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For those who don't know, I am Pardus's daughter and I'm the one left behind this time to hear all the good stuff...

Pardus and sis-stir will be leaving for HOME on Tuesday and currently driving me up the Marula tree....

Received at 19:00:

Hey to all,

Pardus and Sis stur is on their way to tamboti camp it is over cast but warm....

They have spotted a male lion and lots of ellies. Enjoy your day will post again when I here from them... From a sad Felis

Hallooo just got home from work

Pardus smsed at 21:34 on 18/10/2006, they saw 8 loins, lots of ellie, buffello, giraffe and zebra.

Lucky I wish so I was there....

Night Night all

Hallooo how are you all?

Not smileing 2night am sooo jealous of pardus 2night....

Pardus phoned at 19:00 on 19/10/2006 she said:

Night Night all.

Guess who is back home....

Hello all you crazy nutty gorgeous people...I missed you all!

Why am I sad
As if I am missing
a lover and soul mate
that knows the pathways
of my being
The one that touches my cheek
with gentle fingers of the morning sun
The one that sings songs
of hyenas calling in darkness
that sends me a choir of birds
to wake me with a smile
The one that fills the air
with fragrances of
the first rain of summer

Why am I sad
when my soul is brimming with blessings
I am sad
because I have left the embrace
of heaven,



17 October 2006

The African summer smiles shyly in hues of green underneath the pale shreds of winter grass. We exit the freeway and travel on the country road towards Lydenburg. Not a moment too soon for our weary city bodies. In the east, the mountains are looming silhouettes of blue and grey. As we ascend the Long Tom pass, we open our windows…sweet mountain air…we breathe and breathe. The city becomes a dream as we wind upwards between forests of pine and endless vistas of valleys and peaks.

We stop at Hazyview. There are customs to follow. Fresh papaya, avocado’s and bananas are bought from the locals. A bit of haggling and soon the beautiful ebony faces break into bright smiles. It such an incredible experience to buy fresh goods in the open air, a part of the humbling process of coming back to the basics of humanity.

But time becomes a factor one more time before we enter the gates of “home”. We arrive at 17:30 on the bridge over the Sabie river and are met by two elephants grazing in the river below. It is in this moment where we finally shed the masks we wear and become just who we are. The green spotted dove welcomes us – we exhale…and make merry with the staff who books us in.

Our second sighting is a small duiker carcass on a Marula tree branch. It’s getting seriously late and we look at the tell-tale evidence of a leopard with hungry eyes, knowing that it might take a minute or an hour before the animal could return to have dinner. We leave with a slight haste, only to be slowed down by a very cheeky and pregnant warthog who leads the way in the middle of the road for about a half a kilometre to Skukuza.

Finally, the sounds of night surround us as we lie in the darkness. The ping of fruit bats, the shrill calls of bush babies and a lone hyena call that affirms we are in Africa on a balmy summer’s night.

18 October 2006

Skukuza, early morning, and by that, I mean early! At 3:30, before my alarm could wake me, I lie in bed and listen to the silence before daybreak. We have a coffee and start packing. It is humid and very hot, yet the air smells different, one just breathes a little easier.

We cross the Sabie and sand rivers – and the air starts to cool suddenly, clouds above thick with rain. We pass the Rhino Walking Safari post and find two eager clients.



Stopover at Tshokwane – another ritual – got to have a pie. I know this sounds like whining, but I do miss the days when the pies were “home” made, as we used to call them “buffalo pies” – whether they were Cornish or beef or anything in-between. But I am getting ahead of myself. A few observations along the way – the veld is very dry, but there is good water in most of the dams. I have seen Kruger in a far more desperate state on previous visits. October being that month filled with the promise of rain and the sheer hunger for nutritious greens. The veld yielded small patches of green where it has burnt and thick clumps of yellow grass got the lazy eye from the animals. Up to Tshokwane we had quite a number of Kudu sightings and lone ellies chomping on sickle bush.

