mlilwane 0806

Only 30 minutes from our house in Emafini, we ventured to our first animal reserve in Swaziland. Since is Mlilwane is much smaller than
Kruger National Park in South Africa we had modest expectations. However, we were inches a huge hippo. Though comical-looking, hippos
are dangerous creatures, killing more people annually than the "Big Five" in total (Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Rhino).
Unexpectedly we we had a whimsical, wonderful hippo-and-warthog afternoon!


	(L) Within minutes of entering Mlilwane we were greeted by one lonely zebra whose short, stocky breed has a name we can't remember.		(L) At least this impala can avoid the fate of being the next McDonald's meal for a lion since there are no major predators in Mlilwane.

	(L) Who couldn't love this face? Literally we were less than a foot from our forlorn hippo friend with a nasty head cold.		(L) Here are 4 of the 7 hippos that were just on the other side of the 2 to 3 ft. stone wall.

	(L) An adorable warthog family of four.		(L) Though the hippo was minding his own business, these teenage warthogs decided to bully him by kicking sand in his face. Meanies!

	(L) As the old saying goes, "the warthogs that eat bugs together..." Warthogs kneel when they eat which looks silly but evidently works for them!		(L) Just hanging out with the family, showing the little fella how to forage for food.

	(L) As we were nearing the exit, we passed this unfortunate sign noting that annually 20,000 poachers/ snares are found by Mlilwane's park rangers--not counting the ones not found.		(L) Just as we reached Mlilwane's exit gate, this ostrich came to say good-bye.