SA Diversity Tour (18-19/01/2014) Day 3 and 4

A most peculiar incident
At this time of year the gates open at 06:00 so after an early wakeup call (for Gaelyn) with coffee and rusks, we set out to see what we could find.

Our first stop was at a high picnic spot overlooking Mankwe Dam in the centre of the crater and the first thing I found was this interesting baby cricket.

 

  The Park covers 55,000 hectare and because of the hills surrounding the crater, has many wonder vistas from the higher areas.

This late in the summer season there are not many flowers left to be seen but this was a very unusual one.

We followed the road north then west, stopping at the different hides along the way with Wanda Lust getting her fair share of the sightings.

Birds, especially around the watering holes, were plentiful and at one, a huge flock of Marabou Stork sat on the banks.

The day ended on a high note with us finding lions near the camp and a most peculiar incident ........ Gaelyn noticed that her towel was missing when we got back to camp but walking passed her tent, I noticed that it was inside. I told her about it and when she came over to get it, she unzipped her tent and discovered that her bathroom bag had been zipped open and all the things in it were thrown out on the floor. She showed this to me and I could not understand it. Never in all my years had I heard of someone going to riffle through someone else’s tent!! And what would they want to go through her bathroom bag for?? Very puzzling!!

Two young ladies from a nearby camping spot came and solved the mystery for us .... apparently a baboon had come over, unzipped the tent and her bag as he probably smelt the nice scented shampoo she had just bought and thought it was something to eat. The neighbours had chased them off, put the towel in the tent and zipped it shut. Puzzle solved! Gaelyn had a big laugh when we rode out again later as I took a small lock I had and put it on the zipper in case the baboon came back. LOL!!

Animals seen: Elephant, Kudu, Klipspringer, Dassie (Rock Hyrax), Giraffe, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Springbok, Steenbok, Grey Duiker, Red Hartebeest, Tsessebe, Hippo, Crocodile, Lion, Waterbuck, Warthog, Wild Cat, White Rhino, Baboon, Vervet Monkey and many more.