Thursday, January 31, 2019

Swaziland

January 15-17, 2019

Swaziland is a small beautiful country. We visited 3 parks. Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary - a small park with lush green open areas filled with animals. Malolotja Nature Reserve - the area around the camp site was mostly lush green treeless hills full of  blesbok (an antelope). Royal Hlane National Park - has the big five but we saw very few animals. The camp site was nice. During the hour before dark we listened to lions roaring. The lions are in a separate section of the park, very near the camp site. The camp site did not have power so the abolutions (restrooms) had kerosene lanterns on all the counter tops for light. We enjoyed all three parks. 

View along the road in Swaziland.

One of the beautiful trees you see in Africa.

Fence to keep the animals out of the reception parking at Mlilwane WS.

Collection of snare wires found in the wildlife sanctuary.

Traditional beehive huts you can stay in. They must be very dark inside since they have no windows.

Warthogs ran around in the camp site.

Lush green meadow view in Mlilwane WS.

Termite mound - this one is 2 meters high.

Zebra

White-fronted Bee-eater

Crocodile

Crocodile

Wildebeest

View in Mlilwane WS.

Camp site in Malolotja NR - There was no power in the camp site so hot water for the showers came from fire heated tanks. 

Blesbok - We shared the camp site with this guy.

Monday, January 14, 2019

Kruger National Park - Love those mud baths

January 01-08, 2019

Visit a waterhole or mud hole on a hot sunny day and you will see animals enjoying a soak or a mud bath. They are fun to watch. There is a constant flow of  animals passing through.

African buffalo - The next group is moving in.

African buffalo - This one is really enjoying the mud.

African buffalo and Plains zebra - I don't know how they can drink the water.

Elephant and African buffalo - The buffalo are large but they look small compared to an elephant.

Incoming elephants.

Elephants like to play in the waterholes.

They also like to soak.

And splash around.

They cover themselves in mud.

Even soak their head.


No mud hole is too small.

There is room to get covered in mud even a small mud hole. 
And finish it off with a few good sprays of mud.


Got my sun screen on. Time to got eat.

Even a rhino likes a good soak.

Soak is over, time to eat.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Kruger National Park - Head Shots

January 01-08, 2019

I am amazed how close the animals are to the roads in Kruger NP. All I have is a Sony HV90V Cyber-shot, basically a small point and shoot camera with good telephoto capabilities. As you can see in this group of photos I can get good close ups of all the animals. It is really nice to not deal with a big, heavy camera.

Impala

Impala

Nyala

Nyala

Chacma Baboon

Chacma Baboon

Plains Zebra

Young Plains Zebra

South African Giraffe

Hippopotamus

Crocodile

Elephant

Elephant

African Buffalo
African Buffalo


White Rhino

White Rhino

Lions

Lion

Leopard

Leopard

Leopard