M
y lifelong dream was to go
on an African safari and
see the “big five” (African
lion, African elephant,
rhinoceros, African leopard and Cape
buffalo) in the wild. I got my chance when
a good friend and I booked a trip to South
Africa with ORYX Wildlife Safaris.
Our trip began in Johannesburg, South
Africa, known from its early mining history
as the City of Gold. We planned to spend
the first half of our trip in Kruger National
Park and the second half along the coast in
Cape Town. We spent our first night at the
Intercontinental Johannesburg O.R. Tambo
Airport hotel where we enjoyed good food
and South African pinotage wine.
The next morning, we met our seasoned
wildlife tour guide, Nelis Wolmarans, who
thrilled us with stories from his previous
career in big game preservation and anti-
poaching enforcement. He explained that
while endangered animals such as the
rhinoceros don’t like being shot with tran-
quilizers, transported in trucks across miles
of dirt roads and released into new territory,
they need protection from poachers.
On day two we flew to tiny Hoedspruit
Airport and drove to a private game reserve
inside Kruger National Park, which stretches
over more than 7,500 square miles. The
park boasts 148 species of mammals,
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
from the dwarf mongoose to the African
elephant. Kruger’s parklands reflect the
true African bush, with thickets that
hide antelope, lions, zebras and African
elephants. Raptors nest in tall trees above
sleeping leopards.
We stayed at Kings Camp in the
Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Just
inside the front gate were impalas, wart-
hogs and civet monkeys. The staff gave us
a cool drink and took us to our safari-style
rooms, which were right out of a magazine
with their beautiful net-covered beds, reed
gabled ceilings, claw-foot tubs and
Victorian furniture!
Later we hopped into a Land Rover and
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