SANParks.org Forums

Hi Everybody!

I am n guide to Knp and do about 15 to 23 days of game drives to Kruger a month. Being in this situation i can try to update the forum members on a weekly basis off what's been happening where in the park. Most of my game drives is done south so most of the reports will be based on activity's south of Tshokwane. I will also try to give you guys some pics of what have been seen. Please comment on some of these sigthing's if any of you where there.

Just to recap of what was happening since January.

The beginning of January was still busy with holiday makers in the park meaning that quite n lot of traffic at certain sightings.
A lot of rain where recorded all over the park with made it quite difficult finding game. The most amazing thing was that there were lot of cheetah sightings reported. 7 cheetah where spotted together on the Napi road(H1-1) between Transport dam and napi boulders.It seems to be a mother with 6 12 month old cubs. This was most amazing for most of the guides as as cheetah only gets between 2-3 cubs at a time( It took some believing from the guides that didn't seen them). There where also Cheetah seen at these places:
Mother with two cubs on the H3 and S112 mostly hanging around Kwaggaspan, single male patrolling the road down to transport dam, single male spotted almost every 3De morning just outside Skukuza towards Kruger gate, a female with 4 cubs on the Salitje road(s30) about between 8 to 12km from the H12( where seen about 12 times in the month), 2young males just outside Croc bridge normally early morning and again at around 5 in the afternoon, single male on the Randspruit(H5) for the first 5km's from the S114.
Lions where difficult to find with most of the sightings early morning before 9. Pride recently seen was at Nyamundwa dam on the doispane(S1) road(2 males 4female 5 sub adults) the sand river pride( 3 new males that have taken over the pride in the beginning of the month 4 female and 6 sub adults) The klipspringer koppies pride( consisting of 12 members) normally hanging around the H3 napi road junction and transport dam and as far as 6km on the S65, mating pare at the N'waswitshaka waterhole on the S65( Normally two males and 6 female in this area), pride of 8 in the S118 S119 S114 area, pride of 5 Berg en dal H3 junction, pride of 7 at the H5 H4-2 area( made a buffalo kill 1km north of the H5 On the H4-2 and 3 young males and 1 old female that are patrolling the S114 and S112 area( where only not seen twice the hole month). Leopard's where scares with sightins scattered all over the south. Ele's have moved a way from the river(H4-1 where over all very quite with only scattered leopard sightings reported along this road) and are mostly scattered to the west with the most seen around the H3 area. There were not lot of rare sightings around.... interesting was that lot of the guides were seeing scrub hare in the middle of the the day witch is a nocturnal animal. Birding on the other hand are excellent with all the migrants being back and most of the birds busy nesting.

February didn't chances much as lot of rain also recorded. there where fare less cheetah spotted but wild dog where seen on regular basis. A female lion of the klipspringer koppies pride where seen on n few occasions on here own spending lot of time at the rocky out crops by the H3 Napi road junction. Later in the month we realise that she as had cubs and are hiding them a among the rocks. 3 very small cubs where spotted with her at the end of the month. The cheetah with the 6 cubs where seen again but seem to spend lot of time on the S65. Eland where seen again at Shitlhave dam(on the Napi Road close to Pretoruiskop. the group where last seen in November 2005. Pretoruiskop are well known for its rare antelope sightings. Good chance to see Sable, Lichtenstein's hartebees,tessebe and common reed-buck in this area)

March sow record rain fall for the area with over 400mm recorded in certain area's in the park. Stransly the game viewing was good dew to all the rain as animal tend to go to the roads as it is dry than the veld. the marulas where also falling from the tree,s and lot of ele's were seen in area's with have lots of these trees. Tourist numbers where picking up as well De to public holiday;s in this month.

April the month with most guides don't love...... the end of the rainy season and grass chaching colour making it very difficult to spot any thing,start of the most busy season in the park coursing huge headache in the park at sightings.....poor lions caught a giraffe on Easter holidays in the middle of the road at the Berg en Dal H3 junction with coursed the biggest traffic jam of the year. The section ranger had to pull the carcass of the road just to make sure there where some sort of n traffic flow(all fairness it did not help much) Lion sightings where seen on the same places regally and the word spread at night time at camps with let to early morning speeding to these areas( very sad) It also seems that most of the migrants of birds have left.

