Day 26 - The Day of the Jackal

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No breakfast details, just into the trucks and away by 0730 planned. We drive for a short time with our driver, Masha checking for tracks as we go. He seems to spot a few cat tracks but can’t be sure how old they are. Next thing, we stop. He points out a dead Impala in a tree. The only animal to do that is a leopard.

Excitement builds. As we look around, a jackal comes down the track straight towards us. Pics, then the other car behind us (one of ours) spots the leopard. The jackal has brought her out of the bush. Then we spot a cub in a tree further out. Bingo. Action aplenty and only our 2 trucks to watch proceedings, bugger.

Mum comes out and is almost beside the trucks and the cub is moving I the tree. Climbing higher. More movement, there is a second cub. Too much to comprehend right beside us. Eventually the tree cub comes down and joins the others, then they all come to the food tree. We can see legs down one side and a head on the other. One of the cubs climbs to the dining room and starts to feast on the carcass. We are in the box seats. Some more trucks arrive but we aren’t moving for anyone.

Cameras clicking and just watching the feeding show is amazing. After about half an hour we decide to give others a look at “our” leopards. Time to move on. Everyone is buzzing at what we have just witnessed. Drive on and there are lots of buffalo and zebra. Essentially watching a mini migration in front of us. Dust everywhere as the hundreds of buffalo move towards water. Stunning sights that the camera won’t display properly.

Drive around and see more elephants, zebra and lots of Impala. Eventually end up at a picnic sight with toilets where we have a pit stop. Leave there and elephants in front of us. A mother and baby who is feeding as we park beside them. They cross the road and next thing they are right beside us eating and walking as if we aren’t there. By right beside us, we can almost reach out and touch them. Holy moley, they are larger than life. Hopefully the SD card holds out on me.......

After a while we drive on. More trucks stopped just down the road. Another leopard and cub. They are a distance away so we only stay for a while, ho hum, seen that..... On we go. Soon more trucks. This time there are cheetah. 3 brothers wandering in the grass. Once we pick them we follow. Trucks jostling for position then they stop. We sit for a while then they are on the move again. Walking, then they bolt across some open land. Boy can they run. Eventually they get to a shady area and decide to do nothing. Time to move again.

Some serious 4 wheel driving now. Big rutted tracks, trucks on very serious leans to the left and right and front wheel up in the air stuff. Added problem is we now have the tsetse fly to contend with. Little buggers can bite and cause itchy areas. Slapping them away and contending with ruts and holes is no fun.

Out of there and back to the swamp area where we see some ostrich, hippo and elephants swimming in the water. So many animals today all doing different things. Even see a hippo with its mouth open - and get a shot of it as well.

Back to the picnic area for a coffee and pit stop again. Done and dusted then back to the lodge for lunch. All beaming and chatting about so everyone heads to their tents for a siesta.

Back at 1630 to walk to the pool for a chat about the Maasai and other things African. The we are served a bush dinner by the pool. End up with more Maasai dancing from our Maasai staff. Very entertaining but bloody hard to see in the dark. Now to bed before we move on to our next lodge and more Safari Stuff.

Still waiting for the lion sighting where there are more than 2 lions.......

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