The cheetah gets a consolation prize.

The Kgalagadi, surprisingly enough actually hosts a fair number of animals. Its neighbor the Namib even has elephants, but here its springbok and Gemsbok or Oryx as they are known with a smattering of Wildebeest and steenbok. The latter being in a small number. So when we see this cheetah walking along the Nossob river bed evidently looking for something from her attitude we followed. She came over the crest of a small dune and froze as her head cleared the top. Springbok!! Yes they were about 800 m away and there was absolutely no cover between her and them but she had found them. She crouched down and took about 5 minutes to cover 3 meters and lay down in the shadow of a bush, making her body flat as possible and still keep an eye on the springbok feeding blissfully unaware down the riverbed.

We settled in for a long wait. Patience is the hunters virtue, just sit and watch for hours if need be and strike in a flash when the time comes. Well the flash came long before we expected it. An oryx came strolling along and he had not seen the cheetah either, suddenly he found himself 10 meters from the cat and with a startled leap he watched her as he walked away. An oryx outweighs a cheetah 5 or 6 times and has nothing to fear from that cat.

The upshot though was that she moved her position slightly and now was able to see around the bush to the left, while before the bush obstructed her vision. Time dragged on, and frankly I was getting ready to call it off and move. In less time than it takes to read it, her head came up, she stood up and in less than a second she was running full tilt for my window. The camera could take 3 shots before she covered the 80 meters to the car went around and killed a juvenile ostrich under my window.

We had not even seen the ostrich come across the plain to our left, unaware of the cheetah. Her elevated position gave her the advantage and she pressed it all the way. Dragging the bird she headed for the shade of a camelthorn and proceeded to eat. A jackal trolling along noticed and sat down out of immediate danger for his long wait for a meal. Life and death in the Kgalagadi is just one wrong move.

The african rock python and its prey!

We had an amazing experience one day in Kruger. We were heading to the dam to do some birding and its kinda out of the way a little. So we were a little surprised to see a few cars parked by the road about 800m before the lake. Wondering what was happening when we could not see much of anything we looked around a bit and lo and behold there was drama unfolding.

A giant African rock python had caught an impala and was constricting it in the tall grass. WOW! An impala is a mid size antelope and weighs about 40kg so it would need to be a fairly big snake that could overpower that impala. Now constrictors are themselves vulnerable when they are constricting their prey especially out in the open like this and they don’t move very fast either so a group of hyena or a few lions could make short work of a large python. I have seen a video where a honey badger killed a 15 foot python. So the snake was very aware of his/her surroundings and came up once in a while to suss out the surroundings for threats to itself.

We watched for a while and when it all seemed to be quiet we left. We returned a couple of hours later just in time to find the snake dragging the impala into the bushes so he/she could swallow it in peace. You can imagine the strength it would take a snake, an animal with no limbs for traction to drag a 40kg animal through the tall grass. They are really powerful. A python is pretty much all muscle. They would eat a meal like this and digest it for about a month or so in a thicket and this is actually when they are really vulnerable cuz they cannot move at all virtually and have no ability to constrict anything in defense. So they find a deep dark place to hide and stay there till they are all set for the next round. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The best network in Africa!

The best network in Africa is owned by…….? Not who you would think. It is the vultures who have the best communication system and its all in the air. Vultures have the best network in Africa. There was a notable case where a vulture tagged in the morning at Pilanesberg National Park was found late afternoon on a carcass in the Kruger park. A distance of 500km and more. How did he show up? Let me tell you these guys are exploring Africa by air.

How the network works is simple. Each vulture keeps track of the ground underneath for feeding opportunities and also keeps track of his buddies up to 5 km around him. So each individual has a radius of about 10 km around him or her. Its like a tic-tac-toe grid that each vulture is in the middle of. So his neighbours keep track of him and he does that same for them. So when one drops down to look at something better, soon the neighbours realize that he has moved and as one moves downwards the neighbours start and …. You guessed it, their neighbours and so on and on and on. So when 1 vulture drops down fast it is seen by all the vultures through the relay system and in no time the word is out. Nothing is seen yet on site, till out of a clear sky you have 100s of vultures in a matter of a few hours perched around near a carcass waiting for the lions to finish so they can dig in. Its incredible how this happens in such a short time when you cant even see 1 vulture at the outset.

