We were fortunate enough to spend three nights at Pafuri Tented Camp which is positioned on the northern bank of the Luvuvhu river. Within the Pafuri area is the Makuleke Concession, the ancestral home of the Makuleke people and the most diverse and scenically attractive area in the Kruger National Park.

“Pursue something so important that even if you fail, the world is better off with you having tried.”
~ Tim O’Reilly

The Makuleke Concession is not accessible to the ordinary tourist visiting the park. This area belongs to the Makuleke community, who were removed in 1968. After a lengthy legal process, it was finally returned to the community in 1998. Wisely, the Maluleke community retained and developed its conservation and ecotourism objectives. This has turned into one of the most constructive outcomes from the land claim and land reform process in South Africa.

“The earth has music for those who listen” ~William Shakespeare

We had a dawn start from the Pafuri Tented Camp to drive to the location where the Pels Fishing owls had last been seen. It was a misty sunrise with lots of moisture after a heavy rain during the night.

After a half an hour’s drive we arrived at a fishing camp in a thick forested section on the north bank of the river. We found a juvenile Pels Fishing owl high up in the canopy. I never managed to get a decent image as this Pels never moved into a clearing. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see this elusive owl.

A Nyala bull is a spiral-horned antelope endemic to southern Africa. Only males have horns, which vary in length from 60 to 80 cm in length and are yellow-tipped. This species exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. The adult male’s coat is a dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue.

Nyala females and juveniles are rufous brown with ten or more white stripes on their sides.  Nyala are mainly active in the early morning and the late afternoon and feed on foliage, fruits and grasses, and requires daily fresh water.

A juvenile Martial eagle showing its pure white belly and white head and chest. The adult is uniformly brown on the head, back, and chest, with a pale belly covered in dark brown blotches. The legs are white and this raptor has very large talons. The Martial eagle spends around 85% of its day perched and is predominantly an opportunistic perch and ambush hunter. It usually only takes to the wing in the late morning once thermals develop.

This old “dagga boy” was taking his frustrations out on the bushes behind him and a tuft of grass in front of him which is why he had so many leaves on his back and sides. A “dagga boy” is an old male buffalo which has been forced out of the herd by the younger bulls. These bulls tend to follow the herd and are either solitary or band together for protection. There are no lions in this part of Kruger so they have an easier time in that respect.

A Woolly-necked stork foraging in a shallow pan which had filled after the recent good rains. The species is predominantly carnivorous and its diet consists of fish, frogs, toads, small snakes, lizards, large insects and larvae, crabs and molluscs. It forages by slowly walking through water or vegetation, stabbing at prey. This stork is usually seen alone or as a pair foraging near water.

A White -browed scrub-robin. The creamy white superciliary stripe is distinct, but the crown can vary from a warm brown, to olive brown or greyish brown. This is a furtive and shy species which mostly sings from deep inside bushes. Like other scrub robin species, the tail is regularly flicked and fanned. 

Our guide from Pafuri Tented Camp, Wiseman, was excellent and had an incredible knowledge of birds and trees. Amongst so many things, he showed us this massive Baobab which was estimated to be around 1500 years old. The ring barking by elephants is clearly visible on all three sections of the trunk. Elephants change their eating habits during different seasons and in drier times will ring bark large Baobabs or often push over large trees to reach the nutrient rich leaves and roots. Elephants instinctively know that Baobabs store water and in the dry season when water is scarce they will look for Baobab trees to quench their thirst. The elephants rip large pieces from the trunk of the trees or tear off entire branches to get to nutrients and stored water. The bark of the Baobab is soft enough for an elephant to gouge a hole in it and rip the bark off.

A pair of Double-banded sandgrouse stopped foraging on the road when they saw us. This species is dimorphic. The male has a combination of black-and-white bands just above the beak and a strong yellow eye-ring. The female has a pale yellow eye-ring and is mottled with black, brown, and white. Both have cryptic colouring on their backs which provide good camouflage from raptors.

