Africa Wild

2014-07-22 Benny, Choo and Fancy
3km south of Rooiputs at 06:59.

This was an exciting morning as we awoke to hear lions roaring. Leaving camp we headed south to find the lions. Rather than take the Botswana road we took the main road. After about 1km we quickly found 2 male lions but they were on the Bots road Luckily it wasn't the worst decision as we would have been behind 2 cars anyway. Rather than drive along with them we decided to get ahead and wait. 2km further we bumped into these three cheetahs as they were crossing the road going towards Botswana. They could obviously hear and smell the lions as they were looking quite nervous and didn't hang around. Later the lions caught up with two other males at Leeuwdril and an almighty chase ensued....fantastic morning
These three males have subsequently been seen a fair bit around the south of the park. They've been named after the 60's TV cartoon Top Cat, and I call them the "Top Cat Gang".

Benny



Choo



Fancy

2014-06-10 Benny, Choo and Fancy
Just south of Melkvlei at 11:13.

This sighting is posted on behalf of Susie Cunningham...yes she went on a trip with out me!!
She saw the Top Cat Gang wandering around the riverbed marking several of the trees before they disappeared.

Fancy (left), Benny (middle) and Choo (right)

© Susie Cunningham

Benny (back), Choo (middle) and Fancy (front right)

© Susie Cunningham

Choo (left) and Benny (right)

© Susie Cunningham

Fancy

© Susie Cunningham

2014-06-12 Beauty
1km south of Auchterlonie at 09:38.
Again on behalf of Susie.

She was hunting a big herd of springbok. She ran down from calcrete ridge but unfortunately missed. She then proceeded to cross the river bed and walk away.
She was seen on her own.

Beauty

© Susie Cunningham

2014-06-14 Corinne
Few kms south of Leeuwdril at 15:07

She was spotted walking into a distant bush. After a shot while she emerged again and came to road and lay down in the shade. She caused quite a major traffic jam. Eventually she got up and left after staring at the cars & twitching her ears.

Corinne

© Susie Cunningham

© Susie Cunningham

© Susie Cunningham

I think you can see suckling marks in this last photo and she certainly doesn't look pregnant. I say this because during July she was seen with 4 small cubs. It is our guess that when Susie had this sighing she had them stashed away somewhere, possibly in the bush.

2014-06-15 Ekon, Eileen, Erela
Between Samevleoiing and Leeuwdril at 10:03

All three were together and walking South. They ended up flopped under a grey camelthorn near the road. According to someone else at the sighting they had just finished chasing (unsuccessfully) a mother caracal and her cub, but unfortunately Susie missed it.

Eileen

© Susie Cunningham

Ekon (bottom) and Erela (top)

© Susie Cunningham

Flirty's 2013 Cubs: Albie & Marycke
22/12/2013 - 3 km north of Samevloeiing

© Peter Connan
Marycke left, Albie right - nose on tortoise

Storm

27/08/2011 somewhere between Nossob and the turnoff to the northern dune road









Storm was with one of his mates / brothers. They were walking in the road. Then the other male walked left into the grass and Storm walked to
the right in the same direction. Eventually he crossed the road to join his mate / brother.

2014-09-07 Smith - Dead
It is with great sadness that I share this photo and sighting of Smith
http://www.pbase.com/acquavi/image/157465702
I saw the image on SANParks photo of the month page first. I tracked down the photographers website to see if there were any other photographs that might enable an identification. I found two further photos. The sighting occurred on 7th September 2014 near Montrose.

From these images I was able to identify the cheetah as Smith. It is not clear how he died but i would suspect either a lion or one of the new coalitions of males that have appeared recently. Smit was last seen in September on his own. If you do seen him on your next trip spare a thought for this guy who will be missing his brother.

Caster at Nossob waterhole on 6 December 2013 at 7:10 am: We were a few minutes to late to get a shot of the cheetah drinking.

Bedi & her 3 Cubs
27/10/2014 around 6.30 am at Grootkolk waterhole

© Franco van Neel