More and more people are asking for self catering accommodation in Cape Town. This is a fantastic way to keep prices within a reasonable budget while still getting the comfort of a 4 star hotel.

Our favorite self catering apartments are the ones at the Waterfront and De Waterkant Village. Here you get one and two bedroomed flats, modernly decorated and with all the bells and whistles. And for a superb price.

Now you can take your family of four to Cape Town for the amazing price of R1790 per night. And this in high season 2006/2007!

Visit the Sabi Sands for your Lion Safari

Animal behavior is never set in stone and animals frequently surprise one by doing things contrary to what is considered normal behavior. Recently we were surprised by some peculiar lion behavior.

Whilst on an anti-poaching patrol one of the wardens witnessed the coalition of six males which have recently taken up residence in our area of the park kill a lioness. It was reported that two lionesses had killed an impala; the commotion of the hunt and the lionesses fighting over the carcass attracted the coalition, who were obviously within earshot. The one lioness took off whilst the other stayed with the males which had obviously alleviated the females of the kill. These two females were part of a pride we know as 2 and 6, meaning two females and six cubs.
The cubs are now sub-adults of about twenty months. The female began to perform lordosis with one of the males; i.e: showing signs of being sexually receptive. The female will pass by the male several times rubbing against the males’ head before lying in front of him.
This female could not however be in eostrus as she had not yet raised her previous litter. This is sometimes done in order to distract the males from killing their young after a territorial takeover by new males. The male usually with 2 and 6 has not been seen for months and has in all likelihood been killed by the coalition of six. The female then suddenly leapt up and fled.
A male had given chase and killed her!!

After receiving the report the next day several rangers and trackers went to investigate. We found a male lion which moved off as we approached on foot. We discovered the partially eaten carcass of the female where he had been lying.There was no sign of the other males. Later in the day the lion dragged the carcass several hundred yards from the original site possibly to conceal it from us.

This male was observed with the carcass for two days, which he consumed entirely. Later in the month the coalition caught up to the pride (which we were now funnily enough referring to as 1 and 5) again and killed one of the sub-adult males. However, they did not consume him.The remaining adult lioness was later seen with the coalition without any of the sub-adults.

The youngsters will most likely perish from starvation without her, if they are not killed by the males. The female could of course return to her related offspring and try to raise these by eluding the males when necessary. If she has abandoned them or they are killed she will come into eostrus again and mate with the dominant male in the coalition, starting the process again.