This was a typical scene on the gravel track leading to Crook’s Corner. The vegetation was thick with many Baobabs and Sausage trees on the stoney ridges. Once we got down onto the Limpopo floodplain the vegetation changed and got thicker.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure some of them are dirt.” ~ John Muir

A juvenile Bateleur eagle with its characteristic brown plumage. Its facial skin is a blue-green colour as a juvenile but turns orange before becoming the scarlet colour of an adult. In the third year, this juvenile’s plumage starts to turn into adult colours of black, white, rufous and grey. It can take an immature Bateleur up to eight years to shed all its brown plumage and grow its full adult colouring. The Bateleur eagle is the most recognisable of the snake eagles. It spends most of its time soaring at low altitudes in a slow rocking motion. The rocking motion when flying with its long, bow-shaped wings turn up at the ends, and its noticeably short tail gives it the appearance of a tightrope walker. It is this rocking motion which gives it its French name.

Once we got down onto the floodplain we drove through the edges of the fever tree forests. Fever trees are usually found growing on river banks, swampy areas or in flood plains. The distinctive form and striking colours of the fever tree make it easily identifiable in the wild. The tree can be recognised by its trunk which is straight, smooth, an unusual lime green colour and is covered with a fine yellow dust. The bark of the trunk and branches is flaky and tends to peel off in paper thin layers.

Down in the thick vegetation of the floodplain, we found a family of Retz Helmeted shrikes. The orange eye and red eye wattles, red legs and red beak ( with a yellow tip) against a black body and head feathers are unmistakable diagnostic features. 

This is a gregarious species, much like its White helmeted cousin. It flocks in groups up to 15 birds. Its preferred habitat is mature broadleaf and mopani woodland and riverine and coastal forest, and it avoids arid habitats.

The pans adjacent to the fever tree forest had filled with the recent good rains. The pan attracted Grey and Goliath herons, Spur-winged geese, Spoonbills and Black-winged stilts.

We eventually arrived at Crooks Corner from the north bank of the Luvuvhu river. This was a window onto a huge sandbar looking onto the Limpopo river with Zimbabwe behind it.

Crooks Corner is where the Luvuvhu river meets the Limpopo river. At the mouth of the Luvuvhu there was a pod of hippos and a few Nile crocodiles basking on the southern bank. The public viewing point is on the south bank of the Luvuvhu river.

The muddy mouth of the Luvuvhu river as it feeds into the Limpopo river. When the Limpopo river’s water level is high the water flows back up the Luvuvhu as far as the fever tree forest. This back flow fills up small tributaries leaving large pools of water in the tributaries long after the rain has stopped.

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Looking at the width of the Limpopo river, it is hard to believe that this turns into a river of sand during the winter months. In the 1900’s this confluence provided an escape route for gun runners, poachers, tribal labour recruiters and anyone else avoiding the law by hopping across the river into a neighbouring country. There is a large plaque here commemorating the legendary ivory hunter Stephanus Cecil Rutgert Barnard. The actual location of Crooks Corner is on an island in the Limpopo, close to where the Luvuvhu River flows into the Limpopo. There used to be a beacon on the island that marked the spot, but recent floods washed it away. Across from Crooks Corner is Ypie’s Island, named after Barnard’s favourite mule, which was marooned on the island for several weeks. (https://pendukasafaris.com/remembering-bvekenya-country-life-february-2003/)

On our return journey to the camp, we drove through and stopped in the fever tree forest. The atmosphere in the forest was quiet and serene with the occasional solo from a songbird.. The dappled light in the forest was complemented by a light blue haze deeper in the forest.

Once inside the fever tree forest, there is a wonderful feeling of serenity helped by the playful dappled light.

