LIONS and LEOPARDS of KRUGER photo safari trip report - July 2017
Posted by Wild4 Photo Safaris on 29th Jul 2017
The first “Lions & Leopards of Kruger” photo safari began with the clients arrival at Hoedspruit airport. Due to a delay in the flight arrival time, we headed off to Ngala and went straight out on our first afternoon game drive.
There is no better way to begin a 13 day photo safari than with a visit to one of the resident Ngala Lion prides known as the Birmingham pride. A few adult females with small cubs were in the group. The pride is suffering with a bit of Sarcoptic Mange, but they looked well fed having recently finished off a Buffalo kill. Our two night stay at Ngala offered another sighting of the Lions as well as good general game sightings of Zebra, Wildebeest, Common Waterbuck and Impala. The highlight was spending time with a beautiful young male Leopard known as the Black Dam Male, he was with the last remains of his latest kill that had also attracted the attentions of a few Spotted Hyaenas.
We met the Wild4 support team at the Kruger National Park's Orpen Gate, where we transferred into our own Open Safari Vehicle and headed off into the Kruger National Park where we spent the next 6 nights split between Satara camp in central Kruger and Lower Sabie in the South. Central and Southern Kruger offered wonderful early misty mornings, a great sighting of fighting Zebra, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Impala, Bushbuck, Steenbok, Elephants, Southern Ground Hornbills, Male Lions, African Scops Owl, Nile Crocodiles, Bateleur Eagles, Wooly Necked Storks, a Male Leopard in a Leadwood Tree, Vervet Monkeys and a Hippo covered in Terrapins !!
The highlight from Kruger was without a doubt the Leopard kill we all witnessed at the N'waswitshaka waterhole (known locally as “Watergat”) As we arrived at “Watergat” we noticed an older female Leopard hiding in a small gully. She was observing Impala as they came down to drink from the waterhole. After a few “almost” moments where the Impala was just not in the right position, the female leopard launched herself at a young male Impala and brought him down in full view of us and the other extremely lucky people that happened to be at the waterhole for that very brief moment in time.
I have been lucky to observe Leopards on many occasions, but this was the very first time that I witnessed and photographed a kill from start to finish, truly a once in a life time opportunity ! It certainly took me many years to see this, but for one client with us, it was his very first safari to Africa, such is the amazing way of mother nature !
Final stop on the trip was a 4 night stay at Mala Mala Private Game Reserve. The Lion dynamics at Mala Mala and surrounding area at the moment are certainly getting a shake up with new males moving in, others trying to avoid being detected and a new group of females known as the Kambula Lionesses. Things are by no means settled and the dynamics change on a daily basis. We did get to spend time with the two Avoca Males, we saw the three Manyeleti Males, as well as the three younger Marthly Males. We were fortunate to find the two Cheetah brothers in the north eastern part of the reserve and spent some time with them.
On our way back to camp one day, we bumped into a fresh Impala kill in a Fig Tree right next to the road. The Senegal Bush Male Leopard was responsible and we watched him first catch his breath, then climb into the tree and open up the Impala carcass. We also got to spend time with the Picadilli female Leopard who had just had her kill stolen by Hyaenas, the Tree House Male Leopard was photographed on patrol one night. The Island female Leopard was seen one morning. She is now thought to have dropped her new litter of cubs, and we followed her to the Sand River and photographed her crossing over to the eastern bank.
Other animals seen and photographed at Mala Mala included a brief late afternoon sighting of some African Wilddogs (this year with no den site as a result of the Alpha female being killed by Hyaenas), African Buffalo, large Elephant & Impala herds at the river, Nyala Antelope, Three banded Plovers, Hammerkop, Tawny Eagles, Greater Kudu, Common Duiker, Klipspringers, Side Striped Jackals and Nile Monitor Lizards.
Many thanks to all the lodge staff that looked after us at each location and also to our rangers, Shaun at Ngala and Theo at Mala Mala, thank you for your hard work and patience and for getting us into sightings and spending quality photographic time with the animals. Thanks also to the Wild4 back up team who looked after us so well in the Kruger National Park.
Finally, thank you to the participants, Andy and Patrick, it was great travelling with you both and we certainly did share some great experiences and photographic opportunities - oh boy that Leopard kill !!!
Enjoy some of the photos below.
Best wishes
Stu
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We just came back from our photo safari with Wild4 African Photographic Safaris. From our first email exchange with Justyna, to being dropped off at Hoedspruit airport, everything was handled professionally and was so well organized. Our guide for our tailor made safari was Jaco who picked us up at Nelspruit Airport. What we did not expect was we were also greeted by Stu and Justyna, together with their 2 beautiful daughters, Molly & Jenny. Stu and Justyna came just to make a point to meet us and ensured that we were in good hands.
Over the next 10 days, we were enriched so much by Jaco's knowledge and experience towards wildlife. I will always remember, but could never understand, how 4 lions made a kill, a cape buffalo, but were chased away by 4 hyenas. But that was exactly what we were told by our guide even before the story was unfolding in front of our eyes. This can only interpret as excellent knowledge of animal behaviour.
The sightings were superb and the accommodations were great.
We have no hesitation in recommending Wild4. They are genuine, personable and will try their absolute best to make sure that your trip is going to be a memorable one.
Thanks again, Wild4, for an amazing trip.
Frank & Annette, CANADA
If you are serious about nature photography, you can't do better than booking with Wild 4.
Wild 4's itinerary provides sun-up to sundown quality photo-ops, and you feel you are traveling with good friends who are showing you their favorite spots.
This was our fourth African photo safari (three others in East Africa) and we could not believe what a difference it makes, when a professional photographer, who understands light and animal behavior, just happens to be your driver, in a photo vehicle he designed himself. There was super spotting work from Ann from a separate radio equipped vehicle. We were the first on a leopard / impala kill thanks to one of Ann's incredible sightings, resulting in a sensational series of images shot over 45 minutes of the leopard dragging her prey to her den.
After an exciting, productive day in the field, we were treated to friendly conversation, sitting around a campfire, and wonderful feasts magically prepared by Ann.
Wild 4 is a totally professional and very special company.
Thanks Stu, Justyna and Ann for a sensational safari.
Lee & Doris Wiese, USA
So many of these photos are amazing, I don’t know where to start. I love the ones in motion, and the wonderful light on Young male Common Waterbuck, Mala Mala, and the set of the Island female Leopard jumping over a watercourse in the Sand River, Mala Mala, the wilddog heading off into the sunset, the misty morning. Bateleur Eagle on the remains of an Impala, Kruger National Park, and many others. Looking forward to our trip.
Witta Priester - July 30th, 2017 at 1:57am
OMG! Thank you for sharing these beautiful images! I can hardly wait to be there myself!
Carol Susan Sheppard - July 31st, 2017 at 8:50pm
Hi Stu—It was a great pleasure to have travelled with you and Patrick—what a trip and so many new experiences—not least the leopard kill at the water hole. Thanks for including some of my attempts in your trip report.
Andy Miller - August 04th, 2017 at 4:09pm