The Return to the Hunt in Madikwe, Klaserie, and Sabi Sands

[Terry]

The afternoon drive took us back to the beautiful Sand River area.

 

 

 

One young elephant challenging another other to a trunk-wrestling match. Just in fun, of course!

 

 

The challenge was accepted.

 

Then the elephants heard some signal that told them their time at the water was up and they all made their way across the river and out into the bush.

 

 

 

An old Cape buffalo, a “dagga boy,” who was no longer keeping up with the herd was enjoying his private mud hole. First he scratched his tummy.

 

 

Then turned over on his back to apply a good coat of mud to his horns and his top side. With lion prides in the neighborhood, these old buffaloes without a herd for mutual protection don't have a long life expectancy, but this day was a good day.

 

 

Reed Cormorant

 

 

Hammerkop

 

Steenbok pawing at the ground.

 

 

Rob thought we might get a demonstration of the steenbok’s toilet habits – dig a hole, make a deposit, and then cover it up – but the little antelope decided the timing was not right.

 

 

We left the river and went to a nearby waterhole where there were two cattle egrets.

 

 

A buffalo bedeviled by a Red-billed Oxpecker. Hiding anything in there?

 

 

Wooly-necked storks.

Our sun-downer sunset.

 

By now I feared that this game drive we were going to be without a leopard sighting when Torchwood appeared and saved the evening for us.

 

Back to the river for another sunset picture.

 

You can come out of the water now, Mr. Hippo, we are leaving.

 

Edited February 26, 2016 by Terry

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@Terry

 

Your wonderful images around the Sand River make me feel like I'm home!

It's GREAT to see Torchwood by night!

The sunset image is so, so, so familiar!

Your wooly-necked stork images are impressive.

What a glorious safari you had!

Thank you for sharing these with Safaritalk. They're so nice!

Tom K.

[TonyQ]

The steenbok pictures are beautiful - what a lovely animal. I love the buffalo enjoying the mud bath, and of course your leopard by night.

 

(As we watched Hyena in Ol Pejeta we learned that they suckle later than any carnivores and although they start eating meat at about 5 months, they continue to suckle until 12-18 months)

[Marks]

Excellent grappling eles.

[anthracosaur]

@@Terry Lovely photos. I particularly like the buffalo rolling around in the mud. He looks like a barrel with a head in that picture.

[lmSA84]

@@Terry - thanks for sharing. You have captured some stunning images and behaviours.

 

I particularly enjoyed your portrayal of Madikwe.

[Terry]

The next morning for our game drive we went straight to the river and this old, male giraffe was the first to great us.

 

 

This hippo was not happy. He had been chased out of the river pod by another male and was told in no uncertain tones, to not come back.

 

 

I was thankful we had found him when we were still in the vehicle, not standing out in the bushes somewhere while on coffee break. There in the sun, he was going to be one sun-burned, over-heated, dehydrated hippo long before sunset.

 

 

The hippo plainly saw the vehicle as an aggressor and felt it safest to be passive and show his meek side. He barred his teeth as only a defensive maneuver. If he had any fight left in him, he would have charged us, shaking his head as he came.

 

 

Then the hippo turned his head and he melted my heart. Maybe his mucous glands were merely secreting a fluid in an attempt to protect his skin from sun and drying, but he appeared to me to be crying tears.

 

 

The elephants started coming down to the Sand River.

 

 

There is always one in every crowd that listens to a different drummer.

 

 

Do I look like a crocodile?

 

 

Something smells weird around here!

 

 

Bet I could beat you in a game of trunk wrestling even lying down.

 

 

There is no better pillow in all the world.

 

 

What do you mean - I am undignified?

 

c

 

Come down here and repeat that!

 

 

I can beat you at trunk wrestling standing upon the edge of a cliff.

 

 

I can beat you at trunk wrestling standing in a ditch.

 

 

I can even beat you at trunk wrestling down on my knees.

 

 

Figuring they were the biggest and we should move, this lead elephant led her herd toward us on this narrow lane right up to the front of our car . The tracker showed the elephant the palm of his hand and yelled, “No!” She seemed to understand him for she turned and went around to our side and all the other elephants followed her.

 

 

This male leopard had spent the early morning hours mating, but then the female took off and now he is looking for her.

 

 

Before he can resume his search, he has morning business to do, and here he is concentrating hard as he stops right alongside of our car.

 

 

She can't be tired of me already. Which way would she go?

 

 

Baboons are not welcome around any lodge and we usually spotted them only in the distance as they disappeared into the bush, but this baboon was foraging and sat still for a moment.