On a rare occasion a vulture will spot a carcass in a tree left unattended by the leopard who put it there and sure enough they will latch on to it and eat it right there. In ancient times hunting tribes would look for circling vultures and head to the area in the hopes of getting a portion of a meal.

The vulture also has special eyes that can see very far and also very clearly. They can reportedly spot a mouse from thousands of feet in the air. Their eyes have two foveas with special nerves in the cornea that enable them to do this despite sunlight being so strong up in the air. So these guys are built for long distance and close up zoom. The amazing thing for me is how each vulture eats a different part of the carcass so all get their share. Some eat the flesh, some eat the organs, some eat the sinew especially, and of course the Lammergeier, or Bearded Vulture is the champ, he eats the bone and marrow. They take the bones up into the air sometimes hundreds of feet and then drop it on rocks below. The smashed bone is now in jagged shapes that they can actually swallow whole and digest completely. It looks like it could tear the skin in the throat open but they are immune to that happening. Pretty amazing how it comes together perfectly in Nature. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The wild dogs at Nsemani.

We were parked next to the waterhole hoping for some action and all of a sudden a wild dog ran across the road ahead. Now they are not usually alone and we waited for a minute and saw about 25 wild dogs cross the road and head for the waterhole. We had just come from there and saw several herds of impala and so we hightailed it for the waterhole and just in time.

Wild dogs move really fast and as a group the can literally take down whatever they pointing at. So the impala were obvious targets. Before we could actually settle in and see what was happening with the dogs who had run behind some bushes a couple came to drink with fresh blood all over their muzzles. The first of the pack had already made a kill.

The rest of the pack how ever was still hunting. What had happened was that the first 10 or so dogs had taken down and eaten the first impala while the others continued the chase. We went around the waterhole on the side road hoping to get the rest of the pack as they brought down their quarry. No such luck however. The pack moves very fast and they were long gone by the time we were in the area. We saw the white tails tops moving through the grass in the distance and turned back to the waterhole. Then lo and behold the rest of the pack appeared as we were turning and we met them head on on the road.

We followed them back to the waterhole and watched them drink and meet and greet each other again. They just remained by the waterhole and were relaxing after their meal. These dogs also called the African Painted wolf are really fierce hunters. All in all a great sighting and amazing morning in Kruger.

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One angry female cheetah!

One afternoon in the Kgalagadi driving down the Nossob road just past Grootbardskolk we saw a cheetah approaching the road from the west. Barely 50 yards ahead of us she kept looking back and walked rather angrily it seemed. When we came up to her, I got a couple of photos and sure, she was obviously pretty upset. We watched her for a while and then drove on slowly past the dune she had just come over and found the reason she was so mad.

A huge brown hyena and a few jackals were on a kill and it was clear what had happened. A brown hyena outweighs a cheetah and cheetahs cant afford to sustain any injury because they have to be at peak physical condition to hunt. A small injury which takes 10% off their peak could be a fatal injury and death due to starvation of injured cheetahs is not uncommon.

So this female just relinquished the kill and came away furious, while the usurpers shared the bounty of her hard work. We watched the thieves enjoy themselves thoroughly and I was actually surprised the brown hyena let the jackals in so close cuz as you can see he is more than double their size. Stealing from cheetahs is nothing new. It happens all too often in the bush and its just the way things work. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The boss of the Kopjies.

When you explore Africa you come across some amazing creatures that don't really get enough press. Klipspringers are one of those. Dainty little antelopes that love on the rocky outcrops across the country. In Kruger we call them koppies or Kopjies which is the original Afrikaans word for these rocky outcroppings of granite. They can be from 20-80 meters high and are composed of broken down granite boulders for the most part sticking out of the otherwise sandy soil that prevails in most parts. I saw these beautiful antelope on the top of the Waterberg mountains in the Marakele National Park and got a few decent pix. Klips are actually rocks and springers are jumpers so they are rockjumpers.