“The sacred place of silent minds and deep souls is the depths of the forest!” ~ Mehmet Murat İldan

After having had coffee in the fever tree forest we continued our journey back to camp. As we climbed up off the flood plain back onto the stoney ridges we were greeted by many Baobabs, many of which were still fully leafed.

“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” ~ John James Audubon

On our way back to the Pafuri Tented Camp along the Luvuvhu river we found a small group of elephants cooling off and having fun in the river. Being so large they have little to fear from the crocodiles in the river.

The Luvuvhu river gives one a sense of quintessential Africa. The river was flowing strongly and there was plenty of wildlife along its banks. This family group of waterbuck stopped their grazing to watch us as we drove past.

Back at camp, looking down onto the Luvuvhu river from the elevated deck. The river is a magnet for wildlife. The view from the deck is superb and one could easily spend a morning just watching and listening to all the wildlife activity next to the river.

The biodiversity in the Makuleke Contractual Park is remarkable. The photography is challenging because of the thick vegetation but there is great diversity of geology, scenery, birds and botany. You may be rewarded by seeing a variety of unusual birds such as Retz Helmeted shrikes, Pels Fishing owl, Racket-tailed roller, Crested guineafowl, Black and Crowned eagles to name a few. The region is well known for its abundant, year-round birdlife.

The Makuleke region is home to an unusual geological and natural heritage that makes this region interesting to geographers, historians, anthropologists, wildlife and birding enthusiasts. The Makuleke community opted to retain the conservation status of the northern portion of the Kruger National Park (KNP) and after a successful land claim process they concluded a co-management agreement with South African National Parks (SANP). This has been one of the most successful and constructive post-land claim outcomes in the past two decades.

“The more civilized man becomes, the more he needs and craves a great background of forest wildness, to which he may return like a contrite prodigal from the husks of an artificial life”. ~ Ellen Burns Sherman

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

After three days rambling around Punda Maria area, we travelled north to the upper most section of the Kruger Park to Pafuri which incorporates the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” ~ Anais Nin

The upper reaches of the Kruger Park which incorporate the Luvuvhu and Limpopo rivers are all about birds, botany and breathtaking vistas. If you are looking for the big cats this is not the place to go. Although it is an ideal habitat for lions, with plentiful game and huge expanses of pristine bushveld, there are presently no resident lions in the Pafuri area due to snaring & poisoning. In addition, those lions that cross the Limpopo into Zimbabwe are usually never seen again.

It was interesting to see that the baobab trees still had most of their leaves as we travelled north closer to the Limpopo river. I had never seen baobabs adorned with such vibrant greens and yellows.

A female Double-band sandgrouse foraging for seeds in the gravel road. She was incredibly well camouflaged with her back feathers blending in with this stoney section of the gravel road.

“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.”~ Stephen Covey

A view looking downstream of the Luvuvhu river from the bridge across the main road. The Luvuvhu River flows for about 200 km through a diverse range of landscapes before it joins the Limpopo River in the Fever Tree Forest area, near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park. A few kilometres up river, this body of water flows through some dramatic gorges.

A massive Nile crocodile basking in the warmth of the sandbank around the middle of the day. It was relatively cloudy but still warm.

The main road through Pafuri area is the H1-9. Two bridges enable access across the Luvuvhu river. There is always plenty of wildlife activity in the trees next to these bridges. For birders this section of the road is extremely productive.

A lone Crowned lapwing standing on top of a broken down anthill. It had been foraging for insects when we caught its attention.

The Luvuvhu river flowing away to meet the Limpopo river. The plentiful rains during the rainy season painted the vegetation on the river banks with verdant green.

A cathedral of trees. This gravel road runs along the Luvuvhu river close to Crooks corner. Other an a fish eagle calling all you could hear was the wind flowing through the trees.

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

There was plenty of water in pans away from the river but that did not stop this family herd of waterbuck from foraging on the lush vegetation along the river bank.

