Not what we expected KTP Dec Jan 2017

[Mel]

Ahhh, the posting of the big sighting day has started

Well, those lion cubs are looking really poorly regarding their fur
I wonder, if the inbreeding has already taking over making the lions more vulnerable to diseases.
Wouldn't be a good omen for them

Petrol... a never ending story in the Kgalagadi
Glad, SP offered at least some service getting your jerry cans filled

[Lisbeth]

Poor lions Is it possible that they can recover from the mange?

The water hole is beautiful

[nan]

wow it's the little natural dam (behind the waterhole) where Falcons are very busy
and often there is Ducks

nice Lion's family, not in good shape
like the Fox's shadow

and filling... what aproblem... I have 2 jericans waiting for me in Upington, side by side with the fridge

[GavinW]

A potential Lionday becomes spotty.

We headed off along the Auob River in the middle of the day, trying to kill time and not really expecting to see anything in the 35 degree mid day sun.

True to form what we did see was a really flat lion at Houmoed.
If this isn’t a flat cat then nothing is.



This Snake eagle was a bit more alert, probably because it is a bit lower down on the food chain.



Between Kamfersboom and Auchterlonie the cheetah mom and her cubs which we had seen over the past few days had made their way a bit further south once more.
We would see them again one more time on our trip. In the meantime, they were out and about again.
Well not really, they were hiding from the sun under a tree





We stopped for lunch at Aucheterlonie, and then returned to Twee Rivieren where we collected our truant gas bottles before setting off back to camp at Rooiputs.

Along the way some kind gentleman told us that there were 2 cheetah close to the road just past the 20km signboard near Rooiputs
He was true to his word.




We were not sure if they were the same two cheetah which we had seen the day before.
I was sceptical as these two were a male and a smaller female, whilst those yesterday appeared to be two males, although they were really far away so I wasn’t sure.

We sat with them for a while, but they were fast asleep, so we returned to camp for a break
After a relaxing nap and shower, it was about 5 pm when we returned to the couple

They hadn’t moved



We spent about two hours with them, and after awhile, they decided to move onto the road









Whilst on the road, they flirted with the cars around them



Before giving us our own private sighting once the rif raf had left to return to Twee Rivieren

We had them on our own for about 20 minutes before we too needed to return to camp








The lighting at the sighting was at it’s best, and the subjects were not too shabby either











The cheetah eventually moved over the road





and we needed to leave the sighting

We had an early braai that night super excited at the afternoon's sighting



The Rooiputs sunset also did not disappoint and we went to bed very content with the world

[nan]

wow fantastic

Cheetahs and pictures of course

and

[Mel]

Oh, WOW, Gavin, you have so many more fantastic photos of the cheetahs

Now, first of all: This is a VERY interesting sighting. And listen up, nan, you'll like it

The female cheetah is Stella, one of Star's three cubs that have only been reported / seen / posted two times before.
And the gentleman is Fancy So, if Stella has cubs in the near future we can at least think, that Fancy is their dad.

But... Fancy looks extremely thin... Hope it's only down to the mating period and he would have soon taken up chasing, killing
and feeding himself again.

Either way, it's a grand sighting

[nan]

wow Stella... "our" Cheetah
nice to see her (she) again

[Lisbeth]

It cannot get any better

[GavinW]

If it’s Monday, it must be lion day

Our last morning at Rooiputs and our plan was, as had become the norm , was to go for a drive up north for a while, before returning to Rooiputs mid morning to break down camp.

We were moving to Twee Rivieren for our final night before returning home to Cape Town

The drive started on a high note with a couple of Cape Foxes playing in the road as we left the Rooiputs campsite



This scrub hare also wanted to be in the action, so we took his photo as well



A final Rooiputs sunrise which gives the impression of the dune being alight on the crest of the dune



Along the way, this lanner falcon was parked off in the middle of the road



As were this jackal family.



Kij Kij waterhole delivered yet again.
A lioness and two sub adults were lying on the right hand side of the road.
She was giving out soft contact calls.



They eventually got up and moved over to the water on the left



We spent a wonderful 30 minutes with them before the Twee Rivieren crowd started to arrive



The youngsters were very active and a joy to watch






After a while they returned to the other side of the road and they started settling down, still contact calling



We decided to carry on north for a bit and about a kilometre further on, this large male was obviously responding to his lady’s calls and was heading back towards the others




We followed him as he strode down the valley







He eventually met up with the others





And they all settled down in the grass on the dunes east of the Kij Kij waterhole

[GavinW]

We extend our stay

We decided to leave the lion family as things on the road were becoming a little too hectic for our liking

A little further on a smaller carnivore family was out and about, and also in a playful mood






We really enjoyed watching them as they played in the branches







This tiny springbok could not have been much older than a few days



We drove all the way up to Gunong, and saw pretty much nothing.

So we turned around and went back to Rooiputs
Just before camp, this old man was having a snooze (how unusual!)



We struck down camp and drove down to Twee Rivieren
Saw a couple more tortoises



As well as this martial skulking in the grass



Not too sure what this plant is.



And at Samevloeiing, these chicks stole the show



We got to Twee Rivieren, there was no petrol, but we had lots, and we checked into our chalet
Then impulsively I asked. “Is there any accommodation for tomorrow night?”
“Yes” was the reply
Say no more, we weren’t going home in the morning.