05th January – It Had to Be A Quiet One!

Photo of the Day

Lone lioness after stalking giraffes

Morning Drive

(Chad, Grant, Peter, Shaddy and Herold)

2 x lions (Sohebele males) – Java, Java Dam Access

1 x lioness (Lone lioness without her cub) – Argyle, Buffalo Pan

2 x rhino

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Jaydee, Tamboti Pan

1 x breeding herd of elephants –Vielmetter, Crossing Below EntranceDam

4 x elephant bulls – Motswari, Xinatsi Dam Rd East

10 x buffalo bulls – Argyle, Long Rd

Afternoon Drive

(Chad, Grant, Peter, Shaddy and Herold)

2 x lions (Sohebele males) – Java, Java Dam Access

3 x rhinos

1 x rhino

1 x rhino

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Kings, Double Highway

1 x breeding herd of buffalo – Vielmetter, Elephant Dam Rd

1 x buffalo bull – Argyle, Western Sohebele River Rd

1 x buffalo bull – Peru, Giraffe Kill Rd

Daily Synopsis

After the cracking few days the last while, I was due a quiet one, and while the mornings usually were quiet for me, the afternoons usually made up for it, but not quite today.  I began the morning with a bush walk in cool and cloudy conditions, and we enjoyed it as we walked to Argyle Dam, not seeing much besides the hippos, but still appreciating the smaller things in the bush.

After a cup of coffee, we stuck to the north and bumbled about looking for giraffe, so we headed over towards Buffalo Pan, seeing impalas and waterbuck as we went, as well as some warthogs.  Nearing the pan, I got a radio call telling me to keep coming, there was a lioness stalking giraffes just west of the pan – a nice bonus; we stayed and watched the giraffes for a while before the lioness showed herself – it was the lone mother with the kinked tail, but she wasn't with her cub today – hopefully it was just hiding somewhere?

Sadly she was unsuccessful and for fear of disturbing her, we left and headed back to camp to try again in the afternoon, this time with some of our regular visitors, the Lee family.

Knowing that they had watched the Sohebele males grow up, I was keen to go and see them later in the afternoon after our guides found them near Java Dam in the morning.  We took it easy to begin with, and saw impalas and zebras on the airstrip before going towards the Nhlaralumi, but it was frustratingly quiet as we went – luckily we did get to see three rhinos in the riverbed, and not long after leaving them, we found another one.

  

Stopping for drinks on Java Airstrip, we spotted a hyena in the distance, so went to view it while Petros setup drinks – as it turned out, we needn’t have bothered as she came walking straight past our drink stop anyway!

After a glorious sunset, I planned to head to the lions, which would have been great had they not just been left mobile and unattended!!!  Oh dear – despite Marka and I searching the area, they were not showing themselves, so I left the area feeling very dejected, but confident that tomorrow morning I would be able to track them down...let’s hope im right!!!