On Safari With Gert 3 February 2016

3 February 2016

As we had some of our guests checking out this morning, as well as getting some new arrivals, we set out early on a short morning drive before breakfast.

We started off on a high note, as barely 500 meters out of camp we noticed something in the road in front of us - Wild dogs, 4 of them! They were trotting down the road, but then settled down, 2 in the road and 2 just about 5 meters off the road.

One of the dogs had a very fresh scar around  the neck, where a snare had been removed. An anti-poaching success story as these animals are critically endangered in South Africa and every possible effort has to be made to save them!

After a small loop we found the same four Dogs on a mission, trotting down the road, no doubt on the trail of something to hunt and it was good to see the injured dog leading the pack and looking in good shape, except for the fresh wound!

We then found a large male Sable Antelope, but he was quite skittish and didn't hang around for long.

Not long after we found a breeding herd of Elephant with a few very young calves as well as a bull in full musth following the herd very closely, a few meters from the elephant was 4 Giraffe, including a 5 month old calf, very inquisitive, standing in the road having a very good look at us.

The next highlight came when passing one of the large granite outcrops in the area, when we spotted a large male Lion on top of the hill, outlined against the clear blue sky. On closer inspection there turned out to be 2 Males, the other just slightly younger. They were surveying the world below them very closely and seemed quite comfortable and very regal where they lay, keeping an eye on proceedings.

Below the hill was another Elephant and 3 Buffalo bulls, making it 3 of the Big 5 at one sighting, certainly not an everyday occurrence!

This brought the end to a short and very sweet Game drive as it was then time for

Breakfast and check out before moving on to a new camp for the next 3 days.

On safari With Mark from 1 February 2016

1 February 2016

At KMIA airport, I picked up our new clients after a 24 hrs delay by the airlines.

So with exhausted but enthusiastic people on board we headed up to Kruger.

After entering through Phabeni Gate we started a late afternoon drive towards our first overnight camp, Skukuza.

On our way there we spotted many different animals and before reaching camp had rhino, elephant and buffalo cross over the road in front of us and although I couldn't understand the language, it was obvious that my Chinese clients were very happy with what they were looking at.

The best sighting for my clients were the 7 giraffe together around a common sweet thorn. None of them paid us attention and great photos with the sunset could be taken. Although we would of loved to stay longer, we had to continue the drive for gate closing.

2 February 2016

We exited skukuza and headed North knowing well that we had a great distance to travel. Excited, we packed the bags and set off. Although many general animal sighting together with the Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. My guests secretly wanted to see a "Cat". Usually this "Jinxes" the car and you see nothing, however we got to spot a Male leopard lying in the shade of a lead wood tree. Spent some time with Mr, and all of a sudden like on cue - he got up and moved off into thicket. I say this as by 10:00 we still hadn't stopped for coffee.

After breakfast we headed further North, were we had a phenomenal sighting of 2 male cheetah right next to the road, lying in the shade of a marola tree. Every now and then, one would get up and move around the base of the tree to where the shade was.

With very happy people on board we moved onto Letaba, our camp for 2 nights.

Guests visited the elephant museum and had a relaxing late afternoon drink on their verandah, recharging for tomorrow.

On Safari With Gert 2 February 2016

2 February 2016

Setting out early this crisp, clear morning, we got a good variety of general game; a few very nice Zebra sightings - big herds with some very young foals and interspersed with their old traditional companions the Blue Wildebeest. We also came across another large bachelor herd of Kudu, with a few really impressive individuals.

It was a good day for Giraffe and we had a few close-up sightings of some very large males. One of the highlights was when we found 2 young male giraffe necking! They were barely fully grown and slightly apprehensive about it, with the younger of the two certainly being the aggressor and getting a few good shots in while the slightly older male seemed rather disinterested and unimpressed by the challenge...

We also had a few good close-up sightings of elephant, including a breeding herd with 2 very small babies crossing the road in front of us.

After our breakfast stop we decided to follow up on some rumors of Lion somewhere along the river. These ended up being true, as we eventually found 2 lionesses lying in the shade of a clump of reeds in the riverbed. As we arrived at the spot, one of the females got up and changed position, allowing us a good view before lying down again, out of sight. The second female was lying in a gap in the reeds, panting away as by this time it had warmed up considerably. A few hundred meters further down river a large male lion was lying by the base of a Jackalberry tree, on the near side of the riverbed and in the open. He had his head up for most of the time we were there, allowing for some good picture opportunities, before lying back down to sleep. He had a few fresh cuts from what was most likely a fight with another male, but these didn't seem to bother him much and he still appeared to be in good condition.

Driving along the river we also had some good bird sightings, most notably a variety of storks, including African Openbill, Marabou and Wooly-necked Storks.

All in all another successful day on Safari!

