Tuesday, May 3, 2005

Buffalos, rhinos and giraffes — oh, my!

These photos click to larger versions.

This Cape buffalo bull seems to be stiking a pose for us.

As we admired a herd of zebras in a clearing, a large rhino lumbered onto the scene.

We've spotted a number of giraffes on our game drives, often poking up above the trees.

MALA MALA GAME RESERVE - Last night we spotted cheetah, a mother and two young ones, strolling at dusk across a grassy clearing. Earlier, a lumbering rhino entertained us as he basked in a sloppy mud hole. Heading out for this morning’s drive, after a quick 6 AM gulp of coffee, we drove in a lovely chill mist which dissipated in the rising sun’s glow. After bouncing and crackling through sandy back road tracks and thorny brush, Bens, our ranger hit the brakes and cut the engine. A herd of cape buffalo, with thick horns appearing as if parted in the middle like a 60’s hairdo (sorry, no offense to the bulls and cows), grazed – calves and all. It was a herd-style morning. A few moments later, we came across fourteen wildebeests, seven zebras, and an unruly handful of teenage male impalas. They were traveling together after being urged out of their herd to begin life on their own. We had already seen many herds of impala in great numbers, each with a single buck and his harem of does and youngsters.

Can it be true? Tomorrow morning we’ll rise early for our last drive before boarding the bush plane and heading back for a final session with our diamond cutters, the Meentz family. We’re hoping to get online access soon. Steve has scarcely caught his breath between game drives, downloading, deleting, copying and saving photographs. It’s hard to choose which photos to attach! So many stunning shots!

Judy

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