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Some of Nhongo Safaris Fleet of Open Safari Vehicles

The photo shows some of our fleet of Open Safari Vehicles used while on safari in the Kruger National and Hwange National Parks. These ve...

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Safari Continuing On From 11th March Ending 13th March 2013

11 March 2013

Route: Nkambeni - Numbi Gate tar - Napi Road to skukuza - skukuza over low water bridge to Marula loop - back in the direction of skukuza - Napi road - Numbi gate

Animals seen were Impala, kudu, waterbuck, elephants at the start of Napi, cheetah on Napi boulders, elephant herd crossing the road.  5.1km's from H3 junction a leopard in the tree. After a break at skukuza. Found hippo and crocodile at low water bridge and two male lions on Marula loop. Back on Napi more elephant, impala and kudu. Sightings of rhino where also experienced.

After picking up more clients at Numbi Gate we went to Pretorouskop for lunch, and afterwards took a drive around circle road, Shabeni Kopies and Albasini road looking for buffalo, did not find any but got good sightings of baboon, impala, kudu, Klipspringer and hippo.

12 March 2013

Today we drove down Numbi gate road, Napi road, watergat and then onto Doispane and Albasini road back to Numbi gate as Verity was bringing Guests back.
Animals seen were elephants on Napi road as well as impala and zebra, nothing much was seen on watergat. Lions were found on Doispane 2.5km's from river road link. We also came across more elephant and rhino. Verity found buffalo for the guests between tourism control and the gate when she left the park.

Guests were picked up after their walk and we took the same route down Albasini and onto Doispane to skukuza getting rhino, zebra, impala, elephant and buffalo. After a lunch break we got a call from Mark about a leopard on Doispane, and as guests had not seen one, we decided to go and have a look. We found him at 7.5km's from river road link on Doispane. After enjoying the sighting, we made our way onto the Albasini and then down to Shithave dam before going into camp. All that was seen was baboon, hippo, impala and waterbuck.

13 March 2013

We took a drive today from Nkambeni - Numbi gate tar and down the Napi road and back to the gate to go through to Nelspruit as 2 guests were getting on the shuttle bus to return. All that was seen was elephant, impala, kudu.

Update On Rhino Poaching

South African National Parks
MEDIA STATEMENT

UPDATE ON RHINO POACHING

As the triennial Conference of Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) draws to a close, the number of rhino poached in South Africa rose to 158 since the beginning of the year. In the Kruger National Park 116 rhino have been poached, while 13 have been poached in North West, 12 in Kwazulu-Na...tal, 9 in Mpumalanga and 8 in Limpopo. A total of 61 people have been arrested, 38 of them alleged poachers and three alleged couriers. In the past week two alleged poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park. Nine were arrested at a game farm near Lephalale in Limpopo in connection with rhino poaching on March 10, the Limpopo conservation department confirmed. South Africa’s effort to combat Rhino poaching this week received further praise from numerous stakeholders at the 16th Conference of Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), at an event showcasing the intentions of a recently-approved project funded by the Global Environment Fund. The project is aimed at intensifying enforcement efforts through DNA forensic management, the improvement of information sharing through interfaced technology use, as well as enhanced co-operation with other range, transit and consumer states. Delegates to COP16 in Bangkok, Thailand, congratulated the Department of Environmental Affairs for its initiatives to combat rhino poaching on the sidelines of the conference saying initiatives presently being undertaken in South Africa would enhance the global effort to fight all trans-boundary wildlife crimes. South Africa is the first country to receive funding from a UNEP-GEF project with potential to improve the effectiveness of efforts to combat wildlife crime in South Africa’s protected areas through the improvement of forensic-based technologies, data gathering and analysis, more efficient and safe data sharing systems, improved cooperation structures at regional, sub-regional and international level to support the detection of syndicate intentions and strengthen prosecution of those involved in rhino poaching and illegal trade of rhino horn.

Baby Elephant Nearly drowns in Addo Part 2

The mother looking for her baby in the water  

After finding the baby elephant mom guides it to the shallow waters 

 
With a little help from the rest of the family mom and her baby made it on dry land


Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Baby Elephant Nearly drowns in Addo Part 1

Baby elephant cant get out and mommy tries everything to help her baby

Mommy tries to pull the helpless baby out

Mommy then decides to get in with her baby

Monday, 11 March 2013

On A 7 Day Safari With Mark Starting 8 March 2013

8 March 2013

Route: Numbi tar - Napi - into Skakuza

Not much to report at the moment. This afternoon it was extremely quiet with only general game of impala, water buck, kudu and 1 elephant bull at a natural water pan spraying himself with mud. We not pushed to see everything on the first afternoon of a 7 day safari, so we came into camp to enjoy an ice cold beer overlooking the sabi river. Guests very relaxed and enjoying the serenity of the African bush.

