Kruger National Park

Back in South Africa, which I am really enjoying. I wish we had more time here .We flew back from Vic Falls, then got another flight straight out to Kruger, Geoff is desperate to avoid Jo’burg. We only have two nights at Kruger, so no time to rest. We hired a car online, and when we collected it, it’s an 8-seater van! Good for game viewing, you are up high to see over the long grass in Kruger. I am sitting on the porch of our bungalow typing while impala wander around in front of me. There are also lots of vervet monkeys, baboons and guinea fowl about the camp. We are allowed to drive ourselves around Kruger, as long as we don’t get out of the car. I don’t know what happens if we get a flat tyre.

Highlights:

1.       Last night at dusk, a cheetah crossed the road right in front of our car, peed on the tree just outside my door, and walked alongside the car. We were lucky, there are not that many cheetahs in the park. We also saw lots of hippos, and a family of lions through the grass.

2.       Up before dawn tracking rhino on foot with the rangers. We had a close encounter, white rhino only about  10 metres from us. As we were all crouched being silent as mice, I had to remind myself that they have very poor vision, but excellent hearing and sense of smell. We were so close, I did not dare to take a photo, for fear of the noise. The ranger decided he was getting too close , so he threw a rock into the bush to distract him. You’ll be glad to know the rangers are armed, but have never had to fire more than a warning shot. Then we saw another rhino with a 12 month old calf, but not so close.

3.   Late in the afternoon, we came upon a herd of elephants swimming, playing, fighting and mating in the dam. I guess it makes sense to mate in the water when you are the size of an elephant.

Observations:

1.       I can now tell the difference between black rhino poo and white rhino poo. White rhinos only eat grass, and black rhino poo is full of twigs and leaves. I can also tell which way an elephant was heading from its tracks.

2.    Never leave the car window down in a National Park. Some guys were pitching their tent at dusk, and I had to go over to them and say, "Excuse me, is that your car? It's full of monkeys and they're stealing stuff." It was only the lollies they got away with.

Africa's second most dangerous animal. (The most dangerous is the mosquito, we think. Luckily it's the dry season and we've hadly seen any, but taking the malaria meds anyway)

Sunset at Kruger

Tracking rhino at dawn

Play-fighting, it seems

Kruger landscape