Cheetah, Lion, and Leopard
At the Phinda Game Reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa we saw cheetahs, lions, and a leopard. Often these magnificent wild animals were just a few feet away from us in our completely open game drive vehicle.
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Elephants and Rhinos
Phinda is the home of elephants as well as both white and black rhinos. The black rhino, an aggressive animal, is nearly extinct, but Phinda now has 15 of these rare animals and is hoping they will breed into a larger herd.
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Zebra, Giraffe, Wildebeest, and Warthog
Zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and warthog are common sights in Phinda. Zebra and wildebeest graze together, finding safety in numbers from their predators. Giraffes are often sighted in large groups for the same reason, although they are well equipped to defend themselves using their hoofs to kick any aggressor.
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Birds and Crocodile
Africa has many varieties of birds. We visited an aviary in Sun City where we got much closer to the birds than those that we saw later in the wild. Often the birds are found near water, but so are the crocodiles.
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Nyala, Impala, and Kudu
Antelope are so common in Phinda that you almost forget to photograph these beautiful animals. Young nyala are light brown with some almost white stripes, but the males turn a dark gray as they become adults, with the gray first appearing around their heads and spreading down over the rest of their bodies. Impala and kudu are also seen in Phinda.
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