Aardvark, Bat-eared Fox and Aardwolf in South Africa.
Tour Date:
Aug 19-23, 2022
Tour Price (Per Person):
$2500 which includes flights, lodging, guiding, rental car, all excursion and food at Marrick Safari Lodge.
It does not include meals in Mokala National Park
Tour Type:
Bucket list mammals and lots of birds. Long days, but time is given to relax in the middle of the day for those who wish.
Description
Bucket list mammals.
While most naturalists hit Kruger NP for the Big Five, and the birders will end up in the Cape region for endemics and a pelagic on their first South Africa trip, eventually a few weird animals in the mammal field guide will raise the question that you sooner or later will ask your local guide:
“Can we see an Aardvark?”
“Can we see a Pangolin?”
“Can we see an Aardvark?”
“Can we see a Pangolin?”
In spite of their fairly large ranges, all over Africa, you will be met with a headshake… and a … “very difficult” – reply.
There is however one area that is very good for Aardvark – the pig-like anteater with long upright rabbit ears. It is close to Kimberley, half way between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and hence mostly missed by South Africa visitors as being out of the way. Also Pangolin is sometimes seen here.
Kimberley is served with regular flights from both Cape Town and Johannesburg, so it makes a perfect 7 Wonders Birding Tour for five days. Half that time will be spent in Mokala National Park and the other half at the Marrick private reserve with superb birding and wildlife watching.
This tour can be very exhausting, as we are up well before dawn, and continue into the night. You can make this itinerary as intense as you want. During the heat of the day, many people prefer to take a nap or hang around the pool, but you will also be offered additional birding to search for special birds. It is up to you.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1. Johannesburg to Kimberley. Drive to Mokala National Park.
At 7 AM, we fly from Johannesburg to Kimberley in the morning, pick up our rental vehicle, and head to the mall to stock up on supplies for the self catering in Mokala National Park. Due to COVID the on ground restaurant is closed. Stock up with your favorite things that are easy to prepare, and why not some excellent South African wine and beer. The comfortable Mosu Lodge inside the park has cabins with good kitchen facilities.
The park is great for Sable, Roan and Tsessebe antelopes, as well as Springbok, Gemsbok and White-tailed Wildebeest and the lovely Meerkats, which probably will steal the show.
Other less common mammals include White and Black Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalo, Mountain Reedbuck and Giraffe
The birds are great too. Special birds such as Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Scaly Finch, Crimson-breasted Gonolek and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater are all present in the reserve. We get settled in the and will immediately check the grounds for common birds.
At sunset and in the evening we do the first drives organized by the park.
The birds are great too. Special birds such as Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Scaly Finch, Crimson-breasted Gonolek and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater are all present in the reserve. We get settled in the and will immediately check the grounds for common birds.
At sunset and in the evening we do the first drives organized by the park.
There is already a good chance to see Aardvark, but also Pangolin and African Wildcat are possible.
Day 2. Mokala National Park.
We have a full day to explore the National park. Typical birds and common birds we may see include Ostrich, Secretarybird, Blue Crane, Helmeted Guineafowl, Hadada Ibis, White-quilled Bustard, European Bee-eater, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Southern Masked Weaver, Black-fronted Bulbul and many more.
We shall do a morning game drive, a sunset drive and a night drive organized by the park.
Day 3. Mokala National Park to Marrick Safari.
After the early morning game drive, we shall transfer to Marrick Safari Lodge – a private reserve where Aardvarks are particularly frequently seen. Here we have full board with three meals per day.
First we do some drives in the reserve through Acacia woodland with species like Black-throated Canaries, Pygmy Falcon, Common Scimitarbill, Ashy Tit, Kalahari Scrub-Robin and Sabota Lark. In the open grassland there are different birds such as Northern Black Korhaan, Double-banded Courser, Ant-eating Chat and a number of larks.
But the main event both evenings here are our night drives. A lot of cool mammals can be seen apart from the Aardvark. Aardwolf, Bat-eared fox, Springhare, South African Porcupine, Large-Eared Mouse and the cute Elephant Shrew also known as Sengi. With luck also Caracal and/or Black-footed Cat.
With two night drives we have a great chance of getting many of the unique mammals here.
Day 4. Marrick Safari.
Again a full day for more exploration with birding game drives with our local guide, and night drives for the mammals. .
Day 5. Marrick Safari to Kimberley airport.
After some morning birding looking for still missed birds we return to Kimberley to fly to Cape Town or back to Joburg.
Extensions
This program in 2022 is set to run just before the Comrades Marathon in Durban on Aug 28, which Gunnar is running. Over 90 kms!
If you have time you may want to join me after the Aardvark program on Aug 24 for a scouting trip via Cape Town to Durban with Lesotho, and Swaziland, including the famous Sani Pass and possibly also Wakkerstroom. We shall search for a large number of special endemic birds.
There will be a break in the program in Durban on Race day, and a long recovery sleep in on Aug 29. Don’t worry, I will not force you to run the 90 kms with me.
The trip ends in Johannesburg in the afternoon of Sep 1.
Write me at kolibriexp@gmail.com if interested in participating in the low cost scouting trip.