Safari Updates

Brendon's News: Yesterday afternoon found us following some promising leopard tracks when we were told of a cheetah toward the eastern side of the reserve. He was magnificent! Seated on the top of a large termite mound from where he surveyed the area, he kept our cameras really busy. He stood, turned around, stretched, yawned, and then flopped down on one side ... and then the other. His poses gave us plenty of time to compose some excellent shots.                                            When he decided to move on, we followed at a leisurely pace. He examined a few bushes, glanced back at us from time to time as though encouraging us to accompany him - and then strolled over the border into the Kruger Park.We returned to our interrupted leopard tracking, and followed these until...

Brendon Reports: While searching for leopard tracks yesterday afternoon we were informed that Thandi, a female leopard was in the eastern part of the reserve, so we headed that way.We stopped on the way to photograph giraffe and then elephants, and a grizzly old buffalo bull with gnarled horns and plenty of character. This meant that by the time we reached the area, Thandi had wandered away.A lone young hyena was chewing vigorously on something or other. We photographed him for ages as his antics kept us completely absorbed. He chewed the remnants of whatever it was, then would glare at it, and attack again and again with renewed vigour - as if it would leap up and escape! The sun was starting to set when we heard another hyena calling, and a dialogue started ... the two hyenas called again and again until the caller arrived. The amazing greeting, leaping around,...

Brendon Reports: Everyone was here by lunchtime yesterday ... and none of the guests have experienced the wonder of Elephant Plains before!So, it was with great excitement that we left for our first afternoon drive.And Elephant Plains sure lived up to its well deserved reputation.We were hardly out of the gate to the Lodge when - about two minutes into our safari - we found two lionesses. As we approached we recognised Bebe from the Salala Pride. She was accompanied by a young - probably about two years old - gorgeous young lioness. The two were lying out in the open on the airstrip, soaking up the afternoon sun.   While we started filling our cameras with images of these two we heard alarm calls nearby. Then again, more urgently! Baboons were in a real state, letting all and sundry know that there was real danger close by.We followed the sound and sure...

Ben Reports: We went in search of the lions that had spent a fruitless but persistent day hunting yesterday and found them easily before sunrise.During the night they had finally managed to capture a Lechwe ram, and when we arrived they were still tucking into the final remains - a few meagre morsels were all that was left. After a few photos using the spotlights ...                        ... we positioned ourselves so that the colours of the sunrise appeared behind the lions.                                           When they had eaten enough the lions slumped on nearby mounds to catch the first rays of the rising sun. This gave us an excellent opportunity to practice some HDR photography, and as the sun began to rise, we...

Wim Reports: We went straight to the vantage point that overlooks Paradise Island this morning to see if the buffalo would be returning to this side of the wide water channel. When we reached the vantage point the first morning sun rays were beginning to pierce the sky. We started to take photos of the beautiful scene ... and as it became lighter we saw the buffalo.   And not only the buffalo!A pride of lions was using the shadowy light to stalk the buffalo, and the lions had created a semi-circle around their unaware prey.And chaos reigned for the next two hours! The buffalo were chased left and right, back and forth. They regrouped to chase the lions, but the lions were wily, and as the buffalo charged some of the pride members, others attacked from the other side.   The commotion was compounded by the bellows and snorts, and water and...

Ben's News: A beautiful sunrise greeted us again this morning with the different waking animals dotted around the Plains.                          A pod of around 45 hippos had crowded into a very small pond - it was not large enough to be named anything other than a pond - and we sat an watched them for almost an hour as they jostled one another for space, moved around a little irritably, yawned, shoved each other, and generally kept themselves and their companions on the go all the time.                     We were diverted now and then as different birds flew over, capturing images against the beautiful sky. While watching the birds and the hippos we heard lions calling from an area we have not encountered lions before. We headed in that direction and met up...

From Wim: An extra early start meant that we were in Silver - Eye's territory before sunrise, searching for buffalo and lions.There was a breathtakingly beautiful mist over the plains, with glistening water channels peeping through here and there. Elephants, lechwe, warthogs and other game appeared and then disappeared into the mist with the golden rays of the sun shining behind them and creating a glorious scene which we watched and photographed in awe.                         We found the lions from yesterday right on the boundary of  Silver - Eye's territory. They were hastening to catch up with the buffalo, stopping now and again for some playful interactions.                     We were saddened to see that the mauled lioness was not with her pride - and we assume that she has not made it....

From Wim: Today was one of the most eventful and emotional days that I have experienced in my years in the bush.It all started with a magnificent dawn and a Serval hunting in the glorious light giving us a chance for some really successful photographs.The pride of lions from last night were less than 300 meters away from the serval and were within a short walk from the buffalo.As the sun rose the lions were right in amongst the buffalo. The lions were beside themselves with hunger and the next few hours showed their desperation.First they caused some confusion by chasing the buffalos in all directions. The frenzied buffalo were chased again and again - across open plains, through shallow water, and then we realised that there was a plan developing. The buffalo were being chased gradually but very firmly toward a water channel which would slow down their escape.The lions harried...

Ben Reports: We found the buffalo before sunrise even closer than we had anticipated after seeing them yesterday. Within minutes we spotted a pride of lions across a serenely quiet water channel.Realising that the lions were heading toward the buffalo we positioned ourselves to catch not only the river crossing but also the encounter between the two. Our rewards were phenomenal.The river crossing was one of the most spectacular I have seen. The water was incredibly still and reflected the images of the lions like a highly polished mirror. The lions crossed one by one, and between each crossing the water settled again into that reflective surface, meaning that we captured portraits of each lion with unbelievably clear reflections.And now the action started. The lions were clearly hungry and started to hunt almost immediately. They gathered and with their tails whipping they charged, causing the buffalo to scatter in all directions -...

Andrew 's News:Our first stop in the predawn darkness was for four lions - two lionesses from the Talana pride and two large males from a different pride. We used spotlights and some flash to capture images as they interacted with each other.   One of the males was very interested in one of the females but she consistently rebuffed his flirtations. This confused him somewhat but he persisted - and again and again she made her lack of interest very clear! We remained with them until the sun was well above the horizon, enjoying the amazing, almost gentle interactions between the four. And the beautiful light made photography a cinch.   We left the lions eventually to enjoy our morning coffee break - and to watch the glorious sunrise, with an ethereal mist over a small dam - and lazy hippos popping up to show their heads in the mist...