Day 29: Kruger National Park, SelfGuided Safari
The MONSTER crocodile SURFACES and check out the hippo licking the bloody sand near the end of the FULL episode!

Time Stamp
00:00 Intro
01:03 Head first!
02:03 Throwdown
03:09 Shakedown
04:26 Snap!
07:20 Hippo licking up the blood

This corner of the Sabie River was shared by a pod of hippo, one MONSTER NILE CROCODILE, and a second crocodile that almost looks small at only 10 ft or so. It was 38 degrees by 1030 and the herbivores were making their way down to the water. The monster crocodile was positioned at the edge of the water, just inches below the surface, barely visible to my eye from above.

The crocs meant business that morning. They were actively positioning themselves for an attack and this was shot at the end of the first year of what has now become a three year drought. When the rain comes, the herbivores can drink from less precarious water sources like puddles so I imagine the crocs were bulking up for the late monsoon season.

A scene that I shot a few days prior with a sable and one crocodile was not as quick due to shallow waters. The croc couldn't take the sable under but had a strong hold of it by the hind so the struggle went on for a long time. The sable herd waited for quite a while 20 to 30 meters from me. I'll share more about that scene in an upcoming video.

This is one of my favorite spots in all of Kruger to just sit back and let the safari come to me. Even SABLE! Finding a herd of sable is a special and rare sighting in Kruger and getting an opportunity to see more of their behavior than just a fleeting glimpse through the woodland transitional areas is a golden moment! It was so interesting to see how cautious they were. Noticeably more than any other mammal that I saw here. Only a few in the herd came down to drink. Others seemed to approach cautiously, wait high on the bank, then turn away. In upcoming videos, I'll share footage of the sable as well as ele, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, baboon, impala, kudu, waterbuck, fish eagle, kingfishers, and more!

Contact me if you're interested in a guided photography safari in Kruger National Park!

If you would like TIPS on how to see Kruger National Park on a selfguided safari, please post your questions below!

Thanks for viewing!

Kind Regards,
Jason