Kruger Sighting

Just got back from 2 days in the Kruger. Us girls decided we needed to do something fun for the week off so we rented a car and spent one night in the Kruger. The Thursday was very hot and we saw hardly anything but impala and Elephants. However it was a good birding day and we saw many different types of Eagles and learned a lot about identifying each type all the while listening and trying to learn our birdcalls. We stayed in a tent camp in Lataba. The walls of the tent were made out of the same material as our house in Palau and it was very cozy. When we arrived at Lataba a Hyena was just on the other side of the fence. Seeing it that close made it less frightening. It sat there with its tongue hanging out and then rolled onto it’s back and scratched its nose. It was more like a dog and I had to keep reminding myself that they do ripe your face off while sleeping.

Friday was much cloudier and only a few minutes into the drive we knew it was going to be better for animal sightings. We drove past Impala and they were all staring intently at something. What it was? I don’t know as they watched it then began following it away into the bushes. Impala will stare at a predator and will follow it watching closely incase it’s behaviour changes. We then had a massive heard off buffalo cross the road in front of us. There was over a hundred easily. We would have been sat there most of the day if an idiot pulling a trailer didn’t drive through and practically run them over. Not a good idea. Buffalo are not cows and they can be very aggressive.

As the day wore on we came across Ground Hornbills, who also walked right in front of the car. We stopped for breakfast and heard that a pride of lions had just been seen outside of the camp. Unfortunately by the time we finished breakfast they were gone but we did see a jackal and a hooded vulture feasting on what ever they had just killed. As we drove along Suzie thought she saw a baby honey badger, which by the way is the most ferocious killer, but it turned out to be only a log.

The day soon went and we hand’t seen any cats. I stared intently out the window as we passed open plains, great for cheetah, and rocky terrain, great for leopards. The afternoon was dragging on when …There in the tree a Leopard! Stop! Stop! STOP! I shouted. WE backed up and yes it was a leopard. Not just some branches looking like a leopard. It was sitting in the tree, tail hanging down, cleaning it’s back paw. It looked relaxed and happy. Below the tree stood zebra oblivious, so we thought, to it’s presence. We hoped it would make a kill while we were there but it turns out it had already made a kill and had just finished eating by the time we saw it because you could see a half eaten animal at the base of the tree. We watched it until it noticed us and climbed down the tree. We soon lost sight of it in the tall grass but what a sight. My first sighting of a leopard, with out the help of anyone else! It totally made my day!

Week Off

It’s been a very stressful semester but has come to our 2nd week off. Most people were staying around camp and studying because a) they don’t have enough money to go anywhere or b) they feel like our FGASA exam is coming up and they don’t know anything, or c) both.

Since no one was doing anything cool for the week off and I’m not sure traveling on my own anywhere is a good idea I too am staying at the camp this week. It is a good opportunity to study because as much as we know there is still so much we don’t and I want to get a jump on the semester ahead. Sunday was spent lying by the pool. Not much got accomplished. Monday Barry and I did a morning game drive just along the main road beside the game reserves and saw a jackal, some birds and some vervet monkeys. The afternoon spent learning bird songs whilst again lying by the pool.


Tuesday evening we decided we would grab our sleeping bags and camp out along the fence line. So 5 of us Barry, Chris, Kathryn, John and I headed out about 4:00pm to a spot Chris and Barry had chosen earlier in the day. On our walk out there we came across some wildebeest running in the meadow. It was quite amazing to see them so close.
When we arrived at the spot we gathered firewood and made a small fire. Just as it got dark we noticed a Cheetah sitting on the other side of the fence just watching us. At first we thought it was a leopard and were ready to turn around and go back but soon realized it was too slim to be leopard and must be a cheetah. It sat and watched us for at least a half hour before moving on.

Barry and I could not sleep after that so we ended up taking first watch and keeping the fire stoked. Barry had never seen a shooting star or a satellite before. This amazed me but the he is from Ireland and there skies are not quite the same. So did a lot of stargazing and saw a few shooting stars and satellites reviewing our constellations and planets. I was able to see the 3 moons on Jupiter and it is quite amazing how much more you can see with just a pair of binoculars than the regular eye. The others in the group at this time were all out like a light. As the night progressed we heard many things rustling around that we could not identify and a Wildebeest snorting quite close by. The hyenas and Jackals were calling but quite far off.