It had rained a lot in the days prior to our arrival in the Pafuri area. The gravel roads had many puddles of water in them. On the gravel road to Crooks Corner, we watched a Hammerkop successfully hunting for frogs. It moved along the road walking from puddle to puddle and managed to catch four decent sized frogs in about 20 minutes. As it entered a new puddle it would use its feet to scratch around the bottom of the puddle and in doing so stirred up insects and frogs. Having caught a frog it stepped to the edge of puddle and beat the frog to death by hitting against the ground. Once the frog was dead the Hammerkop manoeuvred the frog to swallow it head first in one gulp.

The bush along the Luvuvhu river is beautiful. That said there are plenty of crocodiles in the river and when walking with a guide you have to be careful of buffalo and snakes.

The Luvuvhu River rises as a steep mountain stream in the southeasterly slopes of the Soutpansberg Mountains around 200 kilometres away from the Pafuri area. Once the Luvuvhu river enters the western side of northern Kruger, it is characterised by steep sandstone/shale gorges which are home to Lanner falcons and Black eagles. One of the most impressive sections is Lanner gorge. Just down river of Lanner Gorge, the Mutale river flows into the Luvuvhu just as it flows onto the wide Pafuri flood plain.

“The river has great wisdom and whispers its secret to the hearts of men.” ~ Mark Twain

Along the Luvuvhu is a riparian forest which is home to a wonderful variety of birds and botany. The riparian trees are are home to unique birds such as the Pels fishing owl, Crested guineafowl, Racket-tailed rollers, Tropical Boubous, Retz Helmeted shrikes and White-backed herons to name just a few.

“Rivers are places that renew our spirit, connect us with our past, and link us directly with the flow and rhythm of the natural world.” ~ Ted Turner

Recalling our adventure in the Pafuri area, in my next post I describe our wandering down to Crookes Corner through baobab and fever tree forests to see where the Luvuvhu meets the mighty Limpopo river.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

On our second day in the northern part of Kruger National Park, based in Punda Maria, we travelled south along the H1-7 road towards Shingwedzi camp. On the way there is a wonderful drive along the Mphongolo loop which follows the Mphongolo river. This 20 kilometre loop offers one of the most productive drives in the Kruger Park.

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” ~ Mark Twain

Mphongolo means a very spiritual person who often relies on intuition for decision making.

There are many windows through the trees that give you a view down to the Mphongolo river and each time you look through nature’s window you may see something unexpected and special.

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” ~Ram Dass

It is strange how some scenes have a profound effect on one. It must have been 40 years ago when I cut out a picture from a magazine of a bushbuck in a dry sand river bed similar to this one with a buffalo bull standing in the river bed. The large fig tree created a nostalgic background. I love the enormity of the scene where even a massive buffalo bull is small in the scene. The sand riverbed is big with massive trees rimming the banks. It was quiet and the buffalo bull was listening for the slightest dissonance above the gentle rustle of the leaves.

The Mphongolo river has plenty of water in its deep bends. Wherever the river hit a section of sandstone it meandered around it. At each bend, on the outside edge of the riverbed, the water travelled fastest so dug deepest into the river bed. This left relatively deep pools of water even after the river had stopped flowing. The Mphongolo river is know to be home to many Nile crocodiles.

Looking down onto this section of the river, we saw a small pod of hippos in the water and a pair of Woolly-necked storks foraging in the shallows. An adult Woolly-necked stork has glossy black upperparts and wings, with a tinge of purple and copper, except the lower underparts, which are white. This stork has a distinctive woolly white neck which reaches the back of the head. One of the interesting aspects of looking at this river bend was that at first you did not see anything. With patience and quiet, slowly and carefully mother nature began to reveal herself.

Down near the river’s bend a kudu bull appeared. He was thirsty but alert and would stop every few paces to look and listen and smell. Having assessed the situation correctly he had a peaceful drink at the river before melting back into the bush where his family must have been foraging.

