We all learn early in life of the lion as the king of the jungle, the elephant as the colossus, the giraffe as the tallest, the hippopotamus as an ungainly creature that loves the water, the crocodile as a threat to all life, and the wild dog, the hyena, and the vulture as the villains of any jungle environment.Whether through knowledge, experience, or understanding, or even repeated viewings of ‘The Lion King,’ or reading ‘The Jungle Book,’ or ‘Mowgli, or maybe even a soft cuddly toy we all grew up with, the antics of these animals have driven our imagination since time began.Here, managed by South African Yolisa-Neo Ndlumbini, and with Puerto Rican program manager Anni Herrera, a team of youthful, knowledgeable conservationists offers guidance, protection, and shares their knowledge, sharing their experiences with students, volunteers, interns, and researchers, under the ‘African Impact’ banner.The Greater Kruger Game Park extends over roughly 20,000 square kilometres of both Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, North-East of Johannesburg in South Africa. Originally proclaimed a wildlife sanctuary more than a century ago, it is home to an identified 147 mammals, 517 bird species, 126 different reptiles, and 219 invertebrates.One of their guides, South African Nuriya Trassierra found lions on our first game drive and frequently after. She explained that the small pride of three lions would probably stay in the same area for some days, due to their mating habits. We observed them day and night and were impressed by their tolerance of us... at a distance of course.And while the lion is ‘King,’ you have no idea how intimidating an adult elephant can be, until you get up-close-and... OMG they are huge! Canadian guide Spencer Gallant although a ‘nerd about birds,’ astounded our small group by ‘tracking’ a lion going one way down a track, a leopard going in the opposite direction, and the other species that had crossed the track overnight, and all confirmed by later research. He also shared with us how the ubiquitous impala has a keenly tuned ear enabling early warning of predators, and how quick and athletic they can be, usually relying on safety in numbers to aid their survival.The hippopotamuses (not hippopotami) in the Oliphant River frequently cavorted and bellowed alongside the dangerous crocodiles, who probably deserve their horrific reputations. But guides like Australian Mark Hutchinson answered every query about their behaviour in the river, and at nights, when they would come out to graze, leaving a cricket pitch piece of land devoid of growth, before sneaking back into the river. You couldn’t say they tip-toe, but they are quiet. As for the crocodiles... I was happy to keep them at a distance.And probably the most surprising perspective of all the wildlife we encountered was how Alistair Dyason, another South African, explained that buzzards, vultures, hyenas, and wild dogs didn’t deserve any of their ‘bad press,’ clarifying how every society, needs its ‘cleaners,’ and how these species have an important role in maintaining a viable ecosystem.Camera-trapping, data-capture, behavioural observations, species, census, and individual animal ‘tagging,’ are what they do, all day, every day, and it’s no exaggeration to feel that without them, and others like them, we would speak of the lion, elephant, giraffe, and others, as extinct, like dinosaurs, like mammoths. But for today, and tonight, the ‘King,’ and his subjects, can all sleep just a little easier.
