| <<
| 40
| 41
| 42
|
| 44
| 45
| 46
| 47
| 48
|
| >>
|
Be sure to hover the mouse over the images.
Johannesburg
12
Graskop
34
Kruger NP
56
Mozambique
7
Swaziland
89
St Lucia
1011
Durban
1213
Bergville
14
Cape Town
15161718192021
South Africa - Bicycle Tour Adventure, Day 6
Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Adventures
Morning Hike with Rangers and Photo Safari in Kruger NP,
Guided Day Drive Through Pretoriuskop Section of Kruger NP,
Night in African Beehive Hut; 13 November, 2014
Photographic Highlights of the Day
Above: Evening at the ol' watering hole.
Above: Mom & Dad escort Junior to a Croc & Hippo Filled Watering Hole.
Above: Mom & Dad Elephants Patrol on Junior's Walk.
Above: Southern Ground Hornbill.
Above: Can you see it, about 15 yards/meters away.
Above: Light colored Wahlberg's Eagle.
Early Morning Hike with a Ranger,
Photo Safari
Above: That is Terry and one of the Guides (they are carrying .500 Ntro Express'es, no one knows this). Terry had volunteered to carry the Radio and Snacks for the hike.
We arrived on site via a modified Isuzu Hilux D-4D open truck (4x4). Isuzu apparently has a Safari modification package which can also be used for other tourist ride areas (Caribbean, India, Thailand, Mexico ...).
Above Left: We're hiking; I took tail and kept an open eye.
Above Right: Typically, ONLY elephants push over a tree. They push a tree in such a manner that half the tree will live after they strip it of leaves. They push a tree over for the younger elephants to survive and it benefits the other smaller wildlife (antelope, impala, bushbucks ...)
Above Left: We only walked 400 meters/yards before our first sighting, Rhinoceros.
Above Left: Dung Beetle.
Above Right: Interesting Site - It is a wallow (behind the Guide) and a scratching post (where the guide is standing). There are Elephant and Rhinoceros signs and dog prints (probably Hyena).
Above Left: Scratching Post has what appears to be snot on it. Most animals mark with a scent however the guide said that he had never seen snot before (like this).
Above Right: Two Giraffes on the hill side.
Above Left: The Wallow - The Mud Hole appears to be drying up.
Above Right: Animal Tracks.
Above Left: A Right Proper Rhinoceros Toilet and Territory Marking - Apparently the Alpha Male digs up the top soil (or such) about one foot deep. The bottom of the hole almost always appears with this horseshoe shape. The Male does a blowout on both ends. Then all of the heard females and other young males poop all around the Alphas hole. I've seen them be very symmetrical but this example is lopsided.
Above Right: A side view of the accompanying lady poops around the main male's hole (it is almost symmetrical).
.
Above Left: It is the elephants that strip the Bark from around the tree (to eat). Usually an elephant will only strip bark from one side and the tree will live, but if the tree is 'ringed' then it will die. This tree is ringed.
Above Right: A lizard sunning on a rock, the sun has only been up for a few minutes.
Above Left: A morning snack and hydration break.
Above Right: We heard dogs barking nearby, the sentinel is checking out the reason; he has found a Rhinoceros herd just over the rock upon which he is standing (only 15 yards/meters from us).
Above Left: Rhinoceros (blurred near focus photo) just over the brim sleeping in the river bottom. They are alert to us and just now getting up.
Above Right: All those rock looking things are Rhinos.
Above Left: Now we get a clear view for the camera (of the Rhinos).
Above Right: We returnd to finish lunch. BTW, every person here is an experienced outdoors person, we are the only Yanks, everyone else is from Europe or Africa.
Above Left: We are now hiking back and observe a Bull Elephant sentinel. His herd is not in view yet. They will wait for us to walk by.
Above Right: The Elephant Herd is coming into view (7-8 total). ALL of those boulders are Elephants
Above Left: Rhinoceros parent (likely mommy) and child.
Above Right: Lizard sunning.
Above Left: Walking into the morning sun (ENE) and sun will arc left to the north.
Above Right: African Millipede (quite common, we will find one in our lodging in a couple more days). They are poisonous on the inside but apparently not with a poisonous bite, I have seen pictures of kids playing with them.
Above: Some more elephants, apparently I have about 30 pictures of just this group. Well, it was a bucket list dream.
Above Left: Africa in the morning.
Above Right: Termite Mound. See the water, Termites only dig deep enough to access the water table (Water is used in the fermentation process for their fungus food).
Termite Mound height can be used for survival purposes, small mounds mean shallow water, big mounds mean deep water.
Above Left: Terry is holding a Marula Tree Nut (cleaned out by a bug). The tree seed is rich in Vitamin C, the oil is used in many cosmetic and heath products, and the nut makes a wonderful liquor.
Above Right: Marula Tree.
Above Left: Wild Dog Prints.
Above Right: Our transport vehicle for the Guided Hike today (an Isuzu Hilux D-4D).
Above Left: Thorn Bush.
Above Right: Rhinoceros.
Above Left: We're waiting for the same Rhinoceros to clear the roadway, it was about a 15 minute wait.
Above Right: Elephant, not intimidated by us or it would be facing us.
| 44
| 45
| 46
| 47
| 48
| 
| >>
|
