The South African Chronicles - Part 2

Any first experience is always very memorable. So it was with my first safari. We were invited to the Mabula Game Reserve as guests of Dr. Mallya. Mabula is a UB Group Resort and is situated near Bela Bela. It is set in one of South Africa's finest private game reserves. Only two hours North of Johannesburg, this 12000 hectare reserve is home to an abundance of animal and bird life, including the 'Big-5'. Exclusive accommodation is provided in our 47 rooms including 3 suites that offer guests every comfort in a scenic natural setting.
http://www.mabula.com/

We reached in time for a sumptuous lunch followed by a short rest and then our first game drive of the trip. We were quite excited and piled into the safari jeeps.

On the drive, we saw many antelope, impalas and giraffe. We came across a plain where there were some zebras grazing and in the distance saw some rhino and warthogs. The guide then tracked some elephants but we could not see them as they were hidden behind some rocks. The number one lesson that the game drive taught me was that one has to be patient and then nature will reveal itself to you.

The beautiful African plain.

Zebra grazing ............... 

Don't miss the bird on the giraffe

Dinner was around a campfire with each guide joining us at the table. There was also some entertainment by the local tribal staff. The African dance is quite energetic and has vigorous movements of the arms and legs and it is also quite suggestive!

Early the next morning at half past 5, we were up and away for our second game drive. It started off well when we saw some white rhinos and then we drove for a while before our smart guide was able to track some lions. It was an amazing feeling seeing these wild cats relaxing in their natural habitat. There were 2 lions, 4 lionesses and a cub. We would have missed them; so well their skin blended with the grass in which they were lying in. But we could not miss the manes of the lions as they lazily raised their heads to check us out. We were also lucky to see a family of jackals which included 4 babies!

Rhinos grazing in the early morning light.

Don't miss the 4 lionesses and cub behind the king!

Rhinos are powerful animals with a keen sense of smell.

These baby jackals very so cute!

We were lucky to catch sight of this herd crossing our paths. 

  The famous blue widebeest.

 

An ostrich sticking its head into the ground!?


Some facts that I learned on our safari:

- The African Big 5 are – the lion, the leopard, the black rhino, the elephant and the buffalo.
- The leopard is the most elusive of the 5 and true enough, we did not spot any during our trip to South Africa.
- There is a difference between the white rhino and the black rhino. Both are grey in colour. The difference is in the shape of their mouth and the way they eat. The white rhino is more common of the two and it has a square mouth and is constantly grazing grass. Its head is bent down whilst the black rhino is always looking up and eats the leaves of the lower branches of trees.
- The giraffe cannot bend its head for more than 5 minutes or else it will have a heart attack!
- The lion eats once in 7 days as it takes that long for the food to digest. However it is an opportunistic animal and if food presents itself it will not deny itself.
- The African buffalo was almost extinct and intense conservation has prevented its extinction. Also most of them suffer from tuberculosis and they are being treated for the same as they are food for the lions.
- The impala can be recognized by the “M” below its tail. That is why it is fondly called the McDonalds burger for the lions. And when it lies on its back, it is Wimpy’s!
- There are strict rules for games reserves. E.g. For every 1000 hectares of land there can only be 1 elephant as they eat a lot of the vegetation and drink plenty of water.