Kalahari- The Aoub

Sitting in our room here at Urikaruus, it's hard to believe that the last time I was here it was so cold that I cried, and the pipes burst when the water froze in them over night. It's about 30 degrees now. It was minus 14 then. The park is looking very green, lots of grass, and long grasses that I call cats tails. I'm not sure if that's their name, but it suits them either way.

On the dune road across to the Aoub river we saw our first lions of the trip. It was a huge surprise as usually we see nothing on the dune roads, as there are no water holes and not much prey. Its just a path to the real road, the road running through the riverbed where the animals hopefully congregate. There were 3 lionesses at first, but slowly another 2 arrived over the dunes.

The GREEN kalahari

 Each was looking very full, and a few had blood on their faces. Obviously the summer is treating them well! We also saw a cape cobra just outside the gate. We almost drove over it, it was so stick like, and it reared up very impressively as we backed away. They are all too easy to miss if you are not careful, and we had forgotten it was snake season...

The only other sighting to mention was of a small family of meerkat, although they were quite far away.

I love this park! It is so exciting to be able to see it in a different season. So far I have 3 winter trips and 2 dec/jan early summer trips. This is the first time I've visited such a green kalahari. A bit surprising it's a desert at all! The north of the park, where we headed, was the most green, and often there were puddles in the road, a sign of the plentiful rain the Northern Cape received this year.

Urikaruus is a fantastic camp, right on the riverbed overlooking a waterhole. There are only 4 rooms which is great as in the morning you have a long time alone on the roads and any sightings you find can be enjoyed without jostling for position with other cars. Our first full day on the Aoub we found 4 cheetah. All were hunting at various times of the day although none successfully. The grass is so long that at times all I could see was a pair of ears peaking up above the straw- coloured fronds.

I can imagine this can be quite an advantage for predators as the prey animals can only see the same. While watching a pair of cheetah hunting in the grass, the one actually started its bird like chirp call, which is a contact call, even though it's brother was barely 4 meters away.

As the evening arrives, the kalahari begins to smell. Some how the cooling earth always produces a different smell to that of the day time. Its usually a familiar one of dried straw, but this time it was far more pungent. Imagine a lot of long freshly mown grass, which has been sitting out for a few days. Then it rains, and soaks right through, and you put your head inside the pile of grass. I am not sure if it's a pleasant smell- it starts off gently but as dusk deepens and the sun sets the scent becomes almost acidic. Its very surprising, and caught me a bit off guard. The sunset was beautiful, as there were some big thunder clouds lined with pink and purple, and the yellow grass turned a shade of deep gold. The springbok herds all around feed in the soft light, gathering in the open river bed for safety during the night.

Both nights at Urikaruus, we had spotted hyena come down to drink at the waterhole. Other than them it was quiet, unnervingly so, but we did sleep very well. In the mornings we woke 45 minutes before the gate opened so as to enjoy some Milo cereal with cold milk, and to prepare the coffee for the morning drive. It's also an opportunity to watch for any animals coming down for a last drink, and to watch the stars slowly set as the horizon begins to glow. Another new phenomenon for us was the sheer volume of moths. There were thousands, every where, and I'm sure with each meal we ate a handful or so of the little guys. At times we could barely see the gauze between the balcony and the kitchen!

Our second morning at Urikaruus, we packed up the car and headed out, before the sun rose, in a southerly direction. Not long after we could make out the distinctive black tips of a lionesses ears on the ridge. The ears are a real give away from behind- very distinctive and round. From the front however it is unlikely we would have known she was there as her straw colored coat blends in perfectly with her surroundings. She was joined by 2 others as she stalked a herd of springbok. One was silhouetted against the morning sky, and must have spooked the springbok who took off down the valley, leaving the lionesses hungry.

The three of them moved toward the road and began to play with each other, strengthening social bonds. As we came nearer the one female decided that we would make a more interesting playmate and ran straight for us. There is a huge difference between and aggressive charge and a playful one, although undoubtedly both could do us damage! She was heading for my window, eyes intent on the black lens pointing toward her.

Our playful friend!

We began to drive just in time, and her front paw smacked into the window next to me , which looks in on the boot. She looked so disappointed as we slowly drove away, that we almost felt bad. This didn't stop her though and she chased slowly after us, eyes huge and round and glowing the soft gold of early morning. She had such a playful expression, so we weren't concerned, but more stunned! If she had hurt us it would have been unintentional, merely a result of her great strength. A lioness's paws are huge, and these three lions were very toned and sleek, most likely not too old as they had no scars or old battle wounds.

