Kruger’s wildlife experience

11th – 14th April 2012

Having driven 550 kms today, heading South from Kruger National Park to Kwa Zulu Natal province, we realise how much wildife there was in in and around the Park during the week we have spent there, compared to hardly any during our drive.    So I’m going to share some of the photos we’ve taken whilst visiting the Park and  the rescued wildlife at the Moholoholo Rescue centre, just North of the Blyde River Canyon we visited on our way to Kruger National Park.

David drove our rental  car around the Park Northwards on the 2nd day, to the area called Satara, and encountered as many animals, if not more than on our first day, and even saw more antelope.  We saw no lions, but did see a large number of vulture circling close to a water area, indicating that probably there had been a kill by lions or a leapord just below them, but we could not see that far off the road, and we are not allowed out of our car.

We saw these wild dogs just after we entered the park, early morning again, they must have just killed an animal, as they were not moving away whilst we watched them, and 8 hours later, they were still there as we left the park.  They are more intelligent and efficient at killing their prey than lions, and are very successful in the park with soo many impala around

We saw many elephants along the way, especially all their droppings!  Our guide had told us that if you make tea with that, it’s as good as medicine, as there are so many tree varieties that they eat and digest! (I’d rather not)

This waterhole had many zebra, waterbuck and wilderbeast around it. (too far away for my camera) We’re told that lions prefer the denser bush, so that they can approach their prey without detection, hence we saw lots of game and no lions when we reached these areas.

Good tusks on this warthog!

A whole herd of impala cross the road, actually a harem, as there was only one male with them!  We actually saw many males together on other occasions, probably young ones, not yet attached!  April is the mating season though,  and we did see some males having the occasional fight, but I didn’t get the shots as by the time I’d focus,they got shy and gave up!

This looks like a black rhino, but the square lip on it means its a white one!  He looks black because he’s just come out of the water!

These are female waterbucks, the antlered males were busy having a fight, but too far away for my camera.

Lunch-time at Satara rest camp, this starling decides he wants to share my sandwich!

So did the yellow hornbill!

Two of these Southern ground hornills were just walking along the road!  Look at those eyelashes!  They are huge, and make the weirdest drumming noise, which carries a long way, not doubt that’s why they have such a huge throat.

This fish eagle was  just taking off as we approached him

Close up of the white back vulture that were circling.  This one was at the rescue centre, and we were able to walk in the enclosure with them and feed them.  David had a go, but I did not, they mst weight 13 kgs as they land on your arm, they are huge!

The leopard is so hard to find in the wild, although there are plenty of them wer’e told.  What a treat to get a close up at the rescue centre.

Sshe cannot be released now, as shes too used to being in captivity.

Same goes for this cheetah, brrought up by bottle feeding, now used for educational purposes for the visitors to the centre

What a splendid bird this baterleur eagle is, we saw many eagle varieties in the wild,but not this one!