Paradise under stress: KTP October 2019

[Klipspringer]

You have some special owl-finder magic

[Mel]

Ag, that hyena

Debbie rocks

[PJL]

Enjoying following along on your trip Gavin... you guys had some amazing sightings

[GavinW]

Thanks guys



Here we go again.

Thursday 10 October 2019

Saying goodbye to Nossob old campsite no 5 is never easy, so we delayed it as much as possible

Sunrise

We watched and Chris and Jono broke down their tent. They were off to Twee Riveren for a few days before heading home. They had originally planned to go to Mata Mata for the last few days of their trip, but after hearing our tales about the worms and general lack of game in the area, they had changed their plans.

P1030327a.jpg (134.8 KiB) Viewed 217 times

We decided on a trip south around Maries and back before breaking our camp site. We were off to Polentswa, 60km away to a designated camp site, so we were in no major hurry.
As we entered the loop , we spotted a cheetah, far away on the top of the dunes. We followed it for some time before it went off into the distance.
By far away, I mean really far away. Basically, it was just a moving silhouette on top of the dune.
It was to be the only spotted cat we (sort of) saw on the whole trip.


Back at camp, while I was sorting our lives out, Debbie went off in search of any possible animals in the camp.


These yellow mongooses were perfect subjects

As was the Pearl Spotted Owlet near reception

[GavinW]

Eventually we were set up and ready to go. It was 10 o clock in the morning

(Mel, this may help orientate you as to where the camp site is.)

On our trip up to Polentswa we saw all the usual suspects, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Except

A honey badger right on the side of the road.
I was travelling up in a bit of a dwaal, when Debbie saw it as we drove past it.
To wake up, stop and then reverse back, with a 1 ton trailer in tow, and still get to see the badger before it disappears over the Nossob road ridge, is a tall ask.


We never saw it again, but we do have pictures of it in our memory.
A bit further on, some vultures were enjoying lunch in the riverbed.

We got to Polentswa and set up camp in campsite no 2, showered and went off to the waterhole for the evening.
The waterhole, must admit, was pretty busy.

We saw:



Secretary birds

as well as

[GavinW]

There were also these wildebeest

Kudu

And some bokke

[Peter Betts]

Superb Kudu Bull

[GavinW]

Thanks Peter

And not to forget, three lions on a kill in the riverbed, south of the waterhole

This was followed by the obligatory braai and bed

[Lisbeth]

Those horns!!

Quite a good lion sighting

[Mel]

Considering you only left at 10 am, it was a pretty good sighting day, methinks