Exploring nature in african safari

Exploration Series Three of Exploring Nature

African Safari – Sub Series I: Kruger National Park By Arnab Basu 14 to 16th February, 2016 th

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African Safari – Sub Series I: Kruger National Park By Arnab Basu 14th to 16th February, 2016

Š All the Information and Photographs published in this report are the properties of Exploring Nature and cannot be used for commercial or research purposes without prior permission of the explorers 2

CONTENTS Topic

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Cover Page Copyright Statement Contents Chapter One Why this visit?

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Chapter Two Visit plan and day to day activity

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Chapter Three Spotted and Identified Biodiversity at Kruger National Park Chapter Four

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Encounter with Elephant – This time its Africa Chapter Five

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Quest for African Lion End of Story

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Annexure One: The Explorers’ Profile Annexure Two: The Journey Itinerary Annexure Three: List of Species Identified Annexure Four: Reference

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Chapter One: Why this visit?

Being nature lovers and students of Natural Science for more than two decades, the members of Exploring Nature decided to pay tribute to Mother Nature by promoting awareness of some of the well explored as well as relatively less explored biodiversity around the world by carrying out a high level rapid biodiversity exploration. In these endeavor explorers of Exploring Nature, after the successful completion of the biggest exploration of the year 2015 – Exploration Series – II – “Hiking in Highlands – Wild South West- Visit to Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park and Periyar Tiger Reserve”, planned to extend the scope of exploration beyond Indian subcontinent.

Therefore, the team Exploring Nature launched 1st series of African Safari Exploration Series – III – “African Safari – Sub Series I – Kruger National Park”.

South Africa is a megadiverse country, considered one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, largely due to species diversity and endemism of the vegetation. The major natural systems of the country have been classified in terms of the biome concept, based on dominant plant life forms, correlated with climatic variations. Biomes found in South Africa are desert, fynbos, succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thicket, forest and wetland vegetation. South Africa occupies only 2% of the world’s surface area but is home to nearly 10% of the world’s plants and 7% of the world’s reptiles, birds and mammals. South Africa is home to approximately 24 000 plant species. Levels of endemism are high, especially for plants. Plant genetic diversity is also unusually high, contributing to the potential for developing new medicines, crops, cosmetics, ornamental plants and other useful products. South Africa’s faunal diversity is also high relative to the land surface area. South Africa is home to an estimated 5.8% of the global total of mammal species (close to 300 species), 8% of bird species (more than 800 species recorded), 4.6% of reptile species (288 species) and 5.5% of the world’s known insect species (50 000 species have been recorded in South Africa, but an estimated further 50 000 have not yet been described). In terms of the number of endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, South Africa ranks as the fifth richest country in Africa and the 24th richest in the world. Marine biological diversity is also high. There are over 11 000 species found in South African waters, which is about 15% of global species, with more than 25% of these marine species (or 3 496 species) being endemic to South Africa.

Three globally recognised biodiversity hotspots (areas with especially high concentrations of biodiversity, which are under serious threat) are found in South Africa: the Cape Floral Kingdom (equivalent to the fynbos biome), Succulent Karoo (shared with Namibia) and the Maputaland- Pondoland-Albany centre of endemism (Maputaland- Pondoland is shared with Mozambique and Swaziland). The succulent Karoo biome is one of only two arid biodiversity hotspots in the world, the other being the Horn of Africa.

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Undoubtedly, this series of African Safari will contribute significantly in Exploring Nature’s five years voyage plan of biodiversity exploration.

Explorers planned to start this sub series with an exploration of Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Africa. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

This report and all the photographs of explorations of Exploring Nature are available at http://www.exploringnature.org.in/tourreports.php Refer below route map from Johannesburg to Kruger.

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Chapter Two: Visit plan and day to day activity It was a 72 hours visit by one biodiversity explorer (Refer Annexure 1 for the profile of the explorer), which excludes travelling to and fro between his respective home base and subject exploration locations. For detail journey itinerary please refer Annexure 2 of this report.

Explorer reached at Johannesburg in the evening of 13th February, 2016 at five o’clock and then headed towards his bed and breakfast arrangement at 33rd at First Avenue, at Gauteng. 14th February morning at 7:30 he started his 5 hours long journey towards north east direction, Kruger National Park is 500 Km away from his accommodation at Gauteng.

Explorer reached at Skukuza camp of the Kruger National Park at 1:00 PM. His accommodation was arranged in a dome tent at the south east corner of the park.

The tent was equipped with one night lamp, one portable fan, iron cot and blanket. There were common shower and toilet facility and drinking water supply. Explorer kept his rucksack inside, filled his sipper with tap water. Took a quick shower and got ready for afternoon safari – his first safari in African continent – which was about to start at 4:30 PM. The safari continued till dusk and ended at 7:30 PM. Next day safari started at sharp six o’clock in the morning and continued till nine. On that day, after the safari, explorer also made a panoramic visit to explore nature around Kruger Park. He visited Lisbon Falls, Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window near Graskop.

The last safari and the most eventful one was happened on 16th February, started as usual at 6:00 AM and ended at 9:00 AM. After that safari explorer left Kruger for Johannesburg Airport to catch India bound flight.

The 72 hours Exploration Series III in Kruger National Park ended on 16th February, 2016.

During this 72 hours visit, comprised of total three (3) safaris in Kruger National Park, around 750 photographs were taken by the explorer. The instruments used for photography was D3100 Nikon SLR with 18-55 mm and 70-300 mm (F/5-5.6) lens. Out of these 750 photographs, 60 high impact and effectively informative photographs were selected to use in this report and publishing in the website of Exploring Nature.

In these 72 hours, explorer had spotted and identified around 58 animal species. Out of that there were 1 amphibian, 3 reptiles, 20 mammals and 34 bird species.

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Chapter Three: Spotted and Identified Biodiversity ---At Kruger National Park Location: Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa Nearest city: Nelspruit (southern), Phalaborwa (central) Coordinates: 24°0′41″S 31°29′7″E Area: 19,633 km2 (7,580 sq mi) Established in 31 May, 1926 Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,633 square kilometers (7,580 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 kilometers (220 mi) from north to south and 65 kilometers (40 mi) from east to west. Effectively double the size of the original Sabie game reserve, and this does not include the Mozambique and Zimbabwe regions which form part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, effectively Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique into one, making the entire area 35,000 square kilometers (12315 square miles) in size. The administrative headquarters of Kruger National Park are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

Flora Plants life in the park consists of four main areas: Thorn trees and red bush-willow veld: This area lies between the western boundary and roughly the centre of the park south of the Olifants River. Combretums, such as the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum), and Acacia species predominate while there are a great number of marula trees (Sclerocarya caffra). The Acacias are dominant along the rivers and streams, the very dense Nwatimhiri bush along the Sabie River between Skukuza and Lower Sabie being a very good example.

