Category Archives: Memorable sightings

You just can’t tire of seeing Lions

No matter how often you visit our national parks and game reserves or how many encounters you have with these regal cats, you just don’t get blasé about seeing Lions in the wild. Our most recent visit to the southern Kruger National Park earlier this month delivered some very exciting and some not so exciting, but still very memorable, sightings of Lions.

Our first Lion sighting of the trip came at the bridge over the Nwatimhiri River, where a small pride of lionesses and youngsters were lying in the long grass and trying their best to blend in with their surroundings.

Lioness in the Nwatimhiri River (photo by Joubert)

Lionesses in the Nwatimhiri River (photo by Joubert)

Lionesses in the Nwatimhiri River

Not much further we found the Lubyelubye pride walking along the road with a cavalcade of vehicles following them. As they walked past our vehicle they were close enough to touch, not that we’re foolish enough to ever attempt that – watch how carefully Joubert videos the passing procession from inside the car! 😉

The Lubyelubye lions walking along the road, just north of Lower Sabie Rest Camp

Early the next morning we were on our way from Skukuza to Tshokwane when we came across three lionesses stalking a zebra in dense growth. The zebra did not notice the lions until it almost step on the closest one, but it still got away! Thrilling to watch for us but I thought I saw a rather miffed expression on the faces of the lions…

Lions failing at their zebra hunting attempt

Lions failing at their zebra hunting attempt (photo by Joubert)

Sometimes you have to work really hard for even a glimpse of a lion, as this one relaxing in the shade in the heat of the day proves.

Being out of the camp gates as soon as they open improves your chances of finding the lions up and active. On our final morning in the Kruger National Park we found this group of 4 lionesses walking over the Sand River Causeway.

Lioness in the dark of early morning

We were still wondering where the males associated with the group of female’s we’d just seen could be, when we found these two lazing on the Marula Loop road only about 2km further.

Very tired male lion wondering why he decided to sleep on the road… (photo by Joubert)

Very tired male lion wondering why he decided to sleep on the road…

And then getting up to find a quiter spot for his early morning lie-in (photo by Joubert)

If seeing lions in the wild is on your wish list we’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Baboon antics in the Kruger National Park

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Chacma Baboons are great entertainers and most visitors to the Kruger National Park enjoy seeing these animals. I suppose that’s because their obvious intelligence, playful nature, endearing family interactions and the occasional aggressive altercation is like a mirror held up to our faces.

Baboon reaching for a grass stem full of seeds

Baboons are omnivores (photo by Joubert)

Baboon reaching for a grass stem full of seeds

Baby Baboons ride their mom like a jockey when they’re a bit older

Playful Baboon toddlers

Male Baboon looking very unimpressed

Is it just a Baboon yawn, or a sign of aggression?

We’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Skukuza’s frog community

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Outside of the reception office at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park is a beautiful pond, which by night is transformed into a stage for dozens of frogs of various kinds. For us it has become a tradition to visit the pond every night we spend in Skukuza to admire the sights and sounds of animals that are becoming ever more rare in the modern world.

We’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Seeing a Leopard is always thrilling!

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The Kruger National Park has a healthy Leopard population and the Skukuza-area of the Park is renowned for excellent encounters with these big cats, especially if you know where and when to look for them. During our short visit earlier in January we had three memorable Leopard sightings to share with you.

We were still readying our cameras at the Malelane Gate shortly after arriving when some kind folks told us about this Leopard lazing in a tree just a few kilometers into the Park on the way to Skukuza. We were grateful it was still in the same spot when we got there – starting your visit with a Leopard sighting is a very good omen of things to come!

Lazy Leopard in a tree near Malelane in the Kruger National Park

Lazy Leopard in a tree near Malelane in the Kruger National Park (photo by Joubert)

Lazy Leopard in a tree near Malelane in the Kruger National Park

Our next Leopard encounter was with this individual of whom we caught only a quick glimpse along the main road leading to Lower Sabie from Skukuza before it melted away in the lush summer vegetation.

