African Safaris Ltd's Blog

Most first time safaris are focused on the Big 5 but on any decent safari your expert ranger will delight and enthuse with tall tales and fascinating facts about all creatures great and small. There’s nothing quite like an African safari holiday to spark a life long interest in wildlife. So for the more discerning wildlife enthusiasts among you, we’ve compiled a list of some of the more intriguing African animals…

Dugong

Dugongs, we think you’ll agree, are rather splendid marine animals. They’re sometimes called “sea cows” because they graze on large amounts of sea grass. They can grow to about 3 metres in length and weigh as much as 500kg.  The Bazaruto Archipelago is one of the largest nature reserves in Mozambique and it is believed that this is the only place along the East African coast that still hosts a significant population of Dugongs. They are an endangered and protected species in Mozambique. Dugongs are a different species to Manatees, but are part of the same order (Sirenia).

Pangolin

A pangolin is a prehistoric-looking mammal with large keratin scales covering its skin, creating an impenetrable armor that protects it from predators. It uses its well-developed sense of smell to find insects. The pangolin is a nocturnal animal, which makes spotting it on a game drive during daylight, extremely difficult, as it spends most of the day curled up into a ball, sleeping. Tswalu Kalahari is considered probably the best place on earth to view pangolin. This unusual animal is rarely seen elsewhere but the open grasslands on Tswalu make it easier to find, particularly during winter when they emerge in daylight to search for ants and termites.

(Image from Tswalu Kalahari)

White Lion

White lions are not albino, instead the white color is caused by a recessive gene known as chinchilla or color inhibitor. At the moment there is a small population of white lion in the Timbavati Game Reserve. The white lion gene from the Timbavati is thought to be the source of almost all white lions in the world! For the most part they can only be found in zoos, a few in the Timbavati and at Sanbona Private Game Reserve on the Garden Route there is a free roaming pride of white lions.

Aardvark

The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a rare sight because it is completely nocturnal. The name is Afrikaans, and means “earth pig”. Aardvarks are omnivores that are about 1,6 metres long with a life span of about 11 years. Aardvarks are found throughout Africa except for equatorial forest and northern desert regions. They are highly adaptable and can be found anywhere with plenty of ants or termites – its principle diet.

Watch this video of an aardvark digging by Tswalu Head Ranger – Marco Tonoli:

Red Lechwe

The Red Lechwe is an antelope found in abundance in the Okavango Delta in Botswana and notable for its adaptations to swampy conditions. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion to other antelopes, to ease long-distance running in marshy soil. They use the knee-deep water of the Okavango Delta as protection from predators and their legs are covered in a water repelling substance allowing them to run quickly through the water. The splayed, elongated hooves act like fins in water and as stabiliser on soft, muddy ground.

Black Serval

Melanistic (black) servals are relatively common in the Aberdare mountains of Kenya. Most Aberdare servals are black and this may be an adaptation to help retain body heat in the cold mountainous area. Melanism is also associated with isolation and inbreeding. The base color of the pelt is darkened to a grey-brown so deep that the black spots are barely visible. Black servals have been reported on the moorlands of the Aberdare Mountains at 9800 ft (3000 metres) and they have also been reported from Mount Kenya, the Mau Forest, the Cheringani Hills and Kilimanjaro.

Indri

The Indri (Indri indri) is the largest living lemur and inhabits the montane forests of eastern Madagascar. It resembles a giant panda with its black and white fur, but its long neck and arms, and small ears make it look more human. The Indri lives on canopy fruits and leaves. It is characterised by its strange yet beautiful song, which can carry for more than 2 kms. It barks when confronted with danger and makes kissing sounds when affectionate. It doesn’t move along the ground, but instead leaps between tree trunks – often over 10 metres. The Indri population is dwindling due to habitat loss and hunting.

Aye-Aye

This thing is freaky looking! A cross between Golum and Dobby, the Aye-Aye is actually a lemur native to Madagascar and is the world’s largest nocturnal primate. It is characterised by its unusual method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its narrow middle finger to pull the grubs out. The Aye-Aye is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

The Ostrich

The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird. Commonly found on South Africa’s Garden Route, Ostriches can run at speeds of up to about 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph), the top land speed of any bird. Their eggs are so strong that the average human can stand on it without it breaking – since it needs to be tough enough for an ostrich to sit on. One ostrich egg is the equivalent of about 24 chicken eggs. That’s one big breakfast! Or a big breakfast for one.

