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I hope to see some

I can only vouch for amazing cheetah action for the past 5 trips all along the Auob river. Hunting, killing, grooming, drinking, eating...it's all there if you are "at the right place at the right time"...

Hi guys,

No animals since 1 June?

Lets here form the visitors that were in KG recently or are at the moment in KG.

Thanks!

they are all in... holidays
waiting for my visit

Oh, lots and lots of animals Anton. Just back ourselves so give me a few days and I'll get a trip report up. Sorry, no peaking till it's done.
The only rare animal we couldn't spot was a KG. Guess we'll just have to go back next year.

Thanks, I will have a look every day for the TR

Any news on animal sightings???

Off on Friday and will LOVE some info.

Staying at Rooiputs so options a plenty

Gryskat - enjoy Rooiputs!! Very envious - a truly special spot - just make sure you peg down your tent guide ropes good and proper in case the playful pride is up and about Enjoy every special moment! Look out for the western barn owls roosting in the trees around camp

Are this a animal sighting thread or who will we see in KTP? Just joking. I am also interested in what to see but its great to see that so many people are off the KTP.

Gryskat I will be there from 24 June and I see that I will be at Mata-Mata when AntonA will be there on 28 June.

Scouter might help us out with tips on a few sightings next week.

Will hopefully be able to give you guys a quick update next week - we are in TR again on Tues and Wed and will try and post on this thread for you

I know KG is extremely or should I say hectically busy at the moment ... but I'm sure he will update as soon as he gets a chance

