The next started cold but lovely. The camp itself was so big we had our own forest glade and couldn’t see our neighbors. We got woken up by the birds singing and when having breakfast, a common ducker passed by.
We entered the Hluhluwe national park through the Memorial gate and after driving about 1km into the park we saw an entire rhino family in the distance. Two adults with two babies and they were feeding off the ground while walking to the left. We positioned ourselves at a point we expected them to pass us and they came closer and closer. We felt so privileged to observe those beautiful creatures from less than three meters. But when crossing the street right in front of our car one of the baby rhinos was too interested in our car, which upset the mother. She faced us from the front, put down her head and was getting ready for the attack. We immediately drove back but couldn’t go far as another car was blocking us. Fortunately, that was enough to calm down the protective mother, she turned her head and kept walking. That experience was amazing and thrilling at the same time.
As we learned from some locals later on, rhinos rarely attack cars but elephants at Hluhluwe NP do. They told us to back up when they flap their ears and paw with their fore feet as they sometimes turn cars upside down. Not much later we had our encounter with such a nervous elephant. Luckily this time there was another car closer and as the elephant was walking towards them while flapping his ears, they drove backwards and we did the same until the elephant disappeared into the bushes.
Of course, we also met some friendly animals that day. There were lots of pumbas, beautiful zebras and my personal favorites the impalas. I guess I’m one of the few people who thinks that the impalas are special but maybe that is the reason for it.
That evening we had meat, beer and wine again and as we were getting better in the whole camping thing we prepared the most beautiful braai we’ve so far had.
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