An Aerial Adventure, Kgalagadi National Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a beautiful place but when viewed from the air it’s truly breathtaking! I was given the fantastic opportunity to join Marna Herbst, Regional Ecologist, pilots Mike Knight and Andre Spies to help with the aerial census which took place in April 2009. In no time at all we were airborne over the camp and the views were stunning, especially in the early morning sunshine!

Flying down the rivers was brilliant trying to count large herds of springbok, gemsbok and blue wildebeest. Throughout the counts we also saw bat-eared foxes, duikers, steenboks, lappet-faced and white-backed vultures, Ludwig’s bustards, secretary birds, an aardwolf, kudu, lion, spotted hyaena, a cheetah kill, black-backed jackals and honey badgers!

We celebrated a successful game count with a sundowner on the dunes – baie lekker! My adventure in the skies was over far too soon! Being able to join them was amazing! Yet another Kgalagadi experience I’ll never forget!

Written by: Kirsteen McLeish

GVI intern at Kgalagadi National Park 2009

An Aerial Adventure, Kgalagadi National Park