We left Cape Town and flew to the northeast corner of South Africa to visit Kruger National park. We decided taking a vehicle and driving ourselves was the way to go. So, we rented a car from the airport and drove a couple hours to the park. Once inside, it was quite a sight. First of all, this park is not like any other park. It’s huge and teeming with wildlife. Although we could go hours without seeing major wildlife, there was life all around us. For me, the contrast with the Serengeti in Tanzania was stark. Both were great experiences, and I recommend either for a safari experience.
In Kruger, we spent the first few nights at a lodge in the middle of the park and the last two at an opulent lodge, just outside one of the gates (no camping on this trip).
Ok, enough commentary, here are the images from the safari.
This is an African eagle that was landing right after sunrise and one of my favorite images from the trip.
We got up early every morning, since that is often the best time to see the animals. So, although 5:30AM seemed a little early, it made for majestic sunrises.
This eagle was kind enough to pose for us.
This bull elephant greeted us on our arrival to the park. He wasn’t too happy we tried to drive by him, so he turned and made a motion to charge us. Unfortunately, this is one situation we could have used a guide. We didn’t know if it was better to acquiesce and back up, or hold our ground. In the end, we yielded to the massive animal coming our way and he eventually left the road and allowed us to pass. It was an exciting start!
Another bull elephant that wouldn’t allow us to pass. We ended up waiting for about 45 minutes. During which time, he was apparently waiting for a female, as you can see from the picture. Count his legs… 4 legs, a trunk, and yes, that is what you think it is.
Here he is again, with his one tusk. These elephants were huge … especially up close. They were over 10 feet high (>3m) and weigh in at between 11,000 and 13,000 pounds (5-6,000kg).
Impala are by far the most numerous animal in the park. They are in two types of group: all males, or one male with a harem of females (as is the case here)
Here’s another male impala in the late summer grass.
This brightly colored bird was a very active (and efficient) scavenger at our hotel. They sat outside, waiting for someone to leave their plate unattended for a moment, and would flit in to grab a morsel.
This is the sight that greeted us as we rounded a corner… a troupe of baboons.
They are not the nicest creatures so we didn’t mind seeing them in the rearview mirror.
This is a female Kudu. She’s an antelope, and while not quite as impressive as the male kudu you’ll see later, still very regal.
This giraffe was grabbing an early morning bite to eat.
After that, we were inspired to do the same. So, we finished our early morning game drive and came back to our camp to have a latte with a view.
These hippos provided great viewing pleasure.
This is a vervet monkey. However, we also heard them referred to as blue monkeys. You’ll see why in a couple pictures.
Much cuter than the baboons.
Can you see why now?
This is a blue-cheeked bee-eater.
Here is the king of the antelope, a Kudu. You can tell how old they are by the number of spirals in the horn. Each turn is approximately 5 years.
Another female kudu.
This is a female waterbuck and her youngster. They are also in the antelope family.
This is my favorite animal we saw on the trip. The ever elusive leopard. We were fortunate enough to see three.
So, that covers part one of the safari. Three more to go. Up next we’ll have giraffe, impala, zebra, and birds…
Until then.
–Jim
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