Flutts, The Brat and Mommo Back in Kruger *

[Bush Brat]

Ok, my turn!

I will just post some pics that I took that morning and then I will "reveal what we saw next..."

Our first Kruger sunrise!





The long-necked animal.



Some pics of the porcupine.



You can clearly see the cut he had on his face in this pic. Poor thing!





Ok, now time to reveal what we saw next...we saw some buffs grazing next to the road so, naturally we stopped to get some pics. As I was about to take a pic of the old 'dagga boy' (as Mommo likes to call them ) I saw those distinctive shoulders moving up and down, coming straight for the road. At first I thought it was a lion and yelled "LION!", but then as he got closer to the road we all saw he was a leopard! He crossed the road and all we saw after that was his back as he walked off into the distance...but still a leopard. I was lucky enough to get a pic, but I could only get one!



We soon realized that it was on this road and around about the same place that we saw a leopard with a kill in 2012, so we assumed it was the same guy.

We then saw some impies after the excitement of our leopard.
This one was itchy! -O



We carried on onto the H1-2 and just before Tshokwane we saw a car stopped. As we approached we saw... (These cliffhangers must be getting to you guys by now! -O )

[Flutterby]

August 14: JHB –Olifants cont.

So, a great morning so far....porcupine and leopard and it was only 8.30!!! Just a pity I didn’t manage to get a pic of the Brat’s leopard!

Just after the leopard a large herd of ellies came charging across the road, which caused a lot of excitement (for my dad)and terror (for the Brat)!! -O We turned left at the T-junction of the H11 and H4-1 hoping to catch them crossing again, which we did.

View Video

We then turned onto the Alpha loop, but they had already crossed. We assumed they were heading to the river to drink, but they just carried on across the river and disappeared on the other side. They obviously had a very important meeting somewhere! -O

We got back onto the H4-1 where we spotted this mongoose....



....and a Kurrichane Thrush – not a first for me, but the first decent pic I’ve managed to get!!



We then crossed over the high level bridge and onto the H1-2. So, we had seen a leopard in almost the same spot as last year, and wondered if the cheetah we saw on the H1-2 in April would show itself. Not long after saying this we saw some cars stopped on the right side of the road!! You guessed it...a cheetah!!



It was quite far off the road on a mound, so we battled to get good pics, but we didn’t have long to wait before he decided to head in our direction and cross the road right in front of us!!





View Video

Whew, what a morning!! We carried on and found this ellie having a good scratch! -O



This birdie caught my eye...a Rattling Cisticola?



As we approached Mazithi we hoped to score a hat trick by seeing the Mazithi pride which we have seen on our last two trips, but no luck today. Just past Mazithi we found a mini traffic jam. Can you believe it...another cheetah!!

This one was also sitting on a mound but much further away than the first one, so pics were purely for proof.

[Bush Brat]

So, my turn!

The first cheetah. (the second cheetah was too far for my lens. )







We then found these ellies having fun in the riverbed.





We carried on up to Olifants and were very pleased when we arrived at our hut!
This was the spectacular view from our hut, I must admit - I preferred this bungalow to the luxury ones at LS!



While 'Mommo' had a shower my mom and I went to the shop to buy the sticker for Olifants (we collect the stickers from each camp and put them on the car ) and we treated ourselves to an ice-cream because it was now about 02:00pm and the temperature was up to 39 degrees!!!!

[Flutterby]

14 August: JHB – Olifants cont.

At Ngotso Dam we found a nice tusker with two askaris enjoying a drink.



And then when we joined the Olifants river, some ellies and hippos were having fun in the water.



View Video

We finally made it to Olifants!! It had been a long drive and the temperature had reached 39° …quite different to the temps we were used to in Joburg!! We were allocated Bungalow 107 which is a unit for the handicapped, on the perimeter. It was a stunning bungalow, but there were problems with the bathroom which I will post under “Needs Attention”. We unpacked and my dad went to lie down for a bit…he had been sniffing and sneezing most of the morning…while the Brat and I relaxed on the verandah and watched some ellies below.



But as you know, the Brat can’t relax for long, so we were soon back in the car. We headed down to the low level bridge (which is still closed) and found this idyllic scene.



We got back onto the H1-4 and came across a hyena den with 2 adults and 4 adorable cubs. Two of the cubs were still black and two had started developing their spots. The Brat and I took dozens of pics but will only bore you with a few!







They may be vicious scavengers, but what caring animals they are!!





We eventually had to leave this lovely family behind and make our way back to camp.



We had originally planned to braai, but I could see my dad was not feeling well, so we defrosted the meatballs I had made and boiled some spaghetti. My dad hardly ate anything and was in bed by 7.30 after I dosed him with some panado. The Brat and I stayed on the verandah till quite late enjoying the balmy evening and the company of a night visitor!

[Bush Brat]

Here are some of my pics from that afternoon!

The little cubs or pups - never know which one to call them!







