The Classic South African Safari 2013: Day 1

An action packed start is never a bad thing! Three leopards on the first afternoon started us off, 2 of them males fighting over a kill, and the third a female minding her business. We also managed 4 lions, including a very old female, who was kind enough to stop and drink from a puddle right next to us. Equally exciting was a herd of elephants, and a lone bull rhino.

Major sightings of the day:

3 leopards, 2 males fighting over a kill
4 lions
Herd of elephants
A bull white rhino
Giraffe
Zebra
Hippos
Many bird species

To join on safari, click here!

The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 6

An absolutely amazing bit of luck saw us face to face to with a (very difficult to find) sloth bear! This fantastic bear was going about its business when it noticed us, and to the extreme joy of the cameras, stood up and had a good look at us. Great shots of the sloth bear were the definite highlight of the day, and a very entertaining hour with a large family of langur monkeys was a close second.

Major sightings of the day:

Sloth bear
Nilgai or blue bull
Spotted deer
Wild boar
Crested serpent eagle
Many species of birds

The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 5

The tigers were playing the game again today, giving us a brief, but wonderful sighting. As usual, the day was also filled with the regulars, but we did manage to get a good look at a nilgai, or blue bull – the largest of the antelope in this area.

Major sightings of the day:

Tigress
Nilgai or blue bull
Samba deer
Spotted deer
Wild boar
Many different bird species

The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 4

Fresh pug marks (tiger tracks) had our senses tuned in, but to no avail – the tigers did not come out for us today. We did have great sightings of samba deer, which until this point have not been very co-operative. We also saw and photographed close to fifty different bird species, including the fantastic plum headed parakeet. Even without the tigers about there is such diversity in India that the cameras are clicking throughout the day!

Major sightings of the day:

Samba deer
Spotted deer
Peafowl
Osprey
Many different species of birds

The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 3

We picked up exactly where we left off on day 2, with an amazing sighting of a female tiger in a new section of the reserve. We spent an hour with her, as she marked her territory and casually walked alongside our vehicle. The highlight of the sighting was when she approached an old tree which had fallen down – she framed herself perfectly beneath the tree allowing us to take some lovely images, and then jumped up and started scent marking the tree with her face! Absolutely brilliant.

Major sightings of the day: