We have been fortunate to see many animals on this visit although not the big cats. However, plenty of elephants, in fact, an abundance of them but luckily, mostly in unique poses and positions—-it makes all the difference. People not familiar with the bush might think the sheer size of the creatures ensures they will always be visible. Not so. The nature of the bush, camouflage and an animal’s protective instincts ensures that it can be within feet from a path or road and it might appear almost invisible.
Don't know whether we prefer the tree to the heron. Call it a draw.
Not often behind Jenni—I like it. We are now officially tracking elephants hence, the 'boy-hero'
brings up the rear, in a manner of speaking. Spoors of leopard and rhino were also visible.
We learn from everyone, good and bad, animal and humans. At least two incidents occurred while visiting the Park which made memorable impressions. We were traveling along the Lower Sabie Road with daylight fading fast when we noticed three elephants in the bush. We decided to observe them more closely as we suspected they might cross the road and head towards the river. The group included a mother, an adolescent and baby. What has always been a most impressive concept for me is the human and animal maternal instinct. It is remarkable what a mother will do for a child. Anyway, the youngster walked from the bush and stepped onto the road. It struck us that he/she was showing off for Mom. His idea appeared to be to clear a path for the family in order to cross the road safely. We were closest to him so he chased us away in charging mode. Most times this is a ploy but who knows when it's not. Jenni made sure, in no uncertain terms, that I was ready for the 'charge'. I had reversed the car seconds earlier and positioned it so we would be in position to witness the crossing. Fortunately, other cars (viewers) that arrived after us kept well back. The youngster then returned to meet mom and his little sister at the side of the road. Mother and elder child pushed the baby between them, huddled close and crossed together. It was a wonderful sight, quite moving from our perspective. (See next picture.)
Twenty minutes later, we came across a herd of buffalo who were also returning ‘home’ for the evening. This time a mom huddled what appeared to be a newborn with her. The baby could hardly walk. It’s legs continuously collapsed and when it did manage to move, it was jaunty and springy. We would not be surprised to learn it was only hours old.
The narrative continues after the pictures...
A wonderful moment as mother and older child protect the baby.
"A direct result of Obamacare. I'm going to recommend and immediate colonoscopy. Book
an appointment with my colleague for a second opinion, below."
"Unfortunately, he's a trade unionist so you might have to wait a couple of months."
How about a little 'necking' later on, chiropractor recommended, of course?
'The lonely bull'. Cape Buffalo preparing for evening.
"You scratch my back and I'll take you for a ride. (Ox pecker.)"
Satisfaction of that magnitude can only occur after swallowing a Cadbury Double-Deck Milk Chocolate.
A new favorite animal, the Nyala bull: We're serious, no bull.
Don't grovel, you boar. Stand up like a man...well, you know what I mean.
Relax! The Jews only need a lamb for Passover, you're quite safe.
"Listen to me, you don't have a leg to stand on...well, at least one I suppose."
'Oh when the saints coming marching in.' The true kings and queens of the jungle crossing the
Lower Sabie River. (Can you spot the 12th?)
What? You don't like my body? Do I look fat?
"Here's the deal. You put that fire stick down before we arm wrestle."
"Can you shut your mouth...beak for just a moment, we have headaches from the squawking."
"It's my high-heels; they're killing me...wait up."
Well, what can we add: With your looks, we can only hope you have wonderful charisma.
This was a good bit of spotting; at the time, the pair of rhinos were lying down. One wonders what causes
fatigue early in the morning, following a night of rest...Oh! okay, we get it.
Hyena feeding pups at dusk on side of road. We don't have much love for this species but could not
help feeling sorry for the worn-out mom.
Newborn buffalo calf being shepherded across the road. Wouldn't be surprised to learn it was born
that day. The kid could hardly walk.
Baby being protected, a sight to raise the spirits.
The group doubles back and approaches elephants from dry river bed. It looked like a risky
maneuver but what do we know.
A mass of elephants. Teddy bears have picnics, elephants enjoy swimming parties.
'Yep! It's a cavity'. Mother and child hippos playing the fool.
We've never before seen so many elephants. However, most were in unusual positions and provided
some fascinating moments.
Following an earlier rain, the tortoises 'raced' to the road to quench their thirsts.
An inquisitive trio.
Working at Skukuza camp, homo-nearly-sapiens.
The Bushwalk
We had decided to take the guided bushwalk, something we’ve never done before although they might not have been available when we lived in the country many years ago. The group consisted of eight people plus a leader, Pilot, and an assistant, Lucky. We were hoping it was a good omen, being led by a 'lucky pilot'. As they say, rather lucky than smart. Both fellows were armed with rifles and extra bullets circumventing their adequate waists. Whether the rifles could fire or the men were competent hunters were questions not asked. We had enough to think about.
Jenni had thought about undertaking the hike, was a little hesitant at first but embraced the idea at decision time. Tragically, some years ago, a young woman whom we knew was killed by an elephant on one of these bushwalks. We believe she came too close to the baby and the guard was not up to the task of protecting her from the mother. We know her parents and often recall their great loss and subsequent ongoing pain.
Our group, armed with cameras and instructions of what to do in case of action, were ready. The team included a Dutch couple, two Spanish women and a Swedish pair. We, of course, were representing both the USA and the home country—big deal! The idea that we should not run from a charging animal but rather stand our ground was an interesting command. We somehow think that people might take that as a suggestion rather than act upon it. Nevertheless, I have learned that one does not have to outrun the animal but rather, be quicker than your group or partner—tough guy! At the time, we did not know we were tracking elephants, a leopard and a black rhino until the guide pointed out the spoors. Frankly, the color of the rhino seemed irrelevant. In fact, it turned out that three elephants were ahead of our group. We suppose a person might as well jump into the deep end. Still, what's wrong with stalking an Impala? (By the way, although they are called 'white' rhinos, the more appropriate term is 'wide'.)
The guide ensured we were downwind of the animals, even we knew that. He then showed us and explained the various spoors including a hands-on examination of dung. That was most refreshing. Later, when we came across fresh droppings and the chirping from a bird or two, we knew we were close to our target. We spotted the giant animals but did not get clear views for the camera. It was quite thrilling peering through the trees and eavesdropping on the big fellas. Suddenly, the wind changed direction and the elephants sensed we were in the vicinity. We doubled back, moved north, entered a dry riverbed and approached from a different angle. In my ‘wisdom’, I thought this was a dangerous move as we would be approaching from the river with the elephants above us. Should we surprise them, the surprise might be all ours. After ten minutes, we heard grunts and got a glimpse of the brutes again. We did not stay long. I don’t know what was decided as I was bringing up the rear with Jenni in front of me. Apparently, nightfall was close.
At all times, we both felt comfortable and enjoyed the outing very much—could easily do it again. We would love to track a vicious tortoise on the next occasion. The most dangerous, overt aspect was avoiding the unpleasant thorn bushes. We don’t have thick skins, figuratively speaking, too. There is no doubt jungles and veld filled with animals are dangerous places. They don’t wish us harm but their self-preservation mechanism ensures they protect themselves. Should we be perceived as a threat, they would take hostile measures, no doubt about that. Of course, should a mother have a baby with her then there is no longer much sympathy for the human and the beast will act accordingly.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
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