"Is it safe to come out yet?"







Our first sunset of the trip!



While at our hut we spotted this hare having his dinner. He sat there for hours and we could even hear him pulling the grass from the ground!

[Flutterby]

15 August : Olifants – Tamboti

We woke to an overcast morning, and it stayed like that for the rest of the day. My dad was still not feeling great. We were moving to Tamboti so we packed the car and headed down the H1-3. We had a quiet drive to the high level bridge where we saw a Goliath Heron, a Fish-eagle and some baboons.



After the bridge we found our hyenas again. This time there were 3 adults and 6 cubs. One female looked rather bloody around the back end and we wondered if she had just given birth.



You can see it more clearly in the video.

View Video

Another cutie!



At the Nyamhiri Spruit we came across quite a few cars and when we slowed down we could hear hyenas cackling in the bush quite far off. Everyone was stopped where the vegetation was quite thick, but we couldn’t see anything so moved past them until we came to a clearing and could see the cacklers quite clearly, if far off. They were obviously on a kill. I didn’t bother with trying to get any pics but managed to get them on video. If you look carefully, you will see one of them drooling a lot, and it looks like it has a bone stuck in its mouth.

View Video

We turned onto the S90, where we saw a few Kori Bustards, buffs, zebra, wildebeest, a Secretary bird and an ellie, but with the overcast conditions, the photos weren’t great. The S41 was very quiet, producing only a few waterbuck, and at last we were on the S100!! There was a lot of general game, but again the cats eluded us!!

We then popped in at Satara to see if we could get any Flu medicine for my dad, but only managed to find some cough mixture. I really think a proper pharmacy would work well in the big camps!

We then headed down the H7 which was also very quiet. At Nsemani this hippo had us oohing and aahing.





The Brat at Bobejaan-Krans.



We got onto the S106 detour road to Tamboti which we had been dreading, but it actually produced the best sighting of the morning. A herd of ellies was drinking from a ditch right next to the road. Once they were all safely in the ditch they couldn’t get to the road without some serious climbing which meant we could enjoy some close encounters with these gentle giants!!

View Video

We left the ellies behind and made our way towards Orpen. Check in was quick and easy and soon we were unpacked and relaxed at Tamboti, Tent no. 22.

[Bush Brat]

Let me first post some pics from that morning and then carry on with the TT!
The same ones from the night before.









A young kudu bull.



A Lilac.



This baby ellie was saying hello to me! -O





Day 2 continued...

We settled at Tamboti and relaxed for a bit. We also saw that they had put badger proof bins in at Tamboti which was pleasing! We decided to go for a short afternoon drive. There was only really one route we could take which was the S106 and then back, but as we got to the turn-off for the S106, we saw a car coming up from the H7, and we saw that the no entry signs had been taken down, instead there was a sign saying "Cul-de-sac" so we assumed that we could drive down the road and then have to turn around where there was no road. So that is what we did, but unfortunately we saw very few animals.
Another beautiful sunset!



We got back to camp and Mommo started a fire. We had chicken and pork rashers for dinner. My grandpa was still not feeling so well so he went to bed very early. My mom and I stayed up a bit and we were treated to a civet walking along the fence! However soon my mom and I also went to bed as we had had a long day. As soon as we got tucked in, we heard a loud banging outside. We went outside to investigate (with our cameras at the ready ) and saw this...



They had managed to get our plastic tupperware out of the bin! (Which had all the marinade and bones from our dinner in it! ) They had made a big mess around the bin but very soon the action was over and they ran off, leaving us wondering how they got the tupperware out. Then one of the two came back and showed us how...







First he jumps up to the bin and puts his nose under the lid and lifts it up. Then he pushes it to the side and gets right in! So much for badger proof bins! -O
My mom will post a video of him caught in the act in her next installment.

When he was satisfied with his rations which included a ham and cheese roll and some chips, he left us and went to the next victim!

Soon after he left us a Genet came to see what all the commotion was about and stole some of the bones the honey badger had left on the floor.





We were satisfied with what we had seen and just as we were about to go back to bed a civet came along, but as soon as he saw us he ran off. We decided to go back inside to see if he came back, and he did...we have a video of him but it is not very good because it had to be taken through the green netting of our tent, still proof though!
We eventually got to bed after an exciting night.

[Flutterby]

15 August: Olifants – Tamboti cont.

I’m going to backtrack a bit here. Once we settled in at Tamboti my dad went to shower and I went searching for birds. I saw a bird that was either a Grey-headed Bush-shrike or an Orange-breasted Bush-shrike but it disappeared before I could ID it! Then I found a lifer – a Sombre Greenbul!



As the Brat already told you, you can now do the H7 from the Orpen side but you have to turn back at the road works. There wasn’t much to see except for this coucal...



...and a nice sighting of some young nyala!! We haven't seen nyala in the south for a few years, and on this trip we must have seen over 50!!



