The road less travelled

Last week I finally got to do something that had been eating at me for a very long time. I took the usual trip up to Umfolozi Game Reserve, but with one difference, a new route. Well different. Instead of heading all the way up along the N2 highway until Matubatuba and then heading to the Nyalazi gate midway up we went off at Eshowe. We headed through Melmoth and then onto Ulundi before entering the reserve at the bottom, Cengeni gate. As I was hoping it was only a little bit further than going around, about 20km and even though not along a freeway, about 15min longer.

So why all the fuss? Well, the southern section, the main section of Umfolozi is directly accessed through this gate. A larger network of roads, more savanna type bushveld and in my experience more game. Remember one of my posts late last year about the fantastic run of sightings I had, the self named 'Magic Marker 17'. This is where it is situated and why I have been wanting to access this section of the park as early as possible. Giving us the best opportunity to catch the cats moving about before the heat of the day.

Ironically on this day, the plan sort of worked. We saw hyena, a large herd of buffalo and a lot of other game, but the cats eluded us. That is until we made our way to the central section, pretty close to the gate we usually use!

Well isn't that why we love the bush, you can try all you want to control the variables, but it is probably better to just sit back and enjoy.........

Kruger in April and half a leopard kill.....

A young leopard pouncing

Kruger in April:

I got to enjoy a wonderful few days traveling SA at the begining of April, with my two guests Jennifer and Louise of the USA. Namely From JHB - Kruger - St. Lucia - Durban.

It was a fantastic trip and a great time of the year to travel the east coast. We were blessed with amazing weather and great sight-seeing, with wonderful wildlife encounters. We were lucky enough to see the Big 5 in one day and the young leopard above within the first hour of entering Kruger. As usual prolific birdlife was seen both in Kruger and the St. Lucia estuary. The animals we saw from Kruger to Phinda to Cape Vidal were healthy and in great condition. We also witnessed a hyena trying to run down an impala, unfortunately the chase continued off into the bush and so the outcome of the hunt will never be known. 

We in fact saw this young leopard twice in the 3 days we were in the Skukuza area, at N'waswitshaka dam on the S65, to be exact. A dam, river and trough combination well know to the regular Kruger visitor. The first encounter he was in the dam area, before walking up the dam wall and right into the parking lot where some 10 vehicles were parked. He nosed around, quite unsure of where or what he wanted to go/do. I suggested to my guests that he was young and had most probably recently left his mother and would be spending the next few years building his strength and avoiding the resident males, before he could challenge for a territory of his own.

My views were confirmed when 2 days later he once again was hanging around the dam, this time pacing up and down trying to figure out a way to catch the African Jacana (in foreground of photo). He kept putting his front paw in the water before shaking it off vigorously when he realised it was too deep and the Jacana was safely out of reach on the lillies. Just as he lay down on the edge of the dam an unsuspecting wagtail landed a few meters off. After a stalk and pounce, he caught the poor little thing, but then had an even harder time trying to figure out where the meat was.

The 2 encounters with this unsure yet at the same time seemingly comfortable young leopard,  got me thinking about a conversation I had a few years back with a friend of mine, who was working in a private reserve bordering Kruger. He told me of a theory amongst his peers that the leopard sightings were improving each year because of how the young leopards in these reserves are practically brought up in the presence of landrovers. Then when they leave to find there own way, they wonder into Kruger, and after a small adjustment to the quantity of vehicles, become comfortable to the extend that they pay hardly any attention at all. To me here is proof, Facebook fan page (for the whole gallery), of an exact case. This young guy walked up the dam wall towards the vehicles, heading directly past the open vehicles parked there and if anything only showed a little concern only when he saw my big silver bus. Maybe he even felt a little safe by the vehicles after being left in the 'big bad bush' all by himself........

As usual, would love to hear your comments? Do you think the leopard sightings are improving? Becoming more frequent? Does this theory hold true for you?

   

                                     He came within a meter of the familiar green landy......  

Thanks for reading, look forward to hearing from you.

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