Bronwyn's connections have arranged for us to take lunch at the sister lodge, Ebony, so that we can have a look about. They surprise us when Gift shows up as our server at Ebony. She is such a hoot.
Bronwyn makes the first sighting of the afternoon drive: this rhino. We get to within 20 feet as it passes us on the way to a drink. Eventually it lays down in the mud, twice.
The next large animal spotted is a Cape Buffalo.
The trackers have found the leopard and her cub. The cub is almost the same size as momma. There are two other vehicles holding the site when we arrive. A hyena is trying to see if there are any leftovers from the leopard. The leopards are on high alert.
This is the first time we've seen leopards in the trees. They are keeping a keen eye on the hyena.
Eventually the leopards go on the move and so do week. They head for a dry creek bed and the three vehicles cross the creek bed and set up position on the other side. Eventually they cross the creek bed and at one point the mother passes with a couple of feet of the front of our vehicle.
She is worried about the hyena but could care less that we're now 20 feet from her and another vehicle is almost as close on the other side of her.
It's our final dinner with Gift. She brings this plate for Carol and CJ's 35th anniversary. Carol is on the upper deck yacking. Gift takes her place, Bronwyn and Neil sing a Happy Anniversary song at the top of their lungs but cannot get her attention to return. The four of us inform her that she's too late, Gift has claimed her abandoned husband.
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