The ANTELOPE of Kruger National Park

blue wildebeest
see all photos »

I have decided to write these last few logs concentrating on wildlife sightings rather than as daily logs.  Our park accommodations can be seen interspersed as reviews.  I will start with all the plentiful antelope species, move on to the "Big Five"; then the Giraffes, Zebras, Hippos and Crocs; next, one about all the wonderful BIRDS; then finally one with "All the Others"; and culminating with Wildlife Babes and Magical Moments.  So here goes -- 7 glorious days filled with animal sightings and viewings.  You know me, I could (and did!) take a sunrise drive with Denny, nap through the heat of the day, take either a sunset drive with Denny or a Sunset Safari Drive, and still be eager for the Night Safari Drive.  If Denny wanted to sleep in, I took the Sunrise Safari Drive.  lololol   If he was too overdosed for the sunset AND the night drive, I went alone on one or the other.  Thank goodness these drives of  3 & 4 hours were only 120R ($17) with our Wild Card!  (I believe they are 180 ($26) without the card.)

Gathered in the shade of every tree in the area...
see all photos »

Our first sighting, barely within the Orpen Gate, was a herd of blue wildebeest.  Unbelievable!  They are SO big, so beautiful!  And so plentiful in the park -- kind of like kudu were in Addo!  Everytime we came across these stunning animals we would pause to watch their behavior.  Often there are zebra nearby and once we found a white rhino laying in their midst!  They tend to stay back from the roads, but every now and again we would come upon a herd moving or drinking at a waterhole.

I hope you enjoy all the pictures! I treasure the memories!

Huge herd crossed the road in front of us, more on each side of the road, many going, more coming...
see all photos »

The most plentiful antelope in the park though, is the impala.  The rangers call them "Kruger's breadbasket"  because every predator preys on them (lion to snake).  They are beautiful creatures, so perfectly created for flight -- always alert and ever so graceful.  Often there are lesser numbers of Reedbuck mixed in among them -- hard to distinguish except for the black markings of the impala and the difference in the shape of their horns as the bucks grow older.  Impala are EVERWHERE.  You come upon them at every turn, in every setting.  The females and babes stick together pretty much like our elk.  The bucks roam alone or in small groups except during rut.  Then it is very much like elk, the bucks posture and fight to form their harems, afterwhich they become friends again ignoring the females.  Denny and I both enjoyed pulling in among them just to watch.  They were the least fearful of cars.  People are not allowed out of their cars in Kruger except for a few specially marked places.  The hides are located within electrified fenced in areas.  There are warnings about stepping out of your cars at your own rsik!

So very beautiful, alert & graceful!
see all photos »

A slightly smaller antelope, the Bushbuck, can often be seen near or in the restcamps.  They remind me most of our deer.  Unafraid of people, they graze and mind their own business essentially.  However, at sunset and sunrise one can sometimes see a really strange, miniature antelope: tiny Grysbok.  There are also Steenbok -- I could never learn how to tell these two apart -- especially because they are very shy and disappear as quickly as they are spotted.  These are about the size of a normal dog.  It was always fun to spot one -- or actually a pair, they travel in pairs usually.  The female is a little larger and they stay together year round.

an impala buck
see all photos »

There are Kudu in Kruger but nowhere near as many as in Addo.  We saw them more often on night drives in the spotlights than along the roadsides at dusk.  And though a different type of hartebeest, the Lichtenstein, can be found here, we never were so lucky as to see one.  I love their long, narrow face and funny horns.  We did go searching specifically for them in areas that rangers say they frequent, but never got a glimpse of even a fleeing tail.  Nor did we get a glimpse of any more eland.  We were fortunate to have seen that herd on the Cape Peninsula!

Shiny coats, curious and unafraid, but alert!
see all photos »

One morning we did go out into the rocky areas as Denny was facinated by some of the formations.  There we did come across a pair of Klipspringers -- small antelope with mountain sheep like hooves that live among the rock outcrops.  It was fun to watch them for a half hour or so.

My favorite of all, however, a new species to me -- are the waterbuck.  They are big, burly antelope with the misfortune of having a white target on their rear ends.  They are majestic in the way I would expect a roan or sable to be -- two antelopes that are found only in the far north of Kruger where we did not go (and in other African nations, I hope).  Waterbuck babes are to die for -- almost as cute as the little moose calves that will be arriving soon here on our hillside!  They are chunky, almost burrow looking, with fuzzy hair and really cute, curious faces and eyes.

Impala or Reedbuck? lolol
see all photos »

I hope you enjoy all the pictures!  I treasure the memories!