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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Day 7: Kruger National Park

Please note: the photos in this post are a bit fuzzy because of the program I used to upload my blog post from my iPad. You can click on each photo for a clearer view. 


Things started slowly this morning, as we searched for lions, which are difficult to find. We saw lots of nice specimens of umbrella acacia (above) and this running warthog:


A lilac breasted arola:


And then Sophiso tracked us to a recent kill of a wildebeest, probably by lions. Two hyena and a jackal were eating the remains:





We were mesmerized by the sound of chomping and cracking bones:


Not the prettiest animals we have soon, but very interesting:








The wildebeest ribcage:


And jawbone:


Kudu:



Coffee break!


We got very close to three rhinos:












And then found a large group of giraffe:











A small herd of Cape Buffalo:









Wildebeest and impala:






Sausage tree,so named because it has seed pods that look like huge sausages on strings:


Hippos sunning on the sand bar:


Check out the baby. Our guide said he was probably only a few months old, and he stayed close to mama.











These two, a male (left) and a female, had reached some sort of an impasse and were very vocal about it:








We started off our last afternoon safari with some zebra:





Giraffe loped in front of us across the road:








And then a call came through on the radio that a group of lions had been spotted. It was 3 lionesses and 4 cubs. We were able to get very close to them.











The cub on the far right is a male, and the others are female, according to our guide:

















Look at these huge feet!


Two cubs nursing:








Mama and baby rhino:


The Americans with Sofiso:


Our last animal spotted tonight was a leopard. By then it was dark, so he was illuminated with a spotlight and headlights, and I only got his back:



We had a full moon to guide us home:



12 comments:

  1. Sehr interesant und wunderschöne Fotos.

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  2. Wonderful photos, I'm sure they will inspire some great quilts in your future.

    Going on Safari is something that is difficult to share emotionally with others unless you've been on one yourself. They anticipatation and joy of seeing the animals you are seeking and finding some special event that only you will remember.

    Thanks for sharing your experience, it reminds me of mine many years ago.

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  3. Amazing! What a trip! I love the close-up shots of "Elsa" and her cubs! and those feet...Oh my!!

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  4. What an amazing adventure and lots of inspiration for future art pieces.

    Debbie

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  5. So glad you got to see so many of the animals! There really isn't anything to compare!! The bird is a Lilac Breasted Roller. I guess you didn't see any monkeys (baboons)! You might see some in Cape Town... but they aren't the same.... too much human contact. Enjoy!

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  6. Thank you so so much for this. A safari is an item on my bucket list that looks like it has little hope of checking off. I accept that. However, it gives me GREAT pleasure to see pictures from someone who has done it....especially someone I know and admire.

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  7. Maree mynanamaree@yahoo.comAugust 2, 2012 at 9:14 PM

    What an amazing experience that must have been for you! Thank you so much for sharing your great pictures! I can see some beautiful thread painting in your future inspired by this trip! ☺

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  8. Thank you to Pat Sloan for passing your Blog to us. You photos are so great and it is wonderful that you were able to get so close to the animals and remain safe.

    What a fantastic experience.

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  9. What a fantastic journey you had on your trip to South Africa. You photos are wonderful and it is so great that you were able to get so close to the animals.

    Thanks to Pat Sloan we are able to share you travels.

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  10. Wonderful photos, you had an amazing trip. I see all kind of wall quilts in them. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  11. Wonderful photos, you had an amazing trip. I see all kind of wall quilts in them. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  12. Oh Susan, I have goose bumps...what an incredible day you had. After looking at your photos...I wonder which will be the inspiration for your next amazing project.

    Kelly

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