Category Archives: Memorable sightings

The exuberance of youth

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We had plenty of wonderful sightings during our recent three week long holidays in the bush – we already shared much of it with you, and there’s yet more to come in the next few weeks – but this was probably the biggest highlight of the trip!

Late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, we encountered a white rhino cow and her small calf just where the road goes into and through a thicket of thorny trees. We followed slowly behind as they ambled along, until eventually there was a clearing in the vegetation, just at the spot where there’s also a broad bend in the road. Mom started grazing on the roadside, while her little one decided it was time for some fun. He started running like crazy, at times flying with all four feet off the ground, running circles around his mother and us, then slamming on the brakes in a cloud of dust. Several times he’d charge directly at our vehicle, stopping a meter or two in front of us, only to spin around again, running away at breakneck speed, likely hoping that our silver-grey Jazz was a playmate he could chase and be chased by. Of course, with mom keeping an eye on his antics from close-by, there was no way we could join him for playtime. But inside the car we were laughing out loud in sheer delight.

Eventually he realised that his mom has disappeared around the corner, and he hightailed it to catch up. As we rounded the bend ourselves, we found him next to mom, totally breathless.

We were in awe of the fantastic Christmas present Hluhluwe-Imfolozi had just gifted us.

(you may click on the photos below to view them all in a carousel gallery)

The picture of a well behaved little rhino, staying close to mom…
Now he’s been set loose!
Getting rid of all this excess energy!
Run!
Catch me mom!
Here I come again!
You’ll never catch me!
You can’t keep up!
Still speeding along
Sharp turn ahead!
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Christmas Eve
I’m coming for you!
All tired out…

Fight for dominance

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We were fortunate to witness these two plains zebras settling a dispute at Ithala Game Reserve, during our recent summer visit there. They were so close to our vehicle we almost felt every bite and kick they dealt one another…

Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance
Ithala fight for dominance

More from Ithala soon!

 

Magnificence embodied

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This must surely rank as one of the most special wildlife encounters we’ve ever had.

We came across this beautiful black rhino cow and her two younger companions (at least one, maybe both, her calves) in December in one of the game reserves we visited on our summer trip to the bush. It was an overcast evening, with the little available light fading fast and perfectly accentuating the cow’s aggressive temperament, so characteristic of the species.

Long may she reign over her piece of African wilderness.

(click on any of the images to view them in a bigger format gallery)

The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence
The embodiment of magnificence

Buffaloes of the Mphongolo

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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…

Catching their breath in the Mphongolo road
Crossing the Mphongolo road
Catching their breath in the Mphongolo road
Crossing the Mphongolo road
Waiting their turn
Up the steep bank in single file
Up the steep bank in single file
Stragglers making their way into the river from the opposite bank
Still they keep coming from far in the distance
Up the steep bank in single file
Still they keep coming from far in the distance
Still they keep coming from far in the distance
Up the steep bank in single file
Still they keep coming from far in the distance
Tired old cow further burdened with a load of Yellow-billed Oxpeckers

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.

 

 

Dodging elephants in Northern Kruger

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The north of the Kruger National Park is elephant country. When visiting the area, as we did at the end of September (again 😉 ), the problem is not so much finding elephants as it is staying safely out of their way while enjoying the sighting!

Rather don’t hang out of your vehiicle like this near elephants, especially a herd with calves.
Viewing from a safe distance
The youngsters are often playful
While dad enjoys resting in the road…
The youngsters are often playful
On the way to the river
Bull towering over a SUV

Take this bull as an example. When we arrived at the scene, he was standing out in the open in the middle of the road, but immediately then walked, in reverse, to behind this big tree, from where he kept watching us from either side. Having seen this behaviour before, we knew that he was planning an ambush and was just waiting for us to get closer so that he could have some fun with us. We thought better of the challenge and turned back…

Elephant ambush…
Elephant ambush…

Travelling along the rivers in the heat of the day, we came across breeding herds and solitary bulls making their way to the water for a drink and a swim, and resting in the cool shade of the riparian trees.

