Dear Friends of Nambiti Hills,

March is typically a quieter month for us before the busy Easter period. We’ve been enjoying a steady flow of guests, however, and an increased amount of foreign visitors which is always great. It’s actually a wonderful time of year in the bush as the temperatures are not too hot and the thunderstorms are less frequent. The grass is still quite long though and the trees thick with foliage but we’ve had great sightings nonetheless.

Some of our guests had front row seats to witness it all unfold one morning as the chaos ensued all around them. The sub-adults went after the new cubs but the big male was close by to protect them and there was dust and fur flying everywhere. They were also all roaring to assert their dominance and one could feel one’s ribcage vibrating. Things have calmed down for now. but this will carry on until the management steps in and swaps some lions with those on another reserve.

We had two rhinos poached on the same night. The poachers used a helicopter and were probably in and out within 15 minutes. No-one heard or saw a thing. It is incredibly difficult to prevent and it just confirms that Nambiti’s decision to de-horn our rhinos is the best solution for now.

We’re heading into the rutting season now so we look forward to lots of activity amongst the impala and wildebeest, especially as they fight for territory and females. The temperatures will also start to drop and we will slowly notice the bush getting drier.