Catching big and small game fever

It’s 15 minutes after sunrise in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province but there’s no sign of the sun. It’s concealed behind an all-encompassing blanket of grey cloud, and I’ll be surprised if it appears any time soon.

This is not what I wanted for my first-ever safari — and my trip to the legendary Kruger National Park. I had hoped for a clear blue sky, and pristine light. Not this gloom-fest. It is, I fear, a bad day for spotting — and photographing — lions and elephants.

Glancing towards me, as I clutch my camera and scour the leaden sky above the park’s Paul Kruger gate, Boris, our driver and guide, says: “It’s a good day for a safari, you know.”

“Yeah?” I reply with a tinge of optimism creeping into my voice, as a nippy breeze whips through the elevated open-air rear section of our bakkie (a South African pick-up truck).

“You’re more likely to see animals when it’s cooler like this,” Boris explains. “When it’s too hot and sunny, they tend to shelter in the shade and it’s harder to spot them. Should be a good day...”

I’ll take Boris’ word for it. While I don’t own any khaki clothing or a set of binoculars, Boris is the kind of bloke who has multiple sets. Having never done a safari before, and not fancying one of those epic five-night jaunts in the bush straight up, I wanted to ease myself in gently with a day trip led by a reliable old hand.

It's not just the big mammals that catch the attention in the Kruger.

Driving here from Nelspruit — the closest city to the national park, 350km east of Johannesburg — Boris tells me he has more than 25 years Kruger guiding experience, and has been visiting the park for more than 50 years. Considering he looks about 50, I wonder how this is possible. I ask if he can remember his first time.

“Well,” Boris replied. “It was very dark. I was in my mummy’s tummy.”

One of the jewels of African big game viewing, Kruger National Park was established in 1898, and named after Paul Kruger (the revered 19th century Boer leader). Nudging Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the Kruger is, according to SANParks (South African National Parks), home to 336 species of trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals (including the so-called Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros). Tens of thousands of creatures patrol almost 20,000sqkm, with the Kruger almost the same size as Wales.

“We’ll explore the park’s southern region today,” says Boris, who is in near-constant contact with other guides via a radio system. Soon we’re acting on a tip-off, veering towards what Boris hopes could be our first big “catch” of the day.

Big-eared African elephants are a common sight in the Kruger

We pull up by a couple of other bakkies and a yellow grass clearing dotted with bushes and gangly trees. “A pride of lions,” Boris says, his eyes straining through his binoculars.

The big cats are lying more than 150m away, a blur to the naked eye. We observe this distant trio dozing — and maybe digesting their breakfasts — for 10 more minutes, then decide to check out another possible sighting. Technically, we may have “ticked off” one of the Big Five but it doesn’t really feel like it.

Despite Boris’ efforts — going to his trusted favourite spots, and listening to the radio system for news elsewhere — the animals aren’t playing ball, apart from the ubiquitous impalas (there are about 150,000 of these sprightly antelopes in the park, providing ample feeding opportunities for the larger predators).

We hear there’s a leopard roaming about — only to discover that he’s hiding out of sight, well camouflaged, up a tree. Then we’re alerted to the possible presence of a grunting rhino — only for nothing to come of it.

By 8am, a touch of impatience and frustration begins to seep through our bakkie, in which I’m seated beside a vacationing Japanese businessman called Yoshi, and Gloria and Raul, a likable Spanish-Uruguayan couple, whose main priority right now, it appears, is not spotting the elusive wildlife but getting a caffeine fix.

Cameras out as the locals cross the road.

“We’re very tired,” Gloria says, resting her head on Raul’s shoulder. “We’ve been up since 4am. Can we have coffee soon?” I’m starting to get strong caffeine urges of my own when Boris, having heard something of interest down the radio, puts his foot on the accelerator. “We’ve got a lion,” he says.

A few minutes later, I’m faced with what is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. Fifteen metres away, a lioness — about 120kg of her — is sitting alone on the long grass by the road, staring upwards, her huge mouth gaping, her mighty teeth on show, not roaring, mind you, but yawning.

She glances over at the growing fleet of bakkies parked before her, and, for a moment, as the hairs on the back of my neck stand firm, I half expect her to spring at us. She yawns some more, pokes out her tongue, licks and scratches her body, then rolls around on her belly.

No one seems to make a sound for about 15 minutes. To say we’re transfixed is an understatement.

When the lioness slowly gets up and ambles into the scrubby undergrowth, Boris starts up his engine, and says, with a grin: “OK Gloria, you can have your coffee now.”

We breakfast at one of the park’s rest camps before criss- crossing the Kruger’s road network in search of more adrenaline hits.

As the temperatures soar, we encounter hundreds of big-eared African elephants — including herds that pound metres before our wheels. It’s particularly heart-melting when the tiny Dumbo-like baby elephants stumble along in the protective shadows of their mothers.

Later, we spot graceful zebras drinking from watering holes; a few giraffes and baboons, and hippos, buffaloes and Nile crocodiles swimming in the Sabie River. We come within touching distance of one horned male impala and his harem of 40 doe-eyed females. Other species of antelope appear, too, such as the wildebeest, klipspringer, bushbok and kudu.

Boris is also adept at glimpsing the smaller animals. As well as vultures, hawks and guineafowl, he points out red- billed hornbills, yellow butterflies and blue starlings.

By 3pm, Gloria, Raul, Yoshi and I are all yawning, and suffering from caffeine withdrawals. When Boris suggests we call it a day, we don’t resist.

Although some of the Big Five eluded us — notably the rhino and the leopard — and while the sun stayed hidden, we’ve seen, and photographed, plenty, and had our appetites for more safari action well and truly whetted. Yoshi is actually coming again tomorrow.

I would if I didn’t have to head back to Johannesburg. But I’m eager to return to the Kruger — especially at night, during the predators’ peak hunting hours, or maybe on a dawn walk with an armed ranger. I reckon I’d even be up for one of those epic five-night safaris.

In the meantime, I’ll be investing in some khaki ware and binoculars. And maybe a thermos of coffee, too.

FACT FILE

Steve McKenna’s Kruger day tour was booked through Kruger South Safaris, which offers a variety of guided visits to the park. This day tour cost 1308 South African rand ($138), including pick-up and drop-off from Nelspruit, and park entrance and fees; krugersouthsafaris. co.za.

For more information on accommodation within the park and other tour options, see sanparks.org/parks/ kruger