January 23
Afternoon drive
After discussing the enormous size of a hammerkop’s nest,
and the aquatic life in its diet, we moved off and found those three dagga boys
in exactly the same wallow, in exactly the same position! Ruminating, as they
swatted the flies with their tails. After a mere fourty meters we encountered an
elephant bull with only a single tusk. Believed to have broken off at the base,
as the slight bulge in the upper lip, indicated the reminiscence of a tusk, in
the early years. Shortly after we
stopped at the hyena den, the cubs were doing well as they scrummed over an old
dry bone. After a very beautiful blood-red sunset, we headed back to camp.
Bumped into a few interesting animals on the way… a shield-nose snake made for
a good show, with its aggressive nature rapidly striking while hissing
profusely to warn off danger, this snake is dangerous with a mild neurotoxic
venom which may cause severe pain. Nonetheless a beautiful snake! Shortly after
we came across glistening eyes in the distance, as we came closer we realised
we have a cat in our presence. A young male leopard! (Bhauti) very close to the
lodge, stalking a large male impala, but with little intent he trotted towards
him scaring the impala away! Were after he just walked around in the night
light!
January 24
Morning drive
Heavily clouded morning prepared us for a nice cool drive
and made it easy to spend time at sightings without the blistering sun blazing
down on us. We spent most of the morning watching a herd of elephants happily
feeding on fallen marula fruits on the road. As we observed these beautiful
animals, a very small elephant calf came running across trying to keep up with
its mother. As she stopped to feed on the fruits its saw the perfect opportunity
to have a quick nap! It fell down on the cool sandy road like a bag of
potatoes, shovelling a trunk full of cooling sand over its side every now and
then. Mother decided to move off and the calf soon realised he is on his own,
stumbling on to his feet he ran after the heard as they gracefully headed off
into the bush feeding as they go.
Greetings from the Nkorho team.
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