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!