Directly after a hearty breakfast, we decide to return to the giraffe kill, as we wanted to see those precious cubs again. Sadly, they had all gone. But a new sighting....the hyenas and vultures....both scavengers! It was not long before the fighting began. Ugly really, but it is all part of the cycle of life. You must appreciate that fact when you are in the wild.
Back down the road, we are informed of a Rhino sighting. Across the land we rush and sure enough....one HUGE male staring down one HUGE female. His intent....MATING! However, with three family members by her side, she had no intention of letting any of that monkey business happen. At one point, we got a little too close and were interfering with his advances, so with a bit of a charge in our direction he sent the message to "BACK OFF". From what the guides said, he stalked her all day but NO HANKY PANKY! Poor guy.
After a short rest and a fabulous lunch back at "camp," Bruce says he has a surprise for us. We hop into the truck and speed off. Searching - Searching - we come upon an area where we pull up under a tall tree. He asks us "What do we see?" A pack of hyenas making a meal from a baby Cape Buffalo directly in front of us? NOPE...Not it. Hmmmmm?? Bruce points up! There, on a tree branch above our heads lay a leopard! Tail hanging down, green eyes sparkling in the sun.
Watching and waiting for the moment when the hyenas leave the carcass and his feast begins. Such a beautiful creature...they are loners actually and are quite vunerable in the wild. So they blend in and wait for leftovers.
As the day ended we had seen just about everything. Hippos, giraffes (they have the cutest butts), monkeys, birds of every kind, antelope, wildebeast and zebras… but there was one thing still on our wish list....maybe tomorrow!
Our last half day...and we are on a mission to find the male lion. There is a spotting about 10 miles down the road. So we decide to go and the long trip pays off. A young male is feeling his oats and is attempting to mate with a young female. He tracks her every step as she walks through the bush, seeking shade from the hot sun. He roars at her and she roars back. Then in a split second...it happens! Takes about 3 seconds and they both immediately collapse to the ground. GEEEZZZ! 10 minutes later after a brief rest...it starts all over again! Did you know that lions can mate up to 100 times a DAY!! No wonder he is King of the Jungle!
With that...our safari is over. Back to the ranch, a nice lunch and we pack it up. Louise is waiting to carry us onward to our next adventure...Leopard Creek!