The Crocodile River rarely disappoints spectators but, may disappoint wildlife…

Four waterbucks are sunning on sandbars.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Big Daddy Kudu was resting in the shade on a hot day.

Every few days, we jump into the little car to drive to the Crocodile River. Along Seekoei Street ( I dare you to try to pronounce that street name), several stopping points offer views of the Crocodile River, which separates Marloth Park from Kruger National Park.

The river is a lifeline for wildlife that needs to drink and cool off in the often low water riverless rainy. Now, still in the rainy season, it isn’t nearly as prolific as we’d seen when we were here for years ago.

Here’s a photo we took yesterday of the Crocodile River (below). It’s been scorched these past few weeks:

In a good rainy season, these sandbars may be covered and the river may be flowing. We took this photo yesterday from a sheltered brick overlook on Seekeoi Street. Now it stands almost entirely still awaiting the next rains.

Here’s a photo we took four years ago of the Crocodile River from a similar location shown on our link here:

 We took this photo on December 28, 2012. Note how much more water there was in the Crocodile River than in yesterday’s picture above.

From this site“The Crocodile river is 1000km long and it spans over 4 provinces and through Botswana & Mozambique. It originates north of Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, in the Steenkampsberg Mountains Downstream of Kwena Dam, the Crocodile River winds through the Schoemanskloof and down the Montrose Falls. It then flows eastwards past Nelspruit and joins the Komati River at Komatipoort.The Crocodile River in Mpumalanga has a catchment area of 10,446 km2. Upstream it is a popular trout fishing place. It flows through the Nelspruit industrial area, the Lowveld agricultural area and borders the Kruger National Park. The decrease in the flow of the river is probably due to water abstractions for irrigated fruit farming.”

One male and two female waterbucks resting on a sandbar.
Before we know it we’ll be rolling into fall and winter here when it rains even less than in the current-soon-to-be-ending summer months. We can only pray for rain to keep the wildlife thriving and in good health. That’s why, here in Marloth Park and Kruger National Park (and other parts of Africa) locals rejoice when it rains.
Of course, tourists may be disappointed when they come here in the summer months for a mere three or four days to discover it raining almost every day. Fortunately, for us, we jump for joy along with the locals during a fruitful soaking rain.
Several oxpeckers are nearby as she lounges on the sandbar.

With the rains, comes the most valuable benefit of all…the growth and proliferation of green grasses, plants, and trees that many animals in this environment require for the sustenance of life itself.

For the first time, we’ll be in Marloth Park during the dry season which we hear can be devastating for the wildlife. Many homeowners in the area make a point of trying to feed the wildlife as much as possible during this period.  This is both good and bad.

A lone elephant at quite a distance.

Many homeowners in Marloth Park have homes in other parts of South Africa or other parts of the world. If they come for a few week holiday, feed the animals and then are gone for many months to come, the wildlife who’ve become accustomed to their generosity while they’re here, are left confused and deprived when their “supply” is no longer available.

With the best of intentions, we’ll be gone a year from now and hope there will have been plenty of rain for those dear creatures we also favored with food while we were here. There’s no perfect solution.

The elephant is eating the lush green vegetation on the sandbar.

Most animals here in the park are omnivores thriving on the vegetation of one sort or another. It’s with this knowledge that all of us provide some nourishment when we can. But, sadly its never enough and culling becomes a disheartening reality when there isn’t enough to go around.

Yesterday, as mentioned above, we made our usual jaunt to the Crocodile Rive every other day, always hopeful we’ll get a glimpse of the magnificent visitors to this scenic environment.

We always feel fortunate to see one of these stunning animals.

We stopped along the Seekeoi Street many times ending up at the brick lookout and for the first time since our return to Marloth, there were tourists there enjoying the scenery. It isn’t long before most visitors hear of this particular spot, and we’ve been surprised not to see others there before us, most recently.

A group of perhaps a total of 12 people, with iPads, tablets, phones, and binoculars in hand, busily took photos of the scenic surroundings which included a lone elephant and several waterbucks, who seem to frequent the river more regularly than many other species.

A female waterbuck stands to check her surroundings.

We stayed for awhile, chatting with the others people while taking several photos of our own. No doubt, we were at quite a distance from the wildlife but made every effort to keep a steady hand while shooting the images.