May sow lot of the water in the veld area slowly drying up and most of the animals are returning to the river and waterholes. The Sabi river are starting to produce more game with ele's returning in large numbers. The middle of the month sow 5 young male lions killing a giraffe at olifantsdrinkgat waterhole. They spent 7 days at the carcass. The mother cheetah with here cubs have moved to the Doispane road and recalure sightings where seen on this road. The klipspringer koppies pride have moved and are seen more around transport dam than at the rocky out crops. The Mother with her cubs have also moved. A female leopard with two cubs have made a kill at the S65 and S1 junction last week. They spent 3 days at the carcass. She has also been seen regally in this area. The Sand river pride have moved to the Sabi river side and have been seen every day for the last 3 weeks. They spent most off there time a long the river and the gravel loops on the road to Lower Sabie from Skukuza in the first 7km's. The South down to Malelane is starting to quite down of game. This area is good summer time but difficult in winter. there are always at least good rhino and leopard sightings here

I have just taken a over all off what as been happening in the last couple of month's and will give a more set out report of sightings on n weekly basis. if you have any question's about certain animal movement please post it i will try to tell you what is going on. Please had on if you have any thing to had to my report. As stated most of the report will De based on the south but if i hear off any thing up north i will try to update you

I hope that some of you will find this info useful on your next trip to Kruger.

Can't wait to hear from you!!!

P.S. SORRY FOR THE SPELLING AND USE OF WORDS. I AM N BOERTJIE AND EVEN THE SPELL CHECK FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO FIND THE RIGHT WORD I WANT TO USE

Hi all Forum Members

I am glad to see all the interest and reply to this post. I hope that in future i can give you guys great info in to what the Animal movements are. Here are some off the pic I promised:



The Klipspringer koppies pride



This leopard where spotted on the Watergat road(S65) on the causeway. I took 134 photo,s of it



Renoster koppies dam 3 Male's and female



Two males on the lower Mhlambane(S119) and matting pare on the Albasini(S3)

Here are some of the pic will try later uploading more!!

Hi
Here some more pics:



This mating pare where for two days on Bravo loop(Road down to lower sabie from Skukuza second loop on the right coming from Skukuza. These lions is part of the Sand River pride. One of the females have currently 6 8week old cubs with here.



Wild dog kill 3.4km east from Nkuhlu picnic spot



Rhino at De Laporte



BB jackal at Stevenson Hamilton, Elephant on Watergat(S65), Hyena and pup at Kruger gate Diospane junction

Hi all

Here is my weekly update:

Winter is here in full force and I am freezing my butt off in the morning. Water in most part of the park is drying up and rivers and drinking holes are getting more active with game movements. The road down to Lower Sabie from Skukuza is starting to deliver more sightings than the last 5 month’s. The H10 is also returning to its former glory with Zebra and Wildebeest slowly returning from up north and the Lebombo Mountains. Small herds are mostly visible north of the S129 and the Munshe back loop…… and it wouldn’t take long before the predator’s is also returning to this area. The biggest herd of buffalo in the park (+- 800) is also back and been spotted on the Munshe back loop today. Between the S129 and the Mafortini road on the H10 the road past quite close to the Mlondozi River, there are a spot that you can count about 30+ Hippo sunbathing out of the water….. it seems that this is a common sighting a long the river’s these day’s and that regular sighting’s will a accurse till late September when it start’s getting warm again.

