Aat&Elly-Story 11 - Picasso & Friends (AWD)

[aat]

Thanks !!! for all comments on last story.... after Sable and Roan it's time for Eland...


*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP 2015 (October – November) New series of Stories

06 – Eland 1,2,3 …?

Part I (story part I and II because of number of pictures we like to share with you)

Please welcome to join this drive with us, tickets are for free and you will not be disappointed.

Mopani camp, it’s early morning (very early) and today we planned a trip to Punda Maria. Leaving camp , turn left and following the main road.
Till Shingwedzi no much to see , on the bridge nothing at all in the riverbed.
Talking a bit about all that nothing and then …. Wowwwwwwwwww….

On the RH side of the road we saw this !

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Breathless we were….believe me. Eland… and not just a few

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I remember I did just all at the same time… stop, windows down, camera ready…shoot… afraid these shy animals were running away without having a photo. Sun was on his way to get higher and higher…. So lots of backlight but with some correcting…

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Then we turned the car to get a better view on the whole scene , parking the car across the road… no car coming from left or right so a private show here.
We were looking now to the left side of the road to all these Eland but…. At the right side more Eland…

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We could not believe our eyes…

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Eland at both sides of the road , it was difficult to decide where to look
So a view at the left side… some were also looking at us …

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And pending to the other side where this one passed us close by

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Weird… really… is this the large group we heard about ?
At the RH side we could easily count them… 11 of them, the LF side still a questionmark… too many and too much bush to even try to count them.

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Just made this photo and Elly said…look there…. Left !
Pending camera to the other side… where some Eland got close to the road..

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and some more appeared close to the road

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At that moment we realized that this large group would like to cross the road… was it hope, wishfull thinking ? If you like to know what happened … go to part II
(otherwise too many pics in one story)


Aat & Elly

[aat]

*** Travel Tales ***
Trip to Kruger NP 2015 (October – November) New series of Stories

Story 06 – part II

Part II (look at part I first please….)


Question was…. Is the large group planning to cross the road or are the 11 at the RH side planning to cross the road… ?

We did not have to wait for the answer…. Here is the first one …from left to right so we probably could see the large group just in front of our eyes… Sitting at pole position not a bad thing

Nr 1 taking off

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Followed by nr 2 , with some more speed

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We could see that this large group was hesitating. There were many young ones in this group.
Reason to cross the road was to go to a waterhole or the river for drinking.

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One by one and sometimes small groups came to the road and walked slowly to the other side
We were still in something like a dream….. is this real ?

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So many and so close … Elly was counting , very easy this way…

Please sit down and enjoy the big crossing… now the youngsters appeared together with mom , aunt , another aunt, brother, sister , cousin etc…..
(counting +7)

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I think at that moment we were realizing this sighting was very special and also wondering there was still no other car around.

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some did not trust us too much so they were running…

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and… still counting…

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Looking at the left side we still could see a nice number of Eland and already counted 32

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so beautiful … and now writing this story and preparing the photos it’s like going back in time.

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Some decided to walk away a bit before crossing the road… but camera is patient and lens is zooming… smileeeee

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These were the last ones getting to the other side… 45 in total … weird… crazy…confusing…. but fantastic having seen this and being there to watch them…. And no other car spoiling the view with this big crossing…

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No more at the LF side so driving a bit forward for a last shot seeing them moving in the thick bush towards water ….

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Thanks for joining us during this drive , hope you enjoyed it.
Elly and I were kind of “speachless” for some time but both with a big smile….

A sighting we will never forget


Aat & Elly

[Flutterby]

An absolutely amazing sighting Aat!! We've only ever seen one lonesome eland in Kruger so to see such a huge herd is fantastic.

[Pumbaa]

Now you got to see them all, Aat,

you do always have such a luck with your sightings and even so close

Awesome eland shots

[Bushcraft]

Amazing sighting

You always seem to score a luck with unique and special sightings

[aat]

Thanks , amazing it was for sure, I remember we were "breathless" for some time

An absolutely amazing sighting Aat!! We've only ever seen one lonesome eland in Kruger so to see such a huge herd is fantastic.

[aat]

Thanks Pumbaa, we do not complain about luck we were on our way to search for tuskers but found Eland...

Now you got to see them all, Aat,

you do always have such a luck with your sightings and even so close

Awesome eland shots

[aat]

Thanks Bushcraft, luck was many times on our side... may be it's because Elly and I are both sunday kids ?

Amazing sighting

You always seem to score a luck with unique and special sightings

[Lisbeth]

That must have been all the elands of Kruger......almost Fantastic!! A dream sighting

[Richprins]

If BC says you are lucky then you know, aat!


Was that 45 crossing or right and left hand combined?