sceneries, sounds & silences. Thanks a lot for this unforgettable experience.
Date: 13 August 2011
Guest: Harry, Gill, Jane, Rosie & Molly Adamson
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful stay – good food, lovely lodge and friendly staff and rangers. We have had a lovely stay!
Date: 28 August 2011
Guest: Richard, Nicola & Keira-lee Stone
Thank you for a great weekend. We enjoyed our stay and the staff, food and lodge are excellent. We will be back
Date: 31 August 2011
Guest: Garth, Bianca, Luke & Cole Woolley
Had a wonderful stay. The hosting team were attentive, understanding and thoughtful throughout. Had a great time, thanks.
Date: 9 August 2011
Guest: Nadia, Steve, Andrea & Vincent Baratte
We are here, only for one day, but it was wonderful and great. Thanks, we hope to come back.
Date: 8 August 2011
Guest: Clive & Alison Graham and Peter & Linda Shorten
A really lovely bushveld break, great to see the intelligent conservation efforts, very friendly and helpful staff and outstanding guiding by Chase. Definitely one to remember often.
GOING GREEN
In the world today we all need to make an effort to help our environment recover from the damage we have caused. Some of us look at this and head for the hills as we think that only a huge project will make an impact, this of course is not the case any effort, no matter how small is a start!
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THIS MONTHS TIP
Clinging to Clingwrap?
Instead of using clingwrap to cover leftovers – either use a plate to cover the dish, or transfer the food into a sealable reusable tupperware or container.
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THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
'Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action' Mother Teresa
…till we chat again next month...
Editor
Melissa van Rooyen
Pictures courtesy of Ivor van Rooyen & Kim Steinberg
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