Knob-thorn and marula veld: South of the Olifants River in the eastern half of the park, this area provides the most important grazing-land. Species such as red grass (Themeda triandra) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum) predominate while the knob-thorn (Acacia nigrescens), leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and marula (Sclerocarya caffra) are the main tree species.

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Red bush-willow and mopane veld: This area lies in the western half of the park, north of the Olifants River. The two most prominent species here are the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum) and the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane).

Shrub mopane veld: Shrub mopane covers almost the entire north-eastern part of the park.

There are a number of smaller areas in the park which carry distinctive vegetation such as Pretoriuskop where the sickle bush and the silver cluster-leaf (Terminalia sericea) are prominent. The sandveld communities near Punda Maria are equally definitive, with a wide variety of unique species.

Refer Plate 01 for vegetation pattern of Kruger National Park.

Wildlife Birds: Out of the 517 species of birds found at Kruger, 253 are residents, 117 non-breeding migrants, and 147 nomads. Some of the larger birds require large territories or are sensitive to habitat degradation. Six of these species, which are by and large restricted to Kruger and other extensive conservation areas, have been assigned to a fanciful grouping called the "Big Six Birds". They are the lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, saddle-billed stork, kori bustard, ground hornbill and the reclusive Pel's fishing owl, which is localized and seldom seen. There are between 25 and 30 breeding pairs of saddle-billed storks in the park, besides a handful of non-breeding individuals. In 2012, 178 family groups of ground hornbills roamed the park and 78 nests were known, of which 50% were active.

Mammals: All the Big Five game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve (at 147 species).

There are webcams set up to observe the wildlife.

The park stopped culling elephants in 1994 and tried translocating them, but by 2004 the population had increased to 11,670 elephants, by 2006 to approximately 13,500, 8

by 2009 to 11,672, and by 2012 to 16,900. The park's habitats can only sustain about 8,000 elephants. The park started using annual contraception in 1995, but has stopped that due to problems with delivering the contraceptives and upsetting the herds.

Kruger supports packs of the endangered African wild dog, of which there are thought to be only about 400 in the whole of South Africa.

Wildlife Population As of 2015

Species

Count

African buffalo

37,130

Species

African wild dog

Count

120

Black rhinoceros 350

White rhinoceros 7,000 to 12,00

Burchell's zebra

35,300

Bushbuck

500

Cheetah

120

Common eland

over 300

Giraffe

10,300

Greater kudu

5,798

Hippopotamus

3,100

Lion

1,750

Leopard

1,000

Spotted hyena

5,340

Elephant

13,750

Waterbuck

5,000

Blue wildebeest

9,612

Impala

150,000

Reptiles: Kruger houses 114 species of reptile, including black mamba and 4420 crocodiles.

Amphibians and fish: Thirty-three species of amphibians are found in the Park, as well as 50 fish species. A Zambesi shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull shark, was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like the Limpopo.

In 3 safaris of 3 hours each, at Kruger National Park, Explorer spotted and identified 20 mammals, 34 bird species, 3 reptiles and 1 amphibian. Refer Annexure Three: List of Species Identified for detail.

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Amphibian spotted and identified by explorer: 1. The Leopard Tortoise (Geochelone pardalis). Average size up to 37 cm in length and weigh up to 10 kg. Dome shaped shell with slightly raised plates. Shells of young are yellow with single black spot marking the plates. Spots spread and streak with age. Adults are generally a dark, greyishbrown. Commonly found in mountain grassland, bushveld, savannah, fynbos.

Shelters in dense, bushy areas during cold weather. Generally eat plants, but also gnaws on hyena faeces and bones to obtain calcium for shell growth. IUCN Status: Least Concerned.

Key Reptiles spotted and identified by explorer: 1. The Cape Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus capensis) is a species of dwarf gecko found in the woodlands and forests of central and southern Africa (Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Pemba Island). They are often seen on garden walls in towns and cities. Length (snout to vent length) is 39 mm for males, 43 mm for females. Throat is stippled with grey or brown while the belly is cream coloured. The back is grey-brown with dark streak from snout to shoulder or beyond. Its tail is remarkable for having the underside covered in adhesive lamellae enabling its use as a fifth limb. When moulting it actively assists the process by detaching skin flakes and consuming them. It is sometimes kept as a pet.

2. The Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), average length 3 m (tail makes up 40% of length); weigh up to 1 ton. An ancient looking reptile with a long jaw, prominent teeth, and a long tail.

Horny plates cover the body and, the ones on top of the head are fused to the skull. Eyes and nostrils are situated on top of the head. Generally found in swamps and 10

backwtaers, larger rivers, lakes, river mouths. Adults attack game at water’s edge, dragging them into the water and drowning them.

Typically eat buck, zebra, buffalo and even man. Also fish and birds.

IUCN Status: Least Concerned.

Key Birds spotted and identified by explorer: 1. White backed Vulture (Gyps africanas), length up to 94 cm; wingspan 2.2 m. Large, generally streaky brown. Blackish face and neck. White lower back in flight.

Dark eyes. Commonly found in northern half of Africa, in savannah and bushveld. Eats carrion, bone fragments etc. In winter, builds platform of sticks high in tree; may use nest for a few years. One white egg is laid. Both sexes incubate; egg hatches after about two months. Both sexes feed young. IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.

2. Helmeted Guineafowl (Numinda meleagris), length 55 cm; wing 26.5 cm.

Slate-grey body finely spotted with white.

Small neck, blue and read head. Prominent helmet. Can be found virtually throughout, in grassland, vleis, savannah, cultivated lands, bushveld. Eats seeds, bulbs, tubers, berries, insects, snails, ticks etc. IUCN Status: Least Concern

3. Common Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris), length 22 cm; wing 9 cm. Black above, white below; at rest shows bold white “V” on back. Longish; white edged tail.

Heavy, black hooked bill.

Generally found virtually throughout southern Africa, except in forest and desert. Eats insects, small lizards, frogs and birds. IUCN Status: Least Concern 4. The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. This species is patchily distributed through much of Africa, though it is absent from much of the central and western parts 11

of the continent and declining elsewhere in its range. This vulture prefers to live in dry savannah, thorn bush, arid plains, deserts with scattered trees in wadis, open mountain slopes.

They are usually found in undisturbed open country with a scattering of trees and apparently prefer areas with minimal grass cover.

While foraging, they can wander into denser habitats and even into human habitated areas, especially if drawn to road kills. They may be found in elevation from sea-level to 4,500 m (14,800 ft). The lappet-faced vulture is a huge species, ranking as the longest and largest winged vulture in its range behind the closely related cinereous vulture, although some co-occurring Gyps vultures tend to be heavier on average, especially the Cape vulture and Eurasian griffon. This species measures around 95–115 cm (37–45 in) in body length, with a wingspan of 2.5–2.9 m (8.2–9.5 ft). Overall, the lappetfaced vulture is blackish above with a strongly contrasting white thigh feathers. The black feathers on the back of African vultures are lined with brown, while Arabian birds are dark brown rather than black above. The head coloration can range from reddish in southern Africa to dull pink in more northern Africa to pink on the back of the head and gray on the front in the Arabian Peninsula. The lappet-faced vulture is a scavenging bird, feeding mostly from animal carcasses, which it finds by sight or by watching other vultures. More so than many other African vultures, they often find carrion on their own and start tearing through the skin. They are the most powerful and aggressive of the African vultures, and other vultures will usually cede a carcass to the lappet-faced vulture if it decides to assert itself. One of the African “Big 6 Birds”. IUCN Status: Endangered.

