Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
WATER IS LIFE!!!
I am sooooo happy finally the water reached my place and all the frogs and waterbirds are back, so I am waiting now for the crocs and hippos to arrive
Leopards and I…! From all the big cats, my favorite feline is the elusive Leopard and in the over 20 years I live in the southern Africa, I got quite lucky with those cats, even if it took me to go 6 times to the Kruger National Park, to seen my first leopard. I have a few sightings which are standing out and at least for a few I have the photos to proof them
Number 1:
Will be the leopard at the good old Camp Xakanaxa, which was at that time owned by Wolfgang Burre a German oak, now it belongs to Desert and Delta.
This cat, was not even 5 meters from me and looked towards us, this was about 20 years ago..
Number 2
I do not have a photo, but once at the Kruger, we spotted something crawling on the other side over the bridge, I did not see what it was and when I turned my head, I looked straight into the amber eyes of a young female leopard, she was so close to me that I would be able to touch her, if I would but my arm out of the car, which for me lasted forever, was less then 5 minutes, as she blinked and started to walk away. I never forget the feeling that she looked straight into my soul.
Number 3
This stunning female, walked straight underneath us, with all of us hanging over the car sides as we try to get a good photo, but we only seen her, when she was straight under us..
4 different cats in one day Oh yes that can happen as well to me it was Jan 2019 on my first mobile safari with Bushways to the central Kalahari, gosh I love this arid place. It so different to lush and green delta and chobe. It is a harsh place, but you are finding big cats all over, lots of cheetahs and lions and wow even one leopard, but the biggest surprise to see African Wildcat middle in the day.
The day went like spotting the Leopard
then it was the surprise African Wildcat
The Cheetah Brotherhood
and last this stunning big male lion
It is raining Leopards… In the over 20 years I am being in southern Africa, this happened only twice to me that I have seen 4 different Leopards in one day, first with my sister and brother in law 2008 in the Kruger National Park and last year 2009 on a mobile safari with Bushways and the incredible guide KG between Savuti and Kwhai/Moremi Let the photos speak…
first it was this young female Leopard
then this stunning male
another brief moment with a different male
and then we had this guy, who was watching some warthogs, but he never tried to catch one, he is blind on one eye, but otherwise he was in good conditions
Still one of my best sightings, staying at Somalisa, we got the info that there is a cheetah out close to the Hide, so we went for a look, all the cars coming from that directions told us that he is sitting in the open, but too far away from the road to get a good photo, but seen all the other cats, it would be nice to see a cheetah as well. So we looked around and yes we spotted him in the open and still faraway to get some nice photos. However as we were in no rush, we decided to wait a bit. And on the far end we seen some giraffes who also looked at the cheetah and then a baboon troop appeared as well. The baboons also spotted the cheetah and then started to circle in on the cheetah, I guess the Alpha male started to chase the cheetah towards us and it was just the cheetah run and the alpha right on his tail. Then both stopped running to catch their breath and it started all over again, until the cheetah went into the dense bush, the baboon watched him go away and did not bother to charge the cat anymore. I am not speechless often, but this was one moment with a wow factor…! Hwange National Park March 2020
My trip to Nxai Pan, just before the Botswana Lock Down 2020 Of yes, just before the Corona Lock Down for Botswana I needed to get away, my plan was to go camping at the Nxai Pans from the 31.03.2020 to the 02.04.2020 not knowing what will happen to the Lock Down so far and when it will start, so the least would be a daytrip to the pans. I left Maun before 5 am and took it easy, as one do not travel fast when it is not light, one never know if a domestic animal or a pothole will be appearing out of nowhere… At the gate, I heard that for now I am the only guest and that I need to check with the Xomae office if and when the lock down will be, if you know the settings at Nxai Pan it will take about an hour drive up to the pans, but it was still too early for any news about the lock down and I for now only agreed to spend one night and I might have the whole campsite for myself as they doubt that some clients will still arrive. So I could choose any campsite I like, or all of them.. I pitched up my tent, had some brunch and decided to have a power nap.. oh yes I was out like a rock and then I heard some noise, I just looked out and seen a huge elephant coming out and strolled along the campsite.. and sure my camera and my cell phone was in the car.. so the only thing one can do is be quite and enjoy the sighting and sure enough, that elephant gave me a show.. to remember, first there was a mud puddle, where he had a great mud bath with splattering mud all over him and most likely my tent got a few drops of mud as well..then he went to the next puddle and drank some water. What happened next was the funniest, as he used ever tree, to wipe his bump clean, I guess he tried to get some itches off. Damn I will never leave the camera or cell phone in the car, that video would be great and as he was to close I would not dare to get out of the tent.
So I went out for a short drive, found a giraffe with a broken horn, it did not look like a fresh brake, but I have no idea if this is giving the animal trouble or not.
The most fun I had was with jackals, I love them as well, one was try to get some leftovers from a kill, not a fresh one thought, there were only some eatable meet or skin left on a leg, looked like a gnu to me, but I could have been wrong.
One elephant was playing hide and seek with me, it will not be easy to spot him thought.
Sure my zebra friends where all out and about, you should be blind not the see them in the pans.
On the 1st April not at a April fool’s joke , I decided, it would be better to not stay till the 2nd April, it would not be fair for the whole team at Xomae and Nxai Pan to make a plan to get home, because they don’t know when I leave the park.
I will be back until I will find some cats at Nxai Pan even after that J
My live through my camera lens 