Kruger Park Safaris Ranger Blog: 2013-07-07

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 12 July 2013

On Safari With Dean From 1 July to 12 July 2013

1 July 2013

clients went straight to the camp as the safari started at the Palaborwa section of the Kruger National Park.

2 July 2013

Route: Palaborwa Gate - Letaba for a break - Back to Camp

Animals seen were:

Impala, Elephant, Hyena, Giraffe, Buffalo, Leopard, Hippo and waterbuck.

3 July 2013

Route: Palaborwa Gate - S131 - Mopani for a break - Letaba - Sable Dam - Palaborwa Gate

Animals seen were:

Lots of Impala, Elephant (one herd totaled 150 elephants), Hippo, Buffalo, Black Backed Jackal, various bird species, Roan Antelope, Rhino, a Leopard kill, Waterbuck, Giraffe, Hyena, Baboons, Wildebeest.

4 July 2013

Route: Palaborwa Gate - Letaba - Tshokwane

Animals seen were:

Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Impala, Ostrich, Black Backed Jackal, Hyena and Lions.

5 July 2013

Route: Albasini - Doispane - Skukuza for a break - Napi - back to Camp

Animals seen were:

Elephant, Rhino, Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Waterbuck, Got a call about a Leopard kill but when we got there we saw just the kill and no leopard.

6 July 2013

Route: Pretoriuskop - Koppies - Circle road - Selati - Napi - Skukuza for a break - Napi - Camp

Animals seen were:

Buffalo, Baboons, Elephant, Rhino, 3 male lions.

7 July 2013

Route: Shithave Dam - Boulders Loop - Albasini - Doispane - Skukuza

Animals seen were:

Impala, Waterbuck, Rhino, 6-7 different sightings of Elephant, Zebra, Wildebeest.

8 July 2013

Route: Napi - Skukuza - Napi - H3 - Camp

Animals seen were:

Zebra, Elephant - Buffalo - Waterbuck - Hippo - Impala

9 July 2013

Route: Shithave Dam - Boulders - pretoriuskop loop - Camp

Animals seen were:

Rhino, Waterbuck, Baboons, Impala, we got a leopard jump into a tree so we watched her for about 30min as it was just Dean and Mark at the sighting.

10 July 2013

Route: Napi - Transport Dam - Numbi Gate

Animals seen were:

Elephant, Buffalo, Impala, Widebeest, Waterbuck.

Clients were then picked up by Verity and new clients arrived.

We then went on a little drive with the new guests seeing Elephant, rhino, impala, Zebra,
Wildebeest.

11 July 2013

Route: Napi - Albasini - Doispane - Transport Dam - Pretoriuskop for a break - Shithave
Dam - Boulders loop - Napi - Camp

Animals seen were:

Zebra, Impala, Hippo, Elephant, Buffalo, Kudu, Waterbuck, Dwarf Mongoose, Wildebeest and a leopard that jumped out a tree and walked next to the Open Vehicle.

12 July 2013

Route: Bush walk - Napi - H3 - Quagga Pan - Transport Dam - Skukuza

Animals seen were:

Elephant, Hyena, Rhino, Buffalo, Kudu, Zebra, Impala and 2km past transport dam 2 male lions walking in the road.

Keep watching for more

Counter Poaching Hounds - Unite Against Poaching

Poachers will no longer be able to rely on tactics such as outrunning their pursuers or hiding from rangers to escape capture. Following the success of the first three tracker hounds introduced into Kruger National Park, the park has now increased the number of dogs and will steadily build the numbers further.

The tracker hounds are specialists at high speed tracking and can outrun any fleeing poacher, even across difficult tracking terrain which would halt the most experienced human trackers. The hounds hunt as a pack and are able to run off leash making them independant of humans who would hamper their progress. They are trained to ignore animals and focus on their human target.

The tracker hounds are part of a well organised counter poaching strategy and are utilised as a quick deployment unit. A specially adapted Volkswagen Amarok is used during deployment. They are supported by well trained field rangers and specialised counter poaching teams.

Unite Against Poaching, a combined effort between the SANParks Honorary Rangers and Unitrans Volkswagen, has donated the hounds and are sponsoring their training and provided them with predator proof kennels. Their specialised nutritional needs as high energy working dogs are well looked after by Hill's Pet Nutrition.

The public can support this effort and help us look after and increase the number of dogs by donating in support of this project: http://bit.ly/IF43ru

For more information: http://www.sanparksvolunteers.org/