My 2014 Kruger Highlights

[Lisbeth]

Or the leopard is small or the rhino is very big Fantastic sighting

[Flutterby]

What a fantastic sighting!!

We thought we saw Wendy when we were in Kruger but weren't sure about the car, but your pic confirms that we were right!

[Heksie]

Thank you all for your kind comments... Thanks for not reprimanding me about mentioning the area in which I had this sighting. I got a pm on the other side. It wasn't my intention to give away their location but when I tell a story I want everyone to know all the details...

Now to get my TR rolling... the episodes will be posted quicker as it is school holiday now

[Heksie]

Episode 11 The biggest of ‘em all

These mastodons intimidate even the bravest visitors of the Park and they have shown their strength and irritation with us more than once. But when you know how to approach them and keep your distance, they are very entertaining to watch. Here is a few highlight of the grey giants of Kruger National Park.

September 2013
Here is a new sighting for us; it looked like these two were showing their affections using a tree…


And then some babies, who can resist?


March 2015
Then nothing more entertaining than young ones playing in the middle of the road…








July 2015
We were very lucky to see babies during our winter visit…






And we got a tusker, or I hope it is one at Mooiplaas


December/January 2014/2015
We got a far of sighting of a ellie crossing the road with hyenas playing in front of him. He didn’t mind them at all and just went on his way.


We also got some a shy ellie one afternoon, who didn’t want to pose for a kiekie…


Some people think I do take chances when I want to take a closer look of these beautiful specimens, I even had a few close calls but at least nothing came of it. I do believe that I keep a respectful distance from them and still enjoy their playful manner, curiosity and moodswings.

To be continued…

[Richprins]

Thank you all for your kind comments... Thanks for not reprimanding me about mentioning the area in which I had this sighting. I got a pm on the other side. It wasn't my intention to give away their location but when I tell a story I want everyone to know all the details...

Don't worry, Heksie! It is more of a courtesy not to disclose locations, just in case, but that location was obvious! It is unlikely poachers would follow the forums and rush off to the location weeks afterward, but there we are!


Nice tusker! You must put it on the Tusker thread here?


viewtopic.php?f=243&t=503&start=900

[Amoli]

Genade, I had to run to catch up here...

These pictures are so beautiful and each tell their own story.

Love your sunset/sunrise pics - lovely - I have experienced the same beauty.

That is certainly a tusker -

[Toko]

I just love these young ellies, Heksie

[Heksie]

Thanks RP and I did post it on your tusker thread, first time I've done what you've asked so I think I deserve a golden star

Hi Amoli and how are you? Welcome back from your trip to Kruger, will search for that TR if you have already started it, if not then I'm waiting for your TR to start

THanks Toko. I love seeing them but the people in my car are very stressed around them so I have to keep my distance with those grey travellers

[Heksie]

Episode 12… Bushfever takes its toll

Now I don’t know if any of you have experienced this before? I’ve had a taste of it during my Dec 2012 visit and then the bug bit me again during my Dec/Jan trip. Something I definitely would not like to experience again in my life.
Now how to begin but at the start:

I’ve seen on my whatsapp group that there were leopard cubs near Pretoriuskop and thought about booking a few days there before I would’ve initially arrived but unfortunately the camp was fully booked and the kittens was swept out of my mind.

We arrived in Kruger and I haven’t even thought twice about Pretoriuskop when I saw an update about the leopard cubs all life and well near the camp. I plan with my parents that we make it a morning drive to Pretoriuskop, hopefully we would see them and then have a Wimpy breakfast to spoil ourselves.

On 6 January 2015 we entered the Park at Kruger Gate and planned on taking the H11 to Skukuza and then the H1-1 straight to Pretoriuskop. We had great sightings on our drive with general game, and two male lions sleeping on rocks near the Napi-loop. We turn on then S20? And then there are a 1km loop that forks out of the road on which they were sighted. We drive the road slowly with eyes looking everywhere but we see absolutely nothing. Oh-well, now off to the camp to order some bacon, cheese and tomato, I try to hurry my family but to no avail. There is no time in Kruger according to them and they take their merry time. After about 40 minutes I load them in my car at last and we try the loop again, as we stop at the entrance of the loop, one of my Kruger friends (I have been driving into him since my Dec 2012 trip and we have been sharing sightings and chatting all over the park) he very excitedly tells me they are there and he moves on entering the loop from the other side to get a better view. We are all elated about this news and move forward just to find 5 cars at the spot and no leopard… WE JUST MISSED THEM…

The cars soon dissipate and it is only us with another bakkie that waits for the cubs to make a comeback. We decide to wait for one cigarette, then for a few more minutes… and then the sickness seeps in… Just for interest sake it is now 8:30-ish. We leave our spot unwillingly by 12:00 for a bathroom break and then we are back on our spot, with a bakkie right in front of us.

By 15:00 we got another car, two old tannies and their couldn’t start, so against our will we had to leave to phone a towtruck and coming back for more information from the tannie, the oke in the bakkie asked if she had another key (thank goodness she did) as the problem was with the immobiliser and they were off without a towtruck having to come and maybe chase away the leopard cubs that still haven’t arrived. After 30 minutes the tannie arrive and gives to all of us (3 in our car and 2 in the bakkie) a king cone. It was the best thing that I had the whole trip.

At 17:00 we got the Pretoriuskop locals, each telling us how beautiful the cubs are, people offering us water, and inviting us to a braai at their camp. Other people asking us if we have ever seen a leopard in our life (As if I would stay at a log the whole day to hopefully see a leopard), some asked if we would want to take a pic of the cubs of their camera… NEVAH

18:00 came and went and then against our will we had to move towards Numbi Gate. It was discussed in the car on our 60km to Sabie Park that today would not be mentioned to any other being BUT as my kids say ‘sharing is caring’.

And you need to have the whole story to appreciate something, we also planned that night that we would enter at Phabeni Gate to get to loop earlier and hopefully see them, which we didn’t, but our bakkie friends, who stayed in Skukuza and were able to leave camp at 4:30, got to have a super sighting of them playing on the log next to which we sat the whole previous day. We missed the cubs with 20 minutes, and I shook off the fever so we parked only for one cigarette and then moved on.

We strategized that evening and decided to wake up earlier still and then enter Numbi Gate the next morning. We left Sabie Park at 4:00 to be at Numbi Gate just before 5:00 as I have to be at the gate before anyone else. We were second in line and with only the prize in our sight we got our permit and moved on with a JJ on our heels. We got to the spot and there were cars there but no cubs, some people that we chatted with two days back started laughing when they saw us, we had a chat and then from the front my Kruger friend parked and shouted ‘HEKSIE!’ with confusion we looked at him and he showed with his arms that we must follow him.

The excitement started pouring out of our car when we parked behind him and scanned the bushes. My sister started hyperventilating, and it took her a few minutes to explain to us where they were. We saw one first and then I spotted the other two a few meters away from them. We spent almost 3 guilt-free hours with them and then moved on. This is the only sighting that I didn’t worry about sitting at a spot with cars behind me and not moving. We deserved this sighting and they were still there when we left, so the people behind us did get to see them as well. We left satisfied and in a way we said that it was worth the hours of waiting for them… what do you think?



























To be continued…

[nan]

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