This was our last full day in Mopani Rest Camp before we were due to head north to Shingwedzi the following day.
Remember I said there was possibly a weakness in my plan? It was about to reveal itself again!!
We'd been south from camp a couple of times so really the only option was to go north but then of course we'd be taking the routes we should be doing from Shingwedzi!
Ah well, the decision was made, that was the way we would travel today.
First we needed to clear up the mess!
When we'd arrived at Mopani we were greeted with this sign on the door of the refrigerator.
Really? They expect you do drag your 'fridge/freezer loaded with supplies out of the concrete housing, turn it round and manoeuvre it back in place.
Don't be ridiculous SANParks! No wonder our ours already had a wheel missing making dragging it our even more precarious.
Fortunately I had a cunning plan!
The luggage straps from our suitcases.
It worked a treat and the fridge wasn't raided. We hadn't put anything in the freezer other than plastic bottles full of water to create ice blocks to transport our fresh food when the time came to move on. We didn't want to risk frozen food defrosting so our intention was to freeze it when we got to the next camp, thus extending it's useful life.
The Honey Badger out of spite no doubt, open the unprotected freezer and broke my chilled glasses and gnawed the plastic bottles puncturing them!
It then tipped the bin over and scattered the contents taking out the remains of any food to eat.
Clever little critters and one I had hoped to see. It was now my number one target but I wasn't prepared to stay up all night to see one!
As it happened our planned journey would save me the effort!
We drove up the tar road and took the S52, otherwise known as the Red Rocks loop. Once again it had proven unfruitful all along the H1-6 and most of the S52.
We were getting used to drawing a blank on our travels! We'd almost got to the end of this gravel loop when we spotted our first live creature, a male Nyala.
I say live because the remains of a Buffalo could be seen down below from the Red Rocks view point, it was just that today wasn't going to be the day we'd see that kind of action.
Suddenly Claire declared "Over there"..."Somethings moving!"
Oh yes there was, fantastic, what a sighting that was.
It was some distance away, maybe 50m.
It was moving quite quickly, searching and sniffing as it scurried across the open clearing.
I stopped the car and that alerted the Honey Badger too.
For an instant it stood still, just enough time to grab those three shots, then it scurried on, disappearing behind bushes.
I was elated at this sighting but you always wish for more. We are never satisfied are we!!
I drove on and about 100m further down the road the badger scampered across the road in front of me, maybe 25 m away. It was gone in seconds. Ah well, be thankful that you saw it Dave. Not that many are lucky so I was grateful not only to the Badger but to Claire for spotting it!
We weren't far from Shingwedzi Camp so we called in for breakfast.
Yes the Bacon and Egg toasties come with chips but that's OK. I was hungry.
My faith in Tindlovu catering was restored. It was delicious!!
We continued our journey southward taking the gravel S50. The first part is very scenic, there are numerous mini loops giving views over the river below. We could see quite a lot of game, Hippos, and waterbirds like African Spoonbill and Openbills. All too distant for a decent photo opportunity though.
A Bee-Eater did present one though. I'd seen Bee-eater on numerous occasions but still wasn't happy that I had got the shot! It wasn't any different here, all a bit messy!
Further on a Steinbok was feeding off the edge of the road.
and further down on one of the loops, another one!
Oops ! Another error. I didn't realise until I returned home to the UK I had been looking at the rarity that is Sharpe's Grysbok. Twice I could have taken a lot more images and failed to take advantage believing it was the same as the countless other shots I had taken of Steinbok.
At least I now know how to recognise the difference having learnt the hard way!!
I mean there is a similarity with this Bushbuck we saw nearby too.
Once the S52 leaves the side of the river it becomes a sparse open grassland. The road surface is corrugated and it's an uncomfortable ride for many many miles.To break the monotony we called off at the Grootvlei Dam waterhole.
There was a huge flock of Red-billed Queleas doing their usual mass flight movements.
Why they are so skittish is a mystery to me, they expand a lot of energy for no apparent purpose although they eventually had reason when a troop of Baboon came wandering down to drink.
Onwards we went until we got to the S143, Tropic of Capricorn road. The one that had proved so successful the day before. I would love to find those Secretary Birds again to say nothing of Cheetah. The terrain looked ideal!
What a difference a day makes though. There was nothing there at all! We got as far as the first waterhole and stopped for a chat with a driver who was parked up there.
"Seen anything?" I questioned. "Not on this road but if you head back the way you have come there are Lion at the Nshawu waterhole, they should be on a kill by 5.00pm"
"Many cars there?" I asked. "A few, but there's loads of space in the viewing area" came back the reply.
"It's not my scene being in a Lion jam " I declared but thanked him and moved on a few metres and parked up to look at the waterhole which was currently empty.
I checked the map whilst sat there and realised it was quicker to turn back and go past the Lion waterhole than to carry on so a decision was made!
