Balule Camp was mentioned to us by folk that found it to be ‘one of the nicest camps we have been to’. Based on that, we booked for 3 nights. It is a small camp with approximately 15 campsites and 6 huts. Besides being small and having no electricity, in our opinion it was just another camp.
After the intense heat of the first day at Letaba we had some relief in the form of cloud cover for the next four and a half days. In fact, by the 4th day it was so cold that we wore light jackets and even the animals took time out.
We spent the first day doing chores and just taking a break from driving, enjoying the cool weather. At 16h00 we decided that we will go for a short drive because ‘we cannot waste the time in the park’. There is a waterhole about 9Km from camp and we set out to see what that would offer. There was nothing there so we decided to go back to camp. Just then Roger (Mr. hawk-eyes, remember) spotted something, grabbed his binoculars and declared: ‘there is a lion’. Waterholes in the park mostly are named and this one is called Bangu. Just prior to spotting the lion Roger was telling me that there is a story about the ‘King of Bangu’ up at the campsite, so I did not initially realise he was now onto something else: a real lion. Well, this is how it went next:
The lion lifted his head, got up, yawned, stretched, roared and then started walking towards us. It was a huge male. We were expecting him to go and have a drink but he walked right past the water and came straight towards us. We realised that he was scent-marking and therefore not interested in drinking. It was on my side so I was in charge of the camera, naturally with window fully open. I was under pressure because he was approaching fast and Roger was giving instructions of what to do with the camera and I ended up not doing so well, much to the frustration of both of us. As the lion moved past the back of the car to the other side Roger grabbed the camera and continued the ‘take’. We turned the car around and were able to follow him until he disappeared into the bush. What an experience, especially since we were the only ones there!!
That evening in camp we were visited by a group of 5 hyenas outside the fence with some interesting interaction between them. Later on the elephants came past as well. What an eventful day it turned out to be.
The next day we went to the Timbavati picnic spot for lunch. We saw a number of birds and for the first time were able to capture some shots of African Green Pigeon. We have often heard them but have never seen them clearly enough for a photo to support the identification.
This group of ants crossed the road. They were all carrying bits of termite, obviously returning from a raid on a termite’s nest.
We were almost back at camp when we spotted this Giant (Verreaux’s) Eagle Owl and chick on a nest. We had a great time watching the chick’s antics. It was incessantly calling to its parent until it spotted us. It then seemed as if was trying to make out what he was looking at by bobbing its head up and down and sideways.
We were now in a different eco-zone and the tree that caught our attention this time was the Lowveld Cluster-leaf or Purple Pod Terminalia which is flowering profusely and is dotted all over the landscape. The flowers do not have a sweet smell because they are pollinated by flies and moths that are attracted by the smell. Its relative, the Silver Cluster-leaf, has a similar foul smell.
What was good about Balule was the camp attendant, Titus, who was a very friendly chap. The down-side: the monkeys. They are completely habituated and very versed at raiding. They open tent zips, bite through cable ties, open wolf packs, lift weights off cooler boxes, find alternate entrances if the main entrance has been secured, and break open plastic bins. They even came into our motorhome while I was inside. If you are not on guard every second you will be invaded and raided!!! It was not a problem for us because of being very secure but Roger spent all his time in camp protecting other people’s property (not with much success). We have never before come across monkeys this fearless and cunning. Based on this we will give the camp a really poor rating!!!