5. The Goliath heron (Ardea goliath), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae.

It is found in subSaharan Africa, with smaller numbers in Southwest and South Asia. This is the world's largest heron.

The height is 120–152 cm (47–60 in), the wingspan is 185–230 cm (73–91 in) and the weight is 4–5 kg (8.8– 11 lbs). The chin, throat, foreneck and upper breast are white, with black streaks across the foreneck and upper breast. The lower breast and belly are buff with black streaks. The back and upper wings are slate-grey, with a chestnut shoulder patch at the bend of the wings when they're closed. The under-wing is pale chestnut. The upper mandible is black and the lores and orbital areas are yellow with a greenish tinge. The eyes are yellow while legs and feet are black. The Goliath heron is very aquatic, even by heron standards, rarely venturing far from a water source and preferring to fly along waterways rather than move over land. IUCN Status: Least Concern 12

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The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of North Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its range, with occasional breeding in northwest Europe.

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richlycoloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. This bird breeds in open country in warmer climates. As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets. They catch insects in flight, in sorties from an open perch. Before eating a bee, the European bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. It can eat around 250 bees a day. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

7. The black-bellied bustard (Lissotis melanogaster), also known as the blackbellied korhaan, is an African ground-dwelling bird in the bustard family. The black-bellied bustard is 58–65 cm (23–26 in) long. The bill and legs are dull yellow.

The male's upperparts have black and brown marks on a tawny buff background; the underparts are black. The head is boldly patterned with black, white and buff.

The neck, long and thin for a bustard, is buffy brown with a thin black line down the front that joins the black breast. The tail is brown and buff with four or five narrow dark brown bands. The upper surface of the wings is white with a brown triangle at the base; the flight feathers have black tips except for the outer secondary feathers. The white of the wings is visible when the bird stands, contrasting with the black underparts. It is found in woodland and tall open grassland in Sub-Saharan Africa. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

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8. The African grey hornbill (Tockus nasutus) is a member of the hornbill family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of subSaharan Africa and into Arabia.

At 45 centimetres (18 in) in length, this is a large bird, although it is one of the smaller hornbills. It has mainly grey plumage, but the head, flight feathers and long tail are a darker shade. There is a white line down each side of the head and one on the back which is visible only in flight. The long curved bill is black and has a small casque and a creamy horizontal stripe. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

9. The southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri; formerly known as Bucorvus cafer), is one of two species of ground hornbill and is the largest species of hornbill. This is a large bird, at 90 to 129 centimetres (35.4 to 50.8 in) long. Females weigh 2.2 to 4.6 kilograms (4.9 to 10.1 lb), while the larger males weigh 3.5 to 6.2 kilograms (7.7 to 13.7 lb). Southern ground hornbills can be found from northern Namibia and Angola to northern South Africa to Burundi and Kenya. They require a savanna habitat with large trees for nesting and dense but short grass for foraging. The southern ground hornbill is a vulnerable species, mainly confined to national reserves and national parks. They live in groups of 5 to 10 individuals including adults and juveniles. Often, neighbouring groups are engaged in aerial pursuits. They forage on the ground, where they feed on reptiles, frogs, snails, insects and mammals up to the size of hares. Southern ground hornbills very rarely drink: their range is limited at its western end by the lack of trees in which to build nests. One of the African “Big 6 Birds�. IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

10. The European roller (Coracias garrulus) is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe.

Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco. The European roller (Coracias garrulus) is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco. The European roller is a stocky bird, the size of a 14

jackdaw at 29–32 cm in length with a 52–58 cm wingspan; it is mainly blue with an orange-brown back. Rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the large insects, small reptiles, rodents and frogs that they eat. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

11. The lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus) is an African member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in subSaharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. Lilac-breasted rollers are found throughout southern and eastern Africa. Their range extends from the Red Sea coast of Ethiopia through to southern Africa, where they are common in Namibia (excluding the Namib Desert), Botswana, Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa. In the field, these crow-sized rollers are often perched alone on a tree in a grassy clearing. Lilac-breasted rollers are almost unmistakeable with their bright plumage. The diet of the lilac-breasted roller is primarily insectivorous, consisting of ground-dwelling insects, arthropods, amphibians, and other small vertebrates. They are in the hawking guild of feeders. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

12. The grey-winged francolin (Scleroptila africanus) is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.

IUCN Status: Least Concern.

13. The southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) is a hornbill found in southern Africa. Yellow-billed hornbills feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. This hornbill is a common, widespread resident of the dry thorn fields and broad-leafed woodlands. They can often be seen along roads and rivers. It is a medium-sized bird, 48–60 centimetres (19–24 in) in length, 132–242 grams (0.291–0.534 lb) in weight and is characterized by a long yellow and down-curved beak. This beak is huge in comparison to its body and can account for up 1/6th of the entire body length. Male beaks are on average 90mm long while 15

female beaks are have an average of 74 mm. Males are generally bigger than females but there is overlap between the 2 sexes. The size difference of the beak is a fairly reliable way of differentiating sex in wild hornbills. Southern

yellow-billed hornbill eats mostly arthropods, particularly termites, beetles, larvae (beetles and termites), grasshoppers and caterpillars.It has also been seen eating centipedes and scorpions. They will occasionally eat small mammals when they can. To complete the diet, they will regularly eat berries, fruits, nuts and eggs from other species. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

14. The African pied wagtail (Motacilla aguimp) is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, India & Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers, and intermittent freshwater marshes. Main diet Insects Tadpoles. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

15. The yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (Milvus migrans), of which it is most often considered a subspecies.

