South Africa Adventure 2025

Wednesday April 9, 2025      It is hard to believe that our last safari outing is this morning - our 8th excursion and each one has truly been memorable.  Shortly after day-break, our guides received notice that a Leopard was sighted near one of the preserve entry gates.  Jamiel and Louis took us to the "sighted" area and immediately searched for fresh tracks - they quickly found the tracks and actually spotted the female leopard and her cub (5 month old +/-).  What an incredible tracking and viewing experience - they anticipated where the Leopard's were moving and we waited for them to appear - what a sighting.  These majestic animals are simply so beautiful it is difficult to describe them properly - I will let the images posted with this blog illustrate their beauty.  At one point, the mother leopard was so close to our safari vehicle that we could have touched her head - certainly not a "smart" option - view, but do not touch!   Foll...

 Tuesday April 8, 2025       This afternoon is hot and sunny - 91 degrees in the shade.  The search this day is for the final "Big 5" animal - the Cape buffalo.  These massive animals generally travel in herds and move throughout the preserve seeking fresh grass, mud and water.  As we started the afternoon safari, Jamiel and Louis noted lion tracks on the roadway leading into the dry river bed.  They both exited the vehicle and inspected the tracks to determine if they were still in the area.  While on safari, people are safe in the Land Cruiser vehicles, but if one sets out on-foot, a rifle is always needed, just as protection.  Of course, our guides found the Southern Pride Lions, but it required and off-road excursion through the thick bush to find them sleeping in the river bed where an old "dam" wall exists.  We sat for 30 minutes or so simply admiring these beautiful "lions" interacting with each other and simply just res...

 Tuesday April 8, 2025 A warm morning with low-level fog over the valley - we experienced a magnificent sunrise this morning that just highlighted how special Sabi Sabi is!  Since we have viewed the majority of the African animals in the preserve, this morning was focused on searching for leopards - the stealthy and virtually invisible creatures of Africa.  Early in our search, we came upon a troop of baboons - our first sighting of these safari pests - evidently, this troop raids the morning breakfast at Sabi Bush Camp each morning - the good news, they are not prevalent at Earth Lodge,  The real treat this morning was finding a Troop of female giraffes in virtually open cover that allowed us to really note the size and power of these animals.   The real adventure this morning was an off-road experience through the bush in search of a female leopard - the power and versatility of the Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Jamiel was exceptional as we ventured deep into ...

  Monday April 7th, 2025  The second safari excursion started at 4:00 PM with temperatures around 90 degrees and sunny.  As we exited the lodge, "Have a Popping Day' with fresh popcorn hanging from a tree as the afternoon snack.  When it is this warm, the wild animals either seek shade or a water source to cool down.  So, the first encounter was a feathered species know as the yellow-billed Hornbill - known for their yellow beaks and distinctive "calls".  Speaking of shade, water & mud, while searching for Cape Buffalo, we came across three white rhino's lounging.  However, two of the rhino's decided to test their strength by head-butting and pushing each other in the mud flats - these creatures have enormous strength and bulk.  Next, we encountered a large "bull" elephant that was seeking water on this hot afternoon.  He tasted the water multiple times, but it was not to his liking (stagnant water) and he ultimately moved-on in search of...

Monday April 7, 2025 A warm, but still overcast morning as we set out on safari excursion #4 - the objective this morning is to track lions as well as the Water Buffalo.  Since we found the male lions last evening, the confidence was high that lions were in the area.  The team of Jamiel and Louis decided traveling south toward the Sabi River provided the best opportunity to find both lions and ultimately water buffalo.  Not twenty minutes into the excursion, we came upon the Southern Pride of lions - led by a 9 year-old lioness, the pride numbered 10 lions, including three young males.  According to Jamiel, this is an elusive pride of lions that are not easy to track and really do not like to be seen - fortunately, they were all lounging with full bellies from a feeding kill that must have happened yesterday.  It is simply incredible to see these majestic, powerful and beautiful creatures free and not stressed in the Sabi Sabi preserve - what a treat!   Upo...