Back on the road, we spotted more wildlife, surprisingly out from under-cover on the extremely hot and humid day. Overall, as usual, it was a good outing in Marloth Park. 

A type of goose we spotted, too far to identify.  Any comments from our bird enthusiast friends?

Soon, we’ll be heading to Kruger again but we’re hoping to do so after this extreme heat passes. The AC in the little car isn’t that good and we’re more likely to see more wildlife on a day with more moderate temperatures.

Soon, we’re off to Komatipoort to shop which will require five stops at various shops; the Spar Market, the pharmacy, the biltong shop, the meat market and the liquor store. 

May YOU have a stupendous day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 15, 2017:One

e year ago today, we got together with dear friends Linda and Ken, from the UK and whom we met four years ago in Marloth Park. We’ve since seen them here again, much to our delight and will see them again when they return from a cruise and other travel. For more details, please click here.

A night sleeping in a tent on the exciting Crocodile River…An unexpected sojourn…”safari luck” prevails once again…Six day old baby elephant!…

Sunset over the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park. The power lines have become a necessary addition to the tremendous amount of security and tourism, a mainstay of survival of this massive wildlife area. This photo was taken from the veranda of our pleasing accommodations at the Crocodile Bridge Safari Camp where we slept in a tent last night.

Wow! This unbelievable ray of light captured our attention. Sunsets in Africa have been out of this world!


The clouds opened after the rain and presented this view.

The thought of spending a night away from the African Reunion House so close to leaving for Morocco, with the packing hanging over our heads, didn’t appeal to us at first. But, when Louise and Danie had taken the time to arrange this complimentary overnight stay for us in a tent at the Crocodile Bridge Safari Lodge, we could hardly refuse.

Although the walls of our accommodations had tent material  on three sides, it was made to appear as a cottage. The veranda is on the opposite side within feet of the electrified fence to Kruger National Park, keeping tourists safe from the big game. Allen and Scott showed us a video of elephants that had come directly up to the fence. 
We were impressed with this bed and quality sheets and covers. A long night’s sleep would have been possible if we weren’t so anxious to go back outside early in the morning. (The white line running vertically through Tom is actually a pull string for the overhead light).
The communal dining, bar and entertainment areas. Bed and breakfast options were available for a small additional fee. We had perfect mushroom and onion omelets with “streaky” bacon this morning, a real treat!
In the first 15 minutes after unpacking our duffel bag, computer bag, and a cloth bag filled with power cords, we knew we’d made the right decision. Spending one of our three remaining nights in South Africa, situated on the shore of the wildlife-rich Crocodile River while viewing the action in Kruger National Park is hard to beat. 
See the entire African Tulip Tree with more of these blossoms below.

 

Beautiful vegetation is abundant along the banks of the Crocodile River, some, natural to the area, others imported over the years by foreign property owners.

Perhaps, in a way, our 19 hours at the camp is a perfect way to wind down our time in South Africa while sleeping in a tent with AC (which we didn’t need to use), with a comfortable bed and an almost-outdoor shower. Add the divine pleasure of listening to the sounds of one of the largest natural bird sanctuaries in the world and the bubbling hum of the hippos only enhanced the richness of our experience.

Scott explained that last Tuesday over an extended period they heard the cries of this mother elephant as she gave birth. Over the next few days, they saw this baby. By far, this was the tiniest baby elephant we’ve seen in all of our travels. 
Our camera doesn’t have a powerful enough zoom for a clearer photo from this range with its 20X Zoom. In the next few weeks, we’ll be purchasing a new camera after testing Allen’s  powerful and lightweight 50x Zoom. Most likely, we’ll make the purchase and have it shipped to us while we’re in Morocco.

Louise dropped us off at the Crocodile Bridge Safari Lodge late yesterday afternoon, on the absolute hottest day we’ve experienced in South Africa. The sky was rapidly shifting as ominous-looking clouds wafted in. We needed rain and we needed it fast to defray the scorching heat and uncomfortable humidity. 

So sweet.
The baby nursing. Check out the gigantic size of the matriarch of this family in comparison to the younger females. She may be the grandmother of the baby. Females only give birth once every five years with a gestation period of 22 months. The calf begins to nurse at birth and may continue to nurse for up to two years.


As shown there were two larger babies in the herd of six elephants.