However, recent DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered as a separate, allopatric species. There are two subspecies: M. a. parasitus, found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa (including Madagascar), except for the Congo Basin (with intra-African migrations) and M. a. aegyptius of Egypt, south-west Arabia and the Horn of Africa (which disperses south during the non-breeding season). As suggested by its name, the yellow-billed kite is easily recognized by its entirely yellow bill, unlike that of the black kite (which is present in Africa as a visitor during the North Hemisphere winter). However, immature yellow-billed kites resemble the black kites of the corresponding age. It is mostly an intra-African breeding migrant, present in Southern Africa July–March and sometimes as late as May. It is generally common. hey are found in almost all habitats, including parks in suburbia, but rare in the arid

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Namib and Karoo. They feed on a wide range of small vertebrates and insects, much of which is scavenged. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

16. The martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is a large eagle found in open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus. The martial eagle is a very large eagle, with an average length of 78–96 cm (31–38 in), weight of 3–6.2 kg (6.6–13.7 lb) and a wingspan of 188– 260 cm (6 ft 2 in–8 ft 6 in). Its total length - in comparison to its wingspan - is restricted by its very short tail. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 56– 67.5 cm (22.0–26.6 in), the tail is 27.2–32 cm (10.7–12.6 in), and the tarsus is 9.7–13 cm (3.8–5.1 in). This is the largest eagle in Africa and is the fifth heaviest (on average) eagle in the world. The martial eagle can be found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, wherever food is abundant and the environment favourable. It is never common, but greater population densities do exist in southern Africa, especially in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Generally, these birds are more abundant in protected areas such as Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, or Etosha National Park in Namibia. The martial eagle is one of the world's most powerful avian predators and, among African raptors, only the crowned eagle is comparable in predatory dominance. The martial eagle is an apex predator, being at the top of the avian food chain in its environment and, if in healthy condition, has few natural predators, although there are records of leopards preying on martial eagles. One study of the eagles in Kruger National Park found that 45% of their diet was made up of birds, particularly game birds and Egyptian geese. Reptiles, especially lizards like monitor lizards and snakes, including Cape cobras, boomslangs, puff adders, the Eastern and Western green mambas, and even black mambas and African Rock Pythons, made up 38%.

The remaining 17% of prey in the study were made up of mammalian prey.

One of the African “Big 6 Birds”. IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

17. The marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". The marabou stork is a massive bird: large specimens are thought to reach a height of 152 cm (60 in) and a weight of 9 kg (20 lb).

The marabou stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this livelihood, as it is with the vultures with which the stork 17

often feeds. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

Key Mammals spotted and identified by explorer: 1. Chacma Baboon (Papio cynocephalus ursinus), average size: length 1.4 m for male and 1.1 m for female, weight 32 kg for male and 15 kg for female. Body is relatively large; covered with grey to grey-brown hair. Long, pointed snout. First part of tail is held erect, but rest hangs straight down.

Male has powerful shoulders, with a mane around the neck, and a single patch of bare skin under the tail. The female has one patch on each buttock. They can be found throughout the Southern African regions in almost any environment, except in very dry parts. Chacma baboons are omnivorous, but eat mostly fruit, leaves, seeds, grass, and roots. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

2. Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), average size: length 1.5 m; height 80 cm, weight 70 kg.

High shoulders, sloping back, low rump; yellow-brown coat covered with dark splotches; mane like patch of hair around neck.

Big head with large, round ears. Short, hairy tail. Typically found in open plains, woodland savannah and dry areas. Generally hunts antelope and zebra but may also scavenge. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

3. The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Average size: length 1.9 m, height 80 cm, weight 80 kg for male and 50 kg for female. Big and strong; powerful jaws. Body is light-colored and covered with small rosettes. Legs, head and rump are covered with black spots; belly is white. Long, rosette-covered tail is white underneath. Can be found almost anywhere in 18

a wide range in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia. Solitary and territorial, mark territory with droppings and urine. Nocturnal. Hunts by stalking, and then leaping out onto prey. Fossil records found in Italy suggest that in the Pleistocene it ranged as far as Europe. Generally feds on birds, antelopes, daisies – and even rats and mice. IUCN Status: Near Threatened.

4. Lion (Panthera leo), average size: length 3 m for male, 2.5 m for female,1.2 m for female, weight 200 kg for male and 140 kg for female. Largest African predator and one of the 5 Big Cats; light brown to brownish red in colour; long tail ends in a dark tuft of hair. Male has bushy mane round the head and throat. Can be found in almost any habitat. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia (where an endangered remnant population resides in Gir Forest National Park in India) while other types of lions have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times. Lives in proides of usually two or three males, and several females and their offspring. Females hunt together in groups. Lionesses do the hunting, usually at night or towards night fall, by ambushing prey; males eat first. Hunts most large mammals, including antelope. IUCN Status: Vulnerable. For explorer’s experience with African Lion, read Chapter Five: Quest for African Lions.

5. The Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), average size: length 1.3 m; height 80 cm; weight 25 kg.

Patches of yellow, white, black and brown hair cover the thin body and long, slender legs. Face is pale, but mouth area is dark; ears are round. Tufted tail is mostly white.

Generally found in savannah woodlands and hilly country; also open plains areas with short grass and little vegetation. Lives in packs of 12; hunt together during early morning or late afternoon. Relentlessly pursues prey; seldom gives up until it has made a kill. Only kills to eat. There is only one breeding per pack. Generally feeds on impala and small antelope. IUCN Status: Endangered.

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6. African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), average size: height 2-4 m for male, 2.5 m for female, weight 6 t for male and 3-5 t for female. Greybrown in colour, with a thick, leathery skin.

Trunk 1.5 m long; big ears, ivory tusks. Generally found in dry savannah and woodland. Needs plenty of food and water. Live in small family groups of mother and calves led by an old cow.

Bulls live separately in small groups. Usually not dangerous, but will charge if wounded or when protecting calves. Generally eats about 300 kg of plants, fruits, leaves and grass, and drinks about 200 liters of water in a day. IUCN Status: Vulnerable. For explorer’s experience with African Elephant, read Chapter Four: Encounter with Elephant: This time it’s Africa.

7.

White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), average size: height 1.8 m; weight 1.8 t. Lips are square-shaped, two horns, and big, pointed ears.

Prominent hump on the back of the neck. Could be found where lots of short grass, shady bushes and fresh water are available.

Lives in groups of three or four;poor eyesight, but quick to respond to dangerous sounds or smells. As it rolls regularly in the dust, it appears sand colored. A rhino’s horns are made of a hair like fibre, not of bone or ivory. Primarily grazer; feeds on short grasses and low-growing plants. IUCN Status: Vulnerable

8. Burchell’s Zebra (Equus burchellii), average size: height 1.3 m; weight 300 kg. White body covered all over with black stripes, but southern African species has brownish shadowlike stripes too, especially on the rump. Long mane of black-and-white hair which stands upright. Could be found in open grassland and savannah plains. Lives in small family groups, but may also be seen 20

grazing with antelope such as wildebeest. Grazes on grasses, but may also browse on leaves and shoots. IUCN Status: Vulnerable 9.

Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), average size: height 70 cm for male, 60 cm for female; weight 80 kg for male and 60 kg for female.

Powerful body and pig like face with long snout.

Pronounced bumps (“warts”) above nostrils and on either side of eyes. Grey skins covered with scattered bristly hair. Adults have curved tusks, and whisker like hairs on the face. Could be found on wide open wetlands. They are found in open and semi open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. Family groups (call sounders) consist of a mother and her litter, sometimes a boar. Tail is held upright while running. Kneels on front legs when feeding. Uses tusks (two pairs), which are actually canine teeth, as weapons. Mostly grazers, feeding on grass and plant roots. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

10. Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius); average size: height 1.5 m, weight 1.5 t. huge body covered in smooth, dark-grey skin. Massive, powerful jaws; huge canine and incisor teeth.

