Today was only a one
day dash. We entered the park through Numbi Gate early in the morning and
quickly we spotted a small journey of giraffes. There were two on one side, one
crossing the road in front and two youngsters were still on the other side. We
waited a while for them to cross, but they weren't paying attention or were
distracted by something on the other side as neither of them wanted to make any
attempt of crossing.
We continued our drive. We spotted our first of many impalas, three white rhinos hidden in the grass, two buffalos having a stand-off in the high grass that made them almost invisible and two klipspringers standing like statues on one of the rocky bits. Then suddenly there was movement on our right, close by the vehicle and we saw three lionesses walking by climbing up the Shabeni mountain. On a higher area a young male was also getting up. We watched them climb to the top and were hoping they would come out on the other side. We turned around to have a look. We did see them but unfortunately just their heads. They had decided the top of the rock was the best place to relax in the sun.
We left the lions to continue on Napi. Down the road we encountered zebras, a male steenbok, a large group of kudus with two nice fully grown bulls (one of which was clearly checking out a female), a hyena cub sunning outside its den, a warthog, a pair of hawk eagles and just before Skukuza a very old male giraffe. Some birds were also photographed: purple crested turaco, crested barbet and cape glossy starlings to name some.
After the break we took a loop around the river looking for elephants. And we indeed did got lucky. In between the bush we saw three elephant bums. Occasionally a trunk went up out of the bushes to get to the leaves on top. Excited about our first elephants we took many photos, but still hoping for a better sighting. We drove on, but stopped for warthogs, a brown hooded kingfisher, some nice impalas and hippos.
We stopped at high level bridge, over the Sabie river. Hippos were coming out of the water to lie in the sun as well as feed a bit more. Crocodiles were lounging on sand banks, a saddle billed stork was walking across and vervet monkeys were playing in the trees on the other side.
On Marula tar we kept our gaze mostly on the riverside as it was getting hot today. We spotted a nice elephant bull on the opposite side with a buffalo close by lounging in the riverbed. A nyala was trying to hide in the bush while hanging out with kudus and impalas. And we also saw a fish eagle.
After lunch, which we had at Skukuza again, we drove down Doispane. Our first sighting after lunch was a very unhappy one: a hyena was lying dead on the side of the road. When we stopped next to it we saw the flies around a large straight wound, one that looked like as if it had been hit by a car. Sad with this sighting and hoping that people would drive more careful, we drove on.
At a small waterhole we spotted a family of warthogs. While watching them dig while leaning on their wrists, we spotted a giraffe making a water ballet while drinking. And that grey rock on the side turned out to be a white rhino that was waiting for the giraffe to clear off so he could have a mud bath.
Later on we also saw more zebras, two white rhinos close to the vehicle, lilac breasted rollers, a female steenbok, green wood-hoopoes giving a concert and a crested barbet that was feeding young ones hiding in a tree hole.
We had seen many impalas today but just before Nyamundwa Dam we stopped to watch an impala show. The male was obviously not pleased with one of the females and chased her loudly around the open area. When she tried to hide in the herd he singled her out again and continued. He snorted and grunted! The rest of the herd watch comically while making a "huh" kind of noise. The pair even chased two waterbucks out of their comfortable shady spot!
The last bit of today's drive was down Albassini. Here we finally saw zebras in plain view instead of through bushes as a harem was crossing the road in front of us. To make it better they took their time crossing, forming a nicely striped roadblock, or, as they would have it, a zebra crossing. We were also treated to multiple elephant bulls, one of which docilely feeding right next to the vehicle. This gave us some amazing pictures to end the day!
We continued our drive. We spotted our first of many impalas, three white rhinos hidden in the grass, two buffalos having a stand-off in the high grass that made them almost invisible and two klipspringers standing like statues on one of the rocky bits. Then suddenly there was movement on our right, close by the vehicle and we saw three lionesses walking by climbing up the Shabeni mountain. On a higher area a young male was also getting up. We watched them climb to the top and were hoping they would come out on the other side. We turned around to have a look. We did see them but unfortunately just their heads. They had decided the top of the rock was the best place to relax in the sun.
We left the lions to continue on Napi. Down the road we encountered zebras, a male steenbok, a large group of kudus with two nice fully grown bulls (one of which was clearly checking out a female), a hyena cub sunning outside its den, a warthog, a pair of hawk eagles and just before Skukuza a very old male giraffe. Some birds were also photographed: purple crested turaco, crested barbet and cape glossy starlings to name some.
After the break we took a loop around the river looking for elephants. And we indeed did got lucky. In between the bush we saw three elephant bums. Occasionally a trunk went up out of the bushes to get to the leaves on top. Excited about our first elephants we took many photos, but still hoping for a better sighting. We drove on, but stopped for warthogs, a brown hooded kingfisher, some nice impalas and hippos.
We stopped at high level bridge, over the Sabie river. Hippos were coming out of the water to lie in the sun as well as feed a bit more. Crocodiles were lounging on sand banks, a saddle billed stork was walking across and vervet monkeys were playing in the trees on the other side.
On Marula tar we kept our gaze mostly on the riverside as it was getting hot today. We spotted a nice elephant bull on the opposite side with a buffalo close by lounging in the riverbed. A nyala was trying to hide in the bush while hanging out with kudus and impalas. And we also saw a fish eagle.
After lunch, which we had at Skukuza again, we drove down Doispane. Our first sighting after lunch was a very unhappy one: a hyena was lying dead on the side of the road. When we stopped next to it we saw the flies around a large straight wound, one that looked like as if it had been hit by a car. Sad with this sighting and hoping that people would drive more careful, we drove on.
At a small waterhole we spotted a family of warthogs. While watching them dig while leaning on their wrists, we spotted a giraffe making a water ballet while drinking. And that grey rock on the side turned out to be a white rhino that was waiting for the giraffe to clear off so he could have a mud bath.
Later on we also saw more zebras, two white rhinos close to the vehicle, lilac breasted rollers, a female steenbok, green wood-hoopoes giving a concert and a crested barbet that was feeding young ones hiding in a tree hole.
We had seen many impalas today but just before Nyamundwa Dam we stopped to watch an impala show. The male was obviously not pleased with one of the females and chased her loudly around the open area. When she tried to hide in the herd he singled her out again and continued. He snorted and grunted! The rest of the herd watch comically while making a "huh" kind of noise. The pair even chased two waterbucks out of their comfortable shady spot!
The last bit of today's drive was down Albassini. Here we finally saw zebras in plain view instead of through bushes as a harem was crossing the road in front of us. To make it better they took their time crossing, forming a nicely striped roadblock, or, as they would have it, a zebra crossing. We were also treated to multiple elephant bulls, one of which docilely feeding right next to the vehicle. This gave us some amazing pictures to end the day!
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