Gillatron: Kruger!

A relatively quiet Christmas was spent in Malelane, with more swimming, more family visiting and a hotter-than-hell Christmas dinner - 40+ degrees!! It was the first mass family meet up with the Granville's and was great to meet everyone and get a chance to do some visiting. Even though I had to sit next to the priest.

The other introduction I had at Christmas was to 'The Granville Smooch'. I often find it gratuitous to hug every time I see someone I know. The Granvilles however, take it to another level. EVERYTIME you catch up with one of them you get a kiss. Not just the euro-style-peck-on-the-cheek, but a full puckered mouth to mouth smooch. I was a little taken aback at first, but soon got the hang of it and was kissing everyone, all the time.

On the 27th we fled to Kruger Park. Kevin came through again with a four day booking at a bush camp. It wasn't so much a camp, as a very comfortable cabin with electricity and hot water, situated on the Crocodile river. It was amazing to be immersed inside 20,000 square km's of wilderness.

We had elephant, crocodile, hippo right outside the fence, plus hyena calling at night and incredibly noisy cicada's and tree frogs calling all night. During the day we would drive the roads spotting wildlife and were lucky enough to see EVERYTHING. Lots of close views of rhino, blue wildebeest, warthog, elephant, hyena, impala, kudu, klipspringer, waterbuck, steenbok, duiker, nyala, hippo, crocodile, baboon, vervet monkey, cape buffalo, leopard, zebra, giraffe and leopard tortoise. The kids managed to see cheetah and wild dog too! Not to mention the birds, they were outta control! diversity is incredible, and I just focused on trying to id the most impressive and unusual species... Then there's insects, trees and shrubs... It's so overwhelming!

Anyway, I'll stop there and just add some photos.

Waterbuck

Kudu ram

Juvenile Vervet monkey. This 2lb monkey sent Nick screaming and hysterical when it got a little playful with him.

Spot the Klipspringer

Slurp!

"Now son, y'all gotta pick the lice off like this"

THERE"S SOMETHING ON YOUR HEAD!!!!

Cape Buffalo, one of the Dragga Boys.

Bats in the ceiling. We had Peter's epauletted (this guy) and Mauritian tomb bats at Biyamiti

European roller

Hamerkop and Blacksmith Lapwing

Saddle-billed Storks. Beauties! Male on the right (dark eye and little yellow wattle)

Another Dragga boy

Helmeted Guineafowl. They're beautifully graphic with their black and white plumage.

Lazy cat

puss puss puss!

Vultures! Vultures are very cool. These are White-backed Vultures. They look like hunch-backed, cloaked monks.

The fart heard round the world. This Zebra let out a 5 second fart, which sent us into hysterics. Yes, the only zebra picture I'm posting is of the one which farted. I'm so immature.