Wet and Wild Kruger floods trip February 2023

[RogerFraser]

Thanks Roger,

nice lazy lions and also love the huge monitor - Remember very well those torrential rains but also the sunshine a couple of hours later and the many water on the roads and the road close to DeLaPorte Luckily around Orpen it was finally dry

was very heavy showers and then sunshine again very different weather . We were very happy to have made it to Orpen .

Fascinating, Rog!

And quite a difference in weather from Skuks to Satara!

The darter is a night heron, I think?

Great leguaan shot!

There was no water at Tshokwane last yer when we were there either!

Lions!

Unfortunately the camera was insisting on taking a picture of the blades of grass rather than the bird but suspect it may be a green back heron .

Seems strange in the rain and next to a flowing river to not have any water

It sure rained violently

The elephant looks rather calm, but you never know..... Once I met one quietly eating at the roadside, like yours, but each time I tried to go past he moved into the middle of road. It continued like that for quite a while and I am sure that he had great fun

It's not easy to see what kind of heron it is, but I'd go for green-backed if it wasn't for that strange red spot

Great pic of the monitor

We love watching the Ellies and have had our fair share of naughty ones .We tend to watch the youngsters closely the older ones generally tend to be calmer

[RogerFraser]

On the drive up we had also had a call from Crocodile bridge camp they informed us that the camp was closed and they could not accommodate us for the last two nights we had booked so we were credited .We decided to change to an additional night at Orpen then the last night in Malelane on the way home so while checking in we changed our booking .

After unpacking and settling in we went back out the weather had turned again it was pouring with rain again and the Lions had moved close in to the tree looking very unhappy cats .


We decided we had nothing better to do s owe sat and watch what would happen .At one stage something caught their eye and they got all alert .


But it turned to nothing so they just lay down in the rain


And then the rain clouds passed over and the sun came out so they all started cleaning themselves and each other .


we had plenty of time to take lots of pics of them




A Hyena appeared at one stage but did not stay long


They got alert at one stage when it looked like a Gnu was about to walk down between them


But it got wind of something and turned back up the ridge .The one Lion who had gone around us came out and lay down in the middle of the road


We had run out of time and had to leave them in the road to go back to camp.


Back at camp we had some issues with the fridge not working .We called the reception and they came around turned out as the new fridges were different size to the old cages when you close the cage it pushes the switch off .After jiggling it around we got it closed and on and shortly afterwards we got another helper rock up in the form of a honey badger trying to open the fridge .We managed to chase it off but it seemed to know exactly how to get to the fridge . We eventually finished our braai and took our meal inside as the honey badger was still hanging around. We did not manage to get any decent pics of it during all the excitement but it kept us alert .

[Lisbeth]

Nice lion sighting. At least they were moving a bit around The road gets dry much sooner than the grass; after all they are cats

A propos fridge... I think that it was at Shingwedzi that I could not find any light switches Nowhere to be seen They must be somewhere
Finally I found them behind the fridge, which by the way was in the bedroom Only SANParks staff are able to mess things up like that. They just don't think

They sure made you move around

[Richprins]

Poor wet lions!

But some nice pics, Rog!

Ja, since time immemorial it has been an adventure finding out how things work at accommodation,

Glad you could adapt your booking.

[Pumbaa]

Despite the rain the lion sighting was amazing, Roger,

and what better to do than watching them You got some nice shots

and even had honey badger visit during dinner

[RogerFraser]

Nice lion sighting. At least they were moving a bit around The road gets dry much sooner than the grass; after all they are cats

A propos fridge... I think that it was at Shingwedzi that I could not find any light switches Nowhere to be seen They must be somewhere
Finally I found them behind the fridge, which by the way was in the bedroom Only SANParks staff are able to mess things up like that. They just don't think

They sure made you move around

although the rain was heavy it was more of a passing shower although we had found all the roads in the area were also still closed

Poor wet lions!

But some nice pics, Rog!

Ja, since time immemorial it has been an adventure finding out how things work at accommodation,

Glad you could adapt your booking.

yes much like your TR finding out what utensils are at your unit is part of the adventure ...

The Honey badgers are always such characters and really part of the experience of staying at Orpen .I think that is why they don't even bother with animal proof bins outside the units .

[RogerFraser]

In the morning we found a character on his way home after a rough night .


and an ugly bird out early .


We came across a few stopped cars and the reason soon appeared and then disappeared deep into the grass


The Timbavati river was still flowing unbelievably strong


We decided to drive back and take a peek inside the tented camp.


The river was lapping at the fence line


We left and stopped in at camp for breakfast then took a drive to Satara


A brown eagle


Not too far from the place we saw the Lion early morning we found some Giraffe's acting very suspicious in the middle of the road but we could not find what they had seen or heard




After getting past them we found a Knob billed Duck enjoying the weather and grass seeds


We carried on towards Satara

[Lisbeth]

The flow of the river is really very strong

The hyena really looks as if he/she has had a tough night

Nice giraffes in the road. Doing what Maybe discussing where to go next

[Richprins]

Amazing the amount of water, Rog!

And everything so bright green!

Some more predaotors.

Lovely giraffe shots with the road like that!

[Pumbaa]

Thanks Roger,

love the giraffes on the road and an incredibly full Timbavati river - Never saw this river that full but also all the other rivers in Kruger did look extreme full this year