SANParks.org Forums

Does one have much success with game viewing on the night drives these days. I haven't seen much on a night drive for a while and I am wondering whether or not to go on one during my forthcoming visit to Kruger this month.

If I knew I would only saw a nightjar, springhare or any other nocturnal animal that I would not have the chance to see at daytime, I would have gone on a night drive. Must say that I have been very fortunate with sightings of all of the big 5 during such drives. But some of the most memorable sightings were those of an African wildcat and Spotted eagle owl.

Night drives very often produce a sighting of the big 5, but it is rather the sighting of the smaller nocturnal animal that should make an activity like the night drive worth its money, and they are always there to complete the experience.

Don't let the chance of experiencing something phenomenal go past because you only want to see the big 5 as what happened to a group of people being so fortunate, and ironically uninterested, to have seen a Pel's feeding on fish and passed the chance because the big and hairy was their cup of tea. I think that night drives are great!!

When I visited the Kruger in 2002 I went on two different night drives (Berg and Letaba). On both occasions each vehicle had a hand-held light on each corner (4) operated by tourists. These worked very well and picked up plenty of wildlife. In 2004 I went on three night drives (Berg and Skukuza), each vehicle only had two hand-held lights and two fixed lights on each side. On each drive only the hand-held lights picked up wildlife. This made the night drives much less entertaining.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Mike Baverstock from England

Seems that it could depend on what vehicle you get do the night drive in. I would vote for less lighting and more effective usage of it. In actual fact reckless handling of spotlights can be harmful to nocturnal creatures when shown into their eyes. I have witnessed on numerous occasions how certain members on a drive "stuff" around with the lights. Lights should not be shown directly onto the animal but should rather be "bounced off" the ground just infront of them.

The 2 fixed lights, although not as bright, helps often to spot something at close quaters such as chameleons, bushbabies, snakes in shrubs and owls as they keep focusing in the same direction. Normally the driver on such a drive has such keen sighting that he'll make observations before the visitors with the help of the 2 fixed lights.

The reason for the 2 fixed lights not being as bright as the handheld ones could possibly be not to disturb/hurt the animals spotted at a closer range to much, but still to give enough light to see them.

My opinion is that it is better to have 2 people responsible enough with good sight and a bit of experience operate the lights than 4 with some of them not helping the cause in anyway.

Why dont they use a red bulb or red filter on the spotlights for the night drives? I've seen it used in documentaries and the light doesn't blind the animals so it is possible to follow the action without getting all sensitive about disrupting the natural course of events. Inevitably once the ranger has warned the guests operating the spotlights not to shine here there everywhere they tend to shine too far back or in front of the animal.
Your thoughts?

regards
bwana

Yes, it really is annoying when people shine too far back etc. but even more annoying is when the ranger tells them to keep the spotlight moving and they move it around at lightning speed so you can hardly spot anything! The way to do it is to move it around slowly, so if there are eyes to be seen you will actually see them instead of them being there for a split second and then missing them!!

What I've seen in Phinda and Londolozi is that they use the spotlight the way we use it in the Kruger, but once you've spotted an eye, they slide a red filter in position and then keep the light on the animal without blinding it. Don't know why Kruger can't do it ?

The whole thing of viewing animals by spotlight appears to be somewhat controversial to say the least.
In certain private game reserves they have extremely strict rules that they do not shine their torches or show their guests any diurnal animals and instead immediately the tracker spots for example an impala he immediately turns the light away and in some cases they actually switch of the headlights of the land rovers simultaneously.
They maintain that on a night drive they are focusing on nocturnal animals whose eyes are not harmed by the lights and incidentally a lot of the private game reserves are now using the filters already discussed.
We were on a cheetah sighting recently on Thornybush and the moment the light went (sun) the sighting was officially closed.
They also have limited access to certain sightings for example if a female leopard has cubs the sighting is limited to one vehicle at a time and only 5 minutes is allowed to limit the stress on the animals.
It is palpably these strict measures that make for a well run reserve where the impact of tourism is minimized but at the same time the guests are afforded a very pleasurable experience.
In Kruger the torchss are shone on anything and everything that moves and we have had some disastrous night drives as a consequence.

