SOUTH AFRICA ADVENTURES 

SAFARI IN KWAZULU-NATAL

After an overnight stop in Durban I drove the short 2 1/2 hours to St. Lucia to stay for a week to have game drive days and other experiences in KwaZulu-Natal.  This is a part of South Africa that is almost its own country.  The Zulu tribe still has a very strong hold on the area and owns all the land it has not sold off.  The Zulus pay no taxes, but have S.A. government privileges such as medical and education.  This is the sign that greeted me as I arrived. There are loads of Hippo in the HUGE estuary in the town.  The hippo come out at night wander the town and into peoples gardens eating plants and grass.

Instead of writing several blogs about my experiences here I am making it more of a picture story.  Enjoy:

Day 1: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve

Zebra, the shadow stripe variety. They have a brown shadow stripe along side the back one. Another species has only black stripes. The rear end stripes are unique to each Zebra so the young can tell the mom!

Trucking on down the road.

Leaping Impala Antelope. Their leader barked a warning and off they leaped into the brush. We never did see what frightened them causing them to bolt.  We were hoping Leopard - nope!

A big bull Cape Buffalo way off in the distance peering over the hill.  One of the Big Five.

A Kudu Antelope female.

Young Giraffe crossed the road in front of us.

This Baboon troop entertained us with their antics.  Especially the babies.

This Cheetah was stalking an Impala group when we drove between it and the Impala.  We didn't see the Cheetah initially because it was way off in the distance.  Here it has it's two front paws on a rock so it can see if there is anything else out there since we spoiled his lunch!!!

Warthog male and female.  When they run their little tails stick straight up in the air with the fringe on the end waving back and forth. This way they can run in the grass and they young can follow.

Day 2:

Cape Vidal Safari /Hippo and Croc Sunset Cruise

This Wildebeest is a favorite Lion meal.  These are VERY plentiful in the wild.

Hidden in the grass in the lower right hand side of this photo is a Bush Buck antelope. Aptly named.

The Black Rhino is a very endangered species because poaching is rampant due to the demand in Asian countries for the horn which is believed to have many medicinal uses as well as an aphrodisiac.  The following photos are about this rare sighting in the wild.  We were truly blessed to witness his behavior at such a close proximity.

Reaching for a branch.

Munching the branch.  Note green leaves sticking out of the right side of his mouth.

Gulp!!!!

Now he has crossed the road and is sniffing other Rhino dung.

Next he then poops on the old patch to mark his territory.

Then he stomps on it to further mark the territory (note dung is now flattened) and to rub some on his feet to carry with him into the bush.

Hinged Back tortoise. He holds water in his sack to last him through the dry winter. 


Hippo/Croc Sunset TOUR:

The log looking thing is a crocodile asleep.

A young Goliath Heron.  They get to be really big.

Female Giant Kingfisher.  She loved posing for us while the male just flew away.

These are not rocks in the water.  They are hippos walking on the bottom of the estuary.

Very shortly into this video is a big surprise.  Watch for it!!!








Day 3 Bayette Zulu Elephant Interaction:

This is Rambo one of three elephants in this huge reserve just for them. They are unable to survive in the wild due to humanizing.

Touching his tusk.

Not sure he likes my hand up under his skin to feel the top of the tusk!!!

After taking off my pinky ring and rolling up my sleeve, I put my hand way up in his mouth holding food.  It isn't as lucky as it looks.

Pouring food into the baby elephant's trunk.  She was a bit feisty.

Later this same day the tracker and I did a bush walk in the ISimangaliso Wetland Park at sunset.  We saw lots of animals, but they were too far away to take pictures.  The experience of being on foot instead of a car was fabulous.

Day 4: Half Day to Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Park & Afternoon Veyane Zulu Cultural Center

Immediately upon arrival in the park at dawn this Hyena was watching from the bush.







This Giraffe is an old guy.  He has many leg injuries probably from fighting during mating season.

What a cutie. He was quite curious and came very close to the vehicle. His mother was close by, but didn't mind him visiting us.

Mama and baby White Rhino grazing in the grass. The name should have been Wide Rhino for the wide square mouth, but the native word for wide sounds like white and the name stuck.

Mr. Elephant is dining on the tree branches.   He is about to stuff his face in this picture.

After a long hot day the Zebra gather at the water hole.






Zulu Cultural Center:

Me and the gang of drummers and dancers.  The Zulu are a waring tribe and much of the explanation of the culture revolves around that.  The bib on the woman is one that single girls wear without anything else.  They also wear a short skirt made of the same beads with nothing under it!  Once married they have to wear a long heavy skirt out of cow hide, a top that completely covers them and a hat.  They are not allowed out of the village and send the single girls out to fetch water and other things.  I think I would stay single!!! :-)



This video shows the dancing and drumming. If any of you know who Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing group, they are Zulu also.

Day 5: Cheetah Park & Sunset Drive iSimangaliso

She loves to have her head scratched especially behind the ears.  She is purring really loudly. Cheetah is the biggest wild cat that purrs. The rest roar instead.

I put my hand by her mouth and she licked me giving me "kisses". I did tell her I was grateful for her kisses.






This Cheetah breeding camp do breed for release into the wild in an attempt to increase the numbers in the wild.

Sunset Drive:

These are Water Bucks. They have a "toilet seat" ring on their rears.  They also have a rotten smell that supposedly keeps them from being hunted by Lion and other predators.
The rest of the drive was too dark to take pictures.

Day 6:  Night Game Drive

After a free day to get ready for leaving tomorrow I m picked up for a night game drive.

iSimangaliso Park (an UNESCO site)

A baby Chameleon seen by the tracker in the light of the spot light.  He was out away from the edge of the road.  How did he see him???




Isn't it just the cutest?  I was able to stroke him with my finger and he just sat there.



Since it was so dark, this is the only sighting I could photograph, but we saw:

Bush Babies, Servile Cat, Genet Cat, Hippos grazing, huge herds of Wildebeest, Reed Buck, Water Buck, Cape Buffalo, several species of night birds including an owl, Giraffe, and Zebra.  All in all a very successful drive. The animals eyes shine in the dark which is how we spot them with the spot light.  Most are golden or green in color.  A few are red like the Hippo. Reminded me of hounds of  Baskerville from Sherlock Holmes.  Eery and evil looking.

Next Hoedspruit and a visit with Nikki and Clive with a visit into Kruger with their son Roan who is a professional safari guide and photographer.

Much Love To You All,
Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara