Fossils at Karoo National Park

A good reason for the trip, said Dad, was the added advantage of being on the doorstep of the Karoo National Park, where there is a fossil display of the creatures that roamed the land a little before the current creatures. It was a toss-up, he said, whether he was the fossil or whether we would be looking for fossils! A bit of both, I think. So at the end of the birding trip, I went to the Karoo National Park, sans Dad except in spirit, and spent a most enjoyable time on the short fossil walk near the cottages.

Look at those gnashers!

If I fell over this, I don't think I would know it was a fossil

Karoo National Park cottages. Stayed there a long time ago. A male ostrich came into the cottage and ran around. A very big bird! Can disembowel you with a kick.

Beautiful Karoo rocks in late afternoon sunshine

 We would have stayed a few nights and gone exploring for birds and buck, but there was now no need, and so friend Anke (she who shared her binoculars) and I took a quick drive in the Park to see what could be seen. It was late afternoon and the Park closes at night, so time was of the essence, and we were very fortunate to see a nice variety of the large buck, close to the road (so no binoculars required).

The dam that supplies Beaufort West lies in them thar hills

Kudu

Gemsbok

Kudu

 And so we came to the end of our Karoo Birding Safari. Good friends made, lots of laughter, notes made on what to take next time, and definitely going to go again!