Back to Mountain Zebra

[PJL]

We started our third day in the park hearing lions roaring up and down the valley. It was difficult to pinpoint where they were so we first planned a quick trip to Doornhoek to see if they were there. Unfortunately there were no cats but we did see a couple of grey rhebok in the distance



We trundled a bit further up the valley without spotting much so we turned round and decided to head along the main road onto Ubejane before heading up the Link Road, hoping that the roaring might have been coming from somewhere along there. Again everything was quiet and we didn't really see much before calling in again at the bat-eared foxes who were out sunning themselves near the den





There were four others out on the other side of the road in various places... there's even one in this scenic shot



Further on the link road we spotted some ground squirrels close to the road



At the waterhole by the end of the link road we found a mixture of game milling around



Some of the zebras were in a crazy mood

[Alf]

[Flutterby]

Funny zebra!!

[Lisbeth]

The zebras look really "crazy" and when they show their big teeth they can be quite scary

[Richprins]

What weird animals in that park, Peej!

Interesting zebs and rhebuck are difficult to see?

[Mel]

Those crazy zebras made for great photographie

The rhebok sighting is quite special. They always keep their distance

BEF again and those cute squirrels are usually always good for watching and snapping pix

...but sometimes the kids demand more than empty space

[PJL]

Funny zebra!!

Crazy beasts! Normally it's the wildebeest that go nuts like that... maybe silliness was catching

The zebras look really "crazy" and when they show their big teeth they can be quite scary

There were a few kicks as well Lis - wouldn't like to be on the receiving end that's for sure!

What weird animals in that park, Peej!

Interesting zebs and rhebuck are difficult to see?

We've often seen rhebok up that valley, but normally much further up away from civilisation

Those crazy zebras made for great photographie

The rhebok sighting is quite special. They always keep their distance

BEF again and those cute squirrels are usually always good for watching and snapping pix

...but sometimes the kids demand more than empty space

Thanks Mel, yep the BEF was a good stop off point the rest of the trip as we knew they would probably be around the den

[PJL]

As we still hadn't managed to find the roaring lions we decided to go up Rooiplaat and down towards camp before going up the Umgeni 4x4 trail as that was about the only area we hadn't yet checked. On Rooiplaat we chatted to some people in another car who said that there was a male lion next to the road on the Kranskop link back towards camp - we had obviously chosen the wrong morning route! Not to worry... the spot wasn't far away but when we got there we couldn't find any sign of him

After some very good spotting we figured out the bush he was lying under but it was about 2km away so impossible for photos. We found out later that he had indeed been lying by the road but had got up and wandered off before we arrived

Umgeni was generally quiet but we managed to spot a rock monitor that ran away and hid itself well in a bush



Once at the top of the trail the kids wanted to head back past the BEF den in case there was any sign of little ones. I think we must have been a few days early for their introduction to the big wide world, but one of the adults was still around



Down on Ubejane loop we found more ground squirrels, and by now it was getting seriously hot. They had an ingenious way of coping with the head by digging down to cooler sand and then shading themselves with their tails





There isn't much shade at the campsite, so we decided to try out the day visitors picnic site which had a pool and braai areas in some shade - perfect for a day when the temperature was heading towards 40 degrees. Along the way at Doornhoek there was a mixture of animals including ostrich, baboons, springbok & zebra





Scenes from the day visitors picnic area... a very refreshing place, but the monkeys were a pest





Lunch was a good success and we'll use that venue again I'm sure! After plenty of swimming to cool down we popped back to the main camp to go swim there for a bit before the afternoon drive. We started out in some serious heat



Most of the animals seemed to be trying to copy the ground squirrel's trick and stay close to the ground









Our drive was out along Sonnenrust again, but whilst travelling along that way the weather changed drastically with the wind really pumping. There was so much dust in the air that it looked like we were in fog

Towards the end of the loop we found a big herd of gemsbok braving the dust





On the road we even stumbled across a tortoise - first time we've ever seen one in MZNP!



Meanwhile the BEF at the den had the right idea trying its best to duck the weather conditions



We were back at camp with quite a bit of time to spare so we popped over to Doornhoek where our last sighting of the day was an eland quite close to the road

[Lisbeth]

Along the way at Doornhoek there was a mixture of animals including ostrich, baboons, springbok & zebra

You've forgotten the geese

44° is + The only place to stay is in the car with the aircon on

[Richprins]

More variety even, Peej!

Those baboons look much more shaggy...more cold there but not on that day?

What kind of tortoise is that?

Heat!