Kruger National Park - photo overload!

Once again, we could thoroughly enjoy a holiday in the Kruger National Park. One of our favourite holiday desinations by far!! It is just so peaceful and relaxing, and it is such a good feeling to breath in the clean fresh air, listen to all the animal sounds, sit around the fire at night, and enjoy God's amazing creation!

For those of you who have never been to the Kruger National Park, here is a bit of information: KNP is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers 19,485 square kilometers and extends 360k's from north to south and 65k from east to west. To the west and south of the KNP are the two South African provinces Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links KNP with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

We enjoyed four nights on our own in the Berg-en-daal camp and then four nights together with Willem & Bob & kids in the Letaba camp.

We were spoilt to see a leopard! She (I'm guessing) was enjoying a tasty Impala meal. Amazing strength if you see how the Impala she has dragged up into the tree is almost as big as her!

 The men went on a 6am morning drive with the Joshua and Tjaart. "how were the boys?" I ask when they got back. "Oh they were just fine!" (hmm, just throw them a bag of chips at 6am and you're all sorted!)

 two little men busy making discoveries

the weather was gloriously warm during the day, around 30deg. Here are all the kiddies enjoying an icy. (L-R Anina, Tjaart, Wildrik, Joshua)

I just love how little ones can do the weirdest movements sometimes. As though they are just discovering something new. 

spot the elephant (you might laugh, but it is AMAZING how quickly a massive elephant can dissapear before your eyes. We had one eating quite close to the fence at camp, and then he just takes two massive steps, and he's gone behind some small bushes. I'm sure it would be very easy to accidentally bump into one, even though they are SO BIG!)

 this one had a tracking collar on.

hippos basking in the sun. it was quite a strange sight, because the weather was very warm!

hmm, who's going to come sneaking past the fence tonight? After Joshua is in bed :-) , this would have to be my favourite time of day in the wildtuin. Just sitting there in the dark next to the fire with a drink in your hand, listening to all the wildlife settling in for the night. Then listening to rustling noises in the bush and straining your eyes to see what it is. You dont want to move, incase you scare it off. We had a hyena, large spotted genet and a civet cat walk right past us. Such a treat! Then occasionlly you hear trees crashing down, and you know there is an elephant nearby, just 'grazing'! Oh, and to hear lions roaring, and hippos bellowing, mmm. Bliss.

you cant see it on the photo, but there was a pride of about 6 lions lying very camouflaged on the other side of the water hole. The Impala were acting very nervous!

my boys xx

klipspringers doing what they do!

mongoose

Joshua taking photos (he did this ALL the time. He would hang out of the window and say CLICK CLICK!!)

He was loving every minute!!

'ullo gorgeous!

Kudu

I'm a mean Mum I guess, but this is Joshua hiding behind a braaier at a picnic spot doing poos :-) (bet you didn't spot him, did you??)

We had the perfect camping spot at Berg-en-daal, right in the corner. Then along came some funny farts and put their camper pretty much IN our space! (and there was plenty of other spots!) Tsk tsk, some people are just strange...anyway, they only stayed one night...phew!

Rhino. Not the best photo, I know, but it's always really special to see them. I hope this one gets to live a long and happy life. Rhino poaching is extremely high in South Africa at the moment. It is actually like full on war with game rangers and poachers! The statistics as of the 17th July 2012 state that this year alone, 164 rhino's have been poached in the Kruger National Park. And many more have been poached from other farms and reserves. It is a really serious problem, and a very sad one. At every camp, there are these large maps where you can pin on what you have seen that day, and where (e.g. red thumb-tacks for lion, green for cheeta etc.) but now you aren't even allowed to pin rhino sightings as in previous years. They have replaced it with African wild dog sightings.

On a positive note, thus far a total of 176 arrests have been made of which 153 are at the level of poachers; 10 receivers or couriers; six couriers or buyers and seven exporters. Most of the rhino horns are exported to Asian countries. (Information supplied from here )