Have you ever been this close?

by **Biltong** Sun 23 Dec 2012, 5:15 pm

Just spent a week in the Bush, during one of our trips into the Kruger Park we came across this. Just wanted to share it with you guys.

The Bull and myself had a stare down...... I was the first to blink.

Spoiler:

by PenfroPete Sun 23 Dec 2012, 5:30 pm

You spent a week in THE BUSH ?

Amazed I didn't see you Headscratch

Quite a few posters have popped in - Dreamer, Gibson, Mick(leChef), Munsty, Hound, Huggy, RedStag, PJHolyBloke

Never had a drink in The Bull though

by MrsP Sun 23 Dec 2012, 5:56 pm

I think this is what Leo Cullen was seeing on Friday night every time Nick Williams came charging up the pitch.

Or is it what Michael Bent was imagining when he got up from every scrum and looked Tom Court in the eye!

Have you ever been this close? 3754190863

Have you ever been this close? 3754190863

Great pic Bilt!

by hawalsh Mon 24 Dec 2012, 12:44 am

I've been pretty close before, but the docile Asian type. The only bull I was really wary of was one that got an erection. When an animal that size is sporting something longer than you are tall it's time to step away.

by yappysnap Mon 24 Dec 2012, 9:43 am

We were out on safari a few years back and the driver was.a.bit of a loon, managed to get our vehicle between a mom and her calf, needless to say mom was unimpressed and I nearly crackedmyself.

by Thomond Mon 24 Dec 2012, 12:30 pm

Not to an elephant other animals I have been inches from and it's pretty cool, nice photo.

by **Biltong** Mon 24 Dec 2012, 2:25 pm

Spoiler:

by **Biltong** Mon 24 Dec 2012, 2:29 pm

Spoiler:

by **Biltong** Mon 24 Dec 2012, 2:30 pm

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by **Biltong** Mon 24 Dec 2012, 2:34 pm

Spoiler:

by **Pal Joey** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:01 pm

Great photos mate. Those hippos look quite well fed. Lots of feed lately?

by **Biltong** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:05 pm

Well it is the rainy season up north, so there is plenty to eat.

by **Pal Joey** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:08 pm

Right. Same as in Oz... the "rainy season up north" bit.

Those birds look stunning. What are they? Hawks or eagles?

by **Biltong** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:11 pm

Those circling are vultures, they were circling something but it was a bit to far away to see what it was, I assume the lions were feeding and they were just waiting, there were about a dozen of them, difficult to get them all though.

The one perched on the tree is some kind of eagle, have no idea which one though.

by **Pal Joey** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:14 pm

Is that the AWoP Eagle?

It can spot a scrum infringement from 15 miles away I believe....

by **Biltong** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:15 pm

Did you have a good christmas LB?

by **Pal Joey** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:19 pm

Yes I did thanks. Kind of low key though but still very nice. It was wet and 'cool-ish' which was different for a change.

How about you? Plenty to eat and drink? Did you bring out the guitar at any stage?

by **Biltong** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:23 pm

We had my mother, sister and her daughter over, had a braai, but to be honest I am fedup of meat, think I will be eating salads for the next few days.

Yeah, the guitar came out and we had a few sing songs, very rustic.

by **Pal Joey** Wed 26 Dec 2012, 12:34 pm

I'm the same. I'm going lay off meat for a few days and eat more fruit I think.

by TJ1 Wed 26 Dec 2012, 8:02 pm

I was driving along in a little suzuki 4x4 and on turning a corner a large bull elephant was standing in the middle of the track guarding the track while the rest of the family crossed. I certainly would have lost that encounter if I had upset him.

by thebluesmancometh Mon 31 Dec 2012, 3:44 pm

Bulls have become my favourite animal ever, they have the best attitude ever!!

I was in the Addo elephant park a few years ago, and my poor hire car of a ford fusion (mistake in the booking and nothing else was available (not good for a 6'5 lank machine)) got absolutely battered while there...

1, while running late for breakfast (I stayed in the tent hut things in the park itself) I was doing a touch more than the 10mph limit when a Bull squared up to me, I froze and waited for him to pass... he didn't, I paniced and threw it in to reverse trying to find another route when he thought it would be fun to give pursuit and a little nudge!!!!

2, While trying to spot one of the black Rhinos the missus decided to use a telescope thingy we had as I was hogging the binoculours, this ended with a bullet from a warning shot from the armed guard of the Rhino we didn't even noticed nearby hitting a side panel... they were very freindly after they found out it wasn't a gun leaning out of the window!!!

