Bert |
Mar 21st, 2001 04:00 AM |
My first recollection of a visit to the Kruger National Park dates back to the late 50's when I was but a bright-eyed little boy in the back of my dad's VW Bus, scanning the veld in keen anticipation of finding lions. Sometimes, I had to settle for elephant, but I soon got bored looking at Impala, of which there were thousands. <BR> <BR>Not much has changed. Kruger is not as inexpensive as it used to be, and there are more visitors from overseas, but impala are still ubiquitous. In fact, visitors soon realize that spending too much time videotaping impala is considered faintly amusing by the locals. I'm still looking for lion - who isn't - but I've overcome the boredom factor by developing an interest in birds, of which there are just as many in Kruger Park as there are impala, the difference being that the birds come in about 400 different species. <BR> <BR>It used to be said about advertising that it's about as much fun as you could have with your clothes on. I'd put a visit to Kruger Park in the same category. It's all very well to be pampered at a 5-star private lodge, and to be shown this leopard and that lion, but discovering your 'own' animals on a Kruger game drive is eminently satisfying. Another facet of the Kruger Park experience is meeting other visitors, and if you're the least bit gregarious, you'll soon find yourself exchanging sightings & experiences with people from all over the world. <BR> <BR>Kruger Park is famous for its wide variety of mammals, and on our last trip we did pretty well, spotting Impala, Burchell's Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, Southern Giraffe, Tsessebe, Bushbuck, Lion, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, Kudu, Waterbuck, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Steenbok, Duiker and Klipspringer. Mammals in Kruger Park are habituated to the presence of vehicles, so while other African parks may have bigger concentrations of certain species, Kruger Park allows one the opportunity to get really close up for some excellent photographs. Among my favorite camps are Lower Sabie, Olifants, Letaba, Shingwedzi and Punda Maria. <BR> <BR>The ultimate Kruger Park experience, though, is to go along on one of the 4-day wilderness trails, operated twice-weekly in several different areas. The thrill of a 'Big 5' encounter on foot will stay with you for the rest of your life. Being close enough to an elephant to hear its stomach grumble and see the dust fly when it flaps its ears, is exciting when you're in a vehicle. On foot, in an environment where man is at a distinct disadvantage, it can be a life-changing experience. <BR> <BR>Bert <BR>Houston, TX
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