South Africa - Kruger National Park

South Africa is home to one of the most diverse and abundant wildlife populations on the planet. Its rich and diverse wildlife makes it one of the primary destinations for experiencing animals in their natural habitats. The country is known for its incredible biodiversity, encompassing a wide range of ecosystems, including: The Savannas, deserts and forests. Additionally, the climate varies across regions: from Mediterranean in the southwest (mild, wet winters, hot dry summers), tropical in the northeast and semi-arid to arid in the central and western parts. 

The country is famous for the "Big Five": lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and buffaloes. These animals were originally termed the Big Five by game hunters due to the difficulty in hunting them, but today, they are a major draw for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. Alongside the Big Five, South Africa's wildlife include many amazing animals such as giraffes, zebras, hippopotamuses, cheetahs, antelopes, and wild dogs and hyenas. During my safari in Kruger National Park, I was lucky enough to see some of Africa’s most iconic animals up close while we stayed at two different game reserves for 6 days.

Lions are often found in savanna and grassland areas and they are the top predators in their habitat. They live in social groups known as prides. Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are herbivores and have a diverse diet that includes grasses, leaves, fruits, and bark. In fact, they push and knock down the trees to reach the leaves and eat them. Leopards are elusive and solitary, they are found in various habitats, including forests, grasslands, and mountains. They are known for their spotted coats and stealthy hunting, they usually stay on top of trees and eat their prey there. Buffalos are large and robust animals that live in herds and are known for their unpredictable nature and strength. Giraffes are known for their long necks, giraffes are found in savannas and feed mainly on the leaves of tall trees. Since their necks are so long, giraffes usually spread their legs to be able to lower their necks and drink water from lakes. Lastly, hippos are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa, inhabiting rivers, lakes, and swamps. In South Africa, they are commonly seen in areas with abundant water and they are very large animals that mostly stay in water throughout the day. 

The highlight of the trip was rhinos which are critically endangered species. The tour guide told us that they were very rare but I really wanted to see one. They are endangered because of the poaching issue where hunters are killing them and taking their horns just to sell them. Most veterinarians are trying to find them before the hunters do, to take away their horns so that the hunters won’t be able to do the same thing by killing them. One day while we were making our way back to the reserve, we saw a mother rhino with its baby. The mother unfortunately didn't have a horn and the baby was just starting to grow its horn. It was very upsetting to see this beautiful animal without its horn.

Rhino horns are made from the same substance that our hair and nails are made of: keratin. However, the poachers believe that these horns bring good luck to people so they are killing many rhinos to take their horns and sell them to make money. Consequently, rhinos are not safe in their own environment. However, there are many ongoing effort to tackle the issue of poaching and save rhinos from being critically endangered. Methods such as anti-poaching patrols, dehorning, rhino relocation and the development of tougher laws will hopefully save these animals from going extinct.