Then, we spot our first lion for the day! A bit far off for a good photo with a 300mm lens, but the evidence was captured. After having a good look at this magnificent male, we move on. At Mazithi dam the sad sight of winter’s toll greets us – an empty muddy piece of land with a huge hippo a few feet from there, seeking refuge in the shade of a tree. I started to calculate – Kumana dam is about 10 kilometre from here – hopefully the exhausted hippo would be able to go there during the night. My heart felt an enormous pinch, and as always, my human emotion interfered with the way nature works, but knowing it, didn’t make me feel less terrible about this poor animal’s fate.

Lions two and three presented themselves about a half a kilometre from the N’wanetsi turn-off. A mating pair who lay sleeping in the throes of passion, chances of them lifting an eyelid was slim, but the evidence was canned. An elderly couple told us that there was quite a number of lions on the N’wanetsi road, so off we went, leaving the lovers in peace. The H-6 was a delight! Blue wildebeest, Zebra, Giraffe and then lions! Our count was upped to seven!



On our way back, we were entertained by a mating pair of ostriches and when the female shyly started to gallop away from his overtures, the bugger chased another girl! But he was in for a surprise as her beau chased him off in no uncertain terms! What a delight and special sighting for us, as one rarely witnesses such behaviour. A few kilometres onward, we sighted lion number eight – nature was spoiling us, perhaps knowing how we longed to be here.



The Orpen road had a new set of surprises – buffalo (three dagga boys), Blue wildebeest and lots of giraffe, eagerly browsing on juicy Knobthorn leaves. The tree dwarfed by four ravenous long-necks. Nsemani dam yielded waterbuck, impies and Egyptian geese. The dam had less water than in April, but enough to sustain the animals for a while still. Bobbejaan Krans loomed, and then my beloved piece of road where the trees made a canopy, we fondly refer to in our family as “tree-road”. We stop in the shade of the Natal Mahogany and breathe air scented by the Potato bush. It feels good to be home.

Orpen gate looks the same and yet different. The new offices are operational and I am happy for the staff to operate from more spacious quarters. I love the staff at this gate - Rosinah, Aubrey and everyone who are always helpful and ever friendly. My Tambotie stays have always been made so special because of this great team.

The journey ends at “my” tent. I walk down the winding road, surrounded by trees and shrubbery. The coolness and tranquilty of this riverine forest permeates my being. I stand still, close my eyes and feel the energy of the giant trees enfold me. The green spotted dove starts to sing a welcome. The francolins are chirping in homely notes – everything is as I had left it in April, even my little “bush chickens” are still staying underneath my tent’s platform…



The other cheeky bum who took a bite from our papaya as we were unpacking



The crappy elephant who came to greet? us on the riverbank across our tent

19 October 2006

3:30. The rustling of leaves wake me. It is quiet. Through open tent flaps I see darkness turning into soft grey. The first sound of day is the sleepy chirp of the bulbul, and then the whole bird population wakes in jubilance. No longer was I in a tent, but transported to a tree-top. I became weightless, listening to a symphony of sounds, and trying to identify each note that made up this beautiful song of nature. At 3:45, the crazy francolin stopped the melody with an indignant screech and woke the cicadas and the baboons across the river. It was time to move and shake, so said the baboon leader in one echoing bark.

As we carried our provisions for the day to the car, the sun was smiling a very hot smile at 29 degrees. 6:15. We head for Muzandzeni. First sighting for the day was that of a very jittery lion cub who must have wandered off and lost sight of his pride. His little belly bursting and face full of dried blood. We heard the Zebra’s the previous night, but what is not sighted is un-confirmed. Yet, there must have been a kill somewhere close, as the little animal was evidence. We sat for some time watching the little thing and again our mother instincts overtook – where is the mum? Soon enough, the little cub disappeared into the brush, and as nature goes, we hoped that it was soon re-united with its family.

A pit-stop at Bobbejaan Krans for a “bushie” and a cuppa and we we’re back on track. Muzandzeni was rather busy and we decide to head for N’wanetsi picnic spot to make breakfast. We travel from there on the S126. Not a lot of game except for loads of giraffe.

