News-Sentinel copy editor Faith Van Gilder has returned to southern Africa for a visit, 20 years after she and her husband, David, served in the Peace Corps. Here's some of the highlights of her walking safari in Kruger Park with her family.


Safari fulfilled our wildest dreams
Kruger Park guides get visitors up-close to animals

By Faith Van Gilder
of The News-Sentinel

The five cheetahs crouched low in the grass as they zeroed in on their prey - a herd of impala grazing about 50 yards away. One cheetah crossed the road in front of our vehicle and circled around the herd. Another cheetah took off in the opposite direction. Their strategy seemed simple, yet ingenious: the two cheetahs would force the impala to run directly toward the other three, who would make the kill.

The impala, however, didn't fall for the cheetahs' ruse. The cats eventually gave up their hunt, sauntered across the road - still warm from the afternoon sun - and disappeared into the bush. They would have to find dinner elsewhere that night.

It was only our first day in South Africa's Kruger National Park, and we were amazed at the wildlife we'd seen just driving to our camp - giraffes, impala, baboons, Cape buffalo and a crocodile basking on a rock in a river. June is the start of the dry winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, so many animals congregate around the park's water holes.

For more than 100 years, people have marveled at the remarkable biodiversity here. Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway were famous for their African expeditions in the early 1900s to bag the “Big Five” - buffalo, elephant, leopard, rhino and lion. Visitors today, of course, focus on photographing the wildlife, not killing it.

After much of the game in the region was wiped out by hunting at the end of the 19th century, two reserves were established in 1898 to conserve what remained. These were combined in 1926 to form the national park, which is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, along with areas in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Officials continue to take down fences between the countries to allow wildlife to move freely.

There's a wide array of accommodations in the park, from simple chalets where guests bring their own food to luxury lodges with gourmet chefs and spas. After researching many options on the Internet before our trip, we decided on Plains Camp in the southern part of the park. It seemed like a good combination of comfort and roughing it.

The camp consists of four tents, each with two beds, a shower, sink and flush toilet. There's a common area with comfortable chairs and lots of reading material, and also a dining tent. Electricity is provided by generator and powers an unobtrusive fence surrounding the camp. That was the only barrier between us and a plain full of animals.

Plains Camp is part of the Rhino Walking Safaris Concession, where guides take visitors on early-morning walks into the bush as well as on more traditional game drives in open-air vehicles.

With only six to eight guests total throughout our stay, we got to know our guides well. Each morning before daylight we were awakened by a soft greeting outside our tent. We dressed quickly, had a hot drink, then set off single file in the chilly air with Bernard and Howard - rifles slung casually over their shoulders - at the head of the line. They had learned from an early age the ways of the bush and how to track wildlife. Quietly, slowly, we'd sneak up on groups of grazing zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, rhinos and elephants. Our 14-year-old daughter, Annika, was in awe being so close to the animals in the wild.

In addition to tracking game, our guides also knew which tree can be used to “brush” one's teeth and which has fronds that can be used for toilet paper. Bernard especially was an expert in animal behavior, markings and scat, teasing Annika about the porcupine droppings, which he called “small sausages.”

We also learned about the “Little Five”: buffalo weaver bird, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle.

After a two- to three-hour walk, we'd return to camp hot and hungry for a huge “English-style” breakfast, complete with yogurt, fruit, granola, sausage, bacon, ham, eggs, beans, potatoes and tomatoes. We would nap or read until about 3 p.m., when “high tea,” consisting of cheese, crackers, cold meats and a sweet cake, was served. Then we'd pile into a Land Rover and bounce along the sandy roads. We took different routes each day but usually drove along the Sabie and Sand rivers. Bernard would help us keep a running tally of the animals we spotted.

“We don't count baboons, impala and warthogs,” he'd jokingly add.

At sunset we'd stop at a watering hole to see what emerged. Usually we were rewarded with sightings of birds - hornbills, vultures and fish eagles - and kudu, waterbuck and bushbuck. After snacks and a “sundowner” (beer or other libation), the guides used spotlights to illuminate the bush on both sides of the vehicle.

One night we surprised a den with two young jackals, who stared curiously at us. Bernard also spotted a chameleon in a tree and a puff adder snake lying in the road.

Back at the dark camp, we'd eat a big dinner, then sit around the fire listening to the sounds of the bush. A full moon illuminated the camp on our last night, and hyenas serenaded us. We were thankful for the electric fence!

As in other national parks in Africa, there is tension between conservation and the needs of a growing population. Poaching of meat and ivory has been a problem in the past, but a guide told me it no longer poses a threat. The local people realize the park is a major source of tourism revenue and employment.

In our four-day visit, we were fortunate to see the “Big Five,” plus a lot more. We also enjoyed getting to know our guides, as well as fellow safari-goers, who hailed from Canada, Australia, Israel and France.

As we drove out of the park, a herd of giraffes ran alongside us, providing an indelible memory of our South African safari.

This article was found on the site: www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080822/LIVING/808220312

Posted on Fri. Aug. 22, 2008 - 01:21 pm EDT