We returned to camp and Mommo got the fire going.



After dinner Mommo went to bed, and the Brat and I sat outside to enjoy the silence....this consisted of loud talking from Italian tourists on one side of us, French on the other and my dad’s coughing fits!! This is one of the noisiest camps in Kruger!! -O

One more pic of the badger. Look at those claws!!



Here'e the promised video of Tamboti's night life:

View Video

Has anyone noticed that we haven’t had a single lion sighting yet? A leopard, 2 cheetahs, 2 honey badgers, a genet, a civet, even a porcupine...but no lions!!

[Flutterby]

16 August: Tamboti – Pretoriuskop

Before going to bed we had taken the precaution of putting the extra blankets on the bed. At about 3am my dad woke up with a coughing fit, and I woke up freezing cold and feeling “fluey”!! My dad was also shivering so I took the blanket off the 4th bed and gave it to him and I put on a jersey, a beanie and socks, and we both took some Panado. An hour later I woke up sweating profusely!!

Eventually, after what felt like a long night, it was time to get up and pack for our move to Pretoriuskop. We decided to head down past Talamati and then take the S125 back to the H1-3. We saw our first jackal outside Tamboti but too far for a pic. We had heard lions roaring all around the camp during the night, but sadly couldn’t find any. The H7 was quiet again but on the S140 we saw a first for us....Ground Hornbills in a tree.



On the S145 we found three immature Bateleurs together. This one was very snooty! -O



This one’s beak is just starting to turn red.



A bit further on and we came across a Side-striped Jackal. We have seen one before, but never managed to get pics!





A buff on the S125.



Kumana was busy with lots of giraffe and waterbuck having a morning drink.





Mazithi was quiet with just one lone ellie. After Tshokwane, we came up behind a Jeep Jockey (not Sanparks) and could see a young ellie and her calf about to cross the road. The passengers were all trying to tell us something so we pulled up alongside the JJ. The driver/”guide”, a young girl, turned to us and said, very snootily, “Please switch off your engine”. Rather non-plussed we looked at her and asked why. “Because it’s in the rules. You must always switch off your engine at a sighting.” My dad and I both started talking at the same time...”I’ve been coming to Kruger for over 50 years....”, ”There is no such rule....” etc, etc!! At the same time I managed to get a shot of the ellies but as soon as they were across the road, my dad took off, with this so-called “guide” saying “It’s in the rules”!!



I immediately pulled out the permit and started reading the rules. Nowhere does it state that you should switch off your vehicle at a sighting, and in fact, with regards to ellies, it says you must not rev your engine, and be ready to drive away if an ellie looks aggressive...both of which imply that your engine is switched on!! My dad and I were both fuming! What gave this stupid girl the right to tell us what to do??? We always switch off our engine when we are watching a sighting for more than a couple of minutes, but not if we are waiting for an animal to cross the road, and especially not if it is a young ellie with her calf!! These know-it-all JJ’s really get up my nose!!

An unmentionable we came across somewhere during our drive.

[Bush Brat]

Hi all
I am going to backtrack a bit and share my pics from that morning with you and then carry on with the sightings of that afternoon.

Our second SSJ in the park, but the first one we managed to get a pic of.



Some buffs.



Hey! -O





A rhino.



So now that I have shared my pics, I will carry on for that day. We decided to try the Maroela Loop before a quick stop at Skuks because in 2012 we had seen the resident leopard there, and he had been seen quite often on the loop lately. Off we went down the road and as we got to section of the road where you cross through the riverbed, up popped a traffic jam!
We assumed it was the leopard, which it was! He was lying fairly close to the road but behind a clump of branches so it was hard to get a clear view. As the road went higher up the view got better but there were a lot of cars there so we had to stay where we were.

We finally managed to get a better view.





All the excitement started when he got up, but of course there are always the inconsiderate ones at a sighting and we got stuck with him at this one. As the leopard got up for everyone to see him, a guy in a Fortuna drove to our car and stopped in front of us so that he could see, and we couldn't! By the time he moved off, the leopard was gone!

Oh well, what can you do! We carried on and found a big troop of baboons at the Sand River bridge, where these two babies were having fun!





The rest of the drive back to P-Kop produced nothing so we relaxed at camp for a bit, and went for some refreshing showers. We went back out again at about 04:00pm and had planned to do all the loop roads around P-Kop... -O so we thought! We were looking for the Fayi Loop, but never found it...we instead did a complete circle on the loops leading off the Voortrekker road, and ended up about 1km from camp! With time still to spare we went onto the S8, and of course what do we come across...a stubborn male ellie in the road that wouldn't get off it! -O He actually almost charged us because as we turned around the corner, there he was...which of course led to screaming from yours truly!
I didn't get any pics, but my mom got a video which she will post soon!

We eventually had to turn back and head for camp because he wasn't going to move anytime soon!

So Day 3 and still no lions...what's happening?!