Hard to Top Our First Safari Day But I think We Did Today

 
Today we went on a morning Safari and then moved from Zulu Nyala's Heritage Lodge to their Safari Lodge which is located about 10km away and on top of a hill offering wonderful views.   The Safari Lodge is quite a bit smaller and has wonderful thatched roofs and open beamed ceilings.  But first about the Safari as it was a very exciting experience.  It had rained all night and Mark, our Ranger, explained that we would only be able to onto the main tracks as the others would be too wet and we might get ourselves stuck in the mud.  The roads seemed fine around the lodge but as we moved further into the reserve the going got a lot more trickier.  We were thrown about like rag dolls and  hanging on for dear life as the Land Rover pitched and lurched its way through the muddy, water logged tracks, slipping and sliding its way forward ever so slowly.  Excellent driving from Mark allowed us to have an amazing morning of incredible wildlife encounters.   

 

Some of the thatched roof units at Safari Lode.  We are in the one on the right.

Rita was very impressed with the four-poster bed in our spacious, Victorian styled room

White Rhino with her  male calf cooling down in a couple of pools created by the overnight rains

 Two young male Giraffes were play fighting by swinging their necks at each other

We came upon three African Elephants eating branches from trees very close to the road.  Mark stopped the vehicle and we watch from a distance for a few minutes.   We then started to slowly move towards the Elephants they started getting agitated, flaring their ears and trumpeting.  Then the oldest female charged the Land Rover and came straight towards me.  As I moved away from the edge of my seat I shot this photo.  Notice the railing on the right, she was way too close for comfort.

 Male Cheetah lounging in the grass.  We spent several minutes just watching him until he casually got up and walked away

 Adult male Giraffe with a herd of Impala.  Notice several newborn calf's that are less than a week old

We turned a corner in the road and saw this African Rock Python killing a baby Impala.  We stopped the vehicle and the Python uncurled himself from the Impala and slithered into the grass.  The Ranger checked the Impala's pulse but he was dead.  The Python was at least 2 meters long (6ft) and he would unlock his jaws and slowly pull the Impala into his body.  After a few days it would regurgitate the bones and then not have to eat for at least another two weeks.  Nature can be cruel.