Browns in Kruger October 2018
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
1st Lower Sabie to Talamati
We were moving to Talamati today and with the 2pm book in we were prepared for a long day, so the Cow loaded plenty snacks to keep the rats stomachs quiet, but I wasn’t doing the H10 again, therefore the plan was the H4-1/H12/H1-2/H1-3/S126 stopping at Muzandzeni picnic site and then on to Talamati.
As it was the 1st of October the camp gates opened at 5:30am, but we only left camp around 6am due to the car packing mission, however our timing was still right for some of the Lubyelubye lion gang as about 1km past the rocks the aunty below was strolling down the road and a male was walking along parallel to her but in the bush next to the road.
Both lions then moved down towards the riverbed, but kept walking and the Cow and I both chirped at the same time “they are going to Lubyelubye rocks”, so I turned and headed back to the little dirt loop next to the rocks.
There was already a car full of young dudes parked off in the loop which got my teenage clan more interested in what was in the car than looking for the arrival of the lions, but I was getting irritated because they had parked in the main spot, however they were facing the wrong way for a view of the rocks, so we reversed in behind them and waited.
Minutes later the male and female lion pulled in and parked off.
We were moving to Talamati today and with the 2pm book in we were prepared for a long day, so the Cow loaded plenty snacks to keep the rats stomachs quiet, but I wasn’t doing the H10 again, therefore the plan was the H4-1/H12/H1-2/H1-3/S126 stopping at Muzandzeni picnic site and then on to Talamati.
As it was the 1st of October the camp gates opened at 5:30am, but we only left camp around 6am due to the car packing mission, however our timing was still right for some of the Lubyelubye lion gang as about 1km past the rocks the aunty below was strolling down the road and a male was walking along parallel to her but in the bush next to the road.
- 1.jpg (76.26 KiB) Viewed 305 times
- 2.jpg (89.8 KiB) Viewed 305 times
- 3.jpg (151.49 KiB) Viewed 305 times
Both lions then moved down towards the riverbed, but kept walking and the Cow and I both chirped at the same time “they are going to Lubyelubye rocks”, so I turned and headed back to the little dirt loop next to the rocks.
There was already a car full of young dudes parked off in the loop which got my teenage clan more interested in what was in the car than looking for the arrival of the lions, but I was getting irritated because they had parked in the main spot, however they were facing the wrong way for a view of the rocks, so we reversed in behind them and waited.
Minutes later the male and female lion pulled in and parked off.
- 4.jpg (107.22 KiB) Viewed 305 times
- 5.jpg (135.87 KiB) Viewed 305 times
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
Both lion went to sleep and sleeping lions can become boring quickly so I started up to leave, but the car of young dudes also started up, so I waited for them to pull off and then followed.
About 500m down the road the Cow said “I don’t think those guys even spotted the lion as they were looking the wrong way the entire time we were in the loop”
About 500m further the young dudes stopped to look at some waterbuck in the riverbed and Hawkeyes plus Bushpig started chirping “Ask them Dad”, but I think they had a hidden agenda; however I pulled up next to them and chirped “Did you guys see the lion back there on the rocks”
I got blank surprised faces for 5 seconds and then the one said “@#%, NO”, so I informed them that the lion were still sleeping on the rocks next to the dirt loop they were just parked in, so they thanked us, turned and I watched them charging down the road back to Lubyelubye in my mirror and then we all packed up laughing.
The rest of the H4-1/H12 produced more of the usual animals, but we only stopped for pics of an SBS and a Bateleur.
As we neared the area where the leopard cubs had been around a few days earlier I started to plot as numerous people we know had been trying plenty times a day since and nobody had seen them. Just before the S36 turnoff from the H1-2 there’s a little dirt loop coming off the H1-2 called the S84 which joins up with the S36 after 2km, virtually at the H1-2/S36 junction, so we decided to take that little dirt loop.
As we neared a little drainage line halfway down the S84 we spotted a car stopped so slowed next to them and they informed us that they had seen what they thought was a leopard cub in the bush but now couldn’t see it, so I reversed and pulled in behind them and we all started searching on the right hand side in the bush.
After 5 minutes of searching every bush with binoculars I was sure we weren’t going to be lucky, but that changed in seconds as the rats and the Cow frantically started whispering
“THERE!” “Oh Wow”
I was about to lose it “What, where!” but immediately spotted that the Cow and rats where looking out the left hand side of the car and almost straight down.
There have been a few sightings in the past which have caused Brown clan “brain tilt” and this was one of them, because sitting in the grass right next to the road and opposite my front left wheel was a tiny leopard cub and for 5 seconds we all just sat still in disbelief. The cub had ducked through a drain under the road, hence was now on the left hand side.
Suddenly pics came to mind
“@#%, take pics!”
It was now chaos with the rats all fighting over 1 window in the back and I was begging the Cow to use my camera instead of her point and shoot
“I can’t use your camera!”
“But it’s much better!”
“NO!”
The Cow was frantically juggling her point and shoot with a video camera and I was losing my marbles because I could only photograph through the window of the car which had me plotting to jump on the Cow’s lap, but that probably would have resulted in a flatty to the ear, so the window was the only option.
