See photos from some of the sightings we share in the episode below!
In the second episode of Safari Stories season 3, I (Jomi) sit down with Hein Myers to chat about Marataba, a game reserve in South Africa where we both worked as guides several years ago. (If you haven't listened to Boys in the Bush pt 1, give it a listen. It's episode 21).
We recall some of our favourite vehicle-based and trail-based sightings which include:
a very special black rhino sighting at a dam
encounters with territorial hippos charging us on foot
male lions using tactics to hunt impala successfully
habituating a leopard’s cubs from the age of two months to two years
pangolins on the lodge entrance road
a very cheeky elephant bull, leopards mating whilst on foot
and a few gnarly moments that we will likely never forget.
This episode is all story-telling action and shows how much Hein and I both enjoyed working in this very special reserve.
Tune in! You can listen to the Safari Stories podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, SoundCloud, our website, or wherever you listen to your podcasts! Links below.
Above: Hein opens the episode by describing one of his favorite encounters with a black rhino. Photo: Jomi Krobb
Above: Hein recalls that the sighting was at Schotia Dam (pictured above), and that part of what made the sighting so memorable was having the mountains and particularly that pinnacle (outcrop) in the background. Photo: Hadley Pierce
Above: Hein and Jomi recall what it was like working to habituate these three small leopard cubs to the presence of a safari game viewer from the ages of 2 months old to 2 years old. In the photo above, the cubs are around 4-5 months old. Photo: Jomi Krobb
Above: A year later, the cubs were much larger and luckily all 3 were still alive. Photographed above is one of the male cubs at around 1.5 years old. Photo: Hadley Pierce
Above: There's not many places where you can say you've been spoiled for pangolin, but Marataba was just that. We were lucky enough to get to see these amazing animals multiple times each winter. Photo: Jomi Krobb
Above: Meet the lion affectionately known as "Baywatch" for his flowing blonde beach boy hair. Photo: Jomi Krobb
Above: This male lion was often referred to as the male with the "whacky eyes"...you can guess why. Photo: Hadley Pierce
Above: Jomi recounts watching these two males quietly and methodically hunt a young impala. You can tell from the photo above just how synchronized they were with each other. Photo: Jomi Krobb.
Above: Hein and Jomi recall getting stuck behind this large, inquisitive elephant bull on their way back to the lodge one morning. Photo: Jomi Krobb