And so, the day had finally arrived. It was time for RHS' merry band of budding David Attenbroughs to put away their instruments and cultural itineraries, don some binoculars, stow away their cameras and go on 'safari' in the Kruger National Park.
After an extremely early start, accompanied by much student grumbling, 10 safari trucks left 'Hippo Hollow' at 6am to see the sun rise over Kruger. Bets were made as to which student would see the 'big five' first, with some mistakenly believing that Mr Mann had been officially recognised as the 'big six'.
Sun rises over Kruger National Park
The entrance to Kruger.
Over the course of the day, African wildlife was both plentiful and abundant. Having been transfixed by impalas at the start of the day, the excitement of the 'big five' ensured that impalas became rather passe by the end of the 'safari'. However, here is a list of sightings spotted by students and staff:
Hippopotamus
Impala
Yellow billed Hornbill
White Rhino
Elephant
Wildebeest
White-backed vulture
Zebra
Steenbok
Tawny Eagle
Kudu
Bushbuck
Vervet Monkey
Lion
Buffalo
Waterbuck
Nile Crocodile
Warthog
Kori Bustard
Martial Eagle
Baboon
Monitor Lizard
Leopard
Southern Giraffe
All in all, it was a hugely memorable day, made unforgettable by many a flashing camera. Courtesy of Mr Nutton's photographic expertise, here are a few examples:
Mrs Godfrey has now recommended to Mr Godfrey the benefits of black and white uniform for all future CCF Field Days.
An African menage a trois
The McDonalds of the Savannah - The Impala
The Water Buffalo - staring out all RHS Students
And an extremely rare sighting of the Lesser Spotted Lovejoy - asleep in his natural habitat.
Gimme Five
ReplyDeleteHigh fives to what must have been a great day - still raining here by-the-by