Bezhoek Tented Camp wildlife. Feathers, fur, hooves and horns.

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With its own private game reserve, Bezhoek Tented Camp offers guests the opportunity to view a variety of wildlife, including jackal, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and even the occasional leopard. With 302 bird species on the property, it is a twitchers paradise and a special place to stay. From the official website

 

 

 

Don’t fence me in…There are a plethora of Jackals on the farm. This was just one family that we found that consisted of a female and three pups.

When they saw the vehicle approach, we thought that they had darted off to the right, but it turned out that they had done a circle, without us being aware and appeared on our right at a safe distance down the road. They vanished into the grass before we could get close.

 

 

 

I am reliably informed by someone who knows better than me that this might be a juvenile Longclaw…and who am I to argue.

If you are a twitcher or a birder of any level, then you will be excited to know that there are 302 documented species on the farm surrounding the camp.

 

 

 

Two male Mocking Cliff Chats having a ‘discussion’ over territory.

This particular species was a first for me and watching and listening to them was special.

 

 

 

Sometimes you do not have to look far.

This Skink was on a rock just outside the tent.

 

 

 

The farm is also home to a multitude of butterflies.

When we visited, the agapanthus were in bloom and seemed to be the flower of choice for many species.

 

 

 

A male impala (ram) with his hareem of females.

Given that the lambing season is still ongoing, there were many youngsters within the herd, and seeing that there are no predators on the farm, their chance of survival to adulthood is good.

That being said, the staff has noticed leopard/s on the camera traps, but they seem to wander through and do not live permanently on the property.

 

 

 

The same two Mocking Cliff Chats, STILL having a discussion.

We left before it was properly resolved, so I will never know who ‘won’.

 

 

 

A trio of Black Wildebeest as opposed to the more common Brindled/ Blue variety.

These 3 kept a constant eye on our vehicle as we drove past. Changing their position to keep us under surveillance until they felt that we were no longer a threat to them.

 

 

 

“Whose children are these”? These Zebra seem rather confused that these young Black Wildebeest look nothing like them.

 

 

 

They are gregarious animals and occur in three distinct groups, the female herds consisting of adult females and their young, the bachelor herds consisting only of yearlings and older males, and territorial bulls. Mature bulls set up their own territories through which female herds often pass. These territories are maintained throughout the year. Each bull has a patch of ground in the center of his territory in which he regularly drops dung, and performs displays. These include urinating, scraping, pawing, rolling on the ground, and thumping it with his horns, demonstrating his prowess to other bulls. An encounter between two bulls involves elaborate rituals. During this ritual or afterwards, the two can toss their horns at each other, circle one another, or even look away. Then begins the fight. Threat displays such as shaking the head may also take place.

 

 

 

If you want to find out the difference between individual Zebra in a herd, then you only have to focus on the top of the front leg where it joins the body.

That triangle of stripes differs from animal to animal and is the easiest and most reliable method of keeping track of members of a herd.

 

 

 

European Bee-eaters sitting out in the open as the light fades.

 

 

 

I thought that I had never seen a Diederik Cuckoo before. But Facebook corrected me when I looked at my memories for the day and found that we had, in fact, had a pair in our garden at home some years ago.

 

 

 

A dazzle of Zebra in the afternoon sun…

“Pardon me, but do these stripes make our butts look big”?

 

 

 

More impala ewes, this time with their young and not being watched by the ram.

 

 

 

To find out more about what the camp offers, click on the logo above.

 

 

 

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