Crossing the road on the way to the river
Time for a drink
Resting a tired trunk
Dust bath
Relaxing in the shade
Playing in the pool
Nice shade, on the road…
Cooling off
Nice shade, on the road…
Crossing the road on the way to the river
Enjoying the riverine vegetation
Enjoying the riverine vegetation
Crossing the road on the way to the river
Enjoying the riverine vegetation
“You’re in my way!”
Elephants will dig wells to reach underground water
On the way to the river

Kruger is famous for its big tuskers, and we were fortunate again to encounter about half-a-dozen bulls carrying above average ivory. We always cherish sightings of bulls this size as they’re living proof of the successes of those working very hard, day in and day out, to preserve and protect our natural heritage. The Park has a dedicated researcher monitoring these enigmatic animals, to whom you can submit photos and the location of any sightings.

Promising tusker, but seems to be suffering from “floppy trunk” disease
Drinking from the reservoir
Old bull with single long tusk
Jousting with his young apprentice
Big bull
Stretching to reach the juiciest leaves
Stretching to reach the juiciest leaves
Tusk split along its length
Fantastic attitude
Stretching to reach the juiciest leaves
Elephant whiskers
Tusker on the plains
The biggest tusker we encountered on this trip
The biggest tusker we encountered on this trip
The biggest tusker we encountered on this trip

 

If you love elephants as much as we do, then head for the north of the Kruger National Park. You are sure to have some special encounters, and if you treat them with respect, heed their body language and don’t invade their space, you’ll be perfectly safe.

Shingwedzi jungle-gym

Boisterous Baby Baboons

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Driving around the Kruger National Park, especially along one of the major rivercourses, you’re bound to come across a troop or two of baboons. Watching their behaviour and especially their human-like interactions is extremely entertaining.

We encountered this little group one afternoon along the Shingwedzi River, during our September 2014 visit. While the big male watched, sometimes with what seemed like considerable concern for their well-being, the energetic little ones were clambering into a small tree and jumping down again, over and over again, their happiness clearly written all over their faces…

 

Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Shingwedzi jungle-gym
Elephant mayhem at Mooiplaas

Marvelous Mooiplaas

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There’s several waterholes in the Kruger National Park that have delivered us consistently good wildlife sightings over the years. One such drinking place is Mooiplaas, an artificial waterhole supplied by a borehole and windpump, adjacent to a natural wetland, about 5km to the south of Mopani Rest Camp. Directly translated from Afrikaans, Mooiplaas means “pretty farm”. The waterhole undeniably lives up to its name both in scenery and for the constant stream of birds and animals moving from the surrounding mopane vegetation to slake their thirst.

We visited Mooiplaas again on Heritage Day (24th September) while on our most recent visit to the Park. We arrived in the heat of the day, and found the place brimming with animals. Elephants, tsessebe, zebras, wildebeest, ostriches and a lone kori bustard were milling around, and from their behaviour we deduced that there must be predators around. Sure enough, in a clump of mopane shrubs, we saw two lions hiding from the heat; the female just out in the open enough to get photographic proof. It was obvious that these lions were not interested in hunting, and the animals could safely venture to the water for the moment. A young elephant bull caused a bit of an uproar among the plains game when he caught the lion’s smell on the wind, and started running around wildly, kicking up dust as he went.

Elephant at Mooiplaas
Tsessebe like open areas
Tsessebe and zebra at Mooiplaas
Tsessebe at Mooiplaas in Kruger National Park
Tsessebe
Lioness in hiding
Lioness in hiding
Elephant mayhem at Mooiplaas
Elephant mayhem at Mooiplaas
Elephant mayhem at Mooiplaas
Plains zebra
Tsessebe
Mooiplaas
Kori Bustard

After checking in for our night at Shipandani Hide, we decided to stop by Mooiplaas again in the late afternoon, and found that the lions had still not moved from their shady hideout. A group of elephant bulls were drinking from the reservoir, and a variety of birds were searching for food in the dust, but there was no sign of the large herds of zebra and antelope that frequented the area earlier in the day. Perhaps they understood that the lions would not be resting for much longer…

Elephants at Mooiplaas
Lioness at Mooiplaas
Collared pratincole

Throughout the night in the hide we could hear the lions roaring towards Mooiplaas, and of course that’s where we headed as soon as the gates opened. If the lions had made a kill during the night, the carcass wasn’t anywhere we could see it, and we had to be content with a far-off sighting of two large males lying in the grass some distance from the otherwise deserted waterhole.

