The 4 Day Kruger Safari offers one day in the park, two days of travel to and from the park, and one extra day to explore the private lands that, because of their proximity to the national park, get you close to a large number of African animals. Unfortunately for us, this extra day turned out to be the hottest of the year.
We sat in a crowded open jeep and sweated. Very few animals were taking the time to show themselves in the heat, but our driver was determined to get us our money's worth and put in a valiant effort to find a black rhino. He explained that we had a better chance of seeing a 'hooked lipped' (or black) than a 'square lipped' (or white) rhino in these parts even though they are much rarer due to their endangered status.
Square lipped are grazers and usually seen in open pasture. I now realize that we had very little chance of seeing any rhino, whatever the color. Our guide claimed he had found tracks and scattered dung, a sign of them marking their territory. We also looked at twigs that he claimed were chewed by a hooked lipped rhino. Really we were just going for a ride along rutted tracks, dry stream beds and over fallen logs. More than once I imagined the jeep tipping over and killing us all. We chased after several giraffes, but even the water holes were empty because of the heat.
We disturbed a large bull elephant who trumpeted loudly and charged. The jeep engine chose that moment to stall, and our driver had to jump out and shoo the elephant away by clapping his hands and yelling "Get!" However, like the giraffes, the elephant didn't want to bother with us in the heat of the day. Fortunately, we got the motor going again and were able to head off to our next accommodation, Marc's Treehouse Camp.
This was to be our camping experience on safari. That camp had seen better days and many of the tents were underwater from previous flooding. We had treehouses, which were really tents on stilts. We decided favorably towards our treehouse due to the fact that there was a giraffe standing outside when we arrived. Without sides, and only a grass roof, plenty of wildlife had found itself inside with us for the night.
It stormed during the night, and several other huts leaked, and one of our party reported rodents running along the bed headboard. We had frogs and lots of spiders in the shower. But it was exciting, and a unique experience. While our German friends complained and longed for a decent hotel room, we went out exploring. The second night Jon heard some snorting in the undergrowth and wanted to see what was out there. A flashlight lit up a large African buffalo who was probably on its way down to the river below our hut. Buffalos are considered extremely dangerous, so we didn't bother it, and went back to bed under our mosquito net.
The buffalo was still lurking around our dining area the next morning. It was joined by a group of nyala antelope and vervet monkeys in the trees above the pool. The reason for the proximity of these animals is not that they are pets, fenced in or attracted by our food. Recently there has been a movement to take down all fences between the national park and surrounding private land to allow animals free range. Everything has become their domain, and only the busy roads are off limits for their grazing and hunting.
As exciting as it is to be so up close and personal with nature, it is also unnerving to discover that the animal noise I hear not too far away is the roaring of lions. The truth is... most animals are thriving despite their contact with humans. Most take little notice of us, or politely avoid us. It is rare that a large predator like a lion will take a human. Our meat is too salty for them. But they must eat, and provide for their family. We have come into their space, and the larger animals will sometimes be threatened by this and attempt to scare us off. But with the right education, and an expert guide, there is no danger... unless you are being driven around the bush by a crazy jeep driver looking for rhinos.
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