For the final challenge of 2012, we decided to submit a selection of photographs of the various accommodation units we stayed in while exploring South Africa’s wild places this year (you can click on the images for a clearer view).
Have a look here for more submissions in this week’s challenge.
The red-billed quelea is considered to be the world’s most numerous bird-species. These seed-eaters occur in huge flocks, sometimes numbering in the millions, and move around seasonally in search of food. These pictures were taken in April of this year, near Satara in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
(you can click on the images for a clearer view)
We’re participating in the online adventure travel magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Flying“.
This tranquil sunrise scene was photographed near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, ironically at a location called Lake Panic due to the large number of crocodiles and other predators and other dangerous animals that lurk in the vicinity. To us, there is no place where we feel more at peace than in the Kruger Park.
We’re participating in the online adventure travel magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge was “Peaceful” and we’re very happy to have been awarded another honorable mention for our entry!
A collection of images depicting the splendour of the natural vegetation found in South Africa’s wild places.
(click on an image to view the picture carousel):
Caring for a new generation: Vervet monkey female and baby bonding through fun and games, as seen in Skukuza Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. I think it’s clear from the expression on the little one’s face how much he’s enjoying their play!?
I’ve blogged about my fabulous leopard sighting near Skukuza in the Kruger National Park during my visit in July of this year before, but couldn’t resist publishing another photo of that encounter here as entry into LetsBeWild.com‘s weekly photo challenge – this week’s challenge is wildlife and I think it fits the bill perfectly. Let us know if you agree please!
(you can click on the image for a clearer view)
We are thrilled that this entry was awarded an honorable mention from the adjudicators of LetsBeWild.com’s wild weekly photo challenge!
As close to a wild lion as you can get!
Less than a month has passed since our previous visit, and the early spring rains have transformed the southern regions of the Kruger National Park into a lush green paradise. Animals abound – the reason why many of the Kruger-faithful refers to the south of the Park as “the zoo” – and a lot of the migratory birds that call South Africa home during our hot summer months have already made their appearance, joining the large number of bird species that are resident throughout the year.
We always lament the fact that a trip to the Kruger National Park seems to fly past in a heartbeat, and our three night visit (staying over in Skukuza and Crocodile Bridge Rest Camps) was no different. But this time Kruger kept the best for last – our parting gift, on the way to Malelane Gate, was a pride of about fifteen lions lazing around in and next to the road, delaying our exit by almost an hour (not that we’d ever complain!) before they decided to march right past our vehicle – a breathtaking experience that will remain in our memories for ever.
We’re happy to have been able to share some more pictures of our latest adventure with you (we’ve already published two images from this trip in weekly photo challenges – “Foreign” and “Escape“) in the hope that you’d be inspired by our natural heritage as much as we are!
We took this photograph this morning as we were driving to the Malelane Gate to exit the Kruger National Park, another wonderful trip over far too quickly (more on this latest trip to follow soon!). I was struck just how out of place we, the gawking tourists in our metal cocoons, are when confronted with the raw primeval power of Africa’s big cats – to them, we must seem decidedly “foreign”.
It’s because of situations like these that the Kruger National Park is the place we escape to so regularly. On arriving this morning, these two white rhinoceroses blocked our way into the rest camp (the gates of which you can see just behind them)!
I’m participating in the LetsBeWild.com Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – this week’s challenge is Escape!
Spring has arrived in paradise!
We’ve just returned from another visit to our favourite place on earth – yes, the Kruger National Park (no prizes for correct guesses!). We spent six days travelling the entire length of the reserve, from Pafuri in the north to Crocodile Bridge in the south.
The spring season arrives in South Africa in September, and it’s an excellent time to be out game-viewing in our country’s biggest game reserve. Here’s a collection of some of the thrilling sightings we enjoyed on this trip.
The Northern Kruger National Park is elephant country, and we encountered numerous bulls, including some large tuskers.
All the elephant herds we came across had small babies.
This one realised a bit late that mom had moved on, and ran as fast as his legs would carry him to catch up.
With spring’s fresh green growth, many young animals have already made an appearance.
Buffalo are numerous and occur throughout Kruger, sometimes as loners and other times in huge herds several hundred strong.
These two cheetahs were devouring an impala they had caught in the dry bed of the Shingwedzi river, only about three kilometers from Shingwedzi Rest Camp.
Near Satara, this warthog obviously had an altercation with a porcupine – we suspect it may have rushed into an already occupied bolthole a little too quickly!
Some of the rarer bird species also made special appearances.
This chameleon was trying to blend in with the surface of the road it was crossing
Of course, to many Kruger visitors the lions are the star attraction. We’d be lying of we said we didn’t share their enthusiasm for these magnificent animals and we were lucky to cross paths with a number of them on our latest excursion. A pride roaring right next to Shingwedzi Rest Camp’s perimeter fence in the darkness of early morning, their deep booming voices rattling the window panes of our bungalow, was a memorable experience.
Some of the antelope were getting well into the “springy” swing of things
while others were indulging in more sedentary pastimes.
With World Rhino Day and the plight of our treasured rhinos in the relentless poaching firing line fresh in our minds, sightings such as this one of an impressive white rhino bull was all the more special.
For all our travels in South Africa’s wild places we’ve only rarely encountered side-striped jackals, and this is one of the best images we’ve managed to capture of these elusive animals.
The absolute highlight of our trip was watching this acrobatic black-backed jackal (the side-striped’s much more common cousin) stalking and pouncing moles just north of Satara Rest Camp.
Any time we spend in Kruger National Park is always too little, and leaving through Crocodile Bridge Gate on our way to Pretoria, our heavy hearts could only be consoled by the knowledge that we’d be back soon…
DeWetsWild 