Saturday, July 11, 2009

The day safari...

Wasn't really a safari. We were on some huge nature preserve where the animals roam and run wild. Saw a carcass of possibly a wildebeast which had been attacked. While I did not see any lions, I heard them. My driver, Steve, had a van with a pop top so I stood and looked out of the top of the vehicle...colder than crap but I could see forever.

During the three hours we were out, starting at 6 a.m. when the animals start to move, we saw a variety of birds:
-the crowned crane
-far finch
-ostrich
-vultures
-the secretary bird which feeds on snakes
-corey bastards (not making this up!)and it is the largest flying bird in the world, or so Steve said.


Animals:
-zebra -two rhino (mom and baby)
-hartbeast -impalas
-wildebeast -giraffe
-gazelles -antelopes
-elands -buffalo

And the vegetation was interesting, as well. Acacia trees. Thorn trees which the giraffe eat...nibbling the leaves out between three inch silver thorns that looked very, very sharp. The dirt was deep red and interestingly, there were huge holes dug in the road by wart hogs but I didn't see any of them.

Quite a day and I am reminded of Annie and David's photos from their real safari...I want to come back and go on one. We saw "poo or scat" long before we saw any animals and you could smell the animals long before one appeared. Wild, earthy, and exotic smells! Wishing you were all there with me!

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