Monday to Wednesday it was a bit quite with most of the guides struggling to find game. There were lion spotted every day on the Sabie River close to Skukuza bud seems that the first couple of cars where the only one’s to get a glimpse of these cats. Sighting's where also reported at….. 2 female & young male on the upper Mhlambane(S118) , one full grown female with one young female & male on the S114 2km from the Napi road in a open area busy hunting( open area called steenbok vlakte…. They been seen here 4 times this week), 3 young males and female on the S112 and a pride that killed a Wildebeest 2km outside Berg and dal camp. On Wednesday we spotted 2 full grown Male lions chasing a group of 6 young lions (4 female & 2 males) down the Diospane road close to Nyamundwa dam. We where not sure if the male chased the youngsters out of the pride or that it is youngsters from another pride looking for a new territory….we sow them again this morning. Lions also most of the day’s at the H5 H4-2 junction, pride at a zebra kill on the Gomondwane loop, two male’s killing a young giraffe on the Kruger gate road 2km from the Skukuza 4 ways.
A pack of 6 wild dog where seen today on the H3 close to the S112 junction heading in the direction of the Napi.
The 7 cheetah where sighted on the Napi between the Watergat road and Klipspringer koppies heading in a ninthly direction on Friday.
Leopard’s where difficult to see this week with reports of some sightings along the Sabie River and big male seen on the Diospane close to the S4
There were at least many rhino and elephant sighting’s all over the place. No rare other sighting’s…..almost forget black rhino seen on the northern section of the S128

I hope same off you will find this info useful. Will try to add some more during the week and upload same more pics

Hi everybody
Here is a new update and same pics.

Monday: 06/06/05

4 female Lions busy hunting warthog on the Salitjie road 12,5km from the high level bridge….was unsuccessful. Female lion and 14 month old cubs 2,4km on river road from Kruger gate sleeping on the road. Faces were full of blood probably from a recent kill. This female started out with an anther female and 5 cubs and one Full grown male with her. First the other female were killed by a pride coming from the sabie sands reserve and then the male where killed by the some pride. She was doing fine until she wondered in to another pride’s territory on the S65. Two of the cubs were killed. The last 4 month we only sow here with 2 cubs but on this day a 3de one joined her (Not in good condition) Buffalo herd at Mlondozidam of about 800 and also good other game in this area. Buffalo herd of 100 on bravo loop along Ellof Street. Lots of elephant along this road as well



River road young female and male

Tuesday: 06/06/06

Leopard with two cubs on river road 5km from Kruger gate. She was spotted early morning and was up and down the road for 2 hours. Male lion sleeping in the river bed just 300m past delta loop along the Sabie River (The loops along Ellof street starts from Skukuza until high water brigh. The first loop is called alpha and goes on till echo). Rhino with a small baby just past the S4 on the Diospane. The baby was as big as a warthog. A pack of 12 wilddogs at Renosterkoppies dam. Difficult day to finding lion

Wednesday: 06/06/07

A day to remember!!!! The first 2hours of the morning was amazing. Serval walking on the Diospane at the S65 junction. Two female lion busy hunting on the S65 3,5km from the Diospane. Leopard sitting next to the road for 20min on the Napi 2,4km from the S65 towards klipspringer koppies. Herd of +-150 buffalo at Klipspringer koppies. Pride of lion 400m on the S119 from the S114. Rhino spotted on all the roads south of Afsaal. Herd of buffalo 6,1km on the S21 from S114. 3 rhino on the S21 2,3km from S114. 7 lion on the tar road between the Marula loop entrances (this all in the morning). The rest of the day was quite until the last hour and a half. Leopard on a kill 3,3km from Ellof Street on the S21. Herd off elephant, buffalo and rhino on the H3 between Napi and S113. Female lion with 2 small cubs walking on the Napi road 1,5km from Klipspringer koppies. 7 Cheetahs 1.2km on the S65 from Napi. Big male leopard on the Diospane 3,3km from Kruger gate. Lion with 3 cubs 1km from Kruger gate towards Skukuza. 8 Hyena at a den on the Diospane 1,2km from S4 towards Skukuza. Big male rhino on the S4 2,1km from Diospane…….. and lots more general game all over.