Mooiplaas_25Sep2014

All too soon we had to leave, as we were heading for Shingwedzi and still had to return the keys for the hide to the reception at Mopani. Leaving Mooiplaas behind, we knew there would be more wildlife spectacles unfolding there that day. And we knew we’d return to Mooiplaas again as soon as we have the chance…

 

 

 

Memorable sighting: Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014

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Memorable sighting: Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014

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At the end of a hot Lowveld afternoon, we’re enjoying a slow drive along the Shingwedzi River, as has become our habit every time our visits to Shingwedzi Rest Camp come to an end. This route, the gravel S50, is our absolute favourite road in the Kruger National Park and we’re taking in as much of the magical wilderness atmosphere as we can. After enjoying snacks and a cold drink in deep, cool, shade next to the Tshilonde waterhole, it’s time to head back towards camp.

Only minutes later, turning a corner near the Ntsumaneni Spruit crossing, we spy a feline shape next to the road… We’re thrilled to find two cheetahs waiting by the roadside, and our excitement grows tenfold as a third, fourth and then fifth make their way out of the mopane bushes towards us. With no other cars around, we find ourselves in the company of what we assume is a female with her four almost fully-grown cubs, a rare sighting indeed. The cheetahs seem nervous, constantly staring back towards the vegetation they emerged from, and do not hang around very long before crossing the road and heading into the bush again, disappearing from sight. We may have spent only a few minutes with these lithe cats, but it is another Kruger memory we’ll cherish for as long as we live.

(You may click on any of the images to view them in bigger resolution)

Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014
Cheetahs near Shingwedzi, 27 September 2014

The Endangered Wildlife Trust in conjunction with the SANParks Honorary Rangers, is conducting a census of Kruger Park’s cheetahs and wild dogs, and inviting visitors to contribute to the project by submitting photos of these species they encounter between September 2014 and June 2015. Of course, we’ve already sent in our submission!

The second male to appear was a beautiful specimen

Memorable lion sighting near Skukuza, 3 August 2014

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It was late afternoon on the 3rd of August, and the sun was slowly setting on our first day back in the Kruger National Park. We were enjoying a leisurely drive along the Sabie River, taking in the deep calming atmosphere that comes with sunset in a magnificent natural setting like this, about 5km from Skukuza Rest Camp.

Unexpectedly, a young elephant ran across the road towards the river, trumpeting loudly and shaking his ears and trunk around, clearly extremely agitated. From a short side loop, we watched as he flushed a pride of lions from the reeds, quite some distance from the road.

The young elephant that started the show

The young elephant that started the show

Noticing that the lions will now be making their way towards the road, we anticipate where they’ll be moving out of the river bed and position our vehicle in that spot. We have to wait only a minute or two before noticing the first feline shapes appearing among the riverine vegetation, much closer to the road already. The lions are coming, and they are heading straight for us!

One by one, the entire pride of about fifteen animals, including three magnificent males, pass right beside us, crosses the road and moves into the bush on the opposite side. We watch enthralled from inside our vehicle as the big cats move by close enough to stroke (though of course, that would be very foolish to even attempt!).

(You can click on the photos to view them in a gallery, for a bigger view – we’re sure you won’t be sorry that you did 😉 )

Moving out of the reeds
The first lioness to cross – notice she’s blind in her right eye
Second lioness to appear
Two cubs making their way out of the river bed
The first male to move closer, jawning after having their afternoon nap so rudely interrupted by the elephant
The smallest cub in the pride
The second male to appear was a beautiful specimen
The second male to appear was a beautiful specimen
The second male to appear was a beautiful specimen
The third male, apparently a little younger than the other two
The third male, apparently a little younger than the other two
Moving into the bush after crossing the road

Kruger welcomed us back in the most emphatic way imaginable. What else did it have in store for us in the nine days ahead? We hope you’ll join us again to find out!