Allen and Scott, the co-owners warmly greeted us and helped us get situated in the clean, comfortable tent which is more like a cabin than a tent with it own veranda situated well above the ground providing expansive views of the riverbank.

The varied bird species could keep an bird enthusiast busy for many days.
This appears to be the same bird as above with more fluffy gray feathers. Note the elephant in the background of this photo. 


There were four of these colorful birds hanging out on the electrified fence, obviously not triggered by their light weight. This is the White Fronted Bee Eater.

Although I was anxious to start taking photos, I was so hot and sweaty that I didn’t know what to do with myself. The thought of turning on the AC and sitting in the tent was hardly appealing. After chatting with Allen and Scott, I put on my bathing suit and Tom stripped off his shirt which seemed to help as we sat at the table and chairs on the veranda and diligently began to scan the river for signs of life.
Cape buffalo from afar.

Then, “safari luck” kicked in, as it often does as we spent the next few hours with our eyes glued to the river bank as evidenced in these photos. In no time at all the wind picked up and with it came a cool breeze and rain. Relief.  t only rained for a short period, leaving behind a cool evening which we spent at the communal lounge/kitchen area, a short walk from our tent with both owners and their lovely wives, Caron and Michelle.

The Crocodile Bridge Safari Lodge is intended to be self-catered, but, last night as their dinner guests they prepared a well rounded and delicious meal, paying special attention to my dietary needs. 

The evening flew by as the eight of us, including another South Africa couple, Amy and Dudley, engaged in lively and animated conversation well into the evening. What’s with South African people being so kind and such fun?  We’re grateful to have encountered this amazing level of warmth and hospitality over these past three months.

Hippos lined the river frequently making their pleasing sounds.

Awakening after a comfortable, albeit, short night’s sleep, to the sound of the hippos at 5:30 am, we could hardly wait to get outside. The morning in Kruger National Park had begun. As light filtered through the clouds, we could see the Crocodile Bridge at a short distance, where we had entered the park on numerous occasions over the past three months.

We were in fact amidst the wild animals lurking along the river’s edge protected by an electrified fence as is common in areas where humans and wildlife intermingle.  South Africa and the park boards are diligent about avoiding life threatening injuries or death from attacks to humans from predatory animals in the wild. 

Tom’s good eye spotted this large crocodile lounging on a sandbar.

The accommodations were more appealing than one might expect from a moderately priced tented camp.  All of the common hotel amenities were in place:  soaps, bottled water, ample fluffy white towels, quality bedding, a power strip for electronics, and soft lighting for night reading. 

It is an ideal location for nature lovers, interested in river viewing, safari walks, bush braais, and game drives in Kruger National Park.  The close proximity to grocery shopping and restaurants made this an easy location. 

View to the pool from the communal dining area.

The singing of numerous bird species was practically ear splitting at times, causing us to laugh. Nature at its finest. We couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

After our hosts served us a delicious hot breakfast, and after engaging in more interesting travel conversations (South Africans are well traveled), we were ready to return to the African Reunion House to begin the looming task of packing for the next leg of our journey.

Our hosts explained that this little bird or one similar hangs out in this area on the grounds of the lodge on a regular basis.

Two days until we depart. Two days remaining in what has been a heavenly experience. Two days until another chapter in the lives of two crazy seniors who left everything behind to see the world. Two days, then on to the rest of our lives, that after only 16 months, has only just begun…

Unusual sunset over the Crocodile River…A cape buffalo herd on the move and more…

This doesn’t appear to be a sunset. But, it was, exactly as it appeared at 6:33 pm behind this odd opening in a cloudy sky as we sat outside Ngwenya Lodge on Thursday night. It was hard to believe what we were seeing. The following are a few photos leading up to this view. 

Tom was watching the sunset from the deck at Ngwenya Lodge, alerting me when to take a photo, as I perused the Kruger Park side of the river for wildlife.  Together, we got these shots.

Sunsets are exquisite everywhere in the world. Unfortunately, in some of the locations in which we’ve lived, we had to leave the house in order to take sunset photos with the proximity of the house inadequate for good views.

This view was taken at 6:04 pm.
We took this photo at 6:15 pm from the deck at Ngwenya Lodge overlooking the Crocodile River.

Here in Marloth Park, there are a few tall trees blocking the view, even from the second story veranda. This fact doesn’t deter us from jumping in the car and head to the Crocodile when it appears there will be a great sunset.

