It is nearing the height of the dry season (winter) at Amazulu Nature Reserve. Everybody at Amakhosi is looking forward to spring and some warmer temperatures. The winter solstices have come and gone and the days are now getting longer and longer. Average tempera-tures are notably increasing from day to day. This is exciting news since it has been a colder than average winter this year with some frost along the river line in the early morning. With the first rains another three months or so away, water supply to all the wildlife here at Amakhosi is crucial. Most of the reserve is deprived of any surface water and only a couple of dams still contain suitable water. However, the Mkuze River is still flowing strong and is serving as a vital lifeline. This means that most of the animals are now concentrated around these watering points and this makes for excellent game viewing.

Concerning the animals on the reserve, things are going very well. The impala rutting season is now over and we can expect a multitude of lambs to be born during late November and early December. The big female lion that is part of the Northern pride of lions has given birth to her next litter of cubs at the rocky foot of Mashlangosh Mountain.
We have already had a brief visual of one of the cubs but we expect the litter size to be about three cubs strong. The two big male lions of the northern pride are ever vigilant and keeping a very close eye on their territory. Ear deafening roars early evening and morning claims the land they stand on and dissolves any attempt at defiance from interlopers of less stature. The very survival of the cubs would depend on the success of these brothers retaining their territory. This in turn will ensure the two brothers genetic success and the continuation of their legacy. The rest of the pride is all in good health and they are well fed. The southern pride of lions is living life to the fullest. They move around a lot covering great distances and are making kills on a regular basis. This is good news considering the fact that there are ten mouths to feed.

At the beginning of the month, two Amakhosi game viewing vehicles were enjoying yet another excellent sighting of the big herd of elephants in the south of the reserve when we noticed to our astonishment this small little figure walking between his mother's legs. Every now and then he would venture inquisitively a little bit further from his mother only to scamper back to the safety of those four giant pillars for protection. This was the first official sighting of the newest member to the elephant herd. We are delighted to report that at four weeks old, the little male elephant is doing very well. The rest of the herd is very protective of the calf and his mother and with a force like this elephant herd to reckon with, the future of these two looks very bright indeed. The big bull elephants are still wondering around as they always do. Their feeding strategies are pretty destructive as they break branches and push over trees to get to the succulent and often medicinal roots of some tree species.  These six-ton-big boys never cease to amaze us with their raw power as they sometimes snap tree trunks, often a meter and a half in diameter, like a matchstick. Though destructive, it is extremely important in opening up the more densely wooded areas of the reserve and so creating opportunities for others to exploit.

The cheetahs are doing as well as expected. Lots of food, water and a vast space to roam in have resulted in the population being in excellent health. These cheetahs are well adapted to hunting in thick bush. They utilize the thick cover very well, combine this with their legendary speed and their quarry stand little chance. In fact, a lot if the sightings we have on cheetahs are with them eating either breakfast or dinner. We are very glad to report that the little cub that lost his eye in a confrontation with an adult male is alive and well. The wound to his eye has healed without any complications and with youth on his side, he is adapting well to life with only one eye. He might have lost his depth perception, but history has taught us that this is only a minor setback and that predators with only one eye can survive just as well as any other. The last sighting we had of him he had a full stomach and was stalking and playing with his mother and sibling. At the moment we estimate that there is approximately between 16 and 20 cheetahs on the reserve. Being free movers and the reserve being large in size, we expect more cheetahs to make their way to this safe heaven.

Recently our sightings on the elusive spotted hyena have been picking up. Sightings are ever growing in quality and frequency. Even the bone chilling call of this legendary African predator and scavenger, now echoes through the night.

One of the most exciting events in a long time at Amakhosi was another visit from the highly endangered and absolutely beautiful African wild dog. These dogs possibly originate from the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. They leave that area and use our reserve as corridor to travel to some yet undetermined area after which they return back to their place of origin. We at Amakhosi feel very privileged that these magnificent creatures decided to use our reserve in their travels and we hope that they would make a bit of a habit of it. It is now clear to us the vast amount of space (hundreds of square kilometers) needed for the conservation of these vulnerable predators. With rural Zululand having a relatively low human population density in comparison to other locations, and the high concentration of Game Reserves and protected conservation areas, the future for now looks good for the African wild dog.

A short note on our feathered friends is that birding is still, like ever, phenomenal at Amakhosi.
Being winter, it means that our migrant species of birds are absent, but this doens't mean that birding isn't as exciting. Hundreds of species of resident birds still create a collage of colour in the now gray winter curtain of the bush. Our resident nesting pair of crowned eagles is still in the area and good sightings of them is not uncommon. We also had the discovery of a nesting pair of African Hawk Eagels. in the southern part of the reserve. The pair of Tawny eagels that nest on the mint plains just to the north of the lodge still prowl with an "eagle eye" over the reserve and their juvenile in the nest is spotted quite often. Vultures are ever present, waiting for some scraps of food left over by predators, which they make short work of. This keeps the bush in a good state of cleanliness and also prevents the spreading of disease. We are proud to announce that sightings of the extremely endangered White Headed Vulture are becoming more common as they mingle with the more common Whithe Backed Vulture in the search for food. On the plains there are flocks of red-billed quella's and Blue waxbills enjoying the multitude of grass seeds that is present at the moment. At one of the dams in the north of the reserve we, still spot Fish eagle on a regular basis as he is catching his daily quota of fish in the awesome, gravity defying way only they can accomplish. Water birds that are seen on a daily basis include ducks, geese, herons (including the largest heron in the world, the Goliath heron), African jacana and Fin foot to name but a few. 

Allthough the dry season is still in full swing at Amakhosi it doesn't mean that the wildlife is taking a break. Life exists at Amakhosi in mulifaceted array of splendor and diversity, no matter what time of the year. Every possible little niche is filled and no yard is taken or given by any of the creatures that share this immaculate place. Ecological processes like competition, predation and "genetic warfare" are still in good report and this ensures that the delicate "balance" of nature is retained. In the end we are observers of this system and all its inner workings and it is our responsibility to protect and to educate about this delicate natural "balance" that exist between all living and non-living things. We at Amakhosi accept this responsibility and will continue to protect and to teach about this absolute paradise we call "home".

The Amakhosi rangers
Jaco Becker (BSc. Entomology; BSc. Hons. Wildlife management)
Dean Fraser
Charl Gambling