Wildlife in the Kruger National Park was great. I did several game drives, both during the day and at night. The highlights were the lions and leopards.
Pictures of birds in South Africa and other nature pages are separate:
Table Mountain at Cape Town from a small plane. (863k) Three Rondawels, a rock formation at the Escarpment, west of Krueger National Park. (817k) Coast between Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope. (817k) Cape of Good Hope from a small plane. (859k) Mesa near Krueger National Park. (1108k) Waterfall in the Drakensberg mountain range escarpment west of Krueger National Park. (826k) Waterfall in the Drakensberg mountain range escarpment west of Krueger National Park. (1061k) Water carved rock formation in the Drakensberg mountain range escarpment west of Krueger National Park. (896k) Evening in the Drakensberg Mountains, northeast of Lesotho. (593k) Sunset over the Drakensberg Mountain range, northeast of Lesotho. Tolkien (a South African) got his ideas about Middle Earth from this mountain range. You can see why. (607k) The Amphitheater, semi-circle, 5 km (3.1 miles) in diameter, with 400 m (1,310 ft) cliffs. (876k) Stalactites in a Cave north of Cape Town. (781k) There were several Ostrich farms between Johannesburg and Cape Town. (538k) Sunset in Krueger National Park. (618k) Low Veld. This is typical for the low lying area, called the Low Veld, in which the Kruger National Park is located. (896k) This was the open Landrover that we used on the game drives. The lions could easily get a snack from up there, but they don't seem to realize that they could try that. (747k)
Flora in South Africa
These bushes have vicious thorns. (1257k) Flower. (914k) Cycad (Cycas sp., german: Sagopalmfarne). This is an ancient lineage of trees that flourished in the Jurassic period (200-145 million years ago). (1273k)
Fauna in South Africa
Banded-legged Golden Orb-web Spider ssp. annulata (Trichonephila senegalensis annulata). (524k) Termite Mound. There were lots of these around. (1452k) Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis, german: Pantherschildkröte, french: Tortue léopard). (921k) Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis, german: Klippschliefer, french: Daman du Cap) (an old animal lineage, their closest relatives are the elephants and sirenians). (1186k) Meerkat (Suricata suricatta, german: Erdmännchen, french: Sentinelle du désert). (899k) Southern Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus pygerythrus, german: Südliche Grünmeerkatze, french: Vervet bleu). (1034k) Grayfoot Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus griseipes, german: Bärenpavian, french: Chacma). Around Cape Town they can be quite a nuisance, since they have no fear of people and aggressively search for food in cars, etc. (693k) Grazing Southern Warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus sundevallii, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère). They walk around on the knees of their front legs while grazing. (1077k) High-tailing it out of here. (698k) Common Impala herd (Aepyceros melampus melampus, german: Schwarzfersenantilope, french: Impala). (1165k) Female and young male Common Impalas (Aepyceros melampus melampus, german: Schwarzfersenantilope, french: Impala). (850k) An Common Impala buck (Aepyceros melampus melampus, german: Schwarzfersenantilope, french: Impala). (835k) Chapman's Zebra (Equus quagga chapmani, german: Steppenzebra, french: Zèbre de Chapman). (1136k) Ringed Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus, german: Ellipsen-Wasserbock, french: Cobe à croissant). (1125k) Blue Wildebeest (also called Gnu), (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu). (760k) A herd of Blue Wildebeests (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus, german: Streifengnu, french: Gnou bleu). (844k) Female Southern Greater Kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros, german: Strepsiceros, french: Grand koudou). (810k) Southern Greater Kudu buck (Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros, german: Strepsiceros, french: Grand koudou). (841k) South African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa, french: Girafe du Cap) with baby. (748k) A South African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa, french: Girafe du Cap) drinking from a watering hole. They look very awkward when they drink. (996k) Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius, german: Flusspferd, french: Hippopotame amphibie) in a watering hole. (636k) Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) wallowing in mud. (898k) This Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer, german: Kaffernbüffel, french: Buffle d'Afrique) was giving us the evil eye. They have been known to charge even Landrovers. (797k) Butt end of a rhinoceros. This was the only time we saw rhinos. I believe it is a Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum, german: Breitmaulnashorn, french: Rhinocéros blanc). (749k) A female African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique) with a couple of young ones. (826k) A young elephant charging us. (652k) This elephant bull was throwing sand up with his trunk. I think it was to warn us not to get too close. Sometimes they throw sand on themselves to get rid of parasites, but he just threw the sand in the air, not on himself. (803k) African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique). (833k) African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique). (762k) An African Bush Elephant bull (Loxodonta africana, german: Afrikanischer Elefant, french: Éléphant de savane d'Afrique) in musk. The secrete a strong smelling liquid from a gland behind their eyes, signaling that they are looking for females. (882k) Southern African Black-backed Jackals (Lupulella mesomelas mesomelas, german: Schabrackenschakal, french: Chacal à chabraque). (865k) A couple of Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée). (804k) Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta, german: Tüpfelhyäne, french: Hyène tachetée). We saw them only at night. (777k) Spotted Hyena pups. The hyena were very family oriented, the paid a lot of attention to their pups. (715k) African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus, german: Leopard, french: Léopard d'Afrique). (953k) African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus, german: Leopard, french: Léopard d'Afrique). (801k) African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus, german: Leopard, french: Léopard d'Afrique). (920k) African Leopard cubs, playing in a tree. (1041k) African Leopard with prey. They bring their prey up into a tree to get away from the lions. (882k) Southern Lion Pride (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion). (1026k) Female Southern Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion). (721k) Female Southern Lion. (805k) Male Southern Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion). (733k) Male Southern Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita, german: Löwe, french: Lion). (831k) Taking a snooze. (754k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
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