Off on what was to be the first of 2 afternoon game drives.
On day two the weather decided NOT to play along and a sudden thunderstorm
caused me to cancel.
No sense in looking at wet animals watching you while you watch them.
Therefore only 1 afternoon drive to report back on…
The “heart” of any game drive in a private reserve.
Without a radio, the rangers would not be aware of where the game was and
other potential interesting sightings.
I have to mention that Isaiah was so quiet when talking on the radio,
that most of the time I was unaware that he was communicating with other rangers.
Constant “chatter” can really spoil the overall experience,
but I did not find that to be the case during our drives.
For some reason the trees on this reserve “spoke”to me
and they were very photogenic.
Goose on the menu?
Certainly the Nile Crocodile seemed to think it might be a possibility.
Turns out he was WRONG!
It was in fact Crocodile that was served at one of our meals…
and not a goose in sight.
Score Goose 1, Croc 0
Black & white, in Black & White.
FUN FACT #546: Zebra always look fat and healthy.
The size is caused by stomach gasses that have to be expelled on an ongoing basis.
To see if a Zebra is healthy, you look at the mane.
If it is standing upright, then all is well.
If it flops to the side, then the animal might have a health issue.
This trait is shared with another Black & White mammal…
The Killer Whale, whose dorsal fin flops if the animal is sick
We found the Ellies only once…but we did get to spend some quality time with them.
This bull seemed to be looking straight through me.
A bit of “Blair Witch Project”…
things photographers capture when bored or waiting for animals to appear.
My wife and Isaiah discussing some of what we had seen on the game drive.
If you are in the bush then you HAVE TO try and Amarula.
As a new marketing campaign, the company has taken the elephant off the label
to highlight the plight of this huge pachyderm.
Soft drinks and water as well as some delicious snacks were on offer
at our sundowner drinks break.
This is why I did not go out on the final afternoon drive!
Isaiah Banda, the Head Ranger at Mabula Game Lodge.
He has been working in this reserve for the past 11 years.
Quite a record as most rangers move on after 2-3 years.
Two weeks prior to my visit here,
I had the worst guide ever on a vehicle in a different reserve.
Now I had the best!
I learned so much from him in the 3 drives that we did together.
I just hope that I can remember SOME of the information he shared.
Hear what Operations Manager Arno has to say about
his work at the lodge and his responsibilities
to all the other properties within the group:
A full moon over Mabula…
Time to say goodnight.
To find out more about what Mabula has to offer,
visit their website:
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