31 July 2014
This morning we woke up to sounds of
hyenas, hippos, a pearl spotted owlet and a chorus of other birds. This morning
was a normal start with impalas being our first animal of the day (nothing
exotic like wild dogs this time). A loop around the Shabeni Koppies showed us a
very nice sunrise, tracks of monkeys and kudus. We then drove off to Napi where
we had a quiet drive to the boulders. Here we maybe saw a glimpse of a lion
that walked away into the bush. But as it was gone on second glance neither of
us was actually sure.
There was a nice sighting of four white rhinos grazing when we were told that there were cheetahs walking around in the high grass nearby. We sat and looked but no luck. We decided to have a quick look on the otherside, where we spotted guineafowls and an african hoopoe. Then turned around and watched from the other side. This time we had more luck as we had a distant visual of two cheetahs. With binoculars we could see them nicely. One would occasionally sit up and look around before lying down again as for the other one he eventually started washing himself. It was a great sighting to enjoy for a while, hoping they would get up and come closer, but that was too much to ask.
We headed back to Pretoriuskop for breakfast. We watched a little skink, tree squirrels as well as a grey headed bushshrike, black collared barbets and a black headed oriole hopping around the trees around us. Not to mention the guineafowls that were screaming their heads off closeby. We then decided to have a little break before we would go on an afternoon drive.
Desperate for lions we took a slow drive in the afternoon to where we thought we caught a glimpse. So desperate we decided to pass all the other good stuff and be so spoiled that we only stopped for something that growls. Therefore we passed on impalas, kudus, even a snoozing white rhino, zebras and giraffe. On Shabeni loop we saw some laege lion tracks. They weren't totally fresh, but definitely not there this morning. We completed the loop and then turned around to have a different perspective. This was even encouraged by alarm calling baboons. Downside though, we couldn't even locate these baboons! We gave up only just before the gate closed. We are still very excited with everything else we have seen, but lions would complete the package! One more try tomorrow!
There was a nice sighting of four white rhinos grazing when we were told that there were cheetahs walking around in the high grass nearby. We sat and looked but no luck. We decided to have a quick look on the otherside, where we spotted guineafowls and an african hoopoe. Then turned around and watched from the other side. This time we had more luck as we had a distant visual of two cheetahs. With binoculars we could see them nicely. One would occasionally sit up and look around before lying down again as for the other one he eventually started washing himself. It was a great sighting to enjoy for a while, hoping they would get up and come closer, but that was too much to ask.
We headed back to Pretoriuskop for breakfast. We watched a little skink, tree squirrels as well as a grey headed bushshrike, black collared barbets and a black headed oriole hopping around the trees around us. Not to mention the guineafowls that were screaming their heads off closeby. We then decided to have a little break before we would go on an afternoon drive.
Desperate for lions we took a slow drive in the afternoon to where we thought we caught a glimpse. So desperate we decided to pass all the other good stuff and be so spoiled that we only stopped for something that growls. Therefore we passed on impalas, kudus, even a snoozing white rhino, zebras and giraffe. On Shabeni loop we saw some laege lion tracks. They weren't totally fresh, but definitely not there this morning. We completed the loop and then turned around to have a different perspective. This was even encouraged by alarm calling baboons. Downside though, we couldn't even locate these baboons! We gave up only just before the gate closed. We are still very excited with everything else we have seen, but lions would complete the package! One more try tomorrow!
1 August
2014
While Colleen went on a bushwalk this
morning, Caitlin and I set off for a early morning game drive before breakfast.
It was still dark when we drove out of the gate of Pretoriuskop, so we decided
to drive straight up Napi and see what we could find. We encountered multiple
elephants, including a group of bulls that had just pushed over a Marula tree and
were all standing around the fallen tree and feasting off it for breakfast,
ground hornbills, impalas and a large group of kudus with some handsome bulls.
We continued on the road all the way up to Transport Dam, where, short for time, we had to turn around. But not before having a good look at three hyena pups that seemed to need some sleep but just refused to go to bed. They were too cute, but we had to leave them.
Still hoping to see lions we tried every corner we could reach, but it was one of those things that just didn't seem to go our way. We ended our drive with a large dazzle of zebras which formed a roadblock.
Colleen returned for breakfast having enjoyed her bushwalk very much. apart from tracks and scat they had seen many birds and encountered a warthog as well as two rhinos that they had to circle round to get back to the car.
Then it was time to return to the airport where Caitlin and Colleen would fly to Cape Town for the last days of their holiday. I would like to thank them for this great tour and thanks for choosing Nhongo Safaris! Enjoy making the scrapbook!!
We continued on the road all the way up to Transport Dam, where, short for time, we had to turn around. But not before having a good look at three hyena pups that seemed to need some sleep but just refused to go to bed. They were too cute, but we had to leave them.
Still hoping to see lions we tried every corner we could reach, but it was one of those things that just didn't seem to go our way. We ended our drive with a large dazzle of zebras which formed a roadblock.
Colleen returned for breakfast having enjoyed her bushwalk very much. apart from tracks and scat they had seen many birds and encountered a warthog as well as two rhinos that they had to circle round to get back to the car.
Then it was time to return to the airport where Caitlin and Colleen would fly to Cape Town for the last days of their holiday. I would like to thank them for this great tour and thanks for choosing Nhongo Safaris! Enjoy making the scrapbook!!
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