WARNING: This is not National Geographic….however, some photos are courtesy of Pepe on SV Beez Neez who is a photographer! You can image the massive amount of photos/videos taken so bare with me as we try to give you a snap shot of this amazing experience…grab a cup of tea and enjoy!
As it goes….we are in South Africa…land of the Big 5: Lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. The term was coined by big-game hunters, and refers to the 5 most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Together with SV Beez Neez (Bear and Pepe) we all made plans to “hunt” the Big 5 with our cameras. I can’t express how lucky we were to see almost all of the Big 5 on this 3 day trip….It had to be the combination of Pepe asking Trevor to see the “next” one…and viola…!
Day 1: The drive, the park, and the landscape
And we are off….excited to get off the boat for a bit we all packed the car and headed to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park which is the oldest “proclaimed” nature reserve in Africa beginning in 1895. Smaller than the better know, Kruger National Park, we had heard great reviews and availability to see all Big 5 animals and due to limited time and money, this seemed to be the best choice for us.
The plan was to spent the day driving through the park before we headed to our lodging for the night. The next day we would visit the St. Lucia area. The third day, drive through the park on our way home. 
Mostly traveling to island nations for the past 2 years, what struck me the most was the vastness and space that allowed for lots of industry, besides fishing and tourism. To imagine you could drive for longer than 1 week on land was an idea semi-foreign to us at this point. We saw many eucalyptus tree farms in this area used for …..pulp, paper and hardwood construction. 
We passed small and medium villages, all who had at least 1 small round hut called a Roundavel in each compound usually providing a single room for accommodations or store room. These huts were built round by indigenous societies to promote communal living so everyone could been seen and no one was hiding. Additionally, they were quick to build and could withstand stronger winds than their rectangular counter parts. Today, with the help of Westernization, these huts are accompanied with more modern homes. 
This used to be King Shaka’s private hunting grounds. 
The Northern section is known as the Hluhluwe side of the park while the southern section is known as the Imfolozi / Umfolozi Park. The Imfolozi Park is 72000 hectares in size and the Hluhluwe Park is 24000 hectares in size. 
Note this map is the daily sightings of animals…it was worth it take a photo of it…it worked for us! 
Inside the park the roads were pretty well maintained. This year the rains were incredibly heavy so some roads were un-passable to us in our little “tin car”…should of upgraded…? 
We were told to visit the park on a cloudy day rather than a hot sunny day as the animals will be “napping” during the heat of the day. The other alternative was to arrive at first light when the park opens to see more activity. We got lucky and had light clouds with no rain (cameras stayed dry) and had activity throughout the day. 
Again, if it had been a dry season, we were told the animals could be seen at the larger water holes. But with so much rain this season, there were water holes everywhere…I assume this reduced the need for all the animals to congregate at just a few watering holes… 
It surprised me how green everything was…again probably due to the rain but it did not match up with any “Lion King” images I had in my head which was more spare, tundra looking scenery….I was pleasantly surprised! 
Grasslands to thick bush, to thorny trees and rock strewn grounds…it was a diverse setting for sure….. 
It was awwhhh inspiring!
We of course saw many other iconic animals other than the Big 5…..
But one of our favorites was the dung beetle….These are fascinating creatures did you know: They are “poo” connoisseurs, not all poo is created equal, some beetles use the Milky Way to navigate home, and they are great parents.
https://wilderness-safaris.com/blog/posts/10-fascinating-facts-dung-beetles
So many birds including vultures, hawks, guinea fowl, and the iconic red-billed oxpecker that rides on the backs of animals.
Zebras were plentiful and it’s amazing that each zebras stripes is a unique pattern, just like our finger prints…however, scientist still don’t understand why they have stripes in the first place…do you?
Another favorite encounter was the giraffe… They don’t need to drink water often as they receive their water from the plants they eat. Males feed at full stretch while females feed at a lower height so they don’t have to compete for food. Strangely, their tongues are black for protection against the sun…?
https://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/giraffe.html
Cape Buffalo, not to be confused with the water buffalo, are know to kill more hunters than any other species…. and supposedly they have been reported to hold a grudge and seek revenge years after being threatened….no wonder they are part of the Big 5!
https://www.sundestinations.co.za/blog/10-whacky-facts-about-the-cape-buffalo/
The Southern White Rhino, not to be confused with the very rare Northern White Rhino which there are only 2 females (last male died 2018) left who live in captivity in Sudan, are still threatened along with it’s Black Rhino counter part in Southern Africa.
Of course you can’t forget about the Lions….some didn’t see any lions on their safari trips and again, not going to Kruger National Park, we were afraid we weren’t either….but luck was in our favor.
Female 
Young male
After an invigorating day and lunch at the Hilltop restaurant in the park, we headed off to our new digs that Pepe found for all of us. We stayed at the Sand Forest Lodge with a fully equipped kitchen (mostly), 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom space we could settle into. We snacked for dinner goodies brought from the boats with of course some adult beverages to celebrate our good fortune…..fingers crossed it will continue…
Day 2: St. Lucia and our Hippo tour
Next up was a river tour of the St. Lucia area…a UNESCO World Heritage site of diverse wetlands. Making prior reservations was a must to gain a seat on these river boats, so be sure to book in advance. We got lucky (again) and found seats the night before online.
