Stick insect
Sometimes animals do need to move about and this gives us a much better chance of spotting them. In this case it was nothing large – quite the opposite – it was a very small stick insect wandering around the…
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Ranger News
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African Wild Cat
The African Wild Cat does not look very different from your average house cat. They are very nervous creatures, being solitary like leopard, although spotting an African Wild Cat is much rarer and as such very special – even though…Read More »
Impala rut – the…
The aftermath of rutting season… Hormone production in Impala rams is stimulated by the shortening days of autumn and causes energy reserves in the neck to build up. Impala ewes notice the enlarged neck which elicits oestrus amongst them. A…Read More »
Brown Ivory
This very attractive, well-groomed tree is called a Brown Ivory. They can reach up to 20 metres in height. The Brown Ivory is an iconic tree in the Thornybush Nature Reserve, with its umbrella-like shape caused by giraffe and elephant…Read More »
Blue Wildebeest
There is a unique story about the Blue Wildebeest told in many African cultures over many generations and it goes like this: After the gods created all the animals they realized that they had made too many spare parts of…Read More »
Mother-in-law’s tongue
Mother-in-law’s tongue is not a euphemism – this is the plant’s actual common name! These are fairly common plants round here and even though they look thick and full of liquid, their leaves are actually quite fibrous. They are traditionally…Read More »
Leopard Orchid
The Leopard Orchid is used as a love charm, an antidote for bad dreams and to ward off lightning at traditional homesteads. This orchid is an epiphytic, a plant that grows on top of another – in this case on…Read More »
Skukutsu males & Mphosa
The death of the male lion we called Trilogy left a power vacuum in the area round KwaMbili. With enough prey around, the lionesses of the northern pride stayed in their territory but with no male lion scent-marking this territory,…Read More »
A special sighting
We were extremely lucky this week at KwaMbili to see an animal we have not seen in a while – and not just one! We have spoken before about what happened to our resident cheetah when the predominance of the…Read More »
Spider-hunting wasps
The spider-hunting wasp is a fascinating little creature which you usually hear before you see. As they fly they create a clicking noise which is very noticeable. And when you do see one, it will appear black and blue, depending…Read More »
