Madikwe Hills Bush Bulletin – May 2024

Welcome to the latest update from the field guides at Madikwe Hills. We’re excited to introduce the Selati female cheetah, a new addition bringing fresh genes to our cheetah population. Meanwhile, the young Moselesele brothers are learning to hunt independently, providing us with quite a spectacle. The Bates pack of wild dogs has faced challenges, losing members to a lion encounter, but hope remains with the alpha female expecting pups. The Mica pride is thriving with a curious new cub. Additionally, our rangers are debating the unusual development of baby elephants’ ears, considering nutritional or genetic causes. Join us as we explore these captivating stories from the Madikwe Game Reserve.

We have a special new arrival in the reserve. The Selati female cheetah was donated to Madikwe from a neighbouring reserve. She is almost 3 years old and embarking on the new challenge of getting to know her new home.

This opens the opportunity for new genes in Madikwe’s Cheetah population! She is still shy – spending time with her means respecting her boundaries, however, she is a beautiful female. We are very excited for her future in Madikwe!

The Moselesele brothers have fled the nest! These 3 cheetah brothers have formed a strong coalition and their bond is important. The boys are not yet strong hunters as their confidence in each other has led them to leave their mom a bit too early. Watching them hunt is quite a spectacle since there is no plan between the brothers, only hunger drives them. We keep a very close eye on them to make sure that they keep on trying and learning whilst staying healthy.

The Bates pack has gone through quite a journey in the last 2 months. After their altercation with 5 lions, they tragically lost 3 members. It was a difficult time, but it is a constant reality for all predators. There is hope for the 7 remaining dogs. The alpha female is pregnant, and she will be giving birth within the next week or so!

The Mica pride resides in the southern section of the reserve. They are a healthy group of lions with a gorgeous new cub. We are still unsure of the sex of the little one as mom is very protective. The cub is almost 10 weeks old and has a curious personality.

We have noticed an increase in baby elephants with strangely developed ears. There is a lot of debate as to why this is happening and it is a big discussion amongst the field guides. One speculation is that they aren’t getting all the correct, needed nutrients whilst others feel it is a genetic defect.

This growth will have an enormous impact on these individuals’ lives. An elephant uses its ears to help regulate body temperature. With the deformed ears, the elephant won’t be able to efficiently regulate its body temperature.