Africa Wild

Hi all,
Elly and I are just back from almost 4 weeks in Kruger NP.


This is the start of a series of travel-tales. Again I will not do a day to day TT but Tales about subjects or special sightings etc.
There will be enough for a number of months I guess

Start:
We left the netherlands by flying Emirates to Dubai and from there to Johannesburg. From Johannesberg we booked a flight directly to Skukuza. What a wonderful thing to do.
Arrival at Skukuza Airport ! Just a few people on the nice jet and only one rental car company , so our car was ready for us. Suitcases in the car, sighning the papers and GOOOO...

First camp was Crocodile Bridge.
About what we have seen many tales will follow.

Our plan: 4 nights Croc Bridge, 5 nights Satara, 6 nights Mopani, 4 nights Satara and 5 nights Lower Sabie.

In general: Arrival with very hot teperature , then some cooler days, nice weather in satara, very hot in Mopani, good weather in Satara and Lower Sabie including several cloudy days.
Sightings: Really wonderful sightings, many many lions (about 100) and many other Cats
Remarkable was the number of Kudu's and Tortoises we have seen and ongoing so many different Antelopes. Very "sweet" sightings and "breathtaking" sightings.
We also learned some "lessons" about Look-outs and Hides and some sightings was not just watching but working hard to be part of some action.

On our first day , better to say after being in Kruger for less then an hour we found our first Lions and just before we left we also found Lions , so a nice welcome and goodbye by there great cats.
Even in the camps we had some nice surprizes. I think I will start with them as a nice story, certainly Pumbaa will like this

During the trip I met some of my Tusker friends. It's so nice to meet the people sending emails and pictures but not knowing anything about them. Elly started the trip with eye-problems , but luckely just for 2 days. Another problem was my beloved 100-400 mm lens that broke during the trip, I only could use the 100mm and 400 mm , all in between did not work. It was not perfect but with my second camera and lens and using the broken one I was able to make pics most of the time, just a few times I could not capture the animals as I would like.

Enough and I will start this weekend with first Tale.

Hope to see you on board , tickets are for free

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

01 - Feeling Home with…

We arrived november 11th at Skukuza Airport and after picking our suitcases we went to our first camp Crocodile Bridge.
Will tell you more about our first days later on but this tale (story) is about feeling home with…..
Next camp was Satara. We asked by email to give us “bungalow” nr 28. It’s the number we have visited multiple times and it feels home.
Last time we were there the African Wild Cat visited us a few times (same experience as Pumbaa , Braai with WildCat)

First night and first Braai in Satara and what happened … yes, the WildCat came around the corner (Pumbaa named her Miss Satara)

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Wonderful to see her and she took all the time to join us.
We also got a emotional by seeing her, not just by her appearance but our thoughts at that moment. We lost our cat at home just a few weeks before we started out trip. Our cat (Kiki) was 18,5 years old when she died. Then looking at such a pretty and lovely cat and tears in our eyes. Looking at each other with the same feelings.

Two days later…. After a wonderful day in Satara and time for a Braai again (what else) we were sitting and enjoying our dinner. Suddenly another visit by Miss Satara but….. she was not alone. She came to us to show her cub. Believe us …we were breathless

This picture shows mother proudly looking at her child and saying: "here is my child:
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It was different this time. Other nights she was going around the circle and yes or no stayed for some time. This time she came directly to our hut stayed for some time , proudly showing her cub and later on they disappeared again. Weird… it was special and Elly had tears in her eyes again by seeing mother and child…. Yes, my eyes were dry…. lalalalala


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Without words we were just looking at this little cat… immediately we named her Little Satara, what a beauty and wowww… very busy and active…

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Think about the song by Stevie Wonder(ful) “Isn’t she lovely……”

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After Satara we went to Mopani for 6 nights.
Mopani is my place… I just love it. It’s nice, friendly people, quiet and like Satara we always ask for the same “bungalow” and without any problem we always get that one.

Guess what… first night and Braai time…. And we got another lovely guest.

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After the AWC now we had fun with this Genet cat

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The Genet visited us almost every night…. Feeling home again here !

After Mopani we turned back to Satara and yes same bungalow and yes Mom and cub back at Braai time

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Last shot of Little Satara

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Last night in Satara and no mother and cub but another Wild Cat came to visit us.
And what a beauty !

