The last days of our Christmas holidays around the Kruger National Park – we stayed within this large game reserve! It is always a special experience to stay in one of its many camps.
26. Dec 2019 –
We entered the Kruger game reserve at Paul Kruger Gate. It was late morning so no expectations to meet special animals on our way to Lower Sabie Camp where we was going to stay two nights. But you always get so see some kind of animals, whenever the time of day.
Meeting giraffes are always pleasant, I just love those ceatures!
So cute!
Driving the H4-1 along the Sabie River – there are usually some animals close to the river.
Hippos in the Sunset Dam not far from Lower Sabie Camp:
Quite a large gape – and big teeth!
It was a warm day – these last days (23-26 Dec) the temperature was around 40 C in the middle of the day. We had a late lunch at Mugg & Bean – nice restaurant at Lower Sabie Camp.
AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE – SOUTH OF LOWER SABIE CAMP
We took a route south of Lower Sabie Camp – first at some gravel roads. Met several zebras, wildebeest and impala.
Blue Wildebeest (gnu)
By a small waterhole a elephant herd was having a good time. Elephant is one of the Big5. It was fascinating to watch them for a while :
This baby elephant had a joyful time in a little dam 
We got some information from a ranger – some lions by the main road H4-2, not far from where we were. It was not difficult to find the place where the lions were supposed to be – we met several cars parked in the middle of the road. We asked a man in one of the cars if he had seen the lions – he told us that there were two male lions behind the bushes. We could not see them at the present time, so we stopped the car at the roadside, waiting for a while, maybe the lions will show up.. And yes – suddenly we saw two male lion coming toward us..
The lion with the dark mane was leading – walking in the middle of the road with a lot of cars following. Suddenly it stopped, and lay down.
So where was the other one? We couldn’t see it. I was just going to put my head out of the window to have a better view..when a saw a shadow moving towards me. The lion was just buy our car, passing by my side of the car, right under my open window… WOW ..I got a real scared for a moment there..
This one has just passed my car window.. 
The lions were walking in the middle of the road for some hundred meters – before disappearing between some bushes.
We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time!
MORNING GAME DRIVE – SOUTH OF LOWER SABIE CAMP
27 DEC.
At 05:00 the next morning we were ready for a morning game drive. First we went to the Sunset Dam just outside the Lower Sabie camp. A large hippo was grazing by the road, and a crocodile which was laying at the sandbank suddenly moved into the water when we came.
Afterwards we went south on some side roads. A big bird in a three – some distance away it first looked like an eagle – but it was an owl – a Verreaux´s Eagle-Owl. I have never seen this bird species before.
And then – leopards – two of them in the same tree. Beautiful creatures! Leopard is the one of the Big5 that is most difficult to spot.
Two cars were standing close to the tree and then us. We were watching them for a long time before several other cars came along. A ranger in a safari car told us this was a young mother with its one year old daughter.
The mother was eating of a impala which it had dragged into the tree. 
The prey..
A hyena was lying under some bushes
next to the tree. Hoping for some leftovers..
After a while the mother jumped down from the tree 
The young one still relaxing in the tree
What a great experience to meet two leopards and watch them for a while. Magic moments!
We continued driving south – and here is a blue wildebeest crossing the road.
Several cars in the background – on their way to see the leopards I guess..
Several rhinos on the grassy plains north of Crocodile River 
Osterich
At a gravel road north of Crocodile Bridge Camp – several cars in a line to watch these lions! There were 5 male lions, two by a bush at one side of the road, and 3 on the other side with a prey. They looked pretty tired and warm !
Several species of eagles not far from the lions:
Brown Snake Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Before going back to Lower Sabie for breakfast – we met this giraff mother with 4 youngsters – very cute!
SUNSET GAME DRIVE – SOUTH OF LOWER SABIE CAMP
This afternoon we joined a “Sunset Game Drive” which we booked at Lower Sabie Camp. A great experience!
My daughter joined the ranger in the front 
After a driving around for a bit without seeing anything special – we drove to the place where the leopards were this morning. They both were back in the tree, eating the rest of the prey.
