The Joys of Africa

A Leopard has killed a Kudu(antelope) just outside of camp and the whole place stinks of rotting meat so bad that you can't breath. It's disgusting. Just thought I would share that with you.

Last Day :(

Woke up at about 5 this morning to the birds and monkey’s screaming I opened my eyes just in time to see a leopard jump into the tree right beside out room. I woke Tim up but the leopard had mostly climbed too high for Tim to get a good look all he saw was a shadow. We jumped out of bed to see if we could get a better look but the leopard was out of sight by them. We could hear the baboons and birds giving alarm calls, something jumped on the roof of our room and then onto the boardwalk. But we couldn’t tell if by then it was the monkeys or the leopard. Couldn’t fall back asleep after that. I’m so happy to have been able to see all the big 5 in this trip.

Left at about 8:00 this morning after a wonderful breakfast and drove through the Kruger park to get back to camp. Saw a flock of 8 ground hornbills, many many herds of elephants, tons of buffalo and some baby Ostrich. I’d never seen baby Ostrich they were so small and so cute. So sad to have to leave Pafuri I kept hinting to Mark that I wanted to do my placement there but so did everyone else and I don’t think they even take students. Still maybe one day.

Day 4 Elephants and Buffalo!

We’ve decided to stay another night and it’s a good thing we did! On the mornings hike we walked near the place we were yesterday but took a different route. We found Rhino tracks again and since the tracks were headed in the same direction we were going we followed them. Soon we heard loud grunts and growls. It sounded as if the Rhino’s were fighting just over the next bend. Mark instructed us that if they come this way we should get behind the rocks. As we walked closer they sounded more like lions than Rhino but then we heard the calf squeal and realized that it was rhino’s. That second when we thought it was lion though my heart stopped. We definitely didn’t want to be walking in on lions fighting. We could hear the rhinos for quite some time but could not seem to track them down. As we were walking in dense bushes we must have been circling around them and never coming close enough to see. Mark said it was probably a male trying to mate with a female who was not willing this he deducted from the calf squealing.

The afternoon we did another hike, We were trekking between two high cliffs and Mark was just telling us how many animals use this path to get down to the water when we saw a herd of elephants coming straight for us. The amount of dust they were kicking up told us how quickly they were moving towards us. We scrambled up the cliffs as fast as we could and as high as we possibly could get. It seemed to take ages to climb up those cliffs and Mark had to do it with a rifle in his hands. But then the elephants didn’t come. We sat there and sat there and nothing. We couldn’t see where they were because trees blocked our line of sight. Mark scrambled back down and was able to see them but they had slowed down and were eating. We sat on the cliffs for about 15 minutes and then this rumbling came and the elephants came into sight, a heard of about 10 and they were moving very quickly but as soon as they got to where we were sitting they stopped. One elephant turned towards where we were sitting and started to smell the area. Declan, was quite a bit lower on the cliffs then we were and we were worried that if the elephant came closer Declan was not high enough to be out of the way of it’s powerful trunk. Luckily they just sniffed a bit and carried on their way. We sat astounded by the experience when only seconds later a heard of buffalo followed behind the elephants. They stopped just short of where the elephants were and then turned and went back the way they came. Two of the big 5 encounters in a span of 2 minutes it was quite a rush. We were so glad that we stayed another night after that experience!

Day 3 - Tracked Rhino

Woke up to the baboons barking apparently at a leopard. One of the other guest said he saw the lions on the way back to his room last night and had to turn around. The leopard was also on the boardwalk this morning about 4:45am. As we head out for our morning walk we see the lions close to the lodge have made a kill and are eating a Nayla, we don’t stick around as there are 2 other vehicles there and we have to get walking before the day gets too hot. We walked along a gorge and came to a river followed it a bit then headed up the cliff sides. On the way up the cliffs we notice some fresh Rhino tracks. We tracked the rhino for about 45 min when we finally spotted it. A female and her calf. It was pretty cool to actually track something, find it and be walking while you do it. It is so different to see theses animals on foot. We watched them for about 20 min as they watched us: both the rhino and us being extra cautious. Soon, they ran off so we kept on with our walk. As we walked back down the cliffs we noticed some elephant tracks going through some very narrow areas. We never saw any elephants during our walk but you would never expect to find them walking down the side of a rock cliff in such a tiny little space.

