So. Africa: Spring '06
May saw the first of Chris's photo safaris to Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the fifth consecutive year Chris has run Africa Wild. Follow how events unfolded in this web diary.
Leopards and their spots
2nd June 2006
Last night we had a report that a leopard had been sighted in a nearby tree with a kill. We rise earlier than normal and head out before first light. Just 4KM from camp, in the dawn light we strike gold. Not just one leopard but a female with two cubs � the rarest of all Kruger sightings. Later we chance upon another rare Kruger species, the sable antelope. It�s the first time I�ve ever seen the animal, either in the wild or captive. It�s a day of firsts � and we�ve bagged the big five!
A royal treat
3rd June 2006
Another report. Lions have been spotted about 15KM from our camp. Again we head out at first light. The bush is thick and spotting is hard, and we have to double back a couple of times. But there, on the edge of the bush, staring in bemusement, are two lion cubs, the youngest just a month old, the other nearer three. After a short while they disappear into the thicket. We wait, and wait, convinced they�ll re-emerge. And we�re not disappointed. An hour later and the cubs are back. This time with mum in tow!
Africa’s most dangerous
4th June 2006
Our first evening in Manyeleti and we encounter a solitary male hippo in a small waterhole. Out of the vehicle now we edge closer, testing the boundary of its circle of fear. It gives us a warning � guttural honks, territory marking and wide open jaws. It�s a photographic spectacle and a great way to end the day.
Close encounters of the pachyderm kind
5th June 2006
We spend the day in search of elephants. The morning proves unproductive, with plenty of signs but the elephants elude us. We keep going through the afternoon and chance upon a breeding herd. Out of the vehicle we make slow but steady progress through the bush. The elephants are mostly unaware of our presence and we watch them through out viewfinders from a viewpoint rarely experienced. On the way back to camp we encounter a second herd in the dusky light. With the engine off we listen as they crunch through the bushes around us. It�s an amazing feeling to be so close to nature. A large bull pokes his giant head through the bushes and watches us before continuing unperturbed. We watch him head into the bush and a moment later he�s gone, like a ghost in the night.
Buffalo soldiers
6th June 2006
Our last day in Manyeleti, we leave the jeep behind and head out on foot. We�ve been gone an hour when we hear the thunder of a hundred hooves. The buffalo are heading for the dam. We pursue them and spy them through the bushes. They know we�re there. They�re just unsure what we are. Once again, the intimacy of the moment isn�t lost on us.
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