Next destination was Jock Safari Lodge. This lodge is a private concession completely in the boundaries of Kruger Park. Jock in a word is the heritage site of the legendary story of Jock, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s dog, a Bull Terrier. Sir Percy lived in the 19th century, one of many gold hunters, seeking wealth and fortune in the area formerly known as the Transvaal, South Africa. Barberton was the center of the gold buz and over time, it looked like this hype was overly exaggerated. There was not that much gold at all in this region and many fortune seekers soon ran out of cash and were desperately seeking for alternative means of income. During this period, the farmer community migrated at the same pace into the region, but was stopped at the boundaries of the tsetse fly, a vicious insect causing certain death under mainly cow stock. Behind the tsetse curtain lied the area now known as Kruger Park or the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This park was in those days packed with great herds of animals and their fate was sealed in the late 19th century. A great number of gold rushers turned into hunters and within 20 years, Kruger Park had only a handful of elephant left. Lions were eradicated and many of the special species (like Roan and Sable antelope) were gone. This went on until Paul Kruger fought for declaring the Kruger region to national park, then named Sabie Game Reserve, the area tied between the Sabie River and the Crocodile River. A former army officer, James Stevenson-Hamilton was nominated as the first park ranger. In later years, the Shingwedzi Game reserve was proclaimed and finally in 1926 the area between Shingwedzi and Sabi was allocated to national reserve as well and the combined area was from now on called Kruger National Park. From 1927 onwards, the park was opened for the general public.
Jock Safari Lodge keeps this story alive with all its historic dramas and heroes and this is where we spent the next 5 days with some amazing experiences. I will take you through our journeys with some images.
Continue reading Kruger Park September 2009, Jock
Earlier this year in February I visited my brother. He reminded me of his wish to go to the bush, as he has never been there before. Always intrigued by my stories and pictures, he would like to go as well, but felt he needed a little advanced company. So he proposed to go just the two of us to experience the bush and get a fast-track visit, packed with excitement and packed with all there is to know about the bush. So it was decided and in the days following, booked. Anyone familiar with the bush knows it is not just about lions and elephants. Of course, they are the kings of animals and a must see. For me, the bush is a complete shutdown of my regular schedule at work and being absorbed by that. All senses get occupied, even the smells are amazing: you will forget about just anything. Birds, animals, insects, plants, trees, the weather, the tension in the air, the interaction with the bush and knowing why and how to interact with the bush was the target of this trip, in 10 days. Also, unless you go to the 7 star lodges, there is no guarantee to see anything: the bush is not the zoo, it is not the National Geographic Channel. If you expect that, you should stay home and turn on your TV.
Continue reading Kruger Park September 2009, Skukuza
In all our trips we have always wished for seeing Sable and Roan antelope, as they are a rare sighting in SA. Friends came up with a brilliant idea, to visit Sable Ranch in Brits, South Africa. This farm breeds Sable and Roan antelope for wildparks, zoos and private collections. The farm is owned by Fred Keeley who is, next to a successful businessman, also a passionate wildlifer and conservationist. Run by the hosts Storm & Ken, the farm provides next to game drives also a very welcome pool and viewing deck from where the bushveld can be observed.
On one of our first game drives we were taken to one of the 6 breeding holding areas, where the different stock and subspecies of Sable were kept. I believe this morning we went to the Common Sable (Hippotragus niger niger) holding area, where the animals get fed with lucerne, a nutricious and popular feeding grass.
Continue reading Sable Ranch, October 2008
Late 2007 the Rand Barbet Group, a birding club from Johannesburg, invited us to join a birding trip to Pafuri, Kruger Park SA. Together with Elaine & Ian Middleton, Marty & Peter Brooks, Jane Smart & Claudia Holgate, Denise Paton & Gill Taylor we formed a silly and happy birding group.
Continue reading Kruger Park February 2008, Pafuri
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