Lion with two cubs on Napi road

Thursday:

2 Female lion and 5 cubs on bravo loop. The one female gave a good show as she tried to catch impala. Female lion with her 3 cubs of river road were seen on the Diospane 100m before you get to the Watergat road ( S65). 7 lion on the Tshokwane road lying in the river bed on same rocks ( We call this pride rock ) between the two Marula loop entrances. 6 lions on Ellof Street 500m from the Nwatimhiri causeway entrance towards Lower Sabie. Big male leopard on the Salitje road (S30) 9, 5 km from high water bridge folwed by to 2 hyenas, probably waiting for him to make a kill and steel it from him. Leopard with two cubs (about 8 months old) at the Stevenson Hamilton memorial. Mating leopard 1,5km from Nkuhlu picnic spot towards Skukuza. Big herd of buffalo on the S21 at Nhlotini waterhole. Rhino male at ingwe donga (First drainage line past the S65 on the Diospane towards Phabeni gate). He spent the whole day at this drainage line. Lot of elephant sightings every where.

Will try to update you gyes on Sunday again

Hi again

Just before everybody gets to executed and wondered how i got to drove 200km in 4 hours..... most of the sightings are reported to me. Wednesday we did see allot in the morning and for 4 hours we sow serval,2female lion, Male leopard, hyena, Two herds of buffalo, 3 rhino and a lot of general game

Sorry for the confusion!!!!

Thanks for the reply spot-a-cat.
Its coming to quite season now and not many of the guides have been working from Croc bridge. Coming in at croc-bridge in the early morning are always an excellent idea. As many books quote that the highest concentration. of game in Kruger are south of Lower Sabie.

I spoke to one of the guides of Marloth park and he said that there are allot of activity down south. A pride off lion are regalery seen on the tar road at the H5 junction. Duke are also seen on the S28 almost every day. A pack off 14 wild dog hang around the gate. At hippo pools the park put a guide there because of a leopard female that got two very small cubs there. Apparently he take you to have a look at here. S28 always have good game with lot of rhino, elephant, buffalo, zebra,wildebeest, kudu and lots more. The S89 is also a good bed late afternoon with leopard and lion seen regalery here

Sorry I can't be off more help, but if I here of anything I will post it on the forum.
Hope you can uses some off the info.

Sorry spot-a-cat about the misunderstanding but I was revering to the S82. Most of the roads in the park we as guides now by name. This loops name is " Mativuhlungu " and if I tried to spell it with out a map in front of me it would have come out completely different. I try to remember the number but obviously got it wrong. SORRY ABOUT IT

Penny wrote


Yes Penny I agree with you but since the floods of 2000 the park didn't put a guide there on a permanent basis. I visited Hippo pools for the last 6 years about 30+ times a year and in this we only came a gross a guide twice there. The first time was in 2003 and he told us that it was unsafe to go onto the rocks as there were a female lion and cubs in the area. The second time was earlier this year and he was there to take people who was interested on a walk along the river. From 2000 to 2004 you could hardly see any hippos from here. The leopard that is seen there now was spotted for the first time 3 weeks a go. I myself cant say if this is true or not but this is the update I got from the Guides working down South.

Hi Dirk, we have just returned from 2 weeks at Ngwenya and travelled the south of the park almost on a daily basis.
I must admit this was most probably one of our more quieter years as far as the predators go, mainly I think, as the grass is still very long and water plentiful throughout the region.
My family were fortunate enough to see 6 lions on the S25 on the one day we did not go in. Sods law!!!
There were numerous sightings of lions on the boards tho for, as you mention, at the H5/H4-2 junction and also at the end of the Duke dam road.
We went to Hippo Pools and spoke to Daniel a week ago and he told us that the leopard was not in the area currently but I spoke to a lady at Lower Sabie the week before and she had seen a leopard kill a scrub hare right there on that road and his spoor on a walk with Daniel down to the river.
There are currently 3 cheetah being regularly seen on the S28 in the vicinity of the Ntandanyathi Hide.
Good luck, hope you can be in the right spot at the right time.

Dirk

Don't worry about the road name thing. I really appreciate the time & effort you are putting into enriching mine and other people's experiences.

Hi everybody.
Here is this weeks update.

