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After reading the favourite lookouts thread I was wondering - what's the most exciting thing you've seen in any of the parks while at a lookout, picnic spot, or other place you were allowed out of your car? (no reason to add hall of shame posts, lol)

Ours was probably on the Olifants River bridge. The night before we'd been on a sunset drive and the guide had told us that the reason waterbuck were given their name was because they use the water and islands in it as an escape from attack. We'd never known this or witnessed the behaviour before.

Anyway, there we were standing on the Olifants Bridge with our binoc's getting excited about all the animals we could see - which included a small herd of waterbuck. Next thing some lionesses came sprinting out from the cover of some trees straight towards the waterbuck, who obliged by demonstrating the exact behaviour the guide had described the night before .

It was a pretty special experience. I'm glad to say the escape plan worked well too and all the waterbuck reached the safety of an island. I have no idea how long they stayed there though and whether the lionesses waited to try again later - it was a sweltering day and our car didn't have aircon so we had to move on eventually.

We were standing on the other side of the Sabie river, looking into Kruger but still on a little patch belonging to Kruger, when a leopard appeared out of the bush and walked all along the river bank. I don't know why, but it was really special to watch a leopard while we were on foot ...and no I didn't have my camera with as we had just been on a long walk

Meg, I love this post.
Thank you
I am posting this just so that I am reminded to think

I have had many experiences, because I have had many opportunities. I just need to sort out what to post right here.

We were on the Nyalaland Trail and the guide knew me well and so didnt really mind if I dragged back at times to show my wife a Narina Trogon or such like. We would then hurry along and join the group again. The guide should have been more strict with me and at least left his assistant also with a .458 Winchester Magnum to look after us as my wife is terrified of things that come out of the bush glaring, staring and snorting...cant say I blame her after all the hairy scary experiences I have put her and my boys through over the years. Anyway it was stupid to do that as the guides responsibility is to look after us and for us to OBEY his every instruction.
I had stopped to look at some woodpecker and the rest of the group trudged on. we had about 50 metres to catch up when we had finished looking at the bird when out of the Donga stomped 2 bouncers (Dagga Buff Bulls) and they stopped 20 metres from Jane and I (poor girl!!) The group heard the commotion and turned to watch in horror as these two Bovine thugs stared down their noses at us red eyes ablaze. I thought the one was about to drop his head and come so I used an old trick from the farm and took off my floppy hat and waved it frantically in a circle above my head and the word "Voetsek" was used loadly. They turned and disappeared into the donga as the two guides joined us relieved. I stuck with the group from then on and Jane comes on the trails with me still but prefers to stay in camp in the mornings to look at the birds in safety and she only comes out on the evening sunset short walk and drive...cant say I blame her as I was pretty stupid that day along some lonely donga in the Pafuri region. Worse I put the guides life and job on the line as well but I learnt big time from that.

I have many stories , and I really can not tell which was the most exiting/frightning , but here are 2.

The first is when a leopard killed an impala just outside of the fence in front of our camp site at crocodile bridge during the middle of the night , and lost the kill to a large pack of hyenas .

The second is the honey badger that came up on our stoep at tamboti .
That thing scared the hell out of me as it just gave me a look at any attempt to scare it away .
Its a good thing I did not know at the time that they like to "de-man" a person , or I might have taken a jump off the deck .

Great stories! It can be hard to choose a favourite can't it? MM I'm eagerly awaiting your choice! Boulder, I expect the guide also learnt a valuable lesson that day

Two years ago, October to be exact, I was doing my annual walk thing in Kruger.
It was a sweltering hot day and one of the purposes on this particular walk was to look for rhino.
We started by almost walking into a herd of buffs.
They were very skittish and we were told that if the herd started charging, we were to take shelter behind the nearest bush.
Yeah, right
Fortunately, they remained unaware of our presence and after a short while we walked on towards our breakfast destination.

It soon became apparent why the buffs were so skittish. Under a vulture laden tree a group of 3 lions lay sleeping.
We skirted the lions and crossed a river to relative safety in order to enjoy breakfast.
The ranger promised that we would find the lions again on our return trip.
Well, he was true to his word. There they were, but a lot more lively now and a lot hungrier than we were at that point.
"Whatever you do, if they charge, don't run" we were warned.
I must say, I felt very relaxed, excited and inquisitive all at the same time. We went closer, then the rangers froze.
Get back, they motioned, there are cubs.
We realised that this changed the situation completely.
I looked up at the vulture laden tree and hoped that they were not sitting with hidden knowledge. The vultures seemed to be particularly animated at that point.

The lions then became aware of our presence, and much to my horror one seemed to disappear into the long grass.
Was he stalking us?

Do you remember that feeling when the teacher came to check on homework and yours was undone.
She would walk slowly down the aisle and you waited with near watery bowels for that moment of discovery. Well that is what my tummy was doing.

The female lions then also slunk off into the grass, followed by the cubs.
For a long while we stood motionless. Our first real exhalation was one of relief as someone suddenly noted them disappearing over a hill.

Eish, we giggled, giggled and giggled again. The release of tension was magnificent.

MM , that sounds like a real humdinger of a walk .

And there are still people who say the game reserve is boring ...

MM, you are one heck of a brave lady....... gosh.

@ boulder, I am not surprised that your SO stays in camp now...

You know the distances in KTP between the camps and the picnic spots. The only chances in KTP for getting a toilet. Normally no problem, because the heat makes me so sweat, that i could wait a long time.
But sometimes you need a toilet
In 2002 we came to one picnic spot, i believe it was Dikbaardskolk (not sure). Typically KTP no other car. Parked the car in the shade of a tree. We want to jump out of the car to stretch the legs and hurry to the toilets. But than we freezed.

This fellow joined the shade too.



But luckily, after a few seconds, he decided to leave the place, straight to the open plain grass.

So remember, be careful at all places, where you go out of your car.

TL, what a lovely fox...
it looks almost just like my Foxie dog.

Great story!

I thought, this is a jackal!

Indeed it is a jackal, although with the shade disguising the dark back and the colour so similar to a cape fox a quick glance could cause confusion

We had a scary lion incident in KTP when I was just 7, but as it would induct an older relative into the hall of shame to recount it I'll shut my trap now

Sorry, foxie comes naturaly to me, I meant jackal. It just looks like my fox terrier on the look out for food.