Our three nights at the Big Cat Reserve was very eventful with the Lions on a Buffalo kill and the two Cheetah brothers, Floppy and Hunters bringing down a young Waterbuck. The two seasoned Leopards, Jabula and Bagheera were still on form for the night photo shoot.
Then it was off to the Kruger National Park and 4 nights at Satara in central Kruger.
We spent a lot of time sitting patiently at the remaining waterholes and Girivana and Nkaya pan were both very productive. We spent the entire day at Nkaya pan and animals came and went like clock work. A Saddle Billed Stork kept us entertained in the quiet times as she continuously hunted in the pan for Platanas (african Clawed Frogs) Special treats were a beautiful Male Lion with one of the biggest manes I have seen in the Kruger, Rhino, Elephant, Impala, Zebra, Warthog, Wildebeest and Kudu, to name just a few.
The Sweni Bird hide was productive too with a Goliath Heron that showed off his hunting skills right in front of the hide.
Our final stop was three nights at Mala Mala. We began with a sighting of a Leopard and her cub in a tree with a kill. Later on that evening a male leopard arrived and stole the kill.
The Eyrefield pride successfully caught a young male Nyala on one of the night drives. Great bird photography, a rare Sable Antelope and the Newington and the Airstrip Male leopards were some other highlights.
On our final night we witnessed the Bicycle Crossing Male Leopard chase another male leopard at full speed through the sand river where they briefly fought, the "Bike" was the clear victor and chased his counterpart, who we believe was a younger male, off into the night !
On our final morning drive we soon found the Eyrefield pride on the airstrip, we followed them on a brief unsuccessful hunt and then they made their way down to the river and crossed at the perfect place for us to get some Lions in the river photos !! what a great ending to a magical safari..
Many thanks to the staff at Forest Camp, Tshukudu and Mala Mala and to Stefan our guide at Forest Camp, Deon and Matt, our rangers at Tshukudu and to Brendan, our ranger at Mala Mala for looking after us and getting us into great positions for some wonderful photo opportunities.
Thanks also to mum - great food again in the Kruger :) and a huge thanks to Becky, all the way from Whidbey Island - Washington State - for joining us on this photo safari, it was a fantastic trip !
Here are some of the photos - enjoy !!
Flat Rock Scorpion - courtesy Becky Bolen
White Backed Vulture
Puff Adder
Boomslang
Jumping Spider on Boomslang
Green Mamba
Black Mamba
Snouted Cobra
Lioness on Buffalo Kill - Big Cat Reserve
Male Lion - Big Cat Reserve
Bagheera the female Leopard - Big Cat Reserve
Floppy the Male Cheetah - Big Cat Reserve
Jabula - Big Cat Reserve
Young lions - Big Cat Reserve
Lion - Big Cat Reserve
Jabula - Big Cat Reserve
Bagheera at the night shoot - Big Cat Reserve
Young Lioness - Big Cat Reserve
Male Lion - Big Cat Reserve
Cheetah brothers with Waterbuck kill - Big Cat Reserve
Ntombi facing up to two Rhinos - Big Cat Reserve
Ntombi - Big Cat Reserve
Portrait of King Cheeta - Big Cat Reserve
Zebra at Girivana - Kruger National Park
Kudu - Kruger National Park
Zebra drinking - Kruger National Park
Zebra - Kruger National Park
White Rhino - Kruger National Park
Cape Buffalo - Kruger National Park
Male Waterbuck - Kruger National Park
Female Saddle Billed Stork - Kruger National Park
Blue Wildebeest - Kruger National Park
Warthogs drinking - Kruger National Park
Wildebeest and Saddle Billed Stork - Kruger National Park
Male Lion at Nkaya Pan - Kruger National Park
Impala Drinking - Kruger National Park
Zebra drinking - Kruger National Park
Zebra Nkaya Pan - Kruger National Park
Cape Buffalo - Kruger National Park
Male Elephant - Kruger National Park
Impala running - Kruger National Park
Giraffe - Kruger National Park
Purple Roller - Kruger National Park
Crocodile and Jacana - Kruger National Park
Goliath Heron with fish - Kruger National Park
Giraffe drinking - Kruger National Park
Juvenile Martial Eagle - Kruger National Park
Bateleur Eagle - Kruger National Park
Young Leopard - Mala Mala
Leopard in tree at sunset- Mala Mala
Leopard sleeping with moon in background (double exposure)- Mala Mala
Young male Lion of the Eyrefield pride- Mala Mala
Brown Snake Eagle- Mala Mala
Sable Antelope- Mala Mala
Barred Owl- Mala Mala
Lilac Breasted Roller- Mala Mala
Roller dive bombing Pearl Spotted Owlet- Mala Mala
Roller and Pearl spotted owlet- Mala Mala
Newington Male Leopard- Mala Mala
Airstrip Male Leopard- Mala Mala
Bushbuck- Mala Mala
Bicycle Crossing Male Leopard- Mala Mala
Bicycle Crossing Male Leopard- Mala Mala
Spotted Eagle Owl - Mala Mala
The Eyrefield Pride thinks about crossing the Sand River - Mala Mala
Warming up in the sun before deciding to cross - Mala Mala
Making their way across the Sand River - Mala Mala
One of the adult Lionesses looks up river - Mala Mala
