Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve: Close animal encounters with many species

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – Close Animal Encounters

We had so many close animal encounters that were amazing. Sabi Sabi Private ReserveOn, Staying at the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.  

You can also find out more about First time we visited Africa, we did 3 great game drives – Shimba Hills Park in KenyaThe Huhluwe Game Reserve in Richards BayYou can also read about the Aquila Game Reserve is located in Cape Town.  We saw 4 out of the Big 5, and many more, but missed seeing leopards.  We wanted to return to Africa to see more wildlife. 

Our stay at the Sabi Sabi Earth LodgeFor 4 days, we were able to enjoy two game drives per day.  Our ranger Ruan, and our tracker Donald, made sure we saw a lot on each trip.  We saw all five of the big five on many occasions, and also saw other animals.  Some days, we didn’t even have to leave our safari lodge to see stunning animal sightings.

Seeing Animals In Africa

We have done several game drives in Africa. This African adventure.  Despite the fact that large groups of wildlife were often at distances and some animals scurried away at any sound, it was not uncommon to have close encounters with wildlife.  But it was important at all times to remember that they were wild creatures!

You can also find out more about the following: Sabi Sabi Private ReserveThere are 4 different lodges in the South-Western part of the peninsula. Greater Kruger National Park.  The private reserve had many advantages over the main Kruger Park.  The rangers were well-trained and knew the wildlife and paths in the park.  Open vehicles allowed us to see animals much better, especially with only four people in our Jeep.  The rangers did not have to follow the fixed road in the private park.  We had great opportunities to track wildlife when they could safely drive a jeep away from the road. 

We had so many close animal experiences at Sabi Sabi Private Reserve.  The animals at this private resort are used to the noise of the jeeps. They do not feel threatened when jeeps stop by them.  We would sit for 20 minutes and more just watching the animals.  We never felt as if we disturbed the animals’ routine. 

The animals were comfortable when the jeeps were parked nearby.  They walked right up to and around the jeep.  We were surprised that they stopped and looked directly at us.  Some of the animals seemed to be a little more timid.  As long as we drove, the Impalas ran in packs near our jeep.  If we stopped, they ran away.  The warthogs always ran away because they were timid.

We were repeatedly reminded that these animals were wild.  We were repeatedly reminded to stay still.   It was forbidden for us to get out of the jeep.  Our jeep was parked between the mother and her cubs.  We were at risk of being attacked if we moved.

We were amazed to see some amazing animal encounters when we followed the procedures and rules at our safari lodge. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

We Saw the Big 5 and More

You can find out more about this by clicking here. Previous visit to Africa, we saw 4 of Africa’s Big 5 – elephants, rhinos, buffalo and lions.  But we never saw any leopards.  Our ranger Ruan, who knew that we did not want to leave the park without seeing a leopard, was determined to fill this gap.  The end of Our 4 Day StayWe had very close encounters with the Big 5!

The hippos were the other big animals on the resort.  When Aquila Game Reserve is a place we visited outside of Cape Town on a previous visit,  we were delighted when we found hippos rolling in a shallow mud pool.  On Our stay at the Thorntree River Lodge, ZambiaOn this trip, the only hippos we saw were in the water.  Ears flapping and occasionally we caught the yawn.  Unfortunately, on This stay at the Sabi Sabi Earth LodgeWe again only saw hippos swimming in the water.

We were intrigued with the number of antelope family animals we saw – Impala, Kudu, Eland, Nyala and Waterbuck.  When the jeep halted, Blue Wildebeests and warthogs kept a distance.  We saw large groups of zebras and lone Giraffes.  

We learned that predators had sharp teeth and claws that made it easier for them to catch prey.  We were surprised to learn that predators usually have eyes on the front part of their faces, and humans are often considered predators.  We saw the wild dogs and hyenas on several occasions.

We were amazed by the number of animals we saw.  We were amazed by the number of close animal encounters we had at Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

Elephants were everywhere

You can find out more about this by clicking here. This African adventureOn a game-drive day trip, we saw our very first elephants. Rovos Luxury Train Trip from Pretoria Victoria Falls.    When We stayed in the safari lodge at ZambiaWe saw more elephants.  We even saw some elephants wandering through the lodge’s property.

