My 2014 Kruger Highlights

[Heksie]

Episode 20 Leopard Madness Part 2

March 2014
It was time to go to Skukuza to for the annual cricket event, we entered the gate the morning at 6:00 and as all the dirt roads were closed because all of all the rain Mads and I decided to just drive the S1 to the S4 and then turn back before I go pitch up my tent at Skuks.
On the way we met up wit DavenJan and Dinkybird, Nedret and Porridge aand Jax. We turned around after seeing a lot of birdies and animals, and it just shows about the Kruger law. As we drove back to the H11 we got to see the young leopard about 500m from the T-junction…



She wasn’t there when we drove past the spot the first time and then when we returned about an hour later we got to see her…

Then the next day after the cricket match, people had time to get ready for dinner at the golf club. Of course this meant that there were more driving around for me and Mads. Driving the S1 again, exactly the same happened as the day before. We turned around and on our way back to the H11, we spotted the beaut in a tree…







December/January 2014/2015
One morning I did the S3->S4->S1 and then when I got to the H11/S1 T-junction, one of my JJ friends, Tiny, saw me and informed me that a leopard was in a tree about 1km towards Kruger Gate. She was in the open, and I was so happy seeing this female again after two years.
This is her, closer to Kruger Gate in December 2012



And then her in January 2015, 3km from Kruger Gate



And then not even talking about the same leopard, how about seeing a leopard on the same spot in three different occasions…
On the T-junction of S21 and S114 there is this huge rock that is covered in shade the whole day, I was lucky enough to see different leopards on this spot .
29 Dec 2012 (male leopard)




31 Dec 2014 (female leopard)






2 Jan 2015 (female leopard)




To be continued…

[Flutterby]

Wow Heksie, what awesome leopard sightings!

I also woke up feeling fluey this morning so can empathise with you!

[Heksie]

Wow Heksie, what awesome leopard sightings!

I also woke up feeling fluey this morning so can empathise with you!

Sorry to hear about you also feeling fluey
Some med-lemon, disprin and vicks will fix you up in no time. ANd just for fun a 2 litre orange juice or tomato cocktail

[nan]

[Richprins]

Very clever episodes, Heksie!

Amazing that rock...must go there!

What is the Kruger law?

[Heksie]

Very clever episodes, Heksie!

Amazing that rock...must go there!

What is the Kruger law?

the law of the Kruger is to be at the right place at the right time...

[Bushcraft]

I used to rate August for cats, but I now agree with you, September is tops

Whaha, I just clicked that I was at some of those part 1 leopard sightings also, but at slightly different times. I never got the 2 together

Wow, part 2 just as good

You need to sort that flu out quickly as KNP is just around the corner

[Heksie]

I used to rate August for cats, but I now agree with you, September is tops

Whaha, I just clicked that I was at some of those part 1 leopard sightings also, but at slightly different times. I never got the 2 together

Wow, part 2 just as good

You need to sort that flu out quickly as KNP is just around the corner

THat is why we booked the long weekend in September at Lower SAbie, hoping to have kitty luck again
We haven't been as lucky as you guys with the spots, but I have been very happy with my sightings... Hope that July will be as good as the last few trips
THe flu has gotten worse, going to see the dr tomorrow so I can be heavily medicated for two days and be on Thursday afternoon when we leave Witbank at 16:00... HOping for the best. When are you guys leaving Durban?

[Heksie]

Episode 20 Leopard Madness Part 3
This instalment will be about the leopards that I have seen during my December 2014 trip that didn’t’ get an episode of their own. Just want to say that I was lucky with them spots so there will be spots all over your screens…

3 January 2015
It was an excellent day for spotting spotties, I entered Kruger Gate and were planning to do the H1-2->H12->S21->S114->H1-1. As I want to get away from the crowd as quickly as possible so I didn’t want to stop for anything until I get to the H1-2. Well it didn’t end up like that because when I went downhill just after the low water bridge on the H11 I saw a cat walking to a already parked car. I slowed down immediately and were able to capture the magnificent SKukuza male walking beside my car and then marking a bush before disappearing…









After completing all my dirt roads I was about 3km from SKuks on the H1-1 and again I found a car parked next to the road. I immediately saw the cat in the tree and parked a few meters from the initial car. You wouldn’t believe how quickly there was a traffic jam, but as I was about 20m form the prime spot nobody bothered me, and I was able to take kiekies until this leopard decided that it was fed up with the human interaction and jumped out of the tree and disappeared as well…









I got home and spend the afternoon there, then I packed my mum in the car at 3:30 and we decided to do the S112->S114->H1-1->H11. We didn’t get very far as just past Mathekanyane (Granokop) we found another leopard in a tree. We spent the whole afternoon with him and were able to enjoy him away from the crowd as well and also met nice people with which we kuiered for about an hour.









My last leopard sighting for the trip was on our last full day, 9 January, we spent another ‘ Heksie’ day in the park-promising my sis it would only be a morning drive, we only actually excited the park 16:30 that afternoon. Whoops. But not before we got another leopard sighting on the H11, just after the Lake Panic road towards Kruger Gate.





I was very blessed this holiday, in 15 days, I had 14 leopard sightings. Now not everyday but everyone I saw, I was able to take a kiekie of each one and every spot was super special.

To be continued…
Not to worry, there will be a birdy episode next.

[Alf]

From what website do you download all these leopard photos Heksie