The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP)

[ice]

What is the opinion of everyone about giving these wild animals "names"? Is it fault of the BBC or Wild Cat Diary? I called a lioness we saw in Lebala camp last year "Beauty Spot" but just for us. I just wonder? Pen

 

well, if you follow some of the threads on the SANParks forum, especially those related to KTP, you will notice that South Africans are extremely fond of and passionate about this park, much moreso than about say KNP. Don't ever try to say something negative, don't even voice the slightest critism or they will be all over you

 

personally, I don't mind giving names to cats, it makes it easier to discuss sightings of the same individuals with other travellers and helps trackers / guides to communicate among themselves

[Safaridude]

 

Just got back from Kgalagadi and what a surprise... to find this thread. Excellent.

 

KTP is addictive. It's incredible. Already thinking about returning...

 

@@Safaridude - Been thinking about you every time I read another installment on this thread. Love it when I hear the word 'addictive' from you

 

PP: How wet is May as a rule? If April is the end of the rainy season, then is May a cusp time or mostly dry?

 

@@ice - the reason I asked about 'animals' was precisely because I was not referring to the usual predators - my focus would be on brown hyena, meerkat (still haven't seen those and they are high on my list) and caracal would be cool. But on this one I would also like to generally savor the wildness that both you and PP refer to.

 

 

According to an old book on Kgalagadi I have, average rainfall totals are: Jan - 48mm; Feb - 42mm; Mar - 31mm; Apr - 35mm; May - 13mm; Jun - 4mm; Jul - 1mm; Aug - 1mm; Sep - 1mm; Oct - 12mm; Nov - 18mm; Dec - 14mm

 

As a practical matter, rain is totally erratic in Kgalagadi, and also there is a steep rainfall gradient from southwest to northeast (below 200mm a year at Twee Rivieren and above 300mm a year in the Mabuasehube area in Botswana). I don't know where the rainfall totals in the above paragraph were measured. Generally, Kgalagadi has its own rainfall pattern. The rains tend to trail other parts of Southern Africa by a month.

[Panthera Pardus]

 The annual rainfall is about 210mm per annum, so very few days with rain in this part of the world. It is after all known as the Great Thirstland. It rains mainly between November and April. The rainfalls in thunderstorms and not days on end. If you have a 14 day trip in April or in November you could get a day or two with a thunderstorm. When we arrived in the KTP last December it iwas bucketing it down. We had a 10 day trip and got another great thunder shower when staying at Grootkolk five days later. During these thunder showers puddles of water form and the animals do stay away from the waterholes as they getting fresh rain water - the borehole water can be high in minerals and brackish. It was our first time in Grootkolk in 5 stays that we did not get preadotors coming to the waterhole. We still found all 3 of the cats when we went on drives during our two day stay in Grootkolk.

 

The thunderstorms can be very heavy and we are talking dirt roads so yes, people have got stuck. N

 

April or November - Personally, I would go in November. Like ice said, you get longer days. There would have been a storm or two already and the riverbeds will be transformed into a carpet of green and you will also see the flowers of the KTP. I will post pictures of these later.

[Panthera Pardus]

@@Safaridude - definitely an addictive place. Hope you will tell us all about it. What camps you stayed in, your sightings and your impressions about it.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Panthera Pardus

[Panthera Pardus]

What is the opinion of everyone about giving these wild animals "names"? Is it fault of the BBC or Wild Cat Diary? I called a lioness we saw in Lebala camp last year "Beauty Spot" but just for us. I just wonder? Pen

 

I am neutral about it @@penolva. The big tuskers in Kruger had names. So we got Mafunyane and Duke and Shawu who were some of these magnificent elephants with huge tusks and it was fun looking for them an identifying them. No other animals in Kruger have names.

 

The cheetah in KTP have names because of the work done by Gus and Margie Mills. Like I said befor they collared some cheetah and worked with them for five years and obviously named them. The project is over, the collars are off and now if you see Lisette or Caster or Elena it is just another cheetah sighting unless you go compare spots with photos you already have. Visitors often sent pictures of the collared cheetahs to the Mills for identification and to help with the project.

