This morning was a bit exciting!
Last night, we were told that some hay would be put out in a nearby field to entice rhinos to come out of the bush. Around 6:45 a.m., I went outside and wandered over to a corral to see the horses.
A few minutes later, I spotted a rhino far off in the distance, walking in my direction. It kept getting closer, eventually making its way through an open gate and into the paddock where the fresh hay had been laid out. Instead of stopping to eat, it slowly walked past the hay and continued toward an open hay barn. The next thing I knew, it had gone through another open gate—and suddenly, there was nothing between me and Mr. Rhino! He was only about 100 feet away. I put my phone away, turned around and quickly started walking back to the lodge, constantly glancing over my shoulder. The last I saw of the rhino, he was heading in the opposite direction down a dirt road. That definitely got my blood pumping! A few staff members are currently out trying to locate him.
We were told that this particular rhino is a bit of an escape artist and has a knack for finding open gates. The staff assured us that he isn’t aggressive—but it’s still best to stay well out of his way. After all, a rhino can “accidentally” ruin your day!
A colony of Southern Masked Weaver nests...
They also breed Boer goats on the Reserve. After the rhino excitement, we all gathered in the lounge for a delicious buffet breakfast. The plan for the day was to leave at 9:30 a.m. to attend Marnus’s horse auction, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away. The weather forecast called for a 60% chance of rain, and sure enough, as soon as we got on the highway, it began to pour.
The auction house
Here are a few of the horses as they were being loaded up for the auction yesterday. The auction was well attended, with around 150 people present. Before it began, we were given a tour of the stalls, and the 30 horses up for auction were truly impressive. Some were purebred Arabians, while others were Arabian–Thoroughbred crosses. The horses were brought out one-by-one and allowed to run around a grass arena while the bidding was occurring. The auction itself was a big success—only two horses went unsold. The entire event wrapped up in just 45 minutes. In true South African tradition, all attendees were then treated to a hearty lunch of grilled steak, salad, fresh bread, beer, and mixed drinks. I joked with Marnus that he had probably spent his auction profits on feeding everyone!
South Africans are remarkably generous and hospitable, and the luncheon was a perfect example of that. As a side note, after the auction someone made an acceptable offer on the two remaining horses, and a sale was quickly agreed upon.
The lunch turned into a lively social gathering that went on for over two hours. We had a fantastic time!
The three brothers
