Brakspruit

After relaxing at the pool and having a High Tea, we took off to our next Game Drive with Given at 4pm. We finally saw some giraffes that weren't as big as I expected but just as graceful in their movements. I love giraffes. They make me happy looking at them. We saw some White and Black Rhinos again as well as Buffalos, and at one stage both Big 5 together. Our constant companion was Zazu, or the Hornbill. Zazu means Messenger in Suaheli (which is actually a language spoken in Tanzania, but Takalani and Gary could understand/speak). Whenever we saw a Hornbill, we'd always cry out "Zazu" and everybody knew what was meant by that.
Before the sun set, Given was driving much faster and we should know why not long after. A colleague had spotted some lions that have killed a Buffalo and were eating it now. That was a brilliant find which is very rare, as they usually eat their kills where you can't see them. However, this one we could see from not even 10m away and it was terrific. There were around 9 lions, lionesses and young males, scrunching and licking and biting off the Buffalo. I was fascinated. Such rare occasions must be enjoyed fully. The others asked me whether it was okay for me to see it, as I'm a vegetarian. But I love to see such things as it is 1. Just nature and 2. Interesting to see how they do it and how they Buffalo looks inside. Others of us were complaining about the noises the lions did, but I just enjoyed the opportunity. It felt so unreal that they could actually kill us, too. However, Given said as long as we're in the car, the lions see us as an object. But if we're moving too much inside it or would even step outside, they would attack right away.
With this great experience, we've seen all Big 6 (including Black Rhino) within 24hrs. That much luck was very unusual and I would have never expected that from my first day of Safari.
As the sunset went by, our afternoon Game Drive proceeded into a night Game Drive which is only allowed in certain circumstances, e.g. in a Private Reserve. Usually, you'd use the night time to spot some nocturnal animals. However, we found none but a cute little green Chameleon clinging to a branch. For us, it seemed impossible that Given could have spotted that out of the driving car (that he drove) in the middle of the night. But he told us always to look for differences in the landscape. We did but couldn't find anything else, so that at least the Night Game Drive hasn't been as exciting as the morning or afternoon. However, I reckon that it was enough excitement for a day.Read more