Rare visitors at the waterhole

The last ten days or so have seen several visits to our waterhole by rare animals of one sort or another.  Firstly on Saturday 10^th March a leopard drank there at around 8.00 p.m., and soon afterwards a hyena came by as well.  Another (or the same?) leopard spent some 10 minutes near the waterhole just after 6.00 p.m. on Monday 19^th March. 

Leopard - 19 March - hard to photograph as behind tree!

 A white rhino drank at the waterhole, also around 6.00 p.m., on Tuesday 13^th.  Although not common sightings, these are nonetheless animals that we do expect to see from time to time.  However, around midday on Wednesday 21^st a female eland with a calf appeared at the waterhole, drank for some minutes and then moved off.  There have been no sightings of eland in the Reserve for many years and we are at a loss to explain how or why this pair was there.  Our habitat is not really their normal one:  they are generally found in drier parts, and particularly in the western half of South Africa. They may have moved in from Kruger Park, where eland do occur at a low density, especially in the northern parts; or more likely they may have come from a game farm or private reserve bordering Balule.  Whatever the explanation, it is always a treat to see eland in the wild.  They are the largest of the antelope in Southern Africa and live in small family groups, generally with one mature male, several females and their offspring.

Eland female - 21 March