Klopperfontein
A list of favourite waterholes:
https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=263&t=8369
This is my favourite pastime during the dry season, and can be very rewarding!
Pros
One saves a lot on fuel costs, obviously, and it contributes to lessening congestion on the roads. Photographic opportunities can be well-constructed. Animals come to you, and the surprise-element is often remarkable. Good chance of predator activity. Constant flow of birds. Real opportunity to experience the sounds and smells of the bush.
Cons
Without preparation and a bit of luck it can be a hit-and-miss affair, with long and boring periods of mammal inactivity. Not ideal for small children or impatient people. Can be extremely hot without good shade. Obvious problems regarding ablutions and sustenance unless well-prepared. Rarely alone for any length of time in certain areas.
Preparation
If one has the time one can peruse internet reports of waterhole activity and general water-levels at length before a trip, and even during, and ask fellow tourists about their experiences. This is very important as sometimes what may seem to be a perfect waterhole can be deserted because there are unknown natural water sources nearby. Animals prefer natural water and obviously naturally disperse as much as possible to take advantage of grazing opportunities.
If it is a longish trip, one can drive around on the first day and check conditions at various spots for yourself (see on-site factors) and then pick a spot or two to visit over the following days. In this regard it is good to have one or two backup spots nearby should it be obvious you have picked a dud on your waterhole day.
On-site Factors (Things to look for when choosing your spot.)
A- Shade
This can be very important, even though it may be winter the Lowveld can punish you and the sun will burn you! Do not be tempted to think there is shade at first glance in the morning or evening, as most spots have adjacent trees or shrubs that cast shadows across the parking, but this disappears during the drinking hours from about 09h00 to 15h00. Unfortunately few spots these days have overhead trees so that is a real bonus! One can end up changing the position of your vehicle to take advantage of a single tree's moving shade, no problem.
B- Distance to Water
While at first this may not seem to be an issue, it makes a big difference eventually should one be within 30 metres or so of the water. It helps a lot with photography and birding, as well as having a fuller experience of the sounds and smells of the action. One cannot sit with binoculars permanently glued to the face! Dams are a problem in this regard, as the more they shrink the more popular they are, but the further away the water goes. Concrete troughs do not have this problem!
C- Remoteness vs Accessibility
This is a double-edged sword. One wants peace and quiet and to be off the beaten track, yet one doesn't want to be too far from civilisation in case of emergencies/comfort breaks/delays. This would be dictated by the composition of your group, your expectations and timeframe, and the state of your supplies. I generally don't mind too much either way, and this is not an overriding factor, but some spots can get very busy and irritating!
D- Bushcraft
This is also very important, and involves looking for indications around the water that it is being utilised. This would begin with scanning the veld upon approach for 3 km around already, as the presence of groups of grazers in the general area would indicate that they have to drink somewhere, especially if they are steadily on the move in a certain direction.
At the waterpoint one should obviously check that there is water. This may sound silly, but it applies to drinking troughs, which are often empty or dysfunctional despite what one may think. Even though elephants are drinking at the reservoir, it does not mean that water is going to the troughs. The surest way is to see if birds are drinking/bathing...make sure one actually sees water on them as they sometimes fiddle around in the dry trough for some reason. If there are no birds drinking for the first 15 minutes it is a good indication that there is no water.
Then look for reasonably fresh dung around the water, especially buffalo. Buffalo herds drink twice a day, generally, and will stick to the same water source for many days in a row. The more dung the better! (Elephant dung is not a good indicator of general mammal activity, as they have different drinking habits.)
Look for reasonably fresh mud on tree trunks and stumps in the area. Wallowers like buffalo, rhino and elephant will always rub the mud off using these conveniences, and once again, the fresher the better.
Look for a trampled grassless area around the water: the bigger this area, the more the traffic. If the grass goes up to the water, there is no water or the waterpoint is unutilised by large mammals.
Once you have made sure that there is water, observe the birds a bit. Look for oxpeckers arriving to drink, as this indicates approaching herbivores, for example. Also listen for the Grey Lourie, or Go-away bird, whose calls generally indicate approaching animals, but not always.
Things To Take Along
This depends on you! There are obvious things like binoculars (10x50 is a minimum requirement, IMO), camera, snacks/lunch and liquids. In my youth I used to buy the Sunday Papers and two old pies on my way out of Nelspruit in the morning, plus take 2l of water and some tea for the afternoon, and that kept me for the day...
Sunscreen is important!
A proper cooler is essential, and beware food lying in the sun...it can go bad amazingly quickly!
Beware leaving things plugged into the car, like a fridge and chargers. Even the biggest battery can go flat within a few hours.
Bird, insect and tree books are nice should there be a quiet spell, and there is always something interesting to identify and argue over.
A pee bottle can help, although a dash to a nearby picnic spot or camp is not out of the question regarding a comfort break either!
Good conversation is more than welcome, and one can have a memorable time without too much in the way of sightings - I certainly have!
Predators
Your chances of randomly seeing a predator drinking are slim, unfortunately. However, during the dry season, predators tend to hang around concentrated waterpoints for the same reasons that you do, and should your spot have predator guests you will probably already know from your preparation, or notice them quite quickly upon arrival.
Lions, especially, may just seem to be lying there doing nothing, but do not be fooled, as they will never pass up an opportunity of catching something, and the ones lying in the open are often just part of the pride with others lying out of sight.
Hyenas like water, and lie half-submerged sometimes, while also "storing" chunks of meat underwater in the same way leopards store their food in trees.
Leopard are mostly nocturnal as far as hunting goes, like the above two species, but are also opportunists.