I have used the spotlight in two different circumstances.

The first was while doing my Field Guide training, in the Sabi Sands and in the Timbavati.
In both places we were taught that, should you happen to shine the light on any diurnal animal - mostly herbivores including antelope, elephants, rhino, buffalo, giraffe etc. - you immediately take the light off them or at the very least shine it briefly on their butt so that the other guests can see them as:
1. The spotlight temporarily blinds diurnals, making them more susceptible to any predator in the area or to injury if the flee and hit a tree or whatever.
2. It can enrage them - thinking about elephants, rhino and buffalo here in particular
3. In any case it is likely to disturb their natural behaviour

Whatever the reason, we should never interfere with the natural proccess of nature.

The other instance was on a night drive from Orpen and I had control of one of the 'passenger' spotlights.

Shortly after we left the camp, my light shone on a breeding herd of elephants.
I immediately placed the beam on the backside of one of the adult ellies and told the other guests to take their pics quickly as I was would not shine the light on them for long.

After a short time I moved the light elsewhere, only to be told by the Ranger to put the light back fully onto the elephants so that people could take good pictures! I shone the light back on the rump of the ellies but refused to put them in the full glare.

Shortly afterwards we came across an impala herd. I immediately put the light down to the road only to be told, once again, to shine it on the impalas so that pictures could be taken - I ignored his request!

It is also the case that, should you be using a spotlight and come across a predator - such as lions (or even nocturnal birds) - you should never, ever shine the light on their heads/in their faces.
Although the light is reflected back from their eyes and does not affect their sight, lions can become quite aggressive if they have strong light in their face - as anyone would!

I sit anywhere where there is no spotlight - I need my hands for the photographs/videos . Definitely outside seat, until it gets really cold, then I swap with my long suffering, macho husband so that he gets the cold wind .

Definitely take a jacket along, preferably waterproof. Also, we take a couple of fruit juices/energy drinks some chocolate and sweets. We usually have something like a toasted sandwich just before getting onto the truck.

Just want some info on how are those sunset drives from those camps (Skukuza & Lower Sabie) ?
What is the duration and what do you generally see now, at this time.
Anything interesting seen recently? those having just visited/ or residing there.

IIRC you leave at about 4 in the summer months. I thought it was great, as you catch the animal movement that happens late in the afternoon/early evening. Twiga and I saw our first Leopard on a Sunset Drive at Lower Sabie. The drive itself is about 2 to 3 hours and is well worth it.

regards

bwana

the night drives are usually really great, but the early evening ones are alright, but not much diff between them and driving in your car, only about an hour. the night drives are really nice, but you see very little sometimes, around Skukuza look for hippo out of water, always great. the added benefit is that the drivers of the trucks talk between each other and often know were the stuff is, e.g. recent kills etc.

Pac

Research protocol is to switch lights off when the predator (lions normally) are attempting to hunt. The light is only switched on when there is audio of something - successful kill or failed hunt. For that purpose it is only unbiased way to obtain info on hunting success. Tourism creates the pressure to have to see the hunt, so thats where those red filters are handy...

wj

We would also like to do a morning walk on our next trip.
We have been on a few sunset drives and on only one morning (sunrise) drive from Satara and unfortunately it had been raining and many of the gravel roads were closed so we didn't see much at all.
We have had some good sunset drives and also some disappointing ones (from a sightings point of view).
I prefer the sunset drives to morning drives because in the morning I would rather be driving around myself. During the sunset drive I would normally be back at the camp and unable to drive, so it's a bonus to be out in the bush.
Its even better when you see some of the nocturnal animals you don't normally see during the day.
In response to the walks being dangerous I'm sure they could be, but the key is to listen to the guide.
I have seen a wildlife documentary taken of a morning walk in the Kruger where they got pretty close to rhino. The guide asked for everyone to keep still, but somebody moved backwards and the rhino charged.
As I recall the guide just waved his hand and shouted and the rhino stopped and moved off at that time.