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Hi everyone,

I am one of those annoying people you see wandering around the camps at night with a torch, scanning the branches of every tree and beaming into every dark corner in search of night time wonders.

I spent 8 nights in the park recently and did plenty of night time exploring, but was a bit disappointed with my lack of success.

I still saw some great things, including:

OLIFANTS
- An absolutely gigantic scorpion near the petrol station
- A spring hare on the grass alongside reception

TAMBOTI
- 2 female bushbuck
- impala
- a very strange fast-moving, frantic spider thing
- hyaena on the perimeter fence (though I was more interested in what's inside, than outside)

LOWER SABIE
- tons and tons of shongololos in all the trees

CROC BRIDGE
- Small nagapie tight-rope walking across a telephone wire

I was wondering what others have seen with their torches at night? I was quite surprised not to see any snakes, as I assumed they were nocturnal. Perhaps I am just not a great night-time snake spotter!

I think its much the same as daytime spotting... On the right place at the right time.
I have been quite lucky.
Had a few bushbaby spots (Satara, Letaba, Skukuza)
A Pearl spotted owl (Olifants)
Giant eagle owl (Letaba)
Chameleon (Tamboti)
A genet (Skukuza)
Stripedpolecat (Skukuza)
Honeybadger (Satara and Tamboti)
And lots of Scorpions and Red Romans in Balule

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Skukuza :2 hyaena's and a steenbok and nagapeis
Lower sabie :2 hyaena's and a white owl
Berg en dal :caracol,elephant,water buck and a white rhino

Till quite recently, hyenas were common visitors in Skukuza at night and gave us a few bad scares!
A long time ago I also saw lion in Skukuza at night.
In October we had a buffalo going to sleep next to our tent, but luckily on the other side of the fence!
We also saw a skink in Balule.

To prevent sleepless nights the rest of our stay I blocked that one out... Just to snake like for my liking!

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I love doing this - it makes me feel like a little boy with a new toy, and for me it can be a great adventure going around the camp at night with a torch to see what I can find.

Great thread idea and was the caracal in camp picnic

mattib Yes I saw him while I was braaing

Love using my torch around the camp fences, we have often seen amazing sights this way.
At th moment i have a 20 million candle power rechargeable spotlight, myself and my best mate seem to have a competition on the go and every time we meet at the Kruger we try and outdo each other with a bigger/brighter spotlight. My wife thinks we're both pretty sad but there you go !

I hope she dosnt read this but check out this 40 million candle power beast i have my eye on.

www.ohgizmo.com/40million

Perhaps you should 'surprise' your friend with a UV Torch (blue light) that shows up scorpions... That was my intended 'fun' activity for my teenage kids during the holidays, but I'm afraid all the rain washed the scorpies out to sea or into hiding...

Satara: Lots of hyenas
Orpen: Leopard on it's way to the waterhole
Berg en Dal: Two male lions
Balule: Leopard passing by

Huge male lion in Letaba
Civet and hyena in Shingwedzi very close to each other
Hyena and civet in Tamboti
Hyena and rhino in Berg en Dal
Hyena, African Wild cat and Genet in Skukuza
And a snake crawled into our tent in Satara which we had to get removed.

My absolute worst nightmare!!!

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