The Big Cat Diary and a Couple of Lifers

[nan]

those Léopards
and tiny Rhino

marvelous

[Richprins]

Very rare that leopard interaction, I think, Pumbaa!

Great pics, and that would have made the trip for most already!

You must say if you want the pics in media!

[Mel]

You shouldn't have posted the baby rhino (awww!) as well. Now I'm confused about what I like better: The leo couple or the little one...

[Flutterby]

What a beautiful leopard sighting...so jealous!

And the rhino calf is too cute!!

[aat]

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...... what a great sighting with the two Leopards.... must have been a big big thrill sitting in your car and watching this.... pounding hearts... and shaking hands .... and realizing what you see to make pictures without shaking...

Thinking you have seen lots of great scenes, every trip has it's surprises...... and a surprise like this you never forget... I am sure !!

[Pumbaa]

Thanks so much Lisbeth, Toko, nan, Richprins, Mel, Flutterby and Aat for your encouraging comments and compliments

[Pumbaa]

I cannot remember of a more cutest thing on earth than a rhino baby.



Mom was feeding and feeding and so the little one decided to take a nap. We in fact stayed with them until they walked off.



A couple of European bee eaters flew along with us on the road and we were allowed to photograph same.



We always interrupted our drive to also enjoy the views into the riverbed with a stop and during one of the many stops we took in the many loops we observed an elephant herd in the riverbed





and a rhino bull in a huge pond in which still a lot of water was existing.



For him it was heaven on Earth and for us another fantastic sighting moreover as the puddle was positioned



extreme close to the road.



Next stop was then at Gardenia hide provided there was still water left and so it was which we already noticed whilst approaching the parking ground and so we dared a visit there. Whilst walking to the hide we already noticed some cracking noise and the rustle of dry leaves and we just took a seat in the hide when a huge elephant bull already appeared.



He was suddenly so closed that we not dared neither to breath nor to move and only followed him with our eyes always on the go just in case although I do not believe that the bit of wood between him and us would have protected us.

[Pumbaa]

Gladly he walked a bit farer away and was busy with himself or maybe he already heard the noise of moving animals and in fact he was followed by an enormous elephant herd





who arrived one after the other and all wanted to have a drink, taking a quick bath or simply splashing around a bit.



We counted finally all in all around 30 elephants with again lots of little ones between them





who in fact could not be dragged out of the water and always tried to dive even deeper to get wet everywhere.



Compared to other years there was far less water left but is was still enough to make such a number of elephants in all sizes happy enough.





When we arrived the water was lying there as a still lake but when the elephants arrived that water started to bubble and suddenly even it was wavy with all the movement in the water.



to be continued.....

[Toko]

Gardenia hide is on top of the cuteness oppurtunities in Kruger, I love the little elephant, cuter than the rhino calf, IMO

[Lisbeth]

Elephant herds with little ones are tops for me