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We left earlier this morning so we could get to our, as promised to Ionna, flatter walking spot. We walked for a couple of hours and saw and heard some really interesting things -garden,and the much hairier, baboon spiders, a 4-5 inch long wasps nest with small wasps, a giant african land snail - in full motion - listened to a cacophony of hornbills, watched several dung beetles frantically taking pieces of Impala dung into their holes -a little mean to the impala as they were pooing on their middens as part of the scent and hormone indicators for the rut which is about to start, giraffe and zebra.
Back at the lodge we said goodbye to Johan - quickly showered, packed and went to breakfast. The end of which was interrupted by two large male elephants who were chomping their way through the property. Becky was concerned when camera happy guests used our van for cover and were rather too close to the elephants - I don't think people realised the danger they were putting themselves in!
Before getting to Carol and Will's - the owners of on Track safaris - where we will be staying for the next two nights we stopped off in Hoedspruit for a bit more shopping. I succumbed to a gold necklace - an eagle with a couple of diamonds in his feet - very unique and easy to pack!
Next stop was Will and Carol's where we dumped our bags and put the washing in before heading off to Moholoholo rehabilitation centre - another brick in Kim and Ionna's wildlife education wall. When we went, a few years ago, Brian the owner gave the excellent presentation. This time, Oscar, one of the staff did it, it was equally good but had evolved from last time which is positive and shows the centre is evolving. It was followed by a close encounter with a cheetah which is training to be an ambassador for the species and a tour of their enclosures together with the explanatory reason for the animals being there. In the vultures enclosure we all put on the keepers glove, held meat buried in our fingers and fed the vultures - 'boy were they heavy birds'. Ionna fed several but always had her head turned away so she never actually saw them feed on her - not as daft as it may sound as they were not averse to flapping their large wings right in your face.
Will and Carol live in a lovely house in a wildlife reserve so while eating dinner we were visited by a family of warthogs, a fantastic porcupine who stayed
around for ages and, Neville, a magnificent male Nyala.
( today's photo is of a male Nyala taken in Thornybush it is not Neville as I didn't put my flash on for him and the photos weren't good enough - that said this could be his twin brother!)
After a lovely supper we had an early night as we are away at 5am tomorrow to ensure we are one of the first at the Orpen Gate entrance to Kruger National Park..., it should be a great day - fingers crossed.
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