Where the river bends around an obstacle, the outer bend is usually deeper. We found an adult Grey heron hunting in the deeper section of the river bend. I am always amazed how apparently casual most Grey and Goliath herons are when wading in the crocodile infected waters of southern Africa. I have never heard a plausible explanation for this behaviour. Crocs will happily take doves and Egyptian geese from the river bank if they can but they don’t seem to attack herons.

You will seldom find a bird flying towards you. This Grey heron must have been spooked by something and the only way out was to fly along the river towards me.

A relaxed female waterbuck chewing her cud. She belongs to the large family of bovids, which are plant-eating hooved animals with horns and a four-chambered stomach. Bovid’s diet is mainly grass and foliage. These ruminants regurgitate and re-chew their food (chew the cud).

A Pearl-spotted owlet. They are often seen out in the open in the mornings. The pearls on its forehead were quite noticeable. It looked at us sternly for a few minutes before flying off to a quieter spot. This is one of the smallest owls in southern Africa. It is “earless”, meaning is does not have prominent tufts of feathers on either side of its head which can be seen on the much larger Spotted and Cape Eagle-owls. The Pearl-spotted owlet has white spots on its head not bars as seen on the African Barred owlet. The Pearl-spotted owlet also has brown streaks on its chest whereas the African Barred owlet has barring on its chest.

Further along the river we saw a family herd of elephants drinking water from the narrow rivulet flowing meandering along the riverbed. Some family members were foraging on the bushes along the river. Again the size of the scene is dimensioned by the relatively small size of the elephants.

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” ~ Samuel Johnson

Further along, a pair of southern Africa giraffe were ambling along the river bed. Presumably they were looking for a bend with pools of water and enough space for them not to be ambushed while they are drinking.

The epitome of peace. All we could hear were Ring necked turtle doves, starlings and the cackle of the odd Egyptian goose. Some members of the elephant family were drinking while the older members just stood patiently waiting for the others to finish. The water was not deep enough for them to bathe in. If it had been I am sure some of them would have been swimming too.

This loop is known for its lion, leopard and hyaena sightings. We heard from fellow travellers that they had seen lion but we could not find them. Often a special sighting is only available for a few minutes before the animal has moved back into the bush.

I hope these few scenes give you a sense of the variety of wildlife that can been seen along this gravel road. The weather was overcast but it was warm and the bush was verdant. Thankfully, there was plenty of water for the wildlife. Once we had finished the Mphongolo loop we ventured further down to the Shingwedzi camp. This is a must for our next trip to the northern Kruger.

“The curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

If we were to stay at Shingwedzi camp, we could easily access the Mphongolo loop, do the loop to the Bateleur Bushveld camp, travel down to Mopani camp and follow the Dipani road from Mopani camp back to Shingwedzi camp which takes you past the Lebombo mountains and along the Shingwedzi river.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ~ Henry Miller

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

We visited the northern section of Kruger Park in late April. It had been an extended wet summer season and the vegetation was verdant. Our first stop was Punda Maria camp, which we made our base for three days.

“Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations.” ~ William Burchell

There are three main drives around Punda Maria – Mahonie Loop, the Klopperfontein road (S60, S61) past the sacred Gumbandebvu koppies and the tarred road (H13-1) between Punda Maria Gate and Dzundzwini Hill.

Close to the Punda Maria camp, on the S60 heading towards Pafuri, lies the long, flat hill of Gumbandebvu. The hill is named after a chief who’s daughter, Khama, was reputed to have had the gift of rain-making. During years of drought, people from far and wide would bring gifts to Khama and implore her to bring rain. The story tells that she would slaughter a goat, prolonging its death cries so that the ancestors would hear the desperation of the people, and then climb to the top of the hill with bones and potions and implore the spirits to change the weather. Many people from this area today believe the hill is sacred and haunted. (Source: Siyaboga Africa).

