Tusker: 9 June, 2009
June 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment
AM drive:
With the arrival of a bona-fide cold front off the mountains and a strong wind, walking was deemed too risk. Given that respectful and strategic animal approaches are one thing and bumbling into surprise close-up invasions are quite another thing, with the latter being much more likely in the event of a strong sound-masking wind. So, we drove, heading back in the direction of the night-time disappearing lions, to look for more clues. We stopped, on the way, to examine an old Aaardvark burrow in a termite mound that is currently occupied by a pair of Porcupine, in the wake of hyena cubs, according to the tell-tale signs, who were raised here . The guests got their chance to pick up the forensic evidence in the “guess-the-inhabitant who-dunnit game”. Another guessing game was held over a recently used white rhino midden and an impala herd were observed for signs of lion-awareness which were confused by their nervousness at the wind and then used to illustrate the lions day-time stake-out observation strategy. Fortunately, at least for the impala, no lions were found and neither were any leading clues. So we satisfied ourselves, instead, with the short but sweet viewing of a small herd of elephants including a young trunk-flapping two-year-old infant.
PM drive:
The beauty of working in the bush is that there is always a little surprise for the guides everyday; it is impossible to have seen it all. Today, there was a big surprise for the guides with the discovery of two black rhino in the tree line at the end of the airstrip.
While there are black rhino in parts of the Kruger National Park, the Klaserie has been the home only of the white rhino since the reserve was formed, having a larger representation of white rhino habitat than black. Two black rhino were introduced into the Klaserie recently and their movements have been followed via microchips implanted in their horns They also had their ears nicked as is customary to aid with individual ID. What luck that we had two professional photographers amongst our guests, Mad Mat and his father!
Later, comparison of pics of our rhinos and those of the introduced ones confirmed that these were two strangers that had the reserve ecologists and wardens buzzing with excitement. While I say we were lucky to have the photographs, it does not mean our view was at all limited, we were close to them and as much as I thought we were not too close for comfort, being strangers in a strange land obviously made the one rhino very nervous and he gave us a vehement warning charge which made things exciting and meant that we had to retreat hastily in accordance with his wishes. While he and his buddy (or perhaps his bride – it was hard to tell in the excitement) rushed off (as if for the hills), they quickly calmed down and ambled back to the airstrip. We watched them from afar while a male wildebeest watched us from the middle distance, waiting for us to get off his stamping ground.
In the middle of another cloudy near-dark sundowner, a lion called, hot and close. Off we went, round and round, parting a wave of impala as bewildered as us as to where the lion actually was or where it was moving, since our lion did not call again. Failure to find it seemed impossible and yet he or she remained hidden from view. Completely out in the open, however, for night-time grazing, was our female hippo who climbed out onto the small dam island, bringing her teeny tiny baby with her to oohs and aahs and soft squeals of delight from the back of the Landrover. To cap it all, a sliver of cloud parted to show us the full moon rising, red and fat, reflecting the recently sunken sun. As if that wasn’t enough, further delights included a large spotted genet clinging to the trunk of a shrub, and a gold and black civet bustling into the grass.
- Georgie Thomas & Stephen Kapp (Trails Guides) and Isaack Nkuna (Backup Guide)
Tusker: 6 June, 2009
June 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment
AM Walk: We drove to the island, encountering baby sandgrouse (with their parents) and a close-up of an African wildcat on the way. We walked on the island but could not locate any trace or clues as to the whereabouts of the kill. We found a pocket near the river with waterbuck, impala, and giraffe. We almost lost one guest, Tom, to his love of the kudus, and he spent the next few days searching for another glimpse of them on drive, for which he was rewarded!
We sat at the river crossing and watched a fish eagle and a water monitor lizard sunning itself on the rocks in the same place we encountered the klipsringer the night before.
PM drive: We spotted three rhino behind the dam. They were nervous so we retreated and waited for them to return from the vantage point of the dam wall and enjoyed the displays of the hippo while we waited. The three rhino did return to drink. One large male rhino joined them and zebra fought in the background as the full moon rose with the sunset.
- Georgie Thomas and Stephen Kapp (Trails Guides) and Isaack Nkuna (Backup Guide)
Tusker: 5 June, 2009
June 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Elephant male – musthe bull – relaxed in camp to greet the new guests. On drive spent a long intimate moment with a klipspringer couple + youngster on rocky outcrop near concrete bridge. Isaack spots a chin spot batis in a shrub – common to hear but hardly ever seen so that was exciting.
Spent the night drive on the island where we encountered a strong and spreading scent of an old kill – must have been something big (and therefore likely to have been killed by the ions a few days previously which would explain why they spent so long on the island without showing themselves in the previous 5 days). We make a plan to revisit area on foot in the morning.
Close up of a civet by the concrete bridge.
- Georgie Thomas & Stephen Kapp (Trails Guides) and Isaack Nkuna (Backup Guide)