When we arrived, the warning was given that Wild animals roamed the streets of the city Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.  We were still surprised when they walked past our patio one day at lunch.  Elephants visited the small pond for water and one elephant even walked to our room.

We saw elephants in almost every morning game drive and evening game cruise.  Most of the times we saw one or even two elephants lumbering by.  It was always a thrill when an elephant came so near to our jeep.  

As we were packing and preparing to leave, a family elephant made a final appearance at the resort.  Adorable! What a treat to see them.

Close animal encounters Sabi Sabi Private ReserveElephants of all sizes were visible.

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve: Animal Encounters Bring Us Close To Lion Prides

You can find out more about this by clicking here. Our first trip to AfricaWe saw several lionesses and a few male lions napping under a large tree.  On Our game drive day tripThe following are some of the ways to get in touch with us: Hwange National ParkZimbabwe The following are some of the ways to improve your own ability to speak. Rovos Luxury TrainTrips are available for all ages.We saw lions laying around at a distance.  But our experience was different at the Sabi Sabi Earth LodgeIt was so much more enjoyable. 

We were excited when we saw our first lion.  We saw a few in the woods near where we stopped, and waited for them wander out.  But they settled in a bush and we wondered if anyone was watching them!

We went to the watering hole on the second morning and found a large group of lions laying by the water. The sun was just rising.  The males seemed to be snoozing and the females were lying on their backs as the cute cubs played.  The adults would occasionally look up before settling back down.

Lion Sightings Give Us Insight into Animal Life

On our third morning we saw a buffalo kill that the lions had made overnight.  The lioness had not finished eating.  The males were sated and sat flat with their bellies extended.  Sometimes a lion would wash itself.  Or let another Lion lick it clean.

We were not done yet with lions.  We found another pride of Lions later on our game drive.  This group also had a few rambunctious young cubs.  We were cautious when the cubs walked to the other side, out of sight of the mother lioness.  We didn’t wish to be perceived as a danger.  The mother lion called the cubs, and like most children they took their sweet time to return to mom.  Then they wandered away again.

Our lion encounters gave us many “ahhhhh” moments.  They looked cute and cuddly.  We were reminded of how dangerous lions are when we saw their sharp teeth.  These close animal encounters are amazing. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

Our First Leopard Encounter

Leopards are the only Big 5 animals we really want to see. We visited the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.  On our first night drive, we searched for leopards in the trees and in the fields.  But we were disappointed.  On our second day out, each jeep was searching for the leopards that had been sighted the previous night.  

We were rewarded when we reached the right spot.  Our first sight was of a leopard, which was lying in a tree.  

But then we spotted the remains of the leopard’s hunt.  Although the carcass had been thoroughly eaten, there was plenty left to feed these small leopards.  It was wild to hear the chomping, and then see a leopard with its bone!

We were thrilled to see these three leopards for the first time.  We were happy to have these incredible memories of close animal interactions at the end of our game drives. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

Watching A Buffalo Herd

The first time we saw a buffalo up close was on A game drive in KenyaOn our first trip to Africa.  It was a fascinating experience to be so close to these large animals.

On our game drives around Sabi Sabi Earth LodgeWe saw a couple of buffalos wandering alone in the field.  These were usually buffalos that had been separated from herds, or bulls that were kicked out of their groups.

We were pleasantly surprised to see a large herd of buffalo grazing at night as the sun began to set.  We watched and they observed us.

On our animal encounters, we were amazed to see this large herd so close. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

Rhinos at the Watering Hole

On our third morning drive, we returned to the large watering place.  This was the perfect spot to see animals filling up on water in the early morning.  We were greeted by a group rhinos when we arrived.  We watched as the rhinos drank and then walked past the jeeps.

One of the jeeps was carrying a group trainee rangers.  The rhinos posed for them and they were treated to a real treat.

We saw our first rhinoceros on a Aquila game reserve: Game driveA previous trip took me to Cape Town.  It was amazing to see them all together and up close.  The sight of the animals walking past our jeeps in a large group was a very special memory. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve. 

Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Offers a Variety of Antelope Family Animal Encounters

We were amazed at the number and variety of antelopes that we saw on our game drives.  We were not shocked to see large groups of Impala.  They tend to move in large herds.  If we drove by, they would galloped with us.  When we stopped they scattered quickly.

