Last Week at Kariega

John and I have officially finished our volunteer work in South Africa.  We had an enjoyable time but now will be focusing on Photographic Safaris. 






The highlight of the week was John lying down in the road to take a picture of white mushrooms growing in a rhino midden.  Male rhinos mark their territory by defecating in the same spot over and over.  Mushrooms like to grow in these locations. Why was this a highlight?  Imaging John lying down in the road to get the best angle for his picture.  The ranger and I hear a lion noise and look to the right.  We see two female lions and at least on male cub about 25 feet from where John is lying.  I never knew a 65 year-old man could move so fast.  Fortunately for John the lions were full or weren't interested in tough meat.

This lion is walking down the road John was lying down on. But this picture was taken a day earlier.

The next few pictures are of the three male lion cubs.

Why is that old man lying down on my road?

Zebra, Wildebeest,and Impalas

Unfortunately we never got close enough to the Black Rhino to get a good picture.

Just thinking about taking a chunk out of John makes this lioness gag.

Tried to get a Zebra shot with spacing between all of the animals.  Almost got it.

Nyala baby and mom.

Zebra colt

Elephants don't have great eye sight but they do have a great sense of smell. This young bull is giving us a sniff.

Just like the line up in this picture.

A baby elephant suckling

We spent about 1-1/2 hours watching the elephant herd on Friday.

Those youngsters do the darnedest things.

Panning shot of a helmeted guinea fowl.

One Jackal Buzzard arrive at the nest as the other one leaves.

Male Kudu with two females.

This lioness was only 5 feet from the cruiser.  A little close for comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 9th

John and I have been busy with volunteer work most of the week.  We only went on three game drives.  We have been busy setting rodent traps in the fields of the game reserve to help a researcher with a study.  Over four days the 300 traps are baiting and set twice a day.  Any captured rodents are identified and release.

Here a a few pictures from the last week.  There will be better pictures after John and I move to Makalali Game Reserve in 9 days.

Small male Waterbuck

These two male Zebras were in quite a fight. The Wildebeest is oblivious

Vervet Monkey

The Kariega Game Reserve sold most of their lions because they were killing to much of the game.  This is the only adult male. There are two females and three male cubs.

All but one of the lions at Kariega is captured in this one picture.  Quite a change from when we were here last year.

Most of the smaller mammals have not had their babies yet. This area of South Africa was in drought. It just started raining two weeks ago.  Hopefully more babies will arrive next week.

All of the adult Rhinos on the reserve have had their horns cut off so poachers won't kill them.  Over 750 Rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year for their horns.

Baby Ostriches