They mate for life and are highly territorial. Notice the deep extra 'nostril' on the cheek. It is a scent gland and they mark off their domain with the scent from it to let other klips know that they own the area. Funny thing is if an intruder shows up and its male then the male will fight it off. And they play rough! They have been known to fight to the death! If it is a female then the female fights it off. Their hooves are hard on the outside and soft on the inside that helps them grab on to the rock and not slip just like the better known mountain goats such as ibex and others. They are small only about 3 feet high at best and have hair that is hollow. this helps them stay warm and also pads them if they were to fall. Pretty cool. So like I say come and explore Africa there is something different right around every corner.

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The three stooges of the Kgalagadi.

In all my times in the Kgalagadi, there are 3 players that always stand out and always get my attention. The pale chanting goshawk, the ubiquitous jackal and the star of the show, the honey badger. I have taken to calling them the 3 stooges of the Kgalagadi.

These inseparables, or so it seems, are always up to something. Of course it is the honey badger doing the heavy lifting just poking his nose into everything looking for food and the other two just hang around waiting for leftovers. As the world is, some people willing to work and others willing to let them work. LOL. Anyway i hope you like the photos.

Waterhole wary!

We were driving along one afternoon in the Kgalagadi and came up on an ostrich right there onthe road. It was pretty obvious what she wanted to do and he attitude and posture shows it clearly.

The other animals had cleared off and now there was space for an ostrich to drink at the waterhole. Kgalgadi waterholes are pretty dangerous, especially in the summer time. Lions lie in ambush in the nearby bushes and are pretty successful there. I always thought thats cheating, i mean come on, everyone needs water, so leave it alone. But its a jungle out there, whaddaya know, and its all like "I am in for me and the Devil take the hind most." So its good she just bided her time and got a nice drink. She was eyeballing me all the while though.

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The eland herd and the waterhole.

One hot Kgalagadi morning we saw an amazing sight. A large eland herd was walking along the Auob riverbed. This is a rare sight and eland are not the easiest of antelope to watch, they tend to be skittish and like to watch us from far away.

This herd how ever was obviously heading for the waterhole up ahead. We watched for a while and then drive straight to the waterhole about 1 km ahead to wait for them to come and drink. Or at least that is what we thought would happen. But the Kgalagadi is famous for surprises. What did we find there but the king and his current flame coming for water from the other side and drinking.

They had no idea the herd was coming and were obviously intent on continuing their romantic interlude. They drank and then went a lay down among some trees in the shade.

Its just amazing how animals get a feeling of something wrong, or they are just extra careful especially when getting to an open space where there are trees close by and they are going to be drinking with heads down. The herd never arrived. About 300 meters before the waterhole they drew up and within seconds were over the dunes and gone. The lions had noticed them, but the wonderful part is that they had noticed the lions.

Tan colors, one on top of the other, in the shade, we could hardly see them properly, and we knew exactly where they were. But those eland had picked them out as well and the ones in front led the thirsty troop off and out of harms way. He who does not drink and walks away, lives to drink another day. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

THE HUGE MALE LION AT ROOIKOP.

This is a story about the lions of the Kgalagadi. Specifically the huge male I saw at Rooikop. I left Nossob camp a little late cuz we were moving camp and I was a little put off about missing the ‘early’ morning, it was already about 730am and I had lost an hour. But when the Kgalagadi delivers, it happens in spades. So we are driving along and suddenly I hear a low grunt/roar. And there on the left, high up on the crest of the dunes is movement. So I stop, we all watch and bingo it’s a male lion, walking parallel to the car and in the opposite direction. I reverse for a bit and then flipped the car around to drive along the same path when he cut across and came straight down the slope towards the Rooikop waterhole.

The sun caught his beard as he came through the bushes and it was then that we saw him in all his glory. 4 meters in front of the car he walked majestically unhurriedly across the road. What a lion! Certainly the biggest most magnificent Swart Manhaar of all time. Well at least for me. Swart manhaar is the Afrikaans word for black-maned lion, that’s what they have in the Kgalagadi. He was heading for a drink. I positioned opposite him and took some pictures and watched him. He came around and sniffed the ground for news of his family and as I moved the camera it caught his eye. He gave me a look that was simply heartstopping, especially as this massive lion was just 5 meters from the car. He held my eyes for an eternal minute, and then went back to sniffing.