We saw a wide variety of other antelope animals on our different game drives.  We mostly saw a single animal, or a pair of animals, wandering past.  Kudu’s twisted corkscrews horns were fascinating.  Elands had spiral horns.  The Nyala was distinguished by its white face, while a Waterbuck could be identified by its white butt. The Wildebeest’s blue colour was easy to distinguish.

We saw the most antelopes on our animal encounters. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

We Are Always on the Lookout for Giraffes and Zebras

We saw both giraffes, and zebras during our previous trip to Africa.  We never got tired of these beautiful and fascinating animals.  

We were greeted by a giraffe on the driveway We stayed in the safari lodge at ZambiaWe saw a few more giraffes during that trip.  We knew giraffes are more difficult to see at this time of the year We visited Africa.  The giraffes wore perfect camouflage, as the trees were still covered in leaves.  We were always delighted when we spotted them a couple of times.

We often saw groups zebras. “dazzle”) off in the distance.  They would graze close to the road, but we were able to watch them.  We were thrilled to find a group pregnant zebras, as we knew that the number of zebras would increase. We learned that zebras are actually black with white stripes. We also learned that the black-and-white colour helps regulate temperatures.

We were thrilled to find the Big 5 on game drives, but we were even more delighted when we found giraffes and Zebras during our animal encounters. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.

Other Animal Encounters at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve

On our safari trips, we had no idea what we would see.

As we drove we often saw warthogs traveling in small groups.  They would run away if they were near the jeep.  One day, we returned to our resort and saw a group of warthogs.  It was funny to find them under a tree. “guest” sign! 

We were thrilled to discover African Wild Dogs on a morning.   Wild dogs are a rare species and sightings are rare.  We also saw some hyenas, waiting for the kill of the lions. We also found a single jackal one day.  We were fascinated by these predators.

As we drove in the dark, we saw rabbits darting along the road.  We found a lot more baboons in Zambia when we stayed at a safari lodge. However, we found them very rarely on our day trips.  Wild birds were always flying in the sky.  One day, we stopped to watch a vulture spreading its wings.

Donald, our tracker, swept his flashlight into the trees and along the path as we drove.  Donald and Ruan were watching with keen eyes.  We were never sure of what they saw with such rapid passes of the flashlight.  We learned to trust their ability to see wildlife when they stopped at a small, green chameleon perched on a branch along the road.

The number of wild animals that I saw was astounding Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.  We learned so much about so many different species on Visit to the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.

Animals in Close-Up View

We saw a lot of animals on our day trips, and in the resort.  We were amazed by the quality of our iPhone photos, because we saw so many different animals up close.

We were so happy we brought the Canon EOS R6 Mark II with the 100-400mm zoom lens.  This camera allowed us to see more of the animals that we saw.  We got so many close-up pictures.  

We were fascinated by the close-up views of lions, leopards, and their prey. We found it easier to watch the elephants and the giraffes strip trees of their leaves.  We watched the elephants draw water with their trunk. When the hippos came to the surface, they sprayed out the water.

Elephants batted eyelashes.  And lions showed their teeth.  We saw dirt the animals rolled into to keep bugs at bay.  We saw faces swarming with flies.

We learned how to distinguish between male and female Zebras. All we had to check out was the butt. The males have a thin stripe of black between the buttocks, and the females have a larger and longer stripe.

The resort offered a walking tour. For our team, we would stop on the return trip from the morning drive and allow people to walk back. Our ranger Ruan carried his gun to provide some protection while travelling with food.

When we reviewed the close-up pictures, we were completely fascinated.  This was a new aspect of our encounters with wild animals. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.  

Sabi Sabi Private game Reserve is a great place to see animals up close.

We had high hopes for animal encounters. Sabi Sabi Private Reserve Game Reserve.  On This great African adventureWe wanted to finish our Big 5 sightseings with leopards.  We were amazed to be rewarded by close-up views all of the Big 5  But that was not all of our amazing animal experiences. Stay at the Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge. 

We were awed at the wildlife we saw in Africa.

Did you encounter animals up close at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve?  Were you as impressed as we were?

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