This photo was taken at 6:31 pm as the peculiar formation began to take shape

The magic of heading to the river for sunset views is enhanced by the possibility of sighting wildlife along the river. Thursday night, we tried a new restaurant outside of Marloth Park, Ngwenya Lodge, a huge resort a short 20 minute drive from our house.

 This appeared to be a river of lava, but was in fact it was a break in the clouds during the sunset, occurring at 6:32 pm, Thursday evening. This photo is different from the above photo, taken one minute earlier.

Most often, we drive only five minutes to the public park and campground located on the Crocodile River with the best views of the river that we’ve found thus far. Today’s photos are a combination of two visits to the river on Thursday, the nearby location, and at Ngwenya Lodge, both of which proved to be very rewarding.

A small herd of Cape Buffaloes, “Retired Generals” were resting on the Crocodile River close to sunset.

Our Sony Cyber-shot Exmor camera has several limitations when taking photos of wildlife across the Crocodile River. As I’ve mentioned in the past, my bad right shoulder prevents me from using a camera with a large lens and subsequently, more weight. It’s a limitation I’ve tried to overcome as much as possible. 

A crocodile was swimming in the river at sunset most likely on the lookout for a meal.

Using a tripod is impossible based on taking photos on the move from vantage point to the vantage point. Wildlife doesn’t stand still for our use of a tripod, in most cases. Hauling a tripod has as little appeal, adding more weight to our problematic baggage issues.

With the sun rapidly setting, the cape buffaloes began the trek back to land for safety. In the past, we’ve noticed that they don’t stay near the water at night, preferring to stay out of sight of predators.

Thus, we work with what we have to the best of our ability. In addition, a spot has appeared on the interior of the camera’s lens, which is evident in certain shots, not in others. We believe it’s a result of the gross amount of humidity in Kenya or dust from all of our treks in dusty locations.

Part of their trek requiring a short period in the river.

At this point, we’re terrified of attempting to repair it for fear of damaging the camera. With little time to receive a package here, we’d be lost. We’ve decided to wait and purchase a new camera in the future, either outside the US over the next several months or, back in the US when we arrive in Hawaii in October.

Far from us and after the sun had fully set, we saw them make their way to the safety of the bush in Kruger National Park, where they reside.

Yes, we do have a photo editing software that can remove the spot. However, as I now spend half of each day working on this site and uploading the many photos, I have little interest in spending more time editing photos, instead preferring to spend the remainder of our day searching for more photo ops. 

A White Fronted Plover couple taking a dip in the river, eyes peeled for predators.

This morning as soon as we opened the door at 7:00 am, we quickly realized that we had visitors, impalas in the rear yard, and a mom and four baby warthogs, one of our usual families. Today may prove to be a good day. 

Holding the camera steady using maximum zoom for this far away shot, required a steady hand, not easy for me to accomplish. The sacrifice is clarity, as seen in this shot. I believe this is a Saddle Billed Stork, we’ve often seen at a distance on the Crocodile River.

Cooler and cloudy, we’re outside on the veranda, dealing with the flies, once again excitedly awaiting our next round of visitors.  

Now that the tourist crowds have dissipated, some of the local restaurants are closed on Mondays, leaving us to fend for ourselves for tonight’s dinner which we always enjoy as much as dining out.

A male, on the left, female on the right, White Fronted  Plover, common to the river as also shown above.

Tomorrow, we’ll pack for our road trip on Wednesday. The prospect of driving through Kruger Park on our way is as exciting as the upcoming three nights in Blyde River Canyon. Ah, life is good, as long as no snakes make an appearance or any scorpions or any centipedes.

Yellow-billed storks resting on the bank of the river.

Two visits to the river in one day…The rewards, outstanding!…A male lion is loose in Marloth Park…

After diligent perusal of the book, “Newman’s Birds by Colour for South Africa”, loaned to us by Louise, we were thrilled to spot the White Fronted Plover that we’d captured from the banks of the Crocodile River.
This morning at 8:00 am, Danie stopped by on his motorbike to say hello and to tell us that a male Lion was spotted by a ranger at 3:00 am close to the river. Danie told us that from time to time lions make their way from the bordering Kruger National Park into Marloth Park, protected only be a few stands of wire fence.  
This White Fronted Plover caught my eye as we scanned the Crocodile River for wildlife. It was resting on a tiny island, not far from our vantage point.
Danie explained that a visiting lion may stay in Marloth Park for months at a time, spotted on occasion, mostly at night.  Residents are always alerted to the presence of a lion.This further explains why residents are not permitted to go for a walk after dark along with the danger of other nocturnal animals.
A male cape buffalo, referred to as “Retired Generals” by our guide Anderson in the Masai Mara.
A lone bird hangs out with the two “Retired Generals.”

