Up and out at 5:30am for our 9 hour safari at Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve. We were picked up at our Bonamanzi accommodations in a safari vehicle. So cool, just the three girls.
First sighting: Baboon's in a tree.
Next... the first of many zebra's.
Rich in history the area had been subject to severe hunting first by the Zulu’s during the early 1800s and then in the 1840s by the Great White Hunters, who arrived by Ox Wagon from the Cape of Good Hope ( Cape Town ) and Port Natal ( Durban )to plunder the area’s wildlife recources for skins, ivory and of course Rhino Horn. Hundreds of thousands of animals where shot and in a period less than 50 years the Elephant herds had been slaughtered. and numerous other species were destined for extinction.
South Africa is sooooooo very beautiful. Like none other!
Magnificent elephants roaming about
Road block... giraffe's.
Hello beautiful
Can't get enough of these awesome creatures.
By the late 1890 fewer than 100 White Rhino’s had survived in and around the Umfolozi area, the last remaining on Earth. By 1895 the area fortunately received formal protection as a game sanctuary from the Natal Colonial Government as the Imfolozi Junction Reserve, together with the Hluhluwe Valley Reserve.
Baby zebra and the mother is very pregnant with another
Stunningly breath-taking.
Lone graffee on the hill and I think I heard her singing...
'the hills are alive ~ with the sound of music'
herd of water Buffalo's - one of the 'big 5'
closer shot of a water buffalo
baby water buffalo
From the early 60′s new species where reintroduced to the reserves by the Natal Parks Boardand and the KwaZulu Natal Conservation Services. The corridor area between the Umfolozi and the Hluhluwe was finally incorporated in 1989 and has contributed in recreating a fully functional ecosystem in allowing a natural movement of game between the two areas. The reserve hosts over 1200 plant species, 84 mammal and 350 bird species not to mention the reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
My ministry partner, Ginger - the nyala.
We ran into the same group of pregnant zebra with the baby and a few of their friends, many hours later.
Did you know that the stripes on a zebra are like human fingerprints? Each is unique.
Zebra are one of my favorite animals.
White Rhino - another one of the big 5.
Lazily chillin in the water on this very hot day.
So big and powerful
Cute, little butts
Big, sharp horn.
Poaching is a HUGE problem here and poachers are shot and killed on site/sight. Both!
Weaver birds build these nests, near water.
Bye-bye rhino
Near the rhinos we found a lion under a bush.
Obviously a male. Sad this was the only shot I could get of the guy.
Kristin enjoying her birthday safari.
More baboons.
The big 5 roam freely today as well as Cheetah and Wild Dogs to mention but just a few of the larger species found within the reserve.
We covered a lot of kilometers in 9 hours.
Crossing the Hluhluwe River.
Ginger enjoying the wonderful day.
I've never seen a giraffe sitting down.
Big Bird in a tree
The basic bucks were around.
hello there friend
Another road block
Three happy missionaries: Ginger, me and the birthday girl, Kristin.
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