Northwards along the Lebombo Mountains to Pafuri.

[Alf]

I'm ready

[100ponder]

By April our booking was secured and the excitement slowly gained momentum. We will "fly-camp" one night in Crocodile Bridge and then again in Balule before basing us for the main part in Shingwedzi. Then "fly-camping" again in Balule and Crocodile Bridge on our way home.

On the evening of the 15th October every-thing was ready and on the 16th, as soon as the morning's traffic rush on the N2 highway subsided we headed north past Durban. Soon the Tugela was crossed and the feeling of being out of town settled in. Soon Mathubathuba was behind us and we knew that now we were "in the bush".

Just north of Hluhluwe town the Lobombo Mountains rise abruptly out of the Makatini Flats marking the commencement of the trek along the Lebombo Mountains. The ravages of the prevailing drought were every-where. We slowly drove through the Pongola Game Reserve seeing a little more game:-



We entered Swaziland at Golela - The first few kilometers in Swaziland were subject to a mini eco system created by the massive Pongola Poort Dam. Here the veld was green and the healthy crops were already shoulder high on the lands.

Then suddenly the drought set in again - not a blade of grass in the veld and absolutely no open water any-where.





A little grass along the tar road verges managed to find some underground moisture and the centimeter high grass was causing the area's domestic animals to congregated along the road. But, the little grazing and total lack of water was too much for many of them that succumbed from hunger and first. The heat was terrible and some survivors bunched together in the little shade offered by roadside trees:-



We re-entered South Africa at Namanga into the land of the Ba-Tonga people ( also known as Tonga Land ). Here the small farmers had roadside stalls selling their produce :-



We entered the Kruger Park, managed to find a site to pitch our tent next to the fence and the fun began ! We had a new tent to use when "fly-camping" but, there was no way we could get this thing pitched !
Suddenly our neighbours alerted us to monkeys unpacking our car ! -
I rushed to the LH rear door just to see a big male in the drivers seat !
Off one went with some fruit !
In the end the neighbours came over and assisted and after another twenty minutes the tent was standing.
( Later-on we could pitch the tent in five minutes )

Now we had about half-an-hour left to gate closure, so off we went for a first game drive. Four hundred meters out and STOP ! Wild dog ! Whaaawww ! ! ! A pack of some ten plus dogs crossed the road and with pricked ears disappeared in to bush on our right.



One dog had a fresh bleeding left hind leg amputated just above the heel :-



Could this have been from the agressive feeding habits as mentioned on a National Geographic TV program or could it be a poachers snare/gin trap ? ( This was within a kilometer of the KNP southern border.)

Well, starry eyed we drove on for another two kilometre then - STOP ! MORE wild dog !
Another pack of eight or ten dogs on our right sitting around looking into the veld with pitched ears.



Some slowly went deeper into the bush and soon it was our time return to camp, but not before we saw this young giraffe suckling :-



Starting the day's game photography with giraffe and ending with giraffe.

What a start to our Kruger visit !

[Mel]

Not sure if I should applaud for two (!) wild dog sightings - even if one of them was kinda bittersweet with that one poor thing on three legs...
Or if I should feel with you regarding your tent and the monkeys. Would have been quite nice of them if they had really helped you unpacking
and hauled your stuff to your tent rather than absconding with your food.

[nan]

those Monkeys
and now they want to drive
Wilddogs twice
shame so dry... no green at all

[Alf]

Wow after such a long drive and trouble with the tent your luck turns and you find wild dogs

We want more

[Lisbeth]

I'll come along, but please keep the monkeys away

Wonder what happened to the poor wild dog

[Toko]

Nice giraffe mom with kid!


It looks dry there


I like the route via Pongola and Swaziland

[Pumbaa]

Just in and you got already wild dogs, 100ponder,

love that giraffe plus little one shot

[Flutterby]

So dry everywhere!

What a great start to your trip! I saw something about that dog on FB and seem to remember it was a snare!

[Richprins]

Nice, 100p!

Your report has an 1800's adventure feel about it in the narration!


Ja, don't know about aggressive feeding...dogs get killed by other predators sometimes, but very difficult to bite a leg off?

I would say it is a snare or more probably gin trap...