Photo Safari

After the excitement of the morning of moving rhinos (see Monday’s post), I decided that I could use something a little less exciting. So, while Michael was meeting with some of the scientists, I got to go on a photographic safari!!

I was met out front by Attie……

and ensconced in this nine-person vehicle……

Attie asked me how long I wanted to be out, and I immediately said that I would stay out as long as he was willing!!

Kudu female….

Young Sable male…..

VERY skittish Hardibeests…..

As we drove, I kept seeing whispy nests in the trees…..

Attie told me that they were built by birds called “Social Weavers” and that eventually the tree would look like this!!

He told me that the openings face down to deter snakes from climbing into the nest.

When I had another chance, I photographed looking up into one of the nests…..

The next two photos are probably my favorites. These two OLD buffalo were enjoying their evening meal and totally unconcerned about me!!

Young Impala

Springbok…..

These guys were incredibly plentiful…..

…but extremely hard to photograph. In most cases, this was the best that I could do…..

It was interesting to see them hopping like a kangaroo….with their back legs under them. I asked Michael about this and he said that it is called “pronking”. A bit more digging came up with this…. In Afrikaans and Dutch, to “pronk” is to show off, though the reason that springboks pronk is not known definitively. They could be excited, agitated, exercising, spreading their individual scents, or showing off their fitness either for predators or rivals within the herd.

So, who knows why they do it but it was fun to watch!!

After one hour and 45 minutes, it was starting to get cool in the truck and the light was almost gone so photography was out of the question. I said to Attiey that he could start home now and he informed me that he already had!

You could have fooled me! I had NO idea where we were!!!

Our last animal encounter was just before we got back into camp. I saw two rhinos, assuming that they were the more docile White Rhinos. I was WRONG!! They were the always agitated Black Rhinos!!!

Attie started to slow down for me to photograph…..

…when the larger Rhino quickly twirled in our direction. Attie wasted NO time in getting us the heck out of there!!!

The sun lowered into the sky…..

….and then I was back at the lodge with a camera full of photos and eyes opened wide to the wonders of this world!!

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