We were up early enough for Mike to get some lovely photos of the sunrise from the dining terrace. Who’d have thought it?
Soon after leaving the sealed road inside the park we saw a spotted hyena in the bushes. With a bit of patience we got some good photos as it came into a clearing. We also saw Steenboks which are these tiny antelopes only a bit bigger than Dikdiks. So cute. 

At the next waterhole there was a lion monopolising the area while all the antelopes and zebras held off. Same at the next waterhole but this time the male lion was injured and limping badly as it got up to go and find some shade. Where were Oryxes, heaps of Black Backed Jackals, antelopes and zebras all waiting for water. Also these Red Hartbeests which have amazing heart shaped antlers. 

At the final waterhole of the morning we arrived to see the male heading off for shade and the female and 3 large male cubs having a drink. The mother then headed off for shade also but one of the cubs wasn’t going anywhere. He had obviously had a big feed and lots of water and wasn’t going to walk the 3 or 400m to the scrub cover so eventually squeezed into the shade cast by a concrete water pump shed. That wouldn’t last long as the sun rose higher but it was quite funny. The other two clearly wanted him to come so they just sat on the grass and waited. 

We had a toasted sandwich back at the lodge for lunch then set off again at 2pm. We saw 25 elephants at the first waterhole with heaps of babies. Then we went down to where other guides said there were 13 lions. (Wilfred is clearly a well known and popular guide so everyone is happy to share information with him). It was near a waterhole and you could see about 10 giraffes all looking in the same direction. We parked beside heaps of other vehicles and soon picked out 5 lions hiding along the top of this small bank and a lioness in a clearing below. They were waiting to hunt. Then along comes this lone springbok trip trip tripping along. She came right below the first lion who watched her and then yawned. Still she came along – all of us watching in horror. She didn’t notice any of the ones up on the bank and the one down below was behind a clump of grass. Honestly, if the lion hadn’t lifted her head, the springbok would have stepped on her. The lions clearly needed more than a springbok for a feed but the look on both animals’ faces was amazing. The lion didn’t want her wrecking their trap and the Springbok leapt out of the way then stopped and looked and leapt a bit further still looking back until she got to all the other animals. We sighed a collective sigh of relief. 

No rhinos and Wilfred was obsessing about it. We called into every waterhole on the way back to the gate. Lots of elephants and zebras and antelopes. We might see one crossing the road or at the last waterhole he said. Not today I said. 

Almost at the last waterhole near the gate, a group of cars had stopped and the car in front was trying to get past. It was 5.10 so we only had 20 minutes to get out. What are they looking at? Then Wilfred says, “it’s a black rhino in the bushes”. “Where?” we said thinking he was joking and peering into the distance. But no, there was a rhinoceros amongst the bushes right beside the road. It then proceeded to walk out and across the road right behind us. I’m not sure who was most excited, probably Wilfred. 

Black Rhinoceroses and White Rhinoceroses are exactly the same colour!  They differ in that Black rhinos are browsers and have smaller jaws and heads which they need to lift up to the bushes. White rhinos have very wide jaws and heavy heads and are grazers. 

We had time so called in to the last waterhole where there were about 8 lions, 2 black rhinos and an elephant mum and calf. Half the lions were in the waterhole but the elephant had different ideas. As we watched she proceeded to chase the lions out of the water so that she and the calf could get near. We didn’t see how it ended but there was no baby elephant carcass when we called in the next morning. So cool. 

We had a very satisfied dinner afterwards. Wilfred was so glad that the pressure was now off. We were rapt.