Flavour of the Month Jan 2012: Mazithi Dam

[Penga Ndlovu]

This is how the dam was less than a month ago:

[Penga Ndlovu]

I was there 5 weeks before that and it was full, full full.

[Richprins]

A 2015 Bushcraft sighting:

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=6134&start=10

Picture and sound only returned to our car about 1km before Mazithi Dam, but it was short lived because as we pulled up next to the dam I spotted a leopard walking into the bush on the other side of the dam wall through the Cow’s passenger window.

“Leopard! There! Take pics!”

The rest of the family unfortunately couldn’t see it which resulted in my normal over the top uncontrolled “leopard explosion”

“It’s moving! Quickly! Are you all blind?”

I couldn’t get to it with my camera without jumping on top of the Cow, but just as I was about to do that, the leopard disappeared into the bush, which in hindsight is probably fortunate because the Cow would have gone into attack mode.

I had seen the “direction of travel” though, so roared forward 50m and pulled over.

5 minutes later the leopard cruised out again and started sneaking towards us.









Others had also spotted the leopard, so the crowd was growing, which resulted in the leopard hitting the brakes. He parked off for 2 minutes checking the scene out and then turned and ducked back into the bush.



We had a plot though as the clan were tracking the leopard through the bush and it became clear it was moving north, so we drove another 50m up the road and switched off at the far northern end of the dam, which was away from the crowd that had gathered.

Some waterbuck provided a distraction while we sat waiting.



Suddenly the Cow shrieked “it’s coming out”, which reminded me of Bushpig’s birth, so I got the shivers first and then went into “leopard hypo mode” again.

“Take pics!”



The leopard hit the brakes again though and then ran off towards the riverbed and out of sight.



Most of the crowd was still gathered at the original spot around 50m away waiting for the leopard. I suppose it’s easy to get caught if one takes one’s eyes off a leopard for a second; hopefully they soon realized it was gone.

[Richprins]

Kruger Sightings
‏Verified account @LatestKruger
23h23 hours ago

06:00
3 Cheetahs chasing a duiker, then a waterbuck
H1-3, Mazithi dam 15km N of Tshokwane
Vis crossing road 5/5
Tinged by Annemarie du Plessis Wildlife Photography

[Richprins]

[Flutterby]

I'm sure we saw these same ellies on Sunday.

[Richprins]

Kruger Sightings
‏Verified account @LatestKruger
21h21 hours ago

10:04
Elephants playing in water and buffalo
H1-3, Mazithi dam, 9km north of Tshokwane
Vis 5/5
Tinged by flip and hanlie

[Richprins]

A 2016 video by LionBuffalo:



https://youtu.be/2hJ35O_ivO0


viewtopic.php?f=46&t=6833

[Lisbeth]

[Flutterby]