Saturday, February 19, 2011

Safari Part 6: Last Photos


The remaining photos from my family's December trip to Kruger. I didn't exactly know how to classify them, but some are of the most exciting points of the trip. For more photos, see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.



I held out no hope for seeing hyenas--they're noctural and they're slippery little suckers. My sister, on her epic animal and anthropology trip in Southern Africa, barely saw any, and part of their project was to track them. But on the last morning, this pair (the other one is to the left behind the grass) were just sitting there. Our guide said that they like to hide their young in drainage pipes--these two were keeping guard. Leopards also like to hang out in drainage pipes. It was interesting to hear how animals have adapted to the man-made aspects of the park. Lions will chase giraffes onto the road so that they slip and fall--one of the only ways to successfully hunt such a large creature. Rhinos use the road as borders for their territory.



Terrible picture but couldn't resist--a mongoose in an abandoned termite mound. So adorable.


Pesky baboons. I see them often out in the Western Cape, where they wreak havoc in the 'burbs and the wineries (and on unwitting tourists to Cape Point).




Vervet monkeys. At first, we thought this momma vervet had killed something or was hurt. Then we saw the baby, which even our guide seemed to be excited about. As you can tell, it was just born.



We were also not thinking we'd see cheetahs. But we did! Due to the rain the night before (and morning dew), the cheetahs came out of the tall grass. They don't like to get wet, so this family group headed out to the dry, warm roads.






All was well and good until an ill-mannered car (not the one pictured) decided to drive by the cheetahs, which frightened them away. Disappointing human behavior (which was repeated time and again in the park).



I was secretly wishing the most to see wild dogs, which are extremely rare. We really, really lucked out.



As did several others.



One in their pack came out of the bushes (they all jumped to receive him/her), and they all took off in the direction of whatever game was nearby.




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