SANParks.org Forums

Kamadejo – seeing the cobra was not nice and watching the wildebeest without water just made us once again realise how precious it is. Hope the notes help and as you know i will summarize at the end (if i ever get there). Turning into the lions in the middle of nowhere was a real surprise.

Micetta – red hartebeest strange animal and thanks on the LBJ’s

Foxy – glad you are enjoying it.

anne Catherine – there are not only birds also say stripped mouse and lots of lizards etc. It is a very interesting camp to walk around.

anne-marie – You have to go there – we were so glad we did. Yes we did have to stop very quickly and the van did sink but we were lucky that the only think we could do anyway was reverse which was not a problem as sand build up was in front of the tyres.

Arks – thanks again for plant info. Will need your help a lot in this report as have a large number of plants from RTP that i cannot ID (I need to buy a good book). Trying to ID them through the internet is very challenging.

Meandering Mouse – never seen so many lions – other type of cats to come – MAYBE


Day 11 – 11th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

Lion

To hear the roar of lions at night is an experience to be savoured - provided you're safely in your tent or bungalow. Typically a lion's roar will start with a series of low grunts, building to a reverberating crescendo before trailing off again. Lions also grunt, cough and snarl.









It ended up as a game of cat and mouse (us begin the mouse) as they were determined that they owned the road and that we would have to reverse. After doing this for about 20 minutes the one male decided OK enough of this and left the road and passed us. He went straight back onto the road now behind us and the other male some followed. When we eventually reached the dune road we turned right and started to make our way to KTC for a 2 night stop.

Black Northern Korhaan

The Black-bellied Bustard is 58 to 65 cm long. The female is plain buff cryptically marked with darker brown mottling on the back and narrow wavy bands on the neck and breast. The juvenile is duller and darker, with a dark grey crown and buff spots on the wing. The neck and rump patterns of both sexes, the male's white chin and lores, and the female's are points that distinguish.



After the dune road we came across this snake and an AWC on the way – it had been one of those morning drives that we will remember for a very long time.

Cape Wolf Snake (this is a guess can someone help with ID)





AWC

A female gives birth to an average of 3 kittens. Gestation is approximately 65 days. Mating occurs between July and January and young are born between September to March. Kittens are born blind and need full care of the mother. Most kittens are born in the wet season, when there is sufficient food. They stay with their mother for five to six months, and are fertile after one year. Life Span: 12 - 15 years.

after big cat... small cat
is the snake could be a Black Mamba

Bitterpan seems an awesome little camp .
Not on the "menu" for next february , but would be nice to stay there (and also give a try to Gharabab) an other time . Beautiful view and surroundings

Beautiful lions ,seems there was a "blond"one

Nice sightings ,Northern Black Korhaan , AWC and ....Anne-Marie said Black Mamba
My book says :rarely black,rather a grey to dark olive-brown color .It is long and slender ,often other 3m in lengh.The head is coffin-shapped with a long" smiling "mouth .
Looking at the head picture , seems your snake is smilling

Day 11 – 11th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

We then came across these 3 cheetah still having their brunch (not sure which group).

Cheetah

For such a swift cat, a cheetah's body is not very long (only about 4 ft/1 m). Even so, in just one bound it can travel 6 m, by using its long legs and flexible spine. According to researchers, it's thought that the cheetah's flexible spine alone enables the animal to run an extra 9.6km an hour. On average, cheetahs chase their prey for about ten seconds. Cheetahs have solid black spots on a background of yellow or tan fur, and have 4 to 6 black rings at the end of its tail.

(Photos not very good but then again it was far and the light was not great. Why is this always the case?)











We ran into other people with yellow ribbon but did not even get their names – sorry whoever you were that was rude of us.

anne-marie – it was very nice to see AWC after all the bigger cats – have had a good year and had 4 sightings of AWC all during the day.

Kamadejo – these lions were a surprise and they looked in very good shape. Regarding the cheetah guess it would be hoping to much to get them in good light.

Foxy – 100% - it was a nice road block

anne Catherine – Gharabab on my list for next trip

Suej – see you have even got snow already. It was strange with lions as it was totally unexpected. This group of cheetah where in really good condition - tried playing with EV did not help much with the light (maybe next time).

Wannabe Nerd – glad you also got to see the cubs at Marie's se Gat – very relaxed and playful pride. Waiting for your trip report.