 

An ordinary regular tourist like you and me started a leopard identification project. He has a list of 49 leopards of the KTP and each one has a name and photos. If you see a leopard in the KTP you can use his guide to see if it is a known leopard. If it is a new one then you get the honour to name it. It is a good project in that it tells you movements of the leopards, their range, when they were last seen, their parents, their offspring.

 

You can read more about it in the link below if you are interested

 

http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?style=2&f=38&t=18567

 

[Panthera Pardus]

@@Sangeeta - May is dry. It will start getting chilly but not freezing at night. Sangeeta, talk to felloe tourists about the little things. They will tell you about their sightings and where the active dens for meerkats, cape foxes and bat eraed foxes are.

 

If you stay at Grootkolk, Kieliekrankie and Urikaruus, you have a very good chance of a Brown hyena coming to the waterhole for a drink and you will have the pleasure of seeing one from the verandah of your chalet.

 

The drive south from Nossob has been very good to us for brown hyena too. Marie se Gat, Kasper se Draai and Cheleka waterholes especially.

 

Caracal and honey badger - a lot of luck and a littler prayer

[Panthera Pardus]

That trip in September 2011 was our fourth to the KTP. Although we had seen cheetah on the previous three trips we were just amazed at the quality of the sightings on this trip. We were booked for a 18 day trip in Kruger for December 2011. As soon as we got home we went to the online booking system and could get a 10 day trip to the KTP. Yes, you can get lucky online and I do realise you overseas folk require a lot more time to do the planning. We canceled Kruger and booked for the KTP, starting at Kalahari Tented Camp, moving on to Grootkolk and Nossob and then Mata Mata - not bad for a last minute booking. We just had to see Lisette and Caster and all the cubs again.

 

On our first drive up to Kalahari Tented Camp on 26 December 2011 we found Lisette and the cubs in the shade of a tree at Kamqua Waterhole.

 

 

But our best sighting of her for this trip was on the 28 December at Rooibrak when they were feeding on a springbok

 

 

Also on the first drive up to KTC we found Caster doing what she did best - hunting springboks at 14 Borehole but in the heat of the day

 

 

Amazing to see Caster oblivious of a Secretary Brid who was like telling her, forget it, it is too hot and they have seen you

 

 

 

 

while the cubs looked from afar

 

 

 

We also saw her on 03 January 2012 at Rooibrak Waterhole. She has a wound as you can see. She had a skirmish with lions on 28 December (we just missed it by minutes, a fellow tourist told us) and arrived at the scene as she and the cubs were running off. We were glad she got away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our best cheetah sightings for the December 2011 trip though, came on the 29 December and it was not Lisette or Caster

 

[penolva]

 

What is the opinion of everyone about giving these wild animals "names"? Is it fault of the BBC or Wild Cat Diary? I called a lioness we saw in Lebala camp last year "Beauty Spot" but just for us. I just wonder? Pen

I am neutral about it @@penolva. The big tuskers in Kruger had names. So we got Mafunyane and Duke and Shawu who were some of these magnificent elephants with huge tusks and it was fun looking for them an identifying them. No other animals in Kruger have names. The cheetah in KTP have names because of the work done by Gus and Margie Mills. Like I said befor they collared some cheetah and worked with them for five years and obviously named them. The project is over, the collars are off and now if you see Lisette or Caster or Elena it is just another cheetah sighting unless you go compare spots with photos you already have. Visitors often sent pictures of the collared cheetahs to the Mills for identification and to help with the project. An ordinary regular tourist like you and me started a leopard identification project. He has a list of 49 leopards of the KTP and each one has a name and photos. If you see a leopard in the KTP you can use his guide to see if it is a known leopard. If it is a new one then you get the honour to name it. It is a good project in that it tells you movements of the leopards, their range, when they were last seen, their parents, their offspring. You can read more about it in the link below if you are interested http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?style=2&f=38&t=18567

 

Thanks for the link. Very interested and will take copies of the markings. So glad the collared cheetah now are free of their collars. You have some beautiful photos of them. Pen

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Oh Wow - You certainly have your favourite cheetahs at KTP. Thanks for this!!! Love every minute of this report....