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Last camp we visited was Lower Sabie

Not expecting any visitor at night we were just enjoying our dinner. Then we heard something and a bit later we saw something moving in a tree just in front of our “house”
What was , what is it ? “It” came down and probably interested in left-overs in the bin. A Bushbaby !!
We did not see a bushbaby for several years, so surprized and lucky to have my camera just near me (was just looking at the pics of that day)

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Elly was saying something like huhhhhhhhhhh…wowwwwwwwwww…

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Back in Kruger and after loosing our beloved cat it was a real kind of Feeling home with the visits of these lovely wild cats, genet and bushbaby. For us it was special and a good reason to write this story.

Hope you liked this start of the Tales, Thanks for joining and see you back for next story


Aat & Elly

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

02 – A Miracle ….

It’s Christmas time all around the world so I thought “nice opportunity to write a kind of Christmas story”
We were in Mopani and it’s late afternoon. Like always when we are in Mopani it’s hot. Before going to camp we went to the hide close to Mopani and there was this “ 6th sense in me” telling me “wait en look”.

Standing there I was thinking of a sighting we had a few years ago, same place, where we were looking at a leopard with a cub. Some of you know the location. The hide near the water and behind the hide a kind of hill with black rocks.

Back in time…. to December 2nd 2012: where we saw this Leopard with cub

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This sighting was in my mind, memory, but back to reality, back to November 19th 2014.
I just don’t know how to express it, but this little voice in me was tellling me something. I was looking at the black rocks, between the small bush and trees on the hill. Nothing !
Then…. After about 30 minutes “the Miracle”
I will try to show you what we experienced step by step

Still looking at the rocks suddenly we saw something moving….

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Leopard !
Just realizing it was a leopard when we heard another sound (warning) and then we saw this Klipspringer also taking notice of the leopard.

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Klipspringer run away and back to the rocks to see if the leopard was still visible
And yesssss… even much better showing herself

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Incredible … almost two years later and same leopard at same location
(with writing this tale I checked if it really is the same leopard and yes she is the same one we have seen two years ago, by checking the spots pattern)

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Still wondering about this she was looking around for a while… did she hear something, was there anything ?
The leopard was laying down for a few minutes and out of nothing, we did not see it happen, but suddenly her cup was there… ohhh my…

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In a nutshell the story of 2012 was there again… 2 years later and mother had a cub again
What a small cub… we were waiting…till the little one started to move a bit.

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Cub laying down and drinking….

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Almost an half hour watching mom and child and 45 minutes before closing time
No other cars (only possible in Mopani I think, in the south it would be a car-mess)

Cub still drinking and mother caring and washing her baby

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10 minutes later…. And cub showed her/his face. How cute…
All the time I was thinking about 2 years ago… wondering how this was possible…

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It was getting darker… sun faded away behind this hill and our eyes focussed on mom and cub. What a privilege to withness this. Have we seen leopard mother and small cub often? Nooo…. So many thoughts and happy feelings… seeing this makes you really happy, for sure

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Then suddenly mother decided to stand up

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Time for her to find some dinner…

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Like the sun was fading away, time was fading away (closing time camp) the leopards were fading away…

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and last shot before mother disappeared after hiding her cub

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Back in Mopani camp, looking at each other and just quiet about this miracle. Thinking how much luck we had to see same mother with two times a cub at same location.

Writing this tale just before Christmas and preparing the pictures I think this miracle fits well in Christmas time….

Hope you liked this tale, thanks for joining again and wishing you all miracles and a wonderful Christmas.


Aat & Elly

Thanks for the comments , it really was a miracle. Next story is about meeting a friend.... If you read it... have in mind it's written by a Tusker lover.

03 – Meeting a friend

New Year, New stories
Happy and Healthy New Year !!

We are in Mopani and decided to go to Shingwedzi / Babalala to search for Tuskers.
Not seen many so far so with lots of hope and wishes we went up north.
It’s morning and on the way to Shingwedzi no sign of a tusker. In Shingwedzi camp we were having breakfast. After breakfast we were a bit unsure what road to take but decided to leave the camp at the backside towards Kannidood Dam area…. To continue our search.

From a distance I saw one and recognized him immediately … my friend Mandzemba !

