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Thanks Martie

Looking forward to the updates.

Thank you Martie. We were on the sunset drive on Friday evening with you - what an amazing 3 hours! The leopard eating the baboon was indeed the highlight, but we thoroughly enjoyed each and every sighting with all of you. Your humor, passion and knowledge of the bush were contagious Cannot wait for a next time!

Kind regards
Albie

Will be reading this with interest. Will be back at LS (for just one night ) mid-september

/Michael

Great dane - one night is not enough - but is still beter than none - I love LS

Leana

KTP: Dec/Jan
Kruger: May 2013

Back from a quick one night visit to LS. Great as always

Went for the night-drive on Wednesday night. Headed up the H10 and quickly found a Porcupine. Shortly after we got the first great sighting of the night in shape of a Side-striped Jackal follow by Spotted-Hyena. We then turned right onto a dirt-road (S122 I think) were we had a great encounter with an African Wildcat. While enjoying the AWC lions were heard in the distance and after another couple kms we came across at least four Lions in the grass off the road. In that area we also saw an antelope that didn't fit the usual suspects on no less than four occasions. According our guide it was Reedbuck. On the way back to Camp another pride of Lions, this time 7+ on the move but kept distance to the road. That was it for another great LS nightdrive.

After some sleep I went back to the same area to try and find the Lion and Reedbuck again for some photos wihout luck but Ground Hornbill was found. Heading back for breakfast I came across a traffic yam just off the H10 on the S128. It was the below Cheetahs that coursed the chaos. Got a quick snap and headed off.


Just out of camp on the way home a Bateleur was enjoying a Guineafowl breakfast in a bush next to the road.

All the best, Michael

Thanks for sharing Great Dane

Good day everyone,

Sunrise every morning a little earlier and this morning at 5:40! The colours over the Sabie River were different shades from orange, yellow and a bright pinkish red on some sides. At the walking area just another pretty morning with the different shades of green as if it was a painting painted last night and with the wake-up of the sun the colours appeared fresh and smelled fresh. As every morning the precautions are taken before the walk in the case of that once in a lifetime encounter that might happen.
Our first sighting was three rhinos a cow, a bull and a three year old calf. The bull was flirting with his lady and she gave no attention whatsoever and just enjoyed a muddy Jacuzzi in the warm sun. The calf around the mommy made funny squeaking sounds telling mommy to look out for this big fat bully trying to make a move.

In the distance an elephant bull grazed along and then to go see him…

On our way there a dry stream to cross and then time for action. By the time I got to the stream the elephant vanished. I crossed the stream where I always do and so came the people a few meters behind me. As I reached the top of the embankment a nice palm bush in front of me a slope behind me and old lion trucks below me. I warned the guest to take it slow up the embankment and as I said look at the old lion tracks I looked back again and faced a lion that I sort of was standing on her tail. I stepped back to get my feet in order and ready for shooting when I slid down the embankment then I got everyone’s attention and she (the lioness) also wanted a little attention herself with a roar and growl. By that time everyone was well aware of what just happened. Luckily the sleepy lady that did not smell, hear or see us left calmly into the bushes and we left in the opposite direction. About an hour afterwards and three hours back at camp I could still hear my heart drumming in my chest like only an African drum can do.

The rest of the walk’s elephant was not even half as excited as that moment with my lady friend. About 50 meters from that spot Irving had the same encounter years ago and I was thinking about it moment earlier from this incident. The last thing I must add to this encounter is that a lioness is much bigger when there is nothing between you and her and she is about 50 cm away from you.

Good heavens Martie - so glad that your lady friend was a bit sleepy. What an encounter for you - I can imagine that your heart was beating like an Africa drum long afterwards

WOW 50 cm

For the rest of the story, thanks for painting us the picture of an early morning sunrise, the river, the bush and a happy rhino story. It means a lot to us who are longing for Kruger and especially LS.

Thanks for keeping us updated - please do it again

Leana

Hope that heart of yours have found some rest by now. Happy everything went well, surely a walk you all will remember. Note to self, must do the walk next time

Martie, what a scare for you. My heart would have been beating like a drum for the rest of the day.

What a shocking experience Martie! Glad it turned out well!

Great story MJ, one of those walks I wish I was on and also one that I am glad I wasnt

Martie, missing your sightings!

Good day everyone,

After a very busy 2 months I’m back in the office because of a cool rainy morning. For the last few weeks the lions were a hit everywhere you went. Even on the walks we had some fascinating events where a young male lion was looking for the rest of his family and ended up walking into us sitting on our bottoms in the long grass waiting for him. Shocked and amazed by our appearance he ran off and will be looking over his shoulder for a while. About two weeks back on the H4-2 was the lane of love. The same male lion was lucky enough to have a new girlfriend every 6 days. The first lady was rather shy and we didn’t see much of her. The second lady was rather young and he was in control on one stage even took his paw just to make her sit down so that he can do his thing. The last lady was the attitude one, gave him such a nice smack the first day that he just fall flat next to her and you could clearly see the white in his eyes.

The leopards around camp have found a new favourite and that is porcupines. Firstly on a rainy morning a young male close to the weir had a good spiky breakfast, caught it on the road and had about the whole morning’s fun to remove the quills. One sunset drive right in front of camp a leopard caught a baby porcupine in the water-pipe, what a sad sighting especially when you saw the porcupine mother two nights earlier with her new born babies. Yesterday alone six sightings of leopard around the camp, two of which was on the sunset drive a kilometre apart.

Also had a surprise yesterday morning! The second time in my life I had the ability to stalk a black rhino and not the other way around. They say let sleeping dogs lie…same thing counts for those ones. After five months I’ve found my lady again, this time fast asleep and still don’t have an idea that we were even there.

The last but most spectacular sighting of the month was two lionesses sleeping in the road, two wild dogs came running up the road, if you know wild dogs, you will know they like to have the whole road for themselves and around the corner they come and here are these big kitties in the road. They so desperately wanted to cross but how? Eventually the male wild dog started barking like crazy to move these fat lions. The only thing that did happen was one female opened one eye and continued sleeping. This lasted for 10 minutes when the female wild dog made a U-turn and they went back all the way where they came from.

The cheetah female that has never been seen on public roads since she had her 5 cubs is still around and the youngsters are getting bigger stronger, total count of 3 males and 2 females. Beautiful looked after, strong and good if it comes to hiding from hyena.

Hi Martie - what a time you have had - makes us feel so envious! Would give anything to be up there - but May will come soon...
Glad you are well - keep on seeing those fantastic sightings.