Shoreline was the company that had space for us. The tour was about 1 1/2 hours. They advertise for crocodiles sightings too but none to be seen as the water levels were possibly too high this season. 
Our guide… 
First we saw a Fish Eagle…looks familiar right….? 
This estuary is one of the largest in Africa and is the first UNESCO site in South Africa in 1999. We were told the lake has been dammed and as a result, the abundance of fresh water has increased the shore grasses which has narrowed the channels. There are talks about opening the dam which would allow for the sea water to re-enter which will again change this ecosystem. 
As mentioned before, heavy rains fell this year and flooding occurred here. Our guide took us to this abandoned retail site and boat launch….you can see the water levels are higher than these establishments predicted. 
Near the abandoned shops were hundreds of weaver birds and their nests. We were told the male is responsible for making the nests (yes they are actually woven strands of grass) and the female accepts or not…if not, the male has to start all over again! 
Creative guys aren’t they…
The Hippos were hilarious….we were told that in the town of St. Lucia…Hippos roam the streets at night. You have to be careful not to come between a hippo and the water (their retreat) otherwise they will attack. Supposedly they are responsible for more deaths to humans than any other large animal in Africa. They can run up to 20 km/hour and their jaw can span 20 inches….ekkks! However…they can’t swim or float so I guess swim to deeper water…?
https://www.kariega.co.za/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-hippos
Day 3: Emdoneni Lodge Cheetah Project and back to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park
Well, at this point we had seen Buffalo, Rhinos, Lions…but we still hadn’t seem elephants or leopards…. so what is the next best thing to a leopard…a Cheetah! And so we found the Emdoneni Lodge which is host to the Cheetah Project. http://www.emdonenilodge.com/cat-rehabilitation/visitors-info/
They only have 2 tours a day during busy season and no cheetah feeding viewings…thank goodness! 
They do rehabilitation here and 4 types of wild cats are here. They do keep injured/maned wild cats for educational purposes. Releasing wild cats can be a long process as some parks do not allow them and some are introduced to maintain certain populations. 
This is a African Wild Cat…yes it looks like a house cat to you and me but they are slightly bigger and have longer legs and tail for hunting. 
Here is a Caracal…love the ears! They are often domesticated but then owners choose to give them up so some end up here. They are incredible jumpers despite their short tail and can jump up to 3 meters to catch birds and other prey.
The Seval looks like one of the big wild cats but is relatively small. This one (I forgot her name) can’t be released due to a major injury and will live here. However, you will see below there is a special bond between her and her caregivers. Domestication has taken place and often owners can’t take care of their diets and constant “marking” of territory…so they also end up here.
Ok…so it’s not a leopard….but for us…we will never get this close to a big wild cat in our lives….Close enough…well actually there is a big difference between the 2 cats…. its the way they hunt….
Leopards hunt much more like a lion…in a stalk and ponce method which makes them lay down for long periods of time. This makes them “robost” physically and has it’s round tail for balance when they pull their prey up into trees.
Cheetahs actually “trip” their prey with their claws so they don’t have to be that strong…just fast (100 km/hour)! This ability gives them the lean/sleek look and of course the longer legs and flat tail that acts like a rudder of a boat… I like it already!
https://blog.londolozi.com/2016/03/10/the-difference-between-a-leopard-and-a-cheetah/
Cheetahs have a “tear drop” streaks under the inner eye where leopards, don’t. Cheetahs claws are NOT retractable for better traction and speed during a hunt whereas the leopard will only use claws when necessary. Cheetahs have just black spots where leopards have a “rosettes”…the list of there differences can go on…but learning about the cheetah was extraordinary.
Last thing: Cheetahs are hunted by lions, leopards, and hyenas so parks who have them won’t generally have cheetahs…and for this reason, cheetahs generally eat all their prey as fast as they can before lions and hyenas come. Do you remember hearing that “cheetahs overheat while hunting and therefore abandon a hunt”…? Well this study shows this is not true and rather a cheetah may abandon a hunt because they are aware of “deadly competitors” and therefore ceases to hunt…read more at the below link.
I don’t think these guys need any introductions so enjoy the videos….I felt like seeing this herd of elephants in action was the best way to share. We watched and followed them for almost 2 hours….nature takes patience…please have some with me : )
Here is a mama and if you listen carefully you can hear a distance “cry” and she reacts by turning around and crossing the road….very quickly and with much intent!
and home again home again diddily do….
Thanks to these two who made this trip so amazing….Pepe and Bear….we heart you!
SV Beez Neez (Pepe and Bear) with resting cheetah LOL
Up next: Drakensberg – another road trip to the mountains: History, birds of prey, and zip lines
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