Skukuza HYDRUS Course

Jirka Šimůnek from the Check Rapublic, living in the US came all the way to Skukuza to give a weeks course about his HYDRUS-Model. I'm using this model for my MsC thesis and found the course very handy.

One one afternoon we went to the Exclosures to give the participants a demonstration on in-situ measurements of hydraulic conductivity.

Suprise-Visit from Wild Dogs in Riverbed

In my last days in Skukuza we were sitting in a riverbed at "10-Minutes", a place where staff of the Kruger Park is able to hang out and even swim when the river carries water. A pack of Wild Dogs, about 12 whereby most of them were cubs and only 2 or 3 adults appeared out of the nowhere. Wild dogs are not doing very well in southern Africa and are endangered to extinction. This siting was one of my most exciting ones, especially while sitting there enjoying a few beers. It was only the second time that I had seen Wild Dogs and they came as close as about 20 meters. Absolutely unforgeable.

The cubs in this picture were keeping a safe distance while the adults came closer to us to check if we are a threat to their offspring.

These Pictures were taken by Jirka (picture above), who had come to Skukuza to give a week's course about the HYDRUS-Model which I'm using for my thesis. Thanks a lot for the pictures!

Python Rhino Leopard and Fieldwork

Just a few highlighting pictures from the last two weeks

 This young leopard had just lekker eaten impala lying lazily and full at the side of the road while his mother was still sitting in the tree busy chowing on the almost empty carcass. I got up to 3 meters close to it and wasn't comfortable to have my window fully opened. Later he got a little inquisitive and sniffed at my car from all sides.

 A Rhino all happy from eating fresh leaves after a long period of staving..

 One of the more experienced guys from Skukuza decided to catch this African Rock Python to bring it to the sundowners.

 When he wanted to pick it up again it wasn't so happy anymore and started to snap at people around it..

 But eventually he got it and no one got eaten or bitten ;) He was going to release it where he found it.

I rather stick to my climbing skill which came in very handy installing my pyronometer.

Climbing in Sabie

Last Sunday Tenele, Michael and me were climbing at the Sabie-rocks near a waterfall. Its a nice and cosy climbing area with short routes.
The rain in the afternoon forced us under the bridge where we could only find one route in the dry... But it was great fun!

Sabie waterfalls. You can actually climb the center rock by abseiling from the top and climbing up again. Or for the hard fainted climb it free solo.

Tenele climbing very technical on a flat wall...

Michael

Hannes has with finally some short hair...

Tenele in the field

This Saturday Tenele came to the filed with me to see what I'm actually doing all day long... we had a good time not working too hard ;)

 

My hard working girlfriend..

Thunder and Rain

The rain season has slowly started and we having the odd thunderstorm passing through Skukuza. Recently I witnessed quite a heavy one and even managed to get a lightning shot.
We also just had the first serious rains and now I hope that the trees in the exclosures will finally start to get leaves..

More wildlife

No words required..

 feeding..

Grand hornbil

 

We saw this Hyena in the early morning at about 5:30