Kgal Dec 2015

jb72
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Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

I'm not big on writing travel tales (prefer reading them), but just to share a few thoughts on our visit to Kgalagadi in December.

Firstly I wont be sharing any photos as our cameras and equipment were stolen in Windhoek, and numbnuts here had not bothered with any back-ups. You will therefore have to take my word for all the amazing sightings... :twisted:

We were really just in transit through Kgalagadi on our way to Namibia, but after leaving work a few days earlier I extended the visit to 5 nights. Perfect. Because of the late additions we had to stick with Twee Rivieren as the other camps were full, but I don't have a problem with that - I love the drives from TR.....

So, my thoughts......

1. It was HOT. I go to KTP every year in December, so know what to expect, but this year was rough. The fact that there had been no rain yet probably did not help. Temp was around 45 degrees every day.
2. Lions, lions and more lions. Saw 65 lions in the 5 days.
3. Good brown hyena sightings.
4. KTP guides are useless. First couple of years I thought I was unlucky with the guides, but this year I finally realised they are useless (and probably hate their jobs).
5. Border crossing into Nam is a breeze, and will definitely do it again. (Kalahari Farmstall 15km from Mata-Mata is also a great place to stay over).
6. Roads were generally good - few bad patches close to Mata Mata, but we were pleasantly surprised.

Will add a few more thoughts, and some of those spectacular sightings later.


jb72
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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

Back to the heat....: It was amazing that the later it got in the afternoon, the hotter it got. I HAD some photos showing 46deg at 18:30 in the afternoon. Therefore the afternoon sightings were mostly of sleeping lions, but had some luck with cheetahs at least.

There was way more action on the Nossob side this year. Although most of our cheetah sightings were on the Auob side, on one morning drive we found 8 lions hunting gemsbok at Leeudril, 1 male drinking at Rooiputs, 8 lions at the water hole at Kij-Kij and another 6 lions 500m further at the natural waterhole and another 6 lions at Melkvlei. I'm not sure what the dynamics are of the pride(s) at Kij-Kij, but the two groups of 6 and 8 did not seem to mix, but weren't bothered by each other either. The next morning there was a pride of 11 including 2 cubs, so it was all a bit confusing. Tried picking the guide at TR's brain, but that was a lost cause. Just have to say again, that since Jannie left the standard of guiding in KTP has declined considerably. If one more guide in KTP tells me I'm an idiot for saying that genets are NOT part of the cat family I may just become violent. Just because the Afrikaans name has got "kat" in it, does not mean it is a cat!!!!!!


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

As with most parks, speeding is still a big problem in KTP. I think I have learnt to deal with it. Especially with so much action at the waterholes, people were just racing from one to the next. Just love it though when some idiot comes racing past, and 2km further I spot a cheetah they had obviously missed. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Leopards were extremely hard to come by. We never found any, and one photographer I spoke to saw one leopard in six weeks. Nobody else I spoke to had seen any leopard. Some people were also complaining about cheetahs, but I think the lions on the Nossob side had chased them away. We had 6 different cheetah sightings all on the Auob side.

The lower dune road was also productive. Found lion a few times, as well as wildcat, caracal and honey badger.

Found meerkat twice. Once between Leeudril & Rooiputs and other one just before Mata-Mata on the way out.

Enough for now.


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by Flutterby »

Sounds like a great trip, although that heat would have done it for me! :shock:
jb72 wrote:If one more guide in KTP tells me I'm an idiot for saying that genets are NOT part of the cat family I may just become violent.
lol lol

I think there are a fair few guides out there who don't know much! --00--


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Mel
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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by Mel »

Sounds like you had a ball, jb! O:V

Leopard sightings were also brief in October. Only a few lucky ones got to see them properly. We had two sightings, but not for good photography.
One was at night at Uri waterhole and the other was the tail end of it after it had briefly chased some Cape foxes in the riverbed. Tough luck, I guess.
And the lions probably don't help much in that respect either... Despite the lions on the Nossob side there were quite a few cheetah around as well.
We only had two different sightings but the sighting board showed them around every day. Oh, and I wouldn't be sure that those racing morons missed
some cheetahs. I found that more people are actually only interested in lions (and leopards...) and won't sit with cheetah for a long period of time. 0'
Plus there are those who "collect" their cat sightings. O**

