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 Post subject: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:21 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:26 pm
Posts: 137
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
...of not seeing predators on a 4 nights trip to southern Kruger?

I know it´s not a zoo where the animals are waiting for people to see them and you need to be patient and lucky , but although I will be happy to see any kind of animals, the predators are my favorite, I´m no exception on that.

So my question is, do you have experienced multy-day trips in which you haven´t seen big cats or other predators?


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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:29 pm 
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Senior Virtual Ranger
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If you are out at the best times of day in the South, I will say you are sure to see predators in a four night stay :thumbs_up:
I would say that the chances are good of seeing predators every day!

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August trip with the folks to Kruger!!

25-27 Skukuza 3 nights

28-01 Letaba 5 nights!


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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:33 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:02 pm
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Location: Witbank
It all depends on what the bush wants to show you!
We have been there a couple of time and have not seen preditors...

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Missing Kruger.......

Hopefully I'll be in Kruger in August


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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:34 pm 
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Well it depends on quite a few things I think. Like, what time of year you go, what part of the park you're in, what time and for how long you spend out and about and of course...........luck!

I have to admit that we had a four or five day stretch last year without a predator ( or maybe we saw a hyena or two) but no cats. But then saw quite a few lions for the last few days. I have done three trips to a park in another country without seeing a lion and then saw maybe 40 or 50 in total on our last trip! Yet we visited at the same time, at the same places and employed the same 'tactics' on all trips. You just do what you can to improve your chances and the rest in the lap of the Gods.........

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:35 pm 
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Location: Not to far to drive bet yet to close to fly. Roodepoort
... the odds are great specially LION Leopard and cheetah very popular in that are of KNP good luck and enjoy your stay

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:39 pm 
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Senior Virtual Ranger
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Your chances improve if you are part of the Blackberry Kruger Sightings update group. You will be informed of cat sightings exact locations. If the update says Leopard stationary in tree, or lions stationary next to road, you can drive there and check them out :thumbs_up:

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August trip with the folks to Kruger!!

25-27 Skukuza 3 nights

28-01 Letaba 5 nights!


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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:43 pm 
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All about being at the right place at the right time, you can improve your chances by being out on drives early in the morning at gate opening and then again going for a drive in the afternoons. You can always see a lot of predators in the middle of the day, but your chances are better early or later.

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:50 pm 
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Virtual Ranger
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Pedro Maia I also think it depends on being in the right place in the right time but I think your chances is better in the southern section of the Park. Enjoy your stay and I hope you will have great sightings of predators and all the other wonderful creatures :thumbs_up:

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:57 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:26 pm
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Location: Lisboa, Portugal
I will do my best to improve my chanches, like making early morning and afternoon drives, I just wanted to know if many of you had trips withouth good sightings of predators :wink: .

My trip will be in August, still a long time from now...


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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:00 pm 
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August - a great time to go. We will be there at that time too! Have a great trip! :)

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:01 pm 
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Have been to Kruger 22 times and seen lions on every trip.

Nowadays, I see leopard every other trip, cheetah every third trip and serval and african wild cap occasionally.
Also wild dog on the last 6!

Pedro, you must give yourself the most opportunity, by getting out at gate opening time, and being out as much as you can for days, and you will be desperately unlucky not to see predators, in fact you should see quite a few.

But if you lie in bed until 9h00 and faff around in camp, the odds are good you will miss out.

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:05 pm 
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We stayed a few nights at p/kop a couple of years back. We saw 2 hyenas in the 3 days we spent there. No cats at all.
In fact, we could count the ellies , buffs and rhino combined that we saw, on one hand.
But then again... we just came back from a trip about 2 weeks ago. We saw 3 leopards in one day and not to mention plentiful sightings of the rest of the big five. You just have to be at the right place at the right time.

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:06 pm 
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August should be a great time for predators, I am sure you have some good sightings.

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Study the past, if you would divine the future.
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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:10 pm 
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Bush Baptist wrote:
Have been to Kruger 22 times and seen lions on every trip.

Nowadays, I see leopard every other trip, cheetah every third trip and serval and african wild cap occasionally.
Also wild dog on the last 6!

BushBaptist - you got animal magnetism? :mrgreen:

But if you lie in bed until 9h00 and faff around in camp, the odds are good you will miss out.


Can't abide anyone faffing about LOL...! :lol:

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 Post subject: Re: What are the odds...
Unread postPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:24 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:26 pm
Posts: 137
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
Bush Baptist wrote:
But if you lie in bed until 9h00 and faff around in camp, the odds are good you will miss out.



I wouldn´t fly all the way to South Africa to do that, it would be cheaper to stay at home :mrgreen: .


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