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During our recent visit we had rather slow or not so productive sightings animal wise although we saw many other wonders of nature (which is equally important to us). We did not see many of the cat family during our 12 day stay and when we left on the Letaba road towards the Phalaborwa gate to exit we already started orientating ourselves for the nasty realities outside the park. What did we see just a km or so from the gate? A leopard and two cubs. We did not made allowance to spend time at such a sighting as we did not expect it all! Needless to say we wanted to turn around and start our Kruger trip all over again! The same happened to us a few years back close to the Orpen gate when we saw a hyena mother carrying her young from one spot to another in her mouth and we were in a hurry to exit and hit the road! Exit time can be very frustrating indeed, or at least sometimes.

Yep. When Phala area delivers, it delivers.

I know the feeling! Last year on our way out the Croc. Bridge gate we had a leopard next to the road.

After packing up my tent, on my way out, in the early 90's (carefree student days), on the Orpen road leaving the park I saw a leopard chasing a warthog, they disappeared briefly behind a bush and out came the leopard being chased by the warthog!! The leopard escaped into the safety of a tree, just there I turned around and stayed another night or two!

on the 20-06 we saw a leopard sitting in a tree right next to the road on the H11 just outside skukuza while heading for the paul kruger gate, couldnt spend much time with it though, and about 200mts after the leopard was an injured hyhena limping on the road...

I find it interesting that we sometimes see larger concentration of animals or more of them closer to the entrance/exit gates and closer to the camps than what we see when doing the routes within Kruger .

In Aug 2007 I took a short drive from Croc Bridge before packing up & leaving the KNP and saw a leopard and then a black rhino at Gomondwane .

I few years ago we had exited the park at Kruger Gate and were crossing the bridge when my son shouted "STOP". The driver of the game drive truck behind me got all upset and cursed me as he drove past. He didn't know that he had deprived his passengers of a nice leopard sighting in the river bed

This year when i went on my last drive i saw a black rhino ( my first) and then a pride of lions eating a buffalo on the road.
And last year a leopard on the doispan road

We had spent a week in Kruger in2009 with overseas friends, and were lucky enough to see a leopard, but no other cats.

We were on the S28 making for Croc Bridge Gate, when we saw a pride of lions with cubs!!!.........we went on another 3 km to find a cheetah strolling up the road!!

had a nice pride of lions feeding on a zebra carcass on the last morning in the park. it was just before tshokwane coming from Satara enroute to paul kruger gate. Needless to say, we got to jhb much later than originally planned!

also had a few good sightings on the night drives just before we could get back to camp.

We have had none of the luck on our last drives as explained in some of these posts.

I think the reason for that is that during the last few kms before the gate we can hardly see through our tears and it is a miracle we manage to stay on the road and make it safe to the gate at all.

Bundi I think many visitors are a bit sad when they approach the exit gate and may miss some great sightings

First time I took my SO to the park. First sighting as we entered at Malelane, Wild dogs. She didn't realise at the time how special that was.

Well after five lovely days we exited at Phala gate. On our way there we went to Sable dm. Between the dam end the main road we saw, yes, Wild dogs again.

First and last sighting of one trip.

Oh Kruger you lovely thing.

Always full of surprises.

Many of my best sightings have been on the exit journey. And, most times, I see something special on our last day. It's almost as if we have to wait to experience "the best for last". I never complain.

But, leopard and cubs is super-special.