South Africa 2023

Monday23October

After registration at the park entrance, we pass into the territory of wild animals of the African savannah. We will only come out in four days.   And we are well received! One of the five "big five" awaits us on the side of the road, it is the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer)!  

Ha and there, wouldn't that be big elephant droppings? Oh yes, maybe its owner is quietly crossing the road... 

Impalas (Aepyceros melampus), they are abundant in the park.

Some take their ease on the paved road like these spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta).;;

Him too we will see very often, the plains zebra (Equus quagga).

Always so photogenic.  

It is almost 6 p.m. and the Sun takes up its quarters. Our first meeting with giraffes is therefore against the light.

And a last good evening to the hyenas. Not sure they are so cuddly tonight...  

The park has about twenty "campsites". We have already booked our four nights in four different campsites. We will therefore change campsite every day to advance towards the south exit of the park. Our first night will be in the "Tsendze Rustic Camp".

Gas stoves are available! That suits us because we have our gas bottle but not the right regulator that goes on it...

Small photo of the starry sky before going to sleep.

Tuesday24October

6:30 am. Wake up with the sun. And we are well accompanied, hornbills (Tockus rufrostris) wander on the ground and in the tree right above us. Let's hope they are not there to share our breakfast with us...  

A laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) and a bush squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi) also come to be curious.

Once our breakfast in the belly, we can start our "photo safari" day. Before that, we have to leave the campsite to enter the territory of wild animals again. Fortunately for the little tourists, the campsites are surrounded by fences and barriers. Obviously, Lions and hyenas seem to have understood the message well.  

Blue wildebeests or Brindled gnu (Connochaetes taurinus).

A saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis). With incorporated yellow visor.  

Stegodyphus dumicola spider nests...

A Swainson's Spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii.

We are in the middle of spring, the grasses are still green.

Double-banded sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus.

One of the places where it is possible to get out of the car at our own risk.

The bridge passes over the Letaba river.

A Goliath heron, buffaloes, a Pelusios sinuatus turtle.

A quiet impala. For now, no predator in the area... But he is on the alert and will be able to flee quickly. And to escape, he can pull out his secret weapon: making jumps nearly two meters high and 10 meters long!  

The zebra camouflage is not very effective, we spot them from afar. As for the giraffe, small trees are not its ally...  

The chacma baboon is also easily spotted because they move in a tribe.

This mom seems to be looking for her youngest...  

Here is surely the alpha male of the group  

This one is still young enough to approach the big chief.

Passage by the Letaba campsite for a short coffee break.

Resumption of the safari...  

A waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus).

Ha, the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris), it made me laugh a lot in Namibia nine years ago already... And I am reassured, it has lost none of its splendor.  

Elephants and... a hippopotamus! I hadn't crossed it yet during my travels. And conversely, he never crossed me either before this day...  

Priority to pedestrians with big paws!

Would this impala have its own bodyguard?  

The giraffe is the tallest land mammal. They are semi-social and herds gather occasionally.

Each giraffe coat is unique. Its patterns do not change throughout its life.

Yes ma'am

Be careful on the tracks, there is no pedestrian crossing or red light  

A majestic African Baobab (Adansonia digitata).

Some baobab trunks can reach 5 to 7 meters in diameter.  

We are at the "Olifants Rest Camp", the campsite located next to the "Olifants river", the river of elephants. Olifant means Elephant in Dutch.

For now, it is mainly giraffes that we see in the distance.

A cape glossy starling (Lamprotornis nitens) also enjoys the view but should not be bothered too much...

Left photo, a yellow-billed oxpecker (Buphagus africanus). The relationship between the yellow-billed oxpecker and giraffes is an example of mutualism where two species benefit from their interaction:
Benefit for the oxpecker: it feeds on ticks and other parasites found on the giraffe's skin
Benefit for giraffes: Fewer parasites, better health and ultimately greater comfort.
The oxpecker is not sectarian, it will mutualize with other large mammals such as the zebra or the buffalo.

He is not an oxpecker, he is far too big to climb on the giraffe. It's a Swainson's Spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii.

Left photo, impalas.
Right photo, a steenbok (Raphicerus campestris).

A little look in the rearview mirror to make sure he won't follow us.  

The colors change on the savannah, the Sun begins to approach the horizon.

Everyone watches the beautiful spectacle  

And hop, here we are in our second campsite, the Maroela Camp. There are only 20 pitches, we did well to book everything before! But it is 7 PM and it is high time to put the skewers on the embers.

Vegetable skewers accompanied by their meat... And here is one huh who seems very interested... It is a rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata) who got the wrong side... The fence does not stop everyone...

We're going to be able to eat but heeeey   !!! A big hyena is approaching very close!!! Fortunately, she is on the right side of the fence...  

A pretty starry night accompanies us before sneaking into our small tent. Tomorrow, we continue our descent towards the south of the park.