9 September 2014
Today we
started a whole new safari that would take us through about 35% of the KNP.
Unfortunately the airline did not work as we were hoping they would and we
arrived a bit later than planned at Numbi Gate. Nonetheless we had a great
first drive as we saw a large herd of buffalo drinking at the dam just after we
entered the park. After they all had their fill they continued out of sight and
we set off towards Nkambeni Safari Camp, our first rest camp.
Down camp road
we encountered two lone buffalo bulls, also know as daggaboys. They were quite
relaxed and stopped grazing to have a look at us, which was picture perfect.
On the last
stretched before Nkambeni a big bull elephant came out from the trees. He
stopped to have some food close to the road and then decided it was better on
the other side. He crossed the road straight in front of us!
Now, after a
long travel, we have finally arrived at the lodge. They earned a nice rest
before dinner. And our safari started great! We didn't see an impala yet, but I
bet ya, that will happen on the upcoming days!
10 September 2014
We started
today's safari with the intention of doing a morning drive and
have a rest
during the heat of the day, and set out in the afternoon again.
However, as we
were a bit slow on the mark, we changed plans along the way.
When we set
off after breakfast we immediately stumbled on some buffalos
just outside
Nkambeni Gates that had just woken up and started their
breakfast. And
before we got to the tar a duiker had ran away from us.
On Numbi tar
it was pretty busy today. First of all we saw two bull
elephants
feeding not too far from the road. Then we discovered our first of
many impalas
as well as some zebras and a large herd of buffalos. While
watching the
buffalos on our left, a steenbok was watching us on our right.
And close by,
a reedbuck was also around, but he didn't pay attention.
Then we had a
herd of elephants feeding close to the road just on the Napi
turn off.
While watching we saw more and more. Some were crossing, but two
others were
already thinking it was too hot and lay down in the shade. A
youngster came
to drink from its mother, while another elephant did the
early morning
stretch dance as it stretched its legs to the back one by one
and then its
back and trunk. It was like an elephant doing yoga! All this
kept us busy
watching like a play for quite some time and we enjoyed it very
much!!
We finally
turned down Napi and had a quick stop at Shithave Dam. We were
in awe for a
little leopard tortoise, saw a sadlebilled stork, terrapins and
some birds
like a great white egret, pied kingfisher and Egyptian geese.
Down Napi we
had our fill of impalas for the rest of the tour, but we also
saw some kudus
including a nice fully grown bull, Cape glossy starlings,
yellow-billed
hornbills, warthogs, a small troop of baboons with a mother
carrying a
tiny baby under her belly, a baby hyena that unfortunately has
learned to
survive by begging of people, a klipspringer and wildebeest.
A funny
incident was while seeing our first giraffe. She was quite far in
the
background, but we were all happy as it was our first. After staying for
quite some
time and taking pictures we moved off to discover a second one
had been
standing right next to the road, only three meters ahead of us just
hiding behind
a tree. Of course she deserved even more picture taking,
before she
moved off further into the bush.
We decided to
have early lunch and drove to the Skukuza Golflcub,
seeing
waterbucks, bushbucks and a nyala female hanging out with impalas
along the way.
We had lunch
and a show as some of the hippos came out of the
dam and lie on
the island while a darter hopped on and off a hippo to get
out of the
water while hunting for fish. A pied kingfisher came by as well
as some
impalas and warthogs on the other side.
After the
break we made a stop at the Lake Panic Bird Hide, which was a magic place
according to the guests! They saw a fish eagle, paradise flycatcher, pied
kingfishers and grey herons and lots of other birds.
We had then
gotten a tip from Robbie and Mark as well as a nice gentleman on
the street
that a lion was lying close to the road not far from us. So we
decided to see
if we could find him. Well, he wasn't that difficult to spot,
with his black
man close to the road, panting in the heat. When we arrived
at the
sighting however we were the third car there with a fourth in tow.
Give it 5
minutes of taking pictures and the sighting looked like a parking
lot of a
popular shopping mall where the sale is on. We counted at least 40
cars in a
deadlock just in front of us, never mind the ones behind us. After
a while all
hell broke loose with people honking, shouting and even getting
out of cars.
Mister lion though, not a care in the world. It was way too hot
to care! We
thought the same and wanted to move but we were so parked in it
took us
another 45 minutes looking at an unmoving lion (unless you count the
panting)
before we were able to drive away.
We took a loop
around alpha close to the river as to not to go through the
traffic jam
again and were rewarded with a sighting of a marabou stork
flying low
overhead, a brown snake eagle and buffalos resting in the heat.
It was indeed
very hot right now and as we could think of nothing much but a
swimming pool,
a cold shower or a cold drink we made our swift way back to
the lodge. In
passing we saw most of the same animals as before lunch, but
this time we
could include a white rhino (and of course stopped to admire
its beauty).
It was a very
hot but great day!
11 September 2014
Today we were
in for the long haul as we moved from Nkambeni to Letaba. So we started early,
straight after breakfast.
We encountered
a mother elephant and her young on camp road and a small group of daggaboys
just when we had reached the tar. As we saw loads yesterday we made due with a
quick stop only.
Down Napi we
went where a nice sable bull was close to the road just before Shitlhave Dam.
For a secretive animal this one was out in the open and almost posing so it was
a great photo opportunity! We continued down the road spotting zebras, a
slender mongoose crossing, wildebeest, warthogs, impalas, lilac breasted
rollers, red crested korhaan and some nice kudu bulls.
