The Big Five

While attending a meeting in South Africa, I got to go on a safari. Finally. It had been on my bucket list for a long time. When I was a kid, one of my favorite television shows was Daktari. It was about a veterinarian (and his daughter) who worked with bush animals in Kenya. A lot of the show was about poaching. Sadly, not much has changed. Just the technology and probably the greed.

Postcard: The Big 5

My group stayed for several days at Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa. Our van drove around the park several times to see what animals we could see. Unfortunately, I was always in the back seat, so my picture taking abilities were hampered. And, nobody ever offered to change seats. The park offered morning (dawn) and night (dusk) drives with experienced guides. I went on both. I saw the Big Five:  lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. I saw a leopard in the dark, but wasn't able to get a good picture of it. I swear I saw it. 

#1 - Lion

#2 - Elephant

#3 - Rhinoceros 

#4 - Buffalo

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 7,576 square acres and became became Africa's first national park (in 1926). Kruger National Park has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve. The park faces may challenges including overpopulation, urban development, global warming, and poaching. The Big Five are featured on South Africa's currency. I was glad to see them when I visited Kruger National Park.

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Post created 10 Oct 2024

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