“Anticipation is one of the magical aspects of a game drive. You just never know what is around the corner.” ~ Mike Haworth

Our first adventure was along the Mahonie loop. It is only about 30 kms but there is much to see and it can take many hours to complete. At the start of the Mahonie loop is this large Marula tree. The elephants have had a go at digging into its bark. During the dry season, elephants turn their attention to foraging from suitable species of trees, consuming leaves, twigs, roots and bark, and of course fruit and flowers when they are available.

After driving under the large Marula tree and another 100 metres further down the gravel road we found this elephant bull browsing on the leaves of another large Marula tree on the top of a low stony kopjie.

Further along the Mahonie loop, there is a wonderful view down onto the sandveld leading down to the Luvuvhu river in the middle distance. There were scattered clouds around but it was hot, well over 30 degrees centigrade.

A Burchell’s coucal was perched on a bush next to the gravel road. It had fluffed itself out to dry out after its skulking in the heavily dew-laden grass. This species of coucal has a beautiful ruby red eye. The fine barring on the upper tail coverts is a diagnostic feature of the Burchell’s coucal. The Senegal coucal looks similar but lacks the barring on its upper tail coverts.

Further along the Mahonie loop we stopped at the Maritube waterhole. There we found three old “dagga boys”, large old buffalo bulls, wallowing in a mud pool below to the waterhole. They rolled in the mud to cover themselves in it. The mud dries and acts as a form of skin protection from biting flies. One of the old “dagga boys” was enjoying a rub against a tree. Above his back you can see the amount of flies they have to content with.

A Lilac-breasted roller sitting on top of an anthill rubbed smooth by passing buffalo which needed a scratch. It was a perfect perch from which to hunt for insects disturbed by the buffalo wallowing in the mud close by.

A massive baobab tree which had lost almost all of its leaves in early autumn. The baobab tree is an icon of the African continent and probably the most recognisable tree too. This long-lived, majestic tree is the source of many traditional African remedies and lies at the heart of local folklore. Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries. Many lists of the oldest trees confine their classification to single-trunked plants that produce annual growth rings. These kinds of trees are easier to date. Scientists called dendrochronologists focus on assigning calendar years to tree rings and interpreting data within those rings. These long lived angiosperms (flowering plants with fruits) reach up to 30 metres high and up to an enormous 50 metres in circumference.

“Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.” ~ Sir David Attenborough

The Baobab is endemic to Africa and prefers the dry and arid areas. It is a succulent, which absorbs water during the rainy season and stores the water in its vast trunk, and produces a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season. By virtue of its life saving offerings in the dry winter, it has became known as “The Tree of Life”.

A Purple roller perch hunting from the dead branch of a tree. Its elevated position gave it a good view of its surroundings and insects disturbed by animals. Its upper parts are mainly dark olive-green and the rump is a blue-purple. The closed wings look dark rufous and the tail is square. The sides of the head and underparts are a pale purple-brown, with heavy white streaks. This roller prefers well wooded dry areas.

A wild foxglove beautifully backlit in the early morning light. Despite its beauty, the entire wild foxglove is poisonous to animals and humans.

After having travelled along the Mahonie loop, we decided to venture around the Kopperfontein loop which is off the S60 which links with the main road from Shingwedzi camp to Pafuri. This is an interesting seven kilometer loop but the main feature is the Kopperfontein dam which is fed by the Shikuwa river which, in turn, is fed by a large catchment area.

Klopperfontein is a spring which was named after a hunter who camped in this region while on hunting trips before the park was proclaimed.

Northern Kruger is home to numerous large Baobab trees. They seemed to be in different stages of undress. Some still had all their leaves while others were leafless. The Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is southern Africa’s most distinctive tree by virtue of its great girth, fleshy trunk and widely spreading crown. There are many African legends around the origins of the Baobab. One such legend holds that a giant child of the gods once pulled the Baobab out of the ground and then stuck it back upside down, which accounts for its root-like branches.