On Safari With Amanda From 29 January 2016

29 January 2016

Amazing day today! Tom and claudia were departing today for cape town...no sign of lions so we left early today in the hope of finding them! 

We left camp at 4:30 it was still dark but we had a mission to find the lions!! Lovely zebras drinking along the road, we checked shihave dam to see if the leopard from yesterday was around but he'd obviously got tired of sleeping all day.. We headed not far to napi boulders where lions had been seen too but still these lions eluded us!

Claudia desperately wanted to see crocodile, so I drove to Transport Dam, not far from skukuza, there was a crocodile, admittedly a small one but still a croc! As we sat there an update came through that there were lions close by pretoriuoskop camp that had made a kill! 3kms from camp, I could kick myself for not going there first thing! I explained to the guests that breakfast plans had changed and we were heading back to camp...i didn’t want to tell them why but left as soon as I could!

Roughly 3kms of driving, sticking to the speed limit and the sun beginning to shine through...were the lions still going to be there????....of course they were, a beautiful young male stood above his buffalo kill no more than 1 meter from the road as well as 3 other young males panting and full from their meal! What an amazing sight and experience for my guests! 

Sadly claudia and Tom left satisfied with their mornings sightings.

After a siesta we headed out to see how the lions were doing...still eating, the kill now under a tree in the shade. 

Word had got out and the cars started to build up so all agreed to head off down circle road. Roughly 800m from the lions was not 1 not 2 but 3 leopards in a marula tree!! Fantastic! They watched us and then decided to leave the tree for the road so we turned around an followed them as they headed in the direction of the lions...fortunately they saw the lions and headed deep into the bush unseen by the lions!

Another great day in the best place on earth.. Kruger National Park

30 January 2016

Early start this morning as it was our last night at pretoriuoskop.  

Tom and Thelma, my Irish guests, enjoyed the scenery along the way to skukuza our next stop. Half an hour into our trip there was an update of lions on shabeni koppies so we did a quick u - turn and headed to shabeni. Lying lazily, as lions do, was a very handsome male, golden in colour from the morning sun and lying next to him was a young female. Occasionally lifting his head we watched them, amazing sight.

After a while we headed off on our journey to skukuza and saw nice European rollers, tawny eagles and heard the monotonous call of the aptly named monotonous Lark! A huge Bull elephant came close to the vehicle and sauntered slowly behind our safari vehicle. 

After breakfast we decided to do a short drive, we went along marula loop and then to high level bridge...on the way back we spotted two lions roughly 150m on the opposite side of the river under a magic guarri bush, cooling off from the heat.

A lovely relaxing day, back to camp for a siesta and Tom and Thelma off to experience the Kruger at night on a sunset drive! 

31 January 2016

Incredible day in the park today! 

Early morning departure for myself Tom and Thelma as we headed off towards afsaal for breakfast as a change of scenery. 

Last night on the night drive my guests were lucky to get sightings of leopard twice!

They saw Rhinos fighting in the bush and their journey home was delayed by a hippo wandering down the road. So hopefully luck will be on our side?

Driving down the 114 I got an update of wild dogs back on the main road, I wanted to show them Stevenson Hamiltons lookout point for the view so we went up there and enjoyed the early morning view. 

So, wild dogs, the update was that they were heading off in the road so I quickly checked delaporte waterhole, no sign of them and then headed back to skukuza and there running ahead of us were at least 15 wild dogs! Incredible. They were on the hunt chased a few impalas but no luck. So we followed then for 3kms where they eventually stopped and lay under a bush. Traffic was building so we headed off to lake panic and the golf club for breakfast as Thelma is a golfer and she was very excited to see the club!

After breakfast we got news of a lion sighting so we went but no joy they'd moved off!

Just before we returned to camp I said we should go and check the wild dogs and there they were still chilling under the same bush! We stayed with them a while then said we should drive for another 10mins then get back to camp...not more than 1km from wild dogs lay a beautiful male leopard completely in the shade, we sat with him for half an hour and watched him jump in the marula tree.. amazing.

We decided to head back to camp as it was getting a bit too hot for comfort and decided to meet at 16:30 for a drive. 

We wanted to see the lions, but, first wanted to check if wild dogs and leopard were still there and yes both were still at their same spots!

Heading towards eloff we were greeted by a lioness wandering down the road followed by lots of cars so I quickly turned around and she walked by our side in front of us before heading into the bush...enough for 1 day?? No the Kruger always comes up trumps.. heading back to camp we saw the wild dogs, this time running determined to get a kill we saw one dog chase an impala ewe with her lamb....the wild dog came out bloodied we can only assume the lamb didn't make it.

The light was fading as we left the dogs and I’m sure they will hunt again throughout the night.  Fantastic way to end a great day!