Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park General Information

[Mel]

Quite a long article, but particularly good for Krugerholics who have yet to take their first trip to the KTP...

Thanks, Pedro

[nan]

interesting, thank you Pedro

but please... not too many people in the Kgalagadi

[Mel]

Status quo for the first two weeks of October:

Cape fox dens:
- around Rooiputs (sorry, not exactly sure if before or after the waterhole... we only drove by once and I was too excited with my first batch of foxes to take note of the exact location ) 5 puppies
- 13th Borhole: driving out of the northern exit slightly to the left side - 4 puppies
- 14th Borhole: driving north, a tad after the waterhole on your left side - 4 puppies
- Urikaruus: opposite the new cabin - Charlie with 3 puppies
- between Rooibrak and Montrose: at the big tree where you can drive around into the riverbed, right next to the main road - 3 puppies
- south of Batulama: driving south, on your left hand side - 6 puppies (supsect they moved, because I only saw them once)
- between Monro and Houmoed: pretty much in the middle of the riverbed - 4 puppies

The rest I can't remember but will edit, if and when I recall

Owls:
- the Twee Rivieren giant eagle owl as usual, but chick is quite big already
- between Houmoed and Monro: in a tree right next to the road on the left side - spotted eagle owl with chicks
- south of Batulama: a round hole in the ridge best seen when you are heading south (the hole is pretty distinctive in the landscape of the ridge) - barn owls with chicks
- just before the southern entrance of 14th borehole in a tree on your left - spotted eagle owl with chicks
- 14th borehole dune road: exactly 2 km from the southern entrance of the waterhole on your left in a distinctive weaver nest - giant eagle owl with chicks
- Montrose spotted eagle owl has moved, the cave is empty

Hyenas:
- the spotted hyenas at Kamqua have moved
- spotted hyena den on the loop that runs behind Lijersdraai waterhole: exactly 4 km from the northern entrance on your left hand side, 100 m into the veld underneath a tree with a distinctive round area with no vegetation underneath it. There were two really small ones there at the start of October. Still black / dark brown
- brown hyenas all over the place between Kannaguass and Lijers
- brown hyenas like clockwork around 8 and 10 pm at Grootkolk waterhole each of our six nights there

Leopard:
- high leopard activity between Rooibrak and Batulama
- Safran still around Lijers

Cheetah:
- Corinne around Mata and KTC
- Caster around Nossob, seems to move north again as last sighting of a cheetah with four cubs was around Kwang. But only mouth to mouth, haven't seen pix
- Hanri has moved from just south of Montrose towards just south of Kamqua during the last week

Lions
- erratic

Raptors
- Nossob side is teeming with pale chanting goshawks, tawny eagles, bateleurs; lots of secretaries and vultures too
- Auob side is teeming with black-shouldered kite and tawny eagles; quite a few martial eagle around
- generally not many red-necked falcons
- haven't seen any kestrels or adult lanner falcons


Langklaas waterhole was put into work again!


Generally, the park is pretty dry at the moment which is to be expected at this time of the year. But even if it's concerning to see, we've experienced worse - even AFTER the supposedly rainy season.


The roads were in a terrible state after the school holidays. Lots of corrugations on the Auob side and around Nossob - much better from Polentswa northwards though. The graders fixed that at least on the Auob side. Can't comment on the Nossob side as we weren't there once the school holidays were over. But the sandy stretches still remain in the northern Aoub - grader or not.


The tourism manager who proceeded Dupel Erasmus, Ben van Eden, has left the park. The position is still vacant...


Will add more as I think of it. I don't take notes these days anymore. Too lazy

[nan]

can't wait


and Safran too
and Charlie

Mel

[Mel]

Have added info to raptors and roads to my post above.

[nan]

added to my print

[Lisbeth]

Lots of useful information

[harrys]

Hi there

This is a question to the KTP gurus

I see Nossob is a very favourable camp and it looks like we will be very lucky to get a booking there for November 2017, what I want to know is....would you suggest that if we don't get sorted ar Nossob to book 6 nights at Mata Mata and 5 nights at Twee Rivieren

[Mel]

The camping gurus would probably suggest to book Polentswa and / or Rooiputs if you can't get Nossob and don't want to go to Twee.
If I was a camper I'd say the same since I'm not very fond of Twee Rivieren as a camp. For Kgalagadi standards the camp is too big and
too loud, in my opinion. Trying to get Rooiputs instead would cover basically the same game area than Twee.

Polentswa is quite a bit north of Nossob, but the whole area is lion country and that's the draw of Nossob and the reason why it is booked
out so quickly.

Both Polentswa and Rooiputs must be booked through the Botswana side. (dwnp@gov.bw or 00267 3180774)

However, if you feel unconfomfortable with camping in unfenced camps I can only advice to battle with the masses on the 1st December
to get your camping spot at Nossob. And since you are going out of school holidays, there is a good chance that you'll be successful

I'd also choose Mata Mata over Twee Rivieren as a camp... just because there are two waterholes, one of which you can watch from the
campsite and the second possibly as well if you set up the tent close to the next riverfront chalet and close to the fence. The second
waterhole was put up to accommodate the people staying in those riverfront chalets and it is in front of unit 9 / 10.

Here is a pic from the view of the riverfront chalets to the hide / waterhole near the campsite: viewtopic.php?p=299067#p299067
The campsite itself is basically to the left of that hide.

Having said that: Twee offers better options in terms of choosing a route for the day because there are two roads available, whereas you can only go south
from Mata Mata and the traffic will be heavier there as there is a wilderness camp also close by. Hence quite a few cars scramming on one road at gate
opening time (often advisable to either wait 15 to 30 minutes or be REALLY early and head the queue )

Enjoy your planning Unfortunately we'll not get the chance to meet because we have to go in October

[nan]

agree with Mel

but start to book very early... at the firt minute... even first seconde
good luck



I have amended a little bit mine for october 2017 but I will send my bookings (e-mails) at midnight on the 1st of Decembre (for November)