On the drive up to Punda Maria, we had the most incredible leopard sighting. Another vehicle had spotted a leopard way across the dry river, on the opposite embankment. We stopped to look, and could see her clearly, but she was a long way off. Then, she stood up, walked down the embankment, across the dry riverbed, and right up the other side beside our vehicles! She was clearly on a mission, but in no particular hurry, just focused. We managed to follow her for some distance in the bushes beside the road, until we finally lost sight of her. What a beautiful animal!
Just as things started to slow down, we saw a herd of 100+ buffalo come down to the river to drink. What a spectacle! There were crocodiles in the river, but I think when 100 or more buffalo invade your turf, you make way for them without argument!
The Punda Maria camp has some family history for us. The first ranger in the area, JJ Coetzer, who named the camp, was my great grandfather. And no, he didn’t get the name wrong – he spoke several African languages, and was well aware that the Swahili name for zebra was punda milia. He named the camp Punda Maria for his wife Maria, who was very fond of wearing black and white striped dresses! The poor woman deserved some recognition… she bore him 14 children, including my grandmother. Years later, my great grandfather was manning a foot and mouth disease cordon next to the Limpopo River when he was attacked by an elephant. His rifle bearer apparently fled the attack, and my great grandfather was trampled and killed by the elephant.
I like to keep a safe distance from elephants – perhaps we learn from our ancestors.
