Campfire Safaris

28/04/2024

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Unexpected visitor after dinner October 2023

26/04/2024

Well done!

11/04/2024

Around the campfire discussions.

Monday 8 April, we did a transfer from Jhb to Pontdrift Botswana border post.
2 international clients and their first time to South Africa.
Just after sunrise before our first biological stop the question was asked.
Did you see the video on social media of the Elephant.
I asked which video, video where the Elephant lifted the game viewer vehicle in Pilanesberg or the tragic incident where the tourist was killed?

This opened a can of worms.
Please tell us about the vehicle been lifted.
Very concerned because they are heading to Botswana and Botswana are known for all the Elephants.

Very long story short.
Not so long ago social media was not that popular.
Not so long ago was everything captured on a cellphone video and posted on social media in record time.
Unfortunately when a person get his video rolling the events leading up to the "action" was not filmed.
Thus only one side story will be published and the world get to see only the results of the incident.

No Elephant's did NOT loose their fear of humans. People are adventurous and want to get the most of their time in the African bush and pushing boundaries. 90% of the time does any person travel with only the cellphone in the hand, but they also want to take an award winning photo and the game drive vehicle must get closer because they can't take that photo.

Any well trained field guide will advise each tourist everyday before every drive about the dangerous animals and that no one can predict the animals behavior. We don't know what happened at 2am with (let's say a Elephant bull) or 3min before us humans see the animal in the bush. That animal could've just fend off a predators attack on him. That animal could be on a adrenaline high and no we cross paths.

For the guide it could be his 1000's game drive and they could think that by that time they know animals on that property and their behavior.
When this happens that guide or driver of such vehicle push boundaries to get closer for the guests with him to go home and tell everyone they know how good of an experience their guide gave them.

Nobody wants to hear about a guide being safe and keeping his distance to protect them. That sounds boring and no award-winning photos to share and not to have a video on YouTube with 1mil views in 10 days.

Social media does have a very bad social effect on humans and making stupid decisions.

Bottom line is: NO animals did not change their behavior towards humans and their fight or flight instinct stay the same.

Be safe while on your safari.

Campfire Safaris greetings.

09/04/2024

Original Campfire Safaris pod cast.

05/04/2024

Took a while and I've decided to post the video on YouTube.

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Unexpected visitor after dinner October 2023

22/03/2024

March 2024.
There was a leopard attack in Mabuasehube Botswana.

Here is the full story and credit to:
Gavin Allderman and his wife.