Short legs, with four toes on each foot. Could be found in rivers, lakes, and lagoons. Lives in group pf about 12 cows and calves, headed by a bull. Roams river banks at night. Bulls mark their territory by spreading their dung, they do this by “fanning” it with their tails. They can hold breath under water for five or six minutes.

Nostrils close automatically when the head is under water. Body produces red-colored liquid to keep skin moist. They are grazer; feeds mostly on grass and small plants on or near river banks and lagoons. IUCN Status: Vulnerable 11. The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to its camel-like shape and its leopard-like colouring.

Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. The nine subspecies are distinguished by their coat patterns.

The giraffe's scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east.

Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs, grasslands, and open woodlands. h

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Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions; their calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs. Adult giraffes do not have strong social bonds, though they do gather in loose aggregations if they happen to be moving in the same general direction. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Least Concern, but has been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and three subspecies are classified as Endangered. Nevertheless, giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves.

IUCN Status: Least Concern.

12. The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest or brindled gnu, is a large antelope and one of the two species of wildebeest. It is placed in the genus Connochaetes and family Bovidae and has a close taxonomic relationship with the black wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is known to have five subspecies. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust muzzle.

Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult colouration at the age of two months. The adults' hues range from a deep slate or bluish gray to light gray or even grayish-brown. Both sexes possess a pair of large curved horns. The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on the short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary.

The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about eight and a half months.

The calf remains with its mother for eight months, after which time it joins a juvenile herd. Blue wildebeest are found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. Each year, some East African populations of blue wildebeest take part in a long-distance migration, seemingly timed to coincide with local patterns of rainfall and grass 22

growth. The blue wildebeest is native to Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Today it is extinct in Malawi, but has been successfully reintroduced in Namibia. The southern limit of the blue wildebeest range is the Orange River, while the western limit is bounded by Lake Victoria and Mt Kenya.

The blue wildebeest is widespread and is being introduced into private game farms, reserves and conservancies. For this reason, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rates the blue wildebeest as being of Least Concern. The population has been estimated to be around one and a half million and the population trend is stable. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

13. The vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus.

The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries. Vervets were introduced to Florida, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Ascension Island, Cape Verde, Barbados, Saint Kitts, Bermuda, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Nevis. These mostly herbivorous monkeys have black faces and grey body hair color, ranging in length from about 50 centimetres (20 in) for males to about 40 centimetres (16 in) for females. In addition to very interesting behavioral research on natural populations, vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding genetic and social behaviors of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension, anxiety, and social and dependent alcohol use. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals, with males changing groups at the time of sexual maturity.

The most significant studies done on vervet monkeys involve their communication and alarm calls, specifically in regard to kin and group recognition and particular predator sightings. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

14. The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa.

Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation 23

and poaching. The greater kudu is one of two species commonly known as kudu, the other being the lesser kudu, T. imberbis. Greater kudus have a narrow body with long legs, and their coats can range from brown/bluish-grey to reddish-brown. They possess between 4–12 vertical white stripes along their torso. The head tends to be darker in colour than the rest of the body, and exhibits a small white chevron which runs between the eyes. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

15. The African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, and its ancestry remains unclear. Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape buffalo, is the typical subspecies, and the largest one, found in South and East Africa. S. c. nanus (forest buffalo) is the smallest subspecies, common in forest areas of Central and West Africa while S. c. brachyceros is in West Africa and S. c. aequinoctialis is in the savannas of Central Africa. The adult buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature; they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield referred to as a "boss". It is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, as it gores and kills over 200 people every year.

The African buffalo is not an ancestor of domestic cattle, and is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Owing to its unpredictable nature, which makes it highly dangerous to humans, the African buffalo has never been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart, the water buffalo. Other than humans, African Cape buffaloes have few predators aside from lions and are capable of defending themselves. Being a member of the "big five" game family, the Cape buffalo is a sought-after trophy in hunting.

IUCN Status: Least Concern.

16. The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized African antelope. It is the type species of the genus Aepyceros and belongs to the family Bovidae. It was first described by German zoologist Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein in 1812. Two subspecies of the impala have been recognised: the common impala (A. m. melampus) and the black-faced (A. m. petersi).

They are typically between 120–160 cm (47–63 in) long. Males stand up to approximately 75–92 cm (30–36 in) at the shoulder and weigh 53–76 kg (117–168 lb), while females are 70–85 cm (28–33 in) and 40–53 kg (88–117 lb). Both are characterised by a glossy, reddish brown coat. Only the males have the characteristic slender, lyre-shaped horns, which can 24

grow to be 45–92 cm (18–36 in) long. The impala inhabits savanna grasslands and woodlands in close proximity to water sources. It is a mixed forager, whose diet consists of grasses, forbs, monocots, dicots and foliage. It switches between grazing and browsing depending on the season and habitat. Water is an essential requirement. Impala are fast runners and are known for their leaping ability, reaching heights up to 3 m (9.8 ft). They communicate using a variety of unique visual and vocal cues. There are three distinct social groups during the wet season: the female herds, the bachelor herds and the territorial males. The mating season is the three-week-long period toward the end of the wet season in May. A single fawn is born after a gestational period of about six to seven months. The fawn remains with its mother for four to six months, after which it joins juvenile groups. The impala is native to Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Regionally extinct in Burundi, it has been introduced in two protected areas of Gabon. The black-faced impala is confined to Kaokoland (Namibia) and southwestern Angola. The common impala has been widely introduced in southern Africa. Though there are no major threats to the survival of the species as a whole, poaching and natural calamities have significantly contributed to the decline of the black-faced subspecies. While the common impala has been listed as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the black-faced has been rated as Vulnerable.

17. The Cape genet (Genetta tigrina), also known as the South African largespotted genet, is a small carnivoran endemic to South Africa. As it is common and not threatened, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Like other genets, it is nocturnal and arboreal, preferring to live in the riparian zones of forests, as long as these are not marshy areas.

The Cape genet is ash grey with brown irregular spots and a black stripe along the spine. Its muzzle is white, and it has white spots below the eye. Its ears are grey. Its tail is black and white banded with a black tip. Some individuals living in areas with more than 375 mm (14.8 in) annual precipitation are darker than individuals from drier areas. Cape genets have been recorded solitary, and mostly at night. During the day, they rest in trees high above the ground. They are both terrestrial and arboreal, but hunt and feed on the ground. Cape genets feed mostly on rodents such as African vlei rats, rock rats, mice and birds. Also seeds, leaves and grass were found in their stomachs, as well as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, locusts and termites. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

18. The common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope with small horns found in west, central, east, and southern Africa- essentially everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western parts of the continent. Generally, they are found in habitats with sufficient vegetation cover to allow them to hide—savanna and hilly areas, including 25

the fringes of human settlements.

Colouration of this species varies widely over its vast geographic range.

