Three leopards near Satara

Leopards are solitary ceatures.

Very rarely a mating pair will be seen or a mother and cub so when someone tells me they saw three or five together, I know they are probably speaking about cheetah.

One day near Satara Camp in Kruger National Park, I saw a leopard walking a distance away and waited for it to get into a clearing. To my surprise, I saw more movement in the grass and a cub of about two years old appeared too.

Then came the shock - a THIRD leopard appeared!! I have never in all my years seen something like this and was astounded.

After a short get together, the male walk away in a different direction to the female and cub and went to lay in the grass while the pair continued on. They were soon on the road right next to me and I was able to get some great shots of them. I can only surmise that the cub was at an age where the female would be chasing him away and that she was coming into heat again, hence the presence of the male.

Dead trees

 

A very interesting dead tree ..... I have learnt long ago that one finds a lot in what we would call a dead tree. The peeling bark and other crevices host a multitude of lurking things.

I took my car to be washed and was walking around looking at the vegetation in the area. I went to look at the interesting bark on the dead tree and found 3 very interesting things.

First there was this very large Southern Agama Lizard. They live in the trees at night and feed both on the trunk of it as well as on the ground – anywhere they can find insects.

The male’s head turns a bright blue when ready for breeding. He was just climbing out of it as I approached. Kind of has a mean face doesn’t he?

Next I saw a small dash of green colour where there was not supposed to be any. The tree is dead right? So where would the colour come from. J

On closer inspection I found it was the head of a Spotted Bush Snake coming out from between the layers of bark.

The snake 45-50cm (18-20”) in length and is really beautiful. They are identified by being bright green with black stripes or dots on them which become less from about the middle of its length.

As I stood there watching, he slithered out more from this hiding place.

These snakes are not poisonous and feed on insects.

 Then there were a couple of Red-sided Skinks poking their heads out.

These lizards are about 10cm (3”) in length and feed on insects too.

Who says dead trees are not interesting!!