SANParks Blog

Good day fellow Forumites,

Today it is with great sadness that I say Goodbye to Berg en Dal after being here for just under, 2 years.

To me, it was a big privilege and honor to share my daily experiences with you, from where Stephen Nel came up with the idea and me posting my first report on the 15th of May 2007, the hits that became more and more and the requests that came in for other camps to start posting their daily sightings. I am glad that I could have been the first guide in Kruger and where after Letaba, Lower Sabie, Punda Maria and Raymond’s photographic safari’s followed.

I am glad that I could have made all of you part of this great adventure through the Berg en Dal area from day to day, which included the beginning of the landmarks, the well known Marula Tree, the S-bend, The Bush Braai Turn off, The Reservoir, The Matjulu loop, the Matjulu Hill, Malelane Gate, The Matjulu bridge, the Magic Road, the No entry on Steilberg and then the well known territorial mammals, My King of the Jungle, Junior, the young male Lion the White Rhino with her small calf, the Nomad Lions, the Leopards and the 3 Wildebeests.

There were days where the sightings rock, where we completed the Big 5 on one drive, seeing how My King of the Jungle’s pride grew bigger and smaller, him roaring right next to the vehicle, Leopards with Kill’s in trees, Leopards that were mating and fighting, Rhino’s that came running towards us on the walks, the days where we found Black Rhino’s on foot and the charge on the Sunset Drive. The 5 White Rhino’s that kept us waiting for an hour and 15 minutes on the tar road, and didn’t allow us to pass. The day when we found all Berg en Dal’s Elephants at the Matjulu waterhole, Rhino’s that joined them in thirst and the Lions that got chased up by another breeding herd and how the cubs tackled their mom, biting her tail and just watched the interaction between the 3 of the Big 5, right there and then. The day where we witnessed how the territorial male Leopard at the S-bend area tried to stay in a Marula Tree, while the Elephant shook it to get the Marula fruits out. The days where we found the elusive cat on foot, Hyenas that came walking passed and the scary moments with the Big foot’s, the smaller excellent sightings of Genets, Civets, Serval, Caracal, the Owls, the lambing season of Impalas, the Crocodiles catching fish, the record of 27 Spotted Eagle Owls on one drive, 28 Rhino’s on one drive, the beautiful night skies around here, the birdlife and flowers, the Leverets, how the Redbilled Hornbill came and fed his wife, the snake that bit me, all the guests who I have met and the colleagues I could have worked with, all unique to this area and the past 2 years of my life and where all of you were a part of.

Thank you for your kindness and always putting a smile on my face. Thank you for voting me in, to become the second Website Community Choice Kudu Award Winner in 2008 and to Dalene, Freda, Gerhard for assisting me in posting all the pictures.

Everything happened so quickly and decided to take a transfer to Phalaborwa Gate, which is situated in the Northern side of the Park. I will still be part of the Forums and hopefully still keep you up to date in the next Chapter of my Guiding Career.

I am greeting Berg en Dal and all his unique sightings and thank everyone that became part of it. Until we meet again…

Lourens Botha.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 1:53 pm by Lourens and is filed under Field guide's diary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.