It’s a very overcast morning, so no sunrise, but we have early success this morning on the game drive from Phinda Zuka Lodge. We happen upon the lionesses and cubs that have been feasting on the zebra caught yesterday. One cub is so full he’s rolling on his back with his paws in the air – all the better to give his grandmother a playful swipe as she moves past.
The lions are a fair distance from the road, on the burnt out area where we can’t approach them, so we head off in search of cheetah. We find cheetah tracks, but there is no sign of the female cheetah and her three sons from yesterday. A journey of helpful giraffe provide clues to the location of two adult male cheetah. They spot them from a long distance away, and come to take a closer look. A cheetah is no match for a giraffe, and the giraffes approach confidently. It is only when we turn around to see what the giraffe are so interested in that we spot the two cheetah moving through the grass – we must have driven straight past them a few minutes ago. These two males are two out of the three surviving cubs from the female cheetah’s last litter. They have picked up the scent of their full or half brothers, and are keen to indulge in spot of fratricide – in other words, they want to reinforce their dominance by killing their three younger brothers. A spot of scent marking and then it’s on to a shady tree, where they are likely to remain for the rest of the day. There is no sign of the female and her current litter.
We head back to see if the lion cubs are on the move. The pride is where we left it, but as soon as we arrive, the mother and grandmother lioness decide it’s time for some time away from the cubs, so they head towards the nearby waterhole. We leave the cubs behind and follow the lionesses. The old lioness, at around 15 years old, looks old, tired and in pain. She walks slowly and as soon as she has the opportunity to stop, she sits down heavily. It’s sad to see this superb animal approaching the end of her life. We leave her and her daughter artfully concealed on a lookout over the waterhole.
This morning it is time to leave Phinda Zuka Lodge, and move to Phinda Forest Lodge. Phinda Forest Lodge is set in a dry sand forest, and has four times as many cabins as Zuka. The cabins are beautiful – the same fitout as Zuka, but a modern African aesthetic, with screened doors that open out into the forest, and most importantly, a desk for charging cameras and laptops!
The first game drive at Forest is a shared vehicle with two couples – one South African couple and a couple from Singapore (judging by the accent, I’d say the guy is a South African married to a Singaporean). The first major sighting is almost missed – we almost drive past a newly introduced male lion, and his latest conquest, resting close to the side of the track. They are on day 3 of their 4 day mating ritual, and the female rarely stirs from her nap.
Otherwise it is a quiet night for game sightings at Forest Lodge. We spend quite a bit of time searching for a leopard in the forest near the lodge, but don’t sight anything.
