South Africa - Kruger Park

Our minibus took us from our hotel early to pick up others en route and head for Tremisana Lodge in the Oliphants Game Reserve, adjacent to Kruger Park.  It was a long day with some delays and we had to immediately board our evening game drive transport on arrival in the late afternoon.  This took us around our reserve, where we saw buffalo, wart hog, impala, water buck and a jackal, returning to the Lodge just in time for our Boma (bbq on an open fire) dinner.

Impala

 Wildebeest

Wart hog

 Boma (& Jean!)

Next morning, I was up, a  bit weary, at  4:15 to join a walk down to the Oliphants River, with both fore and aft guides carrying rifles, just in case, fortunately not needed!  The high point was seeing two groups of hippos in the fast flowing river, apparently not that common, in addition to learning about several different trees, some poisonous trees, identifying tracks, including a recent paw print of a lion, hippo and rhino, and becoming moderately expert in identifying the poop of elephant, hippo, rhino, giraffe and water buck.  There's handy!  In the afternoon, we went to a Tshukudu Game Reserve for high tea then an evening game drive.  We saw a family of wart hogs, impala, giraffe, buffalo, a white rhino with baby, elephant and lion.  A baby elephant confronted our vehicle, rearing up and trumpeting loudly, as well as edging forward as if before charging.  The driver was very amused until its grandmother finally got in between it and the truck to stop it clowning around.  We had tracked a lion, with collar, but it kept moving and it wasn't until after dark when we found it eating a wart hog that it had killed, so it had been hunting.  It consumes all of the 40kg or so in one go, with no vegetables or gravy!  That made four of the Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard).

Patrick loading before we set off

Steve as rear guard & first aid!

Hippo

plus infants

Fresh lion print (& we're walking!)

Monkeys and guinea fowl near the lapa (breakfast area)

Buffalo

White rhino and baby

Baby Jumbo shaking his head at our vehicle

Then taunts the driver

Lion eating a wart hog, one I caught earlier!

We spent a whole day in central area of Kruger Park.  A limitation here is that you mustn't leave the tracks so have to rely on seeing game close to it.  We saw giraffe, impala, kudu, water buck, buffalo, wart hog, a wild dog pack, elephants, a large lizard, monkeys, jackals, a family of cheetahs and lions.  We were very lucky to see a cheetah rise up from the grass, chase and catch an impala, the rest of the herd scattering across the road, right in front of us.  It hauled its prey away, but still in view, then called its 4 cubs to come and feed.  That clocked three of the Super Five Predators (lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and wild dog).  The leopard proved elusive, as they are, although another group from our Lodge saw one.  The lions were sleeping by the roadside, two males and one I couldn't see enough of to tell.  It was a long but very fruitful day.

Wildebeest having a scratch!

 Wild dog pack, difficult to see (rest of pack lying down)

Elephants playing in water hole

 Cheetah drags off her impala prey

 Then leaves it to call for her cubs, while the impala watch

Four cubs come running

 Mother watches while cubs eat

Elephant has a good scratch against tree after mud bath

Male ostrich

Zebra crossing!

Water buck, with distinctive toilet seat behind!

Buffalo having a mud bath

Oh so good, makes your tongue come out, or is it contempt?

Jean watches two male lions

Jackal on the track

Baby jackal outside the den

The buffalo is the most feared animal, not giving any warning before charging and will attack humans more readily than other predators.  The wildebeest, by  way of contrast, is the most stupid, stopping to see what is chasing it!

Before leaving  for Pretoria, we took any early morning drive at 4:45am, when we saw jackals, including a baby, and hippo before returning for breakfast.  Then it was to Blyde Canyon, like a small scale Grand Canyon, and another full day of being cramped in a minibus until we got to our small hotel in a beautiful and leafy suburb of Pretoria, compliments of The Blue Train.  The gateman was dressed in a jester's uniform for reasons that were not clear!

Blyde Canyon