Happy New Year, Everyone!

Today we had “lion fever” here at Satara – our paths crossed with those of four different groups of lions! The absolute highlight was getting to spend some time, up close and personal, with Satara’s famed white lion male. If today was an omen of things to come in 2022 it is going to be a very good year!

First sunrise of 2022

Satara’s White Lion walking up to us, entourage in tow

Satara’s white lion up close (photo by Joubert)

Jackal pup playing with zebra dung

Dangerous zebra crossing! Luckily the lions were more curious than hungry.

Lion’s toothy yawn (photo by Joubert)

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Sadly our time here at Satara in the Kruger National Park has come to an end and we will be heading home tomorrow. Of course there are still hundreds of photos and dozens of stories to share in the weeks ahead.

What a blessing to see out the last day of 2021 in a place as beautiful as the Kruger National Park…

Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs at N’wanetsi

Cheetahs in the rain along the S37

Elephant tussle (photo by Joubert)

Spotted Hyena going for a jog

Beautiful elephant bull

Baboon family on the move

Fork-tailed Drongos chasing off a Long-crested Eagle (photo by Joubert)

Kruger’s mature elephant bulls are magnificent

Spotted Dikkop

Warthog

Black-backed Jackal (photo by Joubert)

We wish all our friends here at De Wets Wild a beautiful 2022 filled with health and happy times spent in beautiful places.

Today Joubert tried his hand at black-and-white photography. These were all taken by him while we travelled around Satara.

Spotted Hyena (photo by Joubert)

African Wild Dogs (photo by Joubert)

African Wild Dog (photo by Joubert)

Elephant Mother and Baby (photo by Joubert)

Fish Eagle (photo by Joubert)

Vervet Monkey Family (photo by Joubert)

Impala Reflection (photo by Joubert)

Today we focused both our morning and afternoon drives in the Timbavati area to the north-west of Satara, and as you can see we were handsomely rewarded!

Timbavati Battle-scarred Leopard

Spotted Hyena

Flap-necked Chameleon

Spotted Flycatcher (photo by Joubert)

Elephant bulls

Resting Giraffe

Proud Kudu bull

Today was a scorcher weather wise – the temperature turned at 41ºC at around 14:30 – while we were travelling to the north and east of Satara.

Black-backed Jackal

Smiling Buffalo (photo by Joubert)

Squirrel hijacking our car while we were having a picnic

Waterbuck bull (photo by Joubert)

Olifants River

Saddle-billed Stork

Fish Eagle with prey

School of Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia in the Nwanetsi Spruit

Hamerkop (photo by Joubert)

Playful zebra foal

Our day might have started with an encounter with three lions right on the road, but what we’ll remember most from today is the awesome thunderstorm that swept over the plains of Satara this evening just before sunset.

Young lions claiming the road between Satara and Nwanetsi

Very wet pair of young Black-backed Jackals (photo by Joubert)

Impala Ram (photo by Joubert)

Black Crake

Blue Wildebeest

Running Impala (photo by Joubert)

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Orange-breasted Bush Shrike

Scarlet Tip female

Jameson’s Firefinch

Foam Nest Frog

Ground Hornbill

Plains Zebra crossing (… the road) (photo by Joubert)

Fork-tailed Drongo on its (very exposed) nest

Spotted Hyena

Serenity at Welverdiend (Well Deserved) Waterhole

Thunderstorm raging over the central plains of Kruger Park, 27 December 2021

We’re still having a front row seat to the Satara Wildlife Show here in Kruger National Park!

Knob-billed Ducks

Dwarf Mongoose

Swainson’s Spurfowl

Mating Hinged Tortoises

Marsh Terrapin

Plains Zebra and Blue Wildebeest

Martial Eagle with Steenbok prey

Bathing House Sparrow (photo by Marilize)

Flock of Red-billed Queleas

Blue Wildebeest

Tawny Eagle

Baby elephant cuteness

Cheetahs like statues along the H6

Merry Christmas Everyone!

While we didn’t drive very far from Satara today we still had some beautiful and very exciting sightings on our morning and evening drives. Lunch was spent in camp enjoying a delicious Christmas meal planned and executed by Marilize.

Black-backed Jackal

Common Sandpiper

White Water Lily

Yellow-billed Kite (photo by Joubert)

Young Elephant Bulls fighting near Nwanetsi (photo by Joubert)

Hunting lions caught in the act

Hunting lions caught in the act

Flap-necked Chameleon

Dustbathing Grey-headed Sparrow

Green-backed Heron

African Jacana showing off its very long toes

Water Monitor (photo by Marilize)

Last night internet connectivity in a jam-packed Satara was just too poor to attempt blogging, so I’ll just post three photos from the 23rd of December today.

Elephant roadblock in 35-degree heat

Thunderstorm brewing over the plains of Satara, 23 December 2021

Eastern Olive Toad (photo by Joubert)

We have no complaints whatsoever about the sightings Satara and Kruger dished up for us today on Christmas Eve either!

Baboon portrait (photo by Joubert)

Elephant bull in musth (photo by Joubert)

Giant Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)

Hippopotamus returning to the Olifants River

Pied Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)

Nyala bull

African Grey Hornbill

Hamerkop

Pregnant Steenbok

Newborn Giraffe

Can you spot the Cheetah?

We wish all our friends here at de Wets Wild a blessed Christmas. Hopefully we’ll be able to share the gifts we received from the Kruger National Park with you tomorrow night.