GALLERY


Where there is water in Kruger that is more than 5 or 6 feet deep you will Hippos. Most of the time all you will see is their nostrils just piercing the surface with a snort as they clear the water or a larger bubbling from the other end erupts from the surface - a product of their high fibre diet. However, being nosey creatures they will occasional, as this picture shows, bring all three senses to bear. The lay out of their eyes, nostrils and ears is such that they are on the same plane and, like a submarine's periscope, they all barely break the surface.
This young lioness - one of three - was within 20 feet of the road edge tearing at a carcass of an unidentified antelope. In the background there was a plaintive bleating - perhaps of the victims calf. The three lions were relatively peaceful, only growling occassionally at each other, as the tore great mouthfuls of flesh and gobbled them down.

We had been sitting for sometime at a hide watching hippo in a river and elephant families eating & drinking in the reeds on the opposite bank when Mary spotted this Leopard walking through the grass. It sat down and I took this photo - she was about 3/400 metres away and, consequently, thanks to a long lens and Photoshop.
Elephants are large grey animals and you'd think that they would be easy to see in the dry African bush that is largely brown. This cow was only a few metres into the bush on a sunny day and you can see how easily she gets lost in the undergrowth. I defy you to see her fairly large calf that is to the right of the photo.
Another Elephant drinking at the river's edge.

Despite their (undeserved) reputation, Hyena are one of my favourite animals. These adults and two cubs were right on the side of the road chewing on the remains of an old kill and occasionally regurgitating scraps for the cubs. The den, where the cubs may have been born, was a storm water drain under the road.
Kruger was famous for very large bull Elephants with massive ivory. Sadly most now have died - the majority of old age. This solitary bull was well on the way to becoming a future legend with his large symmetrical tusks.