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I am coming to the end of a five week holiday in South Africa where I have been visiting my sister and brother in law who live in Middleburg. We have just spent a long weekend in the Kruger celebrating my brother in laws 60th birthday! (He does not look it by the way!)

I saw my first leopard in a tree!, it fact this was my first leopard sighting ever. It was spotted during a night drive by the guide on the S65 near Skukuza. The second leopard, I found! just about 10km from Skukuza on the H12. I was so excited, at first I thought I had spotted a lion under a bush but it was in fact a dead impala, it took me a few seconds to realise that a leopard was laying next to it! I also saw lions twice on two different days on the S1 towards Phabeni Gate and on the H1-1 near the turn off to the S114 but the icing on the cake was seeing four wild dogs laying next to the road on our way out of the park they were on the H3 just past the Afsaal picnic spot!

I do have pictures and will try and put them on the site when I go home next week!

I have not visited the Kruger since 2004, the last time I was in the Kruger I was with my dear husband Richard who died in 2007. I think all of you who live here in this wonderful country are very very lucky to have such a beautiful place to visit. The Kruger will always have a special place in my heart and I hope to return someday but the memories and sightings I have witnessed over the last three days will stay with me forever!

Keep up the good work Sanparks, our stay was wonderful, the accommodation good, the Railway Restaurant at Skukuza excellent and the staff very friendly! Well done!

HI,

I am now back home in freezing England but as promised here are some of my photos from my recent trip.

Saturday 24th Jan 09


This group of lions were sleeping/resting near the H11 it was taken about 5pm

Sunday 25th Jan 09


I saw my first leopard up a tree on a night drive, this one was on the S65. Sorry about the quality but I could not keep the camera still, too many people moving about on the vehicle!

Monday 27th Jan 09

I spotted what I though was a lion laying under the bush but it was in fact a leopard with its kill - an impala you can see from the first picture how far from the road it was, you can just see the dead impala.






Tuesday 27th Jan 09

We came across these lions on the H11. They were in a poor state, the male was limping badly, the female was also injured and the cubs were thin. I wonder if they will survive?






And just when we thought we had seen it all, on our way out of the park just after the Afsaal picnic site on the H3 we saw these four wild dogs. I think they were a female who was laying on its own with three young pups.






I hope I have put these on the site correctly, if not please advise me!

I hope you enjoy seeing them anyway.

regards
Barbara

I thought I would just share with you all some of the smaller animals that I saw during my recent trip. We all get so excited about Lions, Leopard and Wild dog but what about the poor impala!


This one is unusual because it has a deformed horn!



This bird was eating the remains of our breakfast at Lower Sabie



Not forgetting the bats at Skukuza



and some of the smaller animals and insects!

I have sifted through my pics and have found a few more to round off my trip report that I though might interest you.


25th Jan 09

On our way to Lower Sabie we had to stop whilst a troop of about 80 baboons came ambling down the road. I have never seen so many baboons altogether and wondererd where they were all going!







This little family of warthog were seen from the restaurant/cafe at Lower Sabie



26th Jan 09
We had to turn back on the way to Satara because the H1-2 was flooded



but these hippos don't care!



I spotted this monitor lizard on the H4-1 on the way back from Lower Sabie



This lovely Kudu on the S21



and this little squirrel at the Tshokwane picnic site