First safari!

We set out on our first safari with Seymour, our guide and found 3 white rhinos (1 male, 1 female, and 1 baby) and 1 black rhino – the guy lying down on the right.

Later one, 3 more white rhinos wandered down to the watering hole.

We spent quite a while watching them wallow around in the mud, pester each other (the female was uninterested), and laze the afternoon away.

We were impressed with the efforts the South African people in general are taking to safeguard the rhinos, particularly the white rhino.  

OK, we call them “white rhino” but it turns out that is an error in translation.  They aren’t white, they are black.  The name is supposed to be “wide rhino” because they have wide mouths and faces (compared to the black rhino).  

Both types of rhinos have poor eyesight, excellent hearing, are meeeeean and can run fast.  We didn’t check all that out, just decided to believe Seymour.

He seems believable 😀.  He’s native Zulu.  That is the province of South Africa on the northern Indian Ocean coast.  He spoke some Zulu to us and it’s a beautiful language.  I hope to record some of it later and post it.  It’s melodic, but with a tongue-click sound different from any Western languages I have heard.

We are staying at Zulu Nyala, named for the province and for the Nyala animal ⬇️

Zulu Nyala is private game reserve, on the smaller side, but in an area where a number of game reserves operate – and not too far from Kruger National Park.  

We go out for a 2-hour game drive each morning and afternoon, checking to see whatever animals are out and about and interesting.  For example, just before we left this afternoon, we found this:

And this:

Until tomorrow ….

S.