7 Weeks in Kruger: Electric Skukuza!
Happy New Year to all our readers and followers!
Thank you for following our little project over the last few months of 2018 and all the best to you all for 2019.
In our last post we shared lots of amazing bird photos from the Lake Panic Hide but while I invested a fair amount of Skukuza time at the hide, I was also fortunate enough to have some other superb sightings on the roads around the rest camp!
Game viewing can be outstanding near Skukuza and the variety of animals supported by the waters of the Sabie River is brilliant.
This first video and series of photos was one of my favourite experiences from the trip – up close and personal with a family of spotted hyenas!
I was actually on my way to the Lake Panic Hide and these hyena parents and cubs emerged from the large culvert under the road that leads into the staff village. As soon as the adults came to inspect the car, the cubs were emboldened and became very inquisitive.
The play fighting was very interesting too - the adult seemed to make itself prone which the little guys took advantage of, before finding the tables turned in a gentle grip around the neck. Perhaps a lesson in how to attack prey but avoid being assailed in return?
I always have the windows open when on a game drive but once they started sniffing the car and looking up at me I very rapidly did them up to add a layer of safety! At one point, an adult started biting on a car tyre so I quickly tapped the horn to scare her off – I’m never a fan of deliberately surprising animals in the park but I think making an exception in this case was the right call!
I also saw the same adults late one afternoon and love the shot I was able to get – a major alert for the impala!
One of the downsides to the area around Skukuza is how busy it can get at amazing sightings. A pair of male lions had taken down this huge buffalo late the afternoon before and by morning had eaten virtually the whole thing!
I was able to get close and take a few shots after waiting in a queue but decided to move on to let others get in and see too. Ideally, I would have staked the situation out to see if the lions moved (or even just turned towards me for a better photo!) and to observe the vultures moving in for a feed, but the sheer number of vehicles meant sharing the sighting a bit more and moving on was the right thing to do.
Buffalo are very common around Skukuza and are the Big 5 animal most frequently seen in this part of the park. This 'daggaboy' (old male buffaloes that roam outside of the breeding herds) didn't seem too annoyed with the constant pestering of the red-billed oxpecker...
While oxpeckers have a symbiotic relationship with large herbivores, eating ticks and other pests found in the fur and hide of the mammal, there is also some evidence of them keeping wounds and injuries open for longer because they also eat the blood. Given this increases the chances of infection, it sounds more like the behaviour of a parasite than a friend!
Chacma baboons are common in this area of the park too, supported by the array of fruiting trees. This youngster was particularly interested in my vehicle as a troop passed by...
Baboon and impala also have a fairly symbiotic existence. Both are frequent targets of leopards and pythons and will respond to each other’s alarm calls when such a threat is seen. Baboons are also messy eaters and drop lots of fruit as they pass through tree canopies, which impalas then collect on the floor. This female baboon is eating a huge sausage tree fruit...
The baboon-impala dynamic changes dramatically during impala lambing season though. Like humans, baboons are omnivorous, eating both meat and vegetation, and will gladly turn on the impalas to capture and kill the lambs for food. The lambs have little defence other than fleeing as best they can.
While I was staying in Skukuza, some rains finally arrived, making for dramatic skies and electrical storms. Even the shortest of videos easily caught the lightning!
The cloud formations in this photo are called ‘mammatus clouds’.
The name comes from the Latin for mammary and it's pretty easy to see why!
They are pouches of moisture that hang below the main body of cloud and are caused by cold air sinking from high altitudes and hitting rising warm air from the ground below.
They often accompany dramatic rainfall – and that is exactly what happened after seeing them!
And of course, dramatic afternoon skies can offer beautiful lighting when the sun is able to peek through, while also encouraging aquatic species such as hippos to venture out of the water during the day.
After seeing this hippo in the bushes on the H12 bridge over the Sabie River, I killed the engine and waited for him to nervously emerge into the open just a few metres away from me – wonderful stuff!
I’ve fallen well behind with sharing my route through 7 Weeks in Kruger but should be able to catch up in the early weeks of 2019. The final stages of the trip covered the far south of the park, travelling between Lower Sabie, Crocodile Bridge, Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop rest camps.
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All the very best for 2019.
Danny & Charlotte
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Seven weeks in Kruger sounds like an absolute dream! Your update on Skukuza’s electrification is fascinating—it is impressive to see such a historic camp embrace modern, sustainable tech without losing its wild charm.
The transition to cleaner energy reminds me of the intricate precision found in modern tech components. It is almost like comparing the complexity of the camp’s new power grid to the advanced engineering behind laser-drilled microvias on a circuit board; both require incredible planning and precision to function perfectly. Thanks for sharing this look at how the park is evolving while protecting its incredible ecosystem. Truly inspiring stuff!
What an incredible read! Your "7 Weeks in Kruger" series has been such a fantastic way to relive the magic of the bush. I especially loved the "Electric Skukuza" post—it really captures why that camp is the beating heart of the park. Your descriptions of the sightings around the Sabie River make me want to pack my bags immediately. It’s funny, even with such high-quality experiences in Kruger, I’m still dreaming about my next Tanzania Safari to compare the landscapes. Thanks for sharing these amazing adventures; your passion for wildlife photography and storytelling is truly inspiring for us all!
Your seven-week journey through Skukuza sounds like an absolute dream! It is incredible how you captured the spirit of the park, and I love the focus on sustainable travel in such a rugged, beautiful environment. It is the perfect escape for families seeking a real adventure.
Speaking of keeping things balanced while juggling travel logistics, I have been focused on managing local errands lately. It is funny how life requires planning everything from wild safaris to routine kids teeth cleaning oakville appointments. Your post provided such a nice, refreshing mental break. Keep sharing these amazing wildlife updates!
Seven weeks in Skukuza sounds like an absolute dream! Your detailed look at the area’s electrification and the balance between modern convenience and raw nature is fascinating. It’s rare to find such an immersive take on Kruger’s evolving infrastructure.
Reading about your remote adventures actually reminded me of the logistical side of travel planning. It’s funny, but just like checking the fine print with an insurance agency before a big international trip, your post highlights the importance of being fully prepared for any environment. Thanks for such a vivid, informative read—it has me seriously craving a bush getaway!
What a fantastic recount of your time in Skukuza! Reading about those dramatic electrical storms and the incredible wildlife sightings—especially those hyena cubs and the hippo emergence—truly captures the magic of the Kruger. It sounds like seven weeks was the perfect amount of time to really soak in the rhythms of the bush.
It actually reminds me of how much I love exploring diverse landscapes; while Kruger is iconic, I’ve been looking into new zealand tours lately for a completely different kind of adventure. Thanks for the inspiration to keep planning my next big wildlife-focused journey!