About 10 days ago one of the security guys who drives the fenceline saw some unusual creatures during his rounds and when he returned to the office fed back the news. Further investigations revealed lion spoor in the area on the eastern side of the reserve and this led to Bradley's email late last week to exercise further caution if walking in the bush.

Early this week a party of shareholders, including me and Helen, Walt Tingle and Thea Holmes, and Ted Newton, were driving together in the Mooimaisiesfontein area on the trail of elephant that had been drinking there. As they crossed the sand road and headed north along the fence Lucky noticed some tracks and stopped to investigate. After seeing them with his own eyes Lucky was more convinced there had been a lion incursion but the tracks were a few days old at best.

Heading west at the next cutline the group arrived at Ramekitane waterhole and immediately noticed the fairly fresh elephant tracks and got out to inspect them more closely. However it soon became apparent that there had been more recent visitors as very clear, large cat prints were all around one end of the trough and overlaid those of the elephants in places! A plaster cast was taken and while this was drying the trail was examined and found to lead in and out of the waterhole and show up the trail of two lions.

The tracks would seem to be those of young males, probably having left their pride at maturity, and this fits with the other observations made to date. With any luck further visits will be made to the area and possibly a trail camera left in the location to see what else we can learn about our newest inhabitants.