October 2025

We ended off October with the promise of a warm summer and maybe another good rainy season underway… We have already had a couple of small showers scattered throughout the month, and the clouds are definitely rolling in, making for some beautifully painted sunrises and sunsets! Speaking of, our Sunrise is currently at 5:28 and sunset at 18:29. Our temperatures for this month averaged at highs of 32’C (89’F) and lows of 18’C (64’F). The total Rainfall, not much, but definitely helped to settle some dust and encourage new growth, was 21.5mm.

In last months Ranger Diaries, we mentioned that there were whispers of new lion cubs in the Kietumetsi Pride, and this month we got to meet them for ourselves! They have been venturing back into the territory that we would normally see them in and given us opportunities to spend some time with them. We happened upon them by chance, whilst in search for cheetah. What a pleasant surprise that was.  With the Addo and Matata males still making frequent visits to the East, the prides are still weary.  However, the prides have managed to steer clear and keep their cubs safe from Addo and Matata. It has been a very good month in terms of frequent lion sightings of both the Kietumetsi and the Kwena prides in the East. The Blonde Mane Mahiwa is still around, but rarely  seen these days.

With the heat and humidity picking up, the waterholes and mud wallows have been in high demand. And the waterhole in front of Mateya has been a very popular spot this month. The usual visitors, such as the Elephants, and general game. We had some lions spend the night and got to spend the next morning watching the sunrise with them. On another occasion, we had some Spotted hyenas spend a quick “honeymoon” stay in front of the lodge.

The Wild Dogs have been on the move, we did manage to see them earlier in the month but with the pups getting bigger now, they are expanding their searches for food to other corners of the reserve. The pups have already grown so fast, and so have their appetites!

There are so many signs that the rains are drawing near and evidence that some rain has already fallen. As we navigate the roads during the day we already have to keep an extra close eye out for the smaller creatures that have not been around for the past few months. We have started seeing the first Dung Beetles, Tortoises and already so many Millipedes, “Shongololos” as we call them. As the summer creeps in, it is a great idea to have some eyewear ready for those evening drives back to the lodge. The winged insects are out and about and find their way straight towards us as they follow the light. But don’t worry too much about them, they are practically harmless, just causing a tickle here and there, some might even say; “a great source of protein!”

The season for Birds, Bugs, Botany and Babies is underway! The lilies that have been dormant under the surface of the soil have started pushing through, adding splashes of pinks, whites and orange to the bush. The Cicadas shouting out that the warmth is here. The crickets and frogs chirping throughout the evenings. The Tshukudu dam is bursting with Aquatic bird life, and frequent visitors that like to swim or wallow in the mud.

We look forward to updating you on all our seasonal visitors and new arrivals in the next few weeks to come.

Until Next Time!

The Mateya Team