MUST SEE: More Kruger Park Madness
We hope you’ve planned your long weekend in Kruger Park (with your kids If you got some). If not, here’s some more footage shot in Kruger Park that will blow your mind and convince you to go. Regular Representers will have seen our Elephant encounter (see below) but this one takes the ‘buffalo’. Watch till the end you will not believe your eyes – a veritable animal rubgy match. Our favourite moment had to be the return of the buffaloes as one movement one animal.
(Remember with YouTube the best thing to do is let the page load and as soon as the video starts playing press pause until the video is fully loaded – you can tell from the red line – then you can watch it without interruption.)
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Another classic is the multi-accent commentary but our HeroRanger Homeboy “hier’s lekker action here/Listen ou’s you won’t believe there’s a big parra here between lions crocodiles and buffaloes/They just klapped a buffalo/I’m shaking” wins the oscar.
Thanks to Ed H for the pointer – click here for the Battle at Kruger video.
And here’s our Ele story:
So there we were, cruising along the river road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie camps, all thoughts of the city, work and stress way behind us, little did we know we were about to witness a very angry Elephant on the attack. Before we tell you all, I’d like to encourage everyone to visit the Kruger Park. I was born into a family that is bush bef*k, i.e. that more than lurves wildlife, the outdoors and lapping up every moment possible of Africa’s incredible heritage.
Kruger Park has been around more than 100 years and is probably one of the most affordable bush experiences in the world. There’s nothing like it – driving around in your car having a laugh, trying to “spot” the big five… a 5am wake up call followed by a greasy breakfast cooked on a skottel at a picnic spot as you watch the sun begin to rise across the sky, a cold beer at a waterhole then a dash back to the campsite to make sure you make it in time before the camp gates close… Evening’s mean it’s time for a braai outside your hut, a walk around the perimeter of the camp looking for hyenas, a frightening midnight dash to the loo….
I have heard some snobby types dismiss Kruger park as “not being as close to nature” as you are in a private reserve because you drive in your own car and stay in big camps in Kruger. Ignore them. In Kruger you are independent, not reliant on expensive game drives to see the animals at odd hours, your accommodation is comfortable and there are numerous options available from the most affordable through to incredible 5 star, you can move from camp to camp and experience the many different landscapes and terrains of the enormous Kruger park and you can experience the private game drives if you’d like. If you take a few dirt roads or more obscure routes in your own car, you may be the only car around for a long time.
We were the only car around the time we witnessed 5 lions kill an impala right next to our car… the illuminous green of the grass pouring out of the impala’s stomach as they tore it apart in their jaws will never be forgotten. Just how close can you get? And don’t forget the time we sat and watched 4 teenage male lions playing under a tree for over an hour, again about 10m from the car, without another vehicle blocking our private view. Spotting animals on your own is a real rush.
But enough about lions and back to the Elephant (by the way it’s not just about the big 5 – it’s always exciting to spot any animal – giraffes, zebras, baboons, birds, buck… they’re all amazing African animals.). Thanks to my years of Kruger Park exposure leaving me with a little bush savvy we avoided a potentially very messy situation. As we rounded a corner after already passing about 100 elephant making their way to the river which ran along the left of the road we were driving on, we came across the Big Beef. He was flapping his ears and seemed a little shook up. We’re not sure if previous vehicles had harassed him or what his story was, but my instincts told me to hang back and wait a bit for him to calm down. Yet again, we were the only car on the road as we waited for him to move on before we tried to pass him, leaving a healthy distance between us.
Suddenly, and I mean suddenly, a small vehicle approached from the opposite distance, they were not able to see the Ele as he was blocked by a tree, as they passed him, he turned around and charged their car, his trunk catching the back of the car as they realised what was happening and sped off to safety. There’s no way to describe it, you just have to watch the video here, shot by a very good friend of Represent’s from Belgium, Nicolas, who couldn’t believe his eyes. The people in the vehicle were totally shocked by what had happened and their faces were a cold shade of fright. If we had not had the sense to wait a bit, who knows what the ele would have done to our vehicle. Watch the videos below.
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Anyway, we shrieked with nervous laughter, not believing what we had seen and reversed very quickly further back. Then another Big Beef arrived, standing on the other side of the road, both HUGE males were now facing us, looking very bouncer like and moody. Then it all made sense. Out of the bush on the right hand side, a considerable herd of elephant including Moms, babies, teens and old folks poured onto the road, all moving as one big familia towards the river. As they crossed the roads the Big Beef’s warned off any potential danger, protecting their tribe from harm.
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As the last few elephants made it safely over the road, the Big Beef’s forgot all about us, happy to go and have a swim. Isn’t nature mind-blowing?
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Book your Kruger Park holiday asap. It takes about 3 and a half hours to get to the southern gates near Nelspruit from Jozi and if you have kids, do them a favour, take them there again and again – we must make the most of our African inheritance. Book now here!
