Foto's

The Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary was Swaziland's first nature reserve and today offers great walking and horseback riding in the park which has few preditors (the only dangers are some crocodiles and snakes). Walking puts you back on the level of nature, as an equal to the animals - it gives you a chance to get close and notice the smaller and shyer creatures (the insects in the flowers, for example).

Here we see the graceful impala (Aepyceros melampus) which is often passed by on safari drives since it is fairly common and not one of the "big five"; however, I find them enjoyable to watch at close range. This one was in a bachleor heard of three. The young males roam together until they are ready to up to the challenge to become the dominant male so they will have a whole heard of females. Other males are allowed to be a part of the heard as long as they stay away from the girls.

Since these animals are so common, they tend to be eaten by the big cats in Africa.

For another view of this impala, see my other image on TrekNature.