31 July - Grant's Good Game

Photo of the Day

Morning Drive

(Grant, Petros & Andrea)

Rhino (x 2)

Buffalo (Breeding Herd) / Argyle - Woodpecker Road

Elephant (Breeding Herd) / Vielmeter - Jiga Jiga Road

Buffalo (Breeding Herd) / Vielmeter - Jiga Jiga Road

Afternoon Drive

(Grant & Andrea)

Rhino x2

Leopard (male) / Peru - Lion Pan Link 1

Buffalo (Breeding Herd) / Jaydee - Jambo Road

The air was icy and still and all the animals clearly decided to have a little lie in this morning as the first half of drive was exceptionally quiet. We eagerly awaited sunrise in the hopes of warming up quickly, and it was a rather beautiful one today. 

As things go, when two rhino were sighted, we could also see a journey of giraffe and some zebra in the distance - my guests were so excited to see giraffe that it was a round-a-bout loop we took to stop in at the rhino first and then turn back to the giraffe. The two rhino were the same two from yesterday morning  - they were relatively skittish though and did not really want us too close. It made viewing difficult and photos even more so, but we still got the off visual as they popped their heads out from the trees. 

Turning back to the giraffe and zebra we had a good view of them feeding together - unfortunately this is when my camera decided to go on the blink with a ER 1000 warning popping up on the screen. I was not impressed. I turned it off and on a couple of times and it seemed to be a bit better but I think I'll be changing lenses this afternoon! Grant was with a breeding herd of buffalo not too far away so we headed there en route back to camp and watched as they slowly fed towards buffalo pan.

Grant was out in full force this afternoon as not too long into drive time he called in 2 rhinos (the same two from the morning), however, as he was watching the rhino, he got distracted my a leopard up in a tree!!! Needing leopard, I responded. By the time i got there, he was down from the tree and in thick grass - not an ideal visual, but still beautiful to watch. He was eyeing out a herd of impala and kept assuming the 'leopard crawl' and then resting down again, alert and aware. There is nothing better than watching leopards in action - even if it means limited photo opportunities.

After the leopard headed down into a deep drainage line, we decided to go for a sundowner and on the way bumped into a herd of buffalo. There were so many of them that they sounded like a gushing river as they fed and moved through the grass - it was rather incredible. After a lengthy drinks stop in the riverbed 'beach', we had a quiet drive back to camp. Thankfully, it wasn't too cold this evening!