Again, nature has amazing surprises. The spectacular display of the Tree Wisteria’s purple flowers in the dry veld always amaze me. This time of year in Kruger is one of awakening – I sometimes wonder how the trees and plants manage to find strength to bring forth joyous flowers and green leaves after such a harsh winter when they have not been receiving the blessings of rain yet. Life is unstoppable; it never gives up hope and trusts in its perpetual cycles.

Back on the tar road, we look for our breeding pair of lions, but they have moved on. We enter Satara through the new gate. It feels odd – sis-stir becomes very nostalgic about memories of the old gate, of times when the ellies came up to it and shook the chains… but time moves on. The wild mango trees are in full bloom, attracting the birds with its bright yellow flowers.

S100. Zebra, waterbuck, giraffe and kudu. We stop at Gudzani dam. It is silent with brooding summer clouds in the west. The hippo’s grunt and the green spotted dove sings a melancholy song that drifts over the water. How I love this place, this sacred place of my sister’s heart. We are Africans in Africa…

Poor, poor impie (or dof-bok) – on the S47.

Sweni Bird Hide


Lions at Rabelais dam – 17:45! But that’s another story!

20 October 2006

Our previous night was wild! We arrived at camp with a minute to spare after leaving the lions at Rabelais dam reluctantly. As soon as we landed on our tent’s deck, we noticed dagga boys grazing on the opposite bank between the reeds – suffice to say that everything came to a dead halt as we watched them The last (and always the nicest) remainder of tea in the flask was poured and we silently stood drinking whilst watching the buffalo’s. A few minutes later, three magnificent kudu bulls started to negotiate the steep bank downwards. The setting sun turned them in coppery enigmas. As soon as they disappeared into the thickets, impala and zebra trundled past on the top of the river bank and below, in the sandy river, our baboon family started to return to their three-house. Around us, the birds started to settle in for night, and sang their last ode to day.

I woke during the early hours of morning and it was not silent – the baboons were making a racket across the river, screaming and barking. After ten minutes or so, the noise finally died with an annoyed sneeze. It was still dark but I was excited for the day to start, so I got up and woke sis-stir. She was not happy with me. I motivated this early rise with an idea that the lions just might still be at the dam if we move early.

6:15 – the air is thick with the fragrance of rain but the sun was out before the clouds had a chance to gather. We head for Rabelais and find the lions as we had left them the evening before. They lazily lie around in the dewy grass. We sit watching them for about an hour and decide to head off to the Timbavati picnic spot.

At Girivana dam, we find zebras and impala drinking – it is already 29 degrees. Timbavati is a flurry of activity – humans and birds alike. We notice that the tame bushbuck are not there. A quick breakfast of youghurt, fruit and the previous evening’s braai before we head off on the S39.

The hide at Ratelpan has three young people who are extremely noisy – we sit in uncomfortable silence and obviously see nothing. As they leave, they slam the door loudly and giggle all the way to their vehicle. I wonder why they didn’t just buy t-shirts at Skukuza and left immediately. We leave, feeling very peeved about this experience, only to be more annoyed by a barrage of on-rushing jeep jockeys, leaving us eating their 60 kilometre per hour dust. Thus we stop at Piet Grobler dam and sit a while to regain our tempers. Around the corner from there, we stop at a breeding herd of ellies with one of the smallest baby elephants I had ever seen. And of course, sharing it with the Jeep Jockey’s, which was fine, until they left in Formula 1 style. We stayed a while until the dust literally settled and headed onwards, taking all the loops the road had to offer. At the Roodewal drinking hole, we found a mating pair of giraffe, and watched for about an hour. It was 32 degrees by now, and I really pitied the male giraffe, he must have been overheating….

Our stop on the Olifant’s bridge yielded a Wattled Plover (my second sighting of this bird). We turned off on S46 and found this lazy ellie underneath a small tree, trying to hide from the scorching sun.

