I still have not recovered from driving 3012kms and will therefore post a detailed report later. For now, be satisfied with a magnificent seven report starting with leopard sightings.
Leopard 1@2
Where: On the H3 - (2) One sititng behind some bushes peeping out. The second one came out on the opposite side just in front of our vehicle, stretch out with its front paws in gthe air brushing sone twigs in midair, dropped its feet to the ground and walked right in front of us crossing to the opposite side by which time the first one had got up and started walking into the bush followed by the second one.
Date and Time: 3rd day Monday 09 07 06- early morning, about 6.45 am.
Leopard 3
Where: On S110 during the night drive from Malelane. It was spotted on the left hand side of the truck siting not far from the road. Got up, walked behind some bushes, came out, crossed the
road and walked away into the tick foliage.
Date and time: 5th day Tuesday 11 07 06 at about 6pm
Leopard 4
Where: On S21 this beauty was sitting on the edge of the water hidden under a thick thorn bush with barely its head visible. We sat there watching it sleep, turn in different positions, lifting its head up to peer across the water. not long thereafter a family of warthogs came to the water and stood not more than a metre or two away from the leopard without them even realising it was there. they drank to their fill and walked away. This was when the leopard got up and came out into the clear sitting on its haunches before deciding it was not worth the effort to give chase and crept back into the shade. Soon therafter a thristy giraffe ambled along and came straight to the water, bent its long legs and sated its thirst also not realising that a leopard was sitting that close to it. After its thrist was quenched, the giraffe too, walked away. It was along while before it finally awoke fully and came out of the shade walked around and began stalking some impala that were grazing up the road. What the result of this endeavour was, we do not know, for its time for us to depart in order to make it to the gate.
Date and time: 6th Day Wednesday 12 07 06 about 12 45
Leopard 5
Where: Once again on the
S21 not even five hundred metres away from where we had seen the leopard the day before. We saw this beauty sitting and basking in the early morning sun to the right of the road in a section that sloped down from the road and rose up progressively. While sitting on a rocky outcrop, it stretched and yawned a few times. After a while sitting and watching the world go by, it decided to get up and find a cooler spot under a shady bush. From there it got up and bounded a couple of leaps towards us before turning back into the long grass, weaving its way deeper into the shadows until finally it was no more to be seen.
Date and time: 7th day Thursday 13 07 06 early morning about 9 30 am
Leopard 6
Where: From Skukuza we drove up towards Paul Kruger gate and took the S3 along the river and I said to the rest of the family in the car that this looked like prime leopard area. Soon
enough, we reached a car coming towards us and were told that there were two leopards sitting in the road three kms ahead. Pregnant with expectation we drew closer and as we
reached the cars that were obviously parked there, we saw the back of a beautiful leopard flowing and merging into the colours surrounding it as a single entity.
Date and time: 8th day Friday 14 07 06 around noon
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