Cape Town days are becoming noticably shorter, colder and wetter.....time to fly north!
I leave my apartment 5 April and South Africa on 8 April.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Recent Visitor
I traveled with John on my Komodo Islands trip in Indonesia last year. He flew into Cape Town this week with his Spanish girl friend , Carmen, to join the Discovery for a 72 day cruise up the east coast of Africa, through the Suez canal, into the Black Sea and back to the UK.
He has homes in the UK and Spain and is a true cockney.
We had a very enjoyable lunch at the Belgian restaurant at the waterfront.
Kruger National Park
The first two weeks of March were spent in Kruger National Park. I flew to Johannesburg, rented a car and drove north so I could enter the park at one of the northern gates ( Punda Maria ).
Kruger is one of the world's most famed protected areas - known for it's size, history of conservation, diversity of wildlife and ease of access. The size of Israel or Wales, Kruger is a long, narrow wedge bordered by Mozambique to the east. It averages 65km across, and is about 350km long. Rimming the park to the west, and sharing the same unfenced terrain, is a chain of private wildlife reserves. There is over 2,000km road network and 30 camps ranging from basic to luxury accommodation. It contains the Big Five ( lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino ) and ½ the mammals found in southern Africa.
I slowly traversed the park from the north, usually staying 2 nights at each camp in the "basic" end of the accommodation stucture, in huts or safari tents.
I started at Shingwedzi and moved down to Letaba, Tamboti, Skukuza, Lower Sabie and Pretoriuskop. The camps are surrounded by electified and high fencing and the gates are locked at a set time each night, usually around sunset. You are fined if you fail to get back into your camp by curfew. Speed limits on park road are 50kph for sealed and 40kph on unsealed roads. The gates are opened at a set time each morning around sunrise. For my stay, lock time was 6 pm and open 5:30 am.
I knew I was visiting at worst time of the year for game viewing. The best time is late winter towards the end of the dry season around August. The vegetation and water supplies are sparse so wildlife tend in congregate in the areas adjacent to remaining water sources. Low or no grass also allows better viewing vistas. These are the notes for March :
"End of summer, days are still hot and humid although evenings begin to get cooler; generally the last major rainfalls of the season. Vegetation dense, water availability at its peak; grasslands in full seed; river levels high. Animal dispersal at its widest through Kruger; animals rear their young at the time there is the least competition for resources; water reources throughout the park are usually full"
However, not wanting to spend the winter in a cold and damp Cape Town ( winter is the wet season ) and with a busy schedule, this was the only time slot available and it was a budget trip so nothing to lose!
Each day became a routine, up early and ready to depart camp at opening time ( 5:30am ). Because the days are very hot, animals are said to be much more active in the cooler morning and sleep during the hottest hours. In the dry, you usually go around visiting the various water holes but as most animals, except elephants, get almost all their water requirements from the damp vegetation, they don't need to visit these sites so you drive around and hope some exotic animal will be found on or crossing the road. Lush vegetation prevents a view far from the edge of the road. Most of the grass was knee to waist high but over head high in some places. As lions, for example, spent a great deal of their lives sleeping, they could be "resting" just a few metres away from you and you couldn't see them. Elephants, giraffes and surprisingly rhinos didn't seem bothered by the heat and their size does make them more difficult to hide. March is also the end of the breeding season so animal numbers are at their highest and this was evident with the most common species, the impala with lots of 1/2 to 3/4 grown calves.
So I would meander around, taking a coffee break at a nearby camp and on again until lunch time, take some time off until about 3pm and then drive around again until 6pm. However, saying above that animals are meant to be more active in the the cooler times was not always true as my best viewing experiences were during the heat of the day!!
The first thing you notice when up close is how much larger are the animals when viewed from a small car. On recent trips I had travelled by truck or safari 4WD.
The first thing you notice when up close is how much larger are the animals when viewed from a small car. On recent trips I had travelled by truck or safari 4WD.
I will list selected animals sighted below but most photos and quite a few videos have been posted to my facebook page. "Non-friends" can see the photos here :
"Upside down" tree because of its root-like branches; deciduous, growing up to 20 m but with enormous bottle-like, smooth trunk; can live for over 3000 years
Kori Bustard
Uncommon grassland bird with noticeable crest: known for its elaborate courtship displays.
