It was getting late so we turned around and took S93, after just a short distance we sawShe walked behind usand then 3 more females followed herWe got back in time for a nice sunsetIt was very windy overnight, and we woke up on the 21st to a cool, overcast, sometimes misty day. We had heard of a hyena den 2.2 km below the bridge, but no one was home this morning. Coming back we turned down S91 and saw thisThat was a quick shot in case she disappeared, but I managed to zoom in and get a few more before she didShe went into the bush near the H1-3 and we found many impala there so we waited an hour or so, but she never reappearedBy the time we got back to Olifants it was raining, we decided to go shopping in Phalaborwa. We saw this chameleon on the way thereand then on the way back a car jam pointed out a pile of wet lions in the bushes, 3 females 2 males and 5 cubs totalWe got back about 5:45 and watched hippoThe 22nd dawned windy and cool but dry. We tried going south, still no hyenas. S89 gave us a pregnant steenbokand on the river, a saddlebill storkComing in for a nap, 3 male lions cautiously crossed the powerline road and then disappearedWe headed back out at 1 pm, going north. The S93/S44/S46/H1-5 were all quiet. After a stop at Letaba we took S62 to the Matambeni hide, which showed us mixed game across the riverhippowhite fronted bee eaterand crocodileFurther along the road we found elephantwaterbuck at Makhadzi riverand a pair of honey badger! (far off)Heading back to Olifants were some large elephantAnd then a car mentioned seeing spots in a ditch. It was close to gate closing, we told them we’d come in late with themAs we repositioned to get a better view, suddenly he was on the other side of the road – darn culverts!A good rolling session, and then time to goKNP Video has 16 short clips, including this leopard, but you’ll get ahead of the story if you watch it now

Yep, 3 different leopards in 3 days! Back at camp at 6:30 on the dot, we ate in the restaurant as it was too windy to braai anyways. I was surprised the menu was the same as at Lower Sabie. This bat was insideOn the 23rd we were packed and ready to go at 4:30. A sunrise at the bridgeand then we watched two ground hornbills kill the chick of some other bird, an owl maybeWhile the hyena den was still quiet, just a short ways down the road in another culvert we found two shy youngstersThe kudu were less shyand we saw a fish eagleBut it general it was steenbok day, we saw many between Olifants and Satara, and not much else. At Satara the power was out, good thing we didn’t need gas. We saw 3 lion dots on the sightings board on the H6, which turned into 4 young males in one placeand two lionesses further down the roadWe gave some cold water to an antipoaching patrol and tried the S100 again, still cat-free for us! A hippo posed at Nsemaniand giraffe further onand then we came across sleepy wild dog near the Nwamatsatsa river. It was hot, so we decided to check on them laterChecking in at Orpen for Tamboti, we got tent #36, we loved this place! An elephant herd came down the riverbedBack out at 3:30 pm, on the old waterhole turnoff we found a posing yellowbill hornbilland back on the H7, female nyalaArriving back at the wild dogs, at least 10 were now visible sleeping in various places. We joined 1 other car and waitedAt 5:17 they got active, and we got to see a greeting ceremonyMore and more dogs kept coming out of the brush, until there were over 30!There were many cars by now, everyone behaved except a jeep jockey from Viva Safaris, BOO to him – he talked too loud, kept restarting his engine and moving when it wasn’t necessary, and tried to push his way to the front. Then a park bus came up and did push its way through the two lines of vehicles, followed by the Viva truck. We left in their wake, as it was getting late and we needed fuel, and to give someone else a chance at being in front, but the bus & truck had scared them off the road. KNP Video has 16 short clips, including these dogs

Note, at Orpen, the park gate is a few hundred meters from the camp, and the petrol station is OUTSIDE the gate! Luckily we had left enough time to get fuel and still make it back to Tamboti.The electric fence outside our tent had a short and made a loud clicking noise, we couldn’t sleep but putting our oven mitt across the lines shut it up. We were up and out at 4:30 again, it was overcast with a little rain. We took the S36 to S126, some nice giraffe, and a rhinoAlong the H7 were some marabou storkThen back for a nap. Time for our last afternoon braaiOut again at 1, the S106 had elephant at the old Rabelais dam, and some warthog pigletsI wanted to give the S100 one more chance! The lighting was nice for some giraffeand baboon with reflectionand many impalaand a black storkand THEN, finally, on the way back, one single lionessA cat is a cat! Back at Tamboti, we saw only the second baby wildebeest of the tripAnd a herd of kudu decided to spend the night in front of our tent

Part 1 – Planning and Kgalgadi: Twee Rivieren
Part 2 – Kgalgadi: Urikaruus and Kalahari Tented Camp
Part 3 – Kgalgadi: Nossob, Grootkolk, Mata Mata
Part 4 – Kgalgadi: Twee Rivieren and Black Footed Cat group
Part 5 – Kruger: Berg En Dal and Skukuza
Part 6 – Kruger: Nwatimwambu Walking Trail and Lower Sabie
Part 7 – Kruger: Satara
Part 8 – Kruger: Sweni Wilderness Trail
Part 9 – Kruger: Olifants
Part 10 – Kruger: Tamboti and Biyamiti
Part 11 – Notten’s Bush Camp