SANParks.org Forums

Hi All,
Just spent 4 wonderful nights in Kruger and thought I would wright a quick report on my sightings.

Huge lion activity around Lower Sabie!!!

16/12/05 - Lower Sabie Afternoon drive

Lots of Zebra, warthog and giraffe on the H10
S29 - Beautiful woodlands Kingfisher, 3 ground hornbills
S30 Salitjie Rd - 6 Lionesses lying down next to the road
H4-1 back to Lower Sabie - Bushbuck, Fish Eagle. Then about 2kms after Nkuhlu Picnic Site pride of lions - 4 females and 3 cubs ( no males ??? )
1km fron sunset dam - dead lioness under a tree next to the road.

17/12/05 - Lower Sabie Morning Drive

H4-1 towards Skukuza - Giraffe, warthog, one grey duiker. Beautiful Leopard under a tree about 5 kms from Lower Sabie.
S29 - group of 10 Giraffe, Zebra, warthog with 3 little ones, 2 x Pied Kingfishers, 1 x Malachite Kingfisher.
S128 towards Lower Sabie - Lion Pride - 4 x females 1 x male

17/12/05 - Lower Sabie Afetrnoon Drive

Very quiet - Lots of Impalas, warthog, European Rollers

18/12/05 - Lower Sabie Morning Drive

S30 Salitjie Rd - Pair of Mating Lions ( also had an impala kill next to them - male would mate and inbetween george himself with meat ) I heard that lions only eat while mating if prey happens to walk passed them ???????
1 Big Elephant Bull
1 very skittish Hyaena
S128 towards Lower Sabie - Biggest heard of Buffalo I have ever seen! It took 30 minutes for the whole heard to cross the road. My guess would have been 800+ Buffs.

18/12/05 - Crocodile Bridge Afternoon Drive

S25 - Lots of Giraffe, Zebra, 1 wildebeest
1 Burchell's Coucal , 1 Snake Eagle, 1 Bateleur Eagle
Then the sighting of my lifetime - A Serval sitting in the middle of the road just before the Byamati turn off!!! Only got 2 photos before it sprinted off into the bush...

19/12/05 - Crocodile Bridge Morning Drive

Very very quiet - Batchelor Herd of Buffalos ( 5 ) on the H5
Lots of Zebras on S25

19/12/05 - Skukuza Afternoon Drive

H1-2 - 2x Pied Kingfishers at river crossing
Lots of Impalas - otherwise very quiet.

20/12/05 - Skukuza Morning Drive

2 x Jackals on the S114. 1 Hyaena that walked right passed some Impalas without batting an eyelid.
H1-1 - lots of Zebras. Then literaly 500m before Skukuza, beautiful Leopard walked across the road in front of us.

My Highlites : Lots of Lion sightings - especially the mating pair.
2 x Leopard sightings ( even thought they were very short sightings ) The huge Buffalo herd. Lots and lots of eagles, rollers and kingfishers. And without doubt the best one - The Serval!

Lowlites : Where are all the wildebeests ???? Not many Elephant sightings. Was desperately wanting to see Cheetah & wild dogs. Some stupid driver almost drove into me at one of the Lion sightings. 4 people walking around outside of their car on the H4-2 as if they were in a zoo - when I told them to get in their car they swore me.

Back at work now and wishing that my next Kruger Trip would hurry up!!!

Do you have any additional info on the dead lioness close to sunset dam?

Lioness was definetly dead - she was covered with flies and maggots. There was a Sanparks vehicle at the site, and the ranger said that cause of death was unknow - possibly injuries from a fight was the opinion. I have lots and lots of pics, but Im not sure how to load them onto my post ??????