Kruger National Park, South Africa.

We were out early after our first night at the Jamie Mulhovo Guest House. On our drive, we spotted this old kudu bull with the most beautiful horns I’d seen. I decided it should be the opening image for my day five post.

We were happy to see that most of yesterday’s wildfire had been put out, with only sporadic smoky spots. Our tour guide told us that though parts of the airport were closed due to fire damage, air service would not be disrupted. Our flight to Johannesburg would depart on schedule in two days.

We spotted part of a pride of lions, two adult females, and four cubs sitting under a tree. Eventually, they all moved out, walking opposite our travel direction. By this time, there was a lot of tourist traffic and one of the largest traffic jams we saw on our journey.

After the lions passed us, a herd of impala walked just off the road’s edge in single file. There must have been fifty or more just walking along the road. Suddenly, the impalas broke into a dead run. We saw the lead Impala find a break in the vehicles, make a hard right turn at full speed, cross the road, and disappear into the bush on the other side. All of the other impalas followed. After the last impala crossed the road, we saw the lion chasing them turn and follow them into the bush. It happened so fast, and there were so many vehicles that I couldn’t get a clear photograph of the excitement.

One of the differences we discovered when we moved to Skukuza Rest Camp is that the landscape is much thicker with bushes than the area around Satara. Dries defines the landscape around Satara as a grassland savanna and around Skukuza as a bushveld savanna. We found animal sightings more difficult in the bushveld as there is so much more bush for animals to hide.

We also saw the largest herd of cape buffalo we’d seen. It was across the river from us, and it was so vast that I took eight photos and merged them into a panoramic view. I still didn’t get all of the buffalo in the image. For a closer look, click on the photo to see an enlarged version from my Flickr site. Use the back button in your browser to come back here.

We were close enough to a small herd of cape buffalo to see small birds called Oxpeckers. This fascinating bird species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is known for its unique symbiotic relationship with large mammals like zebras and buffalo. These birds perch on the backs of these animals and pick off ticks, flies, and other parasites.

The relationship between oxpeckers and large mammals is mutually beneficial. The birds get a meal, and the animals are rid of pesky parasites. We only saw one egret among the buffalo, but many oxpeckers were there.

At one point, we stopped by a tree and saw the most colorful lizard I’ve ever seen. This lizard was about a foot (0.3 m) long. Male agamas often exhibit striking colors, especially during the breeding season. They may display bright blues, reds, or yellows to attract females and intimidate rivals.

I got a photo of what I thought was an impala in the bush. Dries told me otherwise. Duikers are a group of small to medium-sized antelopes native to sub-Saharan Africa. I learned this from Google: Duikers are solitary animals, although they may form small groups during the breeding season. They are primarily active at dawn and dusk and spend their days resting in dense vegetation. When threatened, duikers will often dive into the undergrowth, which is where they get their name from (the Afrikaans word “duik” means “to dive”).

The Sabie River is part of the ecosystem near Skukuza. The river winds through stunning landscapes and supports the diverse wildlife that calls this region home. We crossed the river several times at different locations and spent time on a road that parallels the river bank.

The Kruger Shalati is a unique luxury hotel. It’s a restored train transformed into a luxurious accommodation, permanently stationed on the Selati Bridge over the Sabie River. The train carriages have been converted into suites, blending vintage charm and modern accommodations (so says the advertisement, anyway.) We knew we were getting close to Skukuza Rest Camp when we saw the train cars on the bridge. We could see the train cars from our guest house community patio.

We spotted a tawny eagle perched high on a dead tree. Tawny eagles are highly adaptable and will prey on various animals, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. They’re not afraid to scavenge or even steal prey from other birds of prey.

During our stay in Kruger, we saw many birds, and I promise once I share the daily posts with you, I will feature a post with many of the birds we saw in the park. If you click on the links to my Flicker site in each post, there are around thirty-five to forty posts each day, many of which feature the birds we saw. To view the photos from this day’s journey, click here. Next week, our last full day at the park, found us by a watering hole with many animal sightings and even a battle between two crocodiles.

John Steiner