The "BIG FIVE"

female buffalo with oxpecker
see all photos »

As soon as you start researching about going to Africa you begin to read about or see advertising for ways in which you can be assured of seeing "The Big Five" -- elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard.  The "Big Five" designation is awarded because of their danger to man.  Each will charge or attack with little understanding by humans as to why the seemingly peaceful creature becomes aroused.  It is also in that descending order that they are easiest to find.  Elephants, buffalo and even rhino can be found most every day in Kruger.  The cats though -- lions, leopards and cheetahs -- are seen much less often.  As you know, we were out there on the roads a LOT and for seven full days, and we were indeed lucky enough to see them all.

Solo bull emerges from the veld
see all photos »

Denny and I liked to come upon elephants most of all!   Be it a wandering lone bull or a small group of young bulls, or a family group led by a matriarch -- they were always fun to watch!  "Breeding herds," as the rangers referred to them, are usually made up of an aging matriarch, her sisters perhaps, and all of their female offspring, and their offspring, etc. plus males until the age of around 8 or 10 (teens in the life of an elephant who often lives over 50 years).  When the bull elphants come in to fight for mating rights they run off the young males at a certain point.  These young males may hang out in twos or threes and even pair up with older bulls for a few years.  Only the huge, older bulls tend to amble about alone.  The breeding herds are the most fun to watch as they are so family oriented -- all protect the young, standing between them and any perceived danger.  They are very tolerant of the antics of the young as well.  It is fun to see the babes dash about teasing and provoking their elders, sometimes slipping into the waterhole, or tripping and falling over.  Pre-teen males joust a bit, testing their strength.  Just outside our Berg-en-dal bungalow on our last night in the park, a group of 7 were just beyond the perimeter fence when we pulled in and we were able to walk along the perimeter following them as they grazed and played.  There were three females and four little ones varying in age between newborn to maybe three years old.  It was uncanny how the females would get between us and the babes whenever the foliage became scarce.  If there was an unfamiliar sound the babes would go under their mother and became almost unseen in all the legs and trunks as the group circled up.  The elephants could most easily be found along the rivers, at waterholes, and at manmade water tanks and holes.  Denny and I always checked out all these spots as marked along the roadways.  We waited for animals to come or pulled over to watch whatever was there whenever an opportunity presented itself.

mmmm, delicious looking bush
see all photos »

The Cape Buffalo too were around most days and in all of the parts of the park that we visited.  Sometimes it was just a few bulls, but more often it was larger groups and a few times we came across great herds -- particularly early in the morning as they are moving about looking for a place to graze and sleep the day away.  These are massive animals.  Both the males and females have horns, the mantle between the horns of males being bulkier.  Their calves are cute, frisky things.  Little red-billed oxpeckers are often found sitting upon them pecking insects out of their hides.  Just as in Yellowstone, the buffalo is considered the most dangerous animal to humans.  They are unpredictable and fast.  While they seem so tame, they can charge with seemingly no provokation and be upon you in no time at all.

all mine!
see all photos »

Likewise with the rhino.  Shyer than the previous two, both black and white rhinos can be found fairly easily in Kruger but are seen less often as they tend to stay further from the roads than elephants and buffalo.  Rangers convinced Denny and I that we saw a rare black rhino on our way to Olifants just hours after entering the park.  They are browsers who raise their heads to eat higher plants than grasses, are smaller than white rhinos, and have distinguishing jaws and horns -- all characteritics that match what we pulled over to view through binoculars.  A week later, after seeing many white rhinos, we tend to agree with the rangers.  Our first rhino sighting was in an area of open bush in which black rhinos have been sighted before us.  On our way to Skukuza restcamp though we went along a route that I now call "rhino alley".  Not only did we see sign of rhino all along the gravel road, but we saw probably 20 white rhinos!  Rhino males mark their territory by backing into the same poop dumps and then kicking their droppings into huge piles.  Photos provided.  lolol  Once you know what they are, they are unmistakable when you come upon them!   Both Denny and I are amazed at the size of rhinos!  Sitting down they are particularly HUGE looking and once while we were watching a herd of wildebeest, something startled them, and up popped a rhino.  I would never have believed anything that big could get up and move that fast!

seeking shade
see all photos »

The cats, however, are the most difficult to find.  If you do come upon them though, the lions are the least perturbed -- they truly strut as kings and queens of the jungle, unconcerned, the top of the food chain!  Two hunting females came out of the bush in front of our jeep one night on a sunset safari just at dusk.  The pictures here are aided by spotlights.  We watched them come out of the bush, walk right past our jeep, within feet, walk placidly down the road with the jeep rolling silently behind them, and then disappear back into the bush.  I was constantly looking for that pride of lions lolling in the shade of a tree, but we never came upon it.  Once though as I was looking up each path into the bush as we passed, I saw a cheetah.  It was standing still, looking at the road, so we met eye to eye.  What a thrill!  I screamed "cheetah" and Denny reversed the car, but it too had disappeared into the bush by the time we returned to the path.  However, later the same night that we saw the lionesses, while traveling the dirt roads with spotlights people in our jeep saw a leopard lying in the grasses next to the road.  Our guide backed up and sure enough it was there still, lying passively until it had had enough of the spotlights and flashing cameras.  Unfortunately I did not get my camera out fast enough to be able to provide a picture of either of these sightings.  The images are preserved forever in my mind though!