My breath came out in a burst, I had not realised that I had stopped breathing. I pulled out the phone to make a video as he walked away roaring as he went, calling to let everyone know he was here and a message to his family letting them know where he was. The whole group in the car looked at each other, we all felt the same way. It had been an incredible experience. Kgalagadi can be tough, but as I said when it delivers it leaves you speechless.

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NOW YOU SEE ME......

In the bush you have to be in tune with your surroundings and sensitive to the animals you see and what they are feeling. Its not always simple to do and often you don’t get a amazing reward for it but when it clicks its very special. I was driving along the southern river road and we had stopped to watch a herd of elephants walk by. Lovely to see those majestic animals walk across the bushveld. Just as I was moving along I noticed 2 female kudu looking at a clump of logs and bushes rather anxiously. Seemed like there was nothing there at all but the 2 kudu females were convinced there was something there. So I stopped and looked from where they were, nothing. Moved forward a bit, nothing. Moved directly in front of the log covered with bushes and switched off the car. Got the binoculars out and stared into the clump of vegetation. All at once I saw movement. There was something there!!! But what?? Was it worth spending time here for what could be a sleepy warthog? Anyway, the kudu were still anxious so I kept at it.

Soon enough a little head peeped up through at me and I go the jolt of my life. It was a baby leopard. ‘Leopard’ I shouted to my guests in a stage whisper and every one glued their eyes to the bushes hoping for a new glance. Now I was a little concerned. If this little bloke was here alone and we attract attention then jackals, hyenas, honey badgers and worst of all lions may find him and that would be the end. No trees in the vicinity less than 30 meters away. It would be curtains for the poor bloke. Then some one said ‘That’s not a cub’ followed by someone else ‘Seems like there are two’. All this while I have been taking pictures and hoping to catch the movement into something tangible. So I went back over the photos, one by one. Sure enough. Mom and the little one were together. It would have still been hard to take the little one to safety from where she was so another couple minutes and we were off. What a cool sighting. Nobody in sight to tell either. The kudu were right to be nervous, but they outweigh a leopard almost 3 times so no real danger there. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

DOVES AT THE WATERHOLE - KGALAGADI

When the suns rays are at a low angle and the heat of the day is dissipating into the cool of the night, animals and birds IN THE KGALGADI come for a drink. The waterholes are busy and the unwary are in trouble. We sat by a waterhole before sundown and waited. Nothing. Well the waiting game is played best by playing it. So we stuck around, and before long we were greeted by wave upon wave of doves. They were so numerous it seemed like 100s came and went over the period of an hour or so. Lanner falcons and red necked falcons and even jackals bide their time at these waterholes trying to snag a plump dove for dinner but no such luck this time. It was how ever surreal to capture an ever-changing collage or you could call it a live mosaic of these beautiful birds as they came in to drink stayed a while and left. The setting sun gave us a hint to head home and we did albeit sadly to leave such a beautiful sight.

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One hot day at the waterhole.

Heading for Satara camp from Tshokwane after a quick breakfast we noticed  a herd of elephants heading north as well and slowed to keep pace with them. They were looking like they might cross over and head for the waterhole just ahead so we took up position facing the waterhole and sure enough there they came. The thing is that we had not seen the whole herd yet. So as we were parked there they came across the road and heading down the slope to drink and it was then that I realized that the rest of them were on  my left and now the car was between two groups from the same herd. One female was none too pleased about this and gave me a couple of real dirty looks but she passed around the back of the car to the rest of the gang giving me and the car a wide berth with no incident at all. It was a bit hairy however having her behind the car and me parked on the embankment but she just passed over and was fine with the rest of the herd.

It’s a delight to watch a herd of elephants relaxing at the waterhole. There are so many special little interactions and it is not unlike a big human family gathering. The older ones more sedately drinking cuz of course they need a LOT of water. The youngest ones with moms and nannies around to keep them safe and the youngsters were pushing shoving ducking and spraying and generally goofing off. A great sighting. Kruger rocks!

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