Baffers – thanks for sending the snake photo to someone to ID. The extra information takes a while so thanks for comment. It gets difficult as i have to look and make sure when i post the same animal at different time i ensure i provide different facts.


Day 11 – 11th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

We then saw the mother (Charlize) with the 4 cubs that everyone has been reporting on.

Cheetah

Cheetahs have distinctive black "tear stripes" that connect from the inside corner of each eye to the mouth that may serve as an antiglare device for daytime hunting. Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days. Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.















Lilac Breasted Roller

Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do.



Landscape of River Bed

Day 11 – 11th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) – Continued

We had a fantastic morning drive so then proceeded to Mata Mata to get ice and water before arriving at KTC at 12h20pm for check in.

We unpacked and i lite a fire as SO want toasted mince sandwiches for lunch. The setting of the camp has not really changed in the 6 years since we were here last only the door to the kitchen which is a big improvement. After lunch we both had a nice shower as we could not yesterday and the dust was accumulating. We did not grab a rest today as we decided to get some washing done which we finished just after 3pm so we decide to go straight for an afternoon drive.

We again ran into Charlize and 4 cubs as they went on the hunt but were unsuccessful.

Cheetah

The cheetah's respiratory rate climbs from 60 to 150 breaths per minute during a high-speed chase and can run only 400 to 600 yards before it is exhausted; at this time it is extremely vulnerable to other predators, which may not only steal its prey, but attack it as well.









For some reason i like the second last photo when i get some time a will go and fix it in lightroom with spot removal etc.

Tree (can anyone tell me what this is?)



Cape Turtle Doves

Egg-laying season is year-round, peaking from August-November in winter rainfall areas. It lays 1-2, rarely 4 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 13-16 days; the male incubates from about 10h00-16h00 and the female does the rest. Once the chicks hatch, the egg shells are immediately thrown out of the nest. They are fed and brooded by both parents, leaving the nest for the adjacent bush after about 16-17 days. They are dependent on their parents for approximately 12 more days.



We got back to camp at 6h50pm – happy but quite tired. It was chicken madras for dinner and as SO was doing this i downloaded the photos from the SD cards and used the inverter to charge the camera batteries and the spot light. We had a nice dinner with cool weather and after washing dishes were finished by 8h30pm.

Animals
Gemsbok, Black Backed Jackal, Lions, Steenbok, Springbok, Snake, Ground Squirrel, Wildebeest, Cheetah, AWC, Giraffe

Birds
Black Northern Korhaan, Cape Turtle Dove, Cape Crow, Black Shoulder Kite, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Ostrich, Fork Tailed Dronga, Social Weaver, Starling, Swallow Tailed Bee Eater, Crowned Plover, Tawny Eagle, Lilac Breasted Roller, Giant Eagle owl, Kori Bustard

Day 12 – 12th October – KTC (Kgalagadi)

We had nice showers and had a very good night’s sleep. We awoke at 5h30am to the coldest morning on the trip with a chilly breeze. SO made the coffee and sat inside the kitchen till we departed on our morning drive at 6am.

It was to be one of those morning drives. We headed south and came across bat eared foxes chasing each other all over the place and they are much faster than we realised. We continued towards Dalkeith and as we got closer things went crazy. Just before the water hole on the lower road we ran into 3 cheetahs on the hunt (maybe Lizette). They came sprinting from the hill opposite the waterhole in different directions scattering the springbok everywhere. They all missed and regrouped and had another short go from the other hill right next to us. Again they missed and decided enough and went over the dune.

Just as we started to catch our breath Charlize and 4 cubs appeared not even 500m from this area. She started to stalk but the springbok were now alert so headed in the direction of the upper road. We decided to drive on to the end of the lower road and turn back onto the upper road now heading north. We started scanning about 1km from the junction point and to our surprise we did not find the 5 cheetah but ran into a different group of 2. They stopped and went to ground about 100m in so we continued and saw the 5 cheetah heading up the hill.

Someone coming south stopped and asked us what we were looking at so we explained and he then informed us that he had found cheetah about 750m south of us. At first we assumed it was original 3 but he said no it was only one and not on the correct side. We drove to confirm and true enough it was another lone cheetah. The total was 11 different cheetahs within at most a 1.5 – 2km radius. Just as quickly as everything happened it went quite. We were high on adrenaline and feeling exhausted.

