African wildlife

Part of our tour to Africa included spending time on a game preserve near Johannesburg called Pilansberg.  It was an amazing experience to be so close to these animals whose names I first heard when I was a child and mother read books with me at bedtime.  An incredible experience!

                           

The elephant came out of the brush towards our truck.  He was ready to find a mate and was not in the mood for a bunch of tourists gawking out of the open-air truck, flashing their cameras.  These elephants have never been hunted and are relatively safe if visitors follow a few simple rules . . . : no loud talking, no leaving one's seat, no breathing hard/loud, etc.  The rhino pictured is a black rhino.  Black rhinos are aggressive and don't play well with others.  This rhino had lost an ear in an apparent altercation.

                         

This monkey was watching us during one of our rest stops.  He was intent on collecting any tidbits of food that might be left after our snacks of jerky and soda.

The giraffes were marvellous . . . and just as I had always imagined.

It was autumn in April in that hemisphere.

This big boy came so close to our truck that I was able to get a picture of his eye.  He was so close, some of us could have reached out and touched him. . . . My heart was in my throat . . . But it was the experience of a lifetime!

   

Comments

[zjojor]

I love these pictures, I hope to go to Africa one day and see it's beauty fro myself. Meanwhile I will just enjoy looking at them from your blog, great job

[Family Law Washington State]

I love elephants! I'll make sure that I will spent my vacation in Africa.

[One Way Links]

I'd love to go to Africa and see the wilderness. Of course, to visit these beautiful animals and the people.

[Taxidermy Schools]

To visit the African dessert and wilderness animals is really great. I love the pictures! Love to go to Africa.

[tee shirt pas cher]

J'aime ces photos, j'espère que d'aller en Afrique un jour et voir sa beauté vient moi-même. En attendant, je vais juste apprécier les regarder à partir de votre blog, super boulot