Game Drive #5, Sept 10, 2011

While my fellow board member's from Pheasant's Forever were slaving away at our annual banquet, I was having one my top 4 moments from the entire trip.  I told the guys I would think of them, but the fact is, I never did until days later.  (My bad!)  This was the night I won the shot gun while on a fabulous won trip.  Life is GREAT!  Hope you enjoy!  (This is a long one, sorry.  I "culled" it down as much as I could!)

Do you see the baby in this one?

Buzzards...they are huge in the bush.  But then, as Manny told us, everything is huge in the bush!

This was just freaky!  These are flesh eating storks and vulcher's.  The storks were giant!

They were in the midst of migrating and not normally at Zulu.  Welcome was very concerned they were there.  The next day we went back to check to see if they were there, but to his relief, they had moved on.

This kill was not there the day before.

I don't remember what this bird was.  It was not one of the storks, however.

The Mr.!  And just what will we see tonight?!?!?!?

The river that runs through Zulu Nyala.

Hippo's are SOOOO cool!  There were a total of 8. 

You can tell the bull by the "flap" at the base of his neck.  It's a little intimidating seeing these guys watch you from about 15 feet away knowing that they are the single most deadly animal to the natives.

Fever trees.

OK, I tried to search google to remember what this guy is and I think it is a steenbok.  It was the only one we saw the whole trip.  Not quite as small as a dik-dik.

Coral tree.

The storks and vulchers were still around after we went and looked at the hippo's!

This is a really nice nyala buck.  "Bang!"

And while we were chasing down the perfect sunset picture (this is not it) an INCREDIBLE sight was taking place.......

A BRAND new baby rhino!  This was Bill's top moment from the entire trip!  This guy was still trying to get his feet under him when we arrived on scene.  I can't narrow my top 4 down to THE top, but this is def-in-ate-ly one of the top 4!

Nursing for the very first time.......

Please don't be grossed out.  Mama had not even gotten up and cleaned herself up yet this little guy was so fresh.  You can't buy seeing such incredible sights!  You are simply smiled on to be lucky enough to be in the exact right spot at the exact right moment.

I don't remember what these birds are either.  I'm sure the bird ladies from drive #1 could tell me though.  LOL

And on the way back to the lodge we found the ever elusive elephants!  How can something so huge be so hard to see????

The moon was incredible. 

I'm sorry this post was so long and I probably over did on the baby rhino pics, but, come on.  How often does one get to see a brand new baby rhino EVER, let alone in the wild?????