The Great Escape

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PJL
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Re: The Great Escape

Post by PJL »

Tuesday July 13th contd

Heading on from the S25 and up the S108 we decided to detour up via the S26 and S102 to Mpondo Dam as we had never been there before. The roads up were quiet, but we were greeted by some terrapin at one of the dam overflow ponds lol

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The dam itself is huge - much bigger than we had been expecting! There was a mix of game including impala, waterbuck, wildebeest and zebra dotted around which made for a nice peaceful scene. ^Q^

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Heading back past the end of the dam we saw some spotted movement in a tree O** O**

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This appeared to be quite a young leopard - we heard that later in the day it was seen wandering along nearer the dam with its mom. With no-one else around we just enjoyed watching the youngster and its inquisitive nature O:V

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It got up to shift to a slighting better vantage point

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It fairly soon settled and started to lie down and snooze which gave very little view

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Heading back to Lower Sabie, the terrapins were smiling, there was a big elephant hiding, and a couple of white-headed vultures showing off their full crops \O

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Last edited by PJL on Wed Aug 18, 2021 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Lisbeth
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Re: The Great Escape

Post by Lisbeth »

What a beautiful young leopard. You were very lucky to see one :yes: [InLuv] ( 0: 0*\ :O^ 0= (0!) <dop> <dop> )

Nice terrapins \O

Aren't they white-headed vultures?


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Re: The Great Escape

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Lisbeth wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 9:51 am What a beautiful young leopard. You were very lucky to see one :yes: [InLuv] ( 0: 0*\ :O^ 0= (0!) <dop> <dop> )

Nice terrapins \O

Aren't they white-headed vultures?
Ah yes - you're correct with the vulture id - thanks O0


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Re: The Great Escape

Post by Richprins »

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Leppie 13!

That dam is very full for winter, Peej! ^Q^

So I guess you will go back there next time! lol

Quite unusual to see a pair of vultures like that! \O

I like the Dick Terrapins too!

What a stunning trip so far! X#X


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Re: The Great Escape

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Jah! only a pity that they missed the leopards :-( --00--


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Re: The Great Escape

Post by RogerFraser »

^Q^ more spots you really did have a good Leopard trip .

Also love going to the dam only think that I wish is there was at least a picnic spot around the area would be a great stopover .


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Re: The Great Escape

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Richprins wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 5:59 pm :shock: :shock: :shock:

Leppie 13!

That dam is very full for winter, Peej! ^Q^

So I guess you will go back there next time! lol

Quite unusual to see a pair of vultures like that! \O

I like the Dick Terrapins too!

What a stunning trip so far! X#X
An astounding number of leppies indeed X#X
Lisbeth wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:03 pm Jah! only a pity that they missed the leopards :-( --00--
We'll find them next time 0' lol
RogerFraser wrote: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:46 pm ^Q^ more spots you really did have a good Leopard trip .

Also love going to the dam only think that I wish is there was at least a picnic spot around the area would be a great stopover .
We sure did Roger. Picnic spot there would be fantastic ..0.. \O


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Re: The Great Escape

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Tuesday July 13th contd

Our afternoon drive was a very simple plan of again heading up to the Nwatimhiri causeway and back. Near Lower Sabie there was a colourful white-fronted bee-eater O:V

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Just past the Lubyelubye rocks there was a huge breeding herd of buffalo. They were on both sides of the road, and kept crossing the road so it took us quite a long time to get through them all --00--

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We were quite fortunate to get a gap before the herd again closed over the road behind us. As we continued up the road from the herd, a cat figure appeared at the side of the road… which turned out to be a lioness O/\ O/\

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A couple more appeared - one missing the end of its tail \O

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With the buffalo herd blocking other cars, it was just us and the lions for quite a while. Fairly quickly one of them caught sight of the buffalo in the distance which got its attention

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We wondered whether this could be the start of a hunt, but three lionesses against a herd that size would surely be a tough one. Two had crossed over the road, and this third one started making its way down the road towards us O\/ O\/

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After walking past us, she had a good look around and then sat down watching the buffalo in the distance lol lol

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Re: The Great Escape

Post by Mel »

Leo no. 13 was a real cutie pie. Not too old yet. Funny how "tame" they seem shortly after having dispersed and how shy the get the older they turn. 0'

And, woah, what a lion sighting. [Luv] [Luv] [Luv] Too good to be true. O\/ That first lioness looks more like a tiger. She's huuuge! But all are very handsome individuals which is not that common I find, in comparison to the Addo or KTP lions. O**


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Re: The Great Escape

Post by Lisbeth »

Would it be possible that it's a mom with two grown-up "cubs" -O- Alas, lunch is too far away lol lol

A lovely bee-eater ^Q^ ^Q^

Cute buffalo calf \O


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