Sunrise Safari- June 02

Sunrise Safari June 02, 2016

It is a misty morning
We have James on drive with Wiam.

James pauses as he listens to the dawn chorus

He heads off to check the Hyena den because he thinks they have left this den and moved to a new one.

It does appear vacant.

Shadow's tracks were seen last night in the area as well as Karula's

He hears Kudu alarm calling near Tree House Dam so James is heading there.
We come along and see Zebra and a Giraffe which moves off into the bush.

James sees Lion tracks in the road and is following them. He is in the area where the Kudu were alarm calling.  He cant tell where the tracks go so he is looking at Tree House Dam

Brent will be on drive shortly but has a flat tire so he is delayed.

Brent is back now but he got no help from "The Thumb

Brent Gets No Help From The Thumb

 Brent has Bryan on camera this morning.
 Brent is focusing on finding Leopards this morning

Over to James.  No tracks at Tree house Dam.  
He says The Road is the Bush's newspaper and tells us the story

Young Male Impala

 James is still checking the male Lion tracks.

 Wiam is great as an instructor assisting with the Lion tracks

Wiam gives Great Instructions

 No Lion yet.
A buffalo lying down in the bush. James says he didn't see any Lion

Impala

 Autumn Colours

Grey Go Away Bird (Grey Loerie)

Go Away Bird (Grey Loerie)

 Lots of Fork Trailed Drongo's flying high in the sky grabbing insects.

 James agrees with Brent that Karula is still withing the reserve as they have found no tracks of her leaving.
 Giraffes sauntering and eating

 Over to Brent

 Brent gets a black screen so we hop over to James
 Zebra

Brent talking about medicinal plants.
He uses Gymnopsorum leaves as an example.
If you eat this, it dries up all of the saliva in your mouth and has a numbing effect. People who cannot go to the dentist will eat it.
Jeandre and Brent both have a taste

Jeandre

Brent doesn't like the taste

 He sees Female Lion tracks. Thinks it is the Nkahuma Pride.

Gremlin Time (Tech difficulties)

Over to James who was off the vehicle looking for tracks 
He found a Land Snail who was in that area sucking up the last bit of moisture. It will create a skin over its opening and will remain that way over the winter

Hi James! You Look Tiny!

James has the Lion tracks again

Over to Brent

Brent said the Lion tracks go into Buffleshoek so he heading South.

Over to James. He shows us a natural pan which is a depression usually at the end of a seep line which holds water

Natural Pan

At Bufflehoek Dam now and a grey Heron

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

 Over to Brent who has a female Elephant.
It is dust bath time.

 Ellis Having A Dust Bath

Brent notices female Leopard tracks. Looks to be Karula's because she has delicate feet.

Karula's Track

 Over to James

A large male Nyala with a female quite small in size (perhaps 2 years old)
They are consorting with each other in a romantic fashion

 female Lion Track (from earlier)

Female Lion Track

 Male Lion Track is the same size as James Hand

Showing comparison size of a Male Lions Track

 Ellies!

 

Large Pregnant Ellie

Pregnant Ellie

Over to Brent. He still feels Karula is still in this block.

A block is an area without roads inside it.

 A car just drove past Brent and said there was a Leopard lying in the road just up there.

FERRARI SAFARI TIME

 

Brent called it in and is racing there. 

While he does that we go back to James

Green Pigeon (which is actually yellow and Blue) 

 

Green Pigeon

Brent is racing towards Karula and Cubs but he has poor signal there but Rusty which James is driving has better signal so he is going there as well.

She is in a culvert on Gowrie Main. 2 minutes away

Over to Brent

Not the best viewing as she is in a ditch which is on our border.

Karula

 

 

 Brent is scanning and looking for the cubs

 Karula with her Cubs