The incomparable Kgalagadi

We’ve spent the last 5 days in the Kgalagadi, and we leave tomorrow.  How to sum up the experience quickly?

First, the pronunciation:  You would say “Ka-la-hardy” and it’s the old Gemsbok-Kalahari Game Park.

I’m typing this outside on the verandah of our room at the Kielie-Kranke Wilderness Camp.  I’m sitting under a huge sky – the Milky Way is completely visible, the myriad stars also.  Just absolutely amazing.  The only noise – apart from this keyboard – are the animals in the park.  Sunset tonight was the usual spectacular occurrence and we’re waiting for the moonrise.

Just a reminder that the photos I'm putting up here are as I took them - NO changes.  They are reduced in resolution obviously, but defects have not been deleted ....

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I decided when I was in this park that I would stop myself from taking yet more photos of elephants.  I love elephants, but I’ve decided this week that they are on my “banned” photographic list, so you won’t be seeing ANY elephant photos …

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We’ve spent two nights at Mata Mata camp, then two nights at Nossob camp and last night we were at Twee Rivieren.  We quickly established our routine – up, packed and ready to leave each camp when the gates were opened at 7am.  We’d drive for a couple of hours and then stop at a picnic spot to have breakfast.  Then either drive back to camp or on to the next one, arriving by about 1-2pm.  We’d have a couple of hours “rest”.  This went quickly as there was lots to do – chatting to the other campers, swapping sightings and stories, download photos, shower, washing and if we were lucky, we’d get a page or three of our books read.  Then we’d be off for a late afternoon drive, but we had to be back at Camp by 6pm when the gates were locked.  Then dinner, watching the sunset and moonrise and occasionally we’d spend some time chatting with whomever our neighbours were, then early-ish to book and bed.

On our first night at Mata Mata, we stayed in a chalet - we were late-ish arriving, and pitching a tent in the dark is never a good idea.  Well, it is fun recounting the experience later, but at the time it never seems like "fun".

On our second night, we did camp though! 

And this is taken at our campsite at Twee Rivieren - yes, camping and laptop combined!  Now that did seem strange ...

We’ve been really fortunate to have seen lion most days (sometimes up to 4 sightings of different lion prides) and we’ve seen cheetah on a few days too.  One morning, we stopped at one of the waterholes to see what was happening, and we spotted a lion in the distance.  So we waited, and it walked up to the waterhole – didn’t stop for a drink – and then up the hill, past us and out along the road, so we followed.  We spent about 45 minutes with this majestic lion – no other cars at all.  What an experience!  Both nights at Nossob camp there were lions roaring most of the night, and the Jackals joined in too.  It's hard to beat the experience of being in a tent listening to the lions roaring!!!

This is the lion we had to ourselves

The drawback to having such a small car is that on the rare occasions the grasses are high, it's hard to see over the top.  But the benefit of the car (apart from petrol costs and consumption etc etc etc) is that when you do see the animals, you are eyeballing them - or they're eyeballing you!!!

And some other shots of that amazing experience

We then went back to the waterhole because we were sure he was with a mate, and the lioness was sitting on the road just near the waterhole.

That was our second lion sighting that morning, so all up it was a wonderful day!

While I'm on the subject of lions, one other time we spent with them went something like this

Male walks down to the waterhole, bypasses it and keeps walking for a while

the girls then come down to join him

Well, at least the two single girls had the decency to look the other way while the action was happening

And I'm assuming she wasn't impressed with his performance, and may have said something, and he's reacted .....

and she's either agreeing ...  or complaining that it 'should have been her'  ...  or I'll let you add your own translation to this shot!

anyway, eventually they all decide to wander off and sleep for the rest of the day under a nearby bush.  Yes, we know, because later that afternoon we saw them still under the same bush!

This time we didn't have the lions to ourselves.  There were a few other cars parked nearby.  The funniest part of this whole experience was looking at one of the other couples and how they coped with this sighting!

