Week in Pictures: Easter Feast!

Welcome to the Week in Pictures: Easter Feast! A photography round up of the week’s wildlife activity at the Sun Destinations Kruger camps.

It’s the end of a short week and the beginning of a long weekend – the Friday feeling is stronger than ever! South Africans are taking their rooftop tents and braai grids and flocking to the Kruger National Park and various outdoor camping spots to spend the welcome break out in the sticks with family and friends. Our safari lodges are chock-a-block with visitors from far and wide making use of the public holidays, and it seems the wildlife is playing along nicely!

After a decent amount of rain, the change in the Greater Kruger environment is staggering! Green tufts of grass have spread out over the previously bare earth, and trees have burst into bloom virtually over night. Elephants are in their element, while buffalo and warthog are plunging happily into numerous mud wallows that now occupy the wet ground.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge is enjoying the strong presence of the Sand River, as well as the regular sightings of White Dam, female leopard with cub in tow. Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp have raked in the leopard sightings, too, in the last week, while a leopard tortoise was captured enjoying the wet weather, and some superb sunsets appeared at dusk. Ezulwini River Lodge and Billy’s Lodge each enjoyed watching young elephants celebrate the unfamiliar wet weather, while the river heaved with water and the Olifants West pride of lions lay around like kings!

Africa on Foot, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

Elephants emerge out of the thicket now that there is ample water feeding the Klaserie, and this individual gave us the opportunity to analyse him in detail.

A panoramic explosion of light during a sundowners stop on game drive with Africa on Foot.

Marula Mafasi gazes coyly at us as we watch her relax after feasting on a kill.

A bateleur eagle adds life to a leafless tree just as dusk turns the sky a peachy pink and creates a handsome silhouette.

Ezulwini Game Lodges, Balule Nature Reserve

A baby elephant can't suppress its joy as it experiences the first real rains of its young life.

The ever sociable zebra and wildebeest are seen together 9 times out of 10. This individual looked a little like an outcast, while the zebras engaged in some rough play.

Three individuals from the Olifants West Pride line themselves up nicely for a photo opp. at Ezulwini

A female waterbuck glances up from her feast as the Olifants River rushes powerfully behind her.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge, Sabi Sand Wildtuin

Spotted! A hyena peers at us warily as we watch the activity at a kill site.

White Dam gnaws on a joint of impala while remaining safely hidden from the scavenging hyena in the safety of a tree.

The first light of the day emerging from the horizon and painting the sky gold.

A handsome kudu bull appeared alone out of the dense thicket, offering guests a quick look at his impressive spiralling horns.

nThambo Tree Camp, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

Leopard tortoises are special sightings for wet weather.

Skies predicting rain in a very colourful and dramatic way in the Klaserie

A young elephant glances curiously over the burgeoning bush

An African fish eagle lurks ominously over a newly formed dam.