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After a slow
drive to the gates of Kruger Park we headed to a very special game
reserve, Tshukudu. This place, as well as being a game reserve, is an
orphanage and breeding park for Lions and Leopards. Our first game drive
we went in search of Savannah, an orphaned Cheetah who still lives in the
wild and very successfully hunts for herself, but as she was orphaned is
use to human contact. As we approached her our Ranger, James, started to
ask if anyone wanted to get off to stroke a Cheetah. Before he had even
finished the sentence, or stopped the vehicle both Angela and myself were
jumping off the 4x4 to go and give her some fuss. The insular American
couple and three great Germans sat looking amazed as we approached her and
started to give her a stroke! Eventually the Germans got off and came and
tentatively patted her and even the American man plucked up enough courage
to have a go!
That evening we
also saw a couple of Lionesses, another Black Mamba and an extremely rare
sight, which was Elephants mating!
The first morning
we went for a bush walk, accompanied by an orphaned three month old
Lioness, called Chobe. Even at three months old James said that she is
still a little too big and too wild to maybe stroke as she can try and
bite you. Angela asked James if she could try and James agreed. Chobe
loved it and didn't bite her, however, a confident Dutch guy decided to
try and do the same. Chobe was not so friendly and tried to bite him, he
was not as confident after that.
The second day
the young Germans departed and we were joined by a German family with two
children, who had never been to Africa before and this was there first
stop. Seeing the excitement in the little girl’s eyes when we set off on
the game drive that evening was fantastic. She never stopped grinning
from the moment we set off until the second we got back. We went and
found Savannah, although she was hunting so she didn't stop too long for
some fuss, but Angela did manage to get her to drink some water straight
out of the little girl’s hands, much to the delight of her mum and dad!
We then went in search of Becky and her baby, Oranges in hand! Becky's
baby is two years old and enjoys trying to climb into the 4x4, which
probably wouldn't be such a problem if she wasn't an Elephant! As we
tracked her down she obviously heard us and the baby came running! Now
remembering that this was this family's first ever game drive they must
have been completely blown away! Firstly they had got to touch a Cheetah
and feed her water and now a baby Elephant and her much larger mum were
charging towards the vehicle and the two mad English people (yes, us two)
were shouting at the Ellies to come closer!
The baby arrived
first and the family all got to feed her an Orange before mum ascended on
the vehicle. As I had tucked the bag the Oranges were in under my seat
out of the way Becky came straight to me and with her tusks just inches
from my face started to use her trunk to root out the bag from under my
feet! This was hysterical, as I was patting her on the trunk she was
using it to lift me out of the way to get to the Oranges, whilst enjoying
all the attention. When I looked up the German family were staring at me
in horror as this huge Elephant was moving me around with her trunk whilst
her huge tusks waved around my head, accompanied by Angela laughing at me
and trying to take photos!
Obviously I have
no idea what they thought seeing wild animals in Africa must be like, but
I bet it wasn't like this! The Ranger did make it extremely clear that
Tshukudu is a very unique place and that they cannot touch the animals in
other places around Africa and the World, unless told it is safe to do so
by a Ranger!
Our final morning
we opted out of the walk, but we did get to watch the King Cheetah being
fed, as well as going to visit the Lion Breeding and the Leopard Breeding
Projects. |