 The three of them then began heading up the riverbed in the direction on Urikaruus, so we returned to camp and sat on our balcony and slowly but surely they made their way down to drink. It was really quite a way to spend the morning! What a treat...

Lioness at the Urikaruus waterhole

That evening we stayed at Kalahari Tented Camp, which is also unfenced. We had the cabin on the far end, and the wall is at most half a meter high, and a little disconcerting in the dark. The jackals put on a show for us, their high wails the typical cry of the kalahari. It was lovely to sit and listen to them calling across the valley to each other. Jackals have a different call to indicate each type of predator, so we figured we would use them to warns of any danger. They are very alert, and actually provide excellent warnings if one knows what to listen for. Fortunately we do... their predator call is a distinctive series of short cries, and it is only made if a predator is in sight, so its pretty reliable.

We had signed up for a night drive, which left at 9pm, and we were the only ones on it. It was brilliant! We saw 3 African wild cats- all good sightings. We also saw cape fox and bat eared fox, two spotted eagle owls and two barn owls- the barn owls surprisingly a first for me! They have beautiful faces, heart shaped and very pale. We also had a good sighting of a porcupine, although he refused to sit still for photos. It's great to get a chance to see the nocturnal animals, and to be out after dark as it gives a very different perspective on the park.

Unfortunately that night a huge bug landed in my eye and it felt as though it was clawing at my eyeball. It was so painful that I wasn't sure if I should go to the doctor the next day, a good 500km drive. When I woke my eye was swollen virtually shut, and very sore and itchy. Point to remember- always bring a medical aid kit! Dan made an eye patch for me, so that no more dust or other could get inside it and infect it. My eye (I think it was the lid and tear duct) spent the next three days creating far too much of an ugly green goo- Im sorry if you have a sensitive stomach! By day three it did clear up significantly though, and as my vision still seemed fine, I decided to leave the doctors visit until I got home.

Our last morning on the Aoub brought a honey badger just as we left camp. They are my favorite smaller animal, and are such little characters, especially the way the march around, muscles bunched and ready for a fight. We also saw another 2 cheetah, and the 3 lionesses from the previous day. There were of course the birds of prey that the Kalahari is known for. They seems to be everywhere, Lanner Falcons, Snake Eagles and a huge number of Marshal Eagle- one of my favourites!

Today's drive was a long one, all the way up to Grootkolk, around 300 km's away. In this park that's a good eight hours of driving in the heat...

A new born calf and cats- Dulini Lodge

Our last two drives at Dulini were great. Other than the lion kill described in the previous post we also saw 2 leopards, a cheetah and a new born buffalo calf!

Xinzele Male on last evening drive

When we left the lodge at 5:45am, the sun had not yet risen above the horizon. When it did rise, it rose a giant red orb, and was so beautiful we had to stop and watch a while.

 We found a herd of buffalo, and decent sized one for this time of year, as they were relaxing near a dam. Something very special was waiting at this herd! A calf had just been born. The poor thing could still not stand properly, and was struggling to find the mothers teat.

 The first drink is very important, as the milk contains some form of bacteria which is neccessary for the calfs survival and the calf was struggling desperately to take it! He kept tottering backwards and forwards, searching for the udder. The mother still had afterbirth hanging out, and the calfs umbilical cord was a bright pink. It was very special to watch such a tiny calf making his first impression on the world.

Newborn with umbilical cord.

The milk froth can be seen around the calfs mouth as it finally find the teat.

In the Sabi Sands western sector, cheetah are few and far between. There is one particular male who passes through every couple of days, but as the bush is not open in nature, he doesn't linger for too long. On the plus side, looking for him is easier than expected, as he generally has a very predictable path. There are a few clearings in the sector, and he tends to move along these, one to the next, and along the fire break that is on the fence line. He has gone so far as to have a favorite termite mound on which he sits. The two Australian guests with us, Rob and Vicki, were very keen to see a Cheetah, so with that in mind we set off to drive the open areas.

We had just arrived at the termite mound where we encountered a huge elephant bull in Musth (a breeding state when they become very aggressive). On the far side of the clearings we could see two Rhino slowly waking up. Then we received the radio call- a female leopard, Tlangisa, was barely a kilometer  away. We obviously abandoned mission to get a glimpse of this beautiful cat. I have very fond memories of my only other sighting of her. She was a few months old and had been left alone in a tree while her mother was out hunting. We spent a delightful hour or so watching her play in the highest branches, and eventually come down to stare at us in curiosity. I was obviously very excited to see her again, and see what she has grown into! Quite a change from the little cub in the tree!

