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A giraffe road block - just missed a great photo of the 2 of them standing facing us!


And the 3 cheetahs resting under a bush


Oh - and apologies for the quality of the rhino photos - just thought they were worth posting anyway because of the special sighting!

Black Rhino and Wild Dogs

Nice to meet you the other night EJ I still laugh about the elephant invasion and you throwing fruit! Haha.

It's great to see your pics EJ. You have such wonderful sightings and give those of us who can only get to Kruger occasionally a much needed boost of bush life. Thank you

How has a week gone by?....... No drives this week, but 2 bush braai security duties - neither of which had any potential gate-crashers. Almost had a walk for Croc Bridge - but it was the morning after the last bush braai so they got someone else who was not busy the night before.

Yesterday morning I got up to find an invasion had occurred in the night and the fence next to my car and caravan trampled down, and a zebrawood tree behind the caravan stripped of some branches!





Fortunately a short while later the maintenance man from BnD arrived to fix the fence from the previous attempted (unsuccessful) break-in, so it is now repaired. Marulas are virtually finished, so hopefully there will not be another attempt by the ellie vandals!

On my way back from the bush braai I had met ellies at the top of the road, one more on the road round to the staff quarters where I parked the vehicle, and more were around when I got out to go to the gate in the fence and let myself in.

Got called urgently at 1815 to do the night drive for BnD.....starting at 1830! I threw on my uniform and managed to get there for 1845. Apparently they had had to go and rescue someone stuck on Steilberg, and so the vehicle for their night drive was not back yet, and hence the problem......

Unhappy guests to start with, and then one group got very upset at not being able to smoke and drink!!! Just out of the gate one light blew too. I returned to camp and managed to find another light, but rain had started too. When I got back to the vehicle, instead of 10 guests I had 4 - the others decided they were not coming any more.....

Perhaps they were wise......it was a quiet trip with only impalas, scrub hares, spotted eagle owls, and hippos putting in an appearance. Heavy rain began to fall about half way through the drive and I was quickly soaked despite a rain poncho. Fortunately the guests did not mind and regarded it as a huge adventure.

During the drive Peter called and asked me to do a morning walk too.......I reluctantly agreed. Sunday mornings I do not like doing activities because I want to go to church. I have now left him a message to contact me in the morning if the walk is still on......I am not getting up early, driving through to BnD and then finding it is cancelled because of rain or too wet underfoot!!!

There's certainly both sides to the coin of living in Kruger, eh EJ! Those ellies hold back for nothing, so glad the threat has been reduced once again. Did you land up doing your in-lieu-of-church walk yesterday anyway?

The walk was raining off - but not before I had been picked up here and we had driven to the area! So got to church after all.

Off again this morning to do BnD walk (with Raymond away for 5 days it might be a regular.....).

Monday's walk was a bit wet in the middle, but otherwise good. We managed to sneak up on a couple of rhinos, and saw zebs, giraffe, impala, ground hornbills while out too.

Tuesday I did a sunset drive for the gate. Again total Kruger newbies, so a responsibility but also a joy to introduce them. We had 2 great ellie sightings - one on the Croc river road where I rounded a bend and he was in the middle of the road heading our way. We both stopped, and watched each other. He looked calm, but kept walking our way. A few nervous comments behind me......I realised I could reverse, but it would only start a 'chase', so I decided to do some gentle revving instead - leaving the option of reverse still open. He stopped, and rocked a little on one foot but showed no anger. I revved again....he turned and gently strolled off to the side of the road and began to eat. I watched, he turned to the road again, I revved and he moved away again. Told the guests I would move past him quickly in case he was upset with us, but as I drew level with him I could see he was OK, so slowed just past him and allowed more photos.

The second was also a 'surprise' as we descended to the Mlambane drift as he appeared from behind the steep bank as we got to the drift level. He stood and watched us, closer than the first ellie.....and raised his trunk to smell us. I knew he wanted to come our way, so rather than upset him told the guests we would move on, and looked back to see him on the causeway behind us!

Found 4 'flat lines' in the grass later.....and when Rastah arrived we left as the only action we had was a lifted head and a yawn from the closest male! But later found another 2 male lions on the move, much more interesting!

Also impalas, scrub hares, spotted eagle owls, hippos, hyenas.

Wednesday again a walk for BnD - and again a rhino close. We had stopped to look at a garden-orb-web spider, Peter moved on and the guests took another photo or two so I hung back a little.....and as Peter rounded a bush in front of us he saw the rhino as it saw us. No chance of moving round to a better position as when we moved he turned and moved off.

Last night a sunset drive for BnD - frustrating as it was for delegates to a conference. Some were late, so we left late. Still had warthogs, wild dogs (I had seen them earlier on my way through), but missed a leopard because of the delay. Had ellies, but one guest was very nervous of them so did not stop long at either sighting. Zebs, kudus, impalas, scrub hares, spotted eagle owls, 2 lots of hyenas.....

Back to do a morning drive today.....and as a number of guests did not turn up I ended up coming home again. Saw the wild dogs again though!

Set out on Saturday night with folk who had not yet seen the wild dogs that everyone was talking about and wanted to see them...... So I tackled the tar BnD road a bit faster than I would normally to try to get to them before dark - they had moved even closer to Malelane camp turning...... Still stopped for a few sitings en route though, and had time to talk about the termite mounds. We found the dogs beginning to settle for the night, and left them as it got too dark to see properly without lights.

Several spotted eagle owls, impalas, scrub hares, giraffes, waterbuck...... tried to find the hyenas at the den on the H3 but no luck. Turned for the long run home......and found a porcupine, then not much of anything until we were almost back at the Matjulu bridge. Then I cheered!!!!! 7 lions in the road!!!! They calmly walked to us and even lay down for a while. After that hippos..... On the way home I had a civet.

Oh EJ I am definitely going on a night drive/sunset drive with you next time we are in Kruger - May it be sooner than later! You seem to show the visitors so much on each drive you do. Thanks for sharing and making me

Was just about to dish up my meal when I heard......unmistakeable sawing call of a leopard very close. Grabbed my spotlight with the red filter......and saw it pass the corner of camp just above my caravan!!!!!! Wow! I had thought at one point of bringing my swing seat here to sit on in front of the caravan and maybe even sleep on during hot summer nights.....but Stephen said 'no the leopard will get you!'......maybe he was right!!!!

Wild dogs and porcupine on one drive is brilliant

And a leopard walking past your caravan Now Thats amazing!

EJ I hope the Leopard was on the outside of the fence ....

Yes.....but this is where the ellies attacked the fence badly, so it is a bit ragged and lower than usual......