Kgalagadi NP March 2020

[JPS]

This year we were “fortunate” to stay one month longer in Africa due to the C 19 virus.

The first month we enjoyed amazing Kruger NP For impressions of this trip press following link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOhcda9OcRk

After this Kruger trip we enjoyed the even more amazing Kgalagadi NP on the Botswana as the South Africa parts.

 

The itinerary in Kgalagadi NP was a follows;

1.       1/mrt/20            ROOIPUTS camp 3

2.       2/mrt/20            mata mata river house

3.       3/mrt/20            mata mata river house

4.       4/mrt/20            mata mata river house

5.       5/mrt/20            polentswa camp 2

6.       6/mrt/20            polentswa camp 2

7.       7/mrt/20            polentswa camp 2

8.       8/mrt/20            NOSOB river house

9.       9/mrt/20            mpayathutlwa camp 2

10.   10/mrt/20          mpayathutlwa camp 2

11.   11/mrt/20          lesholoago camp 2

12.   12/mrt/20          mabuasehube camp 4

13.   13/mrt/20          bosobogolo camp 2

14.   14/mrt/20          NOSOB river house

15.   15/mrt/20          ROOIPUTS camp 3

16.   16/mrt/20          ROOIPUTS camp 3

17.   17/mrt/20          ROOIPUTS camp 3

18.   18/mrt/20          ROOIPUTS camp 3

19.   19/mrt/20          ROOIPUTS camp 3

 

The rented vehicle was a ford ranger bush camper at AVIS.

Although the car itself is always in a good condition I do notice that the camping equipment maintenance is poor and deteriorated.

So for my trip in October 2021 I rented a Bushlore landcruiser, lets see how this will work out.

 

The first start a rooiputs was a bit disappointing, other campers were making noise including a generator running up to 22.30….

Luckily the remaining holiday was perfect and we met lots of lovely fellow capers who enjoyed the silence in the bush as we do.

 

Our high lights on top off all other magical experiences.

 

·       Mating lions nearby at Polentswa camp.

·       Two young leopards playing in a tree close to urikaruus on our way to mata mata

·       Leopard in camp lesholoago camp 2

·       Spotted and brown Hyena lesholoago camp 2

·       Lioness in our capm Mpaya 2

·       Male lion in our camp Rooiputs 3

·       Lions at KijKij waterhole

·       Caracal close to kijkij waterhole

 

Thanks for watching and if you have any questions about the trip, feel free to pm.

 

Looking forward to our May trip in Kruger as our Botswana trip in October 2021

 

Cheers

 

Johan and Natalie

[Biko]

Beautiful video’s, I like the combination of video and stills of the same sighting. Great footage of the caracal, I have not seen one yet.

[JPS]

4 hours ago, Biko said:

Beautiful video’s, I like the combination of video and stills of the same sighting. Great footage of the caracal, I have not seen one yet.

Hi Biko,

 

Thanks for your kind words.

Yes the caracal is not easy to spot, off all my trips I only see it three times one time in Khutse NP and twice in Kgalagadi NP

[Kitsafari]

awesome to see caracal and brown hyenas! it must have been such a thrill to have a lioness roaring in the camp. thanks for putting together the stunning video.

[JPS]

2 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

awesome to see caracal and brown hyenas! it must have been such a thrill to have a lioness roaring in the camp. thanks for putting together the stunning video.

Hi Kitsafari,

 

Yes it was an amazing trip.

Thanks for your kind words.

[mtanenbaum]

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed watching it--thanks for sharing. Kgalagadi is on my bucket list--hope to get there one day.

[JPS]

1 hour ago, mtanenbaum said:

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed watching it--thanks for sharing. Kgalagadi is on my bucket list--hope to get there one day.

 

Hi Mtanenbaum,

 

Thanks for your kind feedback, and you will not regret visiting it. If you like it to be a bit more wild choose the Botswana section, or try them both as the South African parts are good as well but a bit more protected due to the fences.

[ElenaH]

It is an awesome Video, @JPS! it is even better than the other your videos ;-)

Right from beginning that gorgeous sunset (or sunrise) with two lionesses in a stunning landscape! then portraits where light is just perfect! and the music is classic? in the beginning?

Those lionesses with a small cub are from Mabua?