The Lions it would be. I told the chap in the other car I'd exercised my right to change my mind, we laughed and he wished us luck.
By the time we arrived at the waterhole it must have been around 2.30pm. There were about 6 or eight cars parked in an area that could clearly accommodate several more. Not too bad at all. I stayed at the back of the parking area, some 25-30m back from the vehicles that were closer to the waterhole. I decided that the higher vantage point would be better than halving the distance to the water which in actual fact you couldn't see anyway.
I got chatting to a 4x4 full of young South Africans who had just completed a 3 day walking safari in KNP. They told me they had been there for two hours already and other than an occasional glimpse of a Lion nothing had as yet happened.They thought there were three there.
Did we want to sit there for an age waiting to see what might or might not happen? I offered to take Claire back to camp and she decided that was what she wanted to do. It was hours since we'd seen the Badger and not much else so understandably she was getting a bit fed up. We'd been having similar experiences for days now it seemed!
I reversed the car and wishing the youngsters in the 4x4 good luck told them I was going but would return alone later. That pause before leaving was well timed as otherwise we would have missed the Lion who made a brief appearance before lying down hidden in the grass again.
I returned to camp, had a cup of coffee then returned on my own to see if anything had developed.
It hadn't. The youngsters had given up though and left. There were still a few cars there but I had the choice of position I wanted. I kept to the higher vantage point and a grandstand view.
It was nearly 4.00pm. Not too much in the way of Lion sighting, in fact none at all. I didn't even know if they were still there. An arriving car had heard the news and asked me the question but I was no wiser than they were.
Ahead of me was the waterhole, currently occupied by Elephant who once again were zealously guarding the water from every other species.
There were Wildebeest in front of us, surely the Lion would have been interested had they been there? To my far right, beyond the Lion a herd of Impala were grazing , would they be victims of an attack?
I settled down to wait and see.
After 45 minutes, and nearing 5.00pm there was suddenly activity in the distance, way beyond the waterhole.
Buffalo approaching!
A huge herd of many hundreds.
To fully appreciate what I was looking at you really need to double click the next image to see the video.
It was an awe inspiring sight.
The young elephant responsible for guarding the water supply and chasing off intruders thought better of it. After an initial thought of defending the water it was realised it was not a good idea!! With these numbers of Buffalo the Elephants decided not to intervene at all.
The Lion on the other hand were immediately alert.
To my surprise there were eight, possibly nine of them hidden in the grass.
What happened next was quite truly amazing to watch.
First one Lion left the group and head towards the waterhole, hidden from the Buffalo by the bank in from of it. It walked to a position directly in front of me.
Two more followed suit and followed the first one, stopping were it had taken up position. It was if the first Lion was in charge, ordering them to stay there while she continued a bit further to the left before lying down hidden in the long grass.
The remaining two watched until she had taken up her position before they too moved forward.
From my position I could see the battle plan coming in to shape. It was like being a general looking down on the battlefield below.
In front the waterhole
To my left, and on the edge of the waterhole, one Lion.
Center stage and again hidden. Two more Lion.
To my right the remaining pride, between six or seven of them.
The buffalo were by now down in the water drinking. Many had already started to move off to the left of the field allowing others to take their place.
That had to be the plan. Wait until the last few stragglers are drinking then spring the trap. The Lion on the left would undoubtedly start the attack trying to steer the buffalo away from the main herd, the two in the middle would join in, the Buffalo would panic and run off to the right and the trap would be complete.
By now a few more cars had arrived, there was silence though. Everyone alert to what might happen at any moment.
The wait went on.
and on.
The tension was palpable .
There were a lot of Buffalo that wanted to drink!
Over on the left a couple of Elephant had started messing about.
This mock fight was getting closer to the left hand side of the waterhole.
The leaving Buffalo looked on in bemusement as they left.
They didn't realise it I don't suppose but the Elephants possibly saved their day.
The Lion on the left couldn't move in to the position it wanted while the Elephant were there.
By now nearly all the Buffalo had had their fill, the last few moved on in a tight group.
It was over.
The Lions retreated.
So did all the onlookers. The camp gates would shut in 20 minutes, there was only just time to get back!
What would have happened had the attack gone ahead ? Would we have had to leave before it was over? I'll never know now!
My only disappointment wasn't not seeing the hunt completed but that Claire had missed seeing what I had.
I was truly in awe of what I had witnessed.
The plan, the apparent communication. This was something I hadn't expected.
If animals are this intelligent what are we doing abusing them the way we do?
These carnivores had actually got me thinking whether I should be eating meat!!
A later discussion revealed that there are plants that react when eaten by herbivores, somehow they pass on a warning to their neighbours who then secrete a substance that makes the leaves unpalatable.
Intelligent vegetables.
