02nd May: Big Game!

Pic of the Day.

Morning Drive.

( Grant)

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Argyle – Argyle Dam.

Buffalo ( Breeding Herd) / Peru – Long Rd.

Afternoon Drive.

( Grant & Chad)

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Motswari – Long Rd.

Elephant ( Elephant bull) / Motswari - Camp
Buffalo (Breeding herd) / Argyle - Vyeboom Dam
Buffalo (Dagga boy) / Argyle - Vyeboom Dam

Daily Synopsis.

Hearing that the Maghlatini Males where found on Goedehoop yesterday, we took a chance a headed to the North East boundary this morning to check if they perhaps ventured into our traversing area during the night. After spending nearly two hours checking and not finding anything, we can confidently say they haven't! Things were not made any better by the fact that up until then we had only seen two Kudu Bulls, not a particularly good morning.

Heading back around the camp we picked up on a male Leopards tracks that also ran us around in a circle for about an hour! At least some good came from them in the form of a beautiful breeding herd of Elephant we found approaching Argyle Dam. Cutting our loses we spent a fair amount of time with the herd as they fed on the lush green grass out in the open around the dam, before making their way to the water to drink and finally cross to the opposite bank to continue to feed their endless hunger. It's amazing how one sighting can change your whole drive and we left them feeling our morning had been a complete success.

The Elephant sighting seemed to be the turning point for us, as we took our coffee break with the Hippo at Sohobele Dam, before finding a very large breeding herd of Buffalo in the Sohobele River a little down the road. It was nice to watch as they took a break in the river, drinking, mud bathing and mock fighting.

It may not have been a cat morning but it certainly was one for big game.

Setting off under sunnier conditions, the afternoon felt like it held a whole lot of promise. We got off to a good start finding a nice herd of Zebra that we went purposefully looking for, unfortunately that is were it ended for us and the less said about the rest of our afternoon the better!

Chad got off to a late start but as was with us, after a breeding herd of Elephant it sounded like he had himself a quite afternoon too. I did hear that he closed down in a great spot for a picture perfect sunset, which we missed out on arriving at our spot a fraction late, as I said the less the better!

I can't say I'm not glad the sun has set on that drive and I hope things pick up for us tomorrow.