Gerenuk (Waller’s Gazelle)

Gerenuk means “giraffe-necked” in the Somali language. Gerenuks are a type of gazelle, with a small head in proportion to its body, and a long thin neck that makes it look like the result of someone stretching an impala. Gerenuk prefer lightly bushed areas and are found in East Africa – (mainly in Kenya, north-east Tanzania, southern Somalia and southern Ethiopia). They are very well adapted to arid conditions and don’t drink free water. Gerenuks are exclusive browsers, feeding on leaves, shoots, and sometimes flowers and fruits, which they often acquire by standing on their hind legs to pick from a tree or a bush.

Gaboon Adder

The Gaboon Adder (Bitis gabonica) is a venomous viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the world’s heaviest viper, has the longest fangs (up to 2 inches), and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. Not a guy to be messed with! He’s a master of disguise with the colouring and patterns enabling him to blend in with rocks, leaves and other African terrains. He’s also got tiny horns between the nostrils and two stripes below the eye. Alias’s include butterfly adder, forest puff adder, and swampjack.

Bushbaby

They’re as cute as a button until you realise they pee on their hands and then jump around marking their territory on things. They are also known as galagos or nagapies (meaning “little night monkeys” in Afrikaans, since they are almost exclusively seen at night.). They are small, nocturnal primates native to Africa. Some say that the name bush baby comes from either the animal’s cries or appearance. Cute factor 10.

A new website about Africa’s World Heritage sites has just been launched.

This website contains information about some of the most spectacular natural places on Earth, as well as our most precious cultural heritage. From the pyramids of Egypt to the snows of Kilimanjaro, this website takes you to the heart of the continent, with the help of an unrivaled collection of some 4,000 stunning photographs, together with maps and information on each of Africa’s world heritage sites.
Our very own, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is included in the prime pages.

Publications and brochures related to the sites may also be downloaded on the website.

You can visit the site: http://www.africanworldheritagesites.org… for more information.

With such awareness as provided through the website, conservation of these properties is certainly enhanced.

This week started off beautifully with some fantastic sightings of the Sparta Pride and their new cubs, a pack of Wild Dogs crossing the Sand River and an unknown Female Leopard in the North. The Majingilane Males were seen interacting with the Sparta Pride cubs which bodes well for the future considering the dynamic which played out last year with the young Tsalala Cub. By Monday, however, it had started raining. Two solid days of rain saw the Sand River rising to flood levels previously unseen in decades gone by. Fortunately Londolozi was not too badly hit by the floods and the sun appears to have come out, drying both the lodge and the wildlife. Enjoy this week in pictures…

The two Sparta Pride cubs play with a twig whilst their mother rests in the background. Growing at a rapid rate, these cubs are gaining more and more of an adventurous and curios streak which sees them investigating every aspect of their surrounding environment.

It is not often that we get the opportunity to view the Ximungwe Pride. Their territory falls lies quite far west of our break and are thus infrequently seen by our guiding & tracking team. When we sighted them on this particular morning, it was the perfect opportunity to capture and image of one of the pride’s lioness and her cub.

With their penchant for covering large distances on a daily basis, only large obstacles such as the Sand River will slow down the pack of Wild Dogs. The characteristically big ears intently listening for strange sounds and clues, it was only a matter of minutes before the pack decided to go straight through the river and continue their journey north.

It is interesting to see the tipping points in a pack of Wild Dogs. Once the first member had taken the plunge into the water, closely followed by the second, the remaining member of the pack all ran headlong into the water not wanting to be left behind.

Safely on the other side, this member stopped for a brief moment, ears pricked forward, allowing me to capture this portrait.

Male Weavers spend hours building their nest in order to impress the potential female mates. More often than not, the female will fly along and strip the nest bare if she is not happy with the quality of the build. Clearly this male was too focused on getting it right the first time to notice our presence close by.

There is an unrelaxed female leopard who spends much of her time on the Marula Crests in Marthly. We were fortunate enough to have a brief sighting of her delicately perched in a Marula tree. Eyeing us out and clearly, still uneasy, about being viewed she soon descended down the trunk of the tree and melted off into the brush.

A Steenbok looks and listens in the tall grass. Hiding & camouflage are their primary means of defense again predators and given their large hindquarters, they will crouch down in the bushes, barely moving a muscle before exploding away at speed should a predator come near to them. This tactic of explosive speed serves them well against many predators who cannot match their speed over short distances.