 

 

It's good to eat, I am out of here!

 

 

Back at Idube hide and waterhole, an Egyptian Goose-duck was searching for something to eat.

 

 

A male nyala with a full set of horns came for a drink and seemed a little leery. Of course, he didn't get to be that old by being careless.

 

 

Back in the bushes were a female nyala and her young.

 

 

Two younger male nyalas came in to get a drink along with some female impalas.

 

T

 

The sight of potential rivals called for a demonstration of the old-timer's dominance. He was the king, and just in case the younger males didn’t know it, he dug his horns in the wet mud.

 

 

He came up by the slot in the hide and gave us the full “broadside display” of his raised crest and his muddy horns. Yes, he was feeling a little aggressive, but this day he didn’t demonstrate the highest intensity of dominance which would have included a fluffed tail flipped up on his back..

 

Edited March 3, 2016 by Terry

[TonyQ]

What a lovely morning! A beautiful elephant sequence and what a mgnificant animal the Nyala is.

[dlo]

Well that was a pretty good morning! I think that hippo needs a hug and elephants are always worth spending time with.

[Alexander33]

Fantastic drive: hippo, elephant, leopard. What's not to like?

 

I especially like the close-ups of the hippo. They never get out of the water for me. Of course, I'd be "crying," too, if my teeth looked like that. ☺️

Edited March 4, 2016 by Alexander33

[Terry]

@@dlo @ImSA84 @@Alexander33 @TonyQ @anthracosaur @Marks @@Tom Kellie @@deano @elefromoz @@Lala

 

Thanks so much to each one of you for taking the time to write a note. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

[Terry]

The Vervet Monkeys came in for lunch.

 

 

Several of them were missing all or at least part of their tails, but I didn’t take any pictures of their backsides. People said the hyenas had taken up collecting tails.

 

 

The monkeys are sitting in the trees waiting for their turn at the 5 yard dash. Their competitors were the Idube staff, but the staff just ended up looking clueless, as the monkeys won every contest.

 

 

Arrow-marked Babbler

 

 

Crested Barbet

 

 

Bennett’s Woodpecker

 

 

The afternoon game drive started with a Crested Francolin.

 

 

Then it was down to the Sand River for baby-elephant time. There were two mother elephants with young babies, both probably about two-weeks old, Rob thought.

 

 

Both babies had figured out how to use their legs, but their ears still showed pink when back-lite by the sun.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile to the west, up against the evening sun, was the second baby who was determined to have much more fun than the first.

 

Go a little further, Ma. I will help you by pushing your left leg.

 

 

OK, now I will push your right leg.

 

Do

 

Down over the bank is the river, but mother elephant is going to dig for her own water. It surprised me that there on a sand bank she found water after only digging a couple of feet down when the river was at least a couple of yards lower.

 

 

When my mother digs a hole, she must mean for me to lie in it.

 

 

Yes, we found water.

 

 

I still like this better.

 

I think I'll try a nap.

 

 

This is serious business. It's been a long day, trotting all over the place, trying to stay under mother's belly.

 

 

I'd better get up, or maybe she will leave without me.

 

 

 

Maybe there is time for one more dip.

 

 

No, time to go.

 

 

Meanwhile off to the east, was this little elephant tucked into some bushes.

 

 

The White-fronted Bee-eaters were enjoying the evening sun.

 

 

 

We left the river to find Torchwood making his way through the bush towards the waterhole.

 

 

He was looking a little gaunt and in need of a meal.

 

 

Rob was sure with the way the leopard’s tongue was sticking out, he wanted a drink, but Torchwood was watching impalas on the other side of the waterhole. His wish for food was greater than his need for water, but the impales were spooked and ran. Then he started watching me. There was something a little scary about that.

 

 

 

 

Torchwood left the area; we went for sundowners and then came back alongside of the waterhole on our way back to the lodge.

 

 

The right on the edge of the water was the hippo which we had found this morning on the bank of the Sand River. Not daring to attempt a return to the river, he had made his way to the nearest waterhole. He quickly scooted in and immediately swam to the far side of the pond. The hippo had hid out all day; waiting until dark and for the resident hippos to leave the waterhole to graze for the night before he attempted to barge into foreign-hippo homeland.

 

Edited March 6, 2016 by Terry

[michael-ibk]

Really enjoying your report, Terry. The second photo of the little Ele calf is precious, and I love the landscape shots around the river particulary. Judging by all the reports recently this really is one of the very best places in the world to see Leopard. Wonderful safari, great report.