3, A poxy knob of a kudo sideswiped me as I was driving past, came out of the brush hit the door and ran off! Still don't know if it was an accident or not!

The rental company were not impressed, but then neither was I with a Ford Fusion!!!

by **Galted** Mon 31 Dec 2012, 4:36 pm

Biltong wrote:Those circling are vultures, they were circling something but it was a bit to far away to see what it was, I assume the lions were feeding and they were just waiting, there were about a dozen of them, difficult to get them all though.

The one perched on the tree is some kind of eagle, have no idea which one though.

I think it's a Wahlberg's eagle.

by Shifty Thu 03 Jan 2013, 10:42 pm

I wouldnt swap Wales for any other country to but to be in a country with magnicent animals like that, your very lucky Smile

by **rodders** Fri 04 Jan 2013, 9:09 am

Shifty wrote:~~I wouldnt swap Wales for any other country to but~~ to be in a country with magnicent animals like that, your very lucky

+ 1

by B91212 Fri 04 Jan 2013, 3:38 pm

Amazing pics Biltong, really really jealous. Always wanted to go on safari (and watch a test match at Newlands whilst there) but should have done it before moving west. The journey there and back alone now would just about take my holiday allocation for the whole year and probably bankrupt in airfares in the process! I did live in West Africa as a kid but can only remember seeing scorpions and snakes, no big stuff whatsoever.

Here we saw a black bear whilst out walking earlier this year but the photo's I took were crap as I only had my phone and the lens was dirty. Plenty of Moose local and Elk are about 30 mins west of here. There is a cougar (as in cat and not the sexy Courtney Cox type version) that I'm told lives about 10 minutes to the east but you only see one of those if it wants to be seen. Spoke to lady yesterday who saw a wolf about 30 minutes north west of here but again I've never seen one when out in the bush (thankfully). See Deer & Coyotes daily on my drive into work but not seen Road Runner yet.

by **Biltong** Fri 04 Jan 2013, 4:35 pm

B, whilst in the Kruger are this year we drove around a bit in the neughbouring areas and found a place called Marlothpark

It is bordering the Crocodile river which is effectively the southern border of the Reserve.

there you can buy a srand for as little as R80 000, (about 7000 Euro) the idea is you build yourself a holiday chalet in the bush, you may not ut up any fences as the wild life just cruise through the bush in between the houses, whilst driving through the suburb we saw giraffe, Impala, Zebra and Baboons.

My wife and I are considering buying a srand for ourselves, it is really not expensive at all.

by neilthom7 Fri 04 Jan 2013, 6:29 pm

I know now where Stephen Ferris has been going on his holidays when he is injured lol

by B91212 Mon 07 Jan 2013, 8:19 pm

Biltong wrote:B, whilst in the Kruger are this year we drove around a bit in the neughbouring areas and found a place called Marlothpark

It is bordering the Crocodile river which is effectively the southern border of the Reserve.

there you can buy a srand for as little as R80 000, (about 7000 Euro) the idea is you build yourself a holiday chalet in the bush, you may not ut up any fences as the wild life just cruise through the bush in between the houses, whilst driving through the suburb we saw giraffe, Impala, Zebra and Baboons.

My wife and I are considering buying a srand for ourselves, it is really not expensive at all.

That sounds amazing, I would be there with the cheque book in no time. A friend of a friend has a place out in the bush near a lake, it's actually private land as it is just outside the National park boundaries but it's a great place to get away and explore on the quads. The cabin itself is very rustic (I swear its the original man cave, no women, no running water and the toilet is a wooden shack over a hole in the ground 50 yards away). Whole place gets covered in moose poo though and the smell on hot days can be nasty vomit

by sirtidychris Thu 10 Jan 2013, 2:59 pm

I never knew you could click on the spoiler bit and something appeared !!! all this time i thought people were just posting jibberish !

nice pics biltong

by Pete C (Kiwireddevil) Thu 10 Jan 2013, 3:25 pm

Biltong wrote:Just spent a week in the Bush, during one of our trips into the Kruger Park we came across this. Just wanted to share it with you guys.

The Bull and myself had a stare down...... I was the first to blink.

Spoiler:

Does this count?:

Spoiler:

I snapped these in Sri Lanka a few years back too:

Spoiler:

Though I fear I've been trumped, a friend posted this on Facebook today

Spoiler:

by **Biltong** Thu 10 Jan 2013, 4:36 pm

Thst's cool Pete, however I won't get out of my car to pet anyone of them here in the Kruger.

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