I give in, I'll carry on as I have always done. Survival of the fittest and all that.
TBC
Remember I said there was possibly a weakness in my plan? It was about to reveal itself again!!
We'd been south from camp a couple of times so really the only option was to go north but then of course we'd be taking the routes we should be doing from Shingwedzi!
Ah well, the decision was made, that was the way we would travel today.
First we needed to clear up the mess!
When we'd arrived at Mopani we were greeted with this sign on the door of the refrigerator.
Really? They expect you do drag your 'fridge/freezer loaded with supplies out of the concrete housing, turn it round and manoeuvre it back in place.
Don't be ridiculous SANParks! No wonder our ours already had a wheel missing making dragging it our even more precarious.
Fortunately I had a cunning plan!
The luggage straps from our suitcases.
It worked a treat and the fridge wasn't raided. We hadn't put anything in the freezer other than plastic bottles full of water to create ice blocks to transport our fresh food when the time came to move on. We didn't want to risk frozen food defrosting so our intention was to freeze it when we got to the next camp, thus extending it's useful life.
The Honey Badger out of spite no doubt, open the unprotected freezer and broke my chilled glasses and gnawed the plastic bottles puncturing them!
It then tipped the bin over and scattered the contents taking out the remains of any food to eat.
Clever little critters and one I had hoped to see. It was now my number one target but I wasn't prepared to stay up all night to see one!
As it happened our planned journey would save me the effort!
We drove up the tar road and took the S52, otherwise known as the Red Rocks loop. Once again it had proven unfruitful all along the H1-6 and most of the S52.
We were getting used to drawing a blank on our travels! We'd almost got to the end of this gravel loop when we spotted our first live creature, a male Nyala.
I say live because the remains of a Buffalo could be seen down below from the Red Rocks view point, it was just that today wasn't going to be the day we'd see that kind of action.
Suddenly Claire declared "Over there"..."Somethings moving!"
Oh yes there was, fantastic, what a sighting that was.
It was some distance away, maybe 50m.
It was moving quite quickly, searching and sniffing as it scurried across the open clearing.
I stopped the car and that alerted the Honey Badger too.
For an instant it stood still, just enough time to grab those three shots, then it scurried on, disappearing behind bushes.
I was elated at this sighting but you always wish for more. We are never satisfied are we!!
I drove on and about 100m further down the road the badger scampered across the road in front of me, maybe 25 m away. It was gone in seconds. Ah well, be thankful that you saw it Dave. Not that many are lucky so I was grateful not only to the Badger but to Claire for spotting it!
We weren't far from Shingwedzi Camp so we called in for breakfast.
Yes the Bacon and Egg toasties come with chips but that's OK. I was hungry.
My faith in Tindlovu catering was restored. It was delicious!!
We continued our journey southward taking the gravel S50. The first part is very scenic, there are numerous mini loops giving views over the river below. We could see quite a lot of game, Hippos, and waterbirds like African Spoonbill and Openbills. All too distant for a decent photo opportunity though.
A Bee-Eater did present one though. I'd seen Bee-eater on numerous occasions but still wasn't happy that I had got the shot! It wasn't any different here, all a bit messy!
Further on a Steinbok was feeding off the edge of the road.
and further down on one of the loops, another one!
Oops ! Another error. I didn't realise until I returned home to the UK I had been looking at the rarity that is Sharpe's Grysbok. Twice I could have taken a lot more images and failed to take advantage believing it was the same as the countless other shots I had taken of Steinbok.
At least I now know how to recognise the difference having learnt the hard way!!
I mean there is a similarity with this Bushbuck we saw nearby too.
Once the S52 leaves the side of the river it becomes a sparse open grassland. The road surface is corrugated and it's an uncomfortable ride for many many miles.To break the monotony we called off at the Grootvlei Dam waterhole.
There was a huge flock of Red-billed Queleas doing their usual mass flight movements.
Why they are so skittish is a mystery to me, they expand a lot of energy for no apparent purpose although they eventually had reason when a troop of Baboon came wandering down to drink.
Onwards we went until we got to the S143, Tropic of Capricorn road. The one that had proved so successful the day before. I would love to find those Secretary Birds again to say nothing of Cheetah. The terrain looked ideal!
What a difference a day makes though. There was nothing there at all! We got as far as the first waterhole and stopped for a chat with a driver who was parked up there.
"Seen anything?" I questioned. "Not on this road but if you head back the way you have come there are Lion at the Nshawu waterhole, they should be on a kill by 5.00pm"
"Many cars there?" I asked. "A few, but there's loads of space in the viewing area" came back the reply.
"It's not my scene being in a Lion jam " I declared but thanked him and moved on a few metres and parked up to look at the waterhole which was currently empty.
I checked the map whilst sat there and realised it was quicker to turn back and go past the Lion waterhole than to carry on so a decision was made!
