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They've arrived in heavy rains. Will enter KNP tomorrow at Malelane Gate. He's for animals!

1st session today - 10 Rhino's from Berg-en-Dal to Afsaal, Olifant (Pretoriuskop), Luiperd (Shitlhave) - unfortunately he doesn't believe in LITS yet, Lots of general game.

They completed the Big5 today with a lion sighting.

Sunset Drive to die for. Listen to this:

2 Rhinos, Hippos in the road, lion, polecat (muishond), a python, Pearly owl, White cheeked owl, lots of genets, Duiker, Moz Nightjar, Bushbuck, Warthogs, Giraffes, Buffs, Ellies.

4 of the Big5 on one drive.



Now I'm seriously jealous!

For anyone interested, the following sightings were to be had in the Lower Sabie/Crocodile Bridge area yesterday.
Hyena - S28
Ground Hornbills - S 28
Large buffalo herd - S28
Several elephant sightings - S28
Rhino - S28
Leopard - 5km from Lower Sabie towards Croc Bridge
Elephant - Large (50+) Breeding herd 7 km from Lower Sabie to Croc Bridge.
Ostriches - Excellent sightings in burnt areas north of Lower Sabie
Mlondozi Dam - Excellent general game in vicinity.S

I am sure that there is leopard den about 7kms from LS on the road towards Croc Bridge.... I did not see a leopard there during my last visit but heard one near the turnoff to S28 (yes I am sure I know what a leopard sounds like). It was the same place we saw a leopard mother with two cubs in August last year.

Short update for this morning - they've seen yet another rhino and they're passing them now like Impalas! Fisheagles calling, brownheaded parrots and Wire-tailed swallows are some of the mornings highlights.

Today:

4 of the Big5 again. 2 big male lions at Leeupan and another 6 rhinos.

Some photos from the past few weekends as promised.
This little guy look totally startled that I dare photograph him!


These two were obviously brothers - looked almost like twins.


Another expression of disgust - maybe because it was a rear shot


Lion family showing off nicely in the Sabie River

Hi Guys, I am back from a wonderfull trip in southern Kruger.

20+ Rhinos overall.
1 leopard
5 lions
Hundreds of buff and small calfs
Not too many elephants, but lots of babies.

The white-tailed mongoose was a first for me!

The burnt areas are recovering very well with nice green grass visible everywhere. the Park is very dry especially at Lower Sabie and towards Croc Bridge.

The road to Tshokwane from Lower Sabie is gonna be a gem in a a couple of weeks' time. Plenty of general game there. Saw hundreds of impala, wildebeest and zebra there + 6 ground hornbills in total.

8 new birds: Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, dark chanting goshawk, red-billed firefinch, wiretailed swift, african palm swift, Red-capped Robin-Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat and I can't remeber the 8th.

Pretty chilly in the Park. Especially the staff are wearing jumpers and jackets. It must have been really cool for them. Good rains on Friday. Pretty windy too on Tuesday and Wednesday.

No mozzies around, except one in ladies bathroom which got dealt with in no uncertain terms.

To answer the question about little ones in the Park: We did take our daughter to the Park in May 2003. My wife picked up malaria and our baby and I had to go for tests too. Soon after my baby got ill and was tested for malaria 5 times. She was in hospital for 9 days on a drip with symptoms of malaria. Meanwhile my wife was as sick as anything you can come across.

All WTD's tests came back negative. She picked up bronchiolitis which have the same symtomps and is a cause of malaria at little ones. There and then we decided to not take her untill she can tell us how she feels and what aches etc. she feels. We will be going to Punda next month and she is going along.

Many babies were in the Park right now. It is probably a good time to take them along. I won't risk it as it was hell squared we went through in 2003. Nobody will understand the feeling you go through when your baby is on a drip as sick as a dog and you don't know what is wrong, untill you get to that step.

You keep on blaming yourself! And the anxiety is something unmatchable!

Thanks GP for the reports.

Yip, there were many rhino's around.

Thanks guys for holding thumbs for me.

The leopard was seen a shitlhave dam near P-kop around leopard time.

Leopard time for me is always around 14:00. I have seen almost 70% of my leopards at that time.

My secret... no, someone told me.

Almost forgot this one: A lappet faced vulture on the H10.

I saw 6 or 7 isolated birds, The flock I missed. What day was it there? I once saw a flock of about 30. Last year on the sweni trail.

It was great to c so many herds of general game on that road. Wasn't it?

The large flock I saw was about 12 birds, male and female together. This was on Sunday
The general game was great. I spent at least two hours at Mlondozi just watching the general game there. Also great, because the immediate area of Mlondozi is not burnt, so it is a bit of a magnet for game now it seems.
Cant wait to go again....

No sorry bert, zilch. There weren't many raptors around other than snake eagles, bateleurs and fish eagles. I did get a dark chanting goshawk close to Pahabeni gate yesterday morning. That was awesome!

Many vultures around as well as ostriches on the H10. That is a hotspot bert. Go drive that road when you get there.

Also saw warthogs on the sunset drive at about 19:30. shame, they were totally bewildered. One ran into a tree as we approached. Something must have scared them from their burrow.

There were many rhinos between BnD and afsaal. The scops is gone again. Many rhino on the H10. Lions just above sunset dam on the H4-1. Rhino were present there too. Buffalo were plentifull all over. Genets were plentifull on the LS sunset drive. We eventually saw 4 of the big 5 on that drive, plus a dead rock python of about 1.5m.

1 great tip for seeing leopard. Did not work for me unfortunatley. Drive the H4-1 up and down from sunset dam towards Nkulu up untill the 1st bridge with the big boulders on the right. When encountering impala stop and stay a while.

The leopards use the vehicle as a decoy to get to the impala I think. Many leopard sigthings in those areas. A guy hit a leopard whilst it was making use of this tactic. Lucky he drove slowly and leopard escaped with just a brused ego. He hissed and snarled at the car for a good while.

H10 good for ground hornbill too, saw 6 birds in 2 days. Brown headed parrots from the LS bridge towards Croc bridge. Wild dogs were active there too.

Lake panic: Absolutely stunning. Herd of about 25 hippos right infront of the hide. Many big crocs basking on the banks there. The malachite is still very active there.

Ntandanyathi bird hide. Very small hippo calf.

Goliath herons were plentifull around LS.

Lions active around leeupan.

P-kop many buffalo and leopard sightings close to the camp. Plwnty of barn owl activity in the camp. The turacos were absent.

Cheetah sightings on the P-kop road near transport dam. Seems to be fairly common around there except when I am around there.

Sunset dam: Immensely busy, both animals and visitors. Yellowbilled storks and jacana's were common. Lovely male saddle billed stork right infront of Nkhulu picnic spot. Bees were a problem there. Got a nice sting on the lower lip for my trouble.

Overall the Park was very busy. LS were fully booked.

Hotspot for rhinos: A little mudpool right next to the road on your right when going to BnD from Malelane. Always see them there. They love that hole. Other good place. H10.