Krugertripping this Summer...

[Lisbeth]

What a fantastic day

[Toko]

supercool cheetah & leopard

Strange heron

[Richprins]

What an extremely fortunate day, Heksie! Maybe it is worthwhile getting up earlier...must try it one day!

Unfortunately it is highly unlikely that the cheetah will survive, I think... They are obviously extremely dependent upon their speed, which is why they avoid any possibility of injury...sometimes giving up their kills very easily, for example...

Same goes for the baby ellie...if it has been exposed for too long, at such a young age, it is dicey! There was a similar incident a few years ago where the baby didn't make it!

That stone in the brakes thing is incredibly irritating and worrisome!

Best sighting is the squacco!

So the big 5 plus cheetah, hyena, jackal in one day? No wild dog?

[Flutterby]

What an eventful day! Great cat sightings!! That poor ellie! I'm sure I remember reading about it on FB and that it didn't survive.

Glad you car wasn't damaged!

[Bush Brat]

Wow Heksie, what a day!
Awesome cheetah and leopard sighting.

That ellie sighting is AMAZING! Such beautiful pics , just a shame he is all on his own!

That lady getting out her car need a 'klap'!

[Twigga]

Another action packed day!

Mother nature can be a she-dog sometimes

Croc/Monitor Biggest I've seen in a while

[Heksie]

Sorry that I have been a bit MIA the last few weeks, went to Kruger last weekend, and had an amazing time with wonderful sightings, don't think I will do a TR but just share some sightings as I had 2 leopard sightings and an amazing lions sighting with a failed zebra kill, all of that on the S1... Even though all the dirt roads were closed we still enjoyed the trip a lot. Also some great small special sightings!!!!

THanks Harrys, Nan, BC, Lisbeth, Toko, RP, Flutts, BB and Twigga for commenting on my TR and still following my story
It wouldn't be lekker sharing my experience if it wasn't for you guys

[Heksie]

Day 15… Christmas in Kruger
25 December

This is the one day I always wanted to spend in Kruger, last year I was fortunate enough to be in Sabie Park over Christmas but I always wanted to have a Christmas lunch in the Park. Unfortunately it wasn’t with my family BUT this special day we organised a lunch with another type of family. Wendy and I woke up early as we had to get to LS by 10:30 as Sparrow and co was whipping up something delicious. We decided that the route to take was the S28 then pass Dukes and if there was some time left, we would do the S79 and back. It was actually a very quiet day for sightings but I didn’t worry at all as I was just glad to spend the day in the Park and with some good friends.
First sighting for the day was a giraffe



And then a beautiful cloudy sunrise which could only mean a lekker chilly day



And then a WHOOP-moment, my first egg-eater





We also got a vervet getting all festive and chowing on some berries



The rest of the road was very quiet, so we had to stop at Sunset dam and I got to see some spoon billed storks playing, but it was too far for my camera. Here is a kiekie of one spoon billed which flew a bit closer.



I also got a green-backed heron



It was time to hit the road again so we took on Eloff street, on which we had much better luck with the sightings. We got some buffies chilling on the riverbed.



A white backed vulture



A duiker was posing nicely on the Nwtamhiri causeway



And a white fronted bee eater



We also got an ellie roadblock



Then we arrived at a roadblock, there were lionesses across the riverbed in the shade, this pic can actually be used in a ‘spot the animal’ challenge, you will see that just in front of the tree there is one lioness lying underneath a bush and on the left of her there is another lioness standing, with two lionesses lying behind her. They were far off but still some cats for the day.



And then we were back at LS. Sparrow and co were already there and the fire was crackling. The cloudy morning has soon disappeared and now the temperature started rising, the only thing to do was to get something cold to drink and sit in the shade doing as little as possible. We were planning a feast and the only times we dared be in the sun was when we added some food to Sparrow’s thinga-ma-gik. This was the second hottest day for the trip.
The food was ready by 15:00 and it was about time as we had rumbling tummies. On the menu: roast beef, potatoes, veggies, couscous salad and guacamole.
After an amazing meal we had to hurry up as our neighbours at LS informed us that there were doggies on the S130, they were there the whole day apparently and I would love to see them, I think they would be a descent Christmas surprise.
It started to get cloudy so I had to take a pic, strange how the weather changes…



As we turned unto the S130 a car came from the front, a very friendly man and told us that the dogs were still on the road but I needed a bulldozer to see them as the people were rude and hogging the sighting. ‘Oh well’, I thought and carried on. We were just past the S137 when we were greeted by them… And YES, there were this stupid … that went off the road and basically scared them away into the bushes!!!!









They went into the bushes and out again, but after about 30 minutes disappeared for good, it was 17:45 and we were still on the S130 so we had to make haste. You wouldn’t believe how many people speeds at this time of the day. We were going just below the limit but people were passing us the whole time. And that was the reason we saw 2 run over tortoises on our way to CB. I was breathing a sigh of relief as I saw the Vurhami bridge as it was just 4 more km and I had 10 minutes but then there were 3 cars parked next to the road, and what a bonus for the day waited for us…




It was a great day spent with wonderful people, was the thought of Wendy and I whilst we were drinking a sundowner in camp.

To be continued…

[harrys]

Wow great doggies heksie unfortunately there must always be one mampara spoiling it for others

More cats and some beautiful birds too and a special snake sighting....wonderfull

[Flutterby]

That sounds like an awesome way to spend Christmas Day , and some really special presents too with the doggies and lions!!