2 July 2015
We left
Pretoriuskop this morning en route to Satara. The guineafowls ran like crazy
chickens across the camp but we managed to get out eventually!
Our first
highlight we saw when we came across a leopard walking along the road! We were
caught pretty much by surprise. But the leopard seriously didn't care about
seeing us as it didn't even look back! It just kept on walking and at one
moment sat down to look into the bush. Then got up, walked some more along the
road and then did turn into the bush and walked to a nice bushy bit.
Unfortunately that was the spot where she went and laid down, as it was quite
obscured. But we still managed to see her while she washed her paws. Until she
lay flat that is!
Our second
highlight was a sighting of a hyena. Well, actually, we didn't see the hyena
very well. It was having a snooze in between some grass, and we could see some
paws move and some ears. But then on the other side of the road, three big bull
elephants show up at the scene! They walk slowly and munch along, but the
obviously smell a predator is near. They crossed the road and the hyena is no
longer snoozing, but quickly scampering away from these three bulldozers! The
elephants actually calmly continued munching once the hyena had sleeked off and
we had a great elephant sighting to boot!
A special
mention for a sighting of a large group of kudus. We had seen plenty before,
but the male had a magnificent set of horns. And he was scouting out the
females. Or as they do in animal world, smelling their butts to see if they
were in heat. He was quite keen on one female, but she was not that interested.
So to get away from him she crossed the road. Ha, but he could do that too!
Looking at the on looking cars he decided to take it on the run... And with an
amazing jump he jumped over the entire length of the road to the other side. Of
course we were in awe, so much so that none of us got the picture shot...
Other
interesting sightings: loads of elephants, zebras, warthogs, steenboks, blue
wildebeests, klipspringers, multiple lion sightings of males and females,
giraffes, vervet monkeys, a herd of rare sables, impalas, hippos, white rhinos,
waterbucks, and during dinner we heard a jackal calling (but didn't see it in
the darkness).
And we started to
watch the birds too: crested barbet, arrow marked babblers, southern white
crowned shrikes, magpie shrimes, lilac breasted rollers, hooded and
white-backed vultures, bateleurs, blue waxbills, and a magnificient martial
eagle which then also took flight so we could admire its wingspan!
3 July 2015
Today was
another long day as we moved from Satara to Berg en Dal. But still at the end
of this day we have had our favorite sightings in the morning. First we
revisited a lion sighting we had yesterday. The lion were still there, but now
they weren't the only ones around the buffalo carcass. Plenty of vultures had
moved in and when the lions weren't looking they dove on the carcass, making it
a big wobble of feathers and beaks. Squabbles broke out and wings were spread
to impress the others and we even heard some squawking! And then a lion would
have had enough and charge them all away while growling. A true show!! And we
weren't the only spectators as hyenas and black-backed jackals were lying in
wait close by for their turn! And to illustrate how full those lions were
(astmatic as one of my guests put it): the jackals were lying not more than
three meters from the lions, and the lions didn't even get up.
Our second
highlight we found soon after as a herd of elephant was munching on trees,
grass and bushes further down the road. They had two babies in the herd. In age
about a month apart, and 4-5 months old. These youngsters were too young to eat
the dry vegetation so they amused us by playing like only elephants can. Trunk
wrestling (really difficult if you are still learning how to use it!!), tag
you're it and a try at hopping over one another to name a few. The mums watched
but let it go on. Until one was too tired and ran back to mum to lean against
her legs. The other started demonstrating how to use a trunk by trying to pluck
leaves (or the whole branch, we weren't sure). When he managed to get a leaf he
just swung it around as if to say "look, I did it!"
Other
interesting sightings: many blue wildebeests, steenboks, baboons, waterbucks,
warthogs, zebras, a journey of 24 giraffes and some loose ones, a leopard,
white rhino mum and calf, bushbucks, impalas, kudus, dwarf mongooses, vervet
monkeys, hippos, zebras, herd of buffalos and just before bedtime we hear the
territorial call of a hyena.
Birds: endangered
ground hornbills (twice!), chinspot batisses, crested barbet, lilac breasted
rollers, Cape glossy starlings, Burchells starlings, grey heron, blacksmith
lapwings and a rare saddle-billed stork.
4 July 2015
On our last
drive today we set of from Berg en Dal camp to Nkambeni. We started the day
with a great white rhino sighting where two of them were slowly walking towards
the road while expertly grazing. They did cross and even started walking
towards us until the first rhino turned around. They were proper lawn mowers
the way they were cropping the dry grass. It was nice to watch them peacefully
and in no hurry.
Or second
highlight was spotting a giraffe with her baby. The baby was about a week old
and still had its umbilical cord stompie. Its mum was licking it all over but
the baby already was getting an attitude and shaking of mum as it wanted to look
at us. She was so tiny compared to her mum! And four long legs thin as match
sticks, but standing her ground.
Other
interesting sightings: elephant bulls, buffalo bulls, more white rhinos,
impalas, zebras, a hamerkop, kudus and a common grey duiker.
In the afternoon
I picked up one of Mark's guests from the Skukuza airport. We had a leisurely
drive back to camp and managed to see nyalas, bushbuck, vervet monkeys, nice
kudu bulls, impalas, lions, two cheetah brothers looking for their third
brother, elephants, white rhinos, buffalos, steenbok and giraffes.
5 July 2015
On our last
morning the guests went on a bushwalk. They had a great encounter with an
elephant herd that was feeding spread out through the bush. From the viewpoint
they had a great time watching all the elephants foraging. They also saw three
warthogs and learned a lot about the tracks and signs (like poo!) of the bush.
It was a great experience.
Then it was time
to drive to Nelspruit and say goodbye to Rikke and Tony, who will continue
their travels lounging on the beach in Mocambique. It was great having you on
safari, and enjoy the rest of your honeymoon!
