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Published: September 24th 2019
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When you come to Africa and go on safari, everyone is supposed to want to see the Big Five, this is the elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino. Not always easy apparently, but we did it today!
Another early start, and very cold, and again we set out to look for the rhino! Headed to the north east of the park where rumour had it there were rhino to be found. Up till this point, the game drives appeared to be randomly driving the tracks that criss cross the park, accidentally coming upon animals, or going where others had sighted something. Today we saw the tracking skills of our ranger/driver and our tracker. They first saw rhino tracks headed to an area we were not allowed to enter. (Thornybush is a private game reserve, one of many adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the past these reserves were fenced, but the fences have been removed, including the fence adjoining Kruger, so that the animals can move freely. Apparently, the elephants knocked the fences over anyway. So while the animals can roam freely, the game drives cannot, and must stay within their reserve. So could not follow those rhino tracks.)
We did see some water buck, and a herd of wildebeest, then they found another set of tracks, and we then drove in a circle around the area where the rhino was headed, to see if there were any tracks out. Finding none, they parked the jeep, and left us (not so sure about that) and tracked the animal on foot. In private game reserves, they are allowed to drive off the tracks, but only to see an animal, they cannot "track" in the vehicle. So we sat in the jeep and waited, and they came back, having found a mother rhino and her calf. But she had seen them and started moving, so we then drove (very quickly) to the place closest to where they found her, drove a bit more (off road) and came across them. They were on the move, so they parked the jeep so that they would walk in front of us. Amazing!
Then, after another coffee stop, we came across a buffalo near the side of the track - and that completed our big five! Ranger and tracker were very happy!
Off to see another two female lions who were "hunting" (as
opposed to lying around). Trying to get warthogs out of their hole. Another couple of giraffe sighted, and it was back to the lodge. Did discover today that the herds of deer like animals we see everywhere are impala, a type of antelope. (On lots of menus!)
With our big five ticked off, our afternoon game drive was about finding zebra, which some in our jeep had not seen. Came across impala, giraffe and a kudu (another antelope), but no zebra. Then two hyenas, with two puppies, very cute. Our ranger said he was out of ideas for where the zebra might be hiding, and literally 30 seconds later, we heard - oh, there the are! And they were, a herd, but some distance from the track, and behind many trees and shrubs. Time for our last sundowners - Amarula on offer tonight!
Back to the lodge for dinner in the "boma" tonight. This is an enclosed outdoor eating area, and we had bbq for dinner, and local singing entertainment.
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