Thursday, March 29, 2018

2018 Grand World Voyage, Day 83, Elephant Plains, South Africa (Part 2 of 2)



























































Yesterday afternoon’s drive was slow at the outset, very few animals to be seen but the excitement mounted as we came upon a leopard and his kill, a grey duiker. The leopard lay in the bush and all of a sudden she decided to have dinner...the highlight of the day...we watched her eat a good portion of her kill and then she picked up the remainder of the grey duiker and climbed a tree to keep her food out of harm’s way...what an amazing experience! Darkness had set in and we started our return to the camp and came upon our third leopard for the day. Coming eye to eye with this spectacular wildlife evokes a feeling of awe and wonder...these cats were unfazed by our presence and gave me plenty of time to take some amazing photographs. This morning’s drive was exciting at the start...not far from the lodge, we came upon a leopard just sitting in the grass beside the road. Our mission today was to find a male lion but no luck...the animal sittings this morning were scarce...but we did expand our list adding; a huge millipede, baboons and a crocodile. We passed an area where a dead elephant was being attacked by numerous vultures and other prey. This afternoon was our last game drive at Elephant Plains and we had a wonderful vantage point to see our fifth Leopard...I was very happy to see so many leopards. As well, we came upon a rare Water Buck Antelope and the icing on the cake was a Rhino family having dinner...normally, it is rare to see a male Rhino with the mother and baby. The luxurious Elephant Plains Game Lodge overlooks a valley with a watering hole that attracts wildlife throughout the day...the staff, accommodations and food at the Lodge is excellent...we would like to thank our Ranger Morne and Tracker Dion for a wonderful experience. Elephant Plains Game Reserve far exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend the Game Reserve to anyone looking to take a Safari. Early tomorrow morning we are off to Port Elizabeth and Amakhala Game Reserve.

2 comments:

  1. Jeff, all I can say is WOW! I had not heard of Elephant Plains but, it certainly delivered. I thought you were in a van with an open roof. Not sure I would feel safe in the open jeep, but it sure makes the experience much more exciting. Can't wait for the rest of the photos. Beachlady

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  2. Jeff,

    CONGRATULATIONS! These pictures rank as some of your very best photographs!

    Thanks again,

    A & M

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