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In addition to the major animals one sees in Africa, our personal and guided drives afforded us views into the lives of many other animals. On sunrise drives we came across dwarf mongooses darting across the roads as well as one morning, on our way to a Guided Morning Walk, two rhinos were lounging in the middle of the road. The smaller antelopes like Grysbok, Rhebok, and Steenbok seemed to be easier to spot early in the morning too -- or just at sunset. One evening Denny and I meandered up to a group of rocks that Denny found particularly beautiful and while gazing upon them two Klipspringers came into sight -- small antelope with hooves like our mountain goats. They were fun to watch -- moving so nimbly over the outcrops.
Sunset drives began at 4 in the daylight and went through sunset into the dark. Returning to the restcamps at 8PM the spotlights would be used. Twice we saw African wildcats that look like tame tabbies. Kudu seem to be more active just before sunset and we often got to watch warthogs run with their tail staight up. Unfortunately sunset and night drives are great for images that will stay in your head but hard for cameras to capture. We came across snakes crossing the road too, mainly puff adders. These are small but highly dangerous snakes. If you do not get the anecdote quickly you will lose the extemity bit. We saw lots of scrub hares too and a few springhares near Olifants. Scrub hares look like our rabbits but the spring hares walk on two legs and hop like kangaroo! There are lots of genets in the trees at night, their eyes shine out when the spotlights pass by. We learn to distinguish them and the impala so we are not stopping all the time!
Once on a sunset safari drive two porcupines came out of the bush right next to me. I could not believe how cute they were and how fast they ducked out of sight. MAYBE you can distinguish one in this picture. We often so jackals, both blackbacked and sidestriped, but never did get a glimpse of a wild dog. Warthogs are not as plentiful here in Kruger as they were in Addo, but you do come upon them practically daily. I love to watch them run with their tails straight up so that others can see it above the grass and know which way to follow.
The baboons came in waves -- they were not plentiful exactly but then a whole troup would come by and they were great to watch! The patriarch seems so unconcerned, leading them on. I love all the ways that the babes are carried as they grow. They start hanging on to Mom's torso from below and then end up riding on her back. They can move really quickly and were most fun hanging about the bridges. Who was watching who?
All around the camps one could find lizards and it was amazing how the guides on night drives could locate geckos on the branches of roadside bushes. One told me he just developed "an eye" for catching the shape as a spotlight would pass over it. There are a lot of tree squirrels and a large rodent type thing called a rock dassie that can be found where else...among the rock formations. We saw quite a few in Mossel Bay also, you might remember.
previous travel blog entry
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