Walking with Lions (December 2015)

[PJL]

Why is your trailer inside the tent?

The tent is attached to the trailer - like a rooftop tent. So there's a queen size bed on top of the trailer and space down below for the youngsters. I'll try take some pics sometime to show you the set up.

I managed to get some additional pics while we were away recently so that you can see more how it works. All packed up, the tent lives on top of the trailer with space inside the trailer for the kitchen as well as a drawer system to pack into. Out the front there's more storage space and racks for braai wood



The tent is bolted on to the trailer, so once unpacked the trailer stays inside the tent & awning. On one side it opens up for the kitchen where all the cutlery & crockery are stored and fastened in place



On the opposite side to the kitchen is the main tent section where we put the kids on camp beds and we get the nice double bed which sits on top of the trailer







The trailer is kitted with an electrical system so it can run off either a 12v battery or the normal caravan power points, so then we get to have lights & plug points inside as well

[PJL]

I agree about the PCG and the rats! Lovely pic of the latter.

Lion sighting ticked for the day as well - it can only get better, like in them roaming in the afternoon. Hopefully

Very cute zebra foal.

Agree again on the black-shouldered kite. Its head feathers are still a bit brownish too. Nevertheless, I like them too.

Saw a fish eagle flying high up in the air once - down at Matyholweni gate.

I don't want to give too much away about the lions yet
Seeing a fish eagle is a good sighting - they are spotted sometimes down at Matyholweni as it's very close to Sundays River where they are often seen fishing... I was very surprised that they were up by the main camp though!

Love the pic of the rat! Lovely bird sightings too.

Thanks Flutts. Some sections of Addo seem to be teeming with these veld rats - I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not
Maybe it's good for the raptors and smaller carnivores

Also my favourite small raptor

The goshawk looks very grumpy; maybe because it has not manage to get his claws in any of the rats

Cute little foal

It might have been a bit early in the morning for the goshawk as well

Great pics as always, PJL!

Wow, the details on the hare's ears!

Interesting info on the clicking eland!

Good story!

Thanks RP
I've read about the clicking eland before but this was the first time we were close enough on a quiet morning to hear it

That veld rat shot is gorgeous, PJL,

and then you saw a lazy lion and got to see steppe buzzard and black shouldered kite

Thank you Pumbaa
There were plenty of raptors around the park to see which was nice to see

[PJL]

After brekkie some other family members had finally appeared and seemed semi-keen for a drive so we thought it would be a good chance to show them some sleeping lions, as well as the elephant herds that congregate at Hapoor in the mid-morning heat.

The lions were very much flat out, but Gibson did at least give us a glance to prove they were still alive.





Continuing round the Domkrag loop we found a secretary bird stomping along looking for food



It was very hot so there wasn't much else to see on the way down to Hapoor, but when we arrived there the elephant party was in full swing



These 2 were practising their synchronised trunking



Others were finding that drinking was a delicate balancing act



As some of the walls of elephants moved we could see Valli Moosa in the background



However it wasn't all big stuff at Hapoor... these tiny little hoglets were scampering around trying to keep up with their mom



They somehow managed to squeeze between the herds for a quick mud bath



Shortly before leaving we found another set of slightly older hoglets moving in for fresh milk



It was heading towards lunch and swim time so we trundled back from camp when I received an interesting message.... TBC

[Mel]

No, you certainly don't give away too much with the title "Walking with Lions"

Quite hazardous of the warthog mum to lead her piglets right into the BIG party.

Amazing capture of the ballet dancing elephant.

[Lisbeth]

It's a great equipment you've got

The piggies are rather brave or very stupid

The ellie on three legs looks hilarious

[Richprins]

Great kit there, PJL! Loadshedding and doomsday prepper stuff!

We'll come to you when the trouble starts!

But no aircon, so....



Funny you have the little warthogs as well...same thing up here?

However our ellies have been chasing all animals, no matter how small, away from any water for 4 months now...different!

[nan]

super photos of the Pigs and the Ellie drinking... great art

[Toko]

Another great elephant festival, love it, PJL

[Pumbaa]

Love the ellie drinking shots plus the little warthogs between their legs

PJL

[PJL]

Thank you Mel, Lisbeth, RP, nan, Toko & Pumbaa for your comments and following along

Nearing camp I received a message via the grapevine that Norman & Zwaai were visible It's been quite a long time since I had last seen these 2 lion, so I was really keen to find them. However their location wasn't accessible from within the park unless you were on one of the sanparks vehicles which can take some of the no entry tracks, so we had to take a trip out the park to try and find them

It was quite surreal driving along the main road outside the park and seeing all the pile-up of vehicles near Aardlam, Mel & Gibson and thinking that we were heading to what was effectively a 'private' sighting

Once we got to the right spot by the fenceline I took a track that runs along the section where they had been seen, but I couldn't see them anywhere
My contact kindly sent me a pic of the bushes where he had seen them earlier.... I could see the bushes about 50m back from the fence, but couldn't see any cats.

We were about to give up as it was really hot, when we spotted some lumps appear under a bush right by the fence. Time to get out and approach on foot

They were initially a bit uncertain of us approaching and as I reached the fence they were already on their feet



You start to appreciate the sheer size of these boys when you're not in a vehicle! They started to settle again, but Norman (behind Zwaai) was a lot less comfortable with our presence



It wasn't long and Norman started to move away. He was limping really badly on his right hind leg which was perhaps why he wasn't happy about hanging around I told the section ranger about it later and it seems that he's had the limp for a good few months now... hopefully it'll get better with time





Zwaai on the other hand was fairly relaxed with just an occasional snarl to remind us he was there



It was around this point that there was some kind of bang and I was apparently looking rather wobbly on my feet. I had somehow managed to get too close to the electric fence and tested it out to full effect
It took a good few minutes to recover, and I can see why the animals steer clear of the fences
Zwaai appeared to be lost in thought... maybe he was thinking 'these tourists are so naive'



It was time to get back to camp and relax during the heat of the day, but how amazing to have been on foot just metres away from these big male lion