[anthracosaur]

@@Terry Enjoying your TR. Love the two elephant series, particularly the babies. You never really hear Sabi Sands or any of the private Kruger concessions discussed as great elephant areas. Certainly not when compared to Amboseli, Tarangire or Chobe and the numbers of elephants those parks can produce. But your photos really demonstrate that you can get excellent elephant interaction in the Greater Kruger. When we were in Timbavati a few years ago we saw more elephant over 4 days than all the other animals combined.

[dlo]

Some very nice leopard shots @@Terry. It really is a little unnerving when they focus on you and give you that look!

[Alexander33]

Terry, you really nailed that shot of the crested barbet. And is there anything cuter than a baby elephant?

 

This, combined with a few other recent reports, is beginning to convince me that we need to pay Madikwe a visit!

Edited March 7, 2016 by Alexander33

[TonyQ]

Really beautiful pictures of the baby elephants! And I think that leopard had its eye on you

[Terry]

The next morning was the end of our safari, the last game drive, the last chance to hunt for lions, and the last chance to see Torchwood – this trip. A Vervet monkey came in to watch as we drank our early morning coffee and he made a dash for the rusks. After twelve mornings of rusks with my coffee, I didn’t mind sharing with him at all.

 

 

Our last game drive started with our first Helmeted Guineafowl.

 

 

This warthog that looked lucky to have escaped a leopard. Both leopards, Scotia and Torchwood, have a reputation for spending hours sitting on top of termite mounds in hopes of catching a warthog attempting to leave his burrow.

 

 

Rob found the herd of male elephants again. Sure enough the elephant with the two broken horns came up close to the car again and looked as us all over closely. I swear he enjoys spooking people. There were several elephants in this herd without even a bit of tail. Rob thought it may be hereditary.

 

 

No matter how much I wanted to go there, we didn't get down to the Sand River that morning. Rob stopped a waterhole and a couple of hippos popped up to check on what we were doing. In the other end of the waterhole we could see one lone hippo trying his best to look insignificant and to stay out of the way of all the resident hippos. We figured he was the one which got kicked out of the Sand River the day before.

 

 

An African Fish Eagle took off in flight at the thought of sharing the same side of the waterhole with us.

 

 

He made a two-point landing in a tree on the other side and lost his dignity for a moment.

 

 

 

Tawny Eagle

 

 

This Egyptian Goose mother started out with nine babies and even now in a waterhole with crocodiles she still has all nine very lucky duckies.

 

 

Rhinos were often around a termite mound. “Grass around a termite mound tastes the best,” Rob informed us. I trusted the comment was probably not based upon personal experience.

 

 

We drove on past a Yellow-Billed Hornbill which was finding his bill too heavy to holdup by himself. He looked sick or maybe drunk - even to Rob.

 

 

Rob was concerned enough that he had the tracker get down and walk up to the bird – which then flew off and appeared to be fine. Rob decided the bird must have been just sleepy. So now we know that hornbills need a pillow like the rest of us.

 

 

Sabi Sands is the only reserve out of four that we have visited in which we have seen nyala and they are so beautiful that I am happy for every sighting. They usually spend the hottest hours of the day standing motionless under a tree and that's where we found this male.

 

 

Nyalas do have to drink daily. This mother nyala and her young one were just leaving a waterhole.

 

 

The game drive was winding down. Every sighting was getting more precious. I might have passed on this back-lite male kudo any other day, but not that day.

 

 

Just down the road a short ways was Torchwood - up on top of a termite mound.

 

 

All of a sudden on the other side a warthog dashed out from an entrance half way down to the ground. That hog came out of the mound like missile; I had no idea one could move so fast. Torch,wood gave chase, but he could not close the four-foot lead the hog had on him. In just of few minutes the leopard came back much slower than he left and sat down on the side of the mound to debate his next move.

 

 

 

He was looking dejected, not a happy cat at all.

 

 

Rob told him, “Yes, think what you have down wrong. Next time keep your vigil closer to the entrance and not up on top.”

 

 

Torchwood had to decide if it was worth a gamble that no other adult warthog was in the den. If there was not, he might find little piglets in there and it would be an easy meal.

 

 

He decided to take a chance, but he was very leery. He started down toward the entrance, but then backed out and sat back down again. After, a few more minutes, he gathered up his nerve and then went all the way down and took a good look. Alas, no piglets. He then gave up and walked off to lie down in the shade. He stayed long enough to yawn and then got up and walked towards us.

 

 

For all of you dentists - leopard teeth!

 

 

 

With that sharp bone sticking up on his back and his gaunt abdomen, I knew Torchwood definitely was hungry. As he came toward us it appeared as if he was staring at me and the lens on my camera again.

