My 2014 Kruger Highlights

[Heksie]

Sorry that I didn't post on the forum yesterday. We had an athletics meet, only finished at 19:30 and then it was off to a leaders camp (for our RCL-classroom leaders) had a potjiekos competition and a marshmallow braai, got home at 23:30. Had to be at school again this morning at 8:30 for their leadership workshop and got home at 17:30. And they say that teachers work half days blah...blah...blah...
So I quickly did a short episode.

BC and Nan it is great to have you guys on board as well...

[Heksie]

Episode 2 Creepy Crawlies and things we don’t see or want to see in the Park

Now I want to first say that I don’t easily go all girly when it gets to creepy crawlies but there is one specific multi-legged crawler that can make me shriek and run for my life like a damsel in a low budget horror flick… Just looking at them is giving me the heebie-jeebies…

July 2014




At least with this sighting it was being digested by my new heroes and not be freaking me out the whole day…

April 2014


This little member is not at all a problem for me, it was very funny during Dec 2013 we had one in Sparrow’s camp at Crocodile Bridge (warning for those who hate these critters: we had stayed there twice and seen them numerously) and the boys were all huddled up in one corner and I had to be the hero just moving him with a Kruger map book to the opposite side of the fence. The shiny burrowing scorpion…

March 2014


Now for the first time ever seen sighting for me, and in the Kruger of all places was this past rainy December holiday. I’m one of those drivers that look more at the road in front of me than in the bush as you will never believe how many animals cross the road and some of them are so quick that you would miss then in an instant. And another reason is that I’m also so afraid that I would by accident drive over a chameleon, tortie or my favourite, a slithering snake. But on 28 December I couldn’t believe my eyes when this thing crawled across the road just outside afsaal…





I waved a JJ down and she couldn’t even believe that of all things we would see a crab in Kruger. And to my surprise two days later I drove the s114 and got another fresh water crab in the road. The car in front of me missed him by centimetres and didn’t even spot him. We sat with him until he disappeared in the grass, I know some of you might roll your eyes but these little random sightings is what makes my Kruger trips so special.



To be continued…

[Richprins]

Sorry that I didn't post on the forum yesterday. We had an athletics meet, only finished at 19:30 and then it was off to a leaders camp (for our RCL-classroom leaders) had a potjiekos competition and a marshmallow braai, got home at 23:30. Had to be at school again this morning at 8:30 for their leadership workshop and got home at 17:30. And they say that teachers work half days blah...blah...blah...

We had the same, Heksie!

That time of year!

But I was off duty, thankfully!


Nice small things!







Never had crabs before!

[Toko]

This Opistophthalmus glabrifrons is in defensive stance

[Heksie]

Never had crabs before!

[nan]

Crabs... and several sorts
never seen in Kruger

and Millipede... green

marshmallow braai what is that ?

[Heksie]

Crabs... and several sorts
never seen in Kruger

and Millipede... green

marshmallow braai what is that ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow

You take them and put some on a stick, then you briefly put them over a lekker fire so they turn crispy and a bit brown but if its black then its overdone (then if you are a sweet tooth you roll the crispy mallow in condensed milk and sprinkle some flake over it)

[Heksie]

Episode 3 When the sun goes down

Everybody know that we are only allowed to drive in the Park during the day, we get a glimpse of a nightdrive when we exit the camps during the summer holiday at 4:30. But most of the holiday-goers prefer still being in bed that time of the day. So to experience what goes on in the bush when it is dark and there are no other cars around to block sightings, speed past you or misbehave in any other way then you must book a nightdrive. OR. Book accommodation in camps that are bustling with those critters that only come out at night.
If you have spoken to anyone that have stayed at Tamboti, then you will hear that at night you will usually have uninvited guests, some unlucky tourists have even been raided by them. We booked one night in July 2014 and wasn’t lucky enough to see the local badger but we did get to see the large spotted genet.



Our July trip didn’t produce many cats as we were mostly in the North, which had their special sightings as well, but a trip won’t be the same without being able to enjoy one proper feline sighting. So on our last night we had Lower Sabie booked and decided to do a nightdrive. WE did get to see a pregnant female lion but I didn’t take any kiekies. A highlight for me that night was the following…

9 porcupine sightings, they were very fast so got to take a pic of this one


A white tailed mongoose also fleeing


Two civet sightings, both on the opposite side, so when I got ready for a pic he was fleeing as well


And then the sighting of the night, was for my mum, who wishes to see one every single trip we take
An African wild cat


Staying at Sabie Park, I was so bummed that I was missing an hour every morning as the Gates only open at 5:30 and also speaking to reception very surprised to find out that they were doing night drives as it isn’t advertised under activities on the SANParks website. So we booked a nightdrive as a consolation prize for a few more hours in the bush. We missed out on two leopard sightings, as our guide, Dominique, were in contact via walkie talkie with the Skukuza drive but we still had a productive drive.

We got a few scrub hares on the s65


Then a new lifer, a big spotted eagle owl


Then on our way back we got to see two male lions, that we spotted earlier in the day. IT was great seeing them but also sad. Mum didn’t even want to take pics. One male, he looke much healthier but was limping and then his brother, blind in the one eye and seems like bovine tuberculosis had taken its toll with him. Sometimes nature can be very cruel…



Then from 2 January we had some visitors every night at our house in Sabie Park. The one was very tame and walked past us and chilled on a log about 5m from us allowing us to take a lot of pics.

Large spotted genet




And our last night at Sabie Park whilst sitting alone outside and enjoying the sounds and dark night sky when some rustling in the tree above me made me almost jump out of my chair. Was a great way to end our last night with a sighting of a lesser bushbaby.



Experiencing the nighlife in the bush is a part that must not be missed when visiting the Park. You are missing out on a lot as some of these animals are only nocturnal and I implore you to book either a sunset or a night drive when you stay in the Park again.

To be continued…

[nan]

thank you for the recipe
you saw all the nightly animals of the Kruger
poor Lion... poor

[aat]

Hi Heksie....
Long time no see... Lovely pics of the animals at night.... looking at all these cars I love the north like Mopani looks like amsterdam at 5 PM...