Cheetah

The cheetah's long and muscular tail acts as a stabilizer or rudder for balance to counteract its body weight, preventing it from rolling over and spinning out in quick, fast turns during a high-speed chase. The cheetah is the only cat with short, blunt semi-retractable claws that help grip the ground like cleats for traction when running. Their paws are less rounded than the other cats, and their pads are hard, similar to tire treads, to help them in fast, sharp turns.

















Springbok and Cheetah

Rams are slightly larger than ewes and have thick horns; the ewes tend to have skinnier legs and longer, frailer horns. Average horn length for both genders is 35 cm with the record being a female with horns measuring 49, 21 cm in length. Springbok tracks are narrow and sharp and are 5, 5 cm from point to point.



Gemsbok

The social system of the Oryx is unusual in that non territorial males live in mixed groups with females, or with females and their young. Males that dominate are territorial to a degree, marking their areas with dung deposits. The dominance hierarchy among Oryx is based on age and size. As they grow, calves assess one another in tests of strength that look like games. As the hierarchy becomes established, the need to fight is reduced.



Familiar Chat (can someone confirm ID?)

Familiar Chats live on insects and fruit. The Afrikaans name comes from them eating the bacon fat lubricant used in wagon wheel hubs. They nest from July to April building a neat cup of soft material such as hair, wool, feathers or plant material. The nest is hidden in rocks, a hole in the ground or in a tree and other such suitable places.




Bat eared fox

The bat-eared fox's name comes from its enormous ears, which are large in proportion to its head like those of many bats. The body is generally yellow-brown; the throat and under parts are pale. The outsides of the ears, the raccoon-like "face-mask," lower legs, feet, and tail tip are all black. The legs are relatively short.

I hate to be left behind

Your cheetah portraits are sensational and the twosome is very special

11 cheetahs in such a small area

The pic of the springboks with the cheetah sitting on top of the hill is rather special too

I think that your familiar chat is a marico flycatcher

Great TR Kesheshe (nothing new under the sun )

Day 12 – 12th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

We ended the morning drive by going to Mata Mata to power the laptop and everything else as tomorrow we would be going into NAM and on to the Richtersveld where we knew we would have no power. While there we meet a whole bunch or really nice people and for information you can use the power in the wash up area of the camp site. It took at least 2 hours to charge everything and we arrived back at KTC around 1.30pm. We had a light lunch and decided not to rest as with the entire cheetah population (only joking) in the area and no kill we were sure they would try again in the afternoon.

Van



Ground Squirrel

These squirrels are very social and live in groups with about 1 to 3 females and 2 to 3 males. Sometimes, the number of males can exceed up to 9 with some sub-adult females. An interesting thing about this breed is that mature males like to form their own groups and there can be 19 to 20 individuals in one group. These groups are called bands. Gestation period lasts for 48 days and the young ones are weaned after 52 days. There are one to three babies per litter. A female becomes sexually mature when she is 10 months old and a male matures at the age of 8 months. Although a female has the capability to breed throughout the year, less than 10% reproduce more than one litter in a year.









We eventually left camp at 2h30pm and as we neared Dalkeith we really slowed down. As we got to the split for the high and low road we noticed a cheetah dragging a springbok under a tree and then the 4 cubs arrived which meant it was Charlize. We must have missed the chase by minutes but were not concerned as we were so happy that she had delivered a kill as they really looked like they needed it. At this point we were the only one there but slowly other vehicles arrived and within about 45 minutes there were quite a few cars – everyone did the right things not like in KNP.

The kill took place at about 3h45pm and they had left nothing and started to move off by 4.50pm. We proceeded to the waterhole and just sat for a while and then slowly made our way back to camp arriving at 6.30pm.

Cheetah

Cheetahs are more social in their behaviours than once thought. They will live singly or in small groups. Female cheetahs are sexually mature at 20 to 24 months. The mating period lasts from one day up to a week. The female's gestation period is 90 to 95 days, after which she will give birth to a litter of up to 6 cubs. She will find a quiet, hidden spot in the tall grass, under a low tree, in thick underbrush, or in a clump of rock. Cheetah cubs weigh between 9 to 15 ounces when born.

Day 12 – 12th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

Cheetah

Although cheetah cubs are blind and completely helpless at birth, they develop rapidly. At 4 to 10 days of age, their eyes open, and they begin to crawl around the nest area; at 3 weeks their teeth break through their gums. Due to the possibilities of predation from a variety of predators, the female moves her cubs from den to den every few days. For the first 6 weeks, the female has to leave the cubs alone most of the time, in order to hunt. Also, she may have to travel fairly long distances in search of food. During this time, cub mortality is as high as 90 percent in the wild, due to predation. The cubs begin to follow their mother at 6 weeks old, and begin to eat meat from her kills. From this time onward, mother and cubs remain inseparable until weaning age.