 

 

I thought of the ranger’s story at Gomo Gomo about the leopard that leaped at the camera and it crossed my mind that it might be safer to put the camera down, but I couldn’t make myself. Torchwood was too beautiful not to photograph.

 

 

And that ended the hunt for wild animals for this safari. The thrill of the hunt was still there. It didn’t get old; we would love to do it all over again.

 

At Idube we had a very experienced ranger, the beautiful Sand River area for game drives, and we spent time with at least one and sometimes more leopards on every single game drive. We never had a quiet drive at Idube for Rob made sure every drive exceeded our expectations. If we go back to Sabi Sands, we will return to Idube.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Terry

[dlo]

@@Terry

 

What a great ending you had to a great trip. And you are right it doesn't get old I hope you will get to return soon.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@Terry

 

Torchwood!

Thank you!

Tom K.

[deano]

@@Terry - more great sightings for you that you have captured with great images. The ears on that baby elephant are gorgeous and Mr. Torchwood seems to have liked you and posed often and nicely. I have only visited the Sand River once but between you and @@Tom Kellie you have confirmed that we have made a good choice to revisit later this year. Great report - thank you.

 

kind regards

 

deano.

[Terry]

We didn’t see any lions in Sabi Sands, not that the rangers didn’t know where they were. This tree located not far from the lodge marked the spot where the lions spent all four days while we were at Idube.

 

 

Those hyenas which we found on the road mauled by lions and foaming at the mouth were staring at this tree. The vultures were drawn to this tree by the crime scene that lay beneath it.

 

Rob told us on our first drive that the block of land where this tree was located was absolutely closed. If anyone dared to turn a car around on the access road, they were likely to be shot. The notice of closure did not state any reason, but we all knew. One or more dead rhinos lie under this tree - poached for their horns which when sold will bring greater riches than gold, diamonds or cocaine.

 

Rob felt strongly trying to save the rhino by educating the people who believe in power of the horn has failed. The rhinos in the wild will be all dead before we can convince everyone the horn is useless. The men, who choose to kill the rhino rather than just sedating the animal and harvesting the horn, are killing to drive the price higher and higher. Why else would they kill the young rhinos without horns as well as the adults who have had their horns removed?

 

The tree of vultures testifies to futility of using guards and the safeguards now in place in the reserves and the parks to protect the rhinos. Every rhino horn in South Africa is microchipped, but the poachers simply dig the chips out. Every rhino has its DNA profile registered, but only in about 50 cases has the DNA profile been able to be link horns, traffickers or poachers back to dead rhinos.

 

Rob believes we may be able to still see wild rhino running free in a few years if the sale of rhino horn is legalized as soon as possible. The reward of killing the rhino now is too high; most any man can be bought for such a price. Too many times it is the very men who are being paid to protect the rhino who are selling them out. If the price comes down, way down, Rob has hopes we can save the rhino for future generations.

 

I realize that there are many different opinions on the best way to save the rhino, but with over a thousand rhinos poached in South Africa a year we all can agree that something needs to be done differently. I sincerely hope that dead rhinos will haunt no more safaris to Sabi Sands.

 

For all the wild rhinos, may our wish be granted, “May you live long and prosper!”

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by Terry

[TonyQ]

Thank you for a great report - very engaging writing and excellent photos.

At the end, Beautiful Nyala, Torchwood saying goodbye, and lots to think about at the end with Rhino and Baby.

[Terry]

@@deano @@TonyQ @@dlo @@Tom Kellie @@Alexander33 @@anthracosaur @@michael-ibk

 

Always great to hear from all of you. Thanks so much for your encouraging comments and following along.

 

And thanks to all of you who read and “Liked” my pages. I appreciated every “Like” also.

 

@@deano I will enjoy seeing Sabi Sands again through your photographs and stories.

 

@@Alexander33 If you get to Madikwe, be sure you post a trip report. It will be fun to see the reserve again.

 

@@anthracosaur Yes, nothing says Africa like elephants. It’s very special in the Kruger area to be able to safely get so close to the giants.

 

@@michael-ibk Yes, if it is leopards you want to see up close and personal, go to Sabi Sands. The beauty of those animals never ceases to amaze me.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Terry

[Alexander33]

@@Terry

 

The last game drive is always semi-sweet. You ended with the beautiful Torchwwood leopard, but, at least figuratively, also with the symbolic tree of vultures, which must remind all of us to wonder if some of the sightings on a last drive will, in fact, be our last sightings, period.

 

Thank you for a beautiful and engrossing report.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Alexander33