The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Flutterby]

Love the youngsters.

Great pics again.

[Richprins]

Fascinating, Pumbaa!

Slim and trim, those wild parts of my family, not like my side who sit next to the tourist roads!

I hate finding doves and sparrows in the bush...they belong in human areas, as far as I'm concerned!

Interesting that rocky area, seems to be a stretch like that around Nwanedzi?

Nice pics all round!

[nan]

the Roller

[Lisbeth]

I do not think that it is a house sparrow, it is more like a Cape sparrow

[Lisbeth]

the Roller

The bee-eater

[Pumbaa]

Thanks so much Alf, nan, Lisbeth, Flutterby, Richprins for your comments and compliments

The Mananga trail is continuing on the S41 opposite Gudzani dam and on that first stretch there the area is very rough and stony in fact just like N'Wanedzi

[Pumbaa]

As much as the official roads were deserted from animals here you nearly could see each animal and we stopped for a very curious looking wildebeest,



vervets, more waterbucks and the poor remains of a buffalo.



Lot of zebras could be admired



and the day turned more and more into a fantastic one already the more we saw.



The little ones were allowed to rest under the watchful eyes of mom -



What a cute couple this is!



Then we met another car which was the only one we met that day on the trail and the driver babbled something from a pride of resting lions only 2 kilometers further down the road – at least that was what we understood. I normally did not rely 100% on such statements but for sure it is more than nice when people share such information. So we drove and drove and after we already passed the 2 kilometer mark and no lions appeared we were in fact not that disappointed and still extreme satisfied with the sightings of the day and from the trail and same was still not over although I can very well do without such huge elephant bull who just appeared right on the trail



and he steadily approached us whilst we already started to drove backwards but then he obviously got bored and disappeared into the bushes and we carried on.



The area got more open now and it must have been due to the smaller stream of the Mavumbye which was in fact still carrying a lot of water and along which the trail was leading us that there we saw that much animals and now we knew where all the zebras have been hiding as here we saw masses of them and some came across with some hitchhikers in form of yellow-billed oxpeckers.



At that stage it started to drizzle but same was not worth to mention and the zebras did not bother same at all and also the kudus who meanwhile joined the zebras where not that unhappy about the few raindrops.

[Pumbaa]

Here is a view into the quite full Mavumbye stream compared to the rest of the Satarian area and that is always my favourite part of the trail the drive along that small stream as here it is quite lush and green even in droughts



and where there is water waterbucks are normally not that far and this was quite a handsome specimen.



We really enjoyed the ride along that trail and were happy that at least a bit natural water in that bone dry area could be found



and then they were there – a large pride of lions resting close to the riverbed spread all over that place with two big males quite close to the trail



as explained earlier by the driver of the other car but in fact quite farer away than 2 kilometers. Needless to say that we were over the moon as we so far did not spot any lions whilst driving the trail and on the other hand we never had seen such a large lion pride in the open with several males, teenagers and lionesses that close to the road ever before.



A pity was that some of the lions got a bit restless whilst we approached them but I asked Timon to simply switch the engine off and then in fact the lions did not feel anymore disturbed by us and continued to do what they normally do on such a day.



For sure some sleepy ones could be seen



as well as nearly all sizes either large or small



although really small cubs could not be identified but a couple of very active and very playful teenagers, younger males





and for sure lots of females.



to be continued....

[Richprins]

Lovely!

Must do that road...do you really need a 4x4 or will a SUV do?


As said, the animals won't be that used to cars, so well done!

[nan]

wow Yellow-billed Oxpecker, perfect stripes of Zebra and cute little one

love the landscape... in the middle....