Thornybush Nature Reserve

January 30, 2020 Thornybush Nature Reserve is approximately 150 miles east of Johannesburg, South Africa. It borders the Kruger National Park. We are located at the Watersite Lodge inside Thornybush. Arriving shortly after noon we immediately went to lunch which was served "al fresco" (outside) overlooking a large pond. We could see a Hippo bobbing to the surface of the pond as we ate. After lunch we were shown to our cabin. The cabins are in duplexes spread out around the grounds near the main lodge. Our room is large, well appointed and comfortable. We had the afternoon free until our first safari drive at 4:00. While Lynda napped, Tim sat on the small patio outside our room. While he read he also watched nyala, a small antelope, wander by and a troop of 8 small monkeys cavorted in and around a tree just off of the patio. At 4:00 we met for our first safari. Each couple along with two other couples were assigned to a ranger, the driver and guide, and a tracker. We will have the same ranger and tracker all three days. Guyani, our ranger, filled us in on a few quick rules and we were off. Very soon we came upon some zebras and wildebeast. While Guyani was talking about these animals the largest bull elephant we have seen came lumbering around a large bush towards us. The elephant was flapping its ears at us and made a few aggressive steps towards us. It was enough to cause Guyani to back our vehicle up and give the elephant more room. What an exilerating start to our safari. Thornybush has had rain in the last few weeks so the vegatation is quite lush making it a bit harder to see the animals. On the positive side, when we do see them we see them up close. At the other two parks we visited all of the vehicles went pretty much in the same direction. In Thornybush each vehicle went its own way so we seldom saw anyone else. After seeing lots of impala, a few more elephants and many birds we came to a waterhole where there were two young lions, a brother and a sister, laying in the grass near each other. We spent at least 15 minutes watching these regal cats as they rested, totally oblivious to our presence. We were only 10 or 20 feet from these animals. In Africa the goal of a safari is to see the "big 5": elephant, cape buffalo, rhinoceros, lion and leapord. Leaving the lions behind we went in search of a rhino. We drove around the bush in a fruitless quest for a rhino sighting until about 6:15 when Guyani parked our vehicle in a an open area that he said was safe enough for us to get out of the truck. Much to our surprise, Guyani attached a small shelf to the front of the vehicle, draped it with a small table cloth and set out a selection of beer, wine, liquiors, soft drinks, and snacks. How very civilized. As we were enjoying our picnic we watched a spectacular sunset. Our picnic was stored and we resumed our safari in the gathering dark. Our tracker sat on a small seat attached to the front of the vehicle shining a spotlight back and forth to each side of the road. At one point we had to make a sudden stop for a giraffe standing in the middle of the road. The giraffe was our last animal sighting before returning to the lodge. It was a good way to end our safari. One of the rules of the resort is that after dark you cannot walk between your cabin and the lodge unescorted. As it was dark when we returned from safari we were escorted to our cabin. A half hour later we called reception for an escort to dinner. Dinner was again outside in a very romantic setting. It was also delicious. Friday mornings wake-up call was a 5:00. By 5:30 we were on safari again. Within 45 minutes we came upon a mother and baby rhino laying in the middle of the road. As we watched both eventually got up on their feet. As if choreographed by the park, two giraffes walked out onto the road about 50 yards past where the rhinos were standing. As if that was not entertaining enough, we heard a rustling in the bush and a huge bull rhino appeared, and, as the elephant did yesterday, made threatening steps toward our vehicle. Guyani assured us that he could read the signs of danger from the rhino and was not seeing any. We were probably no more then 20 or 30 yards from these ugly but mesmerizing beasts. Soon two more safari vehicles approached from the opposite direction and Guyani decided we should leave giving the other safari hunters time with the rhinos. Soon after leaving the rhinos we stopped so that Guyani and our tracker, Mandle, could get out of the vehicle. They saw leopard tracks in the dirt and wanted to see which direction the leapord was traveling. Mandle was the first to return climbing up to his perch at the front of the truck. As he scoped out the area around us he was barely able to see a cape buffalo in the bush. Eventually the buffalo moved out in open so we got a good view of it, although it was not "up and personal" as with the rhinos. The cape buffalo sighting left us with only the leopard to complete our having seen the "big 5". The rangers communicate with each other over radios informing each other of "big 5" sightings. Guyani received word of a leapord sighting and we were off. 10 minutes later we saw another truck off of the road a short ways parked next to a tree. We drove up behind and saw a leaopord draped over a limb about 6 feet above the ground. We did not have a particularly good view of the cat but soon the other safari truck left and we took its place right next to the tree. We were within 10 to 15 feet of this beautiful animal. We must have spent at least 20 minutes there. None of us could tear our eyes away from this young leapord. When we finally left we had driven no more then 50 yards down the road when we encountered two hyenas. As we watched them walk into the bush they suddenly turned and ran back towards where the leopard was located. Guyani immediately backed our vehicle back to the tree as we watched the hyenas stalking around as the leapard, now fully awake, sat in the tree watching them. Guyani told us that the hyenas had no interest in theleopard, but was looking for a possible carcass that the leopard had killed. The hyenas decided there was no carcass and left, as did we. By the time we left the leopard for the second time it was time to head back to the lodge. On the way Guyani apologized to us. He said that because of the excitement of seeing the rhinos and then hunting down and finding the leopard, he had forgotten to take time for our morning picnic. We assured him that given the thrill of the mornings safari we had not missed the picnic either. We returned to the lodge about 9:30 where we had breakfast and free time until noon. At noon one of the rangers presented a lecture about the Tsonga culture. Most of the rangers, trackers and other employees of the lodge are Tsonga. Several interesting facts about the Tsonga. The Tsongas still allow men to have multiple wives, although it is rarely done anymore. When the children turn 13 the boys and girls are taken seperately into the bush for an "initiation". For the boys this involves being circumsized. No mention was made of the girls "initiation". After the lecture a few of our women cornered the ranger, asking about the girls "initiation" concerned that the girls might be subjected to genital mutilation. The ranger assured the women that this did not occur. He said that girls were mostly instructed on how to pleasure their husbands once they were married. We have another safari at 4:00 Friday afternoon. There are safaris again tomorrow at the same time as today's and we understand we have an early morning safari on Sunday before we fly back to Johannesburg for our return flights home. Unless there is something more exciting than what we have already reported on our remaining safaris this will be our last blog posting. We will spend most of Sunday and Monday on various airplanes, returning to Mason sometime late on Monday. This trip has been exciting beyond our wildest dreams. We hope you have been able to enjoy that excitment through our blog postings. We hope you will all join us in mid-March as we cruise along the coast of Norway into the Artic Circle "Exploring the Northern lights".