On safari With Gert 23 January 2016

23 January 2016

After an early breakfast we departed for our morning game drive at 06:00, in very nice conditions, a bit of cloud around and not too hot.

It started off a good morning for the large herbivores, as we saw 2 different small herds of old male Buffalo. The first were all lying down in the grass, about 5m from our vehicle, eventually being spurred into at least getting up, by the incessant chirping of Oxpeckers wanting breakfast. The second lot of old males, were also still lying down, one with a set of deeply curved and very impressive horns.

We also found large Elephant Bulls at regular intervals along one of the roads, including 1 very relaxed and feeding close to the vehicle, while posing nicely for a few shots! Another bull was feeding on a Marula tree - elephants favorite this time of year - a little further in and we watched as the entire tree shook with the efforts of the elephant to get the fruit to drop.

We had a good, but quick sighting of Spotted Hyena at their den, before they moved into the den, although one of the females with 2 cubs settled in a shady spot, but out of sight.

Shortly before our morning coffee break we came across a lone male Lion, lazing on top of a large termite mound. While we were there he decided to change position and he got up for everyone to get a good view and a few nice shots, before he settled down and got comfortable.

One of the highlights however, was a troop of baboons under a Marula tree. They were feeding on the fallen fruit and the nuts found inside the seed. While the adults were engrossed in their feast, a few youngsters, about 6 weeks old, entertained themselves and us, by climbing a thin overhanging branch and proceeding to hang by one arm or upside down by their feet and then trying to fight each other off.

After lunch and a break back at camp we went out again for a late afternoon drive, during which we saw a breeding herd of about 40 elephants crossing the road in a drainage line in front of our vehicle, as well as a mother with a baby giraffe, about 4 months old. Ending off our drive we saw 2 Verraux's Eagle Owls in a large Jackalberry tree, certainly not an everyday sighting!