Searching for leopards in KNP and Sabi Sand

[Marks]

Haha, an even better sighting once you can see clearly what he is sniffing at! Louis was our guide there in 2010 and I seem to think he said he was newly qualified at the time; he was a good guide and rather personable.

[pedro maia]

Have to finish this TR, our last afternoon game drive was pretty quiet until we saw this bachelor hippo entering a pond

 

Tom, our tracker, said there was going to be trouble since the dominant male wasn´t going to accept that, so we waited, until the fighting started

 

 

A little video shot by my daughter

 

 

The buffalos in the bank couldn´t care less about what was going on with the hippos

 

And we had another gorgeous sunset

[Terry]

I have really enjoyed your trip report and all your pictures. The leopards are the most beautiful animals and your pictures of them are amazing. Gorgeous sunset with the tree silhouetted, the video of the fighting hippos, the oxpeckers caught in flight over the buffalo, and the giraffe showing off his tongue are all outstanding but only a few of a wonderful collection. Thank you for sharing with us.

[pedro maia]

I have really enjoyed your trip report and all your pictures. The leopards are the most beautiful animals and your pictures of them are amazing. Gorgeous sunset with the tree silhouetted, the video of the fighting hippos, the oxpeckers caught in flight over the buffalo, and the giraffe showing off his tongue are all outstanding but only a few of a wonderful collection. Thank you for sharing with us.

 

Thanks Terry, I´m glad you enjoyed the TR, but I have to say that my previous post was somehow misleading since I still have a final set of pictures.

[pedro maia]

As I was saying I still have some pictures, this time from the final game drive in the morning we left Elephant Plains, the drive was also very quiet, Louis and Tom were searching for lions, they heard them but they didn´t venture inside the concession so we didn´t get to see any lions, although I must say that the leopard sightings were of such quality that we can´t complain.

 

The final relevant sighting of the whole trip was another hippo, another bachelor that lives alone in a smal pond, they call him Walter and Walter put on a great show for us, with some great yawns:

 

 

And with Walter I finish the TR, needless to say how much we did enjoy this trip to Kruger and Sabi Sand, Elephant Plains is a great lodge to spend a few days, not too expensive if we think of the prices of other lodges in the area, definitely a place we wouldn´t mind returning.

[Atravelynn]

I never thought I could be so impressed with hippo nose hairs. Your closeups of Walter are wonderful. The turtle on the back is gem. A special ending.

 

Your assessment of EP echos what many others have said. In addition to all the other reasons to visit EP, now we have Walter!

 

Thanks for this report.

[TonyQ]

@@pedro maia

Thank you for the very enjoyable report

You had some great leopard sightings and some beautiful photos of them - including being cats and the sighting of the cub!

You also have some loveley elephant pictures - especially the oungster - and the baby suckling.

And to finish with Walter....

[PCNW]

What a great trip you had. Loved all of your photos but especially Walter and his travel buddy. Thanks of sharing.

[Marks]

Walter was really quite cooperative. I also liked the hippo video - what a spurt of activity!

[pedro maia]

@@Atravelynn, @@TonyQ, @@PCNW, @@Marks, I´m glad you enjoyed the pictures, I see Walter became quite popular with these pictures, he seemed to like the attention.