Journey 2 brings you a perfect bush weekend escape, by travelling to Kapama Riverlodge on the Blue Train. Choose either the 8-10 July or 12-13 Aug 2016, and we will offer you a R1000 saving on the total rack rate for the train and lodge fares. Feel, smell and hear the bushveld in this blog, by one of the Kapama Game Rangers, titled "In search of Kapama's Big Cats" by Chane Blignaut
Everyone loves a good predator sighting, and there’s no greater thrill
than getting close to the big cats that call Kapama home. Our bold lions,
elusive leopards, and elegant cheetahs never fail to get the adrenaline
pumping, and we are really fortunate to be able to get close to them without
disturbing their natural behaviour.
Kapama’s lions are particularly relaxed around vehicles, possibly because they are innately confident within the protection of their pride, but mostly because many of them have grown up with the smells and sounds and chatter of game viewers. This makes them wonderful subjects for photography, especially when their cubs are out and about, amusing our guests
Getting as close to a leopard or cheetah, though not impossible, is a
little more challenging. Nevertheless, there have been many special occasions
where I have enjoyed memorable sightings of a lurking leopard or a cheetah
feasting on a fresh kill.
On one such occasion, my Argentinian guests were desperate to see a
cheetah. It was their last evening drive and though I knew that chances of
finding one were slim, we headed out to the north western farm to seek out a
speedy spotted cat.
The bark of an anxious nyala alerted us to the presence of a predator so
Shadrick, my tracker, jumped off to see what he could find on foot while I
drove around the block. When we both came back empty-handed we decided to
cut our losses and go and check on a kudu that had been taken down by lions the
previous night instead.
The well-fed lions and their cubs entertained us for a while, and we’d
all made peace with our cheetah no-show by the time we left them to find a spot
for sundowners. But just as we passed where the nyala had called earlier, the
snorts of nervous impala brought us to a halt once more.
“There she is! There she is!” came a cry from an ecstatic guest behind
me.
Sure enough, there was the cheetah they were so desperate to see, stalking through the bush and away from stares and snorts of the unhappy impala as if she hadn’t been there all along. It just goes to show, those spots really are fantastic for camouflage, and just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there.
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