There comes a time in every lodge visit where the warmth of the bed needs to be weighed up by the cool, fresh morning air while on a game drive vehicle. If I were a mathematician, I am certain that there would be an equation that was relevant to this situation. But I am not, so even if there is, I would be unaware of it,
There are enough blankets on the Tau vehicles to make certain that guests are kept warm and those who have not visited a game lodge before will be informed in advance as to what should be worn so that they are comfortable and are able to shed layers as the morning heats up. Obviously the reverse happens during the afternoon and evening outings.
Is it worth getting up to be able to catch the early morning silhouette of a Black-winged Kite against the sky? I do believe that it is.
The sky over Madikwe is a constant and ever-changing canvas that makes guests realize that not only are they in nature, but they are surrounded by it. Taking time to look up and the colours as the time changes is part of the immersive experience of being in a game reserve.
A Black-backed Jackal making morning rounds to see if there is anything left over from predator feasts during the hours of darkness.
Did you know? They are cooperative, cunning hunters. Jackals are opportunistic omnivores who will cooperatively hunt small antelope and eat reptiles, insects, ground-dwelling birds, fruits, berries, and grass.
Interesting fact #213:
Fossil deposits have revealed that they are is one of the oldest known dog species, which has remained pretty much unchanged since the Pleistocene epoch around 2.5 million years ago.
Time to reflect.
It is not always about the wild life. This tree, at Tlou Dam, has been a favourite subject of mine for decades.
This small raptor was known as a Black-shouldered Kite. It has been renamed as is currently referred to as the Black-winged Kite.
A stunning bird and one of the more easily identified Kite species, due mainly to the intense red eyes.
This is one of the Big 5 that you do NOT want to bump into under circumstances like this.
Well camouflaged by the thorns, this bull watched us intently as we sat and watched him.
Possibly the best word to describe these disgruntled bovines is ‘belligerent’ and the species as a whole is ready to prove that epithet at any given moment. They are more than just a cow on steroids’ and should be treated with the respect they deserve in their own environment.
Fun Fact: The oldest, most experienced cows, known as ‘pathfinders’ lead the herd, while the older, stronger males surrounding the herd as their protectors when travelling.
FYI: The Cape buffalo is a grazer and prefers tall grasses to short shrubs. They are nature’s lawnmowers and thin out the dense the grasses, exposing more foliage.
A squirrel taking a moment to groom as the ground warms up. These animals spend around 70% of they day feeding, 15-20% being vigilant and around 10% socializing.
A community spider nest.
Community nest spiders are the only truly social spiders in South Africa. They live in communities, co-operating in prey capture and brood care.
Social spiders are interesting because there are several advantages to living in a colony:
Egg and spiderling (The spiderling stage generally lasts around two to four weeks before they have molted into subadults) care, web maintenance, food and nest defense are all shared.
Capture of prey is a community effort and as a result it is possible that larger prey than that for a single spider can be caught.
I am SO bored with humans watching me. This young female was part of a pride of 4 animals that we found alongside the remains of a young giraffe carcass that was still fresh.
One of the females was lying close to the carcass while the other females and a young male that lay close by but not feeding.
Lions have always been considered as the symbol of power, bravery, courage, strength fearlessness and ferocity. Hence it being given the title of King of the Jungle.
Lions are 6 times more sensitive to light than humans and this gives them a distinct advantage over some prey species when hunting at night.
And before the Dad joke becomes an ear-worm…this IS a Zebra crossing.
Believe it or not, Zebra are actually black with white stripes. Or that is what the scientists tell us and if the pandemic taught us nothing it all, it taught us to trust the science…
Fun Fact #63: Even though the Quagga as a species are extinct, the last wild Quagga was shot in the Orange Free State in 1878 and the final captive animal died in a European Zoo in 1883 , the modern scientific name for the zebra is Equus quagga burchellii, Perhaps one day biologists will be able to recreate that old species from collected DNA?
One of my favourite birds, this Red-Crested Korhaan, is usually a scarce sighting. But not in Madikwe and certainly not while out on game drives from Tau Game Lodge. They virtually appeared around every corner.
Fun fact: These are known as ‘suicide birds’ and the behaviour of the males often seen tumbling through the sky, as if falling, while trying to impress the females, has given them their rather morbid nickname.
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