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A memorable day in Kruger Park
2012.02.29
This leopard was one of the first creatures we saw after leaving camp at dawn. It was my first safari, and I wasn't really sure what to expect, giving the experience a surreal tint.
Encountering a big cat in the wild is amazing for so many reasons, but what impressed me most is the authoritative confidence of an animal that is free and unlikely to be eaten by anything else. As a human, it really puts you in your place. |
A hippo gives us stink-eye from the waters of Sunset Dam.
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A young impala grazes with the herd.
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Every lilac-breasted roller sighting was a delight.
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Cape buffalo block the road.
Cape buffalo, leopards, elephants, lions and rhinos make up the Big Five, a term formerly used by hunters for the greatest, most dangerous animals to hunt. According to my Kruger map guide, "One is considered privileged to view all these animals during a visit to the Kruger Park." With two of the Big Five under our belts within the hour, we were feeling pretty good and continued on our way, only to meet... |
The boss.
Once again, coming upon a creature like a lion casually ambling down the road towards you (while you are safe in a car, mind) is so incongruous with the life of a city dweller that it doesn't quite seem real. This lion passed us and continued up the road with a sense of purpose. We turned around and followed (pic 2). He began making short, little roars, and eventually was answered by another male lion who came out of the bush towards him. We weren't sure how this would play out, but then they rubbed their cheeks against each other and disappeared into the bush together (pic 3). Not ten minutes later, we encountered another two male lions who walked down the road quite a ways before going back into the bush. |
A young baboon hangs out on the road.
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An even younger baboon catches a ride (top photo).
The baboon troop returns to the road after we pass (lower pic). |
An elephant during musth, hence the secretions behind the eyes.
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Above, a steppe buzzard, below, a white-backed vulture.
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Above, an elephant family moves through the landscape in the distance.
Below, tracks in the mud lead to and from the water. |
An alert vervet monkey.
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A vervet monkey keeps an eye out while sneaking a bite.
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Of all the creatures we saw, the warthogs often seemed to be the most alert and wary.
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Marabou storks hang out on the banks of Sunset Dam while a pair of hippos brawl in the water.
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Left, a pied kingfisher hovers over the water, waiting to dive for fish.
Right, a very large elephant became very hard to see after going into the grass near the water for a cool down. |
A storm blows in near Lower Sabie.
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A lovely weaver nest.
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Left, a wire-tailed swallow rests near the water as a breeze picks up.
Right, terrapins bask in the sun. |
A giant kingfisher hunkers on the edge of a bridge as a storm blows in.
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Vultures congregate in the trees.
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Above, a kudu, below, warm sunshine.
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More baboons at sunset.
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A brown snake eagle soars at sunset.
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The aforementioned sunset.
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These were the only white rhinos we saw during our three days in the park, which is unusual.
Kruger has a huge rhino poaching problem, with animals being shot or darted and their horns hacked off to be used for "medicine" in Vietnam and China. The situation is so bad in the park that they have deployed military personnel, although how helpful they'll be remains unclear. The park has also stopped identifying the locations of rhinos on their game maps so as to not direct poachers directly to the animals. On the day we arrived, two rhinos were found dead, horns removed (read about it here). For more excellent reportage on the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, go here. |
A leopard who was remarking his territory after the rain heads into the bush.
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An African rock python stretches across the road, giving us time to pause in our night drive.
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Hippos on land (by which I mean that blur to the right) need heed no signs.
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A tubby crocodile waits for food to come to him.
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Great shots.... even in the safe car, it must be something exceptional to face a powerful animal like a lion.
Unchained · 2012-03-22: 14:12
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Views: 376
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