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| Hyena a serious predator |
The Kgalagadi is one of my favourite places in the world. This is a nature reserve in the Northern part of South Africa in the semi desert region of the Kalahari. It is a really wonderful place to visit, particularly to see the predators.
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| Springbok | |
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| Ground squirrel - Just love them |
There are three traditional, fenced camps and about 6 wilderness camps, which are not fenced. One of our favourite wilderness camps is the Kalahari Tented camp. This is about 5 or 6 km south of the traditional camp at Mata Mata, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere! The tented camp is quite big with about 30 units, all built on a dune overlooking a waterhole. This is a tent, but a nice tent. Behind the tent is an on suite bathroom, with hot water (gas). The unit has a sleeping area, with nice wooden floors. In the past, the door was a tent flap, but this was replaced with a proper wooden door . Adjacent to the sleeping area, but not attached, is the kitchen tent. There is a gas fridge/freezer, wash basin and table and chairs. Between the kitchen tent and the sleeping tent is a patio set up, with chairs and a place to Braai (barbecue over an open fire). All that is separating you from the African bush (with lots of predators) is the height of the patio from the surrounding bush - which is not very high. Each of these wilderness camps has a ranger, who has a rifle in case of extreme emergency. The ranger house or hut is normally behind the accommodation units. The tented camp is also fitted with solar power which charges a battery during the day so that there is some light during the night. All in all, very comfortable and a great place to be. There is nothing better than lighting the fire, braaing some meat and other vegan food (for my wife - the stick insect) over the glowing coals, listening to the sounds of the African bush and enjoying a night sky where the nearest big town is some 300 km away, so no light contamination. Just amazing.
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| Don't feed the animals! |
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| Tented camp |
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| The wall is all that is keeping you from the animals |
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| Wildebeest heading for the water hole |
Anyway - now that I have set the scene, back to the story. Marie and I were staying at the tented camp. For some strange reason, the camp was all but deserted. Normally you need to book about a year in advance to get place, but on this night, there was no one else in the Kalahari tented camp. Or at least no-one in a unit anywhere close to us. As normal, I got the fire going as the sun was setting. Just perfect. I had the meat cooking and it was just about done. We switched on the lights. After a short while, the lights flickered and went out. So here we sit in the pitch black night! No lights. I get up to try and find my way to the sleeping tent as I have a pretty powerful spotlight in the tent. Marie was sitting on the small wall of the patio. While looking for the spotlight, I hear an almighty scream and like magic, Marie is in the tent with me. She claimed that there was a hyena. Sceptical me says - no there were no hyenas. So I take the spotlight, and sure enough, there was a hyena! Now hyenas are not the scavengers that everyone thinks of. Yes they do scavenge, but who of us would turn down a free meal. Hyenas are actually the apex predator in the bush. They are very good hunters and their jaws can break the hip bone of an elephant. Not an animal you would like to tangle with. Marie told me that when she was sitting on the wall, she turned around and the hyena had its front legs on the wall as well only about half a meter away from Marie sniffing the lovely smell coming from the meat on the braai.
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| The best part of the day |
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| Lesser spotted Genet - Proof that animals can get onto the deck |
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| Tented camp |
We jumped into the car (the car is parked in a fenced area by the unit) and headed for the rangers unit. No one there! So off we drive to Mata Mata. When we get there, the gate is locked. No surprise, they lock the gate at sunset. So Marie climed over the massive high gate and we find the ranger who comes back to the tented camp with us and fixed the battery connection on our tent. As a result of Marie's high pitched scream, the Hyena did not take the meat of the braai, so at the end of the day, I could still have my (by then) very well done meat.
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| Mouse |
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| African Wildcat |
Never a dull moment in the Kgalagadi. We just love it there. This story could have had a different ending, but all's well that ends well.
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| Cape Cobra - lots of snakes in the Kalahari |
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