Enock taking guests out for a morning game drive.
They are often astounded at how large Kruger National Park is.
Believe it or not, the park comprises 19,485 square kilometres (7,523 sq mi).
Morning game drive times can commence when the camp gates open
and the evening game drives have to be finished before the camp gates close.
The opening and closing times vary, depending on the season:
Opening times range from 04h30 to 06h00.
and closing times from 17h30 to 18h30
Sighting cannot be guaranteed as the animals move about freely.
This posting shows some of what visitors can expect to see...
Hyena pups, as far as many guests are concerned,
should be one of the "Cute 5", should such a list exist.
As adults they might lose the "cuteness" factor,
but they do gain this inquisitive look that endears them to many
A large bull elephant doing a happy dance?
He has food, water and a safe place to roam, why should he not be happy.
There were originally 8 elephants in the park that had tusks exceeding 2m.
They were known as "Tuskers" and are now all deceased.
The Parks board has identified 12 new Tuskers, this might be one of those.
One of the more elusive of the cats.
This female leopard and her cub were a long way from the road.
When a cub is so young, the mother likes to find inaccessible places to keep her offspring safe.
One of the most predominant species in the park,
and often, for that reason, they are overlooked.
December/January is lambing season and the bush comes alive with many newborns.
All animals leave dung "lying around"...
It is the job of the Dung Beetle to collect and utilizes what he requires.
These balls are rolled and used to attract females for mating.
Visitors have to be vigilant...
It is not only larger game species that can attract their attention.
Be alert and you might notice this Flap-necked Chameleon making its way across the road.
A Leopard Tortoise looking for something to eat on the side of the road.
A Giant Land snail.
Not something that is normally found on a check list, but a sighting never the less.
Hippo are not often spotted out of the water during the day.
This one might have mistimed its night time foraging schedule
and was heading back into the water.
While this White Rhino ate, the birds were catching the insects that were being disturbed.
A symbiotic relationship? Not really as only the birds benefit.
A young Zebra caught in the fading evening light
Unusually, this Kudu bull was NOT hiding in the bush,
but was standing on top of a termite mound.
With the summer rains, the vegetation has become very dense.
So the mound offers a height advantage in order to spot predators.
Giraffe do NOT need a termite mound.
They have become firm favourites with International visitors
The most dangerous of the "Big 5".
The African Bufffalo.
The raptor species in Kruger are what a lot of birders come for.
This Steppe Buzzard was eating something that was not identifiable.
Baboons in silhouette.
Visitors often want the Big 5 or at the very least cats (lions, leopard and cheetah)
But that is not always possible.
The Tented Adventures rangers are well trained and know where to look,
but often the animals don't get the email and are elsewhere when the vehicle drives by.
That is part of why our guests enjoy being on our vehicles.
The anticipation, excitement and joy when sighting do occur.
*BREAKING NEWS*
Tented Adventures recently won a Lilizela Tourism award!
Well done to all concerned.
To find out more about what we offer,
visit our website:
No comments:
Post a Comment