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Night drive for BnD tonight.....very quiet! But twice had ellies right next to us, restful and continuing to feed, also hyenas twice - second time one amorous male chasing a female! And the usual impalas and scrub hares of course. One spotted eagle owl that flew away very quickly, and then crocs fishing. Not a single hippo anywhere. On my way home, just before the new picnic area turning 3 very playful lions were on the road - where were they just minutes before?????

It's that sudden change of events that keeps us going back to Kruger time and again - one never knows what will be seen at any given time. But to do a few hundred night drives in one's life - aaahhhh, EJ, that is being blessed a million times over!

Where is the new picnic area EJ? We must have missed that.

Not open yet.....it is the old bush braai site close to BnD.

Thanks. Probably not labelled yet which is why we didn't notice.

The picnic area sign post is now ready for the sign!

Just back from a night drive, and need a hot drink and bed.....but posting before I forget what I saw!!! Ellies on the way to BnD, and a side-striped jackal on the way back. On the drive lots of duikers, impalas, scrub hares, genet, leopard (good sighting at a drainage line), serval, bushbaby, zebras, and hippo.

Night drives every night now.....and I have not posted straight away so not sure now what I saw which night!!!! Last night was lots of giraffes I remember, including one asleep on Steilberg at the open area.....

Tonight it was ellies (several times, and all really placid and friendly and close too), buffaloes (same group of dugha boys twice), hyenas, hippos, white-tailed mongoose, duikers, and the usual impalas, scrub hares, and crocodiles.

Wonderful sightings EJ - somehow, seeing animals at night just makes it so special.

You are truely blessed to be doing a job you clearly love in such a beautiful surrounding!

Thank you for taking the time to report on these drives and activities so that those of us who are too far away can live them through you.

Thanks for the updates EJ . Keep them coming please - I feel lost if I dont see a report from you

Today Raymond asked me if I wanted to do bush braai security or a night drive. After several night drives in a row in the cold I felt my face needed a break so opted for the braai. And of course a meal......!

Before the guests arrived I heard breaking branches, but it turned out to be giraffes. Some zebs were also with them, and I saw 2 hyenas. Later the hyenas came back and tried to gate-crash the party! When one came a little too near I shouted and ran towards it.....end of hyena as it quickly turned tail and ran off! On my way home I saw both of them lying on the tar road.

All quiet when I got back to camp, but there is some noise coming from the TSB lapa outside across the river. Must be a function going on.....but they usually end around 10pm.

Noise stopped about 11pm.

Today it was night drive again. Started off badly as I could not find the key for the vehicle!!!! It was not where I put it last night, but the vehicle did not look as if it had been moved, so???????? - checked again just now as I got back, and found them lying openly on a windscreen cover behind the seat.....definitely not there earlier, and not where I would have put them anyway! Mystery..... Fortunately the Malelane 10-seater was not being used so I quickly moved everything to that instead.

Hyenas whooping around camp at the moment....maybe ones I saw earlier.....

Had 8 guests, and they wanted buffalo and lion...... Just out of camp I said to watch for the buffalo as I had seen dugha boys in the area yesterday....and had only finished speaking when we found them next to the road! Next said to watch for rhinos as they were usually there too.....and again immediately saw 2 on the road. Good start....

Eventually had a big 5 night (the lions were not too cooperative but we saw them), and hippos, and wild dogs, and hyenas, plus genet, duiker, impala, bushbaby, scrub hare....

The 5 wild dogs met us on the main H3 road, and we spent a little time with them (one had a wounded leg, but it was only hobbling when running and walked easily on it). Our leopard was waiting in the middle of the road, and we drove with it for approx 200m before it veered off into the bush......magic!

And then a rhino road-block, but wait, hyenas crossing the road, reverse to see hyenas properly and hope rhinos move.....wild dogs behind vehicle too. Suddenly whooping, giggling, yipping, growling.....hyenas chasing wild dogs chasing hyenas.....incredible sound effects.....guests delighted and scared and awed......we just watched amazed......

Wild dogs victorious, and rhinos moved off the road so we continued the trip home.

I found the dogs sleeping on the road as I drove home again after dropping the guest off at BnD.

wow a Dog's night
what a chance to have all these sightings

WOW, EJ - fantastic drive! Do you ever take pics or is it too difficult in the dark?

Interesting that wild-dogs drove hyaenas off - how many of each were there?

Oh wow. Just my kind of night!,Made good reading and I could imagine it all, thanks EJ

I got a photo or two of the leopard, the rest of the time I was making sure the guests got photos and the vehicle was positioned properly. Tried to snap the doggies on the way home too. Will see what the photos are like later on.

There were 5 dogs, and definitely 3 hyenas, although there may have been a 4th, with all the activity it was hard to be sure.