9 March 2013

Route: Skakuza - Tshokwane tar - Satara - S100 - Satara

After a cup of coffee, we drove north towards tshokwane where we had breakfast. The morning drive was relatively quiet. Some great sightings of hippo's in the sabie river close to the bridge. We stopped for Dwarf mongoose busy with their daily activities on the side of the road and watched them for a while. Busy little guys and great to watch them as they only come out once the cars have stopped driving by. We did however get a pair of mating lions 2.3km north of elephant pan but visuals weren't great as they were lying approximately 60m in. 1.3km past tshokwane picnic spot we got a journey of giraffe's (11) that was quiet awesome to see them so close to the road. Further to this the general game viewing was good right up to Satara. Fantastic sighting of 25 ostriches on the S100 road all just parading past our car. Magnificent elephant bulls standing on the road 1.3kms from our camp. Over all we had a great day with high expectations as to what tomorrow will provide.

10 March 2013

Route: Satara - H1-5 - Olifants - S93 - Letaba - H1-5 - S90 - Satara

All the way up to olifants and then onto Letaba we had numerous sightings of blue wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, ostrich and impala. Regular sightings throughout the day of these listed species. 2.2km north of S90 on H1-5 we got a massive elephant bull next to the road. 4.8km north of S90, we had a small herd (13)of elephants on the move. As the morning was cold and windy lots of animals stayed lying down to shelter themselves from the wind etc. Although lots of spoor of cats, nothing was spotted during the course of the day. Trust the guests will get them tonight on the night safari. On our return to camp we got 23 Ostrich crossing the S90 road together. Bird life was great, with varies specie spotted throughout the drive. Cats must be out tomorrow.

On Safari With Dean Starting 7 March 2013

7 March 2013

Route: Numbi Gate - Pretoriuskop - Napi road -H3 - Quagga Pan - into the camp

A slow day experienced with the only animals seen where a mating pair of lions 100 meters from napi boulders exit, impala and kudu between napi boulders and transport dam and some impalas and wharthog on the H3.

8 March 2013

Upon leaving the camp this morning we found a good buffalo bull on the camp access road, after watching him for a time, we made our way to Napi Road then in the direction of Skukuza getting more good sightings of buffalo, elephant, and rhino. After a break at skukuza, we made our way down to the Sabie river in search of hippos and crocodiles. We managed to find some on elloff street and then made our way down to the sabieclow level bridge and found a crocodile in the water. We made our way back up to the skukuza fourways, and got back onto napi as we made our way to Numbi gate to pick up more guests. After check in formalities, it was off to Pretoriuskop for lunch, before departing on an afternoon drive going down to shithave dam and napi boulders, before making our way to the camp in order for the guests to settle in before departing on their late afternoon / evening safari. Numerous good sightings were experienced during the day.

9 March 2013

Today after enjoying a good breakfast, we made our way onto napi road, and as it turned out to be very quiet, with only a couple of sightings of elephant and rhino as well as giraffe. We made our way in the direction of Skukuza going down watergate, where we found hippo and a cheetah lying in the river bed. After leaving watergate, we turned onto doispane and then Paul Kruger Gate road before going into skukuza for a break as the heat had already set in. After a good break, we made our way back down napi making our way onto the h3 going down as far as quagga pan, before turning around due to no animals been seen and going back in the direction of napi. We turned onto napi and made our way in the direction of transport dam, going down to see what we could find. A Great sighting of hippo as well as mating waterbuck were seen. We made our way back down napi in order to drop guests off returning to Johannesburg and picking up more that were starting their safari. We again made our way down to Pretoriuskop for lunch. After a well deserved lunch. It was out onto the albasini road and then doispane in the direction of watergate. All that was seen on these roads was elephant, rhino, buffalo, zebra and impala. We made our way onto watergate and after getting to the causeway, we came across the same cheetah lying in the river bed. After a good photo opportunity, we made our way in the direction of napi road and then onto Pretoriuskop as it was starting to rain. After dropping some clients off in Pretoriuskop camp, the rest of us made our way back to Nkambeni for the night and some well deserved rest, before going out again tomorrow morning to look further for some of the inhabitants of the Kruger National Park.

10 March 2013

The route was as follows today. This morning we drove out of camp down the Napi road getting buffalo and elephant, turned onto the h3 that was very quiet, we heard about lions on the s112, and went down and did not find them. We then turned around and went back to h3 and back up to Napi road. We Found more buffalo at Klipspringer Koppies and heard about a leopard close to that area we went down to see if we could find it and it was not long before he was walking close to the road in the long grass. After a good sighting we went back to Pretoriuskop for breakfast as the one guest staying over at the camp had not had anything to eat. After breakfast we left the park to meet Verity in Nelspruit who was dropping off clients and picked up the next ones to return. We then came back in and stopping at Pretoriuskop for lunch. After lunch made our way down Napi to the h3 junction and then turned back. Animals found were impala, elephant, kudu, zebra, warthog and the leopard from the morning, this time lying in the bush ten meters from my vehicle. On the way back more elephants, rhino and buffalo were seen.

11 March 2013

Today Verity is heading to the Kruger National Park to drop off more guests, keep watching for more updates on how the Safaris are going and what is being experienced.