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Successful night drive tonight.....10 guests out and 10 guests back......

Oh, and lots of impalas, scrub hares, ellies, white-tailed mongoose, 3 spotted eagle owls, 2 leopards.....a kill, and a charging ellie!

Up on Steilberg road we found a young ellie happily feeding next to the road, and watched it for a while. Could hear others around but saw none. Later on the S114 where I wanted to see if there were hippos in the open area, there was a young male that was not happy with us about. He stood rocking one leg, and then moved behind a bush. I decided to try to pass him and then give him more space on the other side where guests could see him better.....and then he decided he was having none of it and tried a slow charge. I reversed a tiny bit, just to let him know I was not going to threaten him, and he stopped, then went behind another bush. A few moments later we saw him reversing at quite a rate......and a mom ellie with baby ran across the road on the other side of him. Could hear other ellies about, so we left them to it and headed down the road in the opposite direction.

Then just near the Malelane camp turning I saw a leopard in the road. He went off, but we got a good sighiting of him in the bushes for a short while. Then 2 of the 3 owls on the road..... And just after the s-bend when almost back at camp another leopard walking towards us in the road. He passed us, and I turned round to follow him. Suddenly a scrub hare appeared in the headlights, and before we knew what was happening the leopard was heading its way - we held our breath and watched as it pounced and carried the screaming hare off a few metres from the side of the road. Watched a short while, but leopard just crouched with his prize and did not start to eat, so I decided it was best to leave him. When I returned a short while later on my way home he had gone.

So good experience for the guests! One of the 2 young boys on board came and hugged me at the end......and all said they had enjoyed it.

WOW EJ .....2 spotties the guests must have been thrilled to see the kill.
Just again shows how protective Elephants are of their young.
thanks for sharing

LOL EJ. Um . . .do you sometimes have less success in this regard . . .???

100% success rate so far, and I intend to keep it that way!

I like your rate

Keep it up and you never know what you will find

Wow, EJ, what a couple of sightings. Think I'd have given you a hug too

Well....no drive tonight after all. Not sure why......I asked which vehicle I was to use, received no response, then saw our vehicle go out so realised there was nothing for me to drive anyway, and so was probably not wanted...... Strange!

EJ, I've realised that you cannot understand everyone and everything all the time, so sometimes we will just and move on till the next time. At least maybe a peaceful evening alone?

Not doing any more drives until Thursday at the earliest. I have an ophthalmic appointment that morning, and need to stop wearing my left contact lens until then for specific measurements etc to be taken on that eye. Means my sight is compromised, and although I can manage to drive in the day time, there is no way I can do so at night safely.

Had an interesting incident a short while ago. Was walking around camp and saw some baboons. They took off in huge panic as they spotted me. There was some screaming a split second later and one baboon turned and raced back towards me, jumped into a tree near me, grabbed her baby which she had forgotten in her panic and in one blurred stripe raced away again and over the outside fence towards the river!!!!

Will that all goes well with your appointment on Thursday.
What a sight that must have been. Oh how protective can a mother be, and can they make a huge noise when they scream.
Thanks for sharing

EJ
Just to wish you good luck for tomorrow and i hope all goes well with your appointment.

Thanks PS - up early and getting ready now..... will be so nice to be able to put a lens in my left eye again and see clearly again. This week has been very frustrating.....but hopefully worth it all.

Holding thumbs that all goes perfectly according to plan, EJ.

Good luck EJ!

Left eye being done on 29th...... right eye ?2 weeks later if all OK. Cannot shoot for about 2 months after that because of heavy calibre.