No dinner reservations necessary for Valentine's Day @ the HESC

We had a heck of a time getting a restaurant reservation for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. Mosaic? Their reservations website said "do not even think of asking about Valentine's Day!" 500 at the Saxon? Booked up for months.

We finally did get a reservation for the night before Valentine's Day at Roots, the third restaurant on my list. It all worked out though because only a few days later, we were invited to a Valentine's Day party on the 14th. (Haven't been to a VDay party in years! Can't wait.)

We saw a restaurant at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre that was most definitely not on my list ... their ‘vulture restaurant’!

This is a brilliant idea. First of all, it gives the HESC a place to throw the leftovers from the cheetah and wild dog feedings. And secondly, the different species of vultures are classified as vulnerable to endangered in Africa.  They need all the help they can get.

On the tail end of the large predator food chain, they are dependent on other vulnerable and endangered animals for the food they eat. And they face a range of threats themselves such as poisoning, persecution, electrocution and collision with powerlines, drowning in farm reservoirs in drier parts of the country, shortage of safe food supplies and loss of suitable habitat.

Watching the feeding sessions of rare African vultures swooping down into the vulture restaurant is an awesome experience. We saw white-backed vultures, hooded vultures, occasionally the lappet-faced vulture and Cape Griffon, Marabou Stork and bateleur eagles.

Now that's some Valentine's Day party!

It is a little disconcerting to see all the vultures circling above your head though ...

I imagine the other animals at the HESC are all set for their romantic dinners on Valentine's Day too.

Meat is most definitely on the menu for the African Wild Dogs ...

Unfortunately it is still a liquid diet for Gertjie and Matimba at the Rhino Orphanage. (Not that liquid diet.)

Matimba and Gertjie

So much better when you share the love with other species ...

an ostrich joins Gertjie for a Valentine's Day toast