Btw, we had the same kind of temps in October and I surely hadn't anticipated that. I reckon, enduring those temps might have qualified us for a visit
over Christmas and New Year at some point. Always wanted to do that but refrained from it because of the heat. Yet, I somehow think there won't be
that much difference between 48°C and 53°C anymore. :twisted:


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by Richprins »

Hello, jb! Long time no smell! X#X

Good sightings and info...bad luck about the theft! O/

Doesn't it cool down later at night, it being a desert and all? -O-


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by Bushveld Jock »

Hi JB,

I can just confirm what you have experienced. It was nasty hot weather and as you say it took long before cooling down. Maybe around 2 - 3 am. 0- We were there from 28 Nov to 14 Dec and it would have been a pity if you were there at the same time not saying 0/* . That caracal sighting makes me so :-0 :-0 :-0 , because its still eluding us all these years.

Pity about the camera equipment you have lost and the photos. O/ O/ O/ O/

Also found it interesting to see so many lions within a short range. I think the Melkvlei guys are on their own, while the Rooiputs group may meet up with the 11 pride with two cubs. The lions really thrown a spanner in the wheel concerning the cheetah. Poor things had to retreat to the dunes. ;-)


Kgalagadi: Dec 2015
KNP Maroela, Shingwedzi & Pretoriuskop: March 2016
jb72
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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

Mel wrote:Sounds like you had a ball, jb! O:V

I found that more people are actually only interested in lions (and leopards...) and won't sit with cheetah for a long period of time. 0'
Plus there are those who "collect" their cat sightings. O**
Very true! But I don't think KTP will ever be as bad as Etosha. We also spent a week in Etosha during this trip, and the way people chase after lions is just mad 0- . I went on a night drive there too, and even the guides were just interested in lions. (I suppose they know their clientele).


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

Richprins wrote:Hello, jb! Long time no smell! X#X

Good sightings and info...bad luck about the theft! O/

Doesn't it cool down later at night, it being a desert and all? -O-
Hey RP 0/* \O

Don't even talk to me about the theft. Had some awesome photos, and now they are just memories.

Once the sun goes down its still hot, but at least there is no direct sunlight, so more bearable. After extensive research I have found that if you have a very cold beer in one hand, and stay at least 5m away from the braai fire it can be quite pleasant. :-0 Just a few more years and I can "make" my sons do the braaiing which will also help. At this stage they just run to the fridge every few minutes to keep their dad hydrated. :twisted:

Temp at 5 in the morning is around 25deg, so I guess it does cool down at some stage.... O-/


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Re: Kgal Dec 2015

Post by jb72 »

Bushveld Jock wrote:Hi JB,

I can just confirm what you have experienced. It was nasty hot weather and as you say it took long before cooling down. Maybe around 2 - 3 am. 0- We were there from 28 Nov to 14 Dec and it would have been a pity if you were there at the same time not saying 0/* . That caracal sighting makes me so :-0 :-0 :-0 , because its still eluding us all these years.

Pity about the camera equipment you have lost and the photos. O/ O/ O/ O/

Also found it interesting to see so many lions within a short range. I think the Melkvlei guys are on their own, while the Rooiputs group may meet up with the 11 pride with two cubs. The lions really thrown a spanner in the wheel concerning the cheetah. Poor things had to retreat to the dunes. ;-)
Hey BJ,

Been following your TT since we returned. I am seriously green. Unfortunately my kids are still a bit small, so Polentswa and Rooiputs are not an option. We did leave them at home last year and spent a few nights in Rooiputs (which was awesome), but granny had her hands full at home, and is a bit reluctant to commit to another babysitting week. Now at least I get to read your adventures!

We arrived at TR on the 17th, so we just missed each other. Maybe next year? I used to meet Michele every year, but have not seen her for a while either. Doug is always a good man for a beer - no matter what time of day....

We were lucky with the caracal alright. A couple of years ago we had 7 caracal sightings in 5 days, so don't despair - it will happen!!!

I know that some of the larger prides in KTP split up at times, as there is no prey big enough to sustain a large pride over a long time. At times they may meet up again at waterholes etc, but then part ways again. I suspect that was the case at Kij=Kij, but could not get anyone to confirm. We had a seriously interesting lion sighting at Kij-Kij one morning. Will tell later.


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