On Safari With Mark From 17 March 2015

17 March 2015

Our highlight for the afternoon drive from phabeni was the great buffalo sighting of them lying in the water cooling off. Great to see 3 of the huge Bulls just lying there ruminating. Good photos could be taken with the late afternoon sun.

18 March 2015

This morning we set off from camp at 05:30, trying to find some early morning cats. We were in luck!!! We found the female leopard and her cub lying out on a rock just watching us. What was great is that we were the only vehicle there for approximately 30min before someone else arrived.

Our second highlight was that of a pride of lions near klipspringer koppies. This to was great to watch them enjoy the cool morning air.

General game spotted: Impala, kudu, spotted hyena, steenbok, klipspringer, giraffe, zebra, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, a distant visual of rhinos and many various bird species.  

Guests in sunset drive so hope they get more!

On safari With Curtis 15 March 2015

15 March 2015

This morning was the final day of this tour and we had one final morning drive. We were once again spoiled with a number of very close encounters.

The first was at a hyena den, we had seen a couple of hyena at the den yesterday but today we hit the jackpot!!

We counted fifteen in total with about nine laying around the den entrance with the others wandering around nearby.

Only second highlight was a series of sightings which all happened within a kilometer of each other.

We had heard about a lion sighting and as we arrived there we saw a little gathering of vehicles at the sighting.

However we never got to the sighting as just a short distance from it we found a male and female lion right next to the road. We had this pair all to our self for a while before the female walked off across the road with the male in close pursuit.

Shortly after leaving the lions and managing to work our way through the melee of vehicles now here we moved on and came across a group of large bull elephants. We parked the mova and waited as one walked straight up to us , faced us head on and watched us as we watched him. There was probably no more than a meter between us before he decided we were no threat and he moved away.

If these last two sighting weren't enough just fifty meters from the elephant sighting and a female lion walked out in front of us and decided to walk down the road with us in pursuit. We followed her for about five minutes before she moved into the bush ending an incredible spell of sightings.

Also seen today were warthog, kudu, impala, zebra, vervets, buffalo, rhino, steenbok and hippos.

Birds seen include saddle billed stork, dark chanting goshawk, hamerkops, oxpeckers, grey headed hornbills and many more.

On Safari With Curtis 14 March 2015

14 March 2015

This morning we set out early with high hopes and those hopes were fulfilled!!!

We had plenty of sightings with so many of them in close proximity to the vehicle.

Choosing two highlights is fairly difficult today but I decided on these two.

The first was the first of four sightings of rhino, we found three adult males grazing alongside the road not at all disturbed by the cars. They were in nice open area as well which gave us a great opportunity for some lovely photos.

The second highlight was a trio of adult male lions. On arrival two of them were out in the open just a few meters from the road and so we were able to get some great photos. Every now and again one would start to lick his paw and give its face a clean or perhaps give a nice big yawn showing off some pretty impressive canines.

Such was our luck today I am going to cheat a bit and share a third highlight. We had heard about a cheetah sighting early in the morning but had decided to go to the lion sighting first and try our luck later with the cheetah.

So after a very late breakfast we headed to where the cheetah had been seen and we were in luck as the cheetah was still there. It was sitting up in the shade of a tree some hundred meters or so away and so even with binoculars it was hard to get a good look.

A few minutes later everything changed as shortly after the only other vehicle at the sighting moved away the cheetah started to move. We turned around and tried to follow it's path as she edged closer to the road and us. We lost visual for a minute or so but working on her direction we moved to where she might come out of the bush and then we saw her. Just thirty meters from us and still moving towards us. Every now and again she would stop and look behind and it became apparent why as two little cubs appeared out of the tall grass. We stopped the car and waited as mum and cubs walked ever closer and eventually crossed over the road in front of us before disappearing in the tall grass in the blink of an eye.

Also seen today two leopard sightings, hyena, and a huge bull elephant all right next to the mova as well as lots of impala, nyala, bushbuck, vervets, warthog, kudu, giraffe, waterbuck, wildebeest, steenbok, leopard tortoise, buffalo and hippo.

Birds seen include egyptian geese, blacksmith lapwings, white breasted cormorants, wooly necked storks, yellow-billed and red-billed hornbills, grey go-away birds, cape glossy starlings, saddle billed stork, tawny eagle and many more.

On safari With Curtis 13 March 2015

13 March 2015

The first day of a new tour and straight away we found animals. Just hundred meters from Numbi gate we found a group of old male buffalo. Very close to the road with two of them crossing to the other side right in front of our.

Our second highlight of the afternoon was a trio of giraffe, as we pulled up alongside them it was clear they wanted to cross over the road and so we reversed back giving them plenty of space and watched as they crossed the road. Two females and a young calf who was attempting to get a drink of milk from mum. Unfortunately mum had other ideas and continued to walk away.

Throughout the rest of the drive we found impala, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, hippo and vervet monkey.

On Safari With Mark 13 march 2015

13 March 2015

We left camp for an early morning drive, as guests were returning to JHB. We were in luck as we came across 5 black manned Lions all lying enjoying the early morning sunlight. The guests were so happy as all these Males were lying 20 meters from our car and great photos could be taken.

On our return to Skukuza for breakfast we found a male leopard stalking Impala. After staying with the leopard for 45min we had to move on as breakfast was needed and we had to start our return to Nelspruit.

General animals included: Impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, warthog, rhino, elephant and many different bird species.

Overall the guests were happy and enjoyed the sightings and left with a sense of achievement.