Browns in Kruger September 2024

[Bushcraft]

WoW Bushcraft,

as even one leopard would not have been enough but you even got 3 even in the same tree

What an incredible sighting

Thanks Pumbaa

It was an awesome sighting

We have only ever seen 3 leopard in a tree once before, surprisingly also on the H4-1 and a kill was also involved.

[Bushcraft]

6th September Skukuza to Biyamiti continued

Next up was a tiny tortoise in the road and unfortunately this pic was taken seconds before it lost its life. An approaching car drove over it, even though we were waving at them to pay attention and we were clearly photographing something in the road. Plenty shouting followed, but the doff blind idiots in the offending vehicle just sped off, however watching this happen right next to us changed our jovial “leopard mood” instantly. Fortunately, a hippo cruising around next to the road and then some buffalo distracted us, however we were seriously pissed off with the driver of the other vehicle.

18.jpg (133 KiB) Viewed 216 times

19.jpg (225.65 KiB) Viewed 216 times

20.jpg (190.31 KiB) Viewed 216 times

As we arrived at N’watimhiri Dam just before the H4-1/S21 intersection we got a major shock and the adrenalin was charging once again because a leopard was busy killing an impala in the grass between the dam and the thick bush. The impala was still kicking so we had missed the actual leopard stalk by seconds. I had the normal rush of blood to the head and overreacted again.

“LEOPARD! KILL!.....It’s killing an impala! Where’s the camera! ^Y%&”

By the time we were organised with the camera and starting shooting, the leopard had finished off the impala and was looking around, then she gripped the impala and dragged it into the thick bush. I expected her to battle a little due to the size of the impala relative to her size, but she made light work of it and the only view we had in seconds was an impala eye through the bush that we battled to focus on.

21.jpg (192.19 KiB) Viewed 216 times

[Bushcraft]

22.jpg (230.6 KiB) Viewed 216 times

23.jpg (224.34 KiB) Viewed 216 times

24.jpg (256.08 KiB) Viewed 216 times

We hung around for half an hour with the hope that the leopard would hoist it’s kill into a nearby tree, however the impala eye never moved much, the crowd was starting to build up and only leopard spots were visible through the bush, so we moved on. (Unbeknown to us, this was our last leopard sighting for the trip and if I had known that at the time, we may have sat there waiting for much longer).

It had been a crazy leopard morning on the H4-1 and it felt like we had been on the road a full day already even though it was only mid-morning, so I was keen to get down to the Biyamiti area and out of the crowd, but we stopped just outside Lower Sabie as the large buffalo herd that had been in the area the day before was still around, so we checked everywhere for the Lubyelubye lion pride, but couldn’t find them.

25.jpg (170.67 KiB) Viewed 216 times

[Bushcraft]

We stopped briefly at Lower Sabie for a loo break and then continued down the H4-2/H5/S108/S25 to the S139 Biyamiti road. We stopped at times for the normal locals, but we didn’t take any pics.

Once we entered the private S139 I instantly started to relax further as we have never experienced crowds on this road, even in school holidays. We cruised down to the Biyamiti viewpoint for a leg stretch and to chow some snacks, but there wasn’t much happening in front of the view point, so I was soon bored, therefore we decided to head to camp even though we were around an hour early for book in.

The camp reception was locked when we arrived and there was a note on the door with a list of names and keys. This seems to be “Biyamiti’s way of doing things” currently because last year it was the same process, so we grabbed our keys and ducked to unpack.

After unpacking and some relaxing, I did a brief walk along the camp fence and there were plenty birds hanging around, so I went back to our unit to grab the Cow because of her love for birds.

26.jpg (106.31 KiB) Viewed 216 times

27.jpg (154.54 KiB) Viewed 216 times

28.jpg (92.84 KiB) Viewed 216 times

After our bird walk, we just relaxed at our unit while watching some ellies in the riverbed.

29.jpg (200.6 KiB) Viewed 216 times

[Bushcraft]

30.jpg (180.09 KiB) Viewed 216 times

As we had booked in around an hour early, we were ready to do another drive at around 3:30pm, so we sat with the map book to plot a route. After some negotiation, we settled on taking the S139 to the Biyamiti weir and then to go down the S114 to the S118/S119/James Pan intersection to see what was happening in that area before returning to camp via the same route.

To be continued

[Flutterby]

Terrible to see an animal being killed by humans!!

Another amazing leopard sighting!! The H4-1 really delivered for you!

[Dzombo]

@Bushcraft,

We also checked into Talamti the same way.
The keys and check in forms were on the counter. Signed the form and left it, took the keys and went to our unit. Very straight forward

Also saw an idiot run over a Burchells Coucal.
And the d**s looked all innocent when we stopped at the lion sighting a few meters on and I told him off

[Lisbeth]

Roadkills are often committed by people who work in the park. They are late and obviously don't care about the animals When in a park, you are supposed to look where you are going and always give way to the fauna.

More leopards
They are incredibly strong

Lovely birds especially the Cardinal woodpecker

[Pumbaa]

Must say that tortoise in the middle of the road are often extreme good visible although one can mistaken same with a pile of elephant poo but as we also never would overrun any elephant droppings cannot understand such a behaviour

Once again what an amazing leopard sighting Bushcraft Also love the birds you met inside the camp and the large buffalo herd

[Bushcraft]

Thanks Flutts, Dzombo, Lisbeth & Pumbaa for reading and commenting on this episode