SANParks.org Forums

How's this? 10 out of 10?

@ RP: Thanks. At the watering hole.

This was our second sable sighting for that day! Before that day I had never seen sable in the Park and I was beginning to feel like W&H.

@ MM: I was also speechless at the time. The sable bull hearded his cows and young ones to and from the water, and he chased off some zebras that were on their way to the water.

@ BB: Great sighting!

W@H, see if you can spot the difference between these antelope, all of which occur in the Kruger, at least, they did in October 2005:

Slide A:


Slide B:


Slide C: Clue - this is not a seperate species

W@H, here's what you do.

You book a week in late September or early October at Skukuza or Talamati, your choice. You'll have to wait until 2008, as there is nothing available for 2007 - I checked.

Then, when you're there, you get up at 04:00 in the morning, every morning, have your coffee and boerebeskuit, and leave the camp at gate opening time. Its going to be a long day, so best you have an extra beskuitjie and take along some more of that coffee in a flask.

You head straight for the water hole just south of Nhlanguleni - you know, the one with the wind pump almost in the middle of the road.

As there are no trees for shade, you'll have to sweat it out a bit, but you park here and wait.

If the veld is dry enough, and if the whole heard hasn't died off because of anthrax or habitat degradation, you will see the same sable I saw on one, or all of those days.

Be sure to take some pics and post a trip report!

@ Thought Police: this is not off topic for this thread, as it may be of general use to all sable junkies, not only to W@H.

PS - Perhaps the Parks Board should tar that road before September next year and create some parking space at the water hole?

An alternative. Book in for the month of August W@H, at Bateleur. Dash off to Rooibosrand dam at gate opening and wait for the herd of 10 sable, including young, to come down to drink. Return to camp at closing time. If, after the month is up, you have not seen any, then they have moved on

Nah .. I'll rather go find myself a few Servals, Caracals, Brown Hyaena, Pangolins and Porcupines. They exist in the Park. I've gone to every single spot ever recommended on the forum .. everytime to be met by a Waterbuck

I think those Waterbuck are playing you all for a fool .. chucking mud on them to make their coats brown/black and then turning their horns around

Two nice bulls at Manzimhlope windmill/waterhole a few km south of Nhlanguleni Picnic Spot, around 2004.





(Put them on the "Quizzes" thread as well, don't know if one is allowed to!?)

Sorry W@H!

Any recent sightings of Sable in the Northern Area of the Park? I have not seen Sable in KNP for more than 10 years...!!!

Stay at Bateleur, park off at Rooibosrand dam.

I broke a break of at least 10 years with a herd of 10 including youngsters, there in June 2005.

Hello, Kingfisha!

I agree, they seem scarce up North, but I think they stay away from tourist roads there.

Historically, they were regularly seen around Phalaborwa and Punda/Pafuri Gate area. (A big herd in the Makuleke Concession.)

Some were translocated from the South to Nwashitshumbe Roan Camp in the 80's, and subsequently released, with poor results.

Saw quite a big herd crossing the road on the "graveyard stretch" between Shingwedzi and Mooiplaas many years ago.

Last Northern sighting a big lone bull at Dipene, on the Mozambique border, in 1988!

(Still one of my favourite animals to see in the Park!)

honestly concerning sable i have to say that im particularly lucky. have seen them quite a few times recently. to be more specific on the tar road goin to malelane relative to pretoriouskop and on the s3. hotspots definatley. also a few sightings on the loop roads surounding berg-en-dal

I think KF, means a little further north than that KS.

cannot keep my secret anymore.seen at Talamati Hide.June 07

and near Talamati on the S140.June 07

Thats a truly amazing sighting! I hope I have the same kind of luck next time I visit Talamati.

Excellent, Muhammad!

Anybody got any ideas on the collar on the bull?