Limpopo Province; Thornybush Private Games Lodge
Thursday, 10 February
We are staying at a Dream Place. It is called a Hut, but it is only shaped like a hut - it is a very luxurious little house with fantastic views and decorated tastefully in african style- that is, with tribal masks, animal prints, earthy colours. There is a mosquito net on the bed, too. as I come in a monkey with a baby appears at the window. I don't think I need to see any other animals, I would be quite happy to stay here, for awhile. Just as in Zambia. Still, the drive in the jeep to the bush is an extraordinary experience. The rangers have succeeded to get the animals so used to the presence of humans in jeeps that we get close to them while they carry on living- eating, sleeping, yawning , caring for their young. I am told that the animals don't see us as humans; to them the jeep is a moving strange shape which since does not present any danger and is useless as food can be safely ignored.To maintain their trust we are not allowed to stand or talk.
The search for animals is exciting. There is the driver and a watcher working together in tracking animals. they use 'spoor' but also communicate by mobile phone. So we get to see a real 'alpha' lion, a young leopard, as well as the more common grass eating animals;giraffes, antilopes, impalas, more elephants, a rhinoceros and more zebras.
Thursday, 10 February, Friday, 11 February
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