IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ANIMALS

---

Not going bore you with the four am wake up or the 7:30 arrival at JFK. Not going to detail the 14 1/2 hour fight to Johannesburg or passport control and customs or the 1.2 hour flight to Port Elizabeth or the bus ride to Kareiga Game Reserve mainly because I cat napped all the way. We arrived in time for lunch, checked in , ate a bite and were off on our first game drive.



A note about Kareiga. It is privately owned and has been in operation for about twenty years. Formerly the area, about 22,000 acres was farm and ranch land. The perimeter has been enclosed with an electric fence and the animals are free to roam. There is plenty of grassland for the gnu, waterbuck, bushbuck, eland, wildebeest, ostrich, giraffe and rhino to feed together. The lions feed on the ungulates. All the animals look healthy and have little fear of us. We are able to get up close, if not personal, with all but the birds.



The Reserve is slowly returning the land back to it's natural state. If exotic (not native) trees die, they are carted out and chopped for firewood. If it is a native specie, it is left to return to the soil to aid future plant growth. The only plant that has outwitted everyone is the prickly pear. No matter what is done, men haven't been able to eradicate it. The animals that eat it spread it's seeds with their feces. Cut it down and it will grown back from the roots. Burn it and the seeds will germinate. It drains water from the native vegetation and is very destructive to the habitat.



We have lucked out with our guide Solly. Originally from Capetown, he has worked in the Karu, Peru and who knows where else. His training is in animal behavior and his passion is astrology. He is knowledgable in botany as well. We climb aboard our vehicle and head out. We are soon among the animals and they graze without giving us more than a glance. Solly points out the identification features as we go along. A waterbuck has what looks like the imprint of a white toilet seat on his rear. The antelope has markings of the letter M on theirs just like McDonalds. Solly calls them fast food for the lions.



I knew that the ostrich plumage was different for the sexes but I didn't know why. The female is a dusky grey while the male is dark black on his back and white underneath. The female sits on the nest during the day and her plumage doesn't absorb too much sun. The male grazes during the day, raises his body temperature with his heat absorbing black feathers and radiates the heat to the eggs when he sits on the nest at night. Ain't nature grand?



It's just humans who are truly evil. There is a market in the Far East for rhino horn as an aphrodisiac (doesn't work and there is viagra) but one horn can fetch millions of $$ on the black market. Two years ago, poachers dropped into the reserve y helicopter and butchered the horn off a young female animal. They used hacksaws in order to not make noise and it was a particularly cruel attack. When the guards approached, the poachers took off in the helicopter and the animal was taken into care. Two months ago she has had what is hoped to be her last surgery. She is constantly monitored but seems content to roam with the herd.

We have really lucked out with the weather. Until Friday, there were torrential rains and many of the trails have been washed our. Saturday is sunny with a few fluffy clouds. As it gets late in the day, a fresh wind chills us and the jackets come on. Just before sundown we spot a pride of lion. We come upon the cubs first, two males and a female. Just like teenage boys the males pounce and wrestle with each other while the female watches and occasionally give them a cuff our two to keep them in line. Just beyond are two full grown females and a very proud young male. He look at us a yawns. Mom gives the cubs a short warning snort and then drops down for a nap.



Solly takes us to a spot where we get a great view of the sunset and then we drive to a spot where we can get out and enjoy a glass or two of wine or beer. Never in my wildest imagination when I was growing up did I expect to experience anything like this. We gather around and enjoy the twilight. We have four vehicles, thirty four traveling companions all interesting and experienced travelers. Solly takes out his favorite toy, a star pointer and shows us the Souther Cross and Scorpio. In the clear African sky with no ambient light I feel I can reach up and touch the stars. It was now time to go back to the lodge and have dinner before collapsing for a well earned sleep. we are in bed by nine and know of nothing until Joe wakes me up at 5am for our morning drive.



A note about the lodge. We are in a chalet with another couple, Rich and Cindy. We each have a wing with a large bed and bath. There is another bedroom with twin beds. In between is a kitchen and lounge with fireplace. In the back is a deck overlooking the valley with table and chairs. We walk to and from the restaurant/spa and that takes about 10-15 minutes. The food has been varied and uniformly excellent.

---