To me, this is priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The cheetahs have been memorable too.  The morning we arrived in the park, we’d managed to see cheetah, lion and a leopard all before lunch!  Sadly, this was the only leopard we saw, but the cheetahs have certainly made up for that.  Having the time to just sit and watch them is superb, rather than having to drive on if you are on a set tour.

  

I’ve also loved the Cape Squirrels.  At Mata Mata and Nossob, the camping areas were full of squirrel “bunkers” and to have the time to sit and watch them provided endless amusement.  Naturally Jen and I were out with our cameras too.

These guys were at Mata Mata

And these were at Nossob.  This one had nicked a piece of sweet potato, and was busy devouring it

and his mate had to make do with a nearby melon

We saw Springbok, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Ostrich, Secretary birds, Kori Bustards all the time as well as a range of birds.

And for something different, let me introduce a Ground Agama Lizard .....  drumroll, drumroll  .....

On Monday morning, I was reminded that Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats weren’t the only ones who “didn’t like Mondays”.  The first group of animals we came across were the Springbok, and there were a few pairs of them having a barney. 

Then the next group we came across were the Wildebeest, and they too were having a barney.

Generally these are more like practice, or a bit of fun.  But beware, if the fights get a bit out of hand then you could end up in trouble.  Just ask this Gemsbok!

We wondered if his fighting days and romantic interludes would be affected much ...

He would certainly be noticed among his peers

Jen and I are not “birders”.  The variety of birds is stunning, and we are happy to watch them fly past, or stop and watch if an eagle is nearby or the Secretary birds are catching something to eat.  But we don’t know all the bird names, and so most of the time we’d just say “there’s an eagle-y thing”.  If I had more time here, I can see how you’d want to spend it bird watching though.

I spent a couple of hours in the hide at the Nossob camp waterhole - it felt like about 10 minutes. There were 3 Jackals trying to catch dinner. The pigeons (?) filled the nearby trees, and every now and then they’d all mass around the waterhole having a drink. Then one of the jackals would rush in to try to grab one, but invariably missed and then seemed to be stunned at the mass flight of all the birds. Then one of the jackals seemed to have another idea – he waited until all the birds were again around the waterhole, and then almost crept up to them, but when he stepped up to the edge of the waterhole he lost his balance and fell in backwards. Quite funny from where we were watching!

 

One day we came across several giraffe, but one of them had just picked up a melon and had tried to start eating it. It was a huge melon, and as we watched it looked almost comical, and then we wondered if we were going to have to learn how to do the Heimlich manoeuvre on a giraffe, because it looked like he was going to choke on it. It took him a while, but he finally managed to get it cracked and then it was just a case of munch and dribble until he’d eaten it.

Phew, after all that effort, he's now one happy and fuller giraffe!

but then he's spotted a good looking few leaves on the nearby acacia tree ...

and if you thought that would make a great Profile photo for his Facebook page, I think this one would have to be "it"

I had seen many times the weaver birds and the nests they make, but I’d never seen the Social Weavers’ nests.  These are like council estates or whole suburbs in a tree - or on top of and wrapped around roadside telegraph poles!  It would be fascinating to know how long it took the birds to make them.  There were many instances of the nests being so big that the branch they were built around couldn’t take the weight any more and the whole thing collapsed.  Apparently it is quite common for snakes to weave in and out of each of the “apartments” finding something to eat, but we never saw that – this time!

The ones I'm used to seeing are these ones

and they look like this

and then there's the Social Weavers nests!

and this one I dubbed "The Grenadier" for obvious reasons ...

Earlier I had a road sign theme going, and this one I just loved!

To Lisa and Liz, and anyone else who is reading this and working in an office, I realise that it's the start of another week in the office for you.  And talking of starts, these are the ones I am having to cope with ...

...  both the sunrises

and the moon rises



so enjoy your week, and I'll head back to my work!  I'll enjoy your comments please ...