South Africa photo safari

[littlemac]

I learned a bit too late that I would be making a business trip to Cape Town in order to make arrangements for a safari so I booked a photo safari with some friends.

After our meetings in Cape Town we made our way north to Lion Sands River Lodge bordering the Kruger National Park.

Our four days there proved to be truly amazing and we were able to see the Big Five on numerous occasions.

I am sure any of you who have made the trip were every bit amazed by the country as I was.

I tried to add pics but can't from here in London on my iPad so I'll try when I get home Thursday.

[Kuduman]

South Africa is truely a magical place. Although I havent made it to Kruger I tell all my clients to stop and take in all the beauty that the bushveld has to offer. I think somtimes as hunter we don't stop to smell the roses as often as we should.
The most beauiful sunsets I've ever seen were over the bushveld while on safari.

Can't waite to see the pics

Jeff
A.K.A. Kuduman

[littlemac]

I'll post up a few of the 2000 or so pics I took.  Although many of them were shot in sport mode to make sure I captured pics of moving game many of them turned out great.

So following on here are just a few of our amazing 4 days in South Africa.

One thing to note is that the animals while accustomed to the Range Rovers are just as uncomfortable with anyone walking outside of the vehicles.  That said it is pretty amazing how close you get to dangerous game.

The first day we were lucky enough to find one of two prides and while we were there the two males that are part of the pride returned to it.

[littlemac]

We were able to see the big five nearly every day, the hardest of the five to find is the leopard.  This is a cub that was spotted in the grass where he could hide while the feline was hunting.

[littlemac]

One day on our way to the river to look for the black rhino we rounded a cornier to find this bull heading our way and not at all concerned about us.  the ranger threw the Rover in reverse and made our way back the way we came until we had a turn out to avoid being in the path of the bull that was in musk and hot on the trail of the herd.

Hard to see in a pic but he stood at least 12 feet if not higher and his tusks were around 6-8 feet estimated by the ranger.

[littlemac]

did I say we got the heck out of Dodge when we saw this big guy!  We were darn close when we rounded the corner and found him.

[littlemac]

The third day was hot and the water buffalo went to water to cool off.

Earlier we found a hyena that had a big appetite but no way to feed his hunger against the buffs.

[littlemac]

Finding the second pride of lions was great as it came on the fourth day anfter a big rain and we were unable to track off the road.  Fortunately the lions seem to find the road dry and warm after the rain and we ran across them lazing around.

This pride has 8 adult females and 10 kittens, the males had been spotted heading north out of the area presumably in search of another pride.

[littlemac]

As it turned out our fourth day would hold some amazing finds as we were fortunate to find a female leopard with her impala kill up in a tree near the road off of an old lodge site that had long been abandoned, it had an 18 hole golf course and was serviced by a rail line that was removed years later and the camp went back to its natural landscape.

This tree was near the location of the old third hole.

[littlemac]

Back with the pride

[littlemac]

While we did witness an impala kill taken over by by vultures and the leopard with her impala, we really never saw any hunting action by the predators.

Here we found a young buff that didn't make it.

[littlemac]

The guide (ranger) said if he took clients to find giraffe he seldom did, but we saw them several times just as we cruided around.

[littlemac]

While we weren't in the plains we did see plains game in small numbers other than the impalas that we saw by the hundreds, they are referred to as the McD's of the desert as the buffet is always open for the predators that survive on them.

[littlemac]

Lots of animals on the last couple of days as we had seen the big 5 and wanted to see what else was around.

[littlemac]

Always hunting, like coyotes of the desert