It was hot. It was dry. It was dusty. The bellowing and snorting of buffalo filled our ears, their smell hanging thick in the air. The ground around our position was already littered with the trampled dung and tracks of hundreds of the animals. And still more of them kept coming, making their tiresome way in single file up the steep bank of the Mphongolo, then standing at the top catching their breath before rushing after the rest of the massive herd disappearing into the mopane. The last thing a tired buffalo needs at the end of a long, hot Lowveld day is to be caught alone when darkness falls…
During our September 2014 visit to the Kruger National Park, we encountered several exceptionally large buffalo herds around Mopani and Shingwedzi Rest Camps. This sighting however was the most memorable and we’ll undoubtedly think back to it every time we pass the location in future. The dry winter season had seen to it that the Mphongolo River was reduced to little more than a few stagnant pools surrounded by deep, soft, dusty sand. These pools sustain an incredibly diverse array of birds and game through the dry winter, making the 30km-long S56 Mphongolo River Loop, which follows the river course and offers dozens of good vantage points over the river, one of the best drives in the Shingwedzi area.
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Oehoe! Sprekende fotos – so asof mens die droogte kan proe. Dankie ook die mooi omskrywings, voel of mens daar kan wees binne in die oomblik …
Baie dankie Spokie, ons is maar te bly as ons n bietjie van die “atmosfeer” kon oordra!
This is a truly great sighting guys! We’ve been lucky a few times on the H14 between Mopani and Phalaborwa – once about ten minutes from the hek; one of the biggest breeding herds I’ve ever seen – captured on my Polaroid around 20 years ago 🙂
Those are memories that last a lifetime, hey Maurice!?
They certainly are… guess I can still smell and hear them – staring at us in that somehow obtuse way. Also calls back memories of a walk near Olifants with a giant ranger called ‘Jumbo’ – found ourselves completely surrounded. Pre-digital but true story 😉
They’re not very respectful of people on foot, I can imagine the adrenaline rush that must have been Maurice! Though with “Jumbo” you were in very safe hands; we also did a walk with him from Mopani in early December 2001
It’s a small world!
And getting smaller all the time!
True, Borneo in about 7 weeks from now and after that another trip to Africa I hope – I seriously need a bush fix. Who knows one day we meet in the Kruger?
That would be wonderful Maurice! We’ll share itineraries closer to the time, we might just find ourselves in the “right place at the right time” 😉
Borneo sounds wonderful! Going in search of orangutangs?
Orangutangs indeed and hopefully some forest Elephants at Kinabatangang river. My daughter’s wish is a clouded leopard – I’m sure that without a sighting of this elusive cat her trip will still be good.
As far as Africa concerns – I’ll keep reading and enjoying your adventures till we get back!
Sounds great Maurice. Can’t wait to see your photos and will hold thumbs that there’s a clouded leopard sighting as a special Christmas gift for your daughter!
Thanks Dries – may there be many adventures to be lived for you too!
Dit het ek nou geniet! Dis darem maar n gestoei as dit so n klomp is. Het juis vanmiddag geloop en dink dat dit nou heerlik sou wees om n slag weer “wildtuin” toe te gaan en net rustig te wees.(Die edagtes kom op terwyl ek met Trompie loop!)
EK kan dink dat dit nogal iets sal wees waarna jy verlang Ineke; as die Wildtuin maar eers in jou bloed is raak jy maar moeilik daarvan ontslae.
Dit is beslis so. Ons het kleintyd altyd wildtuin toe gegaan as my pa verlof het. Die kar het al elke jaar geweet om op sy eie te ry!
Vir so baie van ons is die liefde vir die Wildtuin ons “gevoer” deur ons ouers. Ek is so dankbaar vir my ouers daarvoor, en net so dankbaar dat ons eie seuntjie ook van jongs af al mal is oor die plek.
Beslis, dis die moeite werd om kinders so te betrek. Ek vind my kind stel ook belang in natuurlewe omdat hy van kleins af daaraan blootgestel was
“Bekend maak bemind”
😉
Beslis! 🙂
I like the part about them catching their breath at the top of the hill. Suddenly I don’t feel so badly now that I know wildlife has to do it too 🙂
😀 Joanne! Poor things must have lost half of what they’d just drank perspiring up the riverbank 😀
Lovely photos!
Thank you very much 😀
Pragtig,Pragtig,Dries!
Die son wat so deur die stof skyn maak hierdie foto’s besonders.
Baie dankie Dina! Jy moes daar gewees het om dit in lewende lywe te ervaar 😉
Ek wens ek was!
love the wet ones 🙂
They love rolling in the mud; it cools them off and protects against biting insects
Wonderful capture. That photo of the wet one looks almost like a bronze statue. It took me a minute to figure out those were birds on the back of some of them. Amazing shots! 🙂
Thank you Linda! Isn’t that just how a good nature experience should be; The more you look, the more you notice?
What an incredible sequence of shots. It must have been thrilling to see such a large herd.
Thanks Liz! This was a very memorable sighting indeed, even though such large herds of buffalo are fairly common in Kruger.
Buffalo – so enigmatic, you never knew if they would charge, just standing and staring at you. Always gave them wide berth.
They’re very powerful animals and we agree Dendymactoodle, caution is always advised. In our experience the lone bulls are even more cantankerous than the animals in big herds like this one.
These are fantastic photos! The last shot is amazing, birds got an easy ride 🙂 I like the shot of the “…keep coming from far…”
Thanks Amy! Makes me glad I don’t have to trudge miles through sand and dust for a drink of water 😉
🙂