Day 12 – 12th October – KTC (Kgalagadi) - Continued

Cheetah

The cubs grow rapidly and are half of their adult size at 6 months old; at 8 months old, they have lost the last of their deciduous teeth. About this time, the cubs begin to make clumsy attempts at stalking and catching. Much of the learning process takes the form of play behaviour.











Tawny eagle

Tawny eagles are monogamous, pairing for life. Behaviour prior to and during mating varies for this species, but usually involves undulating displays made by the male followed by mutual soaring displays. Epigamic display, display that occurs during breeding, may involve high circling, alone or in pairs, over the nesting site. The male may perform a series of "pot hooks" which involves a series of gradual dives and swoops, with little to no wing flapping. The female may turn over and present her claws in response to the male swooping over her. Males and females may lock claws in flight. Actual mating usually occurs at or near the nesting site.



Springbok

Springbok are between 70 – 87 centimetres tall at the shoulder, depending on the age, weight and gender of the particular antelope; they weigh between 26–40 kg for the females and 33–50 kg for the males. Their colouring consists of three colours, white, reddish/tan and dark brown. Their backs are tan coloured and at the bottom they are white, along each side there is a dark brown stripe extending from the shoulder on towards the inside thigh.



Sky / Landscape







Before starting dinner we took the chairs outside and had some wine while we watched the sunset on our last night in Kgalagadi. As per normal the camp attendant came at 7pm to ask if everything was OK which at that point it was.

After having the wine we spent some time sorting out the van for the long drives over the next couple of days. At about 8h30pm we wanted to start dinner of pasta and sauce but could not get the gas cooker to work. SO checked the water and it was cold so we figured that the problem must be the gas supply. After finding some torches we found the gas bottles and thought cool just switch the valve. We did this and tried again – still nothing. We went back to the gas bottles only to find the second bottle empty and after further inspection realised that there was gas in the third bottle. The pipe would not reach so that would mean somehow moving all the gas bottles around and reconnected everything we at 9h15pm at night we elected not to do. We did not know how long it had been off any we needed to pack things into our own fridge / freezer in the morning so we decided to do it there and then. I got the gas bottles from the van and we finished dinner at 10pm. We knew we would be having a cold shower but that was OK. We eventually got into bed at 10h30pm.

Animals
Gemsbok, Springbok, Bat Eared Fox, Black Backed Jackal, Cheetahs, Wildebeest, Ground Squirrel, Giraffe

Birds
Cape Dove, Crimson BouBou, Social Weaver, Crowned Plover, Cape Crow, Tawny Eagle, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Swift, Kori Bustard, Yellow Billed Hornbill, Fork Tailed Dronga, Ostrich, Sandgrouse, White Backed Vulture

anne-marie – yes the cheetahs were thin but i guess hunting to support the mum and 4 cubs must be difficult. It was such a relief when we saw then having a nice afternoon snack. We left plenty for you so come back with some nice photos to share. As you say eating, showering after that not a problem i just get frustrated with the efficiency or lack of it.

Kamadejo – these photos were better but had to make adjustments in lightroom to improve them a bit. You have good eyes yes wildebeest and ostrich in the distance. As you said it took a while to get the photo with the tree as we were just in the wrong position.

Foxy – the jackals were cheeky but trust me they basically got nothing as these cheetahs basically ate everything.

anne Catherine – we got fairly close but even walking they were difficult to shot in the light.

Suej – your cheetah pics at the waterhole were great but looks like you had to little light whereas i had way too much. Adjust EV to under expose did not help that much. I really had to play around in lightroom to get anything.

Micetta – Well done for spotting the cheetah on the hill. Thanks for the ID help on the bird. We were also very happy to see them eating it must have been the highlight of the trip. First of the landscape – wait till we get to RTP.

Pumbaa – Finding or should i say nearly running into the lions on the road was amazing. Bitterpan was a real treat.

Baffers – thanks for the nice comments.

Meandering Mouse - thanks for the nice comments and the squirrels just wanted to play which allowed us to sit and observe for a while.



