It seems that Welgevonden has more Zebra than Impala.
Strange, but true…
For me, there is no better photographic opportunity
than one of these in the right light.
A Barn Owl welcoming me back from a game drive.
A European Bee-eater, in the early morning light.
No need to set an alarm in Welgevonden,
The Francolin WILL wake you.
A Fork-tailed Drongo
catching some early morning rays.
A tiny Kingfisher perched on one of the power lines.
The rain bird…a Burchell’s Coucal posing for me.
Did it rain?
No it did not.
Bee-eaters settling in for the night.
“Hooray, we made it through the night”,
is what I am certain that these Impala are thinking.
Rock Hyrax…known colloquially as a Dassie.
Early morning is “re-charge” time for these small mammals.
It always amazes International(and sometimes local) guests
when they discover that the Dassie’s closest living relative is…
The African elephant!
There are several large Bulls in this reserve,
but those that we interacted with seems to be very calm and relaxed.
A first for me…
A spotted Genet, that we “spotted” on the way back to the lodge.
Welgevonden boasts the largest herd of privately owned White Rhino.
Management is keen to keep it that way,
and to this end they have instigated strict security measures
to protect these stunning creatures from poachers.
One of the “Ugly 5″…
Pumba…a Warthog.
Death often comes swiftly in the bush.
This young Waterbuck fell prey to a crocodile in a dam near our lodge.
The same dam is also home to a pod of Hippo,
who did not seem to be too interested in the Croc’s meal
A highlight of my time in this reserve.
A Cheetah on a kill.
Another first for me…
A family of Klipspringers stand and pose.
Usually the run and the sound of a vehicle.
Not only feathers and fur…
A Golden Orb spiders in the fading sunlight.
And as the sun sets,
it is time to head back to camp…
All the images were taken during game drives
from the following Rare Earth Lodges.
 
 and may not be used without permission