As many as 19 subspecies are thought to exist, ranging from chestnut in forested areas of Angola to grizzled gray in northern savannas and light brown shades in arid regions. It grows to about 50 cm (20 in) in height and generally weighs 12 to 25 kg (26 to 55 lb); although females are generally larger and heavier than the males. The males' horns can grow to 11 cm (4.3 in) long. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

19. The nyala (Tragelaphus angasii), also called inyala, is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Nyala, also considered to be in the genus Tragelaphus. It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. The body length is 135–195 cm (53– 77 in), and it weighs 55–140 kg (121–309 lb). The coat is rusty or rufous brown in females and juveniles, but grows a dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue, in adult males. Females and young males have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only males have horns, 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. It exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. The nyala is mainly active in the early morning and the late afternoon. It generally browses during the day if temperatures are 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and during the night in the rainy season. As a herbivore, the nyala feeds upon foliage, fruits and grasses, with sufficient fresh water. A shy animal, it prefers water holes rather than open spaces. The nyala does not show signs of territoriality, and individual areas can overlap each other’s. They are very cautious creatures. Old males live alone, but single sex or mixed family groups of up to 10 individuals can be found. These inhabit thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands. IUCN Status: Least Concern.

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Chapter Four: Encounter with Elephant – This time it’s Africa In the afternoon of 14th February, 2016, Explorer started the safari towards east direction from the main gate of Kruger National Park. Almost after one hour of drive and after spotting lots of Impala, Kudus, Giraffe, couple of Warthog and Hippopotamus, driver cum guide Robert stopped the jeep near a thick dense bush. Sounds of breaking brunches made him stop the jeep and through the bushes few big black heads were spotted. Soon after that, a tusker was clearly visible and presence of a big herd was felt in the forest at the left hand side of the direction of driving. Gradually, the sound of footsteps, braking of branches was coming closer. The herd was happily grazing.

After sometime, one tasker came out from the forest to the road, observed the jeep for a while and crossed the road to reach other side of the forest. After a minute one female and a calf appeared in front of the jeep and crossed the road, and then another tusker, followed by a cow elephant with cub. One after one, twelve elephants – most of them were female with three males and one calf came out from the forest and crossed the road to reach other aide of the forest. The whole herd was completely indifferent about the presence of safari jeep and human.

Lastly, the leader of the herd a “huge mammoth” came out slowly and crossed the road without paying any attention to jeep and human. Explorer was awestruck with the massiveness and gravity of the 4 meter tall, 6 tones heavy – the heaviest territorial mammal of the planet.

Initially explorer was confused with sight of so many tuskers and calf and not a single cow elephant. But later he realized the basic difference between African and Indian elephants are - both male and female African elephants have tusks that are larger than the Indian elephants. It is mostly male Indian elephants that have tusks and not very common for females to have them.

That was explorer’s first sight of African elephant. The easiest way of telling the difference between the African and Indian elephants is the ears; African Elephant have bigger ears that reach over their shoulders. The Indian elephants ears are small and much lower down and closer to its head. It’s not only the ears; the African elephant is much bigger and heavier than the Indian elephant in most aspects. The 27

shape of the two elephant’s bodies is different as well, the highest point in the African elephant is the shoulders and the highest point on the Indian elephant is the back. Their heads are also shaped differently; the Indian elephant has a humped structure while the African elephant’s head is flatter. And lastly, if someone get close enough to have a look at the elephant’s trunks. The African elephant has two ‘fingers’ at the end of its trunk while the Indian only has one.

(The ‘finger’ is the flap at the end of the trunk that helps the elephants grip things).

There have been a few attempts at controlling the Kruger’s blossoming elephant population; in theory the Kruger can comfortably support 8000 elephants. In 2011 the population was counted at 13,750, considerably more than the theoretical maximum.

Culling was once an option but was stopped in 1994. Contraception methods have also been attempted but problems with delivering the drug rendered this effort problematic and it too has been stopped. The Kruger Park is said to hold over 48 tons of ivory in storage.

Explorer’s next encounter with African elephant was little more dramatic than the previous one. In the morning of 15th February, explorer was roaming in the west side of the forest and after one hour or so from the starting of safari – one male tusker appeared suddenly from the right side of direction of driving. The elephant’s intention was to cross the road and reach on other side. But he had to stop because of the presence of jeep and he was clearly not happy with that. He stopped and raised his trunk towards jeep, repeated that several times. It was warning. Then he shook his head, flapped he ears while the trunk was raised. Guide Mike whispered’ “He has not liked our presence. We should move now.”

After Indian elephants of Western Ghats, explorer also got an opportunity to witness warning of African elephant – which was little more intense in nature.

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Chapter Five: Quest for African Lion The quest for African Lion started at 4:30 PM of the Valentine ’s Day. Jeep started towards east direction from the main gate of Kruger National Park and after 30-45 minutes of journey three lionesses were spotted at the right hand side of the direction of driving. They were busy in eating their morning kill – a huge African Buffalo.

When plenty of food is available lions generally gorge themselves into near immobility.

At these times, on average, males swallow around 15% of their body weight.

Food is shared grudgingly. The smallest and weakest lions often lose out altogether and hungry mothers will not even share with their own offspring.

Lions usually start feeding by opening the abdomen and eating the entrails. Most lions will eat the heart, liver and kidneys, but it unusual for lions to open up the skull.

In the evening of 14th February, at Kruger national Park, the Lionesses were spotted from approximately 200 mt distance, and explorer wished if he had a closer look. Although, the flesh from the opened abdomen of the buffalo were quite visible from that distance, but he didn’t know, that he would also witness one of the greatest and most exciting phenomena of nature in next 36 hours.

On 16th February, the morning safari started at 6:00 o’clock. Two safari jeeps started their journey towards north direction. After one hour of journey and as usual spotting of herds of impala, baboons, few giraffes and zebras, both the jeeps had to stop.

Their path was blocked by few of the most majestic creatures of the earth – a full pride of African lion – siting on the road, enjoying the softness and warmth of the first sunlight of the day.

The basic units of lion social organization are resident prides occupying hunting territories of a size that can sustain the pride during times of scarcity. Lion densities, home territory size and social group size vary in parallel with habitat suitability and prey abundance, generally larger in moist grasslands where game is plentiful and smaller in drier bush with fewer prey animals. Prides can attain 40 members, however the average pride, both in Kruger NP and the Serengeti, consists of 13 members. In Kruger, the average composition of 14 prides totalling 181 lions was 1.7 adult males, 4.5 adult females, 3.8 sub-adults, and 2.8 cubs (including yearlings). Females outnumber males by a substantial margin, despite a near 50% male/female birth ratio. This is probably due to the tendency of males to be nomads, take on more dangerous game, and be killed in pride takeover attempts.

The pride, which explorer and his team bumped into, consisted of 9 members – 6 females and 3 males. All the members were busy in hugging and cuddling with each 29

other. The pride leader was clearly enjoying his happy moment with his fellow members and company of her queens. He was found romancing with a big lioness of the pride under the shade of a tree.