Nile Crocodile
Rough skin makes them look like logs lying on a sandbank; long tails to propel themselves through water; approx 3,000 in Kruger in all main rivers; can grow up to 6 metres long. Most of diet is fish; but preys on small mammals and waterbrids as they drink from the waterholes and rivers.Tree Squirrel
Distinctly bushy tail, active during day either singly; in pairs or in groups; in trees and on ground. Eats nuts, fruit, roots, grass, bird's eggs and sometimes insects.Leopard Tortoise
Attractive shell; age can be determined by ring marks in each shell panel; can grow up to 60cm long and attain a weight of 35kg. Pure herbivore, living mostly on mixed grasses and occassionly berries.
Dwarf Mongoose
Smallest of the African mongooses, very social, diurnal animals living in groups of between 10 and 20 individuals: very curious nature. Eats mostly insects but also rodents, birds, eggs and small reptiles.
Genet
2 species of this feline-like creature found in Kruger - small spotted and large spotted varieties, both are nocturnal hunters and agile tree climbers. Eats birds eggs, birds, lizards, snakes and insects, rodents and other small animals; big threat to poultry outside Kruger.
Black-backed Jackal
Predominantly nocturnal scavengers that lie about during the day; they are often solitary animals but gather in groups around a kill; can be very noisy. Eats carrion killed by larger predators; but also hunt small animals, birds, hares and insects, sometimes eat wild fruit and birds eggs.
Velvet Monkey
Social animals that live mostly in trees in groups of between 15 and 30;often warn other animals of impending danger; lifespan up to 20 years. Omnivores feeding on fruit, seeds and leaves, insects, nestling birds, eggs
Chacma Baboon
Social primate living in groups of between 30 and 40; dominant leader and strict social hierarchy; daytime feeders sleeping in trees, on rock ledgers or in caves; there are an estimated 300 troops in Kruger; lifespan up to 30 years. Eat wide diet including insects, fruit, roots, tubers and bird's eggs; occasionally known to hunt young antelope when food is scarce.
Tsessebe
Fastest antelope, capable of galloping at speeds of over 90 kph; large reddish brown antelope with narrow face and shoulders higher than hindquarters; both sexes have horns; males weigh up to 160 kg standing 1.3m high; lifespan up to 15 years; approx 200 in Kruger. Daytime and nightime grazer; found in groups of between 2 and 4 animals led by a dominant male; frequently use termite mounds as lookout points; can outrun most predators.
Bushbuck
Medium sized antelope with characteristic white patch on throat and white flecks on hindquarters; only rams carry horns; adult rams weigh up to 80kg and are 1m tall; approx 500 in Kruger. Nocturnal solitary browsers; sometimes form nursery herds; secretive, seldom moving out of bush cover; very good swimmers
Warthog
Nyala
Similar to kudu except that males have white nose bands, shaggy coats tipped with white and light legs; only males have horns, males weigh up to 90kg and stand 1.2m at the shoulder; lifespan of approx 15 years; approx 300 in Kruger. Forest-dwelling browser, feeding during night and day; occur in mixed herds of up to 10 bulls, ewes and calves; young bulls congregate in bachelor herds; often found with impala.
Steenbok
Smaller than a duiker with y-shaped marking on its nose; male and female same size weighing up to 15kg and standing 55cm at the shoulder; lifespan up to 10 years. Solitary woodland browser, occasionally grazes; sometimes found in monogamous pairs.
Klipspringer
Small antelope with grizzled light brown coat; male has short straight horns; female does not carry horns; male and female the same size weighing up to 15kg and standing 60cm tall. Grazers usually found in pairs; mostly active in early moring and late afternoon; often freeze in the face of danger before bounding off; no predator can catch them once they get into rocky terrain.
Hippopotamus
Third largest land mammal; barrel-like body covered with naked grey-brown skin; adults have huge incisors up to 60cm long; lifespan of between 50 and 60 years; approx 3,000 in Kruger. Nocturnal grazer spending days in the water; can submerge for 6 minutes at a time; occurs in mixed herds of between 5 and 30 led by a dominant, territorial male; one of Africa's most dangerous animals as it attacks when surprised or challenged.
Rhinoceros
Second largest land mammal after the elephant; male white rhinos weigh up to 2.4 tonne with a shoulder height of 1.9m; both male and female have 2 massive horns protruding from nose; poor sight but good sense of smell; can run up to 50kph. Black rhinos are distinguished from the square-lipped white rhino by its hook lip and smaller size. Approx 5,000 white and 350 black rhinos in Kruger. White rhinos are fast grazers active in early morning and late afternoon, sluggish during the day; average herd size in Kruger is 2 - 3, either a bull and cows or nursery herds; like to wallow in mud; can be very dangerous and charge when disturbed. Black are shy browser that rarely emerges into the open; usually solitary but sometimes gathers in groups at water holes; not often seen in Kruger.
