Impressions of Kruger - October 2014*

[Amoli]

This is not a day to day Travel tale, but rather pics of impressions Kruger made on me during this trip.







I arrived in Phalaborwa at around noon and decided to do an afternoon drive into the park before retiring at Forever Resorts for the night.

About 6 km on the H9 I saw this beautiful leopard. Although a crowd was around for the next two hours, lazy bones just slept through all of it.





I love my tent – a gift from my Dad. It takes me 3 seconds to put up.
This will be my home for the next 8 days.





Big parts of the bush was burnt and I was impressed by the beauty of it. I would gladly have a painting like this photo on my wall.



After the burns there is the glorius new life filled with promises



The comparison of grass growing and bunt down, yet holding a promise of good grazing in the tomorrows





This Boabab at Bowkerskop stands majestically as a directive should you feel lost.





Nature acknowledging the universe and kneeling in submission



This lifted my spirit as it was a clear sign that old didn’t mean useless…





My first experience in a bush camp -Tzendze – so totally bush.
It was a great and Rodger and Alina are super hosts.
I missed having electricity and might not repeat this experience.



Sunrise at Tzendze

[Amoli]

Elephant impressions…. Oops – My impressions of ellies


….There is nothing that reduces us to our proper dimensions more rapidly and completely than spending long periods in the company of elephants…… - Mitch Reardon

I spent hours watching elephants at the waterholes and their mannerisms when crossing the road.
By far I cannot say I have the knowledge, but some of their mannerisms made a new impression on me.
I truly found the ellies to be quiet calm.

It appeared as if the older ellies were constantly in a teaching mode –


Calming a youngster who wants to be stroppy - the younger one stopped and started swaying his foot, when the older one passed in front of him. saying : let's go....

[Amoli]

… elephants have a highly convoluted brain, which like ours has a well-developed temporal lobe that endows them with an awareness of self and empathy for others… - Mitch Reardon

Giving each other a turn to drink at the waterhole



Even with his skew tusker, there is no question of his authority



Laying their hot bodies against the cool dam wall seemed to bring much relief



Showing youngster how to drink from over the dam wall

[Amoli]

….anyone who has spent time with elephants comes to realize that they evince complex emotions such as solicitousness, mischievousness and happiness….- Mitch Reardon

Oops, this trunk is so heavy



Drinking time is over and leader starts the exodus





This tusker I saw near the Confluence and Mopanie, but oh so elusive





A content ellie near Nsemani Dam - he allowed me to take pics all the time while passing him...



An ellie doing a lay down sleep – I have not seen this often…




… they reflect qualities we recognize in ourselves, or perhaps qualities we would wish to see in ourselves….….- Mitch Reardon

[Amoli]

BC - I was there on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.


I must tell you guys what happened to me....
There was this kill, and a lot of cars around.
On the other side of the road were animals laying down in the shade in the riverbed, which with a quick glance I thought were lion.
So I reversed and this guy opposite me, in some big white 4x4 asked me where I was going.

I said I wanted to take pics of the lions and he grunted, they are hyenas.
It dawned on me that this guy knew me. It was my friends son, although he had dark glasses on.
His 13 year old son was sitting next to him, and his wife and sister in law was at the back - and they all smiled.


I exclaimed....with my normal : what are you doing here. He replied he was on holiday with his family.

And then it was over. I took my pics and left.

Only problem was Mike drives a black murano and he had left for Kenya on the previous monday.
I have no idea who I gave such a welcome note to in the park...

[Amoli]

Impressions of the food chain. - Part 1

This is the first time I have seen lions feast on a buffalo so close to the road.

I spent a long time with them – looking at their behavior and listening to the sounds. Such power as they savagely tear off pieces of meat.

Amazing how the lions give way once they have had their fill, and allow others to take over.











On my return late afternoon there was no sign of any lions anymore with only one vulture waiting in the trees.
I was a bit surprised as there seemed to be some feed left for other animals.







I was not disappointed, as the next morning, I found the hyena, jackal and vultures, picking at morsels left for them to feed on.









On my return that afternoon, I found the bare carcass. In two days flat, many animals got fed.

[Amoli]

Food chains – continued….

I was travelling to Tshokwane when I saw an animal on the side of the road. I idled a bit nearer and saw it was a tawny on a dead impala.

It did seem as if this was a road kill, and a fresh one at that.

Another car passed and the eagle flew up to the tree and joined the bateleur.
I waited around for half an hour, but there was a constant flow of one-one vehicle and they wouldn’t come down.

My pic of the impala is not clear – I felt a bit uneasy with irresponsible drivers.

On my return, the impala was no longer there. It must’ve been removed by park officials.

This chain of food was broken.

[Amoli]

On this same road, a bateleur came in fly ing low over my car, and landed right in front of me.

He really trusted that I would stop for him.

He picked up scraps from the tar and a starling came begging for a share.

I couldn’t hear what he said to the bird, but the face was enough.

One last look and he left. Another food chain broken.

[Richprins]

i have never ever seen a steenbokkie on any road in the park....

This was taken on an RP-leachy trip to Punda many years ago...it was with his camera...I presume he was in the car?





But agreed...that's about your best chance of seeing them in the road?

[Amoli]

INTERLUDE :

One late afternoon I was sitting at Nsemani dam, watching the Impi’s graze and the antics of the vervets.

In front of me I saw a procession of cars coming from Satara, moving very, very slowly.
Sure they were after the resident leopard, but there wasn’t a way I could join them, unless I fell into the back of the line.
After a few moments I crossed over the road, facing them and stopped to look at the beautiful scenery.
They were still a long way off, so I wouldn’t be in the way.

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The next moment this male lion appeared. Wow. I grabbed my camera and starting clicking away.



He looked at me and with the whispers of the wind I could clearly hear him saying......
I was over the moon with excitement.



And then he turned round and disappeared in bush… I was numb.



I saw the line of cars had come nearer and then decided to give way.
I asked the peeps in the first car what they were searching for and they said they saw bits of a male lion and they were looking for him.
My only answer was : Really… There was no way they would believe my story.
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Oh…. You want to know what the lion said to me?

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The Cup is ours this year. Great eh…