Friday, February 14, 2014

Wet and wild

Unusually for me I was awake, out of bed and bushy-tailed at 5am on Sunday morning, ready for another game drive. But my bushy tail was soon dampened as the rain fell harder and harder. Fortunately most of our party were still up for it, and our driver and guide, Peter, was happy to oblige, though he admitted the weather would make seeing wild animals even more of a challenge.

Only 5 minutes down the track we encountered our first animals, a pair of impala momentarily caught in the headlights before skipping off into the bush. Then we saw a hyena in the long grass at the side of the road.


More impala, not far from the entrance to Hwange Game Park. Aren't they pretty?



These ostriches were just sitting in the long grass.


We stopped at this hide for coffee, and from our elevated position, overlooking a water pan, we could se three kinds of animals.


These zebras grazing under an acacia tree.



A big crocodile resting in the shallows.


And a family of hippos surfacing and submerging in the water.


Moving on, we passed a herd of wildebeest.


Some waterbuck, looking as if they were lined up ready for target practice 😄


These crested cranes are so beautiful.


A herd of buffalo.


Giraffes having breakfast.



Suddenly we spotted another safari vehicle parked near a thicket several hundred meters away, a sign that there was something interesting going on. Then we saw them. Lions!




They had killed a young giraffe and were resting, their tummies nicely full from their meal. The rest of the pride retreated to the safety of the thicket when our vehicle approached, but if you look very closely you might see a little face peeking out.


Again we returned to the camp without seeing elephants, but the lion kill was excitement enough. What a fantastic start to the day!


7 comments:

  1. You are having such a great experience......just imagine the memories you are storing up in your head!

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  2. I am really enjoying following along with your African adventure! Your photos are stunning. My daughter is applying for a college term in Kenya and Tanzania this Fall. And she wants us to come visit!

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  3. wow you saw quite a bit there - you must have a good zoom lens!! wonderful memories of your trip to share with your family and friends

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  4. I was really impressed that you saw emus!!! Then I decided that the 5am start might have been catching up with you, as I scrolled through your great photos! I am definitely keen for a trip to Africa if this is what you see on a "bad" day! Glad you saw the lions at close quarters when they had full tummies!

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  5. Love all the pictures of the animals you saw! Good for you for braving the rain - super rewarded for it, weren't you?? Thanks for sharing this mother lode of beautiful animals!

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  6. A-maz-ing! I can't believe all the animals you're seeing. Such a great variety! Looks like something from an African Safari where you would be aiming to bring home something for your trophy wall. But no. Glad you're enjoying what you're seeing, and that you're having a fantastic adventure.

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