Friday: 06/06/09

Very cold morning to day and things started slow for everybody.
Pride of 8 lion on the H3 1,5km from the Napi. 2 lion cubs sleeping on the rocks at Klipspringer koppies (junction H3 Napi) 3 male lion and female 1,6km down the N’watimhiri (S21) from S114. Also a herd of buffalo and three different rhino sightings on this road. Buffalo herd at Napi boulders. Herd of elephant of 60 4,8km from Nkuhlu towards high level bridge. Also a lot of single bulls on Ellof Street. Big male lion on Bravo loop probably one of the Sand river males. At Delta loop exit (about 3km from High Water Bridge towards Skukuza) there are 5 old bulls buffalos that are seen regularly in this area. Hyena with 5 pups seen at the den on the Diospane 1.2km from The S4 towards the Kruger gate road ( early morning on the Kruger gate road, there are always a couple of Hyena walking down this road ).

Saturday: 06/06/10

4 lion between the 2 Marula loop entrances on the Tshokwane road. Rhino on the Diospane at the S4 junction, elephant herd on the Salitje5, 5km from high water bridge, 2jong male lion and full grown female on the H10 3,9km from the Mlondozi dam turn of towards Lower Sabie, 4,4km 1 male rhino, 5, 3 km 3 rhino, 7,3km small herd of buffalo, this all on the H10 between the Mlondozi dam turn off and Lower Sabie. On Ellof Street where were quite a lot off elephant and buffalo sightings today with reports of a herd off 80 elephant crossing the road down to the river close to Nkuhlu picnic spot. Pride off 12 lion at Klipspringer Koppies, 12 wild dog on the S114 2,5km from the Napi. AND THE BEST SIGHTING OF THE DAY ……. COUPLE OF SPRINGBOKS BEATING THE SCOTS AT ABSA PARK DURBAN

Sunday: 06/06/11

No work today

Monday: 06/06/12

Leopard 1 km from Kruger gate sleeping on the road. Apparently this leopard where making quite a lot of noise during the night around the gate, Buffalo herd at Nhlotini water hole on the S21 ( about 200+ strong) 2 female lion hunting impala at the nature pan on the S21 3,3km from Ellof Street, Big herd of Elephant crossing the road 3,5km Nkuhlu picnic spot towards high water bridge, 2 male lions and female lion on Ellof street 2,2km from high water bridge walking around in the river bed, Buffalo 2km before Nkuhlu picnic spot coming from Lower Sabie. Not many vehicles out today, not a lot of updates today

Tuesday: 06/06/13

Did not work

Wednesday: 06/06/14

Sorry did not work

Thursday: 06/06/15

This is way I love winter in KNP and my job, is when day’s like this happens. There were 7 leopards sightings with in total were 9 leopard seen, cheetah , 2lion sightings buffalo, rhino, elephant, serval and a lot more, this all before 11h30 and among 12 vehicles. I personally sow 5 leopards today.

Male leopard on the Napi walking down the road 2,3km from the boulders towards Skukuza, leopard on the Biyamiti loop 5,5km from the weir, leopard female hunting impala on Ellof street 3,5km from Nkuhlu picnic spot towards Lower Sabie, Mating leopard on Ellof street 4km from Nkuhlu picnic spot towards high water bridge, Leopard at the Tshokwane tar and H12 junction, Mating leopard at the N’watiindlopfu bridge on the Tshokwane , 4lions sleeping in the Sand river bed 2,2km from the Marula loop southern entrance towards the north and a leopard staking bush buck 300m before that, Mating lion 300m past leeupan on the Tshokwane tar, cheetah just past the Orpen dam road junction on the H10, Buffalo bull standing next to the road 2,1km from the Marula loop northern entrance on the Tshokwane tar towards the south, Rhino male 7,1km from the Napi boulders eastern entrance on the Napi towards Transport dam and elephant bull 1km past the rhino, There where 2 rhino and buffalo sightings on the Voortrekker road, the sighting of the day was a serval female and 2 kittens 1km down the H3 from the Napi. They where just walking in the middle of the road and were not boarded with any of the vehicles following them……AMAZING!!! 2 rhino on the S112, 1 lonely wild dog running down the Kruger gate road 400m from the 4wayes at Skukuza. This wild dog as been on his own for about a year now, normally seen on the Napi the link road down to Ellof Street and the Kruger gate road. Also been seen early morning sleeping just outside Skukuza camp gate.

