Year in the Wild Blog

Thinking back…and moving on.

The Karoo National Park is more than 88 000 hectares big…with a predator-proof fence around its boundary which is about 175kms long. Every day, the fence is patrolled by the field rangers, who inspect it for weak points and holes. The lions in the park haven’t once ventured out onto neighbouring sheep farms. Senior section ranger Johan de Klerk believes the big cats are more than happy with the amount of prey within the park’s borders.

On
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Lions of the Karoo NP…and roughing it on the Pienaar’s Pass

After their re-introduction into the Karoo National Park a year ago, the lions are doing well, according to senior section ranger Johan de Klerk, who gave me some of his photos for my blog, as we haven’t seen them yet. (Although we have seen remains of two zebra – one on the spectacular Pienaar’s Pass, a tough 4x4 route which I can highly recommend.)

If the natural vegetation is conserved, the Karoo can support a healthy population of wild
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Lions galore in Kgalagadi

As you may know, the famous Kalahari lions eluded me and Gareth on our recent trip to the Kgalagadi. Everyone else seemed to see them! Anyway, while we were there, we met up with Michelle Swemmer, who works as a wild dog researcher in Natal, but who was on holiday with her parents in the Kgalagadi recently. She is also a really good photographer, with a knack for being in the right place at the right time!  The day Gareth and I left Nossob, a pride of lions descended on the fence line of the
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