Something special about being in the right place at the right time

There may be this ideology across the bush that highlights the significance of ‘being in the best place on the proper time’. It is a matter of seconds earlier than issues change drastically and not using a single soul understanding what simply occurred. In essence, one can drive by the world both moments earlier than or moments after one thing thrilling occurs. That is the place the information and expertise of your information and tracker group can play an enormous position in what you see in the long run. By piecing collectively a puzzle to seek out the animal you are searching for, utilizing clues comparable to understanding the animal’s habits, the place they may select to spend time given the climate, time of day, season, presence of different animals, and the myriad different clues that the wilderness affords us. This may apply to looking for a secret tiger even the smallest of birds.

So in immediately’s weblog, I will speak about a contemporary gaming engine the place simply being in the best place on the proper time was all it took for us to have a extremely nice morning gaming drive.

The trek started with the intention of going to the open grassland areas of Londolozi to seek out any indicators of a leopard. On our means out into the open plains, ranger Alfie referred to as out on the radio that he may hear a leopard calling round a watering gap we had been shut by. Whereas nonetheless decided to attempt to discover the extremely uncommon cheetah, we could not resist the urge to take a slight detour previous the watering gap in query after one other radio name got here in from Alfie, “The cheetah is asking once more.” Fortunately all of the visitors had been available. For the problem and who don’t need to see the tiger if there’s a likelihood.

After we received to the watering gap, we noticed three wildebeests scattering from the water’s edge. We drove across the bushes to seek out out why they had been working? Is that this the tiger we’re searching for?

The tiger was not…

It was a crocodile that had simply come out of the water and had slightly wild animal in its lock. We noticed simply because the crocodile pulled wild animals down and into the water. We had been full of combined emotions – unhappy to see wild animals being hunted however understanding that alligators additionally must eat and it’s in all probability the one meal they’ll have for some time. We determined to remain and watch understanding it was a particularly uncommon sight. Fortuitously, visitor Philip Ekoko was fast sufficient along with his digital camera and was in a position to seize this fast clip of the crocodile swimming away with the wildebeest.

Video courtesy of Londolozi Visitor Philippe Ikoko

When all of the motion was over, we determined to let the crocodile feed in peace and proceed our mission to seek out the cheetah. Whereas on the best way, we got here throughout two starlings attacking an African Harrier Hawk. All of us circled to look at this scene on the left, however one of many visitors seen a leopard turtle subsequent to us on the best. He appeared to be in a quite unusual place and his actions had been unusual. The tiger tortoise’s hind legs had been digging a gap and appeared to be pushing one thing out. Did she lay eggs? We got here again later to see what occurred – she was gone, however the fossa was clearly coated in claw scratches on the bottom. Alas, within the warmth of the second, I did not assume to take any photos, quite I used to be in awe of what was happening. She needed to lay her eggs proper there subsequent to us! This was additionally a primary time for all of us!

This was the scene the place she was pushing a couple of eggs. Keep tuned to comply with the weblog for extra of this particular a part of the morning sport drive.

Simply once we thought driving could not get any higher, Ranger Equipment referred to as a herd of buffalo on the radio. We had been shut so we determined to hitch in and on our means there Kate instructed us there have been additionally some lions round! Now the thrill over the automobile has reached a fever pitch, we knew what this might imply. Lions are more likely to attempt to hunt buffaloes.

It turned out that they had been adults from Ntsevu and had been chasing a buffalo that had been separated from the herd. This can be a sensible transfer on behalf of the lion, it might be a lot safer for them to hunt a single buffalo quite than having to place up with an entire herd of harmful horns! When the buffalo bull began again in the direction of the herd, they knew they needed to get him earlier than he would shield the herd. We watched them chasing and leaping on the buffalo’s again, however fortunately for the buffalo, the entire herd heard the commotion and ran to chase the lions away. As soon as once more the visitors rushed to the cameras and received two clips.

Video courtesy of Londolozi Visitor Philippe Ikoko

Video courtesy of Londolozi Visitor David Shuster

With everybody in excessive spirits, we determined to slowly make our means again to the camp to take pleasure in a festive breakfast and bumped right into a herd of elephants that arrived at one other watering gap for a drink.

Video courtesy of Londolozi Visitor David Tinsley.

We had been all speaking about our superb sights and the way we could not consider our luck…

Or was it simply being in the best place on the proper time?