kudu

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Zeb the Duck Continues Exploring South Africa’s Kruger National Park

Welcome back.   I am still showing you what I discovered in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.   Chris is our guide and driver in the part, and Samson is our guide and driver outside the park.   Samson got us at our hotel and will return us there tonight.   Rhinos are really huge.

Rhinos

Rhinos

Rhinos are endangered because they are poached, or killed illegally.   Chris says that if the current rate of rhino poaching continues, Kruger many not have any rhinos in 3-5 years.   That would be sad.   The rhinos are poached, or killed, for the horn on their nose.   These elephants are really close to us.

Elephants are really close

Elephants are really close

Mom let me sit on the vehicle to see them.   We are really close now.   Cape Buffalo are also in Kruger National Park.

Cape Buffalo

Cape Buffalo

So big and their horns are against their head, rather than in the air like animals that live by me.   Always something different to see and learn.   I love to travel and learn.   Another fabulous zebra.

Love the zebra

Love the zebra

This rhino crossed the road right in front of our vehicle.

Rhino crossed in front of our safari vehicle.

Rhino crossed in front of our safari vehicle.

So big and so massive.   OK, this is what the humans have been looking for.

First lion sighting for Zeb the Duck

First lion sighting for Zeb the Duck

This lion just finished breakfast and is relaxing and enjoying the shade of this tree.   He is majestic!  This giraffe is resting also.

Giraffe at rest

Giraffe at rest

Even lounging on the ground, he is very tall.   The monkey also wanted a snack.

Monkey

Monkey

We saw many large elephants.

Elephant

Elephant

This one is also eating.   Elephants are vegetarians, so they eat most of the day.   Remember the kudu from Chobe Park in Botswana?

Kudu. Love those twisted horns

Kudu. Love those twisted horns

Here is another kudu.   The twisted horns are very distinctive.   We admire those horns.   OK, mom said I should put this photo in here.   I am not sure. This is droppings from a hyena.

From the hyena. Much calcium

From the hyena. Much calcium

The hyena eats many bones and his droppings are almost all calcium.   Chris told us that.   The giraffe also wanted a snack.

Giraffe enjoying a snack

Giraffe enjoying a snack

I love to see giraffes eating leaves.   The are so tall and regal.   We stopped at the lodge on the river and I enjoyed the view.

View of the river in Kruger National Park

View of the river in Kruger National Park

There are hippos in that river also.   We are heading to the exit of Kruger Park, but look at this.

Elephants by the river in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Elephants by the river in Kruger National Park, South Africa

These elephants by the river could be an advertisement for Kruger Park.  And about elephants.   You know they are very big and they can do what they want.

This elephant is king of the road

This elephant is king of the road

There were three large elephants in the middle of the road, stopping traffic from each direction.   They are close to us and so much in charge of the situation.   We loved watching them before we left the park to go back to our hotel in Maputo, Mozambique.   This was my last African safari for this trip, so I, Zeb the Duck, am very happy that we saw so many wonderful wild animals.   We hope you go on an African safari.   The animals are so majestic.   I love safaris.

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Zeb Experiences a Botswana Game Drive and Dinner at Mama Africa Eating House

We are still in Botswana at Chobe Safari Lodge.   The river safari and lunch were fantastic.   We loved eating by the pool and the Chobe River.   On this safari, the humans agreed that they had seen enough birds, impalas and warthogs.   They were looking for zebras, giraffes and lions.   But they did want to stop to admire other large animals.   An early stop was to gaze at these rocks.

Large rocks? Not at all!

Large rocks? Not at all!

Oh, they are not rocks, they are resting hippos.   Hippos are so big, but they can run really fast. Remember the elephants we saw on the boat safari?   Well, here they are again.

Elephants, adult and young

Elephants, adult and young

Those two babies are so cute.    Mom was having a little problem getting them to move quickly enough, so mom’s tusks bumped into the youngster’s rumps if they got too slow.   That seemed very effective.   Cape buffalo are also very big.

Cape Buffalo at rest

Cape Buffalo at rest

The humans did say they wanted to stop for big animals.   Alright, this is a new animal for me, Zeb the Duck.

Zeb's first zebra

Zeb’s first zebra

This is my first wild zebra.   We saw a small herd of them, and what are these animals near them?

Giraffes.

Giraffes.

Wow.   These tall guys are giraffe.   My first wild giraffe also.   Oh look.

Giraffes with young on the right

Giraffes with young on the right

To the right, near the center of the photo, there is a young giraffe.   Shorter, but certainly not short.   I don’t believe I have seen this one before, either.

Kudu. See those horns?

Kudu. See those horns?

This is a kudu.   Very impressive twisted horns.   Well, our game drive in Chobe National Park in Botswana has ended.   It was great, but we did not see the big cats.   No lions, no cheetahs, and no leopards.   But we did see so many magnificent animals.   I love safaris.   This was my first time in Africa, so my first safaris, but mom has been here a couple times and experienced safaris in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.   We both loved these safaris.   I have to tell you something amazing.   The other humans on our game drive were from Colorado and one couples lives less than 10 miles from our home in Colorado.   And we met on a safari in Botswana!   Mom and I are now in the car, entering Zimbabwe.    The other humans are staying in Zambia, so we are in separate cars.

Returning to Zimbabwe

Returning to Zimbabwe

Remember that the road from Botswana into Zimbabwe and then to Victoria Falls goes through a National Park.   These baboons are really wild and ran away.

Wild baboons along the road

Wild baboons along the road

Another day I will tell you about our encounter with another baboon; one that was not afraid of humans.   We are back in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and it is dinner time.   The gentleman in our hotel office recommended a restaurant.   Here we are at Mama Africa Eating House.

Mama Africa Eating House

Mama Africa Eating House

At our table we loved the colorful placemats.

Great placemat. And peanuts and popcorn

Great placemat. And peanuts and popcorn

The peanuts and popcorn were delicious for snacking while our food was being prepared.   We ordered Nuku Nedovil.   That is a Shona dish of chicken and peanut butter with rice.  Yum!  I love chicken and I love peanut butter.   When we arrived we admired the paintings on what we thought was a storage area.

Great door decoration

Great door decoration

We soon learned that the doors come off and this is the area for the band.

Preparing for live entertainment

Preparing for live entertainment

Live music is great during and after dinner.   The food was delicious and the people were so nice.   I really liked Mama Africa.   When we returned to our hotel we certainly thanked the gentleman for his wonderful recommendation.