BootsnAll Travel Blogs

we got a fleeting view of another leopard after Stuart spotted fresh tracks at a koppie: he got out to follow the tracks whilst I drove the Landie with students around the other side to see what we could see…as I drove, the leopard crossed the track and disappeared into the bush….shame was, I was the only person not to see it as I was concentrating on driving!

Whilst driving a twice weekly Game count in the Hi-lux, we found a male lion lying at a road junction!! – theres never been a male lion in Tuli before!! we stopped about 50m from it and waited, eventually after a minute or so, the lion got upo, stretched and then started walking along the road towards us!…he got within 5m of the front of the car, before turning off the road and coming to us from the side. he walked to within 6 or 7m of us, then lay down and stared at us for a while – with big yellow eyes that dont seem to give anything away…strange really. Then he yawned got up and turned his back on us as if the photoshoot was over. we took the hint and drove off to leave him in peace. Sadly we havent seen hide nor mane of him since

I sat with Stuart one Sunday afternoon and fixed the CD player which wasnt giving full volume correctly – reason being, Stuart had made a CD of hyaena and lion calls which we wanted to play at night to attract the animals. Anyhoo, we drove to Lekkerpoet one night and sat at the ‘pans’ (flats) and started playing the CD. Within a few minutes of this we had one hyaena wandering around us – but at a distance – and lots of jackal coming to see what the noise was all about. Unfortunately, at this point the CD burst into flames!!! (which explained the damage seen previously inside the player) and flattened the battery in the process! so after ripping the CD player out, we had to jump out of the car and push start it to drive out of danger!!!…MAD!!!

15 minutes or so later, we had hooked up a laptop thru the home hifi we had taken along and played the calls through that (speakers standing ont he roof of the car!) within 10 minutes, we had 2 hyaena right next to the car and got some great shots of it (at this stage I was out of the car, standing on the running boards to get the shots) LUSH!!

finally this week we were returning from an unsuccessful night drive around Lekkerpoet, when we spotted an Aardwolf crossing the road in front of us! again, this is a first for Tuli..we got a great view to as it raised its mane and snarled at us before disappearing into the bush!

just a quick note: Stuart and Annelien got married onthe 21st of July (same as me sis) I was invited to the ceremony which was held below a Baobab treee in the hills (koppies) on our conservation area
anyhoo…very nice day – service in Afrikaans…which was a little different
so, it gets to about midnight – Ive had a good few drinks (I’m smashed) and Stuart asks me to drive his mum, his great aunt and his new mum in law back to the house (about 6 miles thru thick bush with wandering ellies and leopards etc.)
so off we trot…..within 50metres Ive taken a wrong route (I had a predetermined route as I didnt have a radio in the car to call for help if required) so we continue bumbling along , with the old ladies cahattering away, THEN one of them leans over my shoulder and asks ” so did you drive Landrovers in england Chuggy or is it a new skill” ….so I stopped and turned around to them and replied ” drive a Landie?….Ive never driven ANYTHING before tonight! this is the first car Ive driven in my life”

…was a very quiet drive after that. I didnt get a PEEP out of them!

wow!!! its all happening here! I was bringing some of the students back from their shift during a 24hr water count, at about 1/2 past midnight when we spotted a leopard crossing the track in front of us! I pulled over ... [Continue reading this entry]