Returning from Olifant’s camp, we sighted quite a number of birds, duiker and kudu. Ngotso dam afforded me my first ever sighting of a secretary bird in Kruger. On the H7, just before Bobbejaan Krans, we had a sighting of a white Rhino, which was special, as we had never seen one in this area.

On sis-stirs request, we drove to Rabelais dam again, in the slim hope that the lions might still be there. And yes, they were! We sat watching and had a spectacular late afternoon. First there were two ellies who had bathed, to which the lazing lions paid no attention, but in the background, on the perimeter of the dam, two giraffe edge toward the drinking hole. They must have been so thirsty that the danger of a pride of lions was secondary to their need.

At the far edge of the pride, a young male lay watching the giraffe with alert eyes. It was very nerve wrecking to watch this process, the giraffe walking slowly, stopping for while, and watching cautiously all the time. Whilst this was taking place, a troop of baboons also entered the arena, and the warning barks were clearly audible. The suspense became very tangible. There was a silence thick enough to slice. The baboon lieutenant progressed to the cement dam and started to look left and right, and circled the wall whilst trying to look cool and undisturbed by the presence of the nine lions about 300 feet away. The rest of the baboons entered at the back of the cement dam, and started to drink. This somehow, gave the giraffe a bit of courage and it started to move toward the drinking hole more swiftly.

The young male lion got up in a crouching manner and started to move towards the giraffe, which swung around in a full trot. This was awesome stuff! The baboons gave one bark and disappeared in a second. The lion went over in full charge across the dry dam with the giraffe a few steps ahead. At the edge of the dam, both stopped – the young lion realizing that his fellow pride members was not giving much needed back-up and the clever giraffe knowing it. So they stared at each other and the giraffe moved off – hiding behind a bush. (Sorry about the photo-quality – it was far and taken through the car’s windscreen)




We sat in stunned silence with big eyes, our adrenalin levels pumping. This was a WOW moment, which you don’t get to witness often, but we were in for a surprise! The whole process started soon after again, but this time a lioness joined the young male. The giraffe had enough, and ran into the bushes, sense had overtaken thirst. I felt guilty as I took a sip of cool water to ease my dry mouth. It was 17:50!

21 October 2006

In the late morning hours, the sky split open with lightening and the clouds poured down. The first dance of summer was wild and as the storm rushed on, earth sighed, releasing the fragrance of dust mingled with rain. I breathed deeply, inhaling this smell, this precious perfume that promises new life.

I start sobbing when the car is finally packed. We are on our way to Satara for our last night in Kruger. I walk down the path to the tent and greet the little francolins, touch the leaves of the trees and look one last time at the yellow sand of the Timbavati. I carefully fold my soul and hide it underneath the roots of the Apple leaf. I know that it will be safe here until I return.

We stop at Bobbejaan Krans and whilst having an early morning tea, we listen to the sounds of nature. We become aware of cracking branches, and see two ellies browsing about 400 meter from us. The quiet moment becomes hastened by a sudden pack-up. We get into the car and stare at the elephants that were too close for comfort.

At Nsemani dam, the animals are already walking across the road to have a morning drink. It is 32 degrees. We sit for a while, looking at a herd of Zebra and decide to move on – a bit early for booking in, but in time for breakfast. After a delicious breakfast with an audience of laughing doves, glossy starlings and masked weavers, we book in and head for our bungalow. We quickly unpack and decide too cool down a bit before we head out again.



We take the S100 (not withstanding anything that has been said by some, this road has afforded us many good sightings and it is also a scenic road). We find incredible kudu bulls and waterbuck. Whilst watching them, a gentleman pulls up and tells us about lions ahead. Just after the Shibotwana drinking hole, we see a huge male lion, but after lifting his head once, he flops down and becomes invisible. We decide to travel on. About a kilometre from there, we find one of the most awesome sights we ever had of lions. Seven cubs lying right next to the road. Thus we park to stay. Luckily it became overcast and the heat subsided a little bit. I will refrain from telling how many pictures I took, but it was sheer pleasure to have this scene unfold a few feet from me, without haste. The cubs were adorable and very lethargic, of the seven, only three were visible most of the time. Interestingly, they were different ages, and definitely had a “big brother” that looked after them. Again, as with so many lion encounters before, I had the opportunity to make eye contact and was spell-bound. The little lions, brave little babies.