Summaries KTC

Before getting into the drive and sightings let me summarize KTC:

• Unit very nice and big
• Does not quite have the same feel as the other wilderness camps
• Some units have no real view of the camp waterhole
• Roads and game in the area very productive
• Nice kitchen and braai area
• Nice for sun sets

Day 13 – 13th October – Vogelstrausskluft (Namibia)

We got up at 5.30am and quickly packed a picnic, made coffee and finished packing. We collected the permit and explained the problem with the gas to the camp attendant. My problem regarding the gas is what is the process to ensure this is checked?

We turned south to do a short drive as the border into NAM only opens at 8am. As we reached Sitas we saw some movement by the water hole and as we stopped we could see a cheetah drinking. The light was not good but we tried to get some shots anyway. We continued south and then turned at 14th and headed back to Mata Mata to enter into NAM.

Cheetah

The cubs stalk, chase and wrestle with each other and even chase prey that they know they cannot catch, or prey that is too large. The cubs learn to hunt many different species, including guinea fowl, francolins, springhares, and small antelope. They still are not very adept hunters at the time they separate from their mothers.









African Hoopoe

The African Hoopoe isn't a sociable bird and is generally found either singly or in pairs (occasionally small loose flocks are seen during the migration season). The Hoopoe is a cavity nester which will happily use a hollow in a pile of boulders or cavities in buildings. Diet Description: Ground feeders, Hoopoe take mainly insects, although they'll also eat small reptiles such as lizards. They use their bill for probing the earth and animal dung. They also turn over leaf litter to find prey. Vegetable matter (seeds or berries) are eaten but in very small quantities.



Crowned Plover

One curious feeding habit of all plovers, which has not fully been analyzed, has been called foot paddling or foot trembling. The plover stamps the ground with its foot. Worms mistake the noise for the pattering of rain and burrow up to the surface where they are eaten by the plover.



Animal Gathering



Cape Glossy Starling

This bird forages for food on the ground. The Cape Glossy Starling is usually seen hunting for food within the tree foliage. This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten. The Lamprotornis nitens forages mainly on the ground or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds. The bird also drinks nectar from flowers high up in the tree canopy.





Animals
Black Backed Jackal, Cheetah, Giraffe, Bat Eared Fox, Springbok, Gemsbok, Ground Squirrel

Birds
Cape Turtle Dove, Fork Tailed Dronga, Social Weaver, Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Cape Crow, Tawny Eagle, African Hoopoe, Lilac Breasted Roller, Crimson BouBou, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Starling, Sandgrouse

Summaries KTP

Before leaving KTP let me summarize (remember this is our opinion):

• Preferred the wilderness camps to the main camps
• Nossop appeared to have the best camp site
• From a scenic point of view hard to beat Bitterpan and Kieliekrankie
• Urikaruus has without doubt the best camp water hole from a photographic point of view
• Grootkolk was the most interesting
• Generally the level of service was good
• Some minor maintenance issues at the units but nothing major
• Shops stock only the basics
• Power not available at wilderness camps (just do some pre planning)
• Roads no issue at all with correct tyre pressure (did see 4 broken down vehicles on flatbeds)
• Road to Bitterpan not difficult
• Be very careful regarding camera equipment due to the dust (only change lenses when you really need to Would rather advise 2 bodies already setup with different types of lenses to try and avoid too much dust – lenses changes etc)
• Sometimes with sun and harsh environment taking photos is a real challenge – would seriously consider adjusting the EV during the day
• Fantastic park for getting close for some nice photos
• Light was strange both in the morning and at night. Did not get dark or light straight away – quite a strange light at times
• When the weather was good the place really delivered the golden hour - Marie Se Draai is a good place to utilise the light in the afternoon
• Mata Mata side full up with cheetah
• Nossop side more lion, snakes and raptors
• You need a lot of fluid – when you think you have enough go and buy some more
• Plan fuel based around availability - only at main camps
• As people say wildlife not as varied as KNP – you will not care we promise you
• Take the opportunity to walk around especially at wilderness camps as there are lots of things to see
• Getting and handing in the permit not an issue
• Pick a water hole and just sit – you will be amazed at what comes to you
• The dune road when we travelled it had a lot going on if you take the time to look
• Did not get much opportunity for macro shots but would take something like 10-20mm for landscape
• Take a spot light if going to the wilderness camps for night time activity
• Weaver nests not as active as we would have thought
• Picnic sites were nice but we elected to rather pack snacks, breakfast etc and choose a water hole to relax

Before moving onto the Richtersveld part of the trip i will post a few additional photos from KTP.