While Kruger is undoubtably one of the best places in Africa to encounter these magnificent creatures, nature is unpredictable, and you never know what you are going to see on a safari game drive.
Recently, one of our guides, Gibson was assigned to take a family of eight out on a private safari over two days. The last adventure of their stay was a morning game drive in one of our open vehicles, and this was the last chance for them to complete their Big 5 experience with a Rhino sighting. But they were also longing for a second sighting of Lions.
Gibson tells the story: “As soon as we got through the Paul Kruger Gate, we headed directly to Afsaal, a Kruger area with ideal habitat. Though Rhinos are now sadly so rare that even being in the right biome doesn’t guarantee you will see one. But we were also on lookout for Lion because our only Lion sighting the previous day had been quite far from the road. Soon we came across a group of vehicles and stopped to ask others what had been spotted. It didn’t take long before we spotted two young male Lions walking side by side in the road towards the group of cars. To the delight of my guests, the Lions were unworried by our presence and confidently wound their way through the huddle of vehicles giving everyone a magnificent, close encounter with this majestic symbol of the African wild. It was an exhilarating experience, and we set off towards the picnic spot with the adrenalin still pumping. I decided to stop at a pan along the way, and again we came across a few vehicles stalled on the road. It turned out that there was a Rhino waiting cautiously, hidden in the bushes. It wanted to cross the road but felt unsure. Soon enough though, it stepped out onto the clear verge, and it wasn’t just a Rhino – but a Black Rhino! This is one of the most critically endangered species in South Africa. You couldn’t ask for more from a game drive in Kruger and a better ending for this family’s special Kruger Gate Hotel safari experience!”,