We return and spot two huge males on a sandy patch and three lionesses about a hundred feet from where they are laying. A car came past and gestured wildly to the back – a lioness crossed the road at the back of the car! We were so focused on the lions on the side that we never noticed her – for all we knew, she could have jumped on the back seat and asked for beer! As she approached the three lounging lionesses, another huge male also came out of hiding, and sniffed her. As soon he got up, the other two males also got up but stayed on their spot. This was lion heaven! Seven cubs and seven adults!




We travelled back to camp and booked a night drive, we were suffering of acute lion-fever.

At 20:30 we were on our way with a 25 strong group of Spaniards – their first night drive and first Kruger visit. The excitement was too much! Our first sighting was of hyena with cubs and not far from there, a genet. We turned into the S100 and soon enough, an ellie in the darkness. A few feet from there, a civet and then my special request was granted – an African Wild Cat! It was the same with this little cat as with my first leopard sighting! But it was far more than just seeing things, it was the darkness and mystery of night that descended on us, the nocturnal sounds that sharpened senses and the vulnerability of one’s humanness in a place where we were privileged to enter.

We found grazing hippo’s and another civet. Soon we were close to the area where we found the lions, and there they were, three little cubs, lying on a sandy patch.

They must have united with their parents at nightfall, and although the adults weren’t anywhere to be seen, I am sure that they were watching us from somewhere in the bush. We returned to camp at about 23:00. The balmy summer’s night was filled by the calls of the scops owl.

22 October 2006

Our call to wake this morning is not a pleasant one. It is time to return, to drive away with a soul filled with memories. My heart feels like a small bewildered bird. My being feels betrayed. Outside, the birds start to sing. The war inside me is soothed for a while.

We leave as the sun peeps over the eastern horizon. The veld looks fresh and dewy. We are the first visitors at Tshokwane. I cannot face a pie this early and struggle to swallow the toasted sandwich. I look at beautiful glossy starlings and listen to their intimate chatting. “She is sad” they say.

We decide to travel to Lower Sabie on the H10. On the plains, just after Nkumbe, we find a lone elephant bull with huge tusks. Duke? No, the bull is too young.

Nkulu. The river rushes on. The quiet place where we have sat many afternoons, just drinking in the sheer pleasure of being able to sit in such beautiful surrounds.

Then, as we drive out, we notice cars in the loop and investigate. Kruger has left us one more surprise – a leopard. We watch for a while and time becomes our master again.

As we cross the Sabie river, a small pod of hippos play in the water. The sun kisses my cheek. The Fish Eagle calls.



Is it the call of the Fish Eagle
that commands silence
a lion’s roar in the dark night
that compels listening

a deep knowing that perhaps
our ancient souls roam here
and we return to re-unite
with primal memories of being free

is it the fragrance of morning dew
that stirs hope of new beginnings
the stillness we find waiting in our beings
when time is measured as memory

is it the rhythm of life we hear once more
and laughter in our beings
when we humble ourselves
with eyes seeing life

is it the hunter in us paying tribute
to a proud leopard’s gaze
or do we recognize the fear
of a buffalo stampede

perhaps it is the moment when your soul
knows that it cannot be separated
from this precious savannah
of dreams, hope and yearning

Lastly:

I met with Cyberanger and Leopardess in Tamboti - thank you for inviting me to your tent, for a leka cup of coffee and a chance to say hello on the Forum.

Pieter (Steyn) and Kittie, thanks for meeting with me in Satara, it was again a short visit, but grand to see you two!

It is good to know that there is a world full of people who share this passion called Kruger.