newsletter Archives - Page 11 of 13 - Kruger Park Safaris with Viva Safaris

May 2016

13 Jun 2016

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We apologise for the lateness of this month’s newsletter. The drought continues! Grazers are really struggling and there are large areas of Kruger Park that simply have NO grass! I expect serious mortality amongst animals such as hippo, buffalo, white rhino and to a lesser extent...

March 2016

07 Apr 2016

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We had a group of 18 Italian tourists earlier this month who, on their Sunset Drive, witnessed a territorial fight between two Black Rhino bulls. This is an unusual and very impressive sighting. By all accounts it was very exciting with lots of snorting and vocalising. Black...

February 2016

11 Mar 2016

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With the ongoing drought, animals are having to move great distances to find both grazing and water. Certain animals that are normally found in specific habitats are now forced to move away from their usual home ranges. Recently I saw a Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, very...

Great off road experience with lion pride.

December 2015 / January 2016

10 Feb 2016

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This is a double-month edition so I shall keep my introduction short. There is only one thing on everyone’s mind at this time : the persistent drought. It looks like the El Nino effect will limit the rainfall in our region to less than half of what normally falls – we expect that...

November 2015

05 Dec 2015

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The VERVET MONKEY, Chlorocebus Pygerythrus is widespread across the eastern part of South Africa. It has been introduced to a number of states in the USA as well as the West Indies. Vervet Monkeys are highly interactive and great fun to watch because of the complex social...

October 2015

24 Nov 2015

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The Woodland Kingfisher, Halcyon Senegalensis, is an amazingly striking bird. Colourful and noisy (it has a loud trill as its call), it is easily noticed. So far this year, we have not seen nor heard a single Woodland Kingfisher and that, for me, is very bad news. The Woodland...

September 2015

16 Oct 2015

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Despite what my family may otherwise believe, I think that as I have grown older, I have become a little more tolerant. Things that used to drive me mad are now less maddening as I try to put issues into proper perspective. One issue that still drives me up the proverbial wall is...

August 2015

18 Sep 2015

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The drought has continued throughout August and the bush is very dry. Game viewing has been excellent throughout the month and there have been numerous occasions when our guides have had sightings of all Big Five before lunch-time. It has been an amazing month for lion sightings...

Elephant crosses in front of Viva Safaris clients

July 2015

05 Aug 2015

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The introduction of a camera trap at the Tremisana waterhole has been a wonderful revelation ! It is attached to a Marula tree that thankfully has survived some seriously close encounters with elephants and buffalos. Despite the camera covering only a third of the waterhole (and...

Bongani leads a focussed group on a walk along the banks of the mighty Olifants River.

May 2015

10 Jun 2015

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The African Civet, Civettictis Civetta, is a strikingly attractive animal. Generally but not strictly nocturnal, the Civet stands roughly 300mm at the shoulder and has a mass of around 4 kg. Civets are sometimes called “Civet Cats” but this is a misnomer as Civets display...