In larger prides it is rare for the whole pride to be together, but individuals or small groups, typically of three – five members will scatter throughout the prides territory for days or weeks at a time, especially in arid environments or times of prey scarcity. There is no hierarchy between females, and no particular bonding between any pride members. A pair of females will be found together no more than 25 – 50% of the time.

Presence within a pride’s territory is not a sign of membership as many lions are transient or “squatters”. Membership of a pride can only be distinguished by an amicable greeting ceremony performed between pride members. Any member without the confidence to perform the ceremony will be treated as outsider.

After noticing human presence, the pride leader came out form the shade and urinates at the edge of the road to mark his territory. A strong message was silently conveyed – stay away from this point.

Typically, home territories range from 20km2 in the most suitable habitats to more than 500km2.

The average area of nine Serengeti prides was c. 200km2.

Pride ranges and territories may overlap but each pride maintains a core area where most activities are undertaken with little interaction with other lion groups. Territories are stable except in periods of hardship. If an area becomes devoid of lions (as a result of disease for example) this will be followed by an influx of competing lions to claim the territory. Lions will defend their territory against lions of the same gender, but most encounters do not result in fighting; usually one pride will skulk off under the watchful gaze of the other.

In the morning of 16th February, at Kruger National Park, explorer and his team were alerted by Mike – their safari guide- as all of a sudden the biggest lioness of the pride stood up and started moving slowly towards further north.

Whole pride started following her in same slow and silent pace. She stopped, the whole pride stopped. She moved tip of her tail – from left to right and then from right to left. The pride members dispersed in different directions.

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Mike whispered, “She is in a mission”. Everybody was excited to know that they were going to witness “hunting by lion” – the most well strategized predatory behavior of animal kingdom.

Whole forest became silent with anticipation of action. Presence of a huge African buffalo bull was noticed deep inside the bushes – he was grazing – his huge horns were visible.

The buffalo raised its head; he had realized that he was getting surrounded.

He decided to come out from the bushes and at the same time with a signal from the lioness – the leader of hunting party – the pride leader charged at the buffalo.

The buffalo charged back violently and the pride leader had to retreat. The buffalo escaped.

But the hunting movement was not over.

She – the hunt leader – continued her movement. The whole exploring team was surprised to see, that one more male and female lion joined the hunting party from the other side of the forest and were waiting for instruction from the hunt leader lioness. The whole party started moving again slowly. Two safari jeeps followed them.

The next half an hour was great display of strategy, leadership and obedience. None of the members of hunting party moved without further signal from their leader.

Another African buffalo bull was spotted from distance on an open ground. Everybody understood the objective of the mission. With every movement of tail and neck of the lioness, the other members of hunting party kept changing their direction and movement. The idea was getting closer and closer to target and surround it from all sides to block its all possible escape routes.

The pride leader took the charge of being at front and started moving towards the buffalo.

There was a herd of impala, which noticed this movement of big hunting party and starting running towards deep forest and gave away the presence of lions.

The Buffalo had noticed what was going on and starting getting further away from the hunting party. Lioness realized, that was not the time to attack. More time needed to be invested on their prey. Two lionesses and one sub male lion who were moving together, sat on ground and kept close watch on their pray. They kept waiting their patiently while the male lions started roaming casually at least 200 meters away from the buffalo, without showing any indication of attack. The strategy was to give buffalo a false sense of security and get him in oblivion about the situation. The strategy was to wait for the right moment and strike so hard that there would be no opportunity to counter attack.

With relatively small hearts and lungs lions are not fast runners; a maximum speed of 60kph, nor do they have the stamina to keep this pace for more than a 100 – 200m.

As such, lions rely on stalking their prey and seldom charge until they are within 30m, unless the prey is facing away and cannot see the charge.

Lions stalk their prey, although ambush behavior has been observed. This happens mainly during daylight when stalking prey is more difficult.

Females do the majority of the hunting, and males who tag along with the hunt usually stays back until a kill is made. Lions hunting in pairs and groups have a success rate 31

of c. 30%. Lions hunting singly by daylight have a success rate of 17 - 19%, but are the equal of groups at night reopening the debate as to why lions became the only sociable cat; maybe it is to control exclusive hunting grounds.

Most successful hunts are on dark nights in dense cover against a single prey animal.

One reason for lions’ relatively low hunting success rate is that lions do not take into account wind direction when hunting; they often approach prey from an upwind direction thereby alerting the prey and ending the hunt. Secondly, the lion’s charge is generally launched directly at its quarry and it rarely alters the path of attack, as do other cats. Generally speaking, if a lion misses its target on the first run it usually abandons the chase.

Hunts of impala and medium-sized prey are significantly more likely to be successful when the lions do not stalk their prey but rather chase them immediately upon detection. The opposite is true for small-sized prey species. However, lions are more likely to stalk impala and medium-sized species, whereas they are less likely to stalk small-sized prey. Females are significantly more likely to stalk anything.

Cooperative hunting brings a greater probability of success in lion hunts, but a question exists on whether pre-planned cooperation is taking place or that lions are making use of opportunities brought about by the presence of other lions.

Studies of the tactics of group hunting by lions give a similar basic plan of the hunting process. When the group spots the prey a hunt is often initiated by a single lion looking at it, to which the other lions respond by looking in the same direction – the only clear form of “communication” evidenced in the hunting process. The group fans out, with certain lions stalking at a greater distance to encircle the prey. The encircling lions launch the attack, seemingly to drive the prey towards the others who ambush from their cover position.

It is suggested that lions often, but not exclusively, followed the same hunting patterns and divided lions into stalking roles; left, centre & right wing positions. Lions hunting in their preferred roles increased the success of the group by 9%. Once within range of smaller prey, lions use their paw to slap the rear of the animal at its legs or haunch to knock it off balance or drag it down. A bite to the neck or throat quickly kills the animal.

With larger prey lions approach the animal at an angle, jumping on top and using their own weight to wrestle the animal to the ground, biting at the vertebrae in an attempt to sever the spinal cord as they do so.

Once downed they bite the throat or over the nose and mouth of the prey to suffocate it, a position that keeps them out of the way of horns that could injure the lion.

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Explorer does not know what happened in the hunting movement of 11 lions and lionesses led by their queen in the morning of 16th February, 2016 at the North West part of Kruger National Park.

But he knows ------ “Strategic, gregarious, territorial, matriarchal society, communal care, male coalitions� ---- Lions are the only truly social cat.

End of Story: The exploration of Kruger National Park ended there. Explorers returned home with reach experience of biodiversity and memories of valuable interaction with wild life and forest dwellers.

This was first exploration of team Exploring Nature, in Africa and also first outside India. Explorer experienced vast biodiversity and close interaction of man and wildlife in the sub savannah forest of Africa. By this exploration, Exploring Nature launched their sub series of African Safari.

Explorers tried capturing all their experience in this report to promote the biodiversity culture and awareness among common people; the explorers of Exploring Nature have been doing this and will always do so.

Till the next exploration, adieus!