Flasback 2009:
In 2009 I saw him in the Shingwedzi riverbed and was watching him for some time. In my mind… “could be a promising tusker” so made a series of pictures and later on I added him to the Tusker site.
I made this picture in 2009 (february)

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Back to November 24th 2014

My friend developed as you can see on this picture, 5 ½ years later

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I have seen him too in 2012 so meeting him again was special. Parking the car on the small road along the river… engine off , window wide open and watching him and talking to him
With passion for the Tuskers I was really happy and enjoyed every minute, he made my day !

First picture I made

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A bit of talking or whispering to him… and he recognized my voice (smileeeeeee), looking up saying “HI”

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Looking at him with a big smile

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In the mean time I was thinking of 2009, 2012 and now , today… A great bull, a nice tusker, one animal in this big kruger and meeting up again… sometimes things like this can make one happy

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No… don’t walk away my friend… please…!
And yes, a good friend doesn't walk away

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He just walked around some bush and came closer again

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45 minutes later he looked at me and shaked his head a bit…. Saying goodbye and till next time

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Together with an Askari he moved on to the other side of the riverbed

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Bye my friend

Another special moment stored in my kruger memories and loved to share this with you as a positive start of the new year

Thanks for joining and next story will be about cats….


Aat & Elly

First of all, thanks for the comments. It's one of these sightings you never forget , specially after seeing same leopard with small cub two times at same location

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

04 – Waking up with Lions

After lots of “work” for the tuskers, it’s has been really busy with submissions it’s time again for a new story.

Last trip we have seen a lot of lions, about 100. Showing all of them is too much I guess so I will select some within some stories.

First day, just after arrival we have seen 3, a male and 2 lionesses. These first days we were staying in Crocodile Bridge.
Second day and we got up early and I was planning to follow the small roads in the S28 area (S130 and S137).

Coming close to Duke’s waterhole we found lions , not a few but 15 in total
They were surprized like we were…

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Many cubs and several lionesses , both side of this small road. From being a bit sleepy we woke up quickly looking at these lovely lions.
It was just 5:00 am and after a day of travelling this was really refreshing.

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So… parking the car and stopping the engine and eenjoying this sighting

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Window down and capturing these lined up cubs, what a pleasure. All laying down close to us

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At the other side of the road..

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You just can’t get enough looking at these innocent youngsters with the beautiful eyes

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Thanks for the attention

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One of the lionesses was curious what was going on

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Almost an half hour with them and time for some close up’s… what a morning and what a nice sunrise…

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Could not resist to capture this cub

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Another mother was also waking up and started to call her kids… after shouting at me first

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Good kids always listen to the mother so they got up and started to move away from the road

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7 of them together just before they left

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One of the lionesses with her kids and last shot of this sighting before we moved on

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This was a great start of our trip… first morning of our first full day in kruger… life can be great

Thanks for joining and next story will be about Cheetah ?


Aat & Elly

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

Thanks all for the lovely comments !! It's a pleasure to write the stories and see the pictures and remembering all the special moments again

** Specially for nan !! I know she loves this **

05 – Searching Tuskers but finding …….

A beautiful hot day in Mopani and late afternoon I was ready for a drive to find Tuskers in this great area. Driving to Mooiplaas , no tusker at all… so moving on towards the Nshawu area to see if my friends were waiting for me. Some far away elephants and buffalo but no tusker. So turning left towards Capricorn Loop. I was a bit doubting, it was dry , hot and some cars in front of me producing lots of dust.
Decision made… turning around and following the S50 along Nshawu , who knows…

Looking at the Nshawu area , no signs of tuskers so moving on and suddenly, out of nothing at the lefthand side of the road….

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Fully unexpected a lady Cheetah

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I think I said something like wowwwwwww and uhhhhhhhhh
Then some movement nearby and two more Cheetah … her cubs !

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Still feeling very surprized I moved my car in a bit better position.
Lady Cheetah moved a bit towards her kids

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Now all 3 of them together

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A good opportunity to make a portrait of the mother

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and one of the cubs was looking at me this way so “click” and thanks

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and the two cubs together

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The mother got up and was walking away and I thought oh no, stay a bit longer
She walked to this “sign” and jumped on it… I loved this , easy to remember where I found them.

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Sitting and looking at all sides she gave me this “shot”.

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and after looking around again and waiting for for the right position… close up of this beautiful cheetah

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Mother jumped off the roadsign but it was funny to see that this was also a lesson for the young ones. The two cubs came closer and

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Mother back on the ground and the cub jumped on the road sign… not really aware of what to do…but ok… learning bit by bit

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And there is cub number 2
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How lucky and happy can you be and feel, looking at 3 cheetah’s , nobody else and enjoying this daily things, life and lessons of a cheetah family.

