The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[Lisbeth]

All those cubs add something very special to your great sighting

[Mel]

Those cubs sitting / climbing / walking on the carcass make for shots!!!

What a bloody rascals that came posing for you... somehow reminds me of Pete, the pitbull terrier from die kleinen Strolche
Although it does look a bit gross again

[Richprins]

This really is once in a lifetime, Pumbaa...few cars, clear view, and cubs practising at a young age, and good light!

Am going to send some on to media?

If maybe you can mail/pm me this one?

[Flutterby]

It is an awesome pic!

[Pumbaa]

Awesome!!

Those cubs are having a ball!

Flutterby, they in fact had and were allowed everything

incredible sighting and wow pictures

As already said for us a once in a lifetime sighting

All those cubs add something very special to your great sighting

Although they do look filthy they and we did have a more than great time

[Pumbaa]

Those cubs sitting / climbing / walking on the carcass make for shots!!!

What a bloody rascals that came posing for you... somehow reminds me of Pete, the pitbull terrier from die kleinen Strolche
Although it does look a bit gross again

You are totally right, Mel

This really is once in a lifetime, Pumbaa...few cars, clear view, and cubs practising at a young age, and good light!

Am going to send some on to media?

If maybe you can mail/pm me this one?

and even only one Safari vehicle from an outside lodge which behaved more than very well

It is an awesome pic!

But same or mom had still a lot to do to clean the cub

[Pumbaa]

Meanwhile we stood already 2 hours at that sighting and we in fact did not get tired in watching around

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and take shots after shots and study lion behaviour – Of such a sighting we dreamt already from and it was amazing that this dream came true today and on top a traffic jam was still not existing.



A further benefit of all the brilliant cat sightings we had around Satara was the overcast and relatively cool weather with a couple of raindrops here and there we had the whole time although today the sun tried to peep through the clouds and whenever a ray of sunlight made its way through the clouds it heated up immediately.



Not only the males at that sighting were impressive but also the females were – Full of muscles and simply large and powerful



although one had a handicap as parts of her left mouth and nose were missing but she had a full belly and so I guess she could do very well with her right side.



Meanwhile more and more lions had enough



and left the kill to search for some quiet places to groom and afterwards take a nap (Our cats had home do exactly the same!)



whilst others could now feed with more space.



Here is another shot of the lioness with the handicap.



For us it was then also time to leave as we stood already a couple of hours at that kill for sure this was the best lion sighting we so far had and believe me we already had a couple of good ones and whenever now passing this spot on that road in future we will for sure think back to that brilliant sighting. A bit macabre was that this was the one and only buffalo we saw in the Satarian area this year as normally same is always filled with same and I so much wanted to see a buffalo here for sure I would have preferred to see a living one.

The way to Satara was still long and whilst driving slowly back to camp we stopped for some nicely placed waterbucks.



Along the S90 there was still a low water bridge which we had to cross which was overflowing and unbelievable much water was still in the stream at least compared to the rest of the area around which was looking like a wasteland. It was as if we suddenly stepped into an oasis with lots of green around and the chirp of birds coming from everywhere. We soon stopped and spotted a waterbird

[Pumbaa]

and two pied kingfishers trying to fish something delicious





and even in a close by bush we discovered a burchell’s coucal





and in another one a juvenile one. Definitely a sighting which was rarer this year due to the dryness.



The rest was rather uneventful but this colourful purple roller was worth to stop for.



We then arrived back in camp rather late and skipped therefore our afternoon drive and instead enjoyed our last hours in Satara with another yummy and delicious braai as tomorrow will again be moving day. For sure that stay at Satara will be a memorable one on the one hand because of the cat diaries we could write and secondly because of the severe drought which we never could believe was prevailing in that area.

Wednesday, 24. February 2016 – Satara – Olifants

Roads we travelled along: H1-4 – H7 – S40 – S12 – S39 – S89 – S90 – S92 – H8

With extreme heavy hearts we left this very successful area for us but we know there is always something new and existing to look forward to and so packed everything together and paid Nsemani dam a final visit, however, same looked as desolate as on the first day we arrived at Satara but we still wanted to pay Girivana a short visit and here gladly we spotted buffaloes and zebras



taking a drink from the waterhole.



Normally when visiting this waterhole in wet Februarys we did not see much here but this year such waterholes were always a guarantee to spot something. The zebras had some cute youngster between them



and although it was still extreme early a couple of cars where already standing there and watched the whole ado



to be continued....

[Lisbeth]

Someone has even taken up a place inside the kill

Nice birdies and zebbies, especialy the lil'ones

[Richprins]

What an interesting example of the lioness overcoming a terrible injury, Pumbaa!

I like the oasis!

Are you sure that is Girivana waterhole at the end? From an unusual angle, perhaps?