Browns in Kruger April 2017

[Bushcraft]

Great TR Bushcraft.
Still the old catmagnet I see.
I love the small spotted one.

Penga and Mma were the first to arrive and it was cool to catch up as I think that we hadn’t seen each other for around 4 years. They hadn’t aged and looked younger, which made me only want to live my dream more.

Not hardly looking younger.
Maybe Mma does but certainly not me.
2 Weeks ago they asked me for my pensioners card at the local Game
Shit!!!
I am still 13 years way from that

Your beard gives you away PN, but I feel 15 years older, so maybe that's why you guys seem younger Great seeing you guys again

[Bushcraft]

Nice to have the local hyenas show up, and also a nice lion sighting

The quelea were incredible to see... the numbers were mind-boggling

And I'm seriously about your little leopard. We searched that section of the S39 a few times as our camp neighbours had seen the mother with 2 cubs in that same area... but unfortunately for us we never found them

The quelea were something to witness

Hit a luck with that junior. I knew about the mother with cubs which is why we drove the road, but I never expected a lone lightie in the road. We hung around also because I was hoping for the mother.

That Leopard cubs sighting and shots would have already made my trip, Bushcraft,

what luck you had in spotting same - Still high on my wish list to see one day

Thanks Pumbaa, yes it was a special sighting for us. By the looks of things there are a fair number of leopard cubs around in April which is something we haven’t noticed before.

The kitty is absolutely adorable

All those queleas are impressive

Nice quiet meet

Yes, a very cute cub

It was a good meet Lisbeth, nobody had time to get out of hand

must be very impressive to see so many birds taking off and landing
cute, cute, so cute baby Leopard

seems there was a lot of teas

The quelea were amazing to watch nan

RP had a few “teas”

Oh my word...what an amazing sighting of the cub!! Seriously jealous!

The flocks of queleas were quite spectacular this year!

Looks like you had a great meet. I am also giggling at the image of RP wandering around the Satara circles with his cooler box!

The cub was cool Flutts. It felt like I could scratch it behind the ears

The meet was quick as all had a long way to go, but it was good

Just awesome that Leopard cub, that IS no 1 on my wish list

Great sightings all round and some really wonderful photos

Howzit Harry I agree with you, a leopard cub is close to the top of my wish list also

Thanks for popping in

[Bushcraft]

11th Satara to Biyamiti

The Cow and I were rather tired at 5:30am when the alarm went off as we had only crashed at around 1am, so the car packing mission happened slower than normal and we only left camp at about 6:30am.

The Cow had moaned the previous day that we spent too much time hunting for leopards and therefore we miss many other things, so the plan was to try and find the dogs down the H7 and then to do some of the H6 which had been producing cheetah, before heading down to Skukuza for a pit stop and to meet PJL and family who were camping there until the next morning, but I managed to negotiate my way into trying around 8km on the H1-4 first. (As I was still trying to find “PJL’s leopard”).

Just outside the gate a few buffalo cruised past and “Bob Marley” gave us a morning cackle.



Just before our turning point we found 2 ladies on patrol and around 50m behind them a few dudes were following.





The angle they were walking meant that they would hit the road, so I moved slowly on, which first resulted in some huffing and then

“What are you doing? The lion are back there!”

I ignored the chirp and minutes later the Cow changed her tune “Go, they are going to hit the road!”

The first lioness parked off on the edge of the road, while others built up the courage and soon they all walked into the road.









A minute later a big male pulled in and he really though that he was a handsome guy and he even stood and posed for 30 seconds, but he made sure that he kept his nose facing the wind so his mane wouldn’t blow out of shape. Even when he decided to lie down he kept his nose in the air.





The big chap soon decided to get up and check on the rest of the gang, but another male arrived which must have been his brother as they started jumping on each other like teenagers.





Soon the show was over and they all ducked off in a snaking line into the long grass, so we took a few more pics, turned and headed for the H7.





To be continued

[Flutterby]

That was a great lion sighting! Nice when they put on a show for you.

[Pumbaa]

Awesome Lion sighting, Bushcraft,

love the shot you took from all three males together - I love such alliances

[PJL]

The angle they were walking meant that they would hit the road, so I moved slowly on

Leopard fever must have got the better of you

Very nice lion sighting
I'm sure if you had continued on, "PJL's leopard" would have been waiting for you on the road

[nan]

for once you had "only" Lions...
magnificent Lions en photos

[Bushcraft]

That was a great lion sighting! Nice when they put on a show for you.

Thanks Flutts It was our best lion sighting of the trip

[Bushcraft]

Awesome Lion sighting, Bushcraft,

love the shot you took from all three males together - I love such alliances

Thanks Pumbaa It was a strange set up as there were 3 semi adult males and then 2 large males, so I don't know if the semi adult chaps are about to be booted out

[Bushcraft]

The angle they were walking meant that they would hit the road, so I moved slowly on

Leopard fever must have got the better of you

Very nice lion sighting
I'm sure if you had continued on, "PJL's leopard" would have been waiting for you on the road

I always have leopard fever in KNP, but I was moving forward to intercept the lions and the Cow wasn't following what I was doing

"Your" leopard wouldn't have been there Well, I'm telling myself that