About 500m down the road the Cow said “I don’t think those guys even spotted the lion as they were looking the wrong way the entire time we were in the loop”
About 500m further the young dudes stopped to look at some waterbuck in the riverbed and Hawkeyes plus Bushpig started chirping “Ask them Dad”, but I think they had a hidden agenda; however I pulled up next to them and chirped “Did you guys see the lion back there on the rocks”
I got blank surprised faces for 5 seconds and then the one said “@#%, NO”, so I informed them that the lion were still sleeping on the rocks next to the dirt loop they were just parked in, so they thanked us, turned and I watched them charging down the road back to Lubyelubye in my mirror and then we all packed up laughing.
The rest of the H4-1/H12 produced more of the usual animals, but we only stopped for pics of an SBS and a Bateleur.
- 6.jpg (196.4 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 7.jpg (125.12 KiB) Viewed 304 times
As we neared the area where the leopard cubs had been around a few days earlier I started to plot as numerous people we know had been trying plenty times a day since and nobody had seen them. Just before the S36 turnoff from the H1-2 there’s a little dirt loop coming off the H1-2 called the S84 which joins up with the S36 after 2km, virtually at the H1-2/S36 junction, so we decided to take that little dirt loop.
As we neared a little drainage line halfway down the S84 we spotted a car stopped so slowed next to them and they informed us that they had seen what they thought was a leopard cub in the bush but now couldn’t see it, so I reversed and pulled in behind them and we all started searching on the right hand side in the bush.
After 5 minutes of searching every bush with binoculars I was sure we weren’t going to be lucky, but that changed in seconds as the rats and the Cow frantically started whispering
“THERE!” “Oh Wow”
I was about to lose it “What, where!” but immediately spotted that the Cow and rats where looking out the left hand side of the car and almost straight down.
There have been a few sightings in the past which have caused Brown clan “brain tilt” and this was one of them, because sitting in the grass right next to the road and opposite my front left wheel was a tiny leopard cub and for 5 seconds we all just sat still in disbelief. The cub had ducked through a drain under the road, hence was now on the left hand side.
Suddenly pics came to mind
“@#%, take pics!”
It was now chaos with the rats all fighting over 1 window in the back and I was begging the Cow to use my camera instead of her point and shoot
“I can’t use your camera!”
“But it’s much better!”
“NO!”
The Cow was frantically juggling her point and shoot with a video camera and I was losing my marbles because I could only photograph through the window of the car which had me plotting to jump on the Cow’s lap, but that probably would have resulted in a flatty to the ear, so the window was the only option.
- 8.jpg (191.03 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 9.jpg (196.63 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 10.jpg (203.15 KiB) Viewed 304 times
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
Suddenly the cub ducked under the car in front of us and disappeared, so we were all trying our best to look over my car bonnet and under the car in front of us when a little head poked out from behind their right back wheel, but again we couldn’t get pics except through the car window, so I aimed my camera out the window, took a guess on the angle and focus because I couldn’t get behind the view finder and pushed the button, but the camera click scared the cub back under the car and my focus/angle guess was wrong, much to my horror, and the pic was blurred.
Seconds went by and then the cub popped out on the road again next to our front wheel. He hovered around very interested in a smell from our tyre and then he decided it was enough exploring and ducked off into the bush and out of sight.
- 11.jpg (142.15 KiB) Viewed 304 times
Seconds went by and then the cub popped out on the road again next to our front wheel. He hovered around very interested in a smell from our tyre and then he decided it was enough exploring and ducked off into the bush and out of sight.
- 12.jpg (166.39 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 13.jpg (173.32 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 13A.jpg (201.65 KiB) Viewed 304 times
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
- 14.jpg (205.45 KiB) Viewed 304 times
- 15.jpg (215.15 KiB) Viewed 304 times
I probably would have sat there the entire day with the hope the cub would appear again, but we had to get to Talamati and we still had a long way to go, therefore after another half an hour of no movement or sounds in the bush we continued on.
To be continued
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
Such a cute and small Leopard cub, Bushcraft - WoW 
and even so close and curious
Was mom not around?
and even so close and curious
Was mom not around?PuMbAa
Please visit our website: www.photomaniacs.de
Please visit our website: www.photomaniacs.de
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
i just love the female saddlebilled stork.
they are near-threatened
they are near-threatened
the future is not what it used to be
-
Flutterby
- Posts: 44029
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:28 pm
- Country: South Africa
- Location: Gauteng, South Africa
- Contact:
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
Wow, what a beautiful cub and an amazing sighting!! Not to mention all your other sightings...but leopards do take the cake!
Although leachy seems to think otherwise!
Not to mention all your other sightings...but leopards do take the cake! Although leachy seems to think otherwise!
-
Richprins
- Committee Member
- Posts: 75363
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
- Location: NELSPRUIT
- Contact:
Re: Browns in Kruger October 2018
Once in a lifetime, BC! 
I wonder if it is this bunch?: https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... &start=430
I looove the cub under the car, what a moment!
Girls must wear shoes at all times!
I wonder if it is this bunch?: https://www.africawild-forum.com/viewto ... &start=430
I looove the cub under the car, what a moment!
Girls must wear shoes at all times!
Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596