March 18, 2016 Sunrise Drive

My Drive photo album

     Today there was no opening sequence, we the viewers had heard rain on the Djuma cam, and were discussing on twitter, the possibility of a rain delay; However at 05.30 a large male lion appeared on my screen WOW what a start. I was so fascinated, thrilled and surprised I forgot all about taking notes and just watched and snapped screenshots for almost 10 minutes before I realized I had forgotten about my blog. Yep that’s what the beauty of a male lion can do. This was such an awesome drive I hope I can do it justice with my summary.So here we go. 

 

  
  (2016/03/18 05:30)Brent says his good morning greeting with Dave Eastaugh on camera, with a male lion from the Birmingham boy coalition and a Nkuhuma pride female that have been mating for about four days and are now in our viewing area. They came in from the east, Torchwood property.  Just before we went live they had mated so we have around 15 min before they will go again. We watch as the light raining drizzles and sparkles in his marvelous mane and she cleans herself. Then she stands up gives him the gentle cue and he follows excitedly behind the vehicle and a little ways down the road for their few seconds long coitus session. We see but since it is dark and rainy it is not a great view not that we needed to see that part close and personal. However the session ended without much snarling and no snapping, or slapping, like I have seen other times with Leopards, Brent tells us that is because they have been at it so many days. 

• (2016/03/18 05:40) The lioness is done cleaning herself so she gets up and nudges the male as if to say follow me. Which he does happily (unlike Tingana the male leopard who the female leopards have to really try to get him going) He follows her to the road where they have their quick coitus session. 

 

•  (2016/03/18 05:41) Once done she rolls over for about half a second then stands up and they walk down the road.

• (2016/03/18 05:44) The two lions head into thick bush. Brent sends us to Jamie while he rushes ahead to catch them when they come out.

     Jamie Paterson is on the second vehicle with Jeandré Gerding on camera. She radios Brent to ask if he needs help relocation the lions. He tells her to check Sydney's dam for the rest of the Nkuhuma pride. (2016/03/18 05:45)

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 05:47) When we cut back to Brent I can't hear him due to some microphone issues. The male lion is right next to the back of the vehicle and then walks behind it. 

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 05:49) We go to Jamie as he follows the lions down the power line.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 05:52) We go back to Brent who is following the two lions as they walk past the Djuma Research Camp sign towards final control. 

• (2016/03/18 05:54) As they pass the Djuma research camp sign the lioness sees a Nyala and suddenly decided to go for it and chases it, but misses. 

• (2016/03/18 05:58) They walk right to the back gate of Final Control. 

 

• (2016/03/18 06:01) They turn and head into quarantine clearing where impala see them and alarm call/snort.

• (2016/03/18 06:10) The lions are now walking in a thicker area, Brent tries to follow, but suddenly a steenbok jumps up and runs right in front of the lioness and she runs after it. He loses sight of her.

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 06:14) We go to Jamie.

• (2016/03/18 06:18) Jeandré spots tracks in the road. Jamie gets out of the vehicle to show how hyenas walk and make their unique tracks in the sand.

• (2016/03/18 06:19) At Sydney's dam there is a Wildebeest herd and several waterbuck with one particularly cute calf running around. We stay and watch the two herds of antelope for awhile.

 

• (2016/03/18 06:29) Note just before leaving Sydney's dam Jamie talks about Wild dogs which means we should see some soon, Silly but when she mentions them we usually see them.

• (2016/03/18 06:35) Francolin

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 06:37) Brent is still searching to relocate the lions. His signal starts to break up so he sends us to Jamie.

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 06:41) Terrapin in a road puddle.

• (2016/03/18 06:51) As Jamie heads over to where Brent is with the lions we are sent back to see them from Brent's vehicle.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 06:51) We are with a female lioness lying in the road. The male is lying behind the vehicle quite a ways away.

 

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 06:55) We switch to Jamie's vehicle now in the sighting because she has better signal then Brent.

• (2016/03/18 07:06)The female heads over to the male to initiate a mating session.  @7.07 They mate. Link to video

• (2016/03/18 07:10)The two lions get up and walk off a little ways and are headed towards a drainage line.

  

 

• (2016/03/18 07:12)The female lays down and therefore so does the male. A viewer tells Jamie this is Birmingham boy #2.

 

• (2016/03/18 07:15) She tells us she needs to move so other vehicles in the sighting can get a good view since we have seen them a long time so far today.

• (2016/03/18 07:17)We can still see the male but there is a bush between us and him.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 07:19)Brent is looking for a herd of elephants.

• He finds some impala but not great views of them and his signal is shaky, so we go back to Jamie.

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 07:22) We are letting the others in the sighting to get the best views of the lions so Jamie is chatting and answering questions.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 07:31) Brent has found the herd of elephants.

 

• (2016/03/18 07:38) Brent shows us an image he has on his cell phone of a diagram that tells how to age elephants.

• (2016/03/18 07:39)Brent hears on the radio that there are wild dogs on the property and we all know what that means. Brent goes into an adrenaline fueled frenzy of excitement and Ferrari safari mode, while he takes off in a mad rush to find his favorite animal to get us a view.

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 07:41) Jamie is still with the lions with a good view now not thru the bushes.

• (2016/03/18 07:50) The lions are both sleeping.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 07:51) We get a very quick view of a wild dog in thick bush, they are moving quickly thru the thick block and since there has been rain and we can't do a lot of off-roading which makes it even harder to follow them.  Not that it is ever easy to follow mobile wild dogs. 

 

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 07:53) Still with the sleeping lions

• (2016/03/18 07:56) She decides to leave the lions to go help locate and follow the wild dogs.

Brent,

• (2016/03/18 07:58) Brent trying to find, and follow the wild dogs. It has become an all hands on deck search since they keep turning their direction over and over.

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 08:08) Jamie is also in on the search for the wild dogs.

• (2016/03/18 08:11)  Jamie sees two Vervet monkeys in a tree they are not alarming so she doesn’t think the wild dogs have been by where she is.

Brent (2016/03/18 08:15).

Jamie,

• (2016/03/18 08:19) She is with the wild dogs but they are in a thick bushy block hunting and mobile. But we get a couple great views of a few of them.

 

• (2016/03/18 08:21) the whole pack trots past the car and into the road running ahead of her.

• (2016/03/18 08:24) Several of the wild dogs lay and play in a water puddle in road.

• (2016/03/18 08:31) Jamie tells us they will extend the sighting for a few minutes until we have to leave the sighting or lose visual. 

 (2016/03/18 08:32) There are now four vehicles in the wild dog sighting since they are on a main access road. Therefore one vehicle has to leave and we have been with them the longest we are the ones to leave and thus that ends the sunrise drive.

Jamie says goodbye for all. Amazing drive!

End of Drive.

© 2016 Chell Taft

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