Kruger Safari

South Africa 2010
Kruger National Park
14-16 June 2010

Impalas are everywhere, so safari leaders don't usually even stop to view them. But, I find them some of the more majestic and beautiful animals in the park.

Water Buffalo
We saw four of the "big five" safari animals: lions, rhinos, elephants, and water buffalo (leopard is the fifth, which apparently are very difficult to see; perhaps this is a ploy to make sure visitors keep coming back to the park trying to complete the "big five"). Although they look like peaceful vegetarians, the water buffalo cause more harm to human visitors than any of the other animals in the park. When provoked, they can charge a car and do some serious damage.

During the cold winter, lions (and other animals) concregate near the road because the tar provides warmth.
The lions also take advantage of the road in their hunting, attempting to chase prey over the road so they will slip on its surface.

Kruger's beauty is at times hampered by the pollution spewing from the factory right outside the park boundary.

These monkeys lived on the roof of the house we stayed in Berg-en-Dal Camp.

Visitors are not permitted to be outside the gated camp areas after dusk, but you can go out on a guided night safari.
The lions do most of their hunting at night. The safari truck has hand-held search lights to find and illuminate the wildlife.

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On to Chile-Honduras (Nelspruit)


Visitors are not permitted to be outside the gated camp areas after dusk, but you can go out on a guided night safari. The lions do most of their hunting at night. The safari truck has hand-held search lights to find and illuminate the wildlife.