On Safari with Mark 17 January 2013

17th January  -  Morning drive

Route:  Albaseni - shabeni loop - circle road - nkambeni

A very quiet morning was experienced this morning with 2 herds of elephant  on shabeni loop. Great sightings of some Kudu bulls and a troop of chackma  baboons playing on the rocks.  We returned to camp for lunch and also to  check on our sick man.  We departed once again in the afternoon for a drive,  still with one guest being man down with gastro. The Route driven was napi - H3 - S112 - S114 - napi - back to nkambeni. The first half of napi was quiet going north and coming back down south with  very little seen. On the H3 just before the S112 junction we picked up a mating set of lions.  We spent a good 30min with them. At Renoster koppies we picked up the  3 lionesses that were hunting late  yesterday afternoon. They must  of been successful as all of them were  panting heavily, with very full bellies. Brilliant rhino sighting with a crash all lying in a mud bath.

What a night was had by us all!  Mark ended up calling the ambulance and our  guest was taken to Medi Clinic in Nelspruit to be placed on a drip.  From  mid-night they said he could be discharged, but this is Africa with the  Kruger being on lockdown for the night so no getting in or out!  Fortunately  the hospital gave them a bed for the night and we were able to arrange a  transfer for them back to Nkambeni at 07h00am this morning.  Mark and his  other guests have departed on a morning drive and will return later to keep  you updated on sightings and the state of our patient who is now resting  comfortably with his wife at the camp.