KRUGER PARK / 1 - SOUTHERN AREA

DAY 23 - KRUGER PARK / 1 - SOUTHERN AREA
18 July 2004

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SOUTHERN AFRICA 2004

Kruger National Park is best known game reserve in South Africa. It was Paul Kruger who proclaimed first this area as a Game Reserve in 1898, so the park was named after him. The park has an area of 2 million hectares or 20,000 square kilometers, an it is larger than Israel, and about the size of Wales. The park is home to the greatest variety of animals in any park in Africa (147 mammal species, more than 500 species of birds, 114 species of reptile, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibian, over 200 species of butterfly)

We decided to visit the southern part of the park on the first day, and come back for a second day later.

Our Route was: PHABENI GATE - SKUKUZA CAMP - LOWER SABIE - CROCODILE BRIDGE - CROCODILE RIVER ROAD - MALELANE GATE
We enjoyed game-viewing and felt a bit being part of the nature (even if mostly sitting in the car).

We experienced two cute stories with elephants, see here below: ELEPHANT STORY 1 and ELEPHANT STORY 2


Phabeni Gate. The Ticket Office is in a very nice, rustic, African style hut.	This elephant was quite close to the entrance.	Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) A large bird of 90-100 cm.	Mopane Aloe grows on dry, hilly areas.


Impala lily is like a mini-baobab.	It has beautiful flowers.	Skukuza Camp. The three famous men who did a lot for the Game Reserve: Paul Kruger, James Stevenson-Hamilton,... but who is the third one?	Standing at river Sabie in Skukuza Camp


River Sabie at Skukuza Camp. It was difficult to spot that hippo, hiding behind the bush.	More hippos at River Sabie	They do not care anything....	Impala lily also appears in the bushveld.


We crossed this river on Marula Loop.	An 'X' - made of giraffe necks ..:)	A nice giraffe head.	A warthog mom with two kids


Tortoise	Vervet monkey	Lilac-breasted roller	African buffalo


Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) A large bird of 90-100 cm.	A large spider web	A lonely walking elephant	Naboom (Euphorbia ingens)


Blooming naboom	???	Lizard	A large thorny bush


More warthogs	An interesting tree, with interesting fruits.	Thorny bush with spider web	Thorny bush

ELEPHANT STORY 1


Gabor noticed that elaphants want to cross the road. So we stopped the engine, and so did many drivers in front of us and behind us.	The dominant elephant is watching the others, and a small elephant is 'waiving' to her mother (nearly asking: Are you coming Mom?)	The elephant herd is crossing quickly.	They all disappeared on the other side quite quickly.

ELEPHANT STORY 2


This laying elephant seems to be sick, and her baby is trying to get her up.	After several minutes of trial the baby seems to be quite shocked, and another big elephants tries to comfort the baby.	Finally all the elephants try to push the one on the ground. We were watching them for long minutes.	Finally they did it. The sick elephant is up and walking, however we do not know what is her future now......