We were camping at Bosobogolo camp number 2 at the beginning of March 2024. The summer had started wet and promising for this arid landscape, but the rains had abated, the stark veld suffering the consequences of the harsh onslaught of 40° plus temperatures and searing winds.
Thankfully the temperature on our second day had abated so it was comparatively mild, topping in the mid 30s, with protective cloud, - a day for relaxing and reading.
A glorious spectacular sunset heralded another beautiful evening, the barking geckos, jackals and other night sounds wafted on the air.
After a little braai we packed up camp, securing all our equipment (we had heard lions in the distance the previous night).
Jill showered and got into the rooftop tent. I was just finishing showering when I noticed an animal in the murky edges of the circle of light. I yelled “Jill, a leopard”, but in the low light had doubts and thought it could perhaps be a cheetah….. big mistake!
I hurriedly secured our motion sensor lights around the Hilux and clambered up into the tent. We zipped up the gauze insect protective coverings and, feeling secure, lay in bed reading.
We were aware of the animal circling the vehicle by virtue of the motion sensor lights being triggered and at one point we were aware that the ‘cheetah’ had crawled under the bakkie, only its tail visible.
In the glimpses we caught, we could see the animal was completely emaciated and gaunt.
I started feeling uneasy - this was unusual activity, and thought “thank goodness we are in a rooftop tent”.
Eventually we dozed off into slumberland. It must’ve been around 10 pm.
At about 01:30 I je**ed awake having heard movement on the ladder. Sitting bolt upright, instantly wide awake, I peered down the ladder and saw the animal climbing up. I shouted ”he’s coming up the ladder”! Screaming and swearing was no deterrent as he scrambled up and launched himself onto the gauze of the tent, his claws gripping the thin fabric with his head inches from my face.
I started punching at it furiously in the face with all my might. I realized we were now bare fi**ed fighting for our lives. Both of us were shouting and screaming, Jill from behind me, hitting with a pillow at its paws, and then with her book. Every now and again the animal pulled its head back in a terrifying gesture as if to attack and bite through the gauze. At these moments I concentrated on punching his claws. I became aware that there was blood spattering in copious amounts, but just carried on punching and shouting, adrenaline coursing through my body in this fight for life. Terrifyingly during the whole attack there wasn’t a sound from the animal, just its jagged breathing as it concentrated on the assault. There was no flight option at this point. The terror is palatable as I write this. I must have punched at least 30 times, using all my energy.
Eventually the animal fell back and we realised we had a temporary “stay of ex*****on “!
My hand was bleeding profusely. Jill took off a pillow slip which we hurriedly wrapped around it to try and stem the flow of blood.
Panting and shaking from this terrifying experience which lasted at least a minute, we considered our options.
We had to get into the vehicle, but how?
While we pondered we heard what sounded like the animal jumping on the bonnet! It seemed like a horror movie! We would be fighting for our lives the night through!
When the animal reappeared at the foot of the ladder we sprayed it with water from a spray bottle we had with us…. this was not much of a deterrent but a mild distraction.
Jill came up with the suggestion of pulling the ladder in.
As I opened the gauze to do this, the animal reappeared attacking the bottom of the ladder as I swung it at him.
Eventually we got the ladder in with the tent zipped up - but What now?
We definitely had to get into the vehicle, only how?
I could either dash down the ladder and confront the beast using the ladder as a weapon, or stealthily creep down the ladder on the opposite side of the bakkie as the animal was now in the A frame hungrily plotting his next move.
The latter was a less grizzly option as long as the front left door was not locked (a lousy Toyota anomaly).
Before I over considered this scary option, I opened the tent on the opposite side, slipped down the ladder, my heart pounding in my chest, and into the vehicle which thank God was open.
Jill hauled the ladder in, shouting to ask if I was ok, but I couldn’t hear her, She was relieved when she saw the headlights illuminating as I slid into the drivers seat.
Shaking with shock, adrenaline and with the exertions of pounding at the beast’s face with all my might for a lengthy period, I thought at least now we have a chance as I started the Toyota.
Yelling to Jill to find out if she was ok, I reversed, blood dripping everywhere. I drove the vehicle towards it in an attempt to chase it, then drove slowly to camp number 2 about 3 kms away, all the while yelling to Jill if she was ok and telling her to shine backward down the road to make sure the animal wasn’t following us.
At the other campsite I nervously alighted and got Jill down from the RTT.
The pillow slip was by now soaked in blood. We gingerly pulled it open expecting to see a shredded hand, but to our surprise all that blood came from a single, pretty deep scratch at the base of my ring finger. Phew….relief!
Nurse Jill applied her skills, we washed my hand in a dettol solution, dried it and put on bandages and antiseptics … things were at last looking up.
All this time we were nervously keeping our eyes open as we suspected it may be coming after its injured prey.
We slowly drove back towards our camp. In the headlights, there it was….unmistakably a gaunt, highly compromised leopard. My skin crawled as realization set in that we had just, with our fists, driven off this killer animal!
We took some iPhone pictures before she ducked away and disappeared into the dark bush.
At the camp, sitting in the Hilux talking about the incident, we realized just how lucky we had been. We were suffering now from post traumatic stress so I quickly jumped out and retrieved a bottle of whisky which we sipped neat to calm our jangld nerves.
What a night! We realized once again we were lucky to be alive.
The following morning we packed up camp and drove to Mabua gate to report the incident. At the gate we met a French couple, both vets, who very kindly redressed my wound and gave advice regarding rabies and tetanus shots.
After consulting doctors we realized I needed an anti tetanus shot. We washed our bloodied sheets at the game scout camp and then set off to Lesholoago camp hoping it would be unoccupied - fortunately it was.
That evening DWNP game scouts arrived to check on us.
The next day we drove around the Pans hoping to find a doctor amongst the campers. Amazingly there was a group at Mphaya who had an anti tetnus shot - what a relief!
We reported the incident to the SANPARKS when we arrived at Nossob few days later..
This was such an unexpected, terrifying and horrific experience which is taking time to assimilate. However one must accept that visiting the wild is a highly risky activity. I have been going to Mabua for 43 years, almost every year and sometimes 2 or 3 times a year, so regard myself as reasonably experienced. I have always carried an axe and a divers knife into the tent with me, but the recent acquisition of a rooftop tent has made me feel safer so I have let this practise slip. Big mistake!
If we had straight away recognized the animal as a leopard, I would have been more alert and cautious.
A compromised animal is a far more dangerous risk as we all know.
I am glad we stayed on for five extra nights; it helped come to terms with the incident.

