We went to South Africa in February 2024.

My wife's father unfortunately passed away and we were planning on going to the Kruger with him next year. So we decided to go as a family to spread the ashes, which was what he would have wanted.

This was our 4th trip to the Kruger National Park.

We drove from Benoni, near Johannesburgh along the N4 to the Kruger, leaving at 4am.

After stopping in Nelspruit for some supplies we continued on to Melalane Gate, which is on the southern end of the park.

This was around mid-day now and the temperature was getting up into the 40's.

We were heading to Bergendal rest camp where we had booked a night at the lodge.

The drive was around 20km from the gate and as we drove along we saw lots of Impala and some Lions, Zebra, Wildebeest etc.

It was a great start!

When we got to the camp at Bergendal we booked in and the first port of call was definitely the swiming pool to get away from the heat which was at 41 degrees Celsius.

After a good cool down in the pool we went back to the lodge and started setting up the Braai (bbq, but dont let South Africans hear you call it that).

It was over 40 degrees but according to the weather forecast the temperature was due to drop to 28 that night. I just knew that this would cause enough of a change to de-stabilise the atmosphere and there would be a terrific thunderstorm. Even though it was not forecast, I knew it was coming!

So I prepared my camera because I love to get photos of lightning and after all I don't get any opportunity to do this in the UK where I live.

I had just started cooking on the Braai when I could hear faint rumbling of thunder in the distance, so I decided to turn over my Braai master tools to my brother in-law to carry on.
​

I grabbed my camera and tripod and took a short walk down to the perimeter fence which was right near us. This was the electric fence that runs around each of the rest camps in the Kruger park. Its purpose is to make sure the guests are not on the menu for the Lions, Leopards, Hyenas and other predators that are out there.

I was setting up my camera right next to the fence and aiming it skyward in preparation to get some lightning shots when a lone Hyena on the other side of the fence appeared. He walked along the fence and then came right up to me. He put his nose up to the fence and started sniffing, He was less than three feet away (one meter).

​I had to get a photo of this Hyena so I quickly grabbed my camera and changed the settings to TV mode (time value) and set the ISO to auto. Then I took some photos of him.

After a few minutes of looking at each other he walked off into the darkening bush.

Then I changed the camera settings again for the lightning. I was there for another 40 minutes or so as the lightning was getting closer.

I was crouched down and re-positioning my camera when I saw something in the corner of my eye.

I quickly turned around and there was another Hyena sitting looking at me. It was fully dark now so I don't know if it was the same Hyena.

As I looked at him, into his eyes - there was a flash of lightning from behind me and I could see clearly the reflection of a streak of lightning in the Hyena's eyes.

This was a sight I never would forget. It was so spooky yet so awe-inspiring.

Here was a native creature who was a survivor in this wilderness. He has the knowledge and the survival instincts to live out there in that hostile place. And I was the visitor, the guest.

As we looked into each other's eyes, it felt like he was trying to imagine the world I came from and I was trying to get a feel of what it was like to be a Hyena out in that wild place we call deepest Africa.

He got up and slowly wandered off. Then I had another visitor around 20 minutes later. The last one was definitely a larger animal.

I took some fantastic lightning shots and videos that night.

I can't help thinking about that amazing encounter with the Hyena though. At one point I reached out and touched his nose. He didn't flinch, he just kept looking at me like he was looking into my soul!!

The Kruger National Park really is a special place. Its very spiritual I feel, well especially after that encounter.

I would definitely recommend going to the Kruger, you are in for a treat!!

​​​​Danny