Flavour of the Month - March 2013: Mooiplaas Waterhole

[Richprins]

From a 2013 aat report:

I left Mopani camp and always curious about what to find at the Mooiplaas waterhole I took this little road towards the waterhole.
I could not believe it but after 400 meters I saw something at the right side of the road…. And guess… who was walking there ?

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Was this the same cheetah or the friend / brother ? I was almost sure it was the same one.
I followed him and after some time he crossed the road in front of me

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I could hear him calling … that special cheetah call so still searching….
And like the other day walking towards a roadsign to check….

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While checking and sniffeling ..he was looking around to all directions and thanks for looking at me too

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He really took his time to check the signpost

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and

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Sitting, standing up , turning…. Restless … “Where is my friend / brother ??”

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Time to get a nice close up of this beautiful cheetah

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Moment of thinking…. Sitting and thinking… where …where…where is he

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Could not resist to make another close up… It doesn’t happen every day a cheetah is so close to you and posing

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Enough of checking… so he left the signpost to continue his search…

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In the big field again but where to go…?

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Break…..
I lost him in the bush and continued my trip to Tihongonyeni and stayed there for some time. After a few hours I returned to Mooiplaas and ………….


A very big smile on my face.
You always hope for a happy end and yessss…. There they are together again
Just in front of the Mooiplaas waterhole … I must say there were some tears in my eyes

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A happy end of a search … I never forget this and the calls of the cheetah… desperate calls

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A last view before they moved on into the bush

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https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... =46&t=1591

[Richprins]

From a BluTuna story, 2014:

At Mooiplaas Waterhole Kaleka was off to the left as we approached.



He then joined Marhumbini (who'd moved quite a distance from Tsendze the previous day)



And Ngodzi (I think)



For a group photo!

The Three Amigos!




There were some other Eles around too.

https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... 7&start=80

[Richprins]

Close to Mooiplaas Water Hole and LBR was on the sign-block looking decidedly ruffled!



Ngodzi was in attendance again along with a couple of others.



More contrails - X marks the spot!


And yet more buffs, very close and in superb light.






Plus passengers, Redbilled and Yellowbilled Oxpeckers.



Sunset.

[Richprins]

Kruger Sightings
‏Verified account @LatestKruger
18h18 hours ago

12:48
Mother cheetah and 3 cubs stationary right next to the road
Mooiplaas Loop, 1.5km N of the H1-6 N entrance
Near Mopani
Vis 5/5
Tinged by Riaan - Embrace Africa Safaris

[Richprins]

[Alf]

And we visited this waterhole so many times during our 8 days at Mopani and never seen lions there

[Richprins]

A nice visit by Pumbaa in 2015:

A short flying visit to Mooiplaas is also always a must and we were not disappointed to have done this detour as our first attention applied to a huge herd of elands who were about to reunite and started to walk away from the waterhole. Unfortunately once again they were a bit far away for some decent shots on top lots of elephant bulls either were on the way to the water point or even had quenched their thirst and joined the elands on their walk back into the bush.



Meanwhile this is the third year in a row when we saw eland in Kruger and all sightings were a bit too far away but at least we saw them and hopefully one day we get the chance to get some closer shots of them.



Lots of crowned lapwings were running around on the ground

but our eyes went always back to the masses of elands who after quite a while disappeared between the bushes.



We even spotted a tsessebe who gladly came closer



and for sure a herd of zebras was also around out of which a little one was doing some dust rolling whilst the adults just shacked their heads about the activity of the foal.



We always had an eye on the elephant bulls out of which one came threatening closer and closer



and who needed an extensive dust bath.



A couple of giraffe heads were popping out the mopane bushes a bit farer away but we still enjoyed the zebras on one side of the road and the elephants on the other side



and finally the zebra mum tried the same things which her offspring only did recently.

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=5578&start=120

[Richprins]

Kruger Sightings
‏Verified account @LatestKruger
3m3 minutes ago

10:00
2 Cheetahs lying
“Sat till11:00, still in the same spot”
S49, by Mooiplass S50
4/5
Tinged by Alberto - Matimba bush lodge

[Richprins]

steamtrainfan in 2018:

Back at Mooiplaas in the late afternoon. This is Kaleka.







The lengths one has to go to in order to get a drink.

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=8049&start=90

[Richprins]

Kruger Sightings
‏Verified account @LatestKruger
18h18 hours ago

4:55 pm
3 cheetahs stationary
S49, by the Mooiplaas waterhole
5/5
Near Mopani
Tinged by MegSauer