Tlangisa now, around 2 years old, March 2011

Tlangisa in August 2009

Sometimes in the Sands there are morning when everything moves so quickly, as if the whole of nature has come out to play. This was one of them. We had been with Tlangisa for only a few minutes when someone radioed to say they had found the Cheetah not 600 meters from where we had been examining the clearings! As soon as someone was able to move into the leopard sighting, we were off to see the Cheetah.

After such a busy morning there is only one way to celebrate- Coffee, Hot Chocolate and Amarula! We stopped on some rocks and sat chatting and drinking enjoying the early morning sunshine on our backs.

Our Ranger Craig, at drinks break.

Hunting with no moon

It's getting dark as the lioness begins to move, followed by her sister and a large male that has been with them for the past few days. The male is looking quite full, but the females seem hungry. Fortunately for them the moon has not yet risen, and the clouds are helping to blot out the stars which are slowly but surely appearing in the night sky. She knows it won't be too long before the moon shows itself. She has had years of practice, and has honed her art through countless successes and mistakes.

Slowly she heads off down the road, a light silhouette against the light coloured sandy road. To the eyes of the unpracticed humans watching her, she is virtually indistinguishable from the road, merely a faint movement as the dusk turns to dark.

The only sound that can be heard is that of the soft sand being delicately pressed in by her paws, and the occasional bird fluttering to it's roost. The lionesses fan out. In the still of the evening a herd of impala can be heard as they feed in a clearing. A soft snort here, or a rustle of leaves there as they break them off the lower branches of the bushes.

The male lion, known as Makhulu Mapogo hangs back. He is getting old, and has been part of enough hunts to know the successful ones are the ones led by lionesses. He will be happy to jump in once the moves are in motion, but until then he bides his time. Each lioness has taken a separate side of the small clearing, barely visible in the shades of grey. Each paw is placed purposefully and without hesitation on the ground to give away the least hint of their presence. They slink down low, moving from bush to bush, ears pricked to any sound. There is no line of sight between the two, instead they instinctively know where the other is, and when the trap must be sprung.

Almost as one they begin to run, one lioness herding the impala directly toward the other. The impala barely have a moment to realise the attack is imminent and begin to snort as they panic. Us humans can now hear them clearly, their hooves clashing against one another, their feet urgently hitting the earth, in a race for survival. The lionesses feet are pounding the earth, distinctly different from the impala hooves, the sheer bulk of their bodies moving at full force and shaking the earth.

The moon peeps out of the near darkness as a cloud moves aside. Too late for the herd, as a small, scared bleat sounds out. It is a frightened call, a contact call and it is quickly silenced, stifled by the lioness who has picked up this 8 month old lamb who was either too slow or too weak to escape.

We switch the spotlights on and begin to move. They had been kept off so as not to impact the hunt, and to allow us to appreciate the fear of the prey and to 'see' with our ears. The lioness has the impala by the neck and is running full tilt away from the male who is hot on her heals. He has every intention of taking this meal as his own. Both of their chests are bunched up and powerful, his mouth open in anticipation, hers locked onto the taste of blood. He bowls into her and grabs the feet of the impala, willing her to let go.

The lioness who started the chase comes through the bushes, and realises she has no chance of enjoying the spoils of war this night. The male is growling, attempting to assert his dominance, but the female has the taste of blood. All around the night is again still, apart from the fight building up before us.

We are privileged to watch as he begins to push against her, constantly growling, trying to force her off the kill. Each time the second lioness moves, he turns and snarls at her, pinning the impala with his powerful paws.

 For a good twenty minutes this continues, the growls growing more insistent as the two lions pull against each other.  

It seemed inevitable that the sheer bulk of the male would eventually win the prize.

 When he does, the female is left with only a bloody impala head hanging from her jaws. She carries off her prize, as does he, and they begin to feed. I sit in the car, hands shaking from the adrenalin. 

My heart is beating so loudly I am sure the lions can hear, and I want shake myself to check it is real. I'm not sad, per se, for the impala. I am more awed by the power of the lions, and the brutal beauty of what has happened right before our eyes. The lions growls have penetrated by heart, and I'm sure if I listen closely I can still hear them ringing in my ears. I don't want to forget this feeling ever, it is pure and simple life. Beautiful nature.