SELOUS IMPALA NEWSLTTER July 2010

Impala new lodge in the evening

 
New pool and lodge

We have not only a brand new restaurant and swimming pool area in the camp, but also a lot of news about wildlife. So much is happening in Selous and it is going to be a very interesting season indeed!

The new season started on 1st June with thrilling sightings.
The first guests were welcomed on the day of their arrival, with the amazing experience of African Wild Dogs hunting right in front of the camp reception.
The pack of ten dogs that hunted in the Manze area last year, is presently established in the near surroundings of Impala Camp.
The day they were seen in the camp both the alpha female and the subordinate beta female had all the signs of pregnancy. It is unusual for two sisters to conceive together.

 
Wild dogs patrolling the area and the pregnant Alpha Female

Later on our guests and guides saw them again patrolling around Siwandu and Nzelekela lakes, searching and studying the area for a possible denning site.
On the 19th of June our guest Dominic Oldridge, out on fly camp, came back with the news of the month, the puppies are born!
We don’t know how many they are, as they are still inside the den and we cannot wait to see them on their first day out in the sunlight. Usually they would need to be between 8 and 12 weeks before emerging from the den.
Will be very interesting to see what will happen to the subordinate female as she hasn’t given birth yet. Will she get a chance to raise her own puppies or will the apha female take them over as normally happens?

 

It has been a very good month indeed, a pair of elusive leopards were seen trapped on an isolated tree limb by a pride of lions eating their prey. It was a zebra on the menu that day.
The leopards’ activities were brought to a halt for nearly two hours, with no route of escape while the superior predator cats took their time feeding on their prey - our guests enjoyed a very special time watching them.

And more news for this season, lions are re-setting their territories as the dry season is approaching and most of the young have grown enough to establish their own territories.
Because of these reasons the so called Siwandu pride has been pushed from their original territory and ended up around Impala Camp. They have been seen and heard in the night around the camp frequently.
Lots of lions new to the area have been seen; we are enjoying observing and following what is happening in the wild world every day around us!

Selous Game Reserve in July 2010

We are going to be back with more news next month.

Barbara and the Impala Team
July 2010

Click here to see a slideshow of Dominic's fab photos of this Wild Dog kill