One of the Sparta Pride cubs walks towards us. The beautiful dappled spots on his legs should lose their intensity over the next few months and fade into tawny markings. It is always such a pleasure to watch these cubs grow and progress in a seemingly stable pride environment.

The darkness of the night is when the Majingilane Males are most active. The dusk has just turned into darkness when we flipped on the spotlight and captured this image of one of the males staring intently into the night.

The next morning we realized why as the Sparta Pride and cubs had joined up with one of the Majingilane Males. The cubs were playful and inquisitive, spending much of their time jumping on the big male.

True to form, he tolerated their presence for a while and then snarled his disapproval at this cub who scampered away.

One of the lionesses was obviously not impressed with the males behavior and promptly walked over to swat him. Much to his consternation she succeeded causing him to leap back in fright. If you look to the left of the photograph, you will see the young cub watching the dynamic unfold with obvious fascination and fright.

Perhaps she was scowling at the cub for upsetting the male or for something else, either which way this young lion certainly learnt a new lesson about pushing the tolerance boundaries of the pride members. As Freddie mentioned to me, however, it is very encouraging to see how the Sparta Lionesses have accepted this Majingilane Male into their pride allowing time and exposure for both the male and the cubs to occur.

An enormous hippo yawns exposing his large teeth.

Although these are not my images, I felt I could not leave out a few pictures of the floods that came down the Sand River over the last few days. This picture is of Granite Room 3 Plunge Pool. Typically the river flows behind the tree line in the background of the picture.

A view from Tree Camp Deck. For a lodge built around Leopards, Leadwoods and Orchids this raised deck had a much closer river view than usual. You will see the northern banks of Marthly far in the background of the picture.

And lastly, a view from Varty Camp Deck.

We recently conducted a poll of our social media followers to discover their favorite movies about Africa. We were delighted with the results—and even added a few titles to our own must-watch list! Here are a few to consider when you’re ready to get in the mood for your next trip to Africa.

The Lion King

A retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this animated Disney film won rave reviews after its 1994 release. With a sing-along score and a number of big-name actors (Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, and others), this movie really does have something for the whole family. If you’ve already seen the movie more times than you can count, try catching the Broadway version, which has appeared in cities around the world.

Out of Africa

A story as much about the differences between Europe and Africa as those between men and women, Out of Africa offers striking scenery (both landscapes and actors) alongside a sweeping tale of love and loss. Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, this movie won the Best Picture Academy Award in 1985.

Ghost and the Darkness

This 1996 movie (set in 1898) recounts a dramatized version of lion attacks that occurred during the construction of the African Uganda-Mombasa Railway. The attacks are considered unusual because a pair of lions (dubbed the titular Ghost and the Darkness) attack together, rather than individually. Drama ensues when men’s lives, reputations, and livelihoods are at stake.

Nowhere in Africa

A German film made in 2001, Nowhere in Africa depicts the story of a German Jewish family that flees Europe for Kenya in 1938 to escape encroaching Nazi forces. While the family avoids the immediate danger, more trouble awaits, including difficulty adjusting to life in Africa, the challenges of working a farm, and marital discord for the main characers. A deeply emotional and beautifully wrought story, Nowhere in Africa won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.

Catch a Fire

Shot in South Africa, Mozambique, and Swaziland, Catch a Fire captures the political strife of the Apartheid regime by following one man wrongly accused of a political crime. After the man and his family are tortured under false charges, he vows revenge and joins forces with guerilla anti-Apartheid fighters. Chilling and emotionally charged, this movie displays the ultimately redemptive power of forgiveness.

The Gods Must be Crazy

This 1980 comedy makes light of the clashes between African tribal culture and Western culture, which often exist side by side without encountering each other. Three overlapping plots make for zany antics that nevertheless highlight some sobering realities about the African continent.

I Dreamed of Africa

Based on an autobiographical novel of the same name, I Dreamed of Africa tells the tale of an upper-class Italian woman named Kuki, played by Kim Basinger. After divorcing and remarrying, Kuki moves to Kenya with her new husband, but finds herself unprepared for the challenges her new home presents.

Shooting Dogs (Beyond the Gates in the U.S.)

Shot in Rwanda, with many Rwandan crewmembers and actors, this movie follows two Europeans (a Catholic priest and a journalist) living in Rwanda at the time of the Rwandan Genocide. This story is harrowing and based on true events.

Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section!