Cheetah are daywalkers, and will drink regularly, but they and wild dog are not really ambushing predators so either they visit or they don't, and will not hang around much. Obviously there are always exceptions, but they are low on the food chain and don't want to be exposed to the other predators either.
In general predators will drink during the early mornings and evenings, so even once the other animals have left, it is worthwhile sitting for another hour just in case...it can be very rewarding if you are lucky!
As mentioned before, look at the behaviour of other animals near water, as they may notice approaching predators and begin "barking" and all staring in one direction. Often, however, they are blissfully unaware of predators, obviously. Baboons are by far the best indicators of predators and don't make "false alarms".
Mudhole-sitting
One need not despair should it be the summer wet season and game is sparse. You can still spend fruitful quiet hours relaxing at a mudhole, with a good chance of seeing some large visitors! (Obviously this applies to winter as well.)
Unfortunately these are confined to 4 mammal species...elephant, rhino, warthog and buffalo, but it can be quite exciting and give some great photo-opportunities.
Other species may also come and drink, of course, but herds will prefer cleaner water. Birds have no problem with mudholes either!
Wallowers are quite finicky about getting the right type of mud, preferably clay, and will make quite an effort and visit pools of the right consistency regularly (Rivers don't really qualify.) They can do it any time of day until quite late in the evening.
When scouting out a mudhole one looks for similar signs as to a waterhole, regarding dung and trampling, but it is important to see that the mud is freshly-overturned, ie. there is wet mud above the water level of the normal pool.
Similarly, one may see mud rubbed off at various levels on the surrounding big tree trunks, looking like a coating of cement. This is particularly an elephant habit. Exposed fresh mud stays wet for about an hour, so that is a good indication of recent activity.
Mudholes, or wallows, appear along any flat stretch, often very near the road, and are constantly enlarged as the mammals carry the mud away, eventually forming sizeable pans over the years that become more and more permanent. They also appear as "overflows" of man-made waterpoints, with much the same results should the soil be suitable.
Sitting at a Hide
Here are the various hides: https://africawild-forum.com/viewforum.php?f=36
While hides can be overcrowded and cramp one's style, so to speak, they are very advantageous in the following ways:
Always quite cool and shady.
Generally close to the water with a good elevated view.
Very quiet, allowing the sounds and smells of the bush to be appreciated.
Often off the beaten track.
A permanent fixture for animals, which are used to them.
Permanent water year-round.
Stable photography platform.
Etiquette:
- SILENCE PLEASE!
- Approach the hide quietly, after having waited at your vehicle for a minute first, checking out the entrance. The hides are not fenced and there are often large mammals about, especially in the dry season.
- If there are no other vehicles it means you are alone, obviously, so take extra care.
- Feel free to take snacks and tea. There is normally a dustbin too.
- If there is space, check your positioning inside carefully so as to have the widest view. Often half of the scene may be obscured by the side of the hide, obviously.
- Beware creepy-crawlies in the hide...spiders and bugs, and even snakes and bats enjoy the shelter too. Especially if you are alone, stand at the door to the room and scan a bit first, including the thatch ceiling, and move about slowly inside.
- Don't be irritated by other visitors. They have every right to be there, and the noisy and fidgety ones generally don't stay long. One can make cursory conversation and even make friends! As long as one speaks normally it is not a disturbance for animals.
- The same rules as above apply regarding open waterhole-sitting, including patience!
Rare Antelope
One of the highlights of one's efforts can be the unexpected appearance of rare antelope! This may even influence one's choice of waterhole....it does for me. (Kruger Park Experiences)
Most of them don't have to drink all that often, and some are shy and alert, so one's chances are not particularly good. Also, most are found in the north, so may be beyond range.
The small ones like Sharpe's Grysbok rarely drink anyway, as they get their requirements from their diet.
Here are a few tips per species:
Sable
The most widespread rare antelope, and quite regular drinkers. They are far more fussy and alert than other grazers, and don't hang around. The best areas are Pretoriuskop, the S36, and the area between Mopani and Shingwedzi. During the dry season the following would be the most likely waterholes: Jones' dam, Talamati, Shitlhave and Hlangulene.
Tsessebe
Probably most often seen given their numbers, but confined to the north for the most part. They are quite sedentary and not nomadic, so your chances are good in certain areas. There are one or two released ones near Pretoriuskop. Best waterpoints: All the ones in the Mopani area, Klopperfontein, Grootvlei, Boyela.
Eland
These are very difficult, as they are rare, nomadic, don't need to drink much, and very skittish. Also confined to the north. Best waterpoints: Elandskuil/Mandadzidzi, Klopperfontein, Boyela.
Roan Antelope
These are also very few in number and don't drink as often. Largely confined to the far north. Like the related sable they don't hang around either. Best waterpoints: Babalala, Boyela.
Liechtenstein's Hartebeest
By far the most rare, with a few survivors hanging on in the far north after failed reintroduction by Kruger in the previous century. Also a small herd near Pretoriuskop. They are similar in habits to the related tsessebe. Best waterpoint: Boyela.
Mountain Reedbuck
Also super-rare and marginal, and mostly crepuscular/nocturnal in Kruger it seems. The only recorded tourist sightings have been at Matjulu windmill near Berg & Dal.
Common Reedbuck
These are the most common "rare antelope", but as per definition live almost exclusively near water anyway so do not come to drink, per se. Found throughout the park. Traditional locations are the Pretoriuskop/Afsaal area, the H-10, the area north of Satara, and the Nshawu valley.
Best waterpoint for rare antelope?
Ironically this would be Shitlhave, as every single one of these can or has been found there except for mountain reedbuck. However for regular sightings Boyela would be the best, followed by Klopperfontein.
