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Brilliant EJ. You seen to have animals to order. Will definitely book a drive with you next time we are up your way. Thanks again for all you do and report back for us. Keeps me going until next time we get to KNP.

Did another sunset drive last night....... impalas and scrub hares of course, plus warthogs, kudus, giraffes, duiker, ellies, dugha boys (twice), spotted eagle owl pair, hyenas - no cats unfortunately.

No call yet for today.....maybe a free evening????

Just done laundry and had some brunch. Tomorrow is back to the 'day job' in the office too.....

Wednesday evening I did a night drive for Berg-en-Dal. We had zebs, wildebeest with tiny calf, impalas, scrub hares, lots of spotted eagle owls, buffalo herd, ellies, hippos, genets and glimpse of civet and black-backed jackal. I also found a tiny chameleon.

Last night it looked like a night off......then I got back to camp late-ish after a busy office day, and was greeted by our only guests.......folk who often come for a long stay. I was asked to come over and chat with them - given a boerie roll to munch as they were eating early ready for a sunset drive......and then got asked to join them to help with spotting! Texson was doing the drive, and happy for me to join, so I ended up sitting at the back and enjoying myself!

We had a good big 5 drive too! Our leopard was near the S114/H2-2 junction, and right next to the road. He was lying down and licking at his left front leg.....which we later saw was injured probably from a fight. At the other end of the same road we found 6 lions lying on the road! Also had a huge chameleon - one of the largest I have ever seen, and a number of spotted eagle owls again. Other sightings included a black-backed jackal, genet, civet investigating rhino dung on the road, duiker, buff herd in the Croc river bed, brown snake eagle, Wahlberg's eagle.

This evening will be a sunset drive from the gate again.

OK - all change.......as of 30mins ago nothing booked at the gate, so Raymond has nabbed me to do a night drive at BnD instead!

Hi EJ, we exited at Malelane this morning at 07:00 and our last sighting of our trip was two male lions 300 meters from the gate!

Heard about those 2 and looked for them tonight, but no luck!

The night drive gave us zebs, maribou storks, impalas, warthogs, ellies, wildebeest and baby - and that within the first km! More ellies, impalas, zebs, plus scrub hares, spotted eagle owls, chameleons, juvenile boomslang, duikers, hippos, crocs, white-tailed mongoose, black-backed jackal, and ?mozambique spitting cobra (moved too fast to be sure).

Now on my way to dreamland after a quick snack.....

We had a wedding party in camp over the weekend......the bride chose to walk down the aisle to beating drums! They had a spit braai reception. Next weekend is another wedding, but as I am at Lower Sabie for a week I will miss it.

I packed the car after church on Sunday and then drove over to Lower Sabie - via N4 sadly as I needed to stop for post in Komatipoort (last stopped there mid-December, so it was necessary!). After entering at CB I had good sightings of impala, wildebeest, zebs, giraffe, warthogs, ellies, buffs.....

Got to LS in time to unload, sort out most of my things and then do the night drive.

Had big 4 drive (no leopard) - 2 lionesses stalking impalas, ellie in the road giving us a few anxious moments but OK. Also 4 porcupines (a pair together, and 2 further separate sightings), civet, genets (both large and small-spotted), lots of hippos, scrub hares, warthogs, giraffes, zebs, 2 young pythons too.

Very short night and then up early for the morning walk......we got close to ellie and rhino. Few spots of rain at one point but nothing much.

I then tried to go to bed and catch up on sleep, but it did not really work, so eventually gave up, had something to eat and drink and then went to Komatipoort to collect a parcel (the slip had gone into my box on 14th Dec, and already had a reminder, so I realised I had better get there to collect it soon!).

On the way down I had impalas, giraffe, zebs, wildebeest, ellies, warthogs, and at one stage a leopard crouched over a freshly killed impala in the middle of the road. As I grabbed the camera he stood up and dragged the kill into the grass at the side of the road and off into the bushes. I got a few photos, but not the best. Nobody else came along the whole time....and he was out of sight when I left!!!!

On the way back the sky looked heavy with rain and shortly before LS the clouds burst and the rain came down in torrents. I could scarcely see the front of the car never mind the road in front of me! Fortunately it did not last too long.

No activity for me tonight, but morning walk again tomorrow.

Thanks for another interesting report.
Porcupines, young pythons and a leopard on a kill -- now i could live with those sightings

Enjoy your time at LS

Hello from a very very wet Lower Sabie! Rain began yesterday evening and has continued ever since - heavy at times, but brief dry spells. Activities rained off, so I am redundant at the moment! Thought I would try to post some photos as long as connection allows.....

First a moth I took a pic of last time I was here, but have not been able to identify - anyone with any ideas?


Beautiful clouds one afternoon as I was leaving the office


Warthogs happily eating


Huge leopard orchid near the Biyamiti weir

Leopard on the road - it had been rolling in buffalo dung!


Hungry giraffes feeding mainly on white berry bushes - a large group of males


"I am just a big pussy cat!"

Leopard stalking impalas


Hyenas on the road near Timfenene turning


Quick glimpse of the badly behaved leopard near Berg-en-Dal which only comes out when I am on the way home after dropping guests!

The wild dogs we found near Berg-en-Dal


How many can you count?


Loved this trick photo - the Swainson's spurfowl was on a branch behind the zeb, but appears to be riding it instead!


A late-born impala lamb - it still had the cord showing, and was rather wobbly on its legs, and obviously very much smaller than the other lambs

Comb ducks on the pan near Gardenia hide


The leopard on the H2-2 which had the injured leg


And one of the lions at the other end of the road

some very nice photos!!!

We had a stunning drive Friday evening (13th) with you. Thanx so very much.

Great sighting you had en masse, Ecojunkie

So is it getting a bit wetter now or is the South still extreme dry???