1 December 2014
This morning we
set out along the camp road and immediately found a herd of impala and then a
few dagga boys close to the lodge. We turned onto Napi where we found plenty
more impala and some kudu including a couple of the bull kudu whose impressive
horns never fail to impress.
We came across
a couple of bull elephants and the back end of a white rhino before we came
across a small group of cars. After a scan of the area we found a group of six
lions. To begin with we could only see the head of one of them as she was lying
up but one by one they slowly revealed themselves to us as they started to move
around. Although there was a lot of grass in the way it was still a very nice
start to the day and our patience was rewarded as we waited and got the
pictures we wanted.
We then found a
lone hyena cub lying just outside the den at flat rocks but no sign of any
others or its babysitter.
Moving on we
came to more ellies, zebra, warthog, kudu and impala before our coffee stop at
skukuza. While we were at skukuza I heard of a sighting of wild dog down the
road and so headed down in that direction. Unfortunately luck was not with us
as the dogs had moved off, but if you believe in karma we had plenty as
instead of dogs we found a leopard instead. It wasn't a long sighting, just a
minute or two, as she was trying to hunt some impala but was soon spotted and
the alarm calls went off. This was her cue to slink off into the bush to try
another day. We also had a lovely male elephant standing right next to the road
and just a few meters from us but he was too busy eating to be interested in
little old us. Just past the elephant when we found two southern ground hornbills
and a spekes hinged tortoise and then back on the tar road two giant land
snails having a race to the other side of the road. I will go back this
afternoon to see who won!!!
We took a trip
around the river finding plenty of hippos, buffalo and kudu as well as finding
our first Bushbuck of this tour. But the highlight was a pair of mating lions
just five meters off the road. We had a great view of them and stayed with them
for about forty minutes mating twice with all the snarling and growling being magnified
as everyone watched in silence.
Back to Skukuza
for lunch and then we headed back along Napi to the lodge. In the afternoon we
found the first patch very quiet so we made a stop at mathekanyane viewpoint
for a nice overview of this area and to allow for a small idea of the vastness
of the park. Once we got past transport dam things started to pick up.
First a tower
of giraffe in the distance then we found the young hyena cub still outside it's
den. Straight after a lone elephant bull and then the lions we had seen this
morning. About seven hours had passed since we first saw them and they had
moved probably less than ten meters. Again we waited and got the occasional
head popping up to have a look, the occasional roll over showing us a belly and
the occasional get up, walk two meters and then flop down as if it had walked a
marathon strategy.
Next up the first
of three rhino sightings, the first a lone bull, the second four males all play
fighting and trying for dominance and the third two more just doing what rhino
do best, grazing. Then we had a nice herd of buffalo close to the road, some
had crossed while others were still waiting. We also had a couple of nice zebra
sightings as well as seeing waterbuck, klipspringer, steenbok, common duiker and
dwarf mongoose to end another great day.
2 December 2014
Unfortunately
today was the final day of the tour and so after a good breakfast we set out on
our final game drive. This morning, the sightings to begin with were few and
far between. In fact we didn't see a single impala all the way along Napi!!!
The few sightings we did have were nice things including four nice elephant
sighting. All male groups close to the road. We also saw southern ground
hornbills, two adults and a juvenile. But the nicest sighting on Napi was a
secretary bird. Not often seen around this area so fully appreciated. We turned
onto watergat and found our first impalas, giraffe and kudu of the day as well
as our first vervets of the tour. We turned down Doispane to find zebra and
giraffe, plenty of them, in fact every time we had sightings of them together. We also found a hippo in the
shallow waters of Ingwe donga and found mum and baby bushbuck along with mum
and baby wildebeest. Three more elephants and buffalo bulls before we exited
the park at Phabeni.
Back in
nelspruit it was time to say goodbye to Fernanda and Lance who carry on their South
Africa travels. It has been an absolute pleasure guys having you on tour. I
know just how much you have enjoyed your safari and how much you enjoyed all
the sightings weather big and small. Hope to see you back with me on tour one
day.
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