Second Blog from Africa

Hard to believe two weeks have already gone by.  The weather has been much hotter and drier this week.  We have been working a little bit more and game driving a little bit less.  We are up to 10 volunteers on location now.  We had two ladies join us. One is from Ireland and one is from England. I thought I would include a few landscape pictures this week to give you a feel for the area.

 We visited the local township school on Thursday.  Only ninth, eighth, and seventh graders were in attendance.  I spent the morning with the ninth graders and taught some math and science.  The students’ skill level was equivalent to the third grade at home.  Most of them struggled with simple addition. These children have one pen, one tablet, and no books

I finally got to teach math and science

We went on a short night game drive. This picture was taken at 6400 ISO and lighting was provided by a spot light so the quality wasn’t the best.  But the lions are more active at night. Check out the pictures below this one to see the lions during the day

This is a picture was taken from the front yard of the volunteer lodge.

Sunset from our lodge

A wide variety of animals can be seen across the reserve.

The bull elephant.  About 6000 pounds of gentle giant unless you get too close.

This is close enough.

The bull from a safer distance

Sunrise on an early morning game drive

This is the king of the jungle. After feasting on a kill the lions lie on their backs because their stomachs are too full.

This cub is the only one not sleeping this morning.

We saw are first black rhino this week. They spend most of their time in the bushes.  They have a shorter head then white rhinos.  The coloring is the same between white rhinos and black rhinos. This guy looks like he is smiling for the camera.

The game reserve cuts the horns on some of their white rhinos to discourage poaching. Over 20 rhinos have already been killed in South Africa this year by poachers.

This Caracal is hard to see through the grasses. They are members of the lynx family. Their ears are very long.

Dragon Fly

A pair of Zebras just because I like the picture.

Cape Glossy Starling

Burchell’s Coucal

Coming for a closer view of those strange people with the cameras

Steppe Buzzard

John really wanted to get this picture of these mushrooms.  There are growing in dung and I think John is lying in dung to get the shot.

Paint Brush Flower

A Rock Dassie, which is supposed to be the closest living relative of an elephant.

The elephants like prickle pear cactus and thorny bushes.  The needles don’t seem to bother them.

That’s all for this week.  Let me know if there is anything you would like to see a picture of.  I am still looking for my first leopard in the wild.