DAY
26 - THORNY BUSH GAME RESERVE
CHEETAH PROJECT IN HOEDSPRUIT
21 July 2004
Click on any picture to see |
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. |
This was our safari car. |
The car had a front street for the co-driver, who was following the tracks, smells ... etc. |
The first animals we saw: |
The buffalos were very quiet and friendly |
A baby and another one in the background... |
Two majestic heads... |
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 |
A nice vulture |
Wilddogs are also endangered animals. |