SANParks.org Forums

We have just returned from a most fascinating trip to the KTP. In total 2 nights at Twee Rivieren, 8 nights at Nossob & a further 5 nights at Mata Mata. Staying in chalets this year.

The highlight of the trip definitely being the dramatic event affecting a Cheetah cub, when the mother and her four cubs arrived at the Nossob waterhole that Sunday afternoon ! An incident surely not to be captured on a camera lens again . . . and which had everybody spellbound in the Nossob hide that day !

View our story as to what happened to the cheetah cub . . . . . and that of many other sightings and events with good supportive photographs . . . .
see my latest post or http://www.reddune.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The KTP was wonderful and very kind to us this year. We saw plenty of lion and cheetah up close . . . as well as eland, caracal, cape fox, the giraffes and many other.

In total contrast to other years in May, it was warm and we could sit around the fire till about 21h00 every evening without putting on something warm. Only on the last day did the weather change with the rain and flooding to the south of the Park.

Hats off again to the personnel, section rangers, wardens and support staff for the fantastic job that they are doing in the interest of so many of us. Their commitment to the task and attitude towards the visitors was again very notable this year.

Red Dune
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Your story and all the pics you captured are fantastic. Thank you, but I am SO SAD, I wish I did not read the last page
Hope you soon return, May 2009 ? Would love to share your experiences of another trip!!!

Thanks very much to the link to your web site

A wonderful trip report

Congrats


Steve

Thanks Red Dune, a very rare event at the Nossob waterhole.

Sad news at the end of your report, but while I was there early May, saw the mother and 4 cubs north of Bedinkt, and a lone cheetah was reported same day at Marie se Draai. So I just hope those cubs still have their mum....we will have to wait for latest visitor reports?

Thanx for sharing your lovely experience with us Red Dune, I sure do hope that it was not the mother of those four cubs you saw at the nossob hide! The little guy who went swimming was to cute!

Wa lovely way of doing a photo report. The limping lioness looks in very good condition. We saw her with a pride in 2006 at Bedinkt. She has a 6 month old male cub with her and was joined by two males and another female with three cubs of not more than two weeks old. They were hidden in the grass on the bank of the road and she came to fetch them, one after the other, not more than 3 meters away from our faces --- fantastic experience.

The Marie-se-Draai pride kept us awake for a whole night at Nossob camp. We unfortunately didn't see the cubs, but experience them killing a wildebeest about 200 meters away from the waterhole.

Good to see Albert doing his thing with the tyres - the right way to do it.

Please post your info and photo of the mother Cheetah and cub at the Tented Camp on Pikasso's thread.

What a sad story on the cheetah that they had to put down. I wonder if the park staff can comment more on that for us.

Fantastic photos.

These images were captured by Tilandi on Sun May 18, 2008 5:06 pm. I'm sure it's the same cheetah.
In the first image there is clearly something in the water. Could it be?

Hello Reddune ,

Your trip report (or blog)to Kgalagadi in May was really interesting with so good sightings !!!

You saw the cheetah and cub we are looking for with Pikasso (the one with the collar ) ....I was really happy to see them in good health
When exactly did you take the picture ???


I was really sad to read what happened to this cheetah at the end of your report ........It's really unfair

Best regards.
Vahiné

Oooops got the 2 cheetah threads mixed up.

We saw the CHeetah Mom with 4 cubs 2km north of Nossob on 15th May. I hope it is not the successful Mom that has been killed - can someone confirm?

Thanks Red Dune,

just spent some time to go through all your pictures - you must have had a fantastic time until you heard about the dead of the cheetah

My heart is be bleeding for this poor creature hopefully it was not the mom of the 4 cute cubs

Morning Jenbe,

The picture from the Web cam that you posted . . . is actually that of the Cheetah cub swimming to his family on this side of the water ! ! Why he stayed by himself on the other side remains a mystery . . . suppose he was to taken up with all the water in front of him.

I took my pic at 17h03 on the 18th . . . suppose the satellite pics from the Web cam will take its minute or three to download onto the SANPARKS website

Thanx Red Dune! A really fantastic trip and pix!

Perhaps KTFP could confirm whether the poor cheetah was in fact the mom of the cubs, or not. What a sad tale!

Hi there Vahine,

The picture of the Cheetah with the radio collar was taken at 12h12 on 23rd May.

Should you be coming from the south . . . pass the Kalahari Tented Camp's turnoff . . . and continue to Mata Mata . . . . there is a very awkward blind rise approx 500 meters from the turn off . . . the Cheetah and cub was lying about 10 meters
off the road on the right-hand side . . . on the top of the rise.

What the sad story about the other cheetah is concerned . . . think there is a very important lesson for all of us to learn via this tragic incident . . . that then be the reason of me placing the report. Speeding is curse in the KTP . . . and we have possibly all transgressed sometime in the past.

Although very tragic for all . . . we must take the lesson from this . . . and put it behind us. " When speeding, you've simply got no chance in stopping in time . . . with the long grass so close to the edge of the road "

Thanx, Red Dune!

The images were captured a few minutes earlier and were posted at the daily sightings first, that would explain the time difference.

Wow, ain't that great! We saw it on the cam and didn't know what we were watching until you came along with the story!

Great stuff!!

Thanks for your lovely TR (also last year's).
We looked for the cheetah mum and cubs for 3 days the week before you saw them - with no luck.
Hope it was not the mum that had to put down.

Noticed that you did not camp this year - was 2007 too cold??
We were there last year as well and nearly froze our toes off- this year was a pleasure.

Looking forward to your 2009 trip