Sabie, Kruger & Gods window 2014

During the first week of September each year, my family goes to Sabie river golf course for a week for our time share. The resort is only 40 minutes from Kruger's Phabeni gate and only an hour from Graskop and God's window. The resort is always peaceful with great viewing of hippo's at the little dam.

So it was off to Kruger. We went on two separate days. On the first We travel from Phabeni to Pretoriuskop down to Jock of the Bushveld rest stop then up to Skukuza and back out Phabeni gate.

On our way down the old Voortrekker road we found a female hyena with the remains of a particularly leathery carcass. She was followed doggedly by a drooling male hyena. The female then dragged the carcass down the road for around about a kilometer before stopping for a bit of a chew.

A little further down the road we spotted a herd of male buffalo. Later that day we came across a rhino brilliantly lit by the afternoon sun.

On this trip we also saw sable, elephant, kudu, white-backed vulture as well as these beautiful fish eagles.

 The next day we went up to Graskop for pancakes and to see God's window.... with a better view than just fog.

Pinnacle Rock. 

On our last day we spent just half a day going into Kruger going in a Phabeni gate  going across to Skukuza and out a Paul Kruger gate. On our way we spotted this wahlberg's eagle. 

In a dry river bed this bushbuck seemed quite comfortable being around a troop of baboons.

 On a loop taking us over the Sabie river the bright sunlight on the road made for a very cool photo of this Nyala.

We also saw buffalo, an african wood owl, duiker, rhino, elephant and kudu. Lastly I spotted movement just before skukuza. Under closer scrutiny it was a martial eagle. It had trapped a guinea fowl with one foot. With the other, martial eagle stamped on the guinea fowl using its claws to kill it. unfortunately I was not able to get a decent photo of the action but it was great wildlife show.  

My African animal wishlist

I have always found myself intrigued and amazed by wildlife ever since I was just a lighty. I used to prescribe to a youth wildlife magazine that would constantly capture my interest and desire to be in the wild. Being a game ranger was always on my list of things to become as a youngster. Seeing as though I am still young O.o I hope that I will one day be able to give back to and environment that has always given so much to me.

Naturally, along with my passion for the bush, comes an animal wish list that I would like to see in the wild before I am confined to a rocking chair on the front porch. So to start off here is my top 5 "out of Southern Africa" animals:

5. The Gorilla. Gorilla's natural habitat is fast disappearing and we need to look after these majestic Kings of the jungle. They are the only primate that has always captured my interest (them and strangely the ververt monkey).

4. Whilst not particularly exciting, the Red river hog has got a strange make up and seems tamely out of place in west Africa's jungles.

3. The Ethiopian Wolf is the only wolf to be found in Africa. I find wolves to be fascinating pack animals and their need to partner and a pack is close to home.

2. Strangely enough coming in at number 2 is in fact a bird. I first came across the Shoe-billed Stork on a NaGeo wild documentary and I couldn't believe how this bird was put together, it has an almost comical look about it. I later learnt, through a Davis Attembrough documentary that these birds lay two eggs but will only raise the strongest of the two leaving the weaker one to starve and be killed by it's stronger sibling.

 1. Coming in at number one is the very endangered Okapi. I first saw this animal at the Pretoria zoo and found it to be truly amazing. Not only did its markings fascinate me but the sheer size of it as well. It stood around 16-18 hands in horse terms with large ears to go with it, a truly magnificent animal.

My Southern African wishlist is a bit longer as it is closer to home and these are the animals that when I go to Kruger I always wish for... even just a glimpse.

7. Now I have seen wild dogs once when I was about 8 years old. One dog ran in front of our car and a second later a pack of about 20 strong ran in front of the car up ahead of us. So I have been inclined to put them on my list.

 6. Next on my list is the bat-eared fox. Good old Big-Ears has has got nothing on these little guys.

5. The rubber tyre and butcher's knife combo, tough and dangerous Honey Badger is in next. Once again I have been lucky enough to have already seen one of these guys. We came across a very busy and energetic fellow at Chobe national park in Botswana. They are amazingly brave creatures with great intelligence and so make the list.

4. Next on my list is the Caracal. Once again, this animal with its tuffty ears, has always just captured my interest and I have always home to see one of these guys in the wild.

3. In at number three is the Ardwolf, an illusive animal that can be found all around southern Africa. It is not to be mixed up with the brown hyena who is darker with a more shabby coat.

2. It was a story my parents came back with from a trip to the Victoria falls. Whilst taking a cruise, they asked their guide (working for 20 odd years as a game ranger) what the most amazing thing he has ever see in the wild. His response was that once on a cruise he came across a pangolin swimming across the Zambezi river. To this I thought wow, that is incredible and so the interest too flight.

 1. My number one all time top of any list of animals to see in the whole world ( que drum roll) is the Aardvark. This nocturnal animal as been the pinnacle of my love for wildlife. As a child, my  first animal teddy bear was an aardvark. This is truly one of Gods most amazing creatures. I will spend my last amount of money and go out on my wheel chair and find one of these guys in the wild before I die. Viva Aardvark viva!

 I hope that my animal wishlist has sparked your interest in wildlife and the bush. I hope one day these will be my pictures that I will be showing you.

St Lucia Isimangaliso park & Mkuze Game reserve

In June 2013 we traveled down to Kwazulu Natal's east coast to one of South Africa's natural world heritage site St Lucia wetland park. It was the first time I have ever been there and what a beautiful place it is. The whole St Lucia wetland park is called Isimangaliso wetland park. We stayed in a wonderful bed and breakfast situated on the banks of Lake St Lucia.

On our first full day in St Lucia (where hippo's quite regularly take a stroll through the streets of the town) we went into Isimangaliso on the sea side of the park. Whilst the park as a whole hosts the big 5 only buffalo and rhino stay on the sea side of the park. Game and bird viewing are plentiful and the scenery are phenomenal. We drove out to Cape Vidal and took a walk on the beach where we were visited by a friendly and hungry bushbuck.

Isimangaliso park is truly amazing not just for the wildlife but for the scenery as well. There is a look out point which is a short hike from a picnic point at which you can look in land see the lake and turn around and look at the sea. 

On our second day we went to a Butterfly farm put together and run by a couple of the locals. Whilst they have made do with a the resources they have, the people running the farm were very knowledgeable and friendly.That afternoon we took a boat cruise up the lake. We had spectacular views of huge pods of hippos accompanied by crocodiles and various birds. This is a definite must if you come to St Lucia.

On our third day we traveled through the inland side of the Isimangaliso park which has the big 5 in it. Once again the scenery was spectacular however, it was tough going spotting animals (no reflection on the quality of game viewing at the park).

We then ventured further north to Mkuze game reserve. Despite an article in a magazine saying otherwise, the park is quite run down with a lot of the hides needing some TLC. In the 10 minutes I stood in the reception/shop of the main camp, there were three complaints of various items not working properly in the chalets. Our game viewing experience was good and we spent sometime are watering hole and we saw nyala, warthog, zebra and wildbeest in the space of about 40 minutes.