Wondering About Africa?

Thanks to those of you that left questions for us on the blog! We definitely enjoyed answering them. You’ll find Carmin’s answers to the most recent round of questions below:

Q: Chance asks, “What does impala steak taste like? Is it really lean or is there some fat? Is it similar to venison?”

A: Carmin answers, “Impala steak is firm but tender. Our very kind guide did suggest that we order it medium to rare as it can get tough if over cooked. The meat has a very mild game flavor but nothing quite as strong as venison.”

Q: Amanda asks, “Do you have any books that you or Carmin can recommend so that I can learn more about this amazing place?”

A: Carmin answers, “There are so many fabulous books on South Africa and it all depends on where your interests lie. A good choice for insight into South Africa’s political and cultural past is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and also Tomorrow is Another Country: The Inside Story of South Africa’s Road to Change by Allister Sparks. For guidebooks, the Insight Guides are great. I like Brad’s Southern African Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide and Ian Sinclair Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa.”

Q: Sherry asks, “I’m a little surprised about the driver pulling the land rover in front of the lions, forcing them to go around the obstruction. This seems the antithesis of ‘nature’ travel. Why not be satisfied with simply observing the animals in the wild, why inflict yourselves on them when they are hunting???”

A: Carmin says, “Sherry, if the lions were on the hunt, we would definitely not have moved in closer as it is imperative that we as spectators do not change or influence the animals behavior. These two male lions were, in fact, just on the move in search of the females and were using the road as the path of least resistance. It is also important to note that these lions are habituated to the safari vehicles and regularly walk right up to them and use the vehicles for shade on a hot day.”

Q: Jan says “That is so interesting about the leopards. It almost sounds like human hunters with the disembowling. How do they shave the fur? How old before they can defend against the hyenas? [...] Who would do battle with a male lion? A female lion? Another male lion?”

A: Carmin answers, “Leopards shave their prey with their teeth. They scrape the skin along their front teeth and then spit out the hair. Hyenas remain a threat to leopards as they constantly try to steal they prey,“ hyenas are scavengers after all. This is why leopards will hoist their prey into a tree but sometimes it falls out of the tree and the hyenas are waiting to snatch it up. Male lions fight for dominance of a territory but other animals have also been known to put up a fight in certain situations. I have seen rhino chase off lions as well as buffalo, it all depends on the situation and if the animals have strong numbers, they can and often will challenge a lion.”

Q: Georgia asks, “Have you tried a Swinging Safari Amarula Cream Cocktail yet??”

A: Carmin responds, “We did indeed enjoy Amarula on several occasions and we even saw several Marula trees but sadly no fruit at this time of year.”