An exciting drive in Marloth Park…Back from Kruger…Great day…Lots of safari luck…

This was our first sighting of a good-sized herd of cape buffalo we spotted from Marloth Park yesterday on the banks of the Crocodile River. There were from 24 to 30 in the herd.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Tom’s “Little Girl” bushbuck has been so happy he’s back, she comes to see him each day.

After yesterday’s massive response from our readers on our story on invasive alien plants (please see our post here if you missed it), we’re making every effort to expand our knowledge through education about biodiversity in Marloth Park.

We captured these photos through the electrified wires in the fence that separates Marloth Park from Kruger Park.

Of course, we’ll continue to share photos of our visitors as they arrive, our trips to Kruger National Park, and any other areas we may visit on occasion. But, conservation issues are constantly in our minds as we revel in this magnificent place.

We waited patiently while attempting to get a few face shots.

We often ask ourselves, “How long can this keep up?” Will the animals always be here, or will the effects of the human footprint eventually impact the number of animals in Marloth Park? 

Yesterday was hot and humid, so it’s not surprising they congregated near the water.

We’re on a mission to discover more, and currently, we’re working on a new story we’ll share in the next week that may surprise you. It certainly surprised us. Please check back for more.

Instinctively many wild animals rest close to one another as a defense from predators. After this great sighting, we continued on our way content we’d had a good day.

In the interim, we’re having a blissfully busy week since our return from Zambia last Friday evening. The days are flying by so quickly we can hardly keep track. Isn’t that typical when you’re having the time of your life?

Hornbills spend a lot of time on the ground as well as flying and in trees.

This morning, after preparing tonight’s dinner to be later baked in the oven, we decided to take advantage of the exquisitely sunny morning and head to Kruger National Park.

Of course, it’s equally exciting to see ostriches.

Now that we have our “Wild Card,” which we purchased for one year, we can enter the park as often as we’d like at no additional fees. We try to go at least once every two weeks and are seldom disappointed, especially when “safari luck” kicks in. Today was no exception. Tomorrow’s post will contain some fantastic scenes we captured.

An ostrich’s mouth stays open to cool off since they have no sweat glands.  They can tolerate high heat.

As for the rest of the week, yesterday, Tom had his haircut and is happy with the outcome. Tomorrow, we go to Dr. Theo in Komatipoort for the balance of our vaccinations and boosters. We’ve invited Louise and Danie along with Louise’s parents from Cape Town for dinner at our place on Saturday evening.

It’s always such a joy to see the giraffes in Marloth Park.

Tomorrow, we’ll grocery shop for the first time since we returned, managing to dine on items we already had on hand in the deep freeze, adding a few things from the Marlothi Center’s mini-mart. Plus, we’ll head to Obara to purchase more pellets, the pharmacy for odds and ends, and a quick stop at the biltong (locally made jerky) store.

Female giraffes have tufts of hair on their ossicones where males do not, mainly since they use these small horns in combat for dominance.

Our friends Kathy and Don return this weekend, and indeed we’ll see them soon once they are settled in. Well, the list could go on and on. Need I say, we’re content with the activity level since we always make time to relax and unwind.

Mostly Egyptian geese on the distant shore of the Crocodile River.

The evenings are incredibly relaxing while sitting outdoors on the veranda waiting for a wide array of visitors to arrive and, of course, the dependable arrival of the dozen bushbabies living in the trees in the yard.  No, we haven’t seen Scar-Face yet, but we continue to remain hopeful. 

Photo from one year ago today, May 23, 2017:

This day, one year ago, we arrived in Sitka, Alaska. We were the only ship in port, and the crowds in the town weren’t wrong. For more photos, please click here.