The Kruger Day

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Well, we shall have to come back again as Mrs Reeves still hasn't seen a lion. We have spent more than a week in the Kruger across our trips without ever seeing one--is that approaching the record, I wonder? Never mind, at least we have continued to see many other animals and birds. Today that included two (separate) leopards, quite a rare sight, as well as giraffes, zebras, warthogs, kudus, bush buck, Cape buffaloes, duikers, mongooses (two different kinds), crocodiles, hippos (several sightings), monkeys, baboons, fish eagles, storks (two different kinds) and many other bird species. Cameras were clicking all day--Charlie has passed one thousand photos now--and our guides were founts of knowledge about everything from related species (zebras are related to rhinos!) to the signs of gender differences, from elephant communications to rhino poaching, and from the history of the park to different types of poo!

We did have a bad start, though. We were on the road early and following directions, but somehow amidst a welter of roadworks and speed restrictions which went on for miles through an informal settlement, we all missed the sign for the Numbi Gate where our guides were waiting. In fact, both our guides and the man at the Phlabeni Gate, through which we eventually entered, said they thought some signs had been removed temporarily owing to the roadworks. It meant we lost time early in the day, which is often a fruitful sighting period. However, our guides came up to Phlabeni to meet us and they were very nice about it. We then saw a lot in the morning, but had a quiet afternoon, though we did see the zebras then.

Everyone is well and we are looking forward to getting close up to some elephants tomorrow at a sanctuary in Hazyview. The drive up there is also spectacular, and includes a huge area of banana plantations.

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Comments

[David Hudson]

Boy or Baboon?
Which of the boys forgot to take a razor?