Slow start today but great finish. The highlight of today was the hippo. Normally you only see hippos in the water or a fast glimpse if you catch them out of the water. Today was the mother lode of hippo sightings.

We saw the hippo out of the water on the bank of the river. We got to that spot as quickly as we could but he had gone into the water. So we continued our drive and crossed the river on the bridge. Then we spotted him again across the river close to where he had been before. So we decided to cross the river again at a closer spot rather than going back over up the bridge and try again for a good sighting.

So into the river we went but it was a little deeper in one section than we expected so it was high water around the front of the vehicle but we made it. Pretty exciting stuff.

We found the hippo crossing the road going into the bush. The ranger Dave said he knew where the hippo was headed. So we drove down the bank to a large water pool. We waited. He moved a little and he stopped moving and we waited. Patience is a virtue and it really paid off. We thought he was not moving because of us and that we would run quickly into the water when he did move.

Finally he came out of the bush and looked directly at us. Fabulous shot we were so close maybe 10ft. I thought that was great but it got better.

Then he ambled into the clearing and stopped and there were no bushes or any obstruction to the sighting. He stood there for at least 10 minutes. This is really strange behavior for a hippo. Totally relaxed with the vehicle. The ranger could not figure it out either. Obviously the hippo had been doing this stopping and not moving before and it had nothing to do with our vehicle at all.

So cameras clicking and I saw things I had never seen before. The strange shape of the tail with hair standing straight out at the end of the tail. The big hairs just above the mouth. How massive his mouth really was. His bulging eyeballs wee very obvious never noticed that before. Our ranger said it was his best hippo sighting he had ever seen and I believe that, it was incredible.

Then we waited to see him go into the water. There was another hippo in the water already. The hippo started towards the water then stopped again. Finally it turned around and walked straight towards our vehicle. Gave the eye and then wandered back into the thick bush. Obviously this hippo wanted in the water but was concerned about the other hippo. Trying to figure out why animals do what they do is a lot of fun

I will remember this sighting forever. Patience is required for really good game viewing, we spent a long time waiting for this sighting and it really paid off.

We also saw two male lions and a female lion that had come over from Kruger and caused all kind of issues scattering the prides to the North. These lions are not habituated to the vehicles and very skittish so you can not get close like you normally can.

One of the lions started growling and we left immediately, do not need to be asked twice to leave. In Kim and Alice's vehicle the lion stood up, took a step and growled of course that vehicle left quickly too. They only had one vehicle in at a time.

Animals do give warnings they really do not want a dispute but you need to be able to read the signs and the Rangers can judge the behavior. Of course a growling lion is definitely an easy to read signal. Some other animals are more subtle in their signals. It reminds you that we are in wild Africa and that it is critical you follow all the Rangers directions and if you do that then things are fine.

Lrhino close, baboons and some other animals but this was the holy grail of hippo sightings.