Kruger Park

For six days I have been living amongst the wild life of Africa. Kruger Park is a very large conservation area along the eastern border of South Africa with Mozambique and the wildlife has been studied and managed for over a hundred years. It is entirely in the lowveld but vegetation varies greatly, especially from north to south. 

When I lived in Swaziland I used to bring my son here as often as possible as he loved the excitement of animal spotting. The accommodations are very simple but perfectly comfortable. They have not changed at all in the intervening years. I booked a stay in Satara Rest Camp, in the middle of the park, and Lower Sabie, on the banks of the Sabie River in the south of the park. 

Wild life abounds everywhere. Particularly if you are also interested in the colourful and varied bird life, there is always something to watch. Within a few hours, one can see the Big 5, as inveterate game chasers might say, but there is a lot more than that to see.

Last night, on a game drive, we came across a fresh kill of a large wild buffalo, hunted down by five young male lions. Before they establish their own territories, they cooperate in groups to bring down larger animals. The dead buffalo's head lay right out on the road and the lions were busy tearing into their prey. As the buffalo hide is thick there are only two entry points, the anus and the belly. The animals were in clear view as they feasted, growling as they gnawed, and we could smell the raw red meat, accentuated by digestive gases as the stomach was punctured with a loud long hiss.

For all our daily attempts to be civilized, refined and polite, it is at these moments that one comes face to face with the real story of survival. We do what we have to do to survive. We too are animals, with a strong survival urge, even as we busy our minds with all of the stuff of modern life. For many people on the planet, finding something to fill one's stomach is more important than the acquisition and hoarding of possessions and wealth. 

This has been an amazing revisit to an incredible location. Come to savour and enjoy if you can.