Okay folks, I'm going to have to throw my hands in the air and admit it's going to be next week before any trip report would be done as apparently my workload didn't take 2 weeks off when I did, in fact it mulitplied.
Anyway in light of members heading up (or down) to the park in the next few days I'll give a summary of what we saw.
28/05
Left TR at 7am heading north for Mata Mata, 1st Cheetah spotted 5 mins after reaching the Auob river bed. Sitting on the hill on the far bank. 3 Spotted Hyena on same ridge about 10 km further north.
3 lion on hill just before Houmoed on left. We spotted them just beside the road and after a few cars came they headed up the hill and sat at the crest. Stunning in the morning light.
Meercats on far bank near Bataluma.
Just before Rooibrak, came across two black maned lions walking towards waterhole. Followed them and after they drank they crossed the road and walked up to the top of the hill on the left, joining another two younger males. Apparently there were two females earlier but we didn't spot them.
Puff adder crossing the road at Kamqua.
Also Giraffe (Montrose) Ostrich, Secretary birds, 1 Bataleur and two bat eared foxes (Mata Mata)
Other highlight of the day was 4 Cheetah near the 13th Borehole. 3 juvies we think and a female. Walked south for about a km then settled.
As you can imagine when we got to Mata Mata we were exhausted but elated. So lucky to have a start like that.
29th
Started like the previous day finished. 2 Cheetah at Sitsas, marking a tree. 1 Tawney eagle and a white backed vulture. 5 lion north of Urikaruus. 1 dom male, 1 younger male and 3 females. Thought there would be a blood bath when a herd of 6 Gemsbok walked in between the males and females but I guess they weren't hungry.
1 cheetah in broken scrub. 8 Giraffe (Sitsas)
Not to forget, 1 steenbok.
30th.
Slender mongeese scaring off Little Banded Goshawk near Kamqua. Class to watch the interaction.
1 Cheetah in the evening near Craig L. Stalked Springbok for an hour. Got within 15m of one and after a while, just got up and sauntered off home. That's cats for you I guess.
31st. This day was like flicking a switch. We drove all around the loops between Kamqua and Mata Mata and say nothing apart from the usual Gemsbok, PCGs and Springbok.
31st Mata Mata to Nossob.
About 6 Bat Eared Foxes and 2 Bateluers when we went for a quick spin to Cupidje Quap.
June 1st.
First out the gate at 7.30 after sitting in the 4x4 since 7am. We didn't cop that the opening time changed. Headed north from Nossob. Spotted 2 Cheetah only a few km north, just after the turn off for Bots. Easy enough to spot them as they were about 600m from a herd of Springbok and there were about 30 pairs of eyes all staring in the same direction. Watched them walk for a bit but no chase.
Lioness between Kwang and Bedinkt. Spotted her walking the road, and then she moved off to the left. We watched her in the scrub for a while but the viewing was tricky. The scrub north of Nossob is very high in places. Drove north for a bit but it was quiet. Came back 30 mins later to find the Lioness had taken a Wildebeest and was feeding but she was about 250m back from the road on the left. Watched for a bit as the other cars departed. Then she abandoned the kill which we thought was strange.
At 1pm I did the dishes from the morning and cooked lunch. Soon there was a commotion outside and everyine was jumping into their cars. Meanwhile I couldn't find Mrs. R or Bushbaby as the food was ready. Mrs. R and bushbaby came back and Mrs R told me she was in the hide taking shots of two BBJs when they started alarm calling. She looked up to see a Lioness drinking at the waterhole (see Nossob webcam). The Lioness only spent a minute there then moved on. Mrs.R told everyone she passed and they all headed out to watch the Lioness who had settled in the grass 250m north of camp.
That evening we went back to the kill site (28.8km north of Nossob on the right). We had wondered if the Lioness had cubs and had gone to get them. We sat tight for quite some time and eventually the Lioness came back. Then see returned to the scrub and brought two tiny cubs out with her. It was stunning to see. We could only watch them for about 10 seconds when they traversed a bit of broken ground coming down the hill, then they were lost in the grass. Saw the mommy at times though getting up and ripping some flesh off the Gnu every now and then.
June 2nd.
Back to kill site again, mommy came back but no sign of the little 'uns. We headed south after 30 mins of so as viewing was so difficult. Did the Marie Se Draai loop but quiet.
Came back to Cupitje Quap to find 6 cars all starting at the tree on the right hand side. Stunning Leopard up in the branches. She moved around for a bit and eventually came down to stalk some Hartebeest but only a half arsed attempt. Then she lied down and we lost her from sight (even though the grass was only knee high). Came back in the evening but no sign. Watched a Lanner Falcon (we think) swoop down at the pigeons but didn't get any. We wondered why the beautiful Crimson Breasted Shrike by our car wasn't a target. Then BANG, about 3 features floating in the air and off went the Falcon with the Shrike in it's talons.
Went back to camp and found two Jackels chasing an African Wild Cat away, and a Pearl spotted owl in the tree left of the office. Another great day.
June 3rd.
A Lioness walked passed the water hole just at 7.30 so we followed her south. Watched her for a bit but had a long drive to TR so we moved on. As we were first south that morning we came across a pair of mating lions sitting on the road. We pulled in and turned off the engine. They went at it for about 1 hour in front of us, mating probably about 6 or 8 times. Amazing to see the tenderness and the agression. Mrs R. lashed off about 300 shots on her camera. Eventually they moved off the road. We went back to the car behind us to tell them we will move past very slowly but hopefully the lions would still be there by the side of the road but when we met the driver at the picnic site later (Big Hi to Manusm) he told me they had moved off.
What a morning. Later we saw a Bateleur and a cute sleeping Jackel and believe it of not, just north of Leeudril we came across a large Warthog boar.
Sorry for the lack of photos. Mrs.R is going to sort out the photobucket thingy and I'll refresh this post into it's own thread next week and add the shots. At least it will give a few pointers to anyone travelling before then.
We got so much help from the forum it's the least we could do. When we got back to TR I called into the rangers station again to see if I could spot the rare Kgaligadi Guru but he was on his last day of leave so we missed you this time KG. Next time. Still can't get that red sand out of everything.
Enjoy, we certainly did.
Thanks to everyone we met on the trip, especially Manusm and the MightyQ's and everyone on the forum who helped us with suggestions. The frozen and vac packed meat worked out great as did the facilities in all the camps we stayed in.
I have no doubt we'll be back.

thank you for this complete report
and you saw a Shikra Kgalagadi is the place to be
I'm looking forward to see the pictures

Looking forward to your report Relaxevous

Thanks Relaxevous..

Hi Relaxevous it was so nice meeting you and your wife and baba at Nossob after having read you posts before leaving for the park Thanks for your trip report...WoW you had amazing sightings!
Hubby and I were also very lucky with great sightings on our first ever trip to Kgalagadi. I would love to post pics but not sure how to Can anyone advise please?