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Guest Blogging: Mike and Fiona Clark Leave the Kruger’s Klaserie

This is Mike and Fiona’s final blog from their time at the Klaserie camps in the Kruger. They got to say goodbye to the Ross Pride of lions and had an eventful last few days at camp. Here is the last blog entry from Mike and Fiona:

The last few days were great. Although the weather was a little changeable, we were still lucky enough to see plenty of animals, elephants, giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala and spotted hyena to name a few. We had a fabulous sighting of a white rhino which was quite relaxed – the dominant male of the area. He walked around slowly allowing us to get good photos from every angle, including some close ups with red billed oxpeckers. However our main aim was to find some cats, lions or leopards. There were plenty of tracks from some of the Ross pride; so Isaac tried very hard, tracking through the bush on several game drives to find them, but they were hiding. We caught a glimpse of 2 of the young male lions in the distance at one point.

However on our last drive we had a stroke of luck. The 2 sub adult males were lying in the middle of the road, having just woken up in the early morning. It was great to have finally find them looking so well, and playing in front of us. However the rest of the pride were still elusive. Not far away we also found a large herd of buffalo with their calves – one was only a few minutes old, wobbling close to mum. We left the herd moving towards where the lions were relaxing by the road -you never know, the rest of the pride may appear later for a buffalo dinner.

So sadly we say goodbye to nThambo and Africa on Foot. A big think you to everyone and see you all again in May.

Cape Buffalo spotted in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Zebra and impala posing for the camera – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The Ross Pride give us another warm welcome – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Hyena pops in to say hello – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The elephants come to say goodbye to Mike and Fiona Clark

Guest Blogging: Mike and Fiona see the Ross Pride males

Mike and Fiona Clark spent their fourth day at camp observing the Good and the Bad; the famous boys from the Ross Pride. Here is their update from their fourth day in the Klaserie.

All was quiet around the lodge so the guys decided to drive to the North of Klaserie to see what was happening there. It was a long but beautiful drive and we saw elephants, giraffe, zebra, a lonely old Dugga boy and plenty of birdlife on our way there. We stopped for sundowners overlooking the Klaserie river – what a beautiful spot. Back on game drive we saw 2 white rhino running through the bush. On the other side of the road we saw a large inquisitive spotted hyena sniffing the air. Just down the road we realised why – there were the 2 Ross pride males, lying in the middle of the road with full bellies, and a kill not far off in the bushes. They certainly had walked a long way in a day – all the way from Ross to Charloscar – over 20km!

This morning we stayed local again, seeing a large breeding herd of elephants in the early morning sun, closely followed by a family of blue Wildebeest with a small calf. We were also lucky to find the pack of wild dogs again hiding in the long grass and cooling off in a pool of water. They too had full bellies so were in no rush to go anywhere.

I’m sure they will still be there for this afternoon’s Game drive.

Nothing better than spotting wild dogs while on safari – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Pack of wild dogs in the Klaserie – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Pack of wild dogs appear yet again – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Wild Dog on a Game Drive – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The Good and the Bad lying in the road – Ross Pride – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The Good from the Ross Pride – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Hyena spotted in the Klaserie – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Elephant herd is spotted by Mike and Fiona while in the Klaserie – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Guest Blogging: The rare white buffalo calf and wild dogs

Mike and Fiona Clark are keeping us busy with their wildlife sightings in the Klaserie. They’re providing us with updates on a regular basis and, despite it being the wet season, game viewing is at an all time high !

Once again we set out on an amazing safari with Isaac and Chad. How lucky to catch up with the pack of 9 wild dogs lazing under a tree away from the heat of the afternoon sun. One tried half heartedly to catch lunch, but it was far to hot for a real effort. We were lucky enough to stay with this pack of dogs for almost the entire game drive. There are not many places in Africa where you can stay with the animals so long, which is one of the special things about nThambo and Africa on Foot.

After it cooled down the dogs decided it was time to hunt, so we followed them through the bush, whilst they tried to find impala. We followed the wild dogs into the thick bush and monitored them for an hour – we left and they were still hunting. We were not far away from “Jason’s dam”, so Chad decided to go there for sundowners in the hope the dogs would come to us. And sure enough, whilst we were drinking beer and wine, out of the bushes on the opposite side of the dam an impala ran across closely followed by a dog. Then from right behind the Land Rover another curious dog appeared, looked at us briefly and then ran off. Unfortunately they didn’t succeed in catching their dinner, and finally ran off into another property.

Wild dogs walk past the game vehicle

A lone wild dog observing the pack

After sundowners we were lucky enough to see a female leopard wandering through the bush, and got a couple of nice photos, before she too vanished. Then a couple of metres down the road, the 2 male lions were walking down the road for an evening stroll. It was nice to see them both in their full glory, rather than just sleeping by the side of the road. WOW what a fabulous evening ! For anyone who knows us – wild dogs and leopards are our favourite animals.