[Panthera Pardus]

Thanks @@madaboutcheetah.

 

On the 29 December 2011 we were moving camps from Kalahari Tented Camp to Grootkolk. A long drive so we were out at gate opening time. At Sitzas waterhole we caught

 

Smit

 

 

 

and Smith in the golden early morning light.

 

 

 

They did some territorial spray marking

 

 

 

before settling down on the road

 

 

 

 

We left them as we had a long way to drive but we were stopped in our tracks at 14 Borehole by Elena

 

 

 

[Panthera Pardus]

Just before 14 Borehole, Elena was on the right

 

and on the left in the riverbed were a group of springboks.

 

Elena quietly inched her way towards the springboks as you can see in the video below

 

 

I was doing the stills and video as Elena was on my side. Sharifa was all ready with her camera as I would not be positioned correctly when Elena charged.

 

She was across the road in a leap and a bound (photos taken through windscreen so not best quality)

 

 

 

 

and at top speed, it is just fantastic to see how quickly a cheetah gets to top speed and see one run at full throttle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The springbok got away this time, but we had just witnessed one of the spectacles of nature.

 

 

The Auob Riverbed is a great place for cheetah sightings. There are no guarantees about wildlife as the only predictability about animals is their unpredicatability but you have a wonderful chance of getting close to cheetah here.

[Panthera Pardus]

The Auob Riverbed is also very good for leopard and Lion sightings but before I do that I want to talk about the other animals/birds you can see. I have discussed the Raptors and it is the same as for the Nossob side. You have seen the waxbills, finches, weavers and whydahs that visit Grootkolk. In addition to these the KTP also has

 

the lilac breasted roller

 

 

The purple roller

 

Ostrich

 

Kori Bustard, if lucky you will also see the Ludwigs Bustard

 

Swallow Tailed Bee-Eater

 

Gemsbok (Oryx) and Springboks

 

Baby Oryx - looks muck like a Roan Antelope when young

 

Springboks Pronking - always good to watch

 

Crimson Breasted Shrike

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

You should set yourself up as a tour guide! @@Panthera Pardus

[Panthera Pardus]

quoted content removed at ex-member's request

 

@@kittykat23uk - the thought has crossed my mind.

 

 What else, the canon 200-400 after reading the review you linked

[penolva]

I love the cheetah's back legs overtaking the front and that LBR is stunning. Pen

[Panthera Pardus]

@@penolva - thabnk you. The LBR is a very photogenic bird.

[Panthera Pardus]

After a thundershower or two the park will be transformed. Many flowers will bloom and the Riverbeds will be green

 

 

 

 

 

 

More birds of the KTP

 

Greater spotted cuckoo

 

 

African Cuckoo

 

 

Spotted thick knee - note the chicks to the right

 

 

Next will be the leopards of the KTP

 

 

these two look like they had a fight that morning

 

 

 

 

 

[johnkok]

That Thick knee looks like it has a hangover or is totally disdainful of all those tourists pointing a camera at it :-)

[AKR1]

PP, just caught up with your brilliant report. Thanks for posting this and the in-depth details and reporting.

[africapurohit]

@@Panthera Pardus if you had 8 nights to stay at the 3 main restcamps (with the Wilderness Camps ruled out), how would you split them? And would you advise staying more than 8 nights, if possible?

[Panthera Pardus]

@@AKR1 - thank you

 

@@africapurohit - 8 nights is good. Start off with 2 nights in Twee Rivieren (TR). We have not had much luck in the area with spotted cats but they are seen regularly at Samevloeiing, and Leeudrill. A leopard is also regularly seen just outside the TR gate. The Nossob side is better from TR. On the Aoub side , it is very slow from Samevloeiing till Houmoed.

 

Spend the next three nights at Nossob followed by 3 nigts at Kalahari Tented Camp (or Mata Mata). I prefer KTC and they do have family tents.

