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Thanks EJ. It is so good to hear that wild life is as visible and healthy as ever after the flood.

Glad you got safely back to Malelane and found your caravan all intact, EJ.

I was going to ask you about that leopard orchid at Biyamiti weir, is it visible from the public road, and would it still be in flower, when did you see it? - all assuming the dirt roads dry out and are opened again in the next week

Thanks for all your updates from LS, I must admit my heart was in my mouth at times seeing the pics on the flooding thread and reading everyone's reports.

The leopard orchid was next to the road - I don't go on any others! It is more than a month since I saw it, and I really do not know if it will still be in flower or not. Sorry!

Hey EJ, from what I have read and witnessed on the forum, you guys have been absolutely fabulous!!! Trust all is well and that you can all take a bit of a rest! Praying for you, DB, Lesego, thankyou for your hard work!!!!! We love you all!!!!!!
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Yesterday morning we had 2 guests for the walk - a couple who had been with me the night before on the drive. A magnificent male lion was at the side of the road near Ntandanyathi hide turning, and gave us a good sighting, but moved off into the bushes when Martie started the vehicle - so nobody else saw him!

We had 2 male ellies near the beginning of the walk, but although they appeared to be together they did not stay together and we could not get close to either because we would have been in the wrong position for the other one! We dodged a hippo and continued the walk. 2 more ellie bulls - this time younger ones having a bit of a friendly jousting match and not interested in us at all, so we passed fairly close to them - and then I noticed a baboon spider hole next to my foot. I watched the ellies while Martie tried to get the spider to come out of the hole, and almost succeeded.

After that a break near a small water pan, and then back to the vehicle, missing a rhino and calf on the way (guests told us about it as we got to the vehicle).

And that was my time at Lower Sabie over! I had a couple of hours rest, packed up and drove home via Croc Bridge - grateful that the bridge was open and that I did not have a long drive via Skukuza as I was still tired.

All was fine back at the caravan - just needed to knock a couple of pegs back in that had come out with wind or soft ground from the rain. One of the cleaners told me the river had not even got near the fence, and they had been fine here.

Today I went late to the office, got some work done and returned home about 1430 - and no calls for a drive, so have a restful night. More office work needed tomorrow, and then maybe shooting range to help with practice on Thursday (and maybe some practice myself) before assessments on Friday.

E.J, enjoy your night off.

Few more photos

Big ellie on Saturday walk


and his 2 askaris


They came quite close to us before turning away

Nice

That was very close E.J.

Sunday walk started in very misty conditions


A tree completely covered with tropical tent spider webs - very decorative!


We spent a long time stalking this ellie as he did not seem to know where he wanted to go and we had to keep moving to stay downwind of him


Ostriches on the way back to camp


And we stopped to look at the causeway bridge - really only needing clearing before being used again

One of the genets posing on the night drive - sorry it is blurred, I just wanted to show how nicely it had listened at the classes!


The male lion on the way to the walk yesterday morning

The baboon spider




Crocodile Bridge looking almost as good as new again


Just a little damage from trees smashing into it

Stalking Ellies

The lion pic was taken from the vehicle?

Croc bridge.

Nice

Great pics EJ. That first ellie had a good pair of tusks! Crocodile bridge survived that pasting extremely well . . . .

Some interesting photos. Thank you.