Day 11… where is the Orpen pack?
21 December
My plan for this morning was to take the H7 and not stop for anything as I wanted to find the dogs of Orpen… there have been sightings of them the past few days and normally in the morning early so the sooner I get to that area the better. So as per usual I woke up early and was at the gate even before Sparrow and Wendy was awake, the people in front of me forgot something and went back to camp so I was first at the gate. About 20 minutes before the gate opened all we could hear were lions roaring around the camp. I just wished that it was light as nobody saw anything. The gate opened and we were off in all directions searching for the lions but also I wanted to get to Orpen, I wasn’t even 200m out of the gate when the first few cars rushed past me, these Satara visitors are very rude that way, in the South we respect the fact that someone was before us at the gate and we follow them until they stop and we can pass them. I turned unto the H7 and still saw no lion so on I went. I was driving and see elephant dung in the middle of the road but as I drew closer this dung looked a bit hairy and I stopped. In the road was this baby genet all curled up, still alive but very scared. I could fit his body in my hand.
There wasn’t much to see maybe because I drove a bit faster than normally or because I wanted to see something so much that I couldn't see anything else. A slender mongoose
Buffalo
Senegal lapwing
I missed a leopard crossing the road with seconds, eish, and then just past nsemani I got Wendy and twee menere…
They were marking and posing for kiekies
Wendy and I decided to then drive to Timbavati picnic spot via Giriviana dam and then take the S39 back to camp. There were a lot of sightings this time around.
I got back to camp and chilled a bit, then read a bit of my book, I was going through my book slower than I wanted to. Then when the time came to get on the road again I didn’t’ hesitate. I took the H6->S41->S90 this afternoon. The first thing I saw was a small traffic jam but the people didn’t want to move, hogging the sighting for themselves the whole time. I only got this one pic… if you look in the middle you can see his snout…
Some other sightings that afternoon:
I got to camp just in time for the gate to close and that night we had a lekker braai with Sparrow and co. We were supposed to leave that afternoon but decided to stay an extra night on Sweet Sparrow’s reservation as we were enjoying Satara a lot and the company of our friends.
To be continued…
they put down Elephants... and not a Giraffe who suffer the martyr
Thought they were only restricted to faaaaar North
Hello Heksie
... it seems a Buffalo... bu buffaloes don't make a congestion 