The intent has been to keep elephants, rhinos, lions, and hippos form entering Marloth Park, potentially harming its residents.
Located in Marloth Park is a smaller park, Lionspruit, containing all the wildlife we see here, plus three Lions, one male, and two females. We intend to visit Lionspruit soon, staying away during the busy holiday season, now finally winding down. It’s unlikely that we’ll see the Lions in Lionspruit as explained by many of the locals we’ve met.  Lions tend to sleep during the day and hunt at night
 Hippos spend most of their time in the water, occasionally languishing in the sun in groups. Crocodiles and hippos co-habitat well.
 
During our second river visit, we spotted this hippo snorting water as shown in the photo as the sun went down.

With the abundant wildlife and vegetation on the Crocodile River, forbidden to human exploration other than viewing from its banks, dividing Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, it is a draw for us on a regular basis.

Safety in numbers, the Cape Buffalo take an afternoon rest together.

Midday yesterday, we took a long drive along the road that borders the river, stopping to look for several openings in the bush and trees, in the same area where the Lion was spotted during the night.  

The interesting white bulls-eye on the waterbuck’s behind. 
The waterbuck is an attractive animal staying close to the river for their food sources.

Later in the day, we returned to the public campgrounds to once again view the river and, to grab dinner-to-go from their popular overlook restaurant.

This crocodile was far across the river, making it difficult to get a good shot.

In the past 15 months, we haven’t purchased any carry-out-dinners, due to a lack of availability, along with the restrictions of my way of eating. With several recommendations to try the grilled chicken, we decided to make our usual coleslaw and two vegetable sides to round out the meal and eat in, the third night in a row.

The views of the river never disappoint.

We placed our order for two whole chickens after seeing guests carrying them to the picnic tables. While our chickens were cooking, we sat outside on the deck checking out the wildlife along the river. Once again, we weren’t disappointed, as shown in our photos.

Based on the fact that chickens in this area are free-range, not receiving any hormones or other drugs in order to grow meatier, the chickens were small and had little meat although the flavor was good. It wasn’t difficult to wipe out almost all of the two chickens in one meal.

Even on a cloudy day, the river views are breathtaking.

Tonight, we’ll dine at Ngwenya, a resort outside Marloth Park, which is also located on the river with what we’ve heard is a phenomenal close-up viewing. Hopefully, we’ll return with more photos to share.

Wherever we drive, walk, or even stay stationary, if patience prevails, “they will come.” Yesterday, we had another extraordinary day with two visits to the Crocodile River and visitors galore. 

Tomorrow, we’ll have an entertaining video to share epitomizing what we keep saying every day, “In many ways, the animals are a lot like us!” It is these similarities that make us smile and laugh again and again, often hours later, when we relive the wonderful events of the day.

As the sun began to set over the Crocodile River, we packed up our dinner-to-go and headed home having had yet another great day of viewing.

There are few recreational activities that bring so much anticipation, laughter, and joy as that which we’ve experienced here in the bush, living among the treasures that Mother Nature has graciously bestowed upon us humans, to nurture, to love, to protect, and respect.

Another mind blowing day in the neighborhood…Three amazing videos…Scroll to end for more videos…

Check out our elephant videos.

Yesterday morning, Danie stopped by to give us a list or more fabulous things to see in this astounding area. As if we haven’t been busy enough! We’ve had more activity in the four weeks in Marloth Park than we’ve had combined everywhere else we’ve visited so far.  

The three elephants began their walk closer to where we were standing at the railing and the fence at the Marloth Park township public park where the viewing of the Crocodile River was stupendous.

Keeping in mind that if we just stay home, the action often comes to us as it has this morning and it’s only 8:30 am as I write this. We’ll share that story tomorrow with some exciting photos and another of my shaky videos. (Bear with me folks. I’ll get better at this. That darned shoulder of mine makes it hard to hold the camera steady).

