Our game drives in Mala Mala have been fabulous!
We like giraffes!
Giraffes run in a funny way.
I am not very skilled as a videographer, and dealing with videos is new to me. Hopefully I have the link to this video working correctly. If not, check back…
And zebras and sweet elephants
Interesting tail.
This elephant was visible from the deck of our Khaya, or cabin.
An elephant group, which is called a Parade, is a matriarchal society. We came across a large, older bull elephant who was traveling solo. Our guide pointed out the secretions between his eye and ear, and that the elephant was in Must, which we could certainly smell when the elephant urinated! Very strong odor! According to Wikipedia, Must is a “periodic condition in male elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior and accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones.” He butted against this tree, to knock down fruit. Smart animals…
We watched him for a while, and then he decided he did not like us watching, so he chased us, and our guide moved the vehicle to the other side of a nearby watering hole.
We sat their peaceably watching him drink.
We watched for a while (I have another longer video) and then he then decided he did not like us watching, and ran us off again.
At this point we decided to move on…
Watering holes are important for the animals to drink, for us to see animals, and of course for the animals predators to ambush them.
We went back to visit the young leopard cubs again.
The next day we found a large male leopard.
Kitty bathing!
Big guy!
How close were we?
This is a male kudu.
And a female. Interesting ears! Notice the birds on her back, called oxpeckers. Oxpeckers ride on the backs of many of the mammals, and they eat ticks and other insects.
This buffalo has a sweet face, but they are enormous, powerful, animals.
Oxpeckers on the back…
Only the dominant males get to mate, and here are two males fighting for dominance.
When the fight ended, the victorious male mounted the vanquished male foe in a true display of dominance.
After seeing rhinos in the dark twice, we finally saw two southern white rhinoceros during daylight. Very endangered, as poachers want the horn as a pseudo-aphrodisiac. This is a mother and a baby. Rather large baby…
The baby nursing.
Every evening we stop for a Sundowner. Drinks and snacks.
And a rare shot of the photographer.
This is our guide Joe, who was fabulous.
He would drive off road in this massive Land Rover to try and find animals. The vehicle has steel plates underneath to protect the undercarriage. He would drive over logs and crunch them, and drive over small saplings that would bend, but then spring back. It was like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. I took a video. The video is bouncing all around, because the passengers were bouncing… (The antenna on the hood is for his two way radio.)
The front of the land rover has an additional grille, and part of it folds up to make a table, for Sundowners, or here for morning coffee.
Beautiful spot for a coffee!
Best to all from Susan and David.
WOW!!! What didn’t you see?? Oh, a lion……..I’m sure you will get a good glimpse of one shortly. It’s amazing how close you are to those animals. I love reading and seeing the photos.
We saw lions twice, but from a distance. No photos of real good quality.
What phenomenal photos! I have seen other people’s safari photos, but never seen it where the animals seemed to be posing for the photographer. I suspect it says something both about the quality of your particular safari and your phographic skills. I especially love the pictures of you and Susan.
Thank you, Emily. I have seen your travel photos that Susan has forwarded to me, and I know you have a photographer’s eye. And yes, you know my secret. The animals will pose if you offer them a sizable tip.