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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 6:39:06 GMT
Hi, everybody! Long time, no see. It's been years since I made a trip report, but I'm going to give it a try. Bear with me.  |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 6:46:00 GMT
In April of 2016, my husband and I made our second trip to Kruger National Park, this time with our 1-year-old daughter in tow. It was her first international flight and she was an absolute dream, playing happily on our laps or sleeping the entire flight. Once in the park, we hit the ground running. Luckily, she slept contentedly as we hustled her into the car before dawn. Dawn in Kruger is a magical sight.  i.postimg.cc/3wW5WH2q/IMG-0923.jpg |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 7:24:21 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Mar 15, 2020 7:57:49 GMT
Can't wait to see more. Your first photos are already stunning.
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Post by mossie on Mar 15, 2020 7:59:23 GMT
A very good start, the giraffe really posed for you. Looking forward to more.
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Post by htmb on Mar 15, 2020 13:53:25 GMT
Nycgirl, it’s so nice to see you on here. I’m looking forward to viewing more trip photos. You’re off to a great start! Amazing to think how old C must be now! Time sure passes quickly when it comes to little ones getting bigger.  |
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 15, 2020 15:12:18 GMT
This is good! More please....
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 15:15:41 GMT
Thanks, everyone.
I can hardly believe that C is going to be 5 soon. Time does go by as fast as they say. I wonder how she would do on a similar trip today. She'd probably get antsy during the long car rides now, even with all the amazing sightings. I'd be willing to take that chance, though. I think about going back all the time.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 15, 2020 16:22:13 GMT
Absolutely ecstatic to see you back here, NYCGirl, and to hear about NYCBoy and ... hmmmm, she's going to need a new handle, as NYCTot doesn't really work anymore. Your pictures are knock-outs. Really, it was hard to get past those first two stunners to see what else was in store. You really delivered with those dogs! I love their perfect dappled-shade coats and their smiles. Were they aware of you humans? Fabulous shot of the hyenas, although your comment, "a gruesome severed head", made me laugh. There are other kinds of severed heads?  Can't wait for more! |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 16:22:13 GMT
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 17:45:10 GMT
Here's a little video. Unfortunately, it has low resolution and poor camerawork. Hopefully, though, you find romping baby elephants as charming as I do. We sat there for 10 to 15 minutes, drinking it all in. Then the mama elephants moved on, and the babies dutifully followed. We gave one last look at the wallowing rhinos, and we departed as well.   On the last day of our trip, we returned to this same spot. Unfortunately, most of the water had dried up and there were no animals around. |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 18:17:54 GMT
Thanks, Bixa! It's good to be back. I suppose my daughter is NYCgirl now. Now that I entered the last year of my thirties, I'm pushing my luck calling myself a "girl."  |
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Post by kerouac2 on Mar 15, 2020 19:44:12 GMT
The photo of father and daughter are great, and I particularly approve of taking tiny children on big trips. I must confess that I was already two years old before taking my first international trip and of course remember nothing about it, but I know that it helps to set up acceptance for different foods, different times, different temperatures as soon as possible, and it is all for the better. All of the experts point out that the incredibly high rate of allergies in the United States is mostly due to excess hygiene ("kills 99.9% of germs!") and lack of exposure to different foods right from the start. Okay, okay, I know this is all off topic… *shuts mouth*
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 20:06:43 GMT
I agree, one reason my daughter is so easy-going is because we regularly disrupt her routine. And although she doesn't remember much about the places we've been to, she is going to grow up with a sense of adventure. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 15, 2020 21:55:44 GMT
I don't know what to emote about first ~ the absolutely wonderful, one-for-the-books, daddy & daughter portrait or the adorable baby elephants.
Sounds as though your baby was truly excited about them. I wonder if she thought she could go play with those little guys.
You all must have felt so incredibly lucky to come across all these animals in habitat -- not just moving from one place to another, but going about their regular business.
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 15, 2020 22:46:16 GMT
Oh, I was floating on clouds. Elephants are my absolute favorite, so this was a trip highlight. So you heard the chatty baby, huh? I tried to shush her, but I imagine her sounds weren't bothering them, and we were the only people in the hide. But yes, she was really entertained by the antics. I forgot to answer your question about the wild dogs. They didn't seem to pay us any mind at all. The only creature who paid us any notice was the hyena who seemed to think we might try to take his antelope head.  |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 16, 2020 3:00:51 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 16, 2020 3:31:52 GMT
Are hyenas canines? They sure look doggish. Love your happy domestic pictures of them.
That last picture is of me. My flesh has been sucked dry by all the plaster & cement dust from the masonry work at my house.
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Post by onlyMark on Mar 16, 2020 6:57:38 GMT
Looks very much like a hippo skull without the front teeth which could well have just fallen out now.
