DAY 26 - THORNY BUSH GAME RESERVE 
CHEETAH PROJECT IN HOEDSPRUIT
21 July  2004

 

  English    Magyar

Click on any picture to see 
it in bigger size
 

  
MAIN PAGE 

  
SOUTHERN AFRICA 2004 


Thorny Bush Private Game Reserve is located close to Kruger Park, and has an area of  10 000 hectares of pristine African bushveld. The reason why we decided to visit it was the safari tour they offered,  to have more chance to see the 'Big 5'. It was worth to go there... see the photos.
  

 

Sunrise over Kruger Park.
It was totally dark, when we left Sanbonani at 5 a.m.

This was our safari car.
Gabor and me had the back seats.

The car had a front street for the co-driver, who was following the tracks, smells ... etc.

The first animals we saw:
a herd of African buffalos

The buffalos were very quiet and friendly

A baby and another one in the background...

Two majestic heads...
(...  like Marx and Engels... :)...)

A bird was sitting on her nose.

Vervet mokeys were watching us from this tree

This hippo did not like buffalos.

While the buffalos were drinking, theses jelous hippos were trying to chase them.

This monkey was watching what was going on....

Hi, what's up?

Our co-driver found an elephant herd

Our driver drove us in front of the elephants

They were coming very near. A baby was carrying a smaller bush

This big one was only 1 meter far from me .....:)

Finally they left us...

Having found this lion was a real surprise!

She was sleeping quietly...

... but suddenly she became angry, and turned back, ... 

then she joined the group, sleeping in the background. 

They were quite happy and quiet. That was our luck...

 Cheetah Breeding Project - Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre.  This center was established in 1990 as a breeding programme for cheetah. Today the center breeds and conserves other African species for reintroducing them into the wild.
In this 'zoo-like' park we met cheetahs, vultures and other big birds, a rhino baby, and wild dogs.

This was our safari car.

When we stopped this rhino baby ran out from his hut.

He wanted to get some love from the visitors.

Our driver went in and they both enjoyed being together.

The baby is 5 month old and weighs 250 kilograms.

When he will be older, he will be taken back to the wild.

We saw hundreds of big birds in the sky...

Suddenly we saw them on the road.

And this is the reason why the birds love this place.

Today they cannot find enough food in Africa, and they must
'come to the 'project for lunch'

A nice vulture

Wilddogs are also endangered animals.