[Panthera Pardus]

Where are the leopards in the KTP?

 

We have stayed in Grootkolk 5 times and have seen leopards on each occasion. Marie se Draai south of Nossob provides regular sightings. So does Dikbaardskolk, Rooiputs and Leeudrill on the Nossob side although we have only seen them at Grootkolk. I have already posted pictures of Rosa, Safran and N!xau from the Grootkolk area.

 

On the Auob side sightings north of Dalkeith are very rare. From 13 Borehole south right down to Houmoed are good. Samevloeiing is also good for leopard sightings.

 

We have stayed in Urikaruus 4 times and again, on each occasion we have seen leopards. Below are the ones we have seen on the Auob side.

 

This is Khomani seen at 13 Borehole. Her range is from Dalkeith to Montrose.

 

 

 

 

Khomani has a daughter Miera. We have seen Miera on 3 of our trips. She is habituated to cars and her range is from 14 Borehole to Auchterlonie.

 

At Montrose waterhole, feeding on an springbok and then posing for us before going for a drink

 

 

 

 

 

At Gemsbokplein Waterhole - right alongside the road

 

 

 

 

Some more leopards in the next episode

 

 

[wilddog]

I wonder how many ST members have moved KTP to the top of their bucket list as a result of this report? The whole report is fascinating and inspiring. Thank you again.........

 

I believe you said you had made several trips to KTP over the years and you have obviously had some superb sightings (and photographs) during that time.

 

How have these areas changed (if at all) in relation to the frequency/ease of wildlife sightings since your first visit?

[Panthera Pardus]

Thank you @@wilddog. Our data on KTP is not as extensive as for KNP. We have 7 trips, the first was in May 2007. The first trip was 4 days and we stayed 2 days each in Mata Mata and Nossob. Our impression was OK here is another Park we can visit - we saw two prides of lions, a cheetah, brown hyena, bat eared fox and African Wildcat for the first time. Pygmy Falcon for the first time, a Lanner Falcon catch a dove in mid air (wow). Kruger was still top of the list at this stage.

 

Our second trip was only 2 days. My daughter and son in law were visiting from London and we decided at the last minute to do KTP with them. We got a day in Twee Rivieren and a day in Mata Mata and 2 days in Augrabies National Park (this is a good stop over place to/from the KTP and Sharifa or I will do a report on it). In that one and a half days in the KTP we saw three prides of lion and a cheetah and a Lanner Falco do its thing again (wow), cape fox for the first time and nice meerkat and bat eared fox sightings.

 

We had to find out more and booked a 15 day trip for Decmber 2009 doing all the Wilderness camps and Nossob. There was no looking back after this. We saw cats almost everyday and seeing them come to the waterhole at the Wilderness Camps was a new experience for us. The raptors and other bird sightings was great as well. Since then we have made 4 more trips, all long ones and have not been disappointed. I said it in my introduction: I don't think that there is a better place for cat and raptor sightings for the price you pay (these days about R1300 for two people in a Wilderness Camp). There will be days without cats, for us they have been few, but we do not mind that, there are the birds, and antelope and the possibility of finding honey badger and caracal, aardvark and aardwolf.

 

Grootkolk, Urikaruss and Nossob have been consistently good for us. Kalahari Tented Camp was disappointing in our last two trips but friends of ours staying there a few days after us did great with their sightings.

 

I will be finishing of the section on leopards next and then want to talk more about Urikaruus, followed by a section on lions, then move on to Kieliekrankie and Twee Rivieren.

[Panthera Pardus]

This is Tsamma and she hangs around 13 borehole area where we saw her

 

 

 

Tsamma is the daughter of Baralong, who hangs out around Urikaruus. We have not seen Baralong. Here are Barolong's latest cubs Tshidi and Seleka seen 3km south of Urikaruus

 

Tshidi

 

 

 

Seleka

 

 

This handsome fellow is Dakatoh

 

 

We saw him also south of Urikaruus together with the female Amur, who is usually around Kieielkarnakie and Auchterloie, but had a date with Dakotah

 

Amur