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 17, 2020 0:27:46 GMT
Bixa, hyenas look and behave like canines, but genetically they are more similar to felines. Apparently, their closest relatives are actually mongooses and civets. (I don't see it.) Such interesting animals. OnlyMark, I suspected as much, but wasn't sure. They look different without flesh on their bones, funnily enough. We saw a few fresh carcasses that were unmistakably hippos. It was such a sad sight. And the stench... |
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Post by nycgirl on Mar 17, 2020 3:08:55 GMT
Speaking of mongooses (why isn't it "mon-geese"?), the dwarf mongoose is also an interesting animal. These little predators weigh only about a pound, but they help keep rodent populations in check. They have a mutualistic relationship with hornbills, scaring up insects that the hornbills eat, and in return, the hornbills warn them of danger from aerial predators. Dwarf mongooses live in packs lead by a matriarch and her mate, who are the sole breeders of the group. Their subordinates take turns looking after their litter. Pretty cute, aren't they? i.postimg.cc/nh9CGzXx/IMG-0867.jpgOne of the many dangers they have to look out for is the Verraux's Eagle Owl. The largest owl in Africa, this raptor is capable of taking sizable prey such as hares, young monkeys, warthog piglets. This raptor is distinctive not only for its huge size (30 inches in length, with a wingspan of 6 feet), but also its unique pink eyelids. i.postimg.cc/PqGN3jDw/IMG-0856.jpg The Lilac-breasted roller is one of my favorites. With its spectacular, rainbow-hued plumage and acrobatic flying skills, it is endlessly watchable. i.postimg.cc/tCMs6PCD/IMG-0914.jpg |
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 17, 2020 4:53:04 GMT
Fascinating information about the hyenas -- wouldn't have guessed any of that in a zillion years!
The little mongooses are cute and probably useful for killiing itty bitty snakes ~ Rikki Tikki Tavitos.
In my world, it's hard to fixate on pink eyelids when you're thinking about a 6-foot wingspan and the disappearance of your favorite chihuahua.
The lilac-breasted roller is an awful lot of wonderful in one little birdy. Love that picture!
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Post by bjd on Mar 17, 2020 7:38:19 GMT
Nice to see these pictures of "exotic to me" animals. A reminder of the natural world while we are focused on our current health issues.
I believe Tod had also posted some pictures of lilac-breasted rollers in her threads about Kruger years ago. They are beautiful.
Glad to know that you are fine, nycgirl, and that you are raising your daughter adventurously.
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Post by lugg on Mar 28, 2020 18:16:05 GMT
Just caught up NYC girl - love your report and photos. I especially like the photos of the giraffe at dawn and wow the Eagle owl. Glad to know that you are fine, nycgirl, and that you are raising your daughter adventurously. Bjd said it for me. Good to see you back here - hope all ok with your family. |
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 3, 2020 23:58:08 GMT
Hi, everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry I never finished my report. For some reason, I never seem to find time to finish anything, even when I'm staying home more. Well, here's hoping I can wrap it up this time.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 4, 2020 0:08:44 GMT
Let's see, where was I? It's always a thrill to spot the elusive leopard. This wasn't our clearest sighting, but we did get a glimpse of a beautiful face hiding in the bush. I think she's a girl, judging from her relatively small, sleek head.   Looking up in the tree above her head, we saw that she had a manky, dessicated carcass stashed away. It looked several days old. Amazing they can eat that stuff without getting sick.  We also spotted some lions, which is not hard to do. Unlike leopards, they fear nothing and sleep and hang out in the open.   Here is a much smaller, less intimidating predator, the black-backed jackal. Surprisingly, though, this fox-like canine is capable to taking down a healthy adult impala.  |
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 4, 2020 3:20:02 GMT
I loved looking at all the various baby animals. This little zebra was so small and cute, he looked like a toy.  More baby elephants. This guy was so young that he seemed to struggle to control his trunk. It kept flopping here and there. At one point, he poked himself in the eye.   |
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 4, 2020 6:17:16 GMT
I bet that female elephants are glad that they have such a long gestation period (23 months) because giving birth to anything that weighs 120 kilos must be such an ordeal.  |
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Post by tod2 on Aug 4, 2020 11:34:58 GMT
So nice to see you are still around NYCgirl ! you have taken some amazing photos because I know animals in the wild don't stick around too long before they're out of your camera lens. I especially like the photo of the jackal - to get him to stand still for a photo is incredible! Usually when you spot one it's running through the grass, nose to the ground with a brief hesitant stop before taking off again.
Kruger is pretty lonely these days. When I occasionally open my bird guide I find the note you wrote for me to find….Kilroy Was Here! I stuck it inside the cover.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 4, 2020 12:45:45 GMT
I feel bad for elephant mothers- two years is such a long time to be pregnant.
Hi, Tod! Yes, the jackals are quite dynamic. This one only paused briefly before he trotted off. My first trip to Africa, I was there for 3 weeks and I didn't get one decent shot of them.
I'm tickled to hear you still have my note. Hopefully one day I can go back and write another one- if the U.S. finally beats Covid and if international countries ever lets us come visit again. (I wouldn't blame them if they don't).
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