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Annexure One: The Explorer’s Profile

Arnab Basu, Member of Exploring Nature

• Born in Kolkata on 17th June, 1978 and currently based out of Bengaluru.

• An Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Consultant by profession and holds B.Sc with major in Botany and Zoology from 2000 batch of University of Calcutta; MBA in Environment Management from 2004 batch of Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Kolkata; Diploma in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Safety.

• Has about 12 years of experience in overall management and supervision of Sustainability, Safety Transformation, Industrial and Construction Environment, Occupational Health & Safety and Quality Systems; compliance assessment, assurance, verification and evaluation of EHS legal requirements and Corporate EHS management system; implementation, evaluation and assurance of Corporate Sustainability Reporting and GHG accounting; training and consultancy for Quality, Health, Safety, Social Accountability and Environmental Management Systems.

• Worked with National and multinational EHS consultancy farm like EQMS, Deloitte etc, currently working as Principal Consultant in ERM. • Has provided consultancy services to a number of major national and multinational companies including TATA Steel, Shell, Chevron, GAIL, GSK, Reckitt Benckiser, Boehringer, PEPSI, Raymond, US Pharmacopeia, Morgan Crucibles, NALCO, Unilever, British Petroleum, Becton Dickinson, and Vedanta.

• Participated in about 10 biodiversity expeditions, which include Kruger National Park in South Africa, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka); Nagarhole National Park (Karnataka); Bandipur National Park (Karnataka); Eravikulam National Park (Kerala) and Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala); Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam); Gir National Park (Gujrat); Wild Ass Sanctuary (Gujrat); and Biodiversity study of Ghatshila and Jhargram (West Bengal), Araku Valley and Vizag Port (Andhra Pradesh), Forest of Bankura and Midnapore (West Bengal) etc.

• Conducted assessment of urban and sub urban biodiversity at Kolkata, Salt Lake Wetland, South Bengal (West Bengal).

• Conducted Study on Joint Forest Management and Wild Life in South West Bengal under the supervision of Department of Forest, Govt. of West Bengal and under the joint guidance of Environment Management department of IISWBM and National Afforestation and Eco-development Board, Govt. of India.

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Annexure Two: The Journey Itinerary Day One (Sunday, 14th February): • 0830 Hours: Started from Gautang, Johannesburg by cab • 1300 Hours: Reached at Skukuza Camp of Kruger National Park • 1400 Hours to 1500 Hours: Lunch • 1630 Hours to 1900 Hours: Afternoon Safari • 2100 Hours to 2200 Hours: Dinner • 2200 Hours to 2300 Hours: Data logging, species profiling Day Two (Monday, 15th February): • 0600 : Started from Skukuza Camp of Kruger National Park • 0630 Hours to 0900 Hours: Morning Safari • 0900 Hours: Breakfast • 1100 Hours to 1500 Hours: Nature exploration to Lisbon Falls, Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window near Graskop.

• 1600 Hours to 1700 hours: Lunch • 1900 to 2100 Hours: Species Profiling, Data logging for the day • 2100 Hours: Dinner Day Three (Tuesday, 16th February): • 0600 Hours: Started from Skukuza Camp of Kruger National Park • 0600 Hours to 0900 Hours: Morning Safari • 1000 Hours: Breakfast • 1100 Hours: Leaving for Johannesburg Airport

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Annexure Three: List of Species Identified Sl. Name of Scientific Name Species 1.

Leopard Tortoise

Geochelone pardalis

2.

Striped Skink

Mabuya s. striata

3.

Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus grandisonae

4.

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

5.

Lapped-faced vulture

Torgos tracheliotus

6.

White-backed vulture

Gyps africanas

7.

Turtur chalcospilos

8.

Emerald spotted wood dove Goliath Heron

Ardea goliath

9.

Cape glossy starling

Lamprotornis nitens

10..

Violet-backed starling

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

11.

European bee-eater

Merops apiaster

12.

Back-bellied bustard

13.

African grey hornbill

Tockus nasutus

14.

Malachite Kingfisher

Alcedo cristata

15.

Bucorvus leadbeateri

16.

Southern Ground Hornbill Common Fiscal Shrike

17.

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

18.

Brown headed parrot

Poicephalus cryptoxanthus

19.

European Roller

Coracius garrulous

20.

Liliac-breasted Roller

Coracius caudata

21.

Crested Francolin

Peliperdix sephaena

22.

Tockus leucomelas

24.

Southern-yellow billed hornbill Long-tailed paradise whydah Pin tailed whydah

25.

African pied wagtail

Motacilla aguimp

26.

Yellow billed kite

Milvus aegyptius

31.

Martial Eagle

Polemaetus bellicosus

32.

African fish Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

33.

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

23.

Vidura paradisaea Vidura macroura

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Date Location

and IUCN Conservation Status

16th February, at Kruger National park (KNP) 14th February, at Skukuza Camp of KNP 15th February, at Skukuza Camp of KNP 16th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP

LC

LC

DD

LC EN CR LC LC LC LC LC

LC LC VU

LC LC LC LC LC LC LC LC LC

VU LC LC

Sl.

Name Species

of Scientific Name

34.

Red billed Hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

35.

African Darter

Anhinga rufa

36.

Marabou Stork

Leptoptilos crumeniferus

37.

Red billed Oxpecker

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

38.

Green backed Heron

Butorides striatus

39.

Grey Go-away

Corythaixoides concolor

40.

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

41.

African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus

42.

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibious

43.

Chacma Baboon

Papio ursinus

44.

Vervet Monkey

Cercopithecus aethiops

45.

Giraffe

Giraffe camelopardalis

46.

African Elephants

Loxodonta africana

47.

Warthog

Phacochoerus aethiopicus

48.

Burchell’s Zebra

Equus burchelli

49.

Kudu

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

50.

African buffalo

Cyncerus caffer

51.

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

52.

Large-spotted Genet

Genetta tigrina

53.

White Rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

54.

Nyala

Tragelaphus angasii

55.

Blue wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

56.

Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

57.

Common Duiker

Sylvicapra grimmia

58.

Leopard

Panthera pardus

59.

Lion

Panthera leo

60.

Banded Mangoose

Mungos mungo

61.

Slender Mangoose

Galerella sanguinea

37

Date Location

and IUCN Conservation Status

16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th and 15th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th , 15th and 16th February, at KNP 14th February, at KNP 15th and 16th February, at KNP 15th February, at KNP 15th and 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 15th and 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at KNP 14th and 16th February, at KNP 16th February, at Skukuza Camp, KNP 16th February, at KNP

LC LC LC LC LC LC LC EN VU LC LC LC LC LC LC LC LC LC LC NT LC LC LC LC NT VU

Annexure Four: Reference 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

http://en.wikipedia.org/ Information Booklet and Checklist of Outlook Safaris Gateway to Kruger – Map and Guide, 5th Edition Sasol’s First Field Guide to Wildlife of Southern Africa South Africa’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Environment Affairs and Tourism Department, Republic of South Africa

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