Mammals of Kruger Park

In my last post from South Africa, I will share some photos of mammals and reptiles we encountered in Kruger Park. Even though we did not find any surprising animals, it was exciting to see large numbers of common mammals. After the low densities we had experienced in Hluhluwe, Kruger Park felt like the Real Africa.

Kruger Park's main attraction is big cats, and in that front our mission was accomplished. About 30 minutes after driving into the park from Malelane Gate we chanced upon a Leopard. It was laying down in the tall grass, and as soon as we stopped it walked off into the bush. Too quick for a photo but a breathtaking start.

Then, near Satara, Big Cat Central, we had intimate experiences with lions, and also we found a pair of beautiful Cheetahs, just south of Satara. They were typically lazy. The male was snoozing in the grass; the female as well but quite obscured by the vegetation. We waited around with them for about an hour until the kids lost patience and we moved on. During that hour the most they did was wag a tail, and once the male even sat up for a couple of seconds (!), before crashing back down to sleep again. He was too quick and I screwed up the photo.

Wagging my tail

Look at me - I am so pretty

Back to sleep

Spotted Hyena are another prominent predator in Kruger. We saw quite a few in several locations. We had this playful pair in the very early morning, splashing around in puddles after the previous night's rain.

Interesting photo effect here - just playing

Inquisitive

Black-backed Jackal - common and neat

I was most impressed by the big numbers of Elephants we saw. Kruger Park holds 13,000 of these huge beasts - Hopefully the war against poaching will be successful here.

We saw only one rhino, this is a Southern White (AKA Square-lipped) Rhino. BTW, the name 'White Rhino' probably comes from the Afrikaans word 'wijd' (wide), and does not describe its colour.

Good numbers of Wildebeest were present. No huge migration here like in the Mara - Serengeti system, but still nice to see these impressive ungulates roaming free on the Great Plains.

Among the many antelope we saw, I especially liked the dainty Steenbok:

Hello Baboon!

Banded Mongoose - raiding the rubbish bins at Tshokwane

Dwarf Mongoose

We didn't see too many reptiles. This Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard is pretty:

After the rain, many Leopard Tortoises dangerously walked on the road:

And that's that. To summarize, wildlife watching in South Africa was brilliant. In a very short time I saw just short of 300 bird species (297, though my brother ticked a few more after we had parted) and 34 mammals - not too shabby. There are many special birds I did not see, so there's a good reason to return to South Africa for a proper birding trip!
As always, this trip would not be possible without the help of some good friends, especially Trevor, to whom I am thankful. My travel companions - my boys, my brother and his family, and my dad, all made the trip so special and enjoyable - thank you!

Hluhluwe mammals

We spent two full days in and around Hluhluwe Game Reserve. It was our first safari experience with the kids, so on their behalf we got very excited about each and every individual animal. To be honest, there aren't huge numbers of common mammals in Hluhluwe, partly because of the thick bush that covers much of the reserve. Yet this was a good introduction to safari mammaling and birding in South Africa.

As I have mentioned previously, my biggest highlight of Hluhluwe, and in fact of the whole trip, was the encounter with a pack of seven Wild Dogs on our first afternoon. This beautiful animal has eluded me on my previous visits to Africa, and I was getting desperate to see them. That was the main reason we chose Hluhluwe - possibly the best place to see them in this part of Africa. We spotted them first sitting around in the tall grass, and my heart skipped a beat. After years of searching, at last - here they were. I think my kids have never seen my so genuinely excited before. We watched them playing and lazing around in the bush for a while. Then they started walking on, and posed on the road in the warm early evening light for several minutes. I was somewhat limited from a photography point of view. On the one hand, we found them so our vehicle was in the prime front position, which I did not want to give up. However, with my 500 mm I was a bit too close and just barely managed to get full frames of the animals. Still, I guess I can't complain.

Three of the dogs had radio collars on, part of research carried out by the Hluhluwe Wild Dog Project. I must admit the collars are pretty massive, reminding me of a St. Bernards with a brandy barrel. But they seem to be doing alright with the collars on.

After a while they walked off, I think they were on the hunt for some impala nearby. It was amazing to see them transform from playful puppies on the road to killing machines. In a flash the pack split into two groups - one group ran directly towards the impala, while the others made a long detour, downwind from the impala, keeping very low and quiet. We lost them in the tall grass and bush and couldn't witness the outcome of the hunt, also because the reserve was closing down. But the thrill was very high. Breathtaking.

They are such beautiful animals. Check the variation in coat patterns and colours. I can't wait to the next encounter with them. Thank you, Wild Dogs.

Mammaling in Hluhluwe was all about quality, not quantity. More or less the first mammal we encountered in the reserve was a male Lion sleeping just by the road. He looked pretty skinny and exhausted, but maybe it was just the heat. Later on was saw another young male not far away.

We saw our first African Elephants there too, coated in the beautiful African red soil.

Hluhluwe holds an important population of White Rhinos. We saw two individuals. So sad to think of how many have lost their lives because of this damned horn.

Each rhino is like a mini ecosystem - check the insects and Red-billed Oxpeckers:

It was so hot - I felt like doing exactly the same:

Another member of the big five was Buffalo - we had a large herd and several others. Some bulls were playing around a bit.

Our first Giraffe. We found them in the few grassy bits of the reserve, e.g. by the airstrip.

How can one shoot and kill such a beautiful, delicate animal is something I fail to comprehend.

Several giraffe were drinking in a waterhole. They are very funny when they drink, but it was too close for a proper photo of that. Because of their vulnerability when they drink, they take a big sip and lift their head up very quickly, splashing lots of water:

Hluhluwe holds some Zebras - lovely animals

Scrub Hare - I can fly!

Not quite a mammal - Nile Monitor:

Next episode - birds!

Hluhluwe - Wild Dogs and more

Another quick update. Fantastic first day in Hluhluwe. We worked the eastern section (from Memorial Gate to Siwasawakosikasi campsite both in the morning and evening. Obvious personal highlight of the day was a fantastic encounter with a pack of seven Wild Dogs. A childhood dream that has come true.

Other mammal highlights were two sleepy Lions, two White Rhinos, and six Elephants.

In the morning I was quite overwhelmed by all the bird calls - it's been 25 years since I last visited this region. However, by the end of the day I think I was doing OK with calls of most species. Nothing rare today - just nice bush birding - here's my eBird checklist.

Purple-crested Turaco - stunning bird

Black-backed Puffback - what an eye!

Most impressive invert was this huge and beautiful Emperor Moth (Aurivillius fuscus) at Hilltop Lodge:

More on Hluhluwe in the near future. Stay tuned.