Days 83 thru 85

(Rhia’s comments are italicized)

After the disappointment of our last safari in Lusaka National Park, we decided to visit Kruger again. When we left here last year, I did not expect to return. Kruger is very big, very crowded, and very expensive! But Kruger is also very full of animals so that makes it the perfect spot to watch them!

Last year, we stayed at a self-catering guesthouse just outside Phabeni Gate near Hazyview. We had rented a compact, two-wheel drive vehicle, and would drive the width of the park from dawn till dusk. We ate when we could, and cooked rarely. The animal viewing did not really start until we were about 40 kms into the park, so the best viewing at dawn and dusk were actually spent driving to get there. So we planned differently this time, and booked a fully catered lodge, named Crocodile Bridge Safari Lodge, 500 meters from the Crocodile Bridge Gate, right next to the roads we had to drive 40 kms to get to last year. This lodge is outside the park, but sits right on the river that makes up the southern boundary of Kruger. And this has made all the difference! Breakfast is served at 7:15, or if you leave really early, they will pack it for you the night before. For dinner, all the guests are treated to a delicious buffet that is different every night. This is definitely not normal for us. We booked a luxury tent, so we experience nature every day and every night…in comfort!

One of the problems we have with sharing our experiences on a safari is the sheer number of pictures that need to be processed, edited, selected and then uploaded and posted. We have shot 4547 pictures on the good camera alone. But as I write this post, I get to sit in front of a warm fire, listening to the frogs and crickets lining the river. And I bet that if I turned on the flashlight, I might be treated to a sight like the one we saw on our first night here.

In the park proper, we have been treated to a new animal. The oribi is now my favorite antelope!

We’ve also encountered a new zebra behavior; resting heads on each other’s backs

We’ve also seen some new birds

Even though ostriches are not new birds to me, they are not at all common in southern Kruger, so I have featured them.

The lions are always a talking point on safari. This pride was trying to figure out where to go and how to get off the bridge…

And they did not want to cross the road, so they popped up into the hill on the right.

When all the cars cleared out and had forgotten that lions where ever there, we drove by the hill and up popped a curious head!

And another lion story happened 15 minutes before the park closed. I was hurrying to get to the gate when Rhia let out a cry and I slammed on my brakes. We were all alone for 10 minutes to experience two lion cubs playing.

Where’s mamma you ask? So did we! My first action after I stopped the car was to roll up my window. About 5 minutes into the experience, we saw, with relief, a long tail flick up in the grass behind the cubs. As the cubs continued to play, we quickly drove to the gate and exited 8 minutes late. We would have only been 7 minutes late, but we happened to pass a silver-backed jackal almost begging to be photographed so, of course, we had to oblige.

Then there are the tried and true regulars that we love taking photos of.

Elephants make such good, protective mothers. They’re very careful with their young at all times. We happened across this elephant circle around two non-moving baby elephants. We thought the little ones were dead and that this was a grief circle. But the youngsters were just sleeping while the rest of the herd stood around them to protect them!

The little ones are always fun to watch; they remind me of our two-year-old grandson!! And elephants have the patience of a saint with these playful offspring!

Unlike elephants, giraffes don’t seem to have much of a maternal feeling! They wander away from their little ones to graze, leaving the youngsters very vulnerable. They are beautiful creatures, though, and seem to have personalities that match their size.

There’s no way to represent all we’ve seen in the last three days but, hopefully, the photos give an idea of the beauty we’re seeing here. There’s something magical about watching animals in their natural habitat; it helps out the world to right when things are a bit wonky! I’m so grateful to have this opportunity!

Safaris are so beautiful! This is certainly my new hobby!