Africa Wild

Both parties moved so fast, which caught us napping, and we stuffed most of the pics up, however Albert got 1 pic towards the end of the chase that wasn’t blurred.

All the lions crossed the road to follow the one that was charging around, so I immediately started the car and ducked towards the beta dirt loop, which runs parallel to the H4-1, but deeper in the bush. The beta loop splits into 2 roads, and we took the road that takes you further from the H4-1.

The others at the sighting obviously weren’t as familiar with the area and it was only Nadav who had the same idea as us, so we both had freedom to position ourselves for the approaching lions and in minutes all 10 faulty looking lions came cruising along and pasted between our 2 cars.

The lions then chose a spot around 20m from the road to lay down, so I started plotting the leopard kill from earlier again and after a brief negotiation we headed off that direction, but as we approached the H4-1/H11 split a car waved at us, so I stopped. It was a German family on their 1st trip to KNP and they wanted some advice, so I asked them if they wanted to see lion, which caused great excitement in the car, therefore we turned, told them to follow us and “dropped” them off at the sleeping lions before heading towards Kruger Gate.

We arrived at the leopard spot with limited time to spare but the kill hadn’t been touched, however after some quick scanning of the riverbed we found the small teenager hiding out, so snapped a few high ISO proof pics before heading back to Skukuza.


I developed a major pelican later while braaiing as our neighbours had purchased hundreds of glow sticks for their kids, dressed them up with them and then they roared around shrieking their heads off. My patience with it lasted around 30 minutes and then I lit them up with my spotlight which seemed to make the point known and the parents got off their bums to control them.

Just to go back to the wet lions that were full of mud as I’m interested in the opinions of the experienced people on this forum because I believe that this particular pride has been seen covered in mud a few times. While we were at Skukuza a night drive guide even thought for a second that he had found a black leopard at first while following one of the lionesses that was completely covered in mud. (Some may have seen those pics from the night drive on latest sightings). I have heard theories that they have learnt to roll in the mud for temperature/pest control and others say they have learnt to hunt barbel.


To be continued

This must be one of the most informative and entertaining episodes I've ever read on a trip report, Bushy!

Very interesting stuff indeed!

Firstly, how time has flown indeed regarding the girls...

The lion interaction with the doggies is amazing, but quite normal.

I have no idea about the mud, doubt it is fishing as the river doesn't have barbel pools.

Maybe they just cross the river a lot for territory purposes, seem more wet than muddy, or were hunting barbel in a pan somewhere, it is that time of year, but I doubt it. They were obviously coming from the river?

I've never seen or heard of them cooling off in water at all.

The most alien-looking lions that I have ever seen RP had the same idea, only that I was about to say: "they have learnt to catch catfish" The first one looks very skinny though.

Now you even use long-distance calls to find sightings

Glow sticks in Kruger

The Lovely young Leopard is great and Sable a bit further back .Still a missing sighting for us will need to try Talamati -do like that area .

What a great Dog Faulty Lion sighting . We have had a few Lion sightings along that stretch of road and a couple of them involve the Lions crossing the river to hunt .I suspect they have learnt to use the river as a way to approach prey from an unexpected direction . On our second last trip we had a group slightly smaller than this near LS using the river to stalk Impala .But just wow to see them stalking dogs not nice for the cow watch but still exciting

Richprins wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 6:01 pm This must be one of the most informative and entertaining episodes I've ever read on a trip report, Bushy!

Very interesting stuff indeed!

Firstly, how time has flown indeed regarding the girls...

The lion interaction with the doggies is amazing, but quite normal.

I have no idea about the mud, doubt it is fishing as the river doesn't have barbel pools.

Maybe they just cross the river a lot for territory purposes, seem more wet than muddy, or were hunting barbel in a pan somewhere, it is that time of year, but I doubt it. They were obviously coming from the river?

I've never seen or heard of them cooling off in water at all.

RP

Ja, the years have flown

I watched an interview that Nadav did with a ranger from Mala Mala last year about a lioness that started spending the hot days laying in the river and then her cubs started doing the same, her next cubs the same, but she only had males that survived, so those males still park off in the river on hot days, but males don't teach new cubs

Lisbeth wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 6:34 pm The most alien-looking lions that I have ever seen RP had the same idea, only that I was about to say: "they have learnt to catch catfish" The first one looks very skinny though.

Now you even use long-distance calls to find sightings

Glow sticks in Kruger

Thanks for posting again Lisbeth

Alien-looking A few were very skinny

Hawkeyes helped us out with that sighting, we owe her

RogerFraser wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:03 pm The Lovely young Leopard is great and Sable a bit further back .Still a missing sighting for us will need to try Talamati -do like that area .

What a great Dog Faulty Lion sighting . We have had a few Lion sightings along that stretch of road and a couple of them involve the Lions crossing the river to hunt .I suspect they have learnt to use the river as a way to approach prey from an unexpected direction . On our second last trip we had a group slightly smaller than this near LS using the river to stalk Impala .But just wow to see them stalking dogs not nice for the cow watch but still exciting

We almost always score with Sable on the S145, about 2km to 5km from the S36, but at 1st light. They used to drink frequently at the dam in front of Talamati camp, seen an entire herd of them drink there. Seen them a few times at Nhlanguleni picnic spot, on the S36 between Nhlanguleni picnic spot and the H1-2, H1-2 Kruger tablets area, H12 and S30. Your luck will change, especially if you visit the Talamati area in late winter

The lion/dog story was exciting, I saw that you guys had a lion take an impala if my memory is correct

Richprins wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 6:01 pm
Maybe they just cross the river a lot for territory purposes, seem more wet than muddy, or were hunting barbel in a pan somewhere, it is that time of year, but I doubt it. They were obviously coming from the river?

They were back in the river the next morning, but in thick grass, we took a pic of 1 that is in the open and moved on