How can anything this cute be dangerous?

We had a wake up call at 5.30am this morning. Which was a killer as I didn't sleep very well. For most of the night I lay awake listening for roars or stampeding elephants. There was a noise that I kept hearing over and over. It wasn't till morning I realised it was the air freshener!

Biscuits and coffee and we were back in the jeep in thick safari coats before dawn. Sun rise was magical and soon the ranger spotted white rhino. As we approached he took a sharp turn away from them as he just spotted black rhinos in the other direction. Apparently black rhinos are much harder to spot and are a lot less friendly than white rhinos. We got up close and it was a male and a female again. We had interrupted their mating and the male wasn't happy. The ranger keep turning round to talk to us when all we wanted was his eyes to be on the rhino and his foot on the pedal. It wasn't until this huge beast started to pace towards us that he thought it was time to go! My heart was in my mouth!

When we got to the white rhinos, we almost didn't have a care in the world. They were much more timid and happy to munch on grass while we snapped away.

Rhino - check.

Often when a ranger spots something he will call over the walkie talkie to other rangers. This isn't the case with rhinos as poachers can pick up on the radio signals. In the last two months two rhinos have been found dead with just their horn missing. So we were lucky to see both white and back rhinos.

Then hippos bathing in the watering hole. Coming up for air or to have their photo taken, I am not sure which.

Hippo - check

Further on we got stuck in a buffalo traffic jam, there must have been 200 of them surrounding the jeep. And then in the far distance we saw a group of ten or so elephants running past. The ranger explained that something must have spooked them and we shouldn't follow them today.

Another ranger came over the walkie talkie that he had spotted something but our ranger kept us guessing as he took us off the beaten track. High in the trees we saw this little fella (pictured). The ranger told us his mum must have been on the hunt and left him here until she returned with some goodies. He was the cutest thing ever.

Leopard - check

A few hundred metres down the path was a dead duiker, most likely the leopard moms kill and she was on her way back to get the cubs - dinner time kids!

What a morning, we had earnt our full English when arrived back at camp.

We then had a few hours to sunbath, take a dip in the pool and chase nyalas, warthogs and monkeys around the lodge for a photo. We keep a close eye on the watering hole but nothing yet.

More afternoon tea and we were off again, joined by a lovely couple from London. We came across the mating lions again who had another very jealous male in tow. Then more white rhino, a couple of vultures and a snake that scared the hell out of the boy. He didn't want to step out the jeep when it was g&t time. A less impressive evening this time but I think we were just getting greedy after an amazing morning.

Lots of wine, food and tales of travel amongst the dinner table this evening and a very dangerous centipede. Great, looks like I won't sleep tonight either!