Coastal Towns
Inland Towns
Game Parks of the Area
Animals of the area
Birds of the area
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There is nothing quite like the African bush and you can experience
it in so many ways. Take a drive through one of the many game parks
while staying at Olifantskop Lodge. The Eastern Province is rapidly
becoming a favourite safari destination, not least because of its
malaria-free status. The Addo Elephant National Park is constantly
being enlarged and will extend over a huge range of biomes, from
marine to mountain. Alicedale is fast being developed into a tourist
center for guests to the famous Shamwari Game Park.
This web site will hopefully be of interest to guests of Olifantskop
Lodge when trying to remember the animals they saw on their game drives.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
In Africa, the water buffalo is represented by the African or Cape buffalo.
This bulky animal is one of the most dangerous mammals to be found anywhere.
Weighing about 700 kg on average, with much larger individuals reported,
the horn span of some mature bulls is more than a metre in width. It is
said that the Cape buffalo has killed more big game hunters than any other
African animal.
Cape buffalo prefer areas of open pasture, close to thick bush and swampy
ground where they can wallow. Other than man, they have few natural predators
and are capable of defending themselves against (and sometimes killing) lions,
which will attack only old, sick, or immature buffaloes. The leopard is a
threat only to newborn calves.
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana(Threatened)
The African elephant is the largest living land animal and weighs up to
5,400 kg. It inhabits the Savannah, brush, forest, river valleys, and
semi-desert regions of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Besides its
greater size, it differs from the Asian elephant in having larger ears
and tusks, a sloping forehead, and two "fingers" at the tip of its
trunk, compared to only one in the Asian species.
As vegetarians, elephants require much food, sometimes consuming more
than 225 kg of plant matter a day. Their trunk is employed to pull
branches off trees, uproot grass, pluck fruit, and to place food in
their mouths. The trunk is also used for smell, touch and in drinking,
greeting or throwing dust for dust baths. In both sexes, the two
incisor teeth of the upper jaw grow to form tusks. It is for this
ivory, used at one time in the manufacture of piano keys, billiard
balls, and other objects, that hunters have slaughtered thousands
of these magnificent animals.
Hippo
Hippopotamus amphibus
Once numerous in all African rivers and streams with deep water, the
hippo is now largely restricted to natural parks and wildlife refuges.
This huge animal averages between 1,100-1,400 kg and can weigh as much
as 3,200 kg. Its body is so sparsely covered by hair that it appears
naked. On its skin are pores, which exude droplets of moisture
containing red pigment. As light is reflected through these droplets
they appear red, giving rise to the statement that hippos "sweat
blood."
The hippopotamus is perfectly at home in the water, mating and giving
birth there. Due to its specific gravity, it can submerge itself
completely and walk on the bottom of the river. It comes up on land to
feed on grasses and crops, mainly at night, and is most dangerous when
it feels cut off from its watery environment.
Warthog
Phacochoerus aethiopicus
Related to the domestic pig, the warthog is distinguished by its
enormous head and the two pairs of warts the male wears on its cheeks.
Standing about 65 to 80 cm at the shoulder, the animal weighs about
90 kg. It is a rapid runner, a good swimmer, and because its body is
almost hairless, it often wallows in the mud as protection from the
sun. Warthogs stay together in families, usually consisting of the
mother and father and six or more piglets. They tend to remain with
the same mate for a long time.
Courageous and dangerous adversaries, the huge, curved upper canines
and stiletto-like lowers are capable of inflicting serious injury
even to lions, and most predators prefer to avoid encounters with
adult warthogs.
Lion
Panthera leo
Lions are the only cats that live in large family groups. Each pride
differs in size and formation, but a typical pride consists of two
males and seven females and a variable number of cubs. Females are
usually sisters and/or cousins that have grown up together. When the
pride hunts as a group they employ an ambush that forces large prey
into the waiting paws of the males.
Females have the speed but lack the body weight to knock down large
"family size" prey such as the wildebeest. Despite their tremendous
power and adaptive efficiency, lions are more likely to fail than
succeed in their attempts to kill.
Rock Dassie
Procavia capensis
The Rock Dassie or Hyrax is found from sea level to the Drakensberg
Mountains of South Africa. The Dassie has to have rocks to shelter
and live in. Their diet is mainly vegetation such as grass, shrubs
and succulent leaves. The Rock Dassie feeds in the morning and
afternoon. If the Dassie gets enough succulent feed it does not
need water.
