Skip to content

Warm Kruger Morning

A warm Kruger morning
the sun just rising in the sky,
Orange globe so round so fiery,
makes shadows on the ground.

Our eyes are open, we’re wide awake,
our faces full of joy,
once more exhilarated, keyed up,
and eager, for our journey up ahead.
Excitement builds as
we leave our hutted camp,
to seek out creatures great and small.

As we begin our drive,
the first light of day breaks,
softly at first,
Then slowly it brightens
and illuminates
hidden places of the bush.

Mornings are best to view the game.
before the noon of day
when searing sun so hot it burns,
forces all to seek the shade that’s cool,
to avoid the heat of afternoon.

Rested from the cool of night,
Impala with eyes so big
so brown so bright,
prance, cavort and play,
tiny tails a wag, as
they frolic, skip and jump,
they seem to play follow me.

Looking up at sky now blue,
vultures soar on air that’s warm,
wisps of clouds come into view
and other birds appear.

Full of grace the Bataleur
so French,
so striking this bird of prey,
short tail,
feathers black and tawny,
face and feet blood red.

It floats quietly by
then turns,
swooping quickly and with guile,
it captures prey upon the ground,
we see claws outstretched,
a splash of red, of
black, of blue, as
it seizes Roller in the grass.

Coming by and flying high,
another kite this one has yellow bill,
feathers brown, and tail with fork.
Head down it preys like hawk,
eyes searching out his prey
of chicks, of mice, or even ants.

A cloud, a million Queleas
with red bill,
swarming, as one they move,
flying like a coaster ride.
Up above them falcons soar
and hunt.
Wings folded tight,
ensure great speed
as they swoop down on swarm
to catch and feed.

In shorter grass
Wildebeest and Zebra graze,
while Warthog with tails erect,
scurry by with young in tow,
in large tree a lone Snake Eagle
perches on a branch.

In grass that encroaches on the road,
Francolins hide,
a small brown Snake slithers out,
with head now raised
it menaces with forked tongue.

Brown patches of veld
now appear,
ants are busy moving house,
Hyena saunters slowly by,
while monkeys play amongst the trees.
A Mongoose family play,
curious,
as we approach
they hurry scared to grass that’s long.

We cross a bridge,
below Water buck
graze and drink,
a Saddle billed stork,
tall,
red bill,
feathers black and white.
Another stork has Yellow bill,
a Goliath Heron standing still,
Crocodiles asleep upon the bank.

Later Giraffe
beanpole neck, head perched high,
huge brown eyes, lashes long,
a mouth, with curling tongue,
a face, a human one,
that smiles.
Four long legs,
a tiny tail,
it moves along with tiny steps,
to browse on leaves
in trees with thorns.

Eagerly we search for game,
hoping we will spot a cat
before they decide to hide
and take a nap.

A lion, cheetah, or leopard,
so we can claim we saw,
and mark position on the map,
with coloured pin.
Others then can view our finds,
that is if they haven’t left the spot.

On stony ground, we watch
a small black beetle, a scarab struggle;
stubbornly it toils, to push, to roll
a large brown ball of dung.
When ball sticks, it tries a pull, then
climbs on top to move to front of dung;
the ball rolls forward, the beetle falls,
gets up and begins to push again.

It repeats this many many times,
a push, a pull, a climb, a fall, get up, push on,
till ball of dung finds resting hole,
and becomes a larder for its young.

This makes us admire its resolve and think the
Scarab fights not for self, it has no selfish
thought of that, he perseveres, he carries on,
to ensure survival for the life that is to come.

Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion, Leopard,
other tourists come to view these five.
Eagerly they hunt and seek,
so they can say they’ve seen
big five.
Fervently
they seek them out,
missing other beauty all about.
Shame it is they cannot see
the rest of Kruger’s many charms.


So quiet, so peaceful to be here,
we feel like
we’re in another world,
and so we are,
for it is a special place
this wonderland
this paradise
called Kruger Park.

Every year we have returned,
to haunt, explore, enjoy,
wonder, and be thrilled,
by magic early morning drives,
that have revealed
the hidden riches of the bush.

Thank you Kruger Park
our nations pride,
for all the countless pleasures
you do provide;
it has been our luck and joy
to have explored
your treasure trove
of natures many gifts.

Yes we will be back next year!