A last shot of one of the cubs. Mother disappeared in the bush at the other side of the road and was calling her cubs… and like good kids do, they started to follow her.

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Within a few minutes I could not see them anymore. Then I realized I was searching Tuskers and found Cheetah. Not that bad ….smileeeeeeeeee


Thanks for joining and next story will be about ehhhh another amazing Mopani experience


Aat & Elly

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

Thanks all for the comments and time for next story

06 – A Hide is to hide for ?

Satara.
After an early morning drive we decided to take a book with us and to go to a hide. Some drinks and snacks with us and go, to Ratelpan Hide.
Arriving , bringing camera’s and other supplies to the hide. Nobody there so taking position.

After just a minute we heard something approaching the hide.
One of the beautiful antelopes, a male Bushbuck.

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One minute later…..
At once a “cry” just next to the hide (left hand side) and our male Bushbuck took off and gone…

Huhhhhhhhhh ? (some question marks in our eyes) what is this ?

Just a few seconds later….
We heard something at the other side , something running….. and

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A Lion !! ??
Mouth open, heart pounding a bit but capturing the lioness in the riverbed

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And then showing her face to us. She was just on her own, looking around but no other lions

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She disappeared at the other side of the riverbed

Then we looked at each other and started with something like pfffffffffffffffff, huhhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and then stumbeling with “ we just walked there a few minutes ago” !

Thinking: A few minues ago we left the car and walking to the hide but as always , first look around if etc…..
So this lioness was close to us when we entered the hide and the “cry” was a warning mhhhhhhhhhh

After some time other people entered the hide and told us they had seen two male lions, 5 km ahead.
We told them the experience with the lioness and they looked at us with big eyes…. , here ? close to the hide ? Yes, here… 15 minutes ago…., (with a big smile)

We left to go to the 2 male lions.

5km ahead and yes there they are:

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Two big boys together

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A bit of whispering always helps

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Beautiful males and with a last shot of them we went back to Satara.

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So… going to a hide … take care and if you go to Ratelpan Hide, don’t think about this story (smileeeeeeeeeeeee)


Thanks for being with us again and next story will be about “working hard to see and follow them and a driver of a big tourist vehicle saying something like Sh…tt”


Aat & Elly

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP from November 11th till December 4th 2014
New series of Travel Tales

Thanks all for the nice comments and sorry it takes a while sometimes before posting a new story... but you know , tuskers is priority 1

07 – Just Beautiful

When you are 4 weeks in kruger you have these special moments. Probably you know what I mean when I say… you can see elephants, rhino, giraffe, kudu etc. in different ways.
This story is about some special moments and taking your time to enjoy what you see.

South….
We always like to visit Mpondo dam. It’s a nice place and sometimes you are lucky and sometimes there is nothing to see.
From Crocodile Bridge following some small roads and then we arrived and parked the car, stopped the engine and looking around. Empty ! Just a few birds. A bit thirsty so let’s drink something.
Less then five minutes later some movement at the other side. Mhhhhh how nice , a few elephants came over the hill for a drink…..
A few ????

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watching the elephants coming to the dam, not a few , not 10 and not 20 and not 30…

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Still coming, counting was difficult but I tried to get an impression and finally there were about 100 elephants.

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First ellies already disppearing in the bush while others were still arriving.
What a moment… no wind so a nice reflection on the water . It’s difficult to show on photos what you see with scenes like this one. As said, no wind, quiet and elephants did not make any noise. Thinking about it, we have seen this kind of elephant “meetings” before but over the years just a few. With a last shot of them, before they all moved on

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Another day in a different part of kruger.
With all the bad news about rhino poaching we were happy to see many rhino during our trip, even at places we haven’t seen them for a long time.
When we were driving on one of the many small roads we suddenly saw this beautiful rhino.
I think I have never seen such a long horn, amazing !
At the same time I was “saying” something like… take care lady !

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In the Satara area we were driving around and we found these two Kudu’s, nothing really special but we stopped for making some pictures. The following pictures showed them taking care for each other.

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Realizing … we have never seen this before.

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May be there is an expert among you who can say this is normal behaviour ? It was just beautiful to watch…. So nice and peacefull

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licking each others ears...or cleaning...