*photo en story credit - Gavin Allderman

20/03/2024

Have a look.
Cape Cobra at Melkvlei picnic spot

Cape cobra (Geelslang) in the ladies at Melkvlei rest stop!

20/03/2024

Kgalagadi, Grootkolk.
You sit in the wilderness camp. You see the lions are sleeping close to the water hole for a full day. They only get up and move with the sun to stay in the shade of the tree.
You don't move because you don't want to miss what might happen! Later afternoon a Gnu (Blouwildebees) come down to drink. The time I noticed the Gnu approach the waterhole, look down to get the camera and look up the action was all over. This is the only photo kind of in focus that tell the story.
The Gnu took short cut through the waterhole and the Lioness ran around the waterhole, that decision the Gnu made was the one that made him get away.

19/03/2024

In 2016 with Gert-jan Pols we had this once in a life time photo opportunity of a Kalahari male lion and a giraffe basking in the sun side by side.
This was close to 13th borehole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Book your next private guided safari with Campfire Safaris
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We'll guide you through it ... to it!!

18/03/2024

Afternoon game drive in the Manyaleti with wild dogs.

17/03/2024

Net voor die storm kom.

17/03/2024

TIA! You never know what you'll see next to the road while traveling.
Just outside Orpen gate.

16/03/2024

Great breakfast before a 12km hike

10/03/2024

Second day of First Aid training.
Today we cover wilderness first aid.

04/02/2024

Food for thought.
What will be your best camping set up?
The configuration on a vehicle that you dont get to buy second hand?

Every person have an idea what will work.
Once they have build that idea and start to use it they find it's not what they want.

Every set up does have a purpose and can work!
You must decide what you want and how often you will use your specific set up.

Rooftop tents does have a place in overlanding travel so does your off road trailer or caravan.

You must ask yourself if you are that person that doesn't want to tow a trailer/caravan and pitch camp every time you leave for a game drive and return to the same campsite.

When you opted for a fixed camp set up make sure your vehicle is capable to tame the terain with your house in tow.

Campfire Safaris we simplify overlanding safaris.

We welcome everyone with there personal preference.

24/01/2024

What an amazing privilege to have been part in this relocation of vultures in South Africa as a Honorary Ranger!

Translocation of 163 African vultures from VulPro Hartbeespoort to VulPro at Shamwari

23/01/2024

https://youtube.com/shorts/phbwuyqknfA?feature=shared

09/01/2024

Termites.
One of the most important food sources in the Kalahari.
Rich in protein.
What do we see in this photo I recently took in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
New termite nest?

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park had thunderstorms and heavy rain 27-31 December 2023.
The rain water was standing everywhere.
It is very special to see so much water in the park with a annual rainfall of only 200mm.
The earth was wet. Very wet for this arid climate.
The termites bring this wet sand from within the nest to the surface.
This wet sand is dried in the sun and heat up.
Once this sand is dry and hot the termites take it back down to warm up the nest to regulate the temperature and climate in the termite nest.

06/01/2024

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park get average 200m summer rain fall.
The first day in the park was slow with no animals in the riverbed.
Just lions at waterholes waiting for easy prey to came and quench there thirst.
27 December 23 there was some rain in the park.
Animals react very swiftly to the call off nature
With in 4days there will be new growth of grass and leaves on the shrubs and bushes.
Those that seem dead like many Camilthorn trees will also sprout new leaves.
New growth bring rodents which inturn bring birds of prey.

03/01/2024

Walk with me around Botswana.
Tell me where was this was.

03/01/2024

What do you call flat sparkling water

Still water

29/12/2023

A visit to the Kgalagadi is never complete without a Cape Cobra sighting.
Close to TR

26/12/2023

⛈️ thunder clouds
The park does need the rain.
With the rain comes the new born.
Holding fingers crossed to film the birth of another Blouwildebees calf.
This time we are prepared and ready.