In January the Park’s Rest Camps open their gates at 04h30 in the morning, with there then being still quite a while before first light. Skukuza’s gates had just been swung open and we joined the first few cars heading out when this brute of a Leopard male stepped out onto the road at the 4-way crossing not even a kilometer further. In our wild places an early start to the day is often handsomely rewarded!

Leopard just outside Skukuza in the early morning

Leopard just outside Skukuza in the early morning (photo by Joubert)

We’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Dung Beetle hard at work in the Kruger National Park

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Here’s a fun video Joubert took during our latest visit to the Kruger National Park of a dung beetle hard at work. Watch the female catching a lift!

Spending time with Skukuza’s Hyenas

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Even if Spotted Hyenas were not the most numerous large predator around Skukuza Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park – and I think they are – they’re definitely the most frequently encountered, a fact borne out yet again by the many rendezvous we had with these fascinating creatures during our visit to the Skukuza-area earlier in January.

Spotted Hyena near Leeupan, north-east of Skukuza Rest Camp

On a night drive from camp, following the course of the Sabie River, we crossed paths with several clans all searching for food.

We paid frequent visits to a Hyena den just a few kilometres south of the camp, where the many curious cubs kept us well entertained. These encounters were definitely in the “cute and cuddly” category.

Adult female Spotted Hyena at their den near Skukuza

Spotted Hyena cub at their den near Skukuza

Spotted Hyena cub at their den near Skukuza (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena cubs at their den near Skukuza (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena cub at their den near Skukuza (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena cub at their den near Skukuza

Spotted Hyena cubs at their den near Skukuza

Spotted Hyena cubs licking at a puddle of aircon water in the road at their den near Skukuza (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena cub at their den near Skukuza (photo by Joubert)

We were awed by their tenacity when we spent time with this group of four Hyenas who were following the hunting wild dogs we shared with you a few days ago. While they couldn’t keep up with the pace of the painted wolves they were not put off, hoping that if they stayed on the spoor of the dogs they would catch up with them and could steal their meal. As it turned out the kill was quickly consumed by the wild dogs and the hyenas were left without a morsel by the time they arrived, but I am sure this will not prevent them trying again!

Spotted Hyena following a pack of wild dogs on the hunt

Spotted Hyenas following a pack of wild dogs on the hunt (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena following a pack of wild dogs on the hunt (photo by Joubert)

Definitely the scariest run-in with a Spotted Hyena during this latest trip was with an individual who popped into the Tshokwane Picnic Spot while we were having breakfast. Luckily he didn’t stay long and moved off again without using those powerful jaws on any of the humans.

Spotted Hyena inspecting Tshokwane Picnic Spot in the Kruger National Park (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena inspecting Tshokwane Picnic Spot in the Kruger National Park

We’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Hunting with African Wild Dogs

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We’ve just returned from another wonder-filled visit to the Kruger National Park, where as always we had great luck and enjoyed the most memorable experiences. One of those was this encounter with a pack of African Wild Dogs hunting along the Sand River while we followed behind until they caught, killed and devoured a young Impala early yesterday (11 January 2024) morning. This video – not for sensitive viewers – was taken by Joubert.

We’d love for you to join DeWetsWild on a guided tour of the Kruger National Park or to help you arrange a self-guided visit. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

The school is on the move!

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During a visit in November to Rietvlei Nature Reserve on Pretoria’s outskirts, along with friend and colleague Hannes Rossouw, we were treated to the show of hundreds of Sharptooth Catfish trying to move upstream following a good downpour the day before. What an amazing spectacle it was!

Sharptooth Catfish moving upstream in the Rietvlei Nature Reserve

The reason why they’re moving upstream is to mate and lay eggs in newly inundated areas. These catfish were videoed at the Marais Dam in the reserve, vying for mating rights and the best spots to lay and fertilise their eggs.

Remember that I am available to escort you on a guided tour of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve when you visit Pretoria, and that Hannes will gladly accompany us if you’re looking for tips from an expert wildlife photography tutor!

iSimangaliso’s animals – great and small

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As befits a conservation area of its stature, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is extremely rich in fauna of all description. In this final post about our recent tour of the reserve I’ll be sharing some more of the wonderful animal sightings we had.

