When we set out for our last afternoon drive, we were tracking

a lioness but unfortunately she had headed into a property we

couldn't traverse. While following the tracks we came across

this buffalo having a lovely mud wallow.  He really looked

like he was enjoying himself.

Wildebeest were nearby while we had our sundowners.

Soon afterwards we came across a young male leopard who

neither our ranger or tracker knew.  He looked very like

White Cloth's last son who we saw a year ago, shortly before

she died.   When we got back to the lodge I checked the

pics on my laptop and I will now post the latest pic and one

from last year - spot marks on the forehead look the same on

both pictures.

May 2011

May 2010

If you look at the markings above his right eye they look the

same in both pictures.  It's wonderful to think he has survived

the loss of his mother.  The Africam database lists his birth

as mid/late December 2008  which would make him very

nearly two and a half years old now.

On our final morning we witnessed a very special sighting. We

heard lions roaring just before leaving camp and drove past

the EP waterhole to see if they were there.  We eventually

found the pregnant Tsalala female walking just a hundred

yards or so away and followed her for a considerable distance.

Every now and then she would lay down for a while before

carrying on walking.

Eventually we left her and within a minute or two received a

call over the radio saying she had treed a young male leopard.

We drove back to find a growling leopard in the top branches

of a tree with the lioness at the base.

She eventually moved a short distance away and laid down.

After some time the leopard gradually moved to a lower

branch and he then took a run along the branch and launched

himself - it must have been a good ten yards high and his leap

was as far out as it was high.  He hit the ground running with

the lion in hot pursuit.

Fortunately there was another tree close by and the leopard

went up it.  He somehow managed to get down safely and left

a very bemused lion looking up the tree and wondering where

he was!

It was a great sighting and we were all very pleased that the

leopard made his escape.  I must also add that this was a

different leopard to the one we had seen the previous evening

and that this one also had a wound in his neck, possibly from a

fight with another male leopard. One of the rangers said he

had seen this animal a few weeks previously with the wound so

at least he had survived for a while and apart from the wound

to his neck was looking in good condition.

On our way back to camp we saw this pair of Yellow Billed

Hornbills who posed very nicely for me to take their picture!

After breakfast we left EP en route to Hazyview and

while driving out of the Sabi Sand saw this leopard

tortoise on the road.

We also saw a kudu.

When we reached our next destination at Hazyview, we were

sitting in the lounge of our chalet having lunch when I saw

movement next to me. After a moment it regisitered that it

was a snake and it slithered past me moving fairly quickly.

I jumped onto the chair and then realised that I knew what

type of snake it was (Spotted Bush Snake) and it was not

venomous.  Hubby rang reception and within a few minutes

the duty manager arrived and caught and removed the snake

which was released elsewhere on the property.

We had another couple of drives into the Kruger Park

and one of our last sightings was of these lovely hyena cubs

with two adults.

Hyena cubs like that were a great last sighting.  Now I can't

wait until I can be in the bush again!

To see earlier blogs, click here

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