Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Lion Isn’t Sleeping Tonight

I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy a game drive through Kruger Park. Rising before dawn, armed only with a camera, what could a safari offer that Disney’s Animal Kingdom doesn’t?
The answer is plenty. Our guide DeWald knew more about the flora and fauna of the park than I ever imagined possible. He knew what bird made which sound, which plant was safe to use as a toothbrush, and which animal left which…souvenir in the bushes. From antelope to zebra, we saw an array of wildlife. Getting stared down by a herd of hundreds of cape buffalo as the sun sets on the veldt is an amazing sight. Seeing a pride of lions munching on one of those buffalo for breakfast isn’t quite as wondrous, but no less spellbinding. Sadly, most of the South Africans we spoke to aren’t about to afford to go to parks like this.

Photo by Kathy Ho, an educator from Palo Alto.

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