Hi all
It is school holidays and alot of people are visiting the park. There are alot of traffic and some roads looks like JHB spits hour. Not alot of work for our Guides so not to much to report. Here are some sightings for you.

Friday: 06/06/16

Weekend off

Saturday: 06/06/17

Weekend off

Sunday: 06/06/18

Weekend off

Monday: 06/06/19

Weekend off

Tuesday: 06/06/20

4 different hyena sightings on the Kruger gate road, pack of Wild dogs at Kwaggas pan, Leopard 6,5 km down the S21 from S114, Two young rhino males on the Bume ( S26) 1km from the S114, Two male lions and a female on the Byamiti loop ( one of the males was mating with the female ) 6,7 km from the weir towards the S113, Two male cheetah on the Voortrekker road (H2-2) 10,1 km from Pretoruiskop side, there were also rhino, elephant and buffalo seen on this road today, 3 white rhino on the cabbro plains south of Afsaal ( There are white rhino seen everyday down here, 2 black rhino are also seen on a regular basis down here) lion pride at the Mutlumuvi bridge on the Tshokwane road just before the maroela loop, one female lion just past the Lubyelubye bridge before lower sabie walking down the river bed, lots of elephant and buffalo on Eloff street today.

Wednesday: 06/06/21

Transfer to JHB

Thursday: 06/06/22

Returning from JHB

Friday: 06/06/23

8 white rhino and 2 black rhino on the Gabbro plains south of Afsaal, Buffalo and elephant on the Voortrekker road, Leopard with 2 cubs on the Albasini road 4,4km from Diospane, Lion female with one cub on the Diospane 1,2 km from the S4, Cheetah male on the H5 S102 junction, big herd of buffalo on the H5 2km the S102, also 3 different rhino sightings on the H5, pack of 6 wild dog just outside Croc bridge, Rhino on the Gomondwane loop ( S130 ) , One young male lion 2,2km from Lubyelubye bridge on Eloff street, lots of elephant sightings as well on Eloff, 2 male lion sleeping next to the road on Eloff about 5km from high level bridge towards Skukuza, 3 female lion killing an impala on the Salitje road 1,2km from High water bridge.

Saturday: 06/06/24

Mating lion 3,7km north of Satara, pride of lion 10km north of Satara, lots of elephant and buffalo also up north, South of Satara lots of sightings of single male buffalos, Rhino sleeping on the S128 northern section 3,2km from the H10, Leopard made a kill on the S114 600m from the Napi, Cheetah drinking water at the nature pan 800m down the S114 from the Napi, 4 lion 1km south of the S21 on the S114, leopard 5,3km from the S114 on the S21, wild dog pack at kwaggas pan, Lion male sleeping in the river bed at the exit of Alpha loop ( first loop on Eloff street from Skukuza), Leopard with cub sleeping on a rocky out crop 2,3km from the S65 on the Diospane towards Phabeni gate, 4 lion sleeping in the Sand river between the two Maroelo loop entrances on the Tshokwane tar, Lots of general game and a herd of elephant at Mlondozi dam, Eloff street a bit quite today and not to many game spotted on this road today. School holidays started yesterday and a lot of traffic in the park especially on Eloff Street.

Sunday: 06/06/25

Leopard still on the kill 600m down the S114 from the Napi, 5 lion on the S21 21,5km from the S114, lion on circle road close to Pretoruis kop, Lot of elephant on Eloff street today……..Sorry not many osv out today so not to much to report

Monday: 06/06/26

Day off

Tuesday: 06/06/27

Day off

DinkyBird wrote


Normally between 07h00 and 09h00. They have been spotted about 2 weeks ago in the late afternoon.

The guides also think that they may have a den in the area.
I also spoke with one of my friends living in Komatipoort and he said that there are also a pack seen allmost every day close to Croc brigde( Early morning and late afternoon)