Deformed tusks
Consider how important an elephants’ tusks are to them. They allow them to tear bark off trees to eat, reach down and dig up small bulbs that may be just under the ground and break big branches off to get…
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Ranger News
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Elephants in musth
Elephant bulls can be very aggressive when they are in musth (i.e. ready to mate) and one must keep a safe distance from them. But how do you know that you are dealing with an elephant bull in musth? Firstly…Read More »
The Golden Orb Spider
The Golden Orb Spider looks fearsome but is usually quite docile – although if provoked it can respond aggressively. The bite of the spider is not lethal but can leave a small reddish area on the skin as well as…Read More »
The amazing Wild Dog
The African Wild Dog is one of the most amazing animals to see on game drive. When compared to the Big Five, for most people it does not seem very interesting due to the fact it looks very similar to…Read More »
Your Soap in the…
Devil’s Thorn (Dicerocaryum eriocarpum) is a common species in the lowveld area where we are. As the name suggests, this ground dwelling creeper is not very pleasant to step on but it does hold some other special properties, as our…Read More »
Getting ready for the…
Thornybush Nature Reserve has a strong healthy population of lions. Our frequent sightings allow us to gain a greater understanding into their habits and abilities. As we know lions are renowned for sleeping a lot but all this snoozing can…Read More »
New lion dynamics
The old alpha lioness of the northern pride who broke away from her pride when she did not return after having a litter of cubs has now joined up with her adult daughter. The alpha female has four cubs from…Read More »
The Reed cormorant
The Reed Cormorant is a fascinating bird very similar to the renowned African Darter – but the Cormorant has a few extra tricks up his sleeve! Obtaining food is the most important part of any animal’s life. The Cormorant, like…Read More »
The Short-tailed Eagle
The Short-tailed Eagle, which was formerly known as the Bateleur, is quite a spectacular sight to see. The word “Bateleur” is French and means “tight-rope walker”. The eagle got its name from its peculiar flight pattern – while in flight…Read More »
New leopard in town
Fairly recently a new male leopard moved into Thornybush and we were lucky enough to see him quite well. He is originally from the Sabi Sand area and has made his way right up here. At the moment he controls…Read More »
