Thursday 22 January 2009 - So what is the guaranteed sure thing to get me out of my bed at 4.00 a.m.? Game Drive! NO, silly!! Bush Walk! Bleary eyed Kirsteen and I meet Gordon and Karral, our bush guides at Orpen's gate at 4.30 a.m., Karral has spotted (pardon the pun) leopard on his drive over, so our morning begins with a quick detour to have a look see by floodlight, unfortunately no leopardus! Having arrived at the starting point, Kirsteen and I sign our lives away on indemnity forms, as Gordon and Karral load their rifles! Lions roaring and rhino huffings in the distance! The route we're taking has not been walked in over a year due to poachers being in the vicinity, poachers are more dangerous than all the wild animals in the Park, as they are likely to shot on sight. Luckily for us the ring of poachers had recently been arrested by SANParks, therefore leaving the area safe.
So after a quick debrief, we were on our way, single file with Gordon and Karral both ahead of us (apparently it is a proven fact that attacks always occur from the front). Literally five minutes in, we were within 30 metres of 4 white rhino, the problem being the 'crash' included one mother and her calf, with the bull trying to mate with her. The mother spurning his advances, if he successfully mated with her, he most certainly would kill the calf. The crash were extremely agitated and began to stampede, holy crap! With hearts pounding, me and my fellow GVI are swiftly ushered behind a bush! Yes a bush! Luckily we live to tell the tale! Be aware the rangers can shoot a charging animal within 10 metres of humans, rhino can run at 11 metres a second!
The walk continues through sometimes dense bush, with grass tall enough to tickle your nose, stopping to discuss interesting flora and fauna, discovering rhino pits and scratching posts, rhino middens with dung beetle, aardvark burrows, garden and golden orb spiders in their webs, a sighting of two black backed jackals, the list goes on and on. The climax, being within 50 metres of a herd of elephants. We covered 13.7 km, averaging 4 km per hour in the African heat - not bad going for two wee lasses! Photo me, Gordon and Kirsteen approaching elephant (just above Gordons hat in the bushes).
The afternoon was spent washing clothes Widow Twanky styley, relaxing by the pool, throwing frizbee (Pete thought we needed more exercise).
At tea time, Pete did his usual disappearing trick with his mobile phone, standing in the darkness to make his calls! He returned saying that a pride of lions had made a kill, so we all walk to the Parks parameter fence, cup our hands behind our ears to hear lion fighting over the carcass.
Going Wild about a crash of six white rhino seen on our game drive - that's 10 rhino in one day!
