Day 86 - March 30, 2025 - Sunday - Durban, South Africa

Durban is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town.  The city population is about 600,000 people, but the metro area is almost 4.5 million.

Early morning in the Durban Harbor

The Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal was beautiful, but empty.  There were no venders, no stores and no ATM's, just a nice large building.

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Our excursion today was to the Tala Game Reserve, a private Reserve located about 1.5 hours north-west of the city.

Our transportation thru the Tala Game Reserve

Plains Zebra or Burchell's Zebra

South African Ostrich

The Cape Giraffe or South African Giraffe

Blue Wildebeest

Blesbok or blesbuck antelope, the one with the white face.

Impala

White Rhino - the name does not refer to the color but from the Afrikaan's word "weit" which means wide and refers to the animal's mouth which is adapted to grazing on grass.

All of the rhinos here have been de-horned to reduce poaching. On the black market the horn can bring as much as $11,000.00 per OUNCE.  Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same material as human hair and fingernails, and are a major driver of rhino poaching, with the horns being used in traditional medicine and as status symbols, particularly in China and Vietnam. 

Janet and Carl watching the Rhinos.

Now for the Birds of the Day

Blue Crane - South Africa's National Bird

Reed Cormorant or Long Tailed Cormorant - note the feather he had just groomed out which is floating by.

Egyptian Goose

Jackal Vulture - sorry, not a great photo...

Cattle Egret

The countryside once you left the city was beautiful during our 1.5-hour ride, unfortunately the same could not be said for the city.  We were warned numerous times NOT to go into the city - it was not safe.  After riding thru the city, I could appreciate the warning.

I was surprised at how much trash was in the streets.  This was quite a contrast to Mombasa, Mozambique where the streets were almost spotless.

The unemployment rate is South Africa is over 30% which is evident in the number of people loitering in the streets.

The Old Post Office - a grand old building

We arrive in East London, South Africa tomorrow around noon.  We have a walking excursion planned in the Nahoon Point River Reserve.  It is supposed to be one of the most scenic coastal Reserves in the country.