A Leopard at Last!!

What an afternoon game drive we had today! My heart is still racing! First off, we finally found a leopard. A lovely big male trying to have a nap under a tree. It's belly was heavily distended from a recent big meal.

Great, we thought. How can the leopard sighting be topped. We soon found out! Let's look for some rhino, says our ranger. Off we go on the very bumpy trails. We get into a wooded area and suddenly around a corner we surprise and are surprised by a group of 5 black rhino. Black rhino have pointy mouths, are a bit smaller and much more aggressive than white rhino. They also had a calf with them. 

Immediately they came at us. The ranger banged his hand on the side of the vehicle's metal door and that stopped them and they ran off. We were told that it is special to see one black rhino but we saw FIVE! 

We passed some more Cape Buffalo (freaky things, too) and stopped for a sundowner in a big clearing. Visibility is good for when we all get out of the vehicle. You can see animals approaching.

We are ready now to go back to the lodge and dinner. However, we now have a flat tire! All those bumpy roads! Everyone has to get out of the vehicle. To add an edge to the experience three white rhinos are near by and approaching us. We all are instructed to stay on the far side of the vehicle. I use my binoculars to make sure they are the (somewhat) gentler white variety. The tire is changed in record time and we hop back in. 

The light is rapidly fading by now. Suddenly, we spot two lionesses right in front of us in hunting mode. They completely ignore us. Impala near by are vocalizing a warning to their kind. All around us we hear a hissing sound like steam bring released. Really quite amazing. 

When it is almost dark we reach the lodge and a spectacular dinner outside in a boma, complete with a fire and lanterns everywhere, is waiting for us. I am not sure how we are going to top all of this tomorrow!