Eyes In the Wild

Hippos are the deadliest of the "big 5" animals to humans.

There's nothing sadder than seeing an elephant perform in a circus once you are educated on the brutal training they've endured to be there. And while zoos play an important role in conserving endangered species, it's still disheartening to see a tiger or lion pacing along a 20 foot corridor in its cage.

Our visit to Kruger National Park in South Africa allowed us to see all of these animals in the wild.  It was an experience we will never forget.

There are no words to describe how it feels to be 10 feet from a pack of lions that just returned from a hunt...or the excitement of hearing the male let out a long roar followed by a yawn.

There are no words to describe the excitement in your stomach when a giraffe walks down the middle of the road toward you, navigating around a herd of 50+ zebras...all of which are ignoring you as they graze and flip the flies off their backs with their tails.

There are no words to describe the adrenaline you feel as you zip your car into reverse so a family of giant African elephants can cross the road where your car just stood. 

There are no words to describe the anticipation you feel of what lies around the corner as you see literally HUNDREDS of impala eyes reflecting in the beam of your spotlight on a 4:30am drive. It was such a liberating feeling to be a guest in their world.

Note all of the eyes on the right side of the photo.  They are impala, zebras & wildebeests.

There really are no words to adequately describe the amazing safaris we experienced during our two short days in Kruger National Park. Luckily, pictures are worth a thousand words so we will give it a shot.

The lions weren't the only ones hunting at sunrise.  This 4:30am safari was our favorite.

We saw a leopard!  They are very elusive - this one ran out of the tree as soon as we stopped.

From reptiles to birds & mammals, Kruger National Park had something to see around every corner.