Kruger in Pictures: The Big 5 and More

Driving on safari through South Africa’s Kruger Park with G Adventures in late August, it was hard not to hear Sir Richard Attenborough’s narration in your head as you witnessed the wild animals in their natural habitat.

The continent of Africa is the birthplace of civilization, where human life began somewhere between two and six million years ago and is home to some of the most diverse landscapes on the planet.

And it’s nearly impossible to properly articulate its beauty with printed words.

We watched a family of elephants cross mere meters in front of us; we saw a journey of giraffes running from an unseen predator; and dazzles of zebra grazed by the roadside.  We were surrounded by many baboons, hippopotamuses, kudu, monkeys, antelope, impalas, wildebeest, hyenas, painted dogs and dozens of different types of rare birds.

Crossing off a bucket-list item, I was able to actually see The Big 5  – those five animals given the name because they are the most dangerous and deadliest we could ever face. 

They are the Elephant, the African Buffalo, the Leopard, the Lion and the Rhinoceros.

Kruger Park is billed as “the real Africa” covering nearly two million hectares. We joined G Adventures Kruger in Depth 8 day tour last month, here’s a look at the safari in photos. 

 

Also known as an African Wild Dog, painted dogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Kudu are a type of antelope found in Eastern and South Africa. 

Zebras will often huddle together to ward off predators; their stripes all blend together when in a group, making it difficult for predators to figure out how many there are and exactly where they start and end. 

This one you'll have to look closely for.  Leopards don't stand out in the landscape the way I think most of us think they do; this one had just killed its prey, an impala, and placed it up in a tree away from scavengers while it rested before its meal.  (look towards the top right)

A pride of lions had killed its prey - it looked like an impala or antelope - and, as per pride rules, the males had eaten first and were now relaxing while the females enjoyed their dinner. 

A rather fitting term, a group of hippopotamuses is called a "bloat" - which is in line with their size; a male hippo weighs around 8,000lb.  Hippos have a special layer of fat in their skin that helps them float.