Safari Updates

News from Wim:   Another phenomenal day! Whew! So much happened that I am really going to have to try and remember it all ..   We started this morning with one of the clearest skies that you can imagine. There was not a cloud in sight and the air was so still that not a leaf rustled.   Scarcely 2 km into our journey we found a pride of lions with small cubs. We stopped long enough to get some awesome shots of the family interactions and when they moved into a thicket we moved toward the river.   Trying to describe the Masai Mara as it appears at the moment is difficult because many would think I may be exaggerating. I am not! There are wildebeest as far as the eye can see. The Plains are covered with what appear to be acres of wildebeest and their zebra companions....

Hilton Speaks:This morning was the final drive for the safari participants who experienced such amazing sightings during the past few days, and we sure ended on a high note.We returned to the tree where we had seen Tingana with the kill last evening and he was still there but not alone. Hyenas had moved in and were determined to keep him away from the tree and the kill. Every time the leopard started to approach the tree the hyenas would get together and chase him away. He was forced to keep his distance.Suddenly something stirred in the tree causing us to look up. While the hyenas and Tingana were having one of their confrontations another leopard climbed the tree. We looked closely and recognised Salayexe, who was thoroughly enjoying her meal.   We were now left with he question - could this be Salayexe's kill that Tingana had appropriated? Or was...

Hilton shares today's experiences When we set out this morning the morning was overcast, grey, dull! When we came across a herd of elephants we were able to practice some really moody shots in the low light conditions. Beautiful kudu also provided opportunities for us to experiment with different camera settings and hornbills provided amusement with their clumsy antics. This afternoon provided another wonderful surprise for us. We saw a Pangolin! Hardly able to believe our luck we took picture after picture after picture, thrilled that we had yet another unusual, rare sighting! And we had plenty of time to compose our shots really well. The wish in this area is always to photograph a leopard - and another - and if possible yet another. Of course our wish came true again today. There was Tingana, the large dominant male who rules the area. He had dragged his impala kill into...

Andrew reports: We were so lucky this morning - we caught up with Salayexe soon after leaving the Lodge. She had caught a bushbuck and was busy with the kill when we arrived. Although she had placed herself in quite thick bush we were able to approach close enough to capture memorable images of the scene. Thank you Jenine for sharing this wonderful shot! We moved on and encountered a large male leopard - Lemoene. He was wandering around the boundary of our territory and when we disappeared into neighbouring territory we carried on, ready for the next sighting. A large herd of elephants with numerous youngsters who were eating and playing kept us entertained until it was time to stop for our coffee break. As we enjoyed our coffee and snacks out in the bush we were joined by Yellow-billed Hornbills, trying very hard to persuade us to share our...

Notes from Ben Cranke As planned we headed out this morning to see if we could find the leopards again. However, as we were leaving the lodge, we noticed drag marks in the road - right there - on the access road to Reception. Then we noticed that the drag marks were accompanied by leopard prints. We followed these and only about 25 meters away we found a duiker in a mopane tree, with a female leopard clearly visible. She was sprawled across a branch, and our drivers manoeuvred the vehicles to optimise our photography from different angles. The lovely sunrise created a breathtaking backdrop for the magnificent animal. We were lucky enough to spend ages with her, taking numerous photographs, until it was time to move away for our coffee break in the bush. There is something really wonderful about enjoying a cup of steaming coffee and delicious snacks...

Brendon Cremer from Elephant Plains As you can imagine we were in a great rush to get back to the leopards this morning. The morning was one of those crisp, clear times where colours appear brighter and everything looks more alive and dramatic. When we arrived at the spot where the leopard had been, little had changed overnight. The male (his name is Zingana) was feeding on his impala in the tree, while the female (Moya) tried hard to coax him to the ground. The colourful sky again provided a magnificent backdrop of the leopard and we captured hundreds of images of him feeding, then walking along the tree branches, then resting, and then feeding some more. We also managed excellent midair shots as he finally leaped to the ground. As he reached the ground Moya immediately continued her seduction programme. She jumped onto him, then rubbed against him, and...

From Ben at Chitake   Today we really concentrated on the amazing birds in the area. A highlight for us was the Wattled Cranes. This endangered species mate for life, and today we witnessed courtship displays, lots of interaction between the birds, and the amazing performances they were putting on as they bowed, leapt into the air, vocalising all the time, and then tossing their heads around.We managed some awesome photographs.Moving on we came across a fresh leopard kill. An impala lay on the ground, with the shy leopard close by in the bushes, but very reluctant to come out while anyone was in the area.After a delicious lunch served out in the bush, we spent the remainder of the afternoon photographing uncountable local birds and animals. Buck, giraffe, elephant, buffalo against a background of the most beautiful African bush. In the afternoon we again saw Wattled Cranes, and also some...