On average, Baobabs start to flower and bear fruit at the age of about 20 years. Most Baobabs flower once a year and the flowers last for one day. Baobab flowers are beautiful large, white chiropterophilous flowers, which means that they evolved specifically for bat pollination. Baobabs are fertilised by beetles, hawkmoths, bats and bushbabies. Throughout Africa it is thought that bats are their main pollinators.  A science project conducted by Dr Sarah Venter, founder of the Baobab Foundation, together with her colleagues in 2020, found that bats were not pollinating Baobab flowers in South Africa. The research team is currently analysing Baobab nectar and scent in order to help them understand what role these characteristics are playing in determining what and how Baobab flowers are pollinated across Africa. After fertilisation, the ovule forms a seed and the ovary develops into a fruit pod. So each flower may produce a single fruit pod with many seeds if fertilisation is successful. The fruit pods are equipped with very tough shells. The seeds are embedded in a white pulp. The pulp can be diluted in water and drunk. It is rich in Vitamin C.

A dainty Emerald-spotted wood-dove foraging for grass seeds in the sand on the side of the gravel road. This wood-dove has its characteristic emerald green wing-spots, two rows of iridescent green spots on each wing. It also has blackish bands on the lower back and tail. When it takes flight, the underside of its wings are a beautiful rich ochre colour.

Once we arrived at Kopperfontein dam we found this elephant bull standing in the shallows at the edge of the dam. He was squirting water from his trunk onto a wound on his side. It was obviously troubling him. It looked like a piece of branch or a large splinter of some sort.

We had been watching the lone bull for about half an hour while quietly drinking a cup of coffee when he was joined by a group of four large bulls. The biggest was this magnificent bull. He was well on his way to becoming one of Kruger’s big tuskers.

“In a world where everything is changing so fast, there is something reverent about seeing a a big tusker. He is breathtakingly big. To attain his stature requires wisdom, intelligence, and an ability to adapt.” ~ Mike Haworth

A “big tusker” is a male bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 50kgs (110lbs) each. Tusks of that size are usually longer than two metres in length. Long enough to scrape along the ground when the elephant walks.

A SANP survey in 2017 revealed 12 previously unknown tuskers in Kruger National Park. A dozen of the 28 elephants assessed met the criteria to be considered “potential tuskers”. Their tusks typically weighed more than 50 kilograms (110 lbs) each.  According to Sanparks, there are 25 big tuskers in the park at present. When a new tusker is identified, current policy requires that he be named after his home range or characteristics unique to the individual tusker.

We watched the five large elephant bulls drink from the dam for about half an hour. The largest bull appeared to be the leader. When he had finished drinking he walked a few metres from the water’s edge and stopped. He waited for the others to finish drinking then turned to walk back into the bush and the others followed.

After a spellbinding hour or so at Kopperfontein dam all on our own with the elephants we decided to slowly make our way back to camp. The next image is of another magnificent giant in Kruger. This was an especially tall Baobab.

One reason Baobabs are thought to live so long and become so enormous is because they grow new stems, much like other trees grow new branches. Over time, these stems fuse into a ring-shaped trunk structure with a cavity in the middle. Over the course of a day the baobab’s girth can expand and shrink by several centimeters, based on water loss and absorption. When a dry period is followed by a hard rain, the trunks can swell rapidly.

Whenever we drive past a Baobab we are always on the look out for a leopard peering out from the shadows between the branches. We often see elephants standing in the shade of these giants.

“Advice from a tree: Stand tall and proud, Sink your roots into the earth, Be content with your natural beauty, Go out on a limb, Drink plenty of water, Remember your roots, Enjoy the view.” ~ Ilan Shamir

The next post from this trip will explore and discuss the Mphongolo loop which stretches loops off the H1-7 at Babalala and runs along the Mphongolo river to rejoin the H1-7 a few kilometres above the Shingwedzi camp.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike