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Cradock Mountain Zebra National ParkMar 9, 2008
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To Mountain Zebra Park
The Mountain Zebra Park is a 28,000 hectare park near Cradock. It is basically a large tabletop mountain with a couple of the valleys at the base. The roads for the 200km drive to the park were exceptionally good. The Campground was very wet when we arrived. A storm the night before had put a flat river of water through the park and the campers had to go to the park shelter due to hail.
We had a self drive game drive on arrival. The road to the tabletop of the mountain was very steep, but paved. This was a very different park. It was a grassy plain with very few trees. The animals were much further away than in Elephant park where heavy brush came right to the road. These kept a "safe cheeta distance" from us. Usually they were in groups of a dozen or more with 3-4 different kinds in the group. This is a cooperative protection scheme. It makes it more difficult for the predators to surprise them. We saw lots of Impala, Springbok, Wildebeest, and Zebra, but none of the Cape Buffalo, Rhino, or cats that are in the park. We saw several monkeys in the campground area on our return. A small boy on a bike came by while we were taking photos and said "they steal". They had stolen bread from them, and one camper had a wine glass taken. Another left a window open and found their umbrella missing. We had been warned by our leaders.
In the evening we were treated to a cultural show by the Cradock Drama group and supper in the lodge afterward. We had heavy rain during the show, but it stopped before we had to walk back to the MH's. To Mountain Zebra Park
The Mountain Zebra Park is a 28,000 hectare park near Cradock. It is basically a large tabletop mountain with a couple of the valleys at the base. The roads for the 200km drive to the park were exceptionally good. The Campground was very wet when we arrived. A storm the night before had put a flat river of water through the park and the campers had to go to the park shelter due to hail.
We had a self drive game drive on arrival. The road to the tabletop of the mountain was very steep, but paved. This was a very different park. It was a grassy plain with very few trees. The animals were much further away than in Elephant park where heavy brush came right to the road. These kept a "safe cheeta distance" from us. Usually they were in groups of a dozen or more with 3-4 different kinds in the group. This is a cooperative protection scheme. It makes it more difficult for the predators to surprise them. We saw lots of Impala, Springbok, Wildebeest, and Zebra, but none of the Cape Buffalo, Rhino, or cats that are in the park. We saw several monkeys in the campground area on our return. A small boy on a bike came by while we were taking photos and said "they steal". They had stolen bread from them, and one camper had a wine glass taken. Another left a window open and found their umbrella missing. We had been warned by our leaders.
In the evening we were treated to a cultural show by the Cradock Drama group and supper in the lodge afterward. We had heavy rain during the show, but it stopped before we had to walk back to the MH's.
