Privatization of Activities in Kruger Park

[Lisbeth]

They are making themselves ridiculous

[Peter Betts]

Why do they want to outsource the morning drives, I wonder

Because of Pathetic Untrained SANparks drivers ..Like Grizelda at Lower Sabie who ruined a brilliant sighting of a Cheetah and cub near Duke waterhole..I had parked quietly as they played in the road in front of me and the brilliant sunrise sun behind me ..The mother hangs as an A1 canvas in my lounge ..I was the Only car there which is amazing considering the area I was in ..Then I heard the truck engine approaching at speed about 800 metres away ..The bend into the straight where I was parked was 120 metres in front of me ..So I switched my lights on waiting for the invisible but noisy truck to round the corner in front of me ..Then it rounded the corner ...one of those big 30 seaters on the Morning drive out of Lower Sabie ....I flashed my lights and waved my arms out the window ..any person with a basic education would know hey those Cheetah up front are important to the light flasher and would stop and let their guests see them in a relaxed way in the road ..No on it came without slowing ..Cheetah ran for it far into the long grass of that area but still visible 100 metres into the veld .. She braked hard next to me and said 'Nice Cheetah ' I let RIP and told her that if someone flashes their lights it means slow down and STOP' ..The glazed look came over her eyes .. Non comprehendo !!! I asked for her name and reported her to the LS Section Ranger who was equally disinterested ..Now where is the Phalaborwa Gate again ..No good thing they are replacing non Professionals with FGASA guides

[Peter Betts]

Pic of the Cheetah Mother fleeing the approaching truck

[Peter Betts]

Pic of the Cheetah Mother fleeing the approaching truck

Sitting Cheetah Duke.jpg

Scared Cheetah.jpg

[Lisbeth]

No pics in the second post

[Richprins]

Ai, Peter! One can't deny other humans their rights!

Nice sighting!

[Peter Betts]

No Rich ..The Tourists on the Truck would have had a perfect view had she stopped 50- 60 metres before and switched off ..Yes they were looking right into the sun but thats because of fate ...So Grizelda denied them their rights by blatently chasing the sighting away

Yes it was a great sighting until Miss Job Misfit arrived and wrecked it for me and her guests

[graham]

..No good thing they are replacing non Professionals with FGASA guides

Now did you mean
"..No good thing, they are..."
or
"..No, good thing they are..."


and why would outsourced drivers be any better (based on the behaviour of some of the OSV cowboys)?

But I agree that with outsourced drivers that cheetah would never have run away. In a flash, it would have been encircled by radio connected OSVs with nowhere to go.

Great picture that you have. It is all about the moment.

[Flutterby]

And it's all about the guide. We were watching a leopard right next to the road on the Red Rocks loop...also the only vehicle there. We could here a big truck approaching - also the afternoon drive vehicle. As they rounded the bend my dad waved his arm out the window and he slowed right down and stopped a respectable distance away. We all watched the leopard together for another 5 minutes or so until it decided to leave. The driver then came up next to us and thanked us profusely for warning him to slow down and giving him and his guests a fantastic sighting.

[Richprins]