Travel Snippets from Kruger, Swazi & KZN (5) TEMBE *

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

It's now 08:07am and we are still on the Lion Bridge -O

The boss on duty marking his territory











and went off

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

And here some footage

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

Beautiful trees

Pod mahogany





Toad tree

Hanging toads

Pod mahogany




Tabernaemontana elegans (toad tree) is a small deciduous tree between 3 and 10 m in height. It has attractive dark green glossy leaves and rough, deeply fissured, corky bark. The flowers are also white and sweetly scented, attracting various insects. It flowers from September to March. The edible fruits, are also paired, but covered in light brown warts resembling a toad's skin, hence the common name. They occur from February to August.

Afzelia quanzensis (pod mahogany) is a very attractive, medium-sized, deciduous tree up to 35 m high, with a large spreading crown with bright green leaves that turn to an attractive yellowish colour in autumn. Flowers are sweet-scented, green with pinkish red petals. Large, brown, woody, flat pods, are produced in late summer. In autumn they split open to release distinctively black seeds with scarlet arils. There may be up to 10 seeds per pod.
Afzelia quanzensis is widespread. It grows in low altitude woodland and dry forests, usually in deep sand.

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

On the way back to the lodge we found some Impala










a Waterbuck or two




another beautiful Afzelia quanzensis



seeds: shiny black beans with a red aril

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

Samango Monkeys love to play Hide & Seek in Sand lemon-rope (salicia leptoclauda)









impossible to get a good

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

It was only 11am, but SO went on strike and decided to spend a lazy lunchtime at the lodge watching the Samangos and having a meal and a couple of beers. -O So what now ? No probs, this is Tembe Lodge after all : "a place of warm African hospitality, classic safari food, world-class personal service." So let's enjoy a bit of the service and ask the guys to give you a ride to Mahlasela Pan Great idea I can stay at the waterhole and watch my beloved ellies and SO can chill out with his beloved Samangos
Deal done, I told him to come to the waterhole when he was done with lunch, drinks and monkeys. See you there!

Half an hour later I settled in at the hide
















Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove




Nyala






The younger bulls assessing each others strength -O

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there Samango Monkeys... also naughty/curious like these ones in Kruger

love the seeds... did you return with one in Central Europe ?... say what, is not allow

The Samango monkeys there are very shy - no way they would come to your tent and steal food they hide from humans

I have some seeds here in Western Europe



Video: Tembe 28th August 2012 - Elephant bulls fighting

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

Isilo walking down to the waterhole






He choose the remote side not willing to socialize with the other bulls -O




but allowed a little bushbuck to share the drinking spot

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

Oops another bull here: Would you please go away, hey










Finally the others went off Isilo doing his own thing

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Day 18: Tembe Elephant Park

These two having fun in the middle of the water play ground -O