Around 2am a Hyena walked just on the other side of the fence. We could only hear it at first - breathing and making this weird growling noise but had a hard time seeing it. Barry caught a glimpse of it’s eye shine and we both suspected it was a hyena but only confirmed it in the morning by tracks left behind. After that sleep was out of the question so we ended up staying awake for most of the night. I think I finally drifted off around 4:30am. Morning came early with the sun and we all headed back to camp to eat breakfast and go back to bed.

Photo is of a Pangolin - a very illusive creature. Most guides have never seen one in their many years of guiding. This is our 3rd sighting.

Rifles

I always thought I would never need to shoot a gun but one thing about being a safari guide is that you are going to be around dangerous animals and you never know what might happen. So this week was spent learning all about rifles. As a guide in South Africa you need to be able to shoot a .375-caliber rifle, minimum, but the .458 is recommended especially if you are doing walks. We started off watching videos about shot placement and animal behaviour so we know when the situation could deteriorate. Then we learned all about the “bolt action;” practicing loading and unloading the rifle and cocking it. For the beginner rifle handling assessment we need to go from the walking position (carrying it in your left hand) shoulder the rifle, cock it, aim, and fire 3 times all with in 15 seconds. It took me 15 minuets just to shoulder the rifle.

Thursday we went to the rifle range and practiced shooting a .22 and a .303 rifle. The girls were a bit nervous and most of the guys thought that it was cool. The .22 was like a BB gun (so I’m told) but the .303 looked like it would give a lot of kick back. Ruth and I took before pictures of our shoulders thinking we would have some serious bruises. We fired 10 rounds with the .22 and 3 with the .303. The .303 was not as bad as I expected but way louder then I would have liked. I couldn't imagine shooting without ear protection on.

I was not a bad shot but not great either. I need to work on my stance and aim but I hit the paper in all but one shot. Friday we all got to fire one shot on the .375 this gave even more kickback but still no bruises. The rifle is a lot heavier and some of us girls are working on our muscles to we can hold it steady and aim. That seems to be the hardest part.

Next semester will be spent doing more practice rounds with the .375 and the assessment will be in November for the beginner rifle handling. I think it will be OK as long as I can hold the gun steady. If an animal is charging at you your first shot cannot be before it comes 10 meters. Hence you have to be fully prepared. Lets hope I never get into that situation.

A Leopard!

First Leopard Sighting today.

It’s been a few weeks since we saw anything good on a game drive. It’s sad to think that I’m already getting bored with giraffe and zebra because they are very interesting to sit and watch but that is all we have been seeing for the past month. This week we have 3 exams and I was thinking the time could have been better spent studying for it as we are all stressed about how little we are prepared for these exams. Fortunately, it is not up to us when we go on a game drive because if it was we would have missed out seeing our first leopard!

Since we arrived it has been at the top of many people's lists of things they wanted to see but the leopards kept eluding us. Today while out tracking Lions we heard via the radio that another vehicle had tracked one down so we sped, and I mean really sped, over to the sighting only to have to sit and wait our turn. Only 2 to 3 vehicles are allowed at a sighting and since our other group got there before us we had to wait. When it was our turn the other vehicles left and we had the sight to ourselves. The leopard was very difficult to see at first lying in the grass eating something and I was worried that was all I would see of it would be it's ears. Then moments after we arrived it jumped up into the tree and continued to eat. It stayed there for a few moments and jumped back down to resume its position in the grass just as another vehicle joined us. We left so they could see better and returned after dark.

This time when we arrived we watched it for a few moments, by the help of a small spotlight, when a hyena came and chased it away. The leopard practically jumped in the vehicle it came so close to us as it ran away. On the way back to the gate we came across 3 different Civets as well. One we practically ran over and the other two were in the trees on the side. Never again will I be upset about having to go on a game drive.

It sure has made my day.