Wildebeest
aka Brindled Gnu. Dark grey bovid with pronounced shoulders which in males are up to 1.5m high; males weigh up to 290kg; predominantly grazer; approx 17,000 in Kruger. Average herd size is between 4 and 6 led by a dominant bull; clans often join in larger groupings; social grazer often with impala and zebra; very keen nose for water.
Similar to kudu except that males have white nose bands, shaggy coats tipped with white and light legs; only males have horns, males weigh up to 90kg and stand 1.2m at the shoulder; lifespan of approx 15 years; approx 300 in Kruger. Forest-dwelling browser, feeding during night and day; occur in mixed herds of up to 10 bulls, ewes and calves; young bulls congregate in bachelor herds; often found with impala.
Steenbok
Smaller than a duiker with y-shaped marking on its nose; male and female same size weighing up to 15kg and standing 55cm at the shoulder; lifespan up to 10 years. Solitary woodland browser, occasionally grazes; sometimes found in monogamous pairs.
Klipspringer
Small antelope with grizzled light brown coat; male has short straight horns; female does not carry horns; male and female the same size weighing up to 15kg and standing 60cm tall. Grazers usually found in pairs; mostly active in early moring and late afternoon; often freeze in the face of danger before bounding off; no predator can catch them once they get into rocky terrain.
Hippopotamus
Third largest land mammal; barrel-like body covered with naked grey-brown skin; adults have huge incisors up to 60cm long; lifespan of between 50 and 60 years; approx 3,000 in Kruger. Nocturnal grazer spending days in the water; can submerge for 6 minutes at a time; occurs in mixed herds of between 5 and 30 led by a dominant, territorial male; one of Africa's most dangerous animals as it attacks when surprised or challenged.
Second largest land mammal after the elephant; male white rhinos weigh up to 2.4 tonne with a shoulder height of 1.9m; both male and female have 2 massive horns protruding from nose; poor sight but good sense of smell; can run up to 50kph. Black rhinos are distinguished from the square-lipped white rhino by its hook lip and smaller size. Approx 5,000 white and 350 black rhinos in Kruger. White rhinos are fast grazers active in early morning and late afternoon, sluggish during the day; average herd size in Kruger is 2 - 3, either a bull and cows or nursery herds; like to wallow in mud; can be very dangerous and charge when disturbed. Black are shy browser that rarely emerges into the open; usually solitary but sometimes gathers in groups at water holes; not often seen in Kruger.
Wildebeest
aka Brindled Gnu. Dark grey bovid with pronounced shoulders which in males are up to 1.5m high; males weigh up to 290kg; predominantly grazer; approx 17,000 in Kruger. Average herd size is between 4 and 6 led by a dominant bull; clans often join in larger groupings; social grazer often with impala and zebra; very keen nose for water.
Common Waterbuck
Coarse, shaggy, grey grazing antelope found near water; distinctive white eye patches and white round mark on rump; only males have horns; males weigh up to 260kg and stand 1.3m at the shoulder; lifespan up to 15 years; approx 5,000 in Kruger. Herd structure varies but usually consists of dominant male with between 5 and 10 calves and cows; small bachelor herds; herds often overlap forming groupings of up to 30 animals; they often head into water as a defence against land predators but get taken by crocodiles.
Burchell's Zebra
Unmistakable black and white striped grazer; each pattern is unique to that individual; males weigh up to 340kg and stand 1.4m at the shoulder; can gallop at speeds up to 65kph; lifespan of up to 25 years; approx 33,000 in Kruger. Found in herds of varying sizes from 3 - 5 with dominant male up to groupings of 50 in the open grasslands; communally grazes with other species.
Greater 
Kudu
Kudu
Males have large spiralled horns; weigh up to 300kg and stand 1.5m at the shoulder; females don't have horns; both have white stripes down their grey flanks; mainly browsers favouring bushwillow and acacia species; approx 5,000 in Kruger. Dominant male accompanied by 3 to 5 females; young males form bachelor herds; when they flee their raised tails flash a white signal for others to follow; can use huge horns as deadly defences when attacked
Cape Buffalo
Thin coated, bull-like animals with distinctive, large W-shaped horns, males can weigh up to 870kg; mainly grazer, eating course grasses; can run up to speeds of 55kph; approx 29,000 in Kruger. Average herd size is 250, consisting of smaller clans dominated by 1 or more older bulls; young bulls form bachelor herds; old bulls often solitary; buffalo mix easily with other grazers; dangerous when cornered; known to kill lions with their horns.
