Kruger National Park

Today's 5 o'clock alarm call was for a trip to the Kruger to see elephants, which our reserve does not have.

Although our reserve is on the edge of the Kruger it was still an hour's drive to get to one of the entrances to the Kruger itself but no sooner had we gone through than we came across the massive bull elephant top left.

Top right is a young hyena who suddenly emerged from the grass beside our van and casually ambled around us.

Most exciting and unusual of all was to see a small pack of 5 African Wild Dogs, bottom left; apparently they are one of the most endangered species in Africa with only 5000 left on the whole continent according to one guide book and just 500 in South Africa, so we were pretty lucky to see them, stalking a bush back, which scarpered pretty quickly, then play fighting amongst themselves.

Couldn't resist the snooty seated giraffe, either.

After 5 hours in the park, we were back n ime for lunch then it was off on the afternoon local Safari, with lots more animals, followed by an evening brai in the boma, an enclosure where communal meals are held where we were entertained by the staff in local costume singing and dancing and somehow I ended up draped in the South African flag and wearing a tribal head dress.