I will never
forget our times on safari – guided or on our own – mostly in the low veld at
Kruger National Park game reserve, where animals wander freely and without
political borders -- there's an area between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique called the Great Limpopo. Animals come and go establishing their own migratory
rules. Most of Kruger Park is in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces northeast of
Pretoria; distinctive wooded savannah and tropical riverine forests cover
glorious terrain and dramatic landscapes.
Early dawn is best hour for sightings of elephants drinking from water holes or grazing on the marshlands, perhaps a glimpse of a lioness and her cubs feeding at the site of an earlier antelope or zebra kill … a pacing leopard, on the way to his den after a night of arduous work, or possibly a pride of lions stalking their prey at dusk. Giraffes are noted for being everywhere among the thorny acacias that shade parts of the park; White rhinos are difficult to spot but what a special treat when that happens! Time and patience is all it takes; experience is also important for the outings and sightings: pre-dawn and just after sunset are prime times. Kruger has the famous ‘Big Five’-- buffalo, rhino, lion, leopard, elephant -- and we saw them all at different times, but nature is unpredictable, one never knows what will show up, not even the experienced guides, because they have no control over the animals or their amblings for any specific day.
Life in South Africa cannot be complete without indulging -yearly if not more often- in safaris. Safaris for us were fun when visitors came to town, but we managed some on our own, not only at Kruger but in reserves in Botswana, Namibia and other areas of Zimbabwe as well.
Long boots and long sleeve gear are necessary when going on safari -especially when a walking outing is arranged- and a good camera (!), remembering that opportunities to capture great wildlife shots sometimes happen without notice!
Early dawn is best hour for sightings of elephants drinking from water holes or grazing on the marshlands, perhaps a glimpse of a lioness and her cubs feeding at the site of an earlier antelope or zebra kill … a pacing leopard, on the way to his den after a night of arduous work, or possibly a pride of lions stalking their prey at dusk. Giraffes are noted for being everywhere among the thorny acacias that shade parts of the park; White rhinos are difficult to spot but what a special treat when that happens! Time and patience is all it takes; experience is also important for the outings and sightings: pre-dawn and just after sunset are prime times. Kruger has the famous ‘Big Five’-- buffalo, rhino, lion, leopard, elephant -- and we saw them all at different times, but nature is unpredictable, one never knows what will show up, not even the experienced guides, because they have no control over the animals or their amblings for any specific day.
Life in South Africa cannot be complete without indulging -yearly if not more often- in safaris. Safaris for us were fun when visitors came to town, but we managed some on our own, not only at Kruger but in reserves in Botswana, Namibia and other areas of Zimbabwe as well.
Long boots and long sleeve gear are necessary when going on safari -especially when a walking outing is arranged- and a good camera (!), remembering that opportunities to capture great wildlife shots sometimes happen without notice!
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