Wild dogs casually walking down the road

Morning game drive, by comparison, was a little more sedate. Whilst looking at the beautiful view of the sunlit Drakensburg mountains we caught a quick glimpse of a young female leopard in a tree, before she jumped down. Unfortunately she was quite skittish so quickly moved off into thick bush. We spent most of the game drive following tracks for the 2 male lions, who unfortunately didn’t want to be found and seem to have now left our area!

But to top off our drive, we had a sighting of a herd of buffalo deep in mopani trees – including a very rare white buffalo calf (unfortunately no photos).

Wild dog casually strolls past the game vehicle

Guest Blogging: Mike and Fiona Spot a Lion Pride

Mike and Fiona Clark continue to send us feedback of their epic safari at nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Seems they enjoyed an array of sightings which included wild dog, lions and even rhino ! Here is their account of day 2 at the Klaserie camps.

Wow what a day. We left for our afternoon game drive after a home cooked quiche for lunch. About 10 minutes into the drive we suddenly saw a single wild dog at the side of the Land Rover, heading off into the bush. Despite the ground still being wet and muddy we decided to follow the wild dog. Unfortunately, we had to give up before we got completely stuck and headed back towards the road. We could just see the dog in the distance. We decided to follow the road where we predicted it would cross and we were right. Suddenly it appeared in the middle if the road next to the grass and to our surprise the rest of the pack stood up and started yelping (about 9 in total). We stayed with them all for about 30 minutes whilst they played in the water and rested in the sun.

Another fantastic and rare sighting of the African wild dog ! Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Wild dogs exploring the waterhole. Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Next we drove off full of expectation for the remainder of the drive and we weren’t disappointed. First we came across 2 rhino, a herd of impala and a lone blue wildebeest at the dam. Then we found the lions again – 1 male and 3 females. They had moved a few hundred metres down the road from where we saw them on morning drive. After observing them sleeping and doing nothing, we left them. They did not move an inch ! We set off for sundowners close to the small dam, stopping on the way for a herd of elephants.

On the way back to camp we heard lions roaring which were the 2 males calling to each other. There we found the second lion at the side of the road, looking a little worse for wear and sporting a few more battle scars on his face.

Back at camp the nThambo team had once again produced a lovely meal, which was enjoyed with small amounts of wine and beer. We then went to bed, with thunder and lightening on the horizon, our fingers crossed that the storm would not hit us overnight.

The Ross Pride of Lions – majestic. Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The Good from the Ross Pride – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

4.30am wake-up call arrived, and no rain, so off we set, our sights set on finding buffalo and a leopard, to complete the ‘Big 5’. We came across the 2 male lions, who had been calling all night. They had finally caught up with each other, both moving a little way down the road to meet up. They were both very lazy, one hiding in the grass sleeping. We left them in peace, and carried on our quest, coming across zebra, giraffe and elephants on our way. Finally after a little rain, we finally found a large heard of buffalo, lying in the deep bush. We waited whilst they woke up and crossed the road in front of us. Carrying on we were all looking for leopard. However we couldn’t keep our eyes in the bush, we were on spider lookout – large golden webs crossing the roads! Scary, but also very funny to see all our faces and yoga movements to make sure we avoided them. So no leopard today, but still hoping for later.

Cape Buffalo emerging from the bush – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Spotting elephant herds while on a game drive

Guest Blogging: Mike and Fiona Clark Arrive at Camp

Mike and Fiona Clark are regular guests at both nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot camp. They are avid wildlife enthusiasts and love nothing more than to send us blog updates about their daily life at while at camp. While they’re out tracking the Big Five I am sitting in an office behind a computer – I would far rather be walking with wildlife in the Kruger !

Here is their first hand account of day 1 at the camps:

“Hello again everyone. Yes we are back here at nThambo and Africa on Foot. The weather when we arrived was sunny and hot, but there was a lot of rain. Our first game drive would have been better in a boat to start with – there was a lot of water on the roads! However, we did get to see some nice relaxed white rhino at one of the dams. They let us get close to them and watch them graze – and luckily we didn’t get the Land Rover stuck! We stopped for sundowners and got some nice photos of a giraffe at sunset.

This morning we were woken up to the roar of lions, and the hunt to find them was on. After much driving (following more roaring) we finally found them doing what lions do best – sleeping in the road. There were 5 lions from the Ross pride – 3 females and the 2 males. We could hear roaring in the distance from the remainder of the pride, but unfortunately they chose to stay where they were and not join the rest of the pride. One of the male lions finally got up and drank from a puddle right in front of the vehicle (we were right by a dam full of clean water, so why he chose a dirty puddle is anyone’s guess!). After he drank the puddle dry he returned to rest. We left them all there, sleeping behind some bushes, hoping that they would still be there later for our evening game drive.

