And then the rain set in or at dusk the bush comes alive

[Alf]

Wow now that is a beautiful male lion

[Richprins]

I also love Jones' dam, Pumbaa!

Yes, that road is quiet tourist-wise, but also sometimes animal-wise...so nice to see big 5 there!

Was the road not too bumpy?

[Flutterby]

I love the young waterbuck! And a very handsome lion!

[Lisbeth]

Those two lions look as if the have been through a few fights

Lovely waterbucks

[Mel]

I don't think I have ever seen such a small waterbuck. How very cute! Same goes for the zeb foal
And I also like that majestic lion a lot. Looks much better than most of his Kruger counterparts.
(I'm a sucker for those Kalahari style males… not easy for the Kruger ones to please me )

[Pumbaa]

Wow now that is a beautiful male lion

Indeed full mane and full belly

I also love Jones' dam, Pumbaa!

Yes, that road is quiet tourist-wise, but also sometimes animal-wise...so nice to see big 5 there!

Was the road not too bumpy?

The road was brilliant and not bumpy but we had already years were at least the northern part was extreme bumpy

I love the young waterbuck! And a very handsome lion!

We never saw that many young waterbucks in Kruger as during that trip

[Pumbaa]

Those two lions look as if the have been through a few fights

Lovely waterbucks

At least they both were better looking male lions in Kruger

I don't think I have ever seen such a small waterbuck. How very cute! Same goes for the zeb foal
And I also like that majestic lion a lot. Looks much better than most of his Kruger counterparts.
(I'm a sucker for those Kalahari style males… not easy for the Kruger ones to please me )

They indeed came very close to the Kalahari ones

[Pumbaa]

We tried to drive a bit forward as from where we parked first there were always a small branch in front of the lion and so we always waited until a car left and then tried their spot





and finally we found a place where nothing was in the way and so Timon was in his element once again.





Although it did not happen much we had a great time in observing the lions





as they were not that sleepy although we only could speak from that lion - the other one we photographed first was not visible from the place where we now parked.





We again changed our position and meanwhile spent already 45 minutes with them - other cars passed by and stopped and then carried on whilst others were standing at that place as long as us or even already longer.



From the front a huge elephant bull was now nearing the lions and us and so we drove a bit backwards but the elephant had no interest in the cars but in the lions and walked straight to the tree where the one was lying close to the tree trunk and chased them away.

[Pumbaa]

Finally both lions trotted together off into the bush away from the road and soon where no longer to be seen and that was also the signal for us to carry on but we did not came far as we spotted a very impressive martial eagle in a tree very close to the road



and after we were allowed to take a couple of shots same thought it was enough and took off - The size as well as the wing span of this eagle is always extreme awesome.



The road finally got quieter again but we came across kudus, a troop of baboons



and finally another large buffalo herd



which forced us to stop as either they were again blocking the road or we had so many willing models to photograph



and even a couple of very new ones were around as well.



Gladly the vegetation was not that thick so the steenbokkies were goods visible



and finally we reached Ximangwaneni dam which still had water, however, by far not that much as in normal wet summers and so we parked the car and waited what might come up and it definitely did not take that long until waterbuck mom plus her little one appeared from behind a bush on the scene.



to be continued....

[Lisbeth]

Great pics this time around

At least the lion was awake

Marvellous "take off" shot of the martial eagle

Also the baboon with the lil'one is great

Lots of mud along with the buffs, big and small and a very cute water buck