Leaving the city lights behind (vol1)

So as some may know we also left for a bit of Rest and relaxation with some bundu bashing (walking & off-road animal searching). I call this 'leaving the city behind' because of the pic I took that night looking back in the direction of the city (Port Elizabeth)...so nice just to hear night sounds of all types of critters and the big old wonderful sky...

Links: To Succulents from the trip: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1216780/
Links: To Birds from the trip: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1216838/

So before we went of to see if we could find elephants we stopped at the rehad centre for Raptors & Reptiles and here is a few pics

First a Leopard Gecko from Pakistan/India

A South African Mole snake

Boa constrictor

One of the smallest - Kenya Sand Boa Constrictor Adult - poor pic, but you can see the size

Very poisonous 'Boomslang' meaning tree snake from South Africa

The Eastern Southern Africa Green Mamba

Another very poisonous SA viper or Puff adder - lays in the field paths waiting for pray, slow moving but quick strike

and even a Rattlesnake - wow the rattle is something and loud..

And some crocodiles - I was brave enough to go in and after we established where they all where I took some pics of the 3m "babies'. They are some of the only animals that actually size a human in terms of a meal...but I was told that early in the morning they are still slow so I would be fairly safe...

I thought he was sleeping but a closer view indicated otherwise as I saw I was being watched - so I promptly left the scene....better safe than sorry...

Then there is the Meerkat family - now this is the lady and teacher

And here is the male, warming his tummy in the sun. He was hand reared and when he got the centre, he did not know anything about digging a hole, the female taught him the finer art of being a meerkat and well they also produced a baby....so things are going pretty well in this camp...later I will show some pics of the wild ones we found..

Love all the pics. wonderful wildlife, glad you are posting these interesting animals.

thanks - the REAL pics will be added tomorrow - its 11pm - please check-in again. Hope you enjoy these so far..

Common duiker

another shot

First of many Kudu's

and the first a few Warthogs - we where even chased by one...

Elephant bull on the way to a water hole..

Another bull a bit later - none to please to see us..

REAL inventors of the wheel?? Dung beetles (flightless) are very much protected in SA...this is a pic of them at work and with all the elephants around they have a huge job..

Here is one I found, but when I touched it, it played dead and pulled its head in..

Had to wait a while for it to lift the head and move off...

This is a life-size replica of a famous or infamous elephant called 'hapoor', meaning piece away from the ear. Its believed it was shot through the ear, and it had a hate for people ever since. It reached an age of 44, when it was deposed as leader and in the same year its the only elephant that broke through the fences and cause lots of consternation. Due to its hate for people, it had to be put down. In honour to its magnificence an area was named after it.

And life-size remake of an dinosaur found in this area, called 'kirky'. It belonged to the group of carnivorous dinosaurs called theropods, which walked erect on 2 legs and gave rise to the birds..

Amazing wildlife pics!!! Glad you and your wife got away, from the Warthog! I heard, they are really dangerous, and can kill a man. How close were you to the Elephant? He looks so huge.

Lets put it this way, I did not have to zoom for the elephant, the first one I had too. We were safely tucked away in the vehicle, but that's not a to say we did not move off with the ear-flapping. Most of the time we felt comfortable, only once, a little later we came across a cow with a calf, that's the real danger, if you get between mom and baby you are in trouble, but I will tell more when I get to the pics...

Kudu bull

Another beauti

female

Red Hartebeest

one more pic

and a group

Suricate/Meerkat on watch

Vervet Monkey checking out a group of elephants

the elephants watched by monkey

Just to make clear this is open area - at a stopping point, one could get out, but not before looking around a bit

What a feast for the senses, Rian. I need to ask, was that last shot taken from inside or outside the vehicle? Having one foot in and one foot on the outside doesn't count as outside.

Nice the way they've left a big skeleton there as a reminder to anyone who does get out ;-)

Can't think that a car would be much protection against an angry Elephant . . . tusk through the windscreen, and you're skewered.

Resin