We encountered this black-backed jackal hunting for moles near Satara, in the Kruger National Park.
Lunchtime!
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Tag Archives: vacation
Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary
Austin Roberts was one of South Africa’s most acclaimed zoologists, best known for his authoratitive reference book on the birds of Southern Africa. Today, his legacy is honoured in the Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary, located in Pretoria’s leafy Nieuw Muckleneuk suburb.
The tiny reserve covers only eleven hectares (about four city blocks), yet more than 170 bird species have been identified here – a consequence of the wide range of habitats that it provides: dense woodland, mixed bushveld, reedbeds and nine small perennial dams. In addition, a few small antelope and a couple of tortoises also occur here.
Blesbok
Cape Teal
Common Moorhen
Egyptian Geese
Fulvous Duck
Laughing Dove nesting inside the hide
Steenbok
White-faced Ducks
Yellow-billed Duck
Red-knobbed Coot with chick
The Blue Crane is South Africa’s national bird
Crowned Crane
Facilities at the sanctuary include a restaurant and photographic hide, both extremely popular, and both offering a very nice lunchtime break from the office!
A section of the hide at Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary
Milestone for de Wets Wild
“The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to.”
Richard Mullin.
Giraffe at sunrise, near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
This is our 100th post on de Wets Wild!
Our deepest gratitude goes to everyone that has contributed to us reaching this milestone by reading, following, liking, commenting and sharing our posts. We appreciate the friendships we’ve made and the inspiration and encouragement you’ve given us through this medium immensely.
There’s still so much beauty and splendour to share from South Africa’s wild places, and as we look forward to doing just that through de Wets Wild for a very long time to come we’d be thrilled to have your continued support.
Our sincere thanks, again!
Dries, Marilize & Joubert – the wild de Wets
The Big-5 in Black-and-White
The “Big Five” is probably Africa’s most sought-after animals – the term was coined by colonial-era trophy hunters to describe the group of animals considered the most dangerous to hunt: Black Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard and Lion. Today, these animals are a major reason for the popularity of South Africa’s wildlife reserves among locals and tourists from all over the world.
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Black-and-White“
Letaba Rest Camp, Kruger National Park
Almost exactly in the middle of the Kruger National Park, on the southern bank of the broad and mostly sandy Letaba River, you will find the Letaba Rest Camp – a tranquil retreat beneath large, shady trees.
Sunrise between Phalaborwa Gate and Letaba Rest Camp
Letaba welcomed its first guests back in 1929, and remains very popular with visitors to this day. Hutted accommodation and camping is available for overnight guests, the restaurant offers sweeping views of the river and a spacious and shady picnic area, complete with swimming pool, is available to day visitors. Bushbuck, squirrels and a variety of birds have made themselves right at home among the accommodation units and provide endless entertainment to visitors lounging along the riverfront throughout the day.
Letaba bungalow
Bushbuck at home among the huts
Day visitor picnic site
The Elephant Hall is a unique educational facility with exhibits dedicated to every facet of the elephant’s ecology. Also on display is the ivory of several of the Kruger National Park’s famous big tuskers that have sadly departed to heavenly pastures.
Elephant statue
Elephant skeleton
Inside the Elephant Hall
You then won’t be surprised when we tell you that Letaba is elephant country. Visitors here have an excellent chance of encountering both breeding herds and bulls carrying impressive ivory. Masthulele, probably Kruger biggest tusker at the moment, is in fact regularly seen along the river right in front of the camp.
The late Hlanganini
Masthulele
Buffalo is another member of the “Big-5” that occurs in large numbers in the Letaba area, and visitors are bound to see a variety of other wildlife, including predators, in the area.
The best self-drive routes for game viewing from Letaba are those that track the course of the river; road S46 towards the south-east and road S47 to the north-west. Guided activities such as walks and night drives are also very popular.
Pay Letaba a visit and you’ll quickly understand why it is a firm favourite with many of the Kruger faithful!
Look Up!
LOOK UP!
In South Africa’s wild places danger can lurk anywhere…
Leopard snoozing in a tree, in the Kruger National Park
(you can click on the image for a clearer view)
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Look Up!“
Pilanesberg – 17 February 2013
Sunrise over the rim of the ancient volcanic crater
Last Sunday Joubert and I accompanied my brother Niël to the Pilanesberg National Park for a day visit – as always it was good to get out of the city and into the wilds, even if only for a day. Pilanesberg’s four entrance gates are all within an easy two-hour drive from Pretoria so it wasn’t difficult at all to be at the Park’s Manyane Gate in time for it opening at 05:30. We departed again, through Bakubung Gate, just as dusk was settling over the reserve at around 18:00 that evening.
Lake Mankwe
We spent most of the day exploring the Park along the extensive network of roads and also spent some time in the various photographic hides (two of which was damaged considerably by elephants recently and in need of repair). Here’s a collection of photographs of Pilanesberg’s mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, all taken on Sunday.
Blue wildebeest cow
Blue wildebeest bull
Yellow-billed stork
Barbel (catfish) ambushing small fish in the shallows
Pied kingfisher
Terrapins
Giraffe
White rhinoceros
Kudu cow and calf
Battle scarred zebra stallion
Elephants have right of way
Elephant roadblock
Waterbuck drinking
Grey heron cooling off next to the water
Jacana walking on submerged plants
Juvenile crocodile
Little Egret in breeding plumage
Impala
Springbok, South Africa’s national animal
Ostrich
Curious giraffe
For more on Pilanesberg you can read all about our previous visit there in May 2012.
Forward!
Pachyderms on parade in the Pilanesberg…
Forward!
For more on this week’s photo challenge by WordPress: Forward
Sunrise
Our visit to the Kruger National Park in April 2012 delivered some of the most gorgeous sunrises we can recall:
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is Sunrise
Wanderlust
It’s scenery like this that causes us to return to one of South Africa’s wild places at every opportunity, and why we pine for the bush whenever we cannot be there. This photograph was taken in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and shows a guided sunset drive about to cross the Black-Imfolozi River.
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Wanderlust“
DeWetsWild 