Just before
Transport Dam we came around the corner and just in front of us 6 lions came
walking down the road. They were all spread out in the road so no one could
pass hence they were followed by quite some cars. We stopped and let them come
to us. It was 4 females and 2 young males which walked by in their own time and
just next to us they took a path into the bush. Six yellow great cats almost
instantly disappeared in the high grass that was the same colour yellow. We
were lucky to be there just at the right time!
The same luck
we had just past the S114 turn off where a lone wild dog appeared out of the
bush. He looked confused and was searching. We think he lost his pack and was
trying to find them. So he didn't hang around and within a few minutes he had
completely disappeared from view again. We continued our drive straight past
Skukuza down to Low level bridge crossing the Sabie river. Here we got a nice
hamerkop, greenbacked heron and a fisheagle and when crossing Sand river the
hippos popped up their heads. Down Marula tar we went where we had some great
nyala sightings of both males and females, some nice bushbucks and giraffe. A
large herd of elephants was showering themselves just there where the bridge
gave us a brilliant view. We enjoyed it while it lasted as after their water
shower one by one they threw sand on their heads and then moved off into the
bush.
At one of the
waterholes along the way a herd of buffalos had made an unusual friend. A white
rhino was blending in in the middle so well, we had to look twice to make sure
it really was a rhino. Hopefully poachers won't recognize him now! We also saw
a journey of giraffes of 7 giraffes, plenty of waterbuck, lots of bateleurs
flying over and a couple of steenbok.
Meanwhile Mark
had a great leopard sighting close to Jones-se Dam (read his update for
details). We tried to make our way their swiftly but nonetheless the moment had
past. We saw the drag marks of the impala, but not a glimpse of the leopard
which dragged it. We continued to Jones-se Dam for good measure anyway now we
had turned in. At Jones-se Dam we saw loads of waterbucks, a spoonbill that
kept on hiding its head between its feathers whenever we tried to take a
picture and blacksmith lapwings.
Making our way
to Tshokwane for a little break, Mark had another surprise for us as he found
cheetahs just past Tshokwane. We crossed our legs and legged it to the
sighting. This time we were in luck and then some! When we arrived at the
sighting we saw two cheetahs lying in the sun. They didn't look as if anything
was going to happen, but then suddenly something got their attention. They
crawled on their bellies and had a look of full attention on something. Then
suddenly two impalas came walking up from the riverbed. The smarter impala of
the two noticed one of the cheetahs. Unfortunately he registered only the one
furthest away from him. They stared and stared and suddenly the cheetah closest
to them went for it. Wow, what a speed!! The impalas bolted, his brother
followed suit in the chase and suddenly a third cheetah popped out of the
bushes further back. This last one being a bit lazy gave up the chase as a bad
job after three meters, while its two brothers hang in there. Then slowly but
surely they came walking back to the shade empty pawed. They plopped down in
their previous spots as if nothing happened. Our cue to turn around and finally
empty those bladders at Tshokwane.
10 minutes
later we were back on the road. The cheetahs hadn't moved but more than their
heads we couldn't see. Being spoiled with a chase just minutes before we didn't
stick around much. We followed the tar road all the way to Satara. We had some
nice sightings of hippos at Mazithi Dam as well as some sadlebilled storks,
woolly necked storks, warthog and waterbucks. And then once again Mark gave us
a brilliant sighting as he had found another leopard. At Kumana Dam we saw a
couple of cars bundled up, including Mark, as he announced a leopard was just
lying at the base of the tree. And so it was. She was panting in the heat and
with a nice full belly. She was all relaxed, just briefly sat up when a couple
of waterbuck came running to close, but nothing else disturbed her. Until she
found an empty bit in her stomach so it was time to eat a bit more impala.
Well, whatdoyaknow, that impala was hanging in the tree ready for her on the
other side of the road. So she crossed in plane view, won a staring contest
with a duiker when she was well across and jumped up the tree. The next 30min
we watch in awe how she climbs up and down the tree to get the best position to
gnaw the meat of the bones. We see her pull and tug, hear bones crack and hide
tear. What an experience!! Until she is full once again and climbs down the
tree. Back on the ground she moves off in the opposite direction of where we
want to go, so we decided to leave her alone now and continue our journey.
Nobody had paid much attention to the animals at the dam, as we had seen them
all before.
After a nice
lunch break at Satara we finish our long drive with the last 75km of the 225km
to Letaba. Elephants, zebras and wildebeest are waiting for us at the gate when
exiting Satara. We saw a group of whitebacked vultures hanging out. A herd of
elephants spread out over the leftover water of the Ntomeni, or possible
multiple herds, were showering and drinking. On the opposite side we saw our
first ostrich! We were starting to get hot now, so most animals were pointed
out while driving by: zebras, giraffes, kudus, wildebeest, elephants, a
complete set of hornbills (grey, yellow-billed, red-billed and ground), a large
troop of baboons, red crested korhaan, steenboks, dwarf mongooses, and a kori
bustard... What? Oh wait, he is new, back-up! And then we saw another while
driving by. And not to forget we did stop at the olifants bridge to enjoy the
breathtaking view.
Hot and sweaty
we arrived at our destination: Letaba. Here two female bushbucks and a little
baby seem to roam around our house. And we have heard the bushbabies cry,
fierynecked nightjars and epauletic bats. While enjoying the starry skies we
finished today with a feeling tired but great after such an amazing day!!
More coming soon!!
