First day and I saw the Big 5 at Kruger National Park

Dung Beetles find where elephants have been

It is almost unheard of to see all the Big 5 at Kruger National Park in one day, but that’s what happened on my first day.

OMG but these African elephants are Huge weighing in at about 5 ton.  Although they eat about 60 pounds of vegetation a day they only digest about 40 percent of what they eat leaving behind plenty for the dung beetles to enjoy.

White Rhinos aren’t white yet are seen more often than Black Rhinos.  They weigh about 1 ton.  Unlike the blacks, the whites herd their young in front.  Because they’re color blind, contrary to popular belief, they do not charge red cars or trucks.  But then we’re driving a white truck anyway so we’re safe.

The leopard is very difficult to see as it hides either in the tall grass or lounges on a tree branch.  Because they can only run short distances they usually drop or pounce on their prey.  We were lucky that a guide driving along the road directed us to this leopard taking a cat nap.

On the way back to camp we became part of a Lion jam along the road.  First two females came out of the bush pausing to call cubs, of which there were five.

Then along came two young males.  They like to sleep on the warm road overnight.

I thought my heart would pound out of my chest as I held my breath watching these lions walk no more than 5 feet from the truck.

Figuring we were damn lucky to have seen 4 out of the Big 5 we pulled up to the campground gate and saw the buffalo.

Sterling Silver necklace of the Big 5

So why are they called the Big 5?  Not because they are the biggest animals.  The Big 5 are the hardest to shoot while on a hunting safari.  But of course we’re only shooting them with cameras.