Getting up at 4:30am is always a struggle but after the excitement of the Lions and Rhino yesterday we all soon perked up and made our way to the safari jeep for our guided expedition. Although it was still completely dark you could already hear the chatter of nearby monkeys and birds waking up to the day ahead. It was also surprisingly cold – I was glad I remembered to bring my big hoody for warmth!
For the first hour or so we saw very little, it was still dark and all we had to scan the areas surrounding the roads were a couple of spotlights. All you could hope for was the reflection of a pair of eyes looking back at you. I was secretly hoping for the Leopard to finally make an appearance but the odds were incredibly low. We did manage to spot a Hyena and another Elephant up early so it wasn’t too bad in the dark.
The savannah really started to come alive as the sun inched its way above the horizon with the bright orange sun bringing a golden glow to everything it touched. As we slowly made our way down another quiet road we spotted a couple more White Rhino off in the distance. The beautiful beast have a strangle hold on our attention and no-one seems to notice what is lying on the road just basking in the early morning sunshine about 100m away. Even our guide is too busy explaining how rare the White Rhino is to realise that we have a Lioness waiting for us up ahead!
We slowly pull up alongside the female and soon realise she is accompanied by another Lioness perfectly camouflaged by the long grass next to the road. Both look amazing in the early morning sun and it is clear that they must have just got up also with the amount of huge yawns each one is taking! I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who suffers getting up early!
We take our time just sitting metres away from both creatures just watching every little movement and flap of their long tails. They stare back at us no doubt wondering what all the excited whispers and camera clicks are for. Before long they grow tired of us staring at them and decide it must be time to go off and grab a few Impala or maybe a Wildebeest for breakfast – there’s certainly no shortage of either in the Kruger!
The highlight of the afternoon was definitely when we sat watching a crocodile stalk a herd of Zebra as they tried to quench their thirst at the waterhole in the 40 degree heat. It felt like a scene out of Animal Planet as we waited holding our breath as the Croc inched closer and closer to the to the Zebra brave enough to take their eyes off the rippling water. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to see the Crocodile make a kill or whether I wanted the ‘Barcode Horses’ to survive!
In the end the Crocodile gave himself away and frightened away the Zebra before he could get close enough to take a bite – he would have to go hungry for a few more hours at least.
The Kruger Park is a truly magical place; a real life Disneyland. The whole experience, from staying in the mud ‘Rondawel’ (huts) to watching the King of the Jungle munching on his Giraffe ribs, was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to go and if you can spend a night or two in the park camps then that will only add to the experience!
Up tomorrow is the long drive down to Durban where hopefully I should be able to crack out my board shorts and get some surfing lessons in the Indian Ocean and turn my pasty white skin into a healthy bronze glow!
RMC x
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