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Finally one noticed us looking at them and they were slowly walking away

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Giraffe

You can say “giraffe are around every corner” but sometimes you have this funny encounters if they show themselves like this….
While making the pictures I was laughing , looking at all these heads looking at something

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and … no comments needed

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Thanks for joining again and next time more real action …..


Aat & Elly

Thanks a lot for the comments and sorry it took some time for next story... but tuskers and moving tusker site and my other website to another provider with much more space and a complete make-over of our garden and some work in our house and getting our two new cats (Duke and Fleur, blue russian) did not leave much "space" to write new stories.

I promise to show some pictures of our new "children" soon

*** Travel Tales ***
New series of Travel Tales

08 – Keep on running with AWD

A tradition. All trips so far we have seen the Painted Dogs. Mainly on “ expected” places like Satara area and some other places you have a chance to see them.
We were on our way from Satara to Mopani. We were searching for them in the Satara area but no way…
Getting up early since we would go from Satara to Phalaborwa (shopping) and then towards Mopani. Not really much in the first hour and we were approaching Olifants and suddenly and fully un-expected Painted Dogs running towards us, coming out of nothing.

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A small pack came around the corner and for a while we were … ehhh… uhh… whatttt…. ?
Before we were back alive and realizing we were looking at painted dogs they passed us so turning and follow…..

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Following them and then from the other side this large “tourist” vehicle on his way to Olifants… they only had a quick view because the dogs were running…running…

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We heard the driver saying nice words when we passed him…. and he tried to turn his vehicle but did not manage to it quickly enough. One dog was answering with the same words of the driver “sh*t”
They were really going fast, on the road, off-road and back to the road
Sometimes they were walking slowly so we had a better look at them and finally I could make some close-up pictures

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Looking at their faces itwas clear they already had breakfast.

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Suddenly they left the road into the bush and we thought “gone….”
But… only 2 minutes later they came back to the road.

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Waiting and yes… one of them came closer….

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Waiting a bit more and two other dogs showed themselves

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Stop…. !! Also painted dogs have to do this … so in all privacy he did his thing

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We normally are not really interested what other people “produce” but painted dogs ? Yes, they do…

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They started running again… and we were just saying with a smile “they are going to the bridge” to cross the Olifants river. Just before the bridge they left the road and after about 4 km following them they moved to the riverbank.

Funny…. We lost them for a while and moved to the bridge and got out of the car… and yes… we could see them again

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a last shot and after 25 minutes following them we were back on our way to Phalaborwa….
Standing on the bridge and watching the painted dogs we realized we have never seen them this way and in this area.

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Not knowing (at that moment) we would have a even better sighting later on

Thanks for joining again and next time probably a lovely mother with two beautiful children…


Aat & Elly

Thanks for the comments on the painted dogs story.

This time just 5 days after previous story another one.....

Our "new" little cats are doing well and inspired me for this story... cheetah and her two cubs...


09 – Cheetah with 2 cubs

Hi all, welcome again and we like to invite you for a nice drive in the southern part of kruger.
Staying in Lower Sabie. After an early morning drive and having breakfast we decided to have another drive on the search for (potential) tuskers. Main road H10, then S29… crossing the H10 again and taking some small roads before we finally got back to the H10. No tuskers seen and slowing down to get on the H10 … then… at the lefthand side

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On this (normally) busy main road mother cheetah and two cubs…just coming out of the bush

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Elly’s most favorite cats, so some sounds like ohhhhh’s and yessssss……
This strange feeling, we all like to see them and then suddenly they are there, just in front of us.

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Lovely , cute , beautiful…. And so close to us (about 10 meters)

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One of the cubs walked to moms and sure…nr 2 followed


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What can I say…. It’s just enjoying I guess


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Made a lot of pictures but my own favorite is this one

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Can you believe it… this sighting on the H10, about 10 minutes watching these beautiful cheetah and nobody … private show.

Mother decided to move on and they gave us all chance to look at them when they passed our car.

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Adorable, sweet, lovely, pretty, cute

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(Nan… I know you love these cheetah…. Smileeee, this one is for you)

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Mother decided to get back into the bush….

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And before they were out of sight a last shot of this cub …

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A real great sighting with this cheetah and the two cubs and Elly’s eyes were blinking all day….smileeeeeeeeeeee


Before you leave the car we like to say thanks for being with us again and invite you for a very different but also very special sighting next time….

Hope you liked it…


Aat & Elly