Re: Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp
Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:55 am
Polentswa, a leopard is my favourite animal and I would explore every possible means of getting it out of camp first, but I also have small kids and unfortunately I care more about them naturally.
We visit Mpila camp in Imfolozi fairly often and it doesn’t have a fence. Last year a leopard walked through camp in the early morning next to unit 15 without incident, however a few years ago a man was attacked in the middle of the day there while cooking a potjie. He survived but sustained some serious injuries. Admittedly this was a sick old leopard, however kids are always a concern. My kids have learnt how to behave in a game reserve and what to do and what not to do, but the vast majority of parents and therefore by default their kids, are clueless.
We visit Mpila camp in Imfolozi fairly often and it doesn’t have a fence. Last year a leopard walked through camp in the early morning next to unit 15 without incident, however a few years ago a man was attacked in the middle of the day there while cooking a potjie. He survived but sustained some serious injuries. Admittedly this was a sick old leopard, however kids are always a concern. My kids have learnt how to behave in a game reserve and what to do and what not to do, but the vast majority of parents and therefore by default their kids, are clueless.
At Sirheni we had leopard spoor all around our unit no 7 one morning ..Mrs Spots had been sniffing around during the night ..Gate closed ..makes no difference as she sometimes sleeps un noticed in the wild area between the gate and the huts I am told...just accept they are part of the scene in Kruger in camps like hornbills etc
) , but they do act as a restriction and allow a sense of security to those who believe it makes them safe 
Thanks for that info....i mean I will only be camping in my tent at LS in 3 weeks time 
Take a Porta Potti for the tent 
I would have loved to have seen the B N Dal cat on the gate post considering how many mornings I spent on my own mostly waiting for gate opening..I remember the last time they caught the original B N dal leopard and that time they took her north of the Olifants River instead of adjacent Wolhuter Trail Wilderness area where she was back in a week at most..The next night a huge Tom barked up the hill as we were alone washing supper dishes at the bottom camping and the top was empty too..So how many walk around is anyones guess..We were actually saying how sad it was that the leopard was finally gone ..Next night this loud close by rasp session in camp ..Jane and I gave a high 5 as a cat had come to visit probably to find his missing chick. The female often left dewy sandy tracks on the tiles in the ladies ablutions below camping level . Probably came in at 3am to admire herself in the mirror . If you want to read a good personal story of the original BNdal leopard get the 2nd edition Getaway mag (I think Feb 1986??) where I wrote in the letter column about me and my 3-4 yr son sleeping down below in a small pup tent with just the thin transparent mozzie liner zipped up to let whatever breeze through..I woke up with the tent moving and looked down at my feet area and the 100 m distant female loo lights illuminated a huge shadow head at my feet end with long silhouette whiskers nose inquisitevly pressed against the netting ..probably investigating my snoring 