Mokala National Park - A gem of semi-arid savannah

 

Situated only 20 kilometers south of Kimberley, the Mokala NP is the newest of the South African National Parks.

It has 3 of the Big 5 African mammals, but it's primary focus is the rare antelope of Southern Africa.

This image is taken looking south-west over the open grasslands of the Lilydale section towards the dolerite hills and bushveld of the Mosu section. 

Note the red kalahari sand in the foreground.

On my first full day in the park I had wonderful sightings in the grasslands.......

a solitary Gemsbok (Oryx)

 

Roan Antelope

 

I spent some time at the lookout point over this waterhole in the middle of the grasslands, and had a herd of Eland antelope run past, without pausing, and then this small group of Tsessebe run down to the water.

 Most of the summer rainfall areas of South Africa have had a really good season this year and the grasslands were lush with most of the antelope looking fat and in good condition.

Eland

Tsessebe

Later in the morning I went south-west to the bushveld and saw many more tsessebe, giraffe, springbok, zebra, warthog and so on.

I also got a punctured tyre!! - the camel thorn trees in this part of the world have vicious thorns!!

Tsessebe

Tsessebe female and calves

Plains zebra and a midday drink

 

On day 2, after getting my tyre fixed at the nearby little settlement of Modderrivier, I had another great day in Mokala. 

This time I went meandering through the dolerite hills and valleys, which had abundant game, and then on west to the far side of Mokala, seeing more game in the flat, lush, thorn tree park lands.

Warthog close to camp

Buffalo sheltering from the heat

A herd of springbok coming down to drink.

Red hartebeest

Plains zebra

Gemsbok (Oryx)

Giraffe

 

I would definitely like to visit Mokala again, and perhaps stay in the other rest camp, Mosu, which is located in the hilly southern section.

I can also recommend Lilydale camp where I stayed this time. It's on the high bank above the Riet River and has glorious views. I include below, the view from my chalet's deck at 3 different times of the day.

Early evening and sundowner time

 Clear skies, and my first ever attempt at photographing the stars!

Dawn on my last morning

 

There had been some distant wildfires the previous day, so a little smoke in the atmosphere produced these wonderful colours the next morning.

This little gem of a park is well worth visiting. The official website recommends a minimum of 2 nights, but I spent 3 nights and had no time to get bored. 

So on your next road-trip between the south and north, or west and east of South Africa, plan to stop here for a few nights.

60 minutes at an Etosha waterhole

Apologies for no postings for a while but this safari guide has been busy at home rather than on the road..... 
It's “low” season at the moment, just as well with the floods in Kruger having been a little disruptive recently. No holidays for most people right now, which equals no safari work for me. 

As for this posting, I thought I would share with you a rather special late afternoon I had at an Etosha waterhole back in November.
(Note - there's a lot of photos in this post but be patient and get down to the end where the best ones are!)  

Nuamses Water Hole, November 6th

3.55pm  I pull into the parking area overlooking the waterhole, no other cars, and gemsbok (oryx) are down there next to the water, yippee!

We don't get these large, elegant antelope in Kruger, and so far on this trip I hadn't really had any good photo opportunities..........

4.00pm   The gemsbok appear to be a little nervous, leery, so after a last drink at the waters edge, they move up the bank and exit stage left.

  

4.07pm    All's quiet around the waterhole, except for a few birds foraging in the dried mud and taking occasional sips of water. A brazen Cape Glossy Starling perches on my windscreen wiper,  plays “traffic cop” and inspects my licence disc.

4.14pm      Just as a few black/white striped heads appear around bushes across the waterhole stage right, a couple of rental 4x4 vehicles with “ignorant” tourists pull up in the area behind me.

Loud voices, car doors slamming, total disregard for others, ignorance of the risk to themselves, the disturbance goes on for a long 4 minutes.

The zebra watch, ears pricked, they are thirsty but skittish, much more wise to potential danger than these oblivious humans. Then they start walking on past the waterhole and I'm cursing under my breath!

I am not sure if those people ever had a good look at the water hole, but they depart at last, in a skid of stones and flurry of dust – their misfortune !!

4.18pm  Fortunately, the zebra, 30 to 40 of them, now start making their careful way down to the waters edge. Always some are looking out as others take their turns to slake their thirst.

4.19 – 4.28pm   Something is in the air though. The slightest movement, a bird taking off, a whisper of wind in the grass, and the whole herd reacts in a flash.

I am totally absorbed behind my camera trying to capture the swirling eddies of black and white, rippling reflections and the bucking, prancing youngsters on the right.

I have no time to look for any possible source of the animals jitters. I am just making the most of this wonderful photo opportunity.

4.29pm Thirst quenched, the zebra start moving up the bank to exit, stage left, the waterhole arena.

I am taking a break from the camera, sitting back in my seat, relaxing my concentration, enjoying the birds and watching the lines of zebra file off into the distance.....

4.37pm   A flicker of movement in the corner of my eye snaps me back into the present. A leopard is walking down to water's edge! It has already walked across 20 metres of open ground before I wake up to it's presence!

Immediately I understand why the gemsbok and zebra were so nervous. This is the predator they must have been scenting.

This graceful, young cat is also thirsty on this baking hot afternoon and has waited for all the larger animals to leave before coming down to drink.

4.40pm Just a few tongue laps of water, some cautious glances across the waterhole, and the youngster climbs over the rocks into a shadowed crevice out of sight.

Although I don't have much hope that I will see it again, I call on the radio to see if I can contact my friends who I think should be not far away by now. Yes, close enough to hear me, but still about 20 minutes away by road......

4.48pm YES!! Out the young cat comes again, obviously still thirsty and perhaps it's too hot in the rocks....

Some playful poses on the dead tree, a photographers dream - even though it's a little too far away for my lens.

This time having a drink exactly where the gemsbok and zebra first drank.

4.50pm     Casually strolling across to the right, up the bank, and disappearing into the long grass.

4.54pm     I think to myself “well that was definitely the last I'm going to see of that beautiful large cat”, but no, after careful scanning through my binoculars I spot it's head silhouetted against the grass, under the shade of a large Mopani bush. Too far for my camera, but I take a shot anyway.

4.55pm      Then up it gets and vanishes deeper into the bushes.

10 minutes later my friends arrive.

Post Script

Almost three months later whilst selecting and editing the photos for this post, I spot where the leopard had been for the first 40 minutes before it showed itself out in the open.

See if you can spot it, especially in the photo of the zebra climbing the bank, leaving the waterhole – the leopards silhouette is quite obvious once you find it.......

None of the animals coming down to drink saw that leopard either!

off to the sea I go, I go......

No more posts from me until January, as I will be in Ponta Do Ouro again for the summer holidays - working hard as a Dive Master (aka underwater safari guide :-)).

So for now, I will post just a few more photos from Etosha (what a magic place!).

I've had feedback from some of my friends that I haven't said enough about the overland trip - so if I am not immediately back out on safari in January I will post a few more details of what we saw and did in Etosha, Chobe, Hwange, Caprivi etc.......

In the meantime, I wish all of you who celebrate this time of the year, joyous festivities and all my best wishes for 2012.

Elephant coming down to drink

Ground Squirrels

Springbok sheltering from the midday sun

Black backed jackal pup

Black Rhino

Gemsbok (aka Oryx)

Young Leopard

Lioness

Giraffe

Springbok

Giraffe