(click any picture to get enlargement)
We ventured out for Lori
& Dave's first African wildlife experience to the Lion & Rhino
reserve, which is near Pretoria. The scenery leading up
to the place looks
similar
to that of the states.
The first animals were some big birds.
We then found a Red Hartebeest & some Zebra.
We then came across ...
... a cute Ostrich family.
A chick close-up.
We took a break near a croc pond... up for a
swim?
This guy would like someone to join him!
Normally you can just
see a Hippo's ears.
In this pond we could see their big bodies...
... and sometimes we saw their cute faces (ha ha).
A silly mongoose.
This baby mongoose
didn't look like it was
doing very well ... do
you feel sorry for it?
A worker then threw it
a baby chicken... what about feeling sorry for
the baby chicken?
Even though it looks
like a baby, this one
is almost full grown.
We then entered the cheetah area.
They separated these cats
from the others to
avoid conflict & injury.
We only saw one good- looking Cheetah hiding under a big bush.
The lions gave us a
better sight; these
gals had gigantic paws!
The lions were resting in the bush; this lazy female kept a sly eye on us.
She then stretched out
like a house cat and we
all laughed; ... how cute,
she just wants her tummy rubbed ... by her lunch!
On the road, a male
lion approached us.
He got so close that
we could see his scars.
He then laid down and
gave us a good side
profile. It was a hot day
and he seemed tired.
This pack of dogs was
just lying around.
Then they must have
heard something ...
... as a few got up and
gave us a good pose.
All we saw here was a
bunch of muddy butts.
Ahhh, it's a mommy
Warthog and her kids.
This child has learned to kneel during lunch.
This mother and kid are cleaner, but they
still
don't look very nice.
This male is even worse!
This little one, though, looked quite graceful
when crossing the road.
We saw a Waterbuck as
we headed to the exit;
note the circled butt!
He then posed for a
nice frontal shot.
A rare Blue Wildebeest then strolled by; this
was a fitting way to
leave a nice reserve!
After getting practice spotting animals, we left Pretoria and headed east.