This is the 1-year old female – very cute!
The young mother is cleaning her paws 
Another great time with the leopards!
The sunset drives that the Camps arrange, are from 16:30 – 19:30 – allowing safari drives for one more hour than if we were driving on our own.
It was getting dark – and we use torches to lighten up the sides of the road – looking for some interesting animals to show up.
Suddenly a puff adder crossed the road. This is a venomous viper – and is common in the south part of the African continent. Puff adder is responsible for more snakebite fatalities than any other African snake..
Just before heading back to the Lower Sabie Camp we spotted two leopards – WOW – this was really the day of leopards!
We followed the two leopards as they moved along the roadside and out in a cross road – and then disappeared in the bush..
A LONGER ROUNDTRIP IN THE SOUTH PART OF KRUGER
28. DEC
– Early next morning we left Lower Sabie Camp – next night we were going to stay in a bungalow in Skukuza Camp. This day we had roundtrip – started going south to Crocodile Bridge Camp – east to Berg-En-Dal area and then north to Skukuza Camp. A long roundtrip from 06:00 in the morning – ending in Skukuza about 14:3o.
Just north of the Crocodile Bridge we met this rhino – not far from the road:
Hooded Vultures
Tawny Eagle – with some bone remnants
Young tawny eagle
Klipspringer – means ‘rock jumper’ in Afrikaans – and is a small antelope species that lives in the rocky, mountainous areas. Its little feet are specially made for staying put on rocky surfaces.
Buffalo – one of the Big5!
Lilac-beasted roller is a beautiful bird!
Woodland Kingfisher 
Fish Eagle 
Flap-necked chameleon – crossing the road. They move slowly so we have to look out for them! Road kills are their greatest threat..
Lunch at Berg-En-Dal Camp in the south part of the Kruger
African White-backed vulture
In the afternoon we checked in at Skukuza Camp – had a bungalow with river view – located close to the restaurant area.
Sabie River – view from the bungalow 
Part of the restaurant at Skukuza Camp
We went on a little game drive in the afternoon/evening. First south of the Camp, and this is from the Transport Dam where many elephants were having a bath!
We talked with a safari tour guide who told us where to find lions, and managed to go there in time – before going back to the camp in the evening.
A female lion was walking alone in the middle of the road, several cars followed. We watched it for a little while – and then back to the Skukuza Camp just before the camp-gate closed at 18:30
View to Sabie River from our bungalow in the Skukuza Camp.
In the evening we had dinner at Skukuzas restaurant “Cattle Baron” – Enjoyed a tasteful chateaubriand !
DEC. 29 –
Some vervet monkeys just outside our bungalow next morning
Last day in the Kruger National Park for this time. We checked out at Skukuza Camp about nine o’clock in the morning – and had just a little roundtrip in the area near Skukuza before we left the park.
For the first half an hour we did not see any animals at all – and very few cars around as well. While we were driving there for our selves – we suddenly saw an animal sitting down in the middle of the road – about 300 m ahead. It got up and continued to walk across the road. We could not see what kind of animal it was at first, so we drove on, hoping it was a cat and that it was still around. Yes – a leopard was sitting by some bushes not far from the road. Amazing ! :
Fortunately, it turned its head so we could see the face . It looked us straight in the eye.. 
We were watching it for a while – all alone – no cars. After about ten minutes it began to walk further away in the bush – I think it was going to hunt.
Afterwards I said to my daughter – let us go to the area where we saw that female lion yesterday, maybe we can spot some lions also before leaving the Kruger…We drove a bit along that road, but no lions…
I said ” I will turn the car here, it is time to go back, and leave the park” . Just after turning the car, I was going to drive on, but looked at the side of the road, and what did see..! I burst out:”Stine, look!” Two lions coming towards, one male and one female! What a moment!
First the male crossing the road – and then the female. They were on the move – looked like they were ready for hunting. How lucky to be at the right time today! Once again we happily left the Kruger National Park.
Writing this now some weeks later – I already longing to go back..