The tropical environment of northern Kwazulu-Natal is home to some very interesting invertebrate creatures – the Flatface Longhorn Beetle I showed you a few days ago being a fantastic example.

An enormous jellyfish that drifted out of a rough sea on the beach at St. Lucia

Common Bush Brown butterfly

Spotted Buff butterfly

Blue Pansy butterfly

African Piedspot Dragonfly

Mating Common Blue butterflies

Natal Rock Crab

Flatface Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopezus longimanus), identified with the kind assistance of the “Insects only – Southern Africa” facebook page.

Slug close-up

Millipede

Unidentified Moth with wonderful camouflage

Unidentified caterpillar

False Dotted Border butterfly

Sooty Blue

Superb False Tiger Moth

Dung Beetle

Broad-bordered Grass Yellow

African Peach Moth

Giant African Land Snail

Slug and its slimy trail

Brown-veined White Butterfly

Fish and frogs must be finding the wet conditions prevailing now after suffering through a terrible drought not so long ago very much to their liking!

Platanna

Foam Nest Frogs mating

The toes of a Foam Nest Frog

Banded Tilapia. The newly formed ponds have quickly been populated by fish and tadpoles.

Even though most of them are shy and seldomly seen, iSimangaliso is home to an amazing array of reptiles as well – many of them rather dangerous!

Huge Nile Crocodile slipping into the Mfabeni swamp

Marsh Terrapins

Tropical House Gecko

Striped Skink

Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Mozambique Spitting Cobra after swallowing something (likely a frog)

Southern African Rock Python

We dedicated an entire post to the amazing diversity of birds that we found in iSimangaliso during our most recent trip.

Purple Heron

Yellow-throated Longclaw

African Swamphen

Little Bee-eaters

Swift Tern

Secretary Bird

Squacco Heron

Narina Trogon

Collared Pratincole

Immature Kelp Gull

African Pygmy Geese among Blue Water Lilies

Crested Guineafowl

Yellow Weaver

Mammals are well represented at iSimangaliso, and zebras, giraffes, warthogs, various kinds of antelope and primates are regularly encountered along the routes traversing the Park.

Bushbuck ram

Chacma Baboon

Natal Red Duiker

Common Duiker

Large-spotted Genet

Impala

Kudus

Kudu bull

Fighting Kudu bulls

Giraffe cow and calf

Nyala bull

Nyala ewe

This leucistic Samango Monkey is a familiar inhabitant of Cape Vidal

Samango Monkey

Vervet Monkey

Red Bush Squirrel

Common Reedbuck

Suni

Warthog

Waterbuck

Blue Wildebeest

Plains Zebra

Sitting outside watching our fire one evening at Mantuma Camp in the uMkhuze Game Reserve we were joined by a large herd of impalas and nyalas.

These Kudu bulls decided to have it out right in the middle of the road between St. Lucia and Cape Vidal.

While traveling along the grassland loop through the Eastern Shores section of the Park we came across a group of hyenas finishing off the remains of a buffalo.

Spotted Hyena

At the other end of the scale are Africa’s grey behemoths, all of which are found at iSimangaliso. Without forgetting to mention the Humpback Whales and dolphins so often seen just offshore, I’ve also already given closer attention to elephants and buffaloes. Hippos were one of the main reasons for the establishment of the St. Lucia Game Reserve 128 years ago, and they are still very much in evidence. We also encountered White and Black Rhinos, but I won’t be sharing photo’s of them as they were in some easily recognisable spots.

Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia

African Buffalo

Elephant bull on a walk about

Elephant bull at uMkhuze

Hippopotamus

A pod of Hippos on the shores of Lake St. Lucia at Catalina Bay

Hippopotamus

Pair of Hippopotamus

Pod of Hippopotamus in Nsumo Pan

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

iSimangaliso’s Buffaloes

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The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is home to several hundred African Buffaloes, and they’re especially numerous in the Eastern Shores section of the reserve. They’re such powerful beasts with a well deserved reputation for a dangerous disposition, and it is always exciting to see them at close quarters.

African Buffalo

African Buffaloes

African Buffalo

African Buffaloes

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.