"We went on a lion hunt" - Part 2

The after breakfast drive, for which +Steve did the driving, proved as spectacular as the one we paid for. So often by then it is too hot and there are not many animals around. Not so yesterday. This magnificent creature held us up, a reminder that this is his territory not ours! The 2 below were part of another group we saw later. It is sometimes very difficult to see the animals because their camouflage is so good. The land had recently been cleared by fire and zebra stripes against blackened bushes were particularly difficult to see.

Pilanesburg is set in a weathered volcano crater. One of the things I wanted to do was to stop somewhere away from people and just bathe in the silence. So +Steve took me to the place below. It isn't an enclosed area so therefore under the "Do not get out of your car" instruction. But there were a couple of benches there, and the best way to stand in awe and wonder is to be outside. So I got out of the car - Steve didn't! The pictures do not do it justice - although much wider, it was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. There is also another photo missing which goes between these two. As I got back into the car two more parties arrived - but I'd had the better part. 

As we drove away, +Steve said he had been scared going up there. I thought he was referring to the hairpin bends all the way up. But that wasn't it. There is no mobile reception in the park, so if you break down you are reliant on word of mouth getting to the Rangers who can communicate with their walkie-talkies. He was afraid that we were the only ones there and we would be totally stranded if anything happened. The arrival of others held his fear at bay.

We saw so many animals it is impossible to post them all. Here are a Kudu, hippo

Late on in our drive we came across these resting lions. My heart missed a beat or 2 when, trying to take a photo, +Steve accidentally leant on the car horn. The lioness just opened one eye, took a quick look and shut it again. Whew!

 This was one amazing sight. We saw a group of 10 elephant, led by the matriarch, walking along together, which in itself was extraordinary. But they were joined by 11 others, all of differing ages. Then, scurrying along trying to catch up were another 10, mostly young, but with the old man in the rear. He decided he was going to go up the hill. So the second group ran back to get him, and the last we saw was all 31 heading off in the same direction. All the time the matriarch had her gaze fixed on the direction they were headed. Says a lot about families and corporate responsibility.

  A final view of the natives of the Park - but a different family to the one above. Fortunately for us they turned and walked away form the road. There were babies here too and they can be fiercely protective of the young ones.
It was a fabulous day - and one where I almost found myself saying, "O, it's only another lion!" But there have been other visits where we didn't see giraffe, or lion - so in the end it was a day to remember the command to look after the earth and all its creatures.