Kruger Day 2 - Evening Safari

March 9, 2023 (cont)

Lions in trees? Are you sure those aren't leopards? Nope, these really are lions. Although usually seen on the ground, lions can climb trees when the branches are low to the ground. Being up in the trees provides some protection from biting flies or stampeding buffalo or rhino. It can also offer refuge from the heat of the sun. Being higher up can also help them spot prey. Tree-climbing lions are more famous in Uganda and parts of Tanzania. They are rarer to see in South Africa. These were the highlight of our evening drive.

As we gathered for our evening safari, vervet monkeys and bushbuk appeared to see us off.

The first animal we saw after leaving the lodge was the African wattled lapwing, named for the yellow wattle hanging down from the red base above its beak. Sometimes these birds like to hang out on golf courses.

Can you identify the animals we saw next? We also saw them on earlier game drives.

An African grey hornbill was hiding in a tree we passed by. You can tell it is a male by its bill which is mostly dark with a white wedge. If it was female, it would be mostly ivory-colored on top with a red tip.

Herold, our guide had sharp eyes and spotted the tiny grey foam-nest tree frog that lays the hanging bubble nests we saw this morning.

Herold next showed us a tortoise shell. He pointed out the different parts and explained that you could tell it was a female tortoise because of the flat base.

A herd of elephants crossed the road in front of us. The head bull stopped in front of us as the others passes. A young elephant also stopped to see what was going on, but he was shooed on by his dad before too long. Soon they were all safely across the road and browsing again.

The sun's rays were beautiful shining through the clouds. We kept an eye on the changing sky as we drove along.

We saw more old friends as we drove along. Can you identify them?

The tawny eagle was perched on a tree in front of us. It was amazing when it took flight. Tawny eagles can hunt on their own, but they are also willing to scavenge the kills of other predators.

The apple-leaf tree bends and twists in interesting formations. If gored or cut, its sap will run red.

As we neared the Crocodile River, we were lucky to see a waterbuck and her calf up close instead of across the riverbank.

Once at the river, we were again able to see the blacksmith lapwing,

crocodiles,

a male and female kudu,

Egyptian geese,

and lots and lots of hippopotami with impala on the far bank of the river.

As we drove on a narrow road along the river, we encountered a large herd of impala intermixed with baboons who were coming down out of a tree near the river. Impalas and baboons have a symbiotic relationship which means they help each other out. Baboons have sharp eyesight and can see hundreds of meters away when up in the trees. They are often the first animal to spot a predator and give early warning to the impala. The impalas in turn stir up lots of bugs as they graze in the grasses which provide the baboons with an easy meal. As a result, they often hang around together.

As we left the river, the sky was beginning to change color. The trees were breathtaking silhouetted in the setting sun.

As we drove along, we saw more now-familiar animals. Do you remember their names?

After the rhino crossed our path, we had the first of our evening lion sightings - two males resting on the side of the road.

While watching the lions, I spied a Senegal coucal, a member of the cuckoo order of birds. However, the coucal builds its own nest and raises its own chicks instead of laying them in other birds' nests.

Not long after spotting the male lions, we came upon a lioness perched in a tree. As we watched, we saw another sleeping lower in the branches, and a third resting on the ground.

After this thrilling experience, we headed for our sundowner. If you look closely in the second picture of the clouds, you can see Venus and Mercury.

On the way back, we saw hippos and elephants. Dinner was a special "boma" meal where we got to eat some of the game animals of Africa. We sampled wildebeest, kudu, and crocodile - although the warthog I tried in Zimbabwe on our first trip to Africa is still my favorite. While eating, a civet was spotted nearby the barbecue.

The sky was so clear that we could see hundreds of stars in the Southern sky.