Our last morning game drive was particularly difficult for my guests as we had stayed up late watching the tennis final on Super Sport. Despite the lack of sleep, I woke them up at 5 AM, and by 5:30 AM, we were off on our morning safari.
Tracking Rhinos and Finding Unexpected Guests
The mission of the morning was to find giraffes, having already checked off all the other animals on our list. With our route set and coffee packed, we drove off enthusiastically. The plan was to take Eagle Owl Road, go up Tortoise Drive, onto Sekwa Plains, and then into what we fondly call Giraffe Country.
As usual, our plan didn’t unfold as expected. Not far from the lodge, we encountered interesting tracks where a rhino had slept the night before. Following the tracks, which conveniently aligned with our pre-planned route, we enjoyed the thrill of tracking, even though we didn’t expect to see the rhino.
Surprisingly, a few minutes later, we found ourselves face-to-face with four sub-adult rhinos on a road aptly named “Rhino Drive.” After spending some time with these magnificent creatures, we continued on our quest to find giraffes.
A Rare Cheetah Sighting and a Perfect Ending
Back on track, we headed up Tortoise Drive when we suddenly spotted three tiny figures darting through the grass. To our astonishment, we had stumbled upon three baby cheetah cubs, no more than two months old, running to their mother. She had just killed an impala and was dragging the carcass when we arrived.
We watched in awe for at least an hour, one of the many perks of leaving early before any other cruisers could arrive. The cubs played energetically while their mother rested nearby, panting from the hunt. It was a truly breathtaking experience!
After this incredible sighting, we stopped for our morning coffee, enhanced with a dash of Amarula cream liqueur. Just as we were savoring the moment, two male giraffes suddenly appeared, making for the perfect ending to our adventure.
