Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Trip report

 

In December 2012, I managed to get back to one of the nicest parks in South Africa, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. It was a quick four day visit and I set myself the main task of updating my Rhino photos as well as my other favourite, the irritable African Buffalo. I knew that visiting at that time of year would mean that the bush was green, lush and dense thus making photography more difficult. On a more positive note, it meant that I had to spend more time with each sighting that I came across as I never really knew when I would see something else on each drive, for unless it moved out in the open or crossed the road in front of you, spotting anything was pure luck.

The bird life during the rainy season proved to be fantastic and I have written another blogpost on the Birds of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi with many more photos for all the Twitchers out there. The dry season is definitely the better time to visit to see the larger animals, like the big cats or wild dogs. Having already been to Hluhluwe in the dry winter a few times before, going in the rainy season proved to be just as productive.

I stayed at the Reserve’s two camps, Hilltop and Mpila, which are the two main tourist camps if you are self-driving. There are many more bush camps around the reserve that cater for those who love a spot of camping. Hilltop was in a good condition and has spectacular views, Mpila is a little more rustic and I had problems with intermittent electricity supply as the generator kept failing, which is always a concern in the digital era.

Making an appearance on this trip was the mighty Canon 1Dx. More on this fantastic camera in later blogs. And I mean fantastic..

*Sadly, at the time of writing this blogpost the official number of Rhino killed for 2012 was set at 668. In a  post  I predicted the poaching numbers could reach a high as 550, I clearly underestimated the greed and ignorance of man*

Here are some Rhino Organisations and charities that can use your help:
http://www.savetherhino.org/
http://savetherhinotrust.org/
http://rhinosurvival.org/
http://www.stoprhinopoaching.com/
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/
http://rhinosurvival.org/

 

White Rhino - Marinovich Wildlife Photography

White Rhino

Fan-tailed Widowbird - Marinovich Wildlife Photography

Fan-tailed Widowbird

"Warthog - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Warthog

"White Rhino and calf - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

White Rhino and calf

"White-winged Widowbird - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

White-winged Widowbird

"African Buffalo - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

African Buffalo

"Red-billed Oxpecker - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Red-billed Oxpecker

"Hluhluwe landscape - Marinovich Wildlife Photography

Hluhluwe landscape

"Burchells Zebra foal- Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Burchells Zebra foal

"European bee-eater - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

European Bee-eater

"White Rhino and egret - Marinovich Wildlife Photography

White Rhino and egret

"Warthog piglet - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Warthog piglet

"Chacma Baboon troop - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Chacma Baboon Troop

"Burchells Zebra - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Burchells Zebra

"White Rhino and calf - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

White Rhino and calf

"Burchells Zebra - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Burchells Zebra

"Black-bellied Bustard - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Black-bellied Bustard

"White Rhino - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

White Rhino

"African buffalo - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

African Bufffalo

"Black-bellied Starling bathing - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Black-bellied Starling bathing

"Yellow-billed Kite - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Yellow-billed Kite on a kill

"African Buffalo - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

African Buffalo

"Trumpeter Hornbill - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Trumpeter Hornbill

"Chacma Baboon - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Chacma Baboon

"African Wattled Lapwing - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

African Wattled Lapwing

"Umfolozi Landscape - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Umfolozi Landscape

"Pin-tailed Whydah - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Pin-tailed Whydah

"Warthog boar - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Warthog boar

"Burchells Zebra - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Burchells Zebra

"Blue Wildebeest - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Blue Wildebeest

"Steppe Buzzard - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Steppe Buzzard

"White Rhino - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

White Rhino

"Young impala - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Young impala

"Crested Guineafowl - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Crested Guineafowl

"Terrapin - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

Terrapin

"African buffalo - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"

African Buffalo

 

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