Kamai Reptile park

Day Seven

Today we were picked up by our transfer bus and headed to the reptile park for a private photography day. Our guide was Donald Strydom a very knowledgeable man on all things reptile and one of the foremost conservationists in Africa with reptiles.

We started the morning with a small seminar about that conservation they are doing at the center and what we can expect from the day.

Everybody waiting for the seminar to start

After our seminar we started with the Flat rock scorpion in a studio set up. Using UV torches to show how the scorpions glow and learning why they do this was very interesting. I didn't get any shots as i was helping guests with this very tricky photography situation. Everybody was able to get a couple of good shots of the glowing scorpion.

We then moved outside and set up the scorpions on a rock so we could all get some shots.

Tom making sure all the guess get the shots they are after

One of two species photographed this is the more dangerous Black hairy thick tailed scorpion (phew what a mouthful)

We then proceeded to the Endangered and endemic (means they only occur in this area and no where else) Golden brown baboon spider, which is a large tarantula.

Getting some close ups of the spider on a log

Beautiful Golden brown baboon spider

Some of the braver guests held the spider and a big congratulations to Karen Lisager and Sivert Jonsson who are very afraid of spiders but brave enough to hold this one.Well done!

Now we are going more to the reptile side of things starting with a cool looking lizard the Sungazer
with a gorgeous Drakensberg mountain background some really nice images where taken.

Our session with the sungazer

wide angle of the spiny sungazer

Now we tried something a bit more exotic the Green iguana from South America

Very prehistoric looking green Iguana

Also played with a chameleon but he wasn't in the mood to feed

Finishing with the reptiles in this area we moved on to another area before lunch to photograph some tortoises and giant plated lizards.

Feeding the giant plated lizard

We had a wonderful lunch which filled our bellies up and gave us the strength to face the snakes in the afternoon. We didn't ease the guests into it and first snake was the puff adder which accounts for the most venomous snake bites in Africa.

Working with a puff adder, notice no one wants to get to close haha

Despite the fearsome reputation the puff adder is very reluctant to bite and is a beautiful snake

Now we were in the mood for some more dangerous snakes our next subject was a little more tricky as we moved to the arboreal snake species.

Green mamba is about half as venomous as is cousin the black mamba

Now for the big guns the most feared snake in Africa with a reputation that far exceeds this shy snakes true nature.

Although the snakes box doesn't help settle nerves!

Personally they fascinate me and i think they are a handsome snake

This snakes nervous temperament makes it seem aggressive

Maybe we pushed him a little to much so he gave us a warning showing why he is called a black mamba

Now the day is drawing to an end we have a few more snakes the get images off then we will have filled our memory cards and need to charge out batteries.

Guests with a snouted cobra we got to photograph two of them and one was the rare banded form

Very impressive snouted cobra is the largest cobra in this area getting up to 3 meters in length

Ready to strike!

And for the last of the snakes we tried a African rock python and a very difficult shot of a Mozambique spitting cobra actually spitting.
it went surprisingly well actually.

The rock python was a nice subject but was a very cold snake so didn't move that much

Now for the grand Finally the Spitting session.

First we had to practice a shot of something spitting

Yes! success, sweet sweet success!

Actually we are a bit early to end the day still so we had one more go with a exotic species the Yellow rat snake which has a special superpower. It can climb any tree even it there is no branches!

How cool is that!

Last image of the day with the yellow rat snake before we departed.

I think today was a great success and a lot of fun was had by all. And most importantly the guests learn't a lot about reptiles and their conservation.

Tomorrow we go for a sleep out in the bush!

let see who will be able to get any sleep.

Last day on selati

Day Eleven

Our last day on Selati private game reserve.
For our last day we decided to go for the elephants as we have thus far been very unlucky with them on our previous trips.
The game is very nervous on Selati as all the rhino have been de-horned which was a massive project causing the wildlife to become nervous of people for a little while after.

We found the elephant signal easily and realised they where all together about 40 of them so our hopes where high of getting a sighting.

But they were proving hard to get once again and crossed the river just in front of us before we could see them. So we raced round to the bridge crossing to catch them on the other side.
Only to find them in a large block! despite this they were very close and the signal was on 5. We stopped and listened as they moved around in the bush just beyond our sight.
We moved to another road to try cut them off as they moved and it worked. We finally got a sighting with some of the herd crossing behind us.

Being silent waiting for the elephants to appear

Cow checking us out as she crosses the road i was kneeling next the vehicle to get a low angle

Youngster hastily making his way across the road

Curious cow wondering what we are. ( elephants have terrible eyesight)

After we chased the Elephants around all morning we decided to go have lunch and what better place than the river bed.
We also had a flat tire so could travel to far haha

But we still had fun in the river bed with some white fronted bee-eaters hunting for us and i managed to catch a barbel with my hands!

