Kruger, One Last Look

It is like Kruger didnt want me to go. My last morning in the park was one incredible sighting after another. I guess all the animals had the short period between dawn and sunrise to move around because of the intense heat of the day lately. This morning I had a lot on my mind, will the car rental give me a break on the extra kilometers, will my mom's plane ticket work out, where can I clean up the car, will I make it in time to see my mom at the airport before her flight...
Well things have a way of working out. Waking up at 430am I figured I had time to do everything. I headed out under the cover of darkness, which was perfect for finding hyenas moving around the road just outside of camp. I paused and thought about stopping when a little baby hyenas popped out of the den. I was ecstatic. I had been wanting to see baby predators this whole 100 day trip...and here they were on the very last day. I took some pictures and another baby emerged...and then another. Three baby hyenas. Now hyenas aren't the most beautiful of Africa's creatures but when it comes to babies, puppies, they are pretty damn cute. It was still pretty dark outside so pictures were tough but I tried my best.
I was pretty happy when I saw a car stopped in front of me. To my amazement I rolled up on 2 lionesses with 5 young cubs! Lions babies. The day was amazing already and it was only 5 am. A big 20 seater safari vehicle drove up and gave me the perfect picture opportunity with lion in front of safari-goers. With the sun just rising it cast perfect light on the lions and their cubs. I hung with them for a while and they lazily moved off the road into the tall green African grassland. I was set and satisfied then something even more amazing...
2 Cheetahs lying right next to the road. Basking in the sunrise with only one other car there. The other drive and I looked at each other and smiled, realizing how special a morning this was. I had not even hoped for a cheetah sighting this close. I was 20 feet from them as they yawned, rolled, and stared off at the sunrise. Magical is the only way to describe it. Cheetah are rare predators to encounter. Kruger Park, being one of the premier places to see them, only boast about 180, compared to 2000 lions within its massive borders. This was the way to finish up my hundred day African safari. Now I can fly back to place where December means winter and snow, coats and hot fires...that is until I move someplace tropical. It might be sooner than you think. What can I say, the adventure continues.
To all a very merry christmas.
-Dai Mar










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