New Arrivals!

Hundreds of additional Impalas, Wildebeest, Nyala, Zebra and Kudus are arriving over the next few weeks at Thanda Private Game Reserve. This large number of additional plains game will enhance the excellent Thanda Game Drive Experience even further. Besides seeing the Big Five on daily drives it is very exciting to see large groups of these herbivores roaming on the reserve.

Thanda will also receive additional Cape Buffalo Bulls. Together with over 30 Buffalo birth in this rainy season, this will bring the number of Buffalo at Thanda to well over 160.

The images show the release of Impala and Wildebeest onto the reserve…

… and this is a link to a short video from one of the Impala arrivals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67OVEjBepFw

2013-04-07

Fourteen Bulls and a Webcam!

This is a collage of the fourteen different Elephant Bulls I observed at the “Masahlela” waterhole at Tembe Elephant Park. Last Friday all of them came to drink at the waterhole between 10:00am and 2:00pm.

If you want to have a look yourself you can tune into their 24hr webcam at the waterhole – just remember that South Africa is 6 hours before New York Time (EST) and 2 hours before London Time (GMT): http://www.tembe.co.za/webcam.htm

Also, check out my Friday’s blog post for more images: https://christiansperka.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/fill-up-get-cool-and-move-on/

2013-04-062013-04-06

Flight or Fight?

Whenever I look into a Buffalo bull’s eyes I see a pendulum swinging in its head:

Flight Fight Flight Flight Flight Fight Flight Fight Flight Fight Flight Fight Flight Fight ….

And if you are on foot it better stop on “Flight”. Buffalo’s are one of the few mammals that will attack without warning. So it is important to respect these formidable creatures and keep the appropriated distance 🙂

I really like this Buffalo picture I took on Thursday at the Tembe Elephant Park.

2013-04-05

Fill up, get cool and move on!

Imagine you are an Elephant Bull living at Tembe Elephant Park.

It is midday and you are due for a service 🙂 You move to the largest of the
waterholes …

… and fill up with fresh water while some human tourist watch you
drinking…

… you meet a few of your pals, some of them friendly and some of them are ready for a fight…

… you finish your drink and do a little light sparring…

… you move on to the “cool down” mud bath. Some big shots are in front of you so you have to wait your turn…

… what a great feeling to cool down in the heat of the day …

… you chase a Wildebeest around a bit – just for fun …

… and have a little dust shower…

… and now it is time you move back into the bush to continue your on-going
meal (about 350kg per day).

🙂

Today I have observed this scenario 14 times at Tembe Elephant Park. All 14 bulls adhered to the same procedure – creatures of habit!

Have a good weekend!

2013-04-03

Great Tuskers

In 2008 I was for the first time at Tembe National Elephant Park (This picture was taken then).

Tembe is know for some of the greatest tuskers in Africa (=Elephants with very long tusks). I will be spending the next two days at this reserve and I hope I get to see some of these “teeth giants” 🙂

2013-03-31

Prickly Pear

This youngster of Thanda’s herd of Elephant was trying to use his trunk to get a fruit of the Prickly Pear, but he did not succeed.

We watched the little one for quite a while as he was trying to imitate his mum and his older sibling.

A beautiful sighting in the morning sun!

2013-03-30

Down the Road!

When we left the Thanda Lodge this evening we spotted this Leopard walking down the road. What a start to a game drive!

PS: I will never again complain about my Leopard sightings in Kwazulu Natal. I was very lucky lately 🙂

2013-03-262013-03-26

Always carry …

… not a gun, but a point and shoot camera.

This young female Leopard was standing in the road when I drove towards the Thanda Royal Private Villa. She was curious and waited for me to get closer. She then turned around and walked in front of me for a while before she disappeared into the bush.

I was glad that I always have a point and shoot camera with me, so I got some pictures. Not the greatest quality, but it is evidence 🙂

What a sighting!

… and here is a short video of the young Leopard : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWBd7Ml9moI

2013-03-23

Welcome home!

The Thanda guests on today’s evening game drive were a bit intimidated and very impressed, but really loved the encounter with one of our two 40-45 year old Elephant bulls.

He gave me a few head shakes as a greeting after my absence on a trails guiding course. What a welcome!

2013-03-23

Heavy Mating and Fishing!

While I was in the Lowveld for my training course I spent a few hours at Lake Panic in the Kruger National Park.

Besides many good bird shots I took a series of pictures of mating Hippos. Because of their size/weight they mate in the water. For most of the mating time one sees only the male but in the quite lengthy process the female occasionally surfaces to get some air.

My favorite lake panic bird picture is of a Malachite Kingfisher returning from fishing. I also got images of a Brown-hooded Kingfisher, a Woodland Kingfisher and a Pied Kingfisher. A good Kingfisher day!

On the way to Lake Panic I passed the Sabi River. This Elephant bull almost disappeared in the high grass along the river bank.

I enjoyed the Sabi Sands, Kruger and Lake Panic!

… and I am back home at Thanda 🙂 …