A road trip through a game reserve can be a nerve-wracking experience,
especially with children in the vehicle.
“Are we there yet”? is replaced with “Why have we not seen any animals yet”?
In order to keep said occupants from causing bodily harm to each other,
how about my Game Reserve version of the Alphabet Game?
Points can be given arbitrarily which might be safer than starting a contest
Image supplied by Google Images
A is for Aardvark.
1000 points for seeing this nocturnal mammal in daylight.
B is for Bateleur Eagle.
Unfortunately no points as it has been renamed the short-tailed Eagle
C is for Chameleon.
They have right of way when crossing the road.
D is for duck…
and I don’t mean the flying kind.
I mean look out for low hanging tree branches
E is for Elephant.
Although the largest land mammal, they are not called “grey ghosts” for nothing.
They can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye
F is for frog.
A Snoring Puddle Frog!
You might find one in your accommodation if you are lucky.
You will definitely hear them at night.
G is for giraffe.
You cannot miss these, as they are very tall and
tend to stare at you from a lofty height
H is for Hyena…
No laughing matter.
Or Hippo.
One lives in water and the other doesn’t.
1000 points if you know the answer.
I is for Impala,
also known as the McDonalds of the Bushveld
and is prey species to everything including baboons.
J is for jackal.
These little scavengers can be fun to watch
These little scavengers can be fun to watch
K is for Kill.
Not what everyone wants to see, but it is part of nature.
It can be traumatising for young and old alike
Not what everyone wants to see, but it is part of nature.
It can be traumatising for young and old alike
L is for Leopard.
In Sabi Sands they are so plentiful that they will literally fall out of the trees
in front of your camera, so be ready!
M is for monkey
that you will find inside your room
if you don’t keep the windows and doors closed.
N is for Nyala.
The male looks like an old man in a raincoat.
Only 500 points as they are a common occurrence
Image supplied by Google Images
O is for Octopus.
Any family member who spots one of these in a game reserve
gets to s of points to be allocated.
Image supplied by Google Images
P is for Pangolin.
They are so unusual that most people who work in the bush
get to see one every decade or so.
100000000000 points for a sighting
Image supplied by Google Images
Q is for “QUIET”
which is how you would like the car to be.
100000 points if you can achieve this.
R is for Rhino
White or Black, both species are actually grey,
unless they have been rolling in mud.
White or Black, both species are actually grey,
unless they have been rolling in mud.
S is for seal.
You get the same points as Octopus if you find one in the bush!
T is for Tiger.
100000000 points if you find one…
U is for ungulate.
Meaning “being hoofed” or “hoofed animal”
Meaning “being hoofed” or “hoofed animal”
To stop arguments make sure you have Internet connectivity on your phone
Image supplied by Google Images
V is for victory
as you arrive at your destination with all the family members alive.
W is for Waterbuck…
Would you like to be a prey species with a target on your rump?
Image supplied by Google Images
X is for X-ray vision.
Often needed in order to see the animals that tend to hide…
or to find children that have wandered off.
or to find children that have wandered off.
Image supplied by Google Images
Y is for YELLING…
especially if there is more than one child in the vehicle!
especially if there is more than one child in the vehicle!
Z is for Zebra.
Are they black with white stripes or vice versa?
And while everyone is concentrating on finding the “Big 5”, don’t forget the “Little 5”.
They are:
Ant Lion, Elephant Shrew, Buffalo Weaver, Leopard Tortoise and Rhinoceros Beetle
Before you know it,
you will have arrived at your camp and can spend some time
exploring outside the confines of your vehicle and away from each other.
This game can become as addictive as “10000000000 green bottles”.
You have been warned
“Hamba kahle Kaya”
A safe journey to all.
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And Pentax K5
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