I've got a feeling of a hot summer in Kruger

[Pumbaa]

The dikkops are able to stand without moving for a very long time and often not easy to spot.

Quite a big fish for a small kingfisher

Fine of the prinia

What a great day! You could even add a leopard

The vervets are little scoundrels, but very funny to watch

Totally right about the vervets quite good to watch and photograph in camp as long as they behave

[Pumbaa]

What an eventful episode, Pumbaa!

I like the birdies, interesting to see the one dikkop lying down in the water?

And what astounding luck to see the leopard from camp!


Was the power outage due to loadshedding, you think?

Monkeys! They terrorised us this year too!

No idea about the loadshedding We so far experienced quite a few power breakdowns when in Kruger luckily they did not take that long in the most cases

[Pumbaa]

Only very later and close to the turn off to the airport we were again caught into a traffic jam without any movement in the beginning but after a while with many cars around and for sure lots of OSV in between the queue moved and luckily the road is a bit hilly as otherwise we would have only seen rear side of cars but somehow we also could seen the culprit again a leopard



who was walking slowly on the road followed by the masses of cars and from time to time same stopped so we could photograph same between all the cars.



The light was also bad but a leopard is a leopard and with all the bustle and excitement all around it was a not that nice sighting



so it did not take long until the leopard had enough and decided to continue its walk right into the bush where same was no longer be visible.



As it meanwhile was later we soon returned back to camp where we sat on our verandah with a cold one and enjoyed the evening / night atmosphere and thought back to that wonderful and exciting day we had today with lots of extraordinary highlights.



Thursday, 17. February 2022 – Skukuza

Driven roads: H11 – S1 – S65 – H1-1 – S66 – H1-1 – H4-1 – H12 – H1-2 – H11 – S42 – H11 – H4-1 – H12 – H1-2

We slept more than well and awoke on an overcast morning and for sure had first the obligatory morning coffee on our verandah before we left at gate opening time. We drove the H11 and S1 and it was in fact disappointingly quiet, however, it was still a bit darker as usual and far colder so we had no problem with that at least an elephant bull finally appeared.



As always and when open the S65 is our first destination in that area and meanwhile also a lot of cars as well as OSV were driving on that road and we normally do let them overtake as we also do stop for birds which still lots of people confused and consequently are driving even slower than others. Unfortunately this road was also quiet that early morning, however, whilst standing on the N’waswitshaka causeway we noticed some fresh catlike footprints in the sand there, however, we could not discover the culprit after we looked a bit around so we continued but did not come far as we were then caught in a traffic jam and met all the cars again which overtook us. Luckily we found an empty spot and easily discovered the reason for this traffic jam



a leopard on the ground hidden a bit by the high grass.



The space we had chosen was not that bad as the leopard was mostly looking into our direction,



however, after a while the queue moved a bit and we drove a bit much more forward and detected that our spotted beauty was lying partly on a smaller branch.

[Pumbaa]

As the leopard was lying close to the road where all the cars parked, with talking people we wondered a bit about the patient of the leopard as same did not feet bothered by the masses of cars,



however, the leopard was looking permanently from one side to the other as soon as an engine started or a new car arrived.



It was a come and go and regular forwards and backwards driving but our beauty kept its position whilst glancing at all the crazy people around same.



We had most of the time the high grass in the way but overall enjoyed the closeness of this beauty and it was another more than fantastic sighting which we enjoyed very much.



In the past years as long as this road was not closed we always had regular sightings of spotted beauties here so this road is always a must drive for us especially early in the morning.



After around 20 minutes meanwhile the leopard got more and more unsettled and even looked more around





than earlier so it took not that long anymore



before same stood up and walked away at least in an aisle in the vegetation same sat down a bit farer away from the road as nature was calling and then started to scratch a bit and then disappeared completely out of side



and so did all the other cars. As one of the last cars we then continued after we still searched for the leopard and carried on slowly with our drive. At the waterhole we were all alone and could stop a while and observe the resident hippo there.



The rest of the drive on the S65 was then again more than quiet one of those roads which will give you nothing and everything at least today we had a bit of both. Another must stop then is always at Transport dam as same is not far. Meanwhile it even started a bit to drizzle and we only could trace there a grey heron sharing the rock with a black smith plover. Nevertheless we always enjoy the silence there.



On our drive back to Skukuza we stopped for white backed vultures and a male kudu posing picturesquely under a tree before we stopped shortly at Skukuza for a body break.



to be continued………………..

[Lisbeth]

A pity that the best sightings are often ruined by too many cars It looks like a very young leopard

[Richprins]

What leopard luck almost every day it seems, Bushcraft!

Ja, that S65 can be hit-and-miss!

I like the kudu too, and the resident hippo.

[RogerFraser]

Wow lovely luck on the S65 with the Leopard . We recently found the new road that links onto it from H1 Pretoriuskop side , it still isn't properly marked off .

[Pumbaa]

A pity that the best sightings are often ruined by too many cars It looks like a very young leopard

At least she was easily be seen from each car but nevertheless it was crowded there - Looked like a young lady leopard

[Pumbaa]

What leopard luck almost every day it seems, Bushcraft!

Ja, that S65 can be hit-and-miss!

I like the kudu too, and the resident hippo.

At least once I felt like Buchcraft Nevertheless love to drive the S65

[Pumbaa]

Wow lovely luck on the S65 with the Leopard . We recently found the new road that links onto it from H1 Pretoriuskop side , it still isn't properly marked off .

Originally we thought we were not allowed to drive that road but same is open from both sides and normally not many cars do drive that link road