Within a short period, they were in front of our lookout spot and we could easily enjoy their munching on the vegetation, often putting whole bushes into their mouths.  elephants, herbivores, eat 100 to 200 kg, 220 to 440 pounds of vegetation per day.

I know some may say, “Get a tripod!” I agree a tripod would be a nice tool, but we’re already at the edge of the luggage being overweight and plus, the action here happens so quickly there’s no time to set it up or manage a tripod when the action here requires much moving around to get good photos.

After careful observation, we noticed that the leader of the herd was a female (cow) and the other two (clearly visible) were males (bull), one being younger, maybe her offspring.

What transpired yesterday is that which we’re sharing today, another wondrous event.  

This was the female leader.  Normally, the dad doesn’t stay with the herd, instead, gathering into a herd with other males.  We assumed the smaller male was her offspring based on the way she kept an eye on him from time to time. We were uncertain as to the role of the larger male, but we were certain there that they were two males. When they entered the water we were undoubtedly able to ascertain that they were both males, as their male organs were clearly visible sloshing in the water.

Back to Danie. During his visit, he told us of a nearby campground that has an amazing lookout point, closer to the Crocodile River than the lookout we’ve visited twice in these past weeks.  

Thirsty after consuming a considerable amount of food, the baby wandered to the shore for a drink.  This is shown in the included videos.

Shortly after he left, we jumped in the little pink car with an empty water bottle to refill at Credence Clearwater, a mile away on the paved road. After having the 20 liter bottle refilled at the cost of ZAR $18, US $1.76, we decided to check out the campground.

Without drinking, suddenly the mom, the largest of the three elephants, entered the water, walking past the baby, and began walking to a nearby island.

Marloth Park is not huge. It’s only 3000 hectares, 11.58 square miles. We had no trouble finding the township-owned campground, Tom having remembered seeing it on one of our many driving expeditions around the area.  

Taking this photo without zoom gives a perspective of the small size of this island, somehow appealing to her for its varied vegetation.

In a matter of six minutes, we entered the security gates of the public park, were stopped and asked why we were there, after explaining “to see the overlook,” we freely pulled inside to a veritable wonderland of meticulous grounds.

As soon as the two males noticed the female had moved over to the tiny island, they took off following her.  At this point, we speculated that this larger male was perhaps an older offspring, yet to leave the safety of his mother.

With the holiday season, the park (within a park) was filled with tourists. Many languished by the huge, clean swimming pool while others gathered at the outdoor pub with pool tables, bar stools and a casual burger and chips (fries) fast-food type restaurant. Others played games with their children or had picnics at the many picnic tables.

When a group of tourists blocked my view, I was unable to get the photo of the mom leaving ahead of the males.

We were excited to see that we could order an entire grilled chicken with chips to-go, if we’d like, for ZAR $70, US $6.86. Taking it home, Tom could eat the chips while we would add coleslaw and veggies for an easy dinner suitable for both of us. Most likely, we’ll return for this purpose on a night we don’t want to dine out or cook dinner which happens fro time to time.


After checking out the facilities, amid maneuvering past tourists soon to depart after the holidays, we made our way to the most appealing aspects of the park, the close-to-the-river overlook.  

Please check out this second video.
We excitedly stepped up to the wood railing and the wire fence, intended to keep tourists from falling into the crocodile-infested river and to keep the lions in Kruger Park from entering into Marloth Park (not always possible) which is on the opposite side of the Crocodile River. Of course, we were hoping to see some action on the river.


Within a few minutes, our “safari luck” kicked in and the action began as depicted in today’s videos and photos.  How did we get so lucky? One can wait for hours at an overlook only to see a distant elephant, an occasional hippo head bobbing in the water, a slithering croc, or a cape buffalo along the Kruger Park side of the river.  

Third video.
It was on December 11th that we posted photos of an elephant ritual on the Crocodile River, seen from quite a distance in this post. Yesterday, we were up close and personal, a huge advantage for another glorious experience.

These three videos say it all. Once again, we couldn’t stop smiling, having witnessed the behavior of these magnificent animals, the largest to roam the earth.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more, more and more. Gee, will we ever have a dull day in Marloth Park? We hope not. But if we do, we can always go back to playing Gin.