Before you look at the pictures though, I think it would be beneficial to read about the history of Shamwari:
History of Shamwari Game Reserve
Today was our first foray into the game reserve. We boarded a 10 passenger ATV vehicle (based off a Toyota Land Cruiser) with our guide J.J. and another family with two boys about James' age. (The husband is from England, the wife is Indian and they are currently living in Switzerland.) The weather was cold but clear so we bundled up in our jackets, gloves and hats and tucked into our seats with heavy blankets on our laps. As we drove about, J.J. told us about the animals we saw and stopped the truck to let us take pictures when we wanted. He has a field guide book with him so he can show us a picture of an animal or bird in case we did not get a good view of it before it scampered or flew away. We ended the morning game drive with a stop at the Born Free Foundation Animal Rescue Center where we saw lions and leopards that have been rescued but cannot be released back into the wild for one reason or another.
After our lunch and a short break, we returned to the trucks for another game drive. The weather turned rainy and even colder on us, but before it got too bad we were able to see a male lion up close and a adolescent male elephant. After the rains subsided, we got word of two cheetahs hanging out together and headed over to see them.
A view of part of the reserve with a red dirt game path
Impalas
Fording the river
Giraffes
Female kudu
Warthogs in the foreground, springbok in the background
The black bumps in the water at the top of the picutre just to the right of the tree that is surrounded by water are hippopotamuses
With our game truck
White rhino
Back over the river
Zebra
Leopard at the Born Free Animal Center
Male lion
Adolescent elephant
Male giraffe
Red hartebeest
Cheetahs
Ooooh, aaahhh
ReplyDelete