Back at camp we sat down for a hearty breakfast at nThambo. The breakfast area overlooks the bushveld. While we were eating we saw movement in the distance – 2 saddle billed storks walked right in front of the lodge. How nice to see these rare birds thriving in the Klaserie. The weather at the moment is a little cloudy and humid so fingers crossed the rain will stay away and the roads can dry a little. We’ll keep you posted”

Ross Pride of lions relaxing close to camp. Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Ross Pride female relaxing in the Klaserie

Ross Pride female watching the game vehicle. Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Ah. One of the Ross Pride boys ! Our favourite lions. Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

White rhino spotted grazing in the in the Klaserie – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Sundowners with guests and rangers. Our normal spot at the dam ! Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

The incredible giraffe spotted while on safari – Image taken by Mike and Fiona Clark

Botswana Pre & Post Indaba Educational 2014

Sun Destinations are hosting a pre & post Indaba educational capturing the highlights of Botswana. Agents will have the opportunity to visit a variety of lodges in the Delta, Kalahari and Chobe regions. Each lodge offers something different and unique.

Click here to download the Sun Destinations Pre Post Indaba Educational PDF

A quick snapshot of the educational to Botswana:

We Have Named the New White Lion Cub Xihangu

We have finally named the new white lion cub born into the Ross Pride of lions. White lions are a rare species and need to be revered. Therefore the cub’s name needed to bear significant meaning. It was Enoch who spotted the cub while out on a game drive with Darryn and Africa on Foot. The honour of naming the cub was bestowed upon Enoch, our much loved tracker from Africa on Foot.

Enoch is one of our Shangaan trackers who has the ability to spot a needle in a haystack! Equipped with an incredible sense of humour and gentle nature; he is loved by guests and rangers alike.

After much banter between Darryn and Enoch, Dave (our videographer) suggested we call the new cub “Snowball”. Enoch said that in his life he had never seen snow in the African bush and that “Hailstone” is more appropriate. In Shangaan (the local dialect of the region) the word for hailstone is “Xihangu”, pronounced “She-an-gu”.

There’s a certain synchronicity with nature and the name. White lions are rare and so are hailstorms in the Kruger.

The latest pics of our white lion cub, Xihangu – Image by Sarah Davis

Xihangu wanting to see what the big, wide world has in store – Image by Sarah Davis

Xihangu our new white lion cub – Image by Sarah Davis

White lion cub, Xihangu, taking a nap – Image by Sarah Davis

“I wonder what is out there in the Klaserie?” – Image by Sarah Davis

Lions Walking Through nThambo Tree Camp in the Kruger

Recently, we have had phenomenal sightings of the Ross Pride of lions. Yesterday something remarkable happened at the nThambo Tree Camp. The entire Ross Pride strutted through the nThambo Tree Camp obvlious to the fact that guests and rangers were about. We hope you enjoy the pics !

The Ross Pride – Probably on Their Way to Camp

Meet the Ross Pride and Cubs Relaxing Close to Camp

An Incredible Moment. The Ross Pride Make Their Way Through Camp.

Dave’s Wildlife Safari Videos of nThambo Tree Camp

If you are thinking about going on safari in January in Kruger and you are not sure what to expect in terms of game viewing, then watch Dave Jackson’s wildlife safari videos. Below is collection of videos he prepared while staying at the nThambo Tree Camp in the Kruger. nThambo is in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve which borders on the Timbavati Reserve and Kruger National Park.

The below videos were taken in January in the Kruger.

The Ross Pride of Lions: The Good and the Bad Return

Over the past couple of years the Ross Pride has grown from strength to strength. At the moment one of the females has just given birth to a white lion cub which we hope will grow to maturity. The Good and the Bad are the two dominant males within the pride and one of them is rumoured to carry the white lion gene. They have quite a large area to traverse and have not been seen in the vicinity recently. The below video highlights a moment when Dave managed to see our two favourite boys back in their area.

Wildlife Moments Caught on Camera

The Klaserie is not only fantastic for Big 5 sightings but great for birdwatching, snake spotting and tracking small mammals. There are creatures that you might not even know exist – have you ever seen a Dwarf Mongoose? They are delightful and inquistive creatures. Watch this video and uncover a few of Africa’s hidden secrets.

Summary of My 3 Days at nThambo

I love it when Dave Jackson compiles these types of videos. He always manages to capture and collate some great wildlife footage. Here are his 3 day highlights from time spent at nThambo Tree Camp.

Behind the Scenes on a Game Drive

Our primary focus is to entice visitors to the Klaserie for an incredible safari experience and to enjoy game viewing in the wild. Part of the experience is to hang out with the trackers and rangers. Most of the time we update you with wildlife sightings but it’s nice to see a few “behind the scenes” photos.

Here are a few pics of what happens behind the scenes on a game drive. Christina, the camp manager, took these photos of Faffa and Enoch during a sundowner stop.

Faffa the Game Ranger Trying to Find Frogs – Photo by Christina (Mufasa)

Faffa and Enoch leading the way – Photo by Christina (Mufasa)

Sundowner drinks with guests – photo by Christina (Mufasa)