Frost, Fires & Family Time

[PJL]

The temperature was already dropping as we hopped in the car for our evening drive, so we had high hopes that the lions might be up and about. Little did we know that this was going to be one of a number of exceptional evening drives

When we got to the area on Rooiplaat where the lions had been sighted earlier in the day it didn't take long to find their eland kill. One of the boys had his head up watching the jackals who looked keen to get in on the meat



The kids then spotted the other male who was a bit further off to the right



The lions still seemed a bit sleepy so we figured we would come back past them later on our way back to camp and see if there was more movement

Further round Rooiplaat we could see a few cars and presumed that they had spotted something, but on our way to see what was going on we stumbled across an aardwolf very close to the road







Needless to say I was absolutely thrilled with this sighting. We had seen one on our last visit but it bolted the moment it saw us... this one on the other hand seemed quite happy with us being nearby and carried on pottering around looking for termites





Being so close, you could see how its muzzle doesn't have any fur. Perhaps this is to do with the way it always seems to have its head down in the bushes and grass looking for food.





After plenty of foraging, the aardwolf eventually sat down for a break and if we hadn't been watching it I don't think we would have spotted it driving past as it blends in so well with its surroundings



The sighting really made my day. I think I could have driven home right then and been happy... but there was more to be seen. We left the aardwolf to its rest and drove round towards the cars that we had seen before. Now what was it that they were looking at?

TBC

[Dewi]

Seriously with your Aardwolf sightings and pics PJL.

[Lisbeth]

Thank you, PJL

[Pumbaa]

WoW About that Aardwolf shots, PJL

I guess these would have already made my trip

Great that you spotted a lions as well and then such a nice accommodation

[PRWIN]

[PJL]

Oh wow, what a beautiful animal! Great sighting and pics.

Thanks Flutts! We were stoked to see it

Seeing an aardwolf is absolutly fantastic and it did not even run away. You got it close up which is marvelous I have never seen photos of that kind of an aardwolf sighting before

I was thrilled it didn't run away

Wow what a great sighting

Lions and then aardwolf

Thanks Alf
There's more to come

Absolutely brilliant, PJL!

Really never seen proper wild aardwolf pics like that!

Wonder if we have an aardwolf thread?

Accommodation looks great....chicken in the firepace?

Added to the aardwolf thread
We didn't try cook on that fire... there's a perfectly good braai outside

Seriously with your Aardwolf sightings and pics PJL.

Thanks Dewi

WoW About that Aardwolf shots, PJL

I guess these would have already made my trip

Great that you spotted a lions as well and then such a nice accommodation

Yip it really made the trip immediately Pumbaa
I think the winter months must be the best time to see them, and we were also pleased to see the lions. They weren't very cooperative last time

[Richprins]

Ja, "technical difficulties"....woman driving transferring the sighting to "aardvark"...

[PJL]

Ja, "technical difficulties"....woman driving transferring the sighting to "aardvark"...

[PJL]

We left the aardwolf to its rest and drove round towards the cars that we had seen before. Now what was it that they were looking at?

It was all smiles in our car, and we had to scan for a bit once we reached the other cars to see what people were looking at. A small head popped up after a while



We couldn't believe our luck - lion, aardwolf and now cheetah!!

There were at most 6 cars at the sighting, and as one of them left they told us that there had been 3 cheetah visible at one point. When we got clearer views, we could see that it was just a youngster.





We presumed that we must be looking at one of Samara's cubs. She was the cheetah we had seen on our last visit - but only from a distance. After a while another head appeared



Shortly afterwards, 4 heads came into view



But as they started moving, they were all clearly about the same age - maybe 10 to 12 months old. This had us totally confused... we knew about Samara's 3 cubs and we also knew that another cheetah had 2 newborn cubs... so who were these guys???







TBC

[Lisbeth]

First there was one.......and then there were four They do not look old enough to be left alone by the mother