Kruger Park Safaris Ranger Blog: 2013-01-06

Verity and Dean Cherry had an African dream in 1999 and started Nhongo Safaris® to eliminate the logistical challenges of international visitors on safari. We provide a once in a lifetime experience for wildlife enthusiast that demand quality overnight safaris in South Africa and most particularly the Kruger National Park. We want to enrich our visitors’ experience by providing Luxury Safari Packages or African Safari Holidays and maintain our position as leader in Kruger Park Safaris.

Friday, 11 January 2013

On Safari With Dean And Mark Starting the 5th January 2013

5^th January 2013: Our first safari for 2013! Guests were collected by Dean from the Town Lodge close to the Airport and transferred to Neslpruit to meet up with Mark. Guests entered the park through Numbi Gate and made their way to Skukuza for lunch. En-route down Napi a small herd of Buffalo were sighted just before the Voortrekker link on Napi, two elephant bulls on the road just past boulders entrance and a couple of White Rhino along the way to Skukuza. There were no cat sightings at all for the entire day. After lunch we made our way back to Nkambeni for check in with just general game sightings.

6^th January 2013: We departed Nkambeni after breakfast and stayed in the general area, as Verity was bringing in more guests at 12h00pm. Once again the day was relatively quiet with no cat sightings and none been reported for the whole day by any other vehicles. We came across a herd of approximately 40 elephant on the River link road with a lot of individual bulls also seen. Most of them were throwing sand or mud on themselves for protection as it was going to be a warm day. We also came across a dazzle of Zebra with a very young foal. On our way towards Nkambeni via Albasini we came across a female lions spoor but no lioness was found as the grass has grown immensely. On the late afternoon drive 7 large male Kudus were seen. We made our way back to camp after an exhausting hot day.

7^th January 2013: We departed camp once again on the hunt for some cats, and Dean collected his guests in Johannesburg from the Radisson Blu hotel and made his way to the Kruger to join up with us. We both had lunch at Pretoriuskop before departing on the afternoon drive with our perspective clients. After lunch we took a drive down Napi where we got some dwarf mongooses, just before Shithave Dam we got seven Sable Antelope and awesome sight!, elephant , Impala, Kudu . We returned to Nkambeni late afternoon .

8^th January 2013: After breakfast, Mark and his group left down Napi and Dean followed with his guests. Once again we came across the little dwarf mongooses on Napi as well as Impala and Zebra. After a tea break at Skukuza we continued on towards the Historical site and came across a pack of 9 wild dogs, we carried onto the H2 as we had heard there were some lions two kilometres before Quagga Pan, we found the lions lying 10 metres off the road this made for a great days sighting. We then journeyed back towards the Paul Kruger Gate road and onto Doispane where there were more elephants to be seen as well as a herd of 700 buffalo near Albasini and then all was quiet as we made our way to camp for a break while meeting up with Verity to deliver more guests. The late afternoon drive was relatively quiet with sightings of general game before we made our way back to camp for the evening.

9^th January 2013: After leaving Mark and his guests Dean took his four and started making his way straight to Skukuza and then Tshokwane and on to Satara. General game was spotted as well as the usual sightings of Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Waterbuck. After we all had a break at Skukuza it was onward towards the low water bridge toward Lower Sabi and to Tshokwane for lunch. On the way we got a Martial Eagle busy enjoying lunch as he had caught a banded mongoose. After lunch at Thokwane and bidding Mark a farewell as he was going on to Lower Sabi and Dean was going on to Satara, Dean got twelve lions resting near Nzamanzi Dam and at the Dam itself Buffalo, Elephant, Hippo and Crocodile. Along the way there was a lot of general game. Dean arrived at Satara at 15h00pm and clients decided they were exhausted with the temperature reaching 43 degrees and enjoyed the pool at Satara for the afternoon. Mark continued his journey down the H10, eloff, Napi and back to camp with sightings of Elephants, Sable and a Leopard up a Maroela tree near Quagga Pan, it was then back to camp for a ice cold beer!

10^th January 2013: Dean left Satara early before the heat of the day and travelled the H100 and then onto the S41 and H6 before returning to Satara for breakfast, sightings were good with loads of Impala, Herds of Elephant and a Cheetah lying under a tree as well as a male Lion and cubs getting chased by two Bull Elephants . After breakfast Dean took a drive to Olifants camp with sightings of general game , some White Storks, Vultures. They returned to camp early as the heat was too much and guests were going on a Night Drive. Mark also went out early as he had four guests departing back to Johannesburg and two more guests arriving at 12h00pm. Sightings of elephants and one male Lion and two Lionesses near Renosterkoppies, as well as Elephants having a swim in Nyamundwa Dam. Most of the animals were looking for shade in the afternoon, but we will see what tomorrow brings and hopefully we will pickup a Lion or two. Dean and his four guests were making their way from Satara back to Pretoriuskop for the night as all six guests return to Johannesburg tomorrow and new guests arrive!

We shall wait for the next report with the guests arriving tomorrow.