Kruger National Park

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We got ourselves a guide book and like studious 6 year olds we ticked off the animals as we saw them - strangely satisfying. Kruger stretches out for miles and is similar in size to Israel. Although it is fenced this protects the animals from poachers and they are free to roam where they choose. The tracks through the park are tarmac making game viewing a nice smooth ride. Visitors are not alllowed off these tracks and a hefty fine is issued if they are stupid enough to try. At first we stopped at giraffe, zebra and impala but after a while it's close encounters with rhino, lion and elephant that really excite. We stopped by a group of baboons. They were great to watch as they chased, groomed and pushed each other about but the action began when the big male spotted a ververt monkey with a bird and chased him down. The noise was full on with the other baboons screeching their excitement and the ververt monkeys scrambling to get away not wanting to give up their prize. After racing through the tree tops, the baboons chasing as a group, the ververt monkey dropped the bird in panic and it was promptly snatched up, plucked and devoured by the big male. Female lions lounged in the shade, panting with the heat and irritated by their tiny cubs clambering all over them as they snoozed. Wildebeest and zebra trotted by in their hundreds and small herds of elephant grazed contentedly by the river leaving huge footballs of poo as they went! Three warthog rushed out in front of the truck their tails up like the antennaes on a remote control car as they went disappearing back into the bush almost as quickly as they'd sprung out. Although elephants are my favourite - the warthogs were great fun to see and probably a close second.

The elephant museum offers a fascinating insight into the sheer scale of these mammals and sadly the sickening traps used by poachers to bring them down.

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