The Lions it would be. I told the chap in the other car I'd exercised my right to change my mind, we laughed and he wished us luck.
By the time we arrived at the waterhole it must have been around 2.30pm. There were about 6 or eight cars parked in an area that could clearly accommodate several more. Not too bad at all. I stayed at the back of the parking area, some 25-30m back from the vehicles that were closer to the waterhole. I decided that the higher vantage point would be better than halving the distance to the water which in actual fact you couldn't see anyway.
I got chatting to a 4x4 full of young South Africans who had just completed a 3 day walking safari in KNP. They told me they had been there for two hours already and other than an occasional glimpse of a Lion nothing had as yet happened.They thought there were three there.
Did we want to sit there for an age waiting to see what might or might not happen? I offered to take Claire back to camp and she decided that was what she wanted to do. It was hours since we'd seen the Badger and not much else so understandably she was getting a bit fed up. We'd been having similar experiences for days now it seemed!
I reversed the car and wishing the youngsters in the 4x4 good luck told them I was going but would return alone later. That pause before leaving was well timed as otherwise we would have missed the Lion who made a brief appearance before lying down hidden in the grass again.
I returned to camp, had a cup of coffee then returned on my own to see if anything had developed.
It hadn't. The youngsters had given up though and left. There were still a few cars there but I had the choice of position I wanted. I kept to the higher vantage point and a grandstand view.
It was nearly 4.00pm. Not too much in the way of Lion sighting, in fact none at all. I didn't even know if they were still there. An arriving car had heard the news and asked me the question but I was no wiser than they were.
Ahead of me was the waterhole, currently occupied by Elephant who once again were zealously guarding the water from every other species.
There were Wildebeest in front of us, surely the Lion would have been interested had they been there? To my far right, beyond the Lion a herd of Impala were grazing , would they be victims of an attack?
I settled down to wait and see.
After 45 minutes, and nearing 5.00pm there was suddenly activity in the distance, way beyond the waterhole.
Buffalo approaching!
A huge herd of many hundreds.
To fully appreciate what I was looking at you really need to double click the next image to see the video.
It was an awe inspiring sight.
The young elephant responsible for guarding the water supply and chasing off intruders thought better of it. After an initial thought of defending the water it was realised it was not a good idea!! With these numbers of Buffalo the Elephants decided not to intervene at all.
The Lion on the other hand were immediately alert.
To my surprise there were eight, possibly nine of them hidden in the grass.
What happened next was quite truly amazing to watch.
First one Lion left the group and head towards the waterhole, hidden from the Buffalo by the bank in from of it. It walked to a position directly in front of me.
Two more followed suit and followed the first one, stopping were it had taken up position. It was if the first Lion was in charge, ordering them to stay there while she continued a bit further to the left before lying down hidden in the long grass.
The remaining two watched until she had taken up her position before they too moved forward.
From my position I could see the battle plan coming in to shape. It was like being a general looking down on the battlefield below.
In front the waterhole
To my left, and on the edge of the waterhole, one Lion.
Center stage and again hidden. Two more Lion.
To my right the remaining pride, between six or seven of them.
The buffalo were by now down in the water drinking. Many had already started to move off to the left of the field allowing others to take their place.
That had to be the plan. Wait until the last few stragglers are drinking then spring the trap. The Lion on the left would undoubtedly start the attack trying to steer the buffalo away from the main herd, the two in the middle would join in, the Buffalo would panic and run off to the right and the trap would be complete.
By now a few more cars had arrived, there was silence though. Everyone alert to what might happen at any moment.
The wait went on.
and on.
The tension was palpable .
There were a lot of Buffalo that wanted to drink!
Over on the left a couple of Elephant had started messing about.
This mock fight was getting closer to the left hand side of the waterhole.
The leaving Buffalo looked on in bemusement as they left.
They didn't realise it I don't suppose but the Elephants possibly saved their day.
The Lion on the left couldn't move in to the position it wanted while the Elephant were there.
By now nearly all the Buffalo had had their fill, the last few moved on in a tight group.
It was over.
The Lions retreated.
So did all the onlookers. The camp gates would shut in 20 minutes, there was only just time to get back!
What would have happened had the attack gone ahead ? Would we have had to leave before it was over? I'll never know now!
My only disappointment wasn't not seeing the hunt completed but that Claire had missed seeing what I had.
I was truly in awe of what I had witnessed.
The plan, the apparent communication. This was something I hadn't expected.
If animals are this intelligent what are we doing abusing them the way we do?
These carnivores had actually got me thinking whether I should be eating meat!!
A later discussion revealed that there are plants that react when eaten by herbivores, somehow they pass on a warning to their neighbours who then secrete a substance that makes the leaves unpalatable.
Intelligent vegetables.
I give in, I'll carry on as I have always done. Survival of the fittest and all that.
TBC
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