I like mating lions as well, especially lioness. Perhaps she is young. She is purring to his mate! ;-) well.. almost purring. At least I see it so. And she is so active .. like a girl every man want to have ;-) The silver eye doesn't matter. Her spirit matters!

I certainly envy your caracal sightings ;-) the cat has such a beautiful green eyes! Good photography! You also had good sightings of wild cat and cheetah. What is that water behind the cheetah? Is it some waterhole after the rain or reversed? Where did you have cheetah sightings? And wild cat? Near Mata-mata? And Caracal? Rooiputs? Haha, many questions.

I also like lion-timelapse and the backwards footage of leopard cubs. Oh.. yes.. leopard cubs... Where have you seen those? They ware quite small!

I've never seen Oryx and Wildebeest fighting by the way. That squirrel from Leso-2 I know ;-) She was pregnant as we were there in November 2019. Or maybe she is always pregnant ;-) Visitors were great in Leso-2. Yes, we had also visitors in Less-2 and Mpaya-1. Perhaps, the same lioness?

Oh! And the birds!! Beautiful! Videos and Photos! What is that with a long tail? Shaft-tailed Whydah? Where did you see that one? Amazing.

Super, super! You are like a family-team as I can see from video. Well done! Many many likes from me. You were also very lucky to be able to book Polentswa and Rooiputs camping sites. Stunning trip and good memories.

 

[JPS]

2 hours ago, ElenaH said:

It is an awesome Video, @JPS! it is even better than the other your videos ;-)

Right from beginning that gorgeous sunset (or sunrise) with two lionesses in a stunning landscape! then portraits where light is just perfect! and the music is classic? in the beginning?

Those lionesses with a small cub are from Mabua?

I like mating lions as well, especially lioness. Perhaps she is young. She is purring to his mate! ;-) well.. almost purring. At least I see it so. And she is so active .. like a girl every man want to have ;-) The silver eye doesn't matter. Her spirit matters!

I certainly envy your caracal sightings ;-) the cat has such a beautiful green eyes! Good photography! You also had good sightings of wild cat and cheetah. What is that water behind the cheetah? Is it some waterhole after the rain or reversed? Where did you have cheetah sightings? And wild cat? Near Mata-mata? And Caracal? Rooiputs? Haha, many questions.

I also like lion-timelapse and the backwards footage of leopard cubs. Oh.. yes.. leopard cubs... Where have you seen those? They ware quite small!

I've never seen Oryx and Wildebeest fighting by the way. That squirrel from Leso-2 I know ;-) She was pregnant as we were there in November 2019. Or maybe she is always pregnant ;-) Visitors were great in Leso-2. Yes, we had also visitors in Less-2 and Mpaya-1. Perhaps, the same lioness?

Oh! And the birds!! Beautiful! Videos and Photos! What is that with a long tail? Shaft-tailed Whydah? Where did you see that one? Amazing.

Super, super! You are like a family-team as I can see from video. Well done! Many many likes from me. You were also very lucky to be able to book Polentswa and Rooiputs camping sites. Stunning trip and good memories.

 

Hi Elena,

Many thanks for your kind words and feedback.
The first song is Journey of the kingfish from Sarah Class.
Not a classic one as far as I know.

The water behind the cheetah is the waterhole kijkij nearby rooiputs, this year everyday action at this waterhole.
The lionesses with cubs were also at the kijkij waterhole so I guess that they belong to the pride around rooiputs.
Cheetah sightings I had several but all in the Sout African section around kijkij as straight ahead on this road and of course at matamata almost daily. The wild cat was in a tree next on the road towards matamata I guess 3 to 5 km from the camp.
The two young leopards were playing in a tree close to urikaruus on our way to matamata. They were a bit far away on a hill so the pictures are of poor quality and the video is just doable but not good. On the other hand, they are so adorable so I had to publish it.
The caracal we spotted coming from rooiputs just before waterhole kijkijk to the left 500-meter uphill was the caracal, beautiful cat indeed.

The shaft tailed whydah was at lesholoago camp 2 and a hard one to catch on camera as they move so fast.

 

Yes, we enjoyed it and are also looking forward to our other trips.
Unfortunately, I had to rebook my April trip in Botswana to May in Kruger as Botswana was not opening the same moment as South Africa border and I was getting concerned so I rebooked the Botswana trip to October.

 

Many thanks for your feedback and questions, looking forward to your next travel experiences.