Southern Giraffe
Tallest animal in the world with toe to head height of up to 3.5m in males; males can weigh up to 1.9 tonne; each giraffe has unique patch pattern; tongue is 45cm long; mostly browsers favouring acacia and combretum species; lifespan approx 20 years; they are capable of galloping at 55kph for brief periods; approx 9,000 in Kruger. Solitary or in mixed herds led by dominant male; young males sometimes form small bachelor herds; often associate with other animals; main form of defence is a well-aimed kick which is powerful enough to kill a lion.
Impala
Most numerous antelope in the park with over 130,000 adults at any one time; grazers and browsers; only rams have horns; they weigh up to 80kg and stand just under 1m tall; graceful in movement, impalas can leap over a 3m fence and can run in bursts of up to 80kph; favoured prey of many predators. Single rams have harems of 10 ewes on average but herds can swell to over 50 after lambing season; young males leave to form bachelor herds; alpha males often challenged during rutting season in late summer.
Elephants
Largest land ammal, big males can be 4m tall and weigh 3.5 tonnes; its heart alone weighs 25kg; lifespan of approx 60 years; browsers and grazers; seldom strays more than 80km from water; can drink up to 200 litres/day and eat 250kg of dry matter; approx 12,000 in Kruger - over population is an environmental concern. Matriarchal social order with females looking after nursery herds and separate male bachelor herds; strong family bonds; may get extremely aggressive and charge when irritated or protecting young.
Wild Dog
Rich coat patterns with fluffy white tails; average group size is 10; only alpha male and alpha female breed; other group members provide child care; female is bigger than male, weighing up to 35kg and stands 75cm high; lifespan is up to 10 years. Approx 400 in Kruger. A pack will try and isolate an animal from the herd and then chase it in relays, snapping at the victim until it is exhausted and falls from shock or loss of blood.
Leopard
Distinctive large cat covered with rosettes rather than spots; each pattern is unique to that individual; good swimmers; spend a lot of time in trees and generally a solitary animal. Approx 1,000 in Kruger. Hunts mostly at night although leopards will seize any opportunity for a kill; solitary hunter; drags prey into trees; capable of charging at speeds of up to 60kph; leopards need approx 3kg meat each day but can go for a week without eating.
Spotted Hyaena
Hunched appearance because forelegs are longer than hind legs; reddish-brown coat covered with spots; distinctive call is a high-pitched eerie giggle; females slightly heavier than males, weighing up to 80kg; clans of 3 - 15 dominated by alpha female; lifespan is up to 15 years. Approx 2,000 in Kruger. Hunt mainly at night; high stamina hunters that will collectively isolate their victim, chase it and disembowel it; they are also effective scavengers; they can eat up to 15kg at a single sitting.
Lion
Largest of the African cats, with males weighing up to 250kg although average is approx 180kg for males and 126kg for females; average pride is 15; lifespan is up to 15 years. Approx 2,000 in Kruger. Hunt collectively and individually, mostly at night; lionesses do most of the hunting' Lions are also effective scavengers; can charge at speeds of up to 45kph.
During my travels, I was very surprised at the large number of rhinos. I lost count at around 50. I thought these were quite rare when I last visited twice last century. Up until the penultimate day, I had spotted 2 young lions early one morning just outside camp, a group of 4 with a kill some distance from the road and a couple of young males sleeping in the bushes near the road. Then on the penultimate day, I was lucky enough to have a pride of 6 cross the road immediately in front and behind my car and hence the close up photos. I saw 2 leopards, one for a while sneaking through the bushes and then crossing the road in front of me.
The best day was my last one and all down to flukes. I had planned to do a quick early morning drive around a loop and leave the park and head for Jo'berg. I stopped to observe a group of hyaenas and was joined by a safari vehicle. I heard the driver speak over his radio and then race off back the way I had come. After continuing on for awhile, I began to think there were not many side roads the other guy could go so I should turn around and see if there was any action. A few kilometers back the way I had just driven, I suddenly came across a pride of 20 lions resting on the road. No other vehicles around.
Then back on track again, I made another change of plan and decided to drive all the way to the southern most exit from the park and on this route came across the grouping of 8 - 10 wild dogs. These are quite rare these days so was very pleased to tick these off. They rested right up against my car and hence I have lots of close up photos taken on my very basic point-n-shoot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
