Kruger's Lions and Hippos and Elephants, oh my!

African elephants have no natural predators due to their size, but their calves are vulnerable to lion attacks. Along with the hippos, they are powerful and dangerous vegetarians.

: Wild African elephants have a lifespan of around 50 years, more than twice that of elephants in captivity. The herd is matriarchal, led by the oldest female.

: An unhappy mama elephant let us know we were too close by charging us while shaking her head. Elephants don’t go through menopause, and can give birth well into their cranky senior years.

: Having enjoyed a mud bath, this elephant relaxes by hanging his heavy trunk on a tusk.

: Nothing quite as enjoyable as a good scratch. This tree stump is like a toothpick.

: Mike holding an elephant femur, which was incredibly dense and heavy.

: Mike in our pool, looking out on an elephant crashing through the brush.

: Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the ELFIE!

: A black-backed jackal finishing off the last of an antelope.

: Survival of the fittest. This elderly lion, attacked by a younger male in a move to take over the pride, would die within hours.

: Lion cubs, abandoned for days while their mother hunted and their father was injured, look longingly toward the bush.

: The sad fact is that the new alpha male lion is likely to kill all these cubs, destroying the bloodline of the prior male.

: Hippos are extremely dangerous vegetarians, eating about 100 lbs. of river grass per day. Just don’t crowd their space.

: A hippo’s sweat is red and sticky. It’s kind of like they produce their own sunscreen. But sometimes it’s just too hot and you have to flip over.