The afternoon we went for another drive and stopped at the most beautiful spot to watch the sunset. We were high up over looking a massive gorge with a river running through it. The scenery was stunning looked more like something you would see in the Grand Canyon. I didn’t think places like that existed in South Africa. There is something about the sun over here that makes it seem more beautiful. It always is this amazing red and it looks so much bigger and closer then it does back in Canada.

Day 2 - Charged by an Elephant!

Another eventful day. The morning was spent on a long hike around the area. Climbing rock cliffs to take in some breathtaking views. Surprisingly we never encountered much in the way of animals but the walk itself was very enjoyable. Saw many tracks of lions and leopard. We stopped at a spring where lion had been only an hour before and came across some rock hyraxes playing about in the rock cliffs but nothing more than antelope and baboon for most of the time. Still just the fact that you could turn a corner and come across some Lions, leopards or buffalo is what makes the hike that much more interesting.

Came back from the morning hike relaxed, had a nap tried to fit in some studying but didn’t get much done. We go out again for a drive in the afternoon. We come across a bull elephant and drive along as he floats across the planes. How something that large could move so gracefully is beyond me. After the elephant we see some Buffalo and Mark lets us get out of the Landie and walk over to them. Not to close, obviously, but closer than we could have got in the vehicle. We watch them and they watch us as the light is slowly fading. Back in the vehicle we come across the same elephant we watch as he shakes a palm tree to get the dates out of it. The elephant notices us and is he is not too happy with us so he flaps his ears and curls his trunk and start coming for us. We know it is only a “Mock Charge” by his behaviour and that he is just showing us who the boss is but it is quite terrifying when an animal that size comes charging for you. Mark drives the vehicle just a little way to give the elephant some space. That seems to satisfy him and he continues eating, he then wonders up to a dead tree and starts scratching his head, body and butt against it. This elephant was such an interesting character. It was very cool to experience all that.

We arrive back at the lodge to hear the lions roaring very close by. The staff say they are just at end of the path we start to head down there to see and then realize what a stupid idea that is as we are only on foot with no rifles so we head back to our rooms and sit and listen to them roar. What a way to end the day.

Pafuri

Mark, our head instructor, has a sister who works at a private 5 star lodge in Northern Kruger National Park called Pafuri. She offered to give us a discount if anyone wanted to go for a few days to do some hiking and game drives. At first everyone wanted to go but when they realized the price it cut back to only 4 people Tim, Marty, Declan and I. I personally don’t think it is that expensive about $600 for 3 nights in a 5 star lodge with meals included and guided hikes sounded like a great deal to me. So we left Monday morning after morning lecture.

The place is amazing! Arrived from the 3-hour drive to be offered a refreshing juice and a cool facecloth. We’ve been here for one afternoon and already we have done and seen so much. The room for a start is gorgeous! You walk into the room to see a king size bed elegantly draped in a mosquito net as the white curtains billow in the breeze. The shower is like a tropical rain and you can choose to shower outside as I did or inside. All this and I haven’t even mention the view. Looking out onto a river were a herd of elephants and their calves are feeding. A waterbuck carefully drinks from the river keeping an eye out for the Crocodile swimming past as a Fish Eagle soars by. As we walk along the board walk back to the main area we are greeted by a Nyala grazing on the grass below and not to mention the Vervet monkey’s hanging around in hopes to get some food. We go back to the main area for 3:00 tea and snacks and we are informed that Lions have been sighted just at the edge of the boardwalk. We all race down the path and catch a glimpse of a young male and female walking by. All this and Mark hasn’t even taken us out of camp.

We leave for an afternoon drive with Mark as our guide. Driving through the forest of fever trees we only encounter all the usual game, more Nyala, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Impala, Kudu, but that is fine we also see some crested guinea fowl and a bee eater lands on a tree right next to us. Mark takes us to a very old and ancient Baobab tree it must be a thousand years old. We all get out and climb up to take a photo. Its grandeur is astonishing but it is great for rock climbing. We stop for sundowners by a river with Zimbabwe just on the other side and head back as the sunsets. Spotting 3 sightings of genet. Once arriving back dinner is served! Lamb chops and roasted potatoes with a perfect lemon mousse for dessert. Now off to bed as it is an early start to another full day.