Lions, Rhinos and Tree Snakes, Oh My.

By Caitlin

"Just be aware that a tree snake has been lurking outside your room in the roof but it should go away eventually." This was our ominous welcome upon arrival at our lodge where we were going on our first safari. We didn't see the snake anywhere, so we relaxed slightly. Only later did we find out it was one of top 10 deadliest snakes in Africa (but fortunately, unlikely to strike). Nearly 24 hours later, I was relaxing between game drives lying down on my back on the porch of our hut when my eyes came to focus on a long, lime green belly directly above my face 5 feet up. Hardly the most exciting moment of our time on Moditlo game reserve,near Kruger National Park, but it probably was my closest brush with danger.

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Going on Safari is simply a wonderous experience. We were in awe of the bush, of the animals that live there and of the guides that use their own knowledge and instinct to snuff out even the most camouflaged chameleon or elusive lioness for our thrill. 

The reserve was a labyrinth of dirt paths surrounded by dense bush in every direction. This made it difficult to see animals even right in front of you, so we were at the mercy of the skills of Themba and Jessie, our skillful guides to make the 3 hour game drives (one at 6 am, one at 4 pm) worthwhile. I'd say they did pretty well considering we were able to observe giraffes, impala, rhinos, hippos, cheetah, warthogs, wildebeest, monkeys, and 4 lions, among many others in as close to an authentic environment as you can get.  

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It's hard to choose a favorite moment but top 3 might include: 



1. Watching a cheetah stalk a pack of wildebeests as group of 8 giraffes looked on nervously.






2. Encountering a group of rhinos in defense formation,reacting to our vehicles every sputter in a rotating spoke-like manner.








3. Spending 2 hours tracking lions, and near the point of giving up, Jed finally spotted the 3 females through the misty bush eagerly devouring a fresh warthog kill.  As we got within a few yards of them, they gave us a few nasty looks in our direction to ensure we wouldn't steal their kill, but fortunately they were more focused on finishing off their meal than any of us.

It's an experience unmatched by anything else. Looking forward to trying it again in a new setting when we safari in the Serengeti in a few weeks! 

P.S. It's a requirement of any safari that you take at least 7,000 photos. just be aware that only a handful will be good enough to share and none of them will replicate what it was like to hear the lion cracking warthog bones in her teeth, but nonetheless, here our a few of our favorites (click to enlarge):