Magnus is watching me, as the rest if them chat about the conservation on the reserve

Catching some sun in the river bed where we relaxed for the hottest part of the day

White fronted bee-eaters wouldn't let us get to close but they were hunting well

A dragonfly which is pretty camouflaged on the rocks

My prize catch a small Barbel ( catfish)

Changing the wheel on the mahindra after the valve went

In the afternoon we just drove around looking for wildlife and found some more giraffe and impala as well as the ever present Waterbuck and warthogs. We did go check on the new lions in their boma but they were sleeping by the waterhole in the middle so no chance of a photograph.

Here are some other species we saw, Unfortunately no good photographic opportunities to be had today but still was enjoyable to spend the day in the bush. 

Not a good image but its our first nyala we have seen so worth showing you

Everywhere we go pumba turns up

 One of my favorite birds the african hawk eagle

Peering at me, small Striped kingfisher which primarily does not fish and catches bugs instead

Endangered Saddle billed stork (female)

Day Eight

Today we had the morning off which was nice and all of us got some much needed re coup and editing done.
But it didn't last to long as we are now off to sleep out in the Big Five reserve!
Our pick up was at 3pm while i went to set up the camp with Koos the manager the guests went out with Adam and found the lions as the light was fading.
We picked them up after dark to bring them to our camp in the middle or a dry river bed.


with the fire providing light we set up the sleeping area and sorted watch times during the night so we where safe. I got the 4am to 5am shift which was ok.
We have a .375 rifle for protection along with myself and the other two guides being experienced in sleeping in Dangerous game areas we were as safe as we could be.

I didn't take images that night as i was cooking. Images are thanks to a guest Magnus  Martensson

Us three guides and the guests talking round the fire (left to right Koos,Adam,Me, Karen, Matis and Johanna)

 telling bush stories with the guests

Johanna and Karen

Adam concentrating on helping with the cooking

Not sure what face i am pulling but i should be cooking haha

Can there be anything better than sleeping under this? i very much doubt it.

We had the hyena calling even before the guests arrived but they continued to call with their distinctive and very creepy whooping call. As did the Jackals yelp during the night for us.
Staring up at the stars was just amazing! i really do love these sleep outs.

After a nice Braai (BBQ) the story telling commenced as we sat around the fire. We tried to keep the stories from any of the scary stuff about hyenas and other large predators.

The first shift started at 10pm and we took them in hourly turns.
I was surprised at the temperature it was not as cold as i had anticipated. Dare i say it i actually was quiet cosy and none of the guests had a problem with sleeping either.
All to soon it was my turn to watch, Hoping to find something before the night was out i searched for eyes in the torch light but there was nothing the night was dead quiet and still.
But as these things happen my shift finished and as i lay in my bed, letting Koos take over a hyena called very close to us.
The everything went mad, pearl spotted owlets where having a great time announcing they had made it though the night.

But the best was still to come and at around 5:30am a Leopard started calling! we got three calls from him and being only around 200 meters from camp it was very loud. Then the impala started snorting once they saw the leopard.
What a great night.

Day Nine

As the light grew we all woke up at 6am for a breakfast before packing up the camp.

Packing up camp after breakfast

As you do in the bush we had a small impala poo spitting competition in which Adam narrowly edged over me and Sivert. Unfortunately no pictures of that though.

Now we went for a game drive before getting back to camp.
There where lion tracks everywhere! but we decided to go to the lion boma with 5 new lions from Makalali game reserve. They are in the boma to break the homing instinct and allow the resident lions to meet them.

As we arrived there was  hundreds of vultures to greet us all waiting for a chance to feed in the dead waterbuck put there for the lions.

White backed vulture flying into the Boma to the Kill

going down to land amongst the mopane

Just after they got a fright on the kill and flew up into the trees

Silhouette of a hooded vulture

White back vulture flying around looking for a tree to land in

But we drove around the boma to find the lions at the other end, they were a little shy at first but soon calmed to our presence and lay down next to us.
Then we notices a young male with one blue and one brown eye. then i realized my sister and my good friend Daniel collier had photographed this young boy when he was just a cub a year ago when they trained as guides on Makalali.

four of the new lions on the reserve

Young male with different eyes

The one female was a but shy and stayed in the thicker bush

close up of his eyes. i would love to see him when he is fully grown.

After the lions we did a short game drive on the way out.
managing to spot some cool birds including white fronted bee eaters and grey headed bush shrike.

Some young kudu bulls at a dam seen on our way out

Tomorrow we are back in Kruger for the day before another day in Selati and one last trip into Kruger!
so keep following the blog for more updates over the next few days
Adios