It spends very little time moving around. This is to conserve energy.
It also allows its body temperature to drop by up to three degrees
centigrade to save metabolic energy. It then spends lots of time
basking in the sun to warm up again. The dassie's main predators
are Black eagles, Caracal and Leopard.
Black-backed Jackal
Canis mesomelas
The Jackal is a very resourceful animal. It is mainly nocturnal but
may be seen during the day. Usually seen in pairs in the late
afternoon. Cunning, the black-backed Jackal has been observed
hunting in small packs. It is very vocal and communicates with
other Jackal with an elaborate vocabulary.
Feeds on a large variety of insects, rodents, birds, snakes, hares,
young antelope such as Impala, baby Kudu, Steenbok, and Duiker.
Also a scavenger, it feeds on the carcasses of larger animals killed
by predators. Leopards are a Jackal's main predator. Mothers give
birth to litters of up to 6 pups. They are hidden in burrows and
old Aardvark holes.
Leopard
Panthera pardus(Endangered)
Found throughout most of Africa and Asia, the leopard inhabits a
variety of regions, such as tropical forests, brush and scrublands
or rocky hillsides of the local Olifantskop Mountain. Powerful and
agile, the leopard is a deadly and efficient hunter. It stalks its
prey, creeps to within a few metres, then leaps or dashes at the
victim, which is dispatched by a bite in the neck or smothered by
a throat bite. The carcass is frequently brought up into a tree to
protect it from scavengers. Their most common prey are hoofed animals,
but they will eat dogs and monkeys as well.
Rhino
Ceratotherium simum(Endangered)
Next to the elephant, the white rhino is the largest land mammal and
can weigh up to 3.6 metric tons. Its two horns are positioned one
behind the other and its thick hide is relatively smooth and light
in colour. It is not, however, white. The young are quite hairy,
but adults are hairless except for their ear rims, tail tip, and
eyelashes. As with other rhinos, the white rhino has poor vision
but a keen sense of smell.
The white rhino is more placid and sociable than other species,
often forming into small groups. So large and powerful are these
animals they must give way only to the elephant; nevertheless,
their young sometimes fall victim to lions. The major threat to
their existence, however, has been from man who, over the years,
has slaughtered them by the thousands, sometimes to make way for
civilization, and in other cases, in the mistaken belief that their
horns possessed the power of an aphrodisiac. In Asia the rhinoceros
is close to extinction.
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus(Endangered)
Although similar in appearance to hyenas, African wild dogs are
nevertheless true wild canines. They are a mixture of black, yellow,
and white in such a wide variety of patterns that no two individuals
look exactly alike. African wild dogs are widely distributed across
the African plains but they do not live in jungle areas.
African Wild Dogs are social animals, living in packs of usually from
2 to 45 individuals. A hierarchy exists within the pack, but the animals
are so friendly to one another that the pecking order is hard to
determine. The young and the infirm are given special privileges
within the pack.
African wild dogs use their sense of sight, not smell, to find their
prey. They pay no attention to wind direction and they do not use
cover when approaching their prey. They can run up to 55 km/h for
several kilometres. In eastern Africa, they mostly hunt Thomson's
gazelles, but they will also attack calves, warthogs, zebras, impalas,
and the young of large antelopes such as the gnu.
Growing human populations have decreased or degraded the African
wild dog's habitat and also diminished their available prey. Road
kill and human persecution have also had a negative impact on
African wild dog populations. This species is also susceptible
to a variety of diseases such as distemper, which is controlled
in domestic dogs. Conservation of the African wild dog's natural
habitat must have the highest priority, as these dogs suffer in
habitats modified by human intrusion.
Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Long regarded as a scavenger, the spotted hyena is quite capable of
bringing down prey as large as a zebra. Weighing 37 kg, this strong,
stocky beast is found all over the African savannah south of the
Sahara Desert. Its jaws are probably the most powerful, in proportion
to its size, of any living mammal. Far from being the craven cowards
they have often been depicted as, they are capable, at times, of
driving lions from their kill.
The spotted hyena spends its day in holes in the ground, or in rocky
dens. They hunt in packs, mostly at night. They chase their prey until
it is exhausted. Then the pack sets upon its victim and disembowels it.
These noisy animals have several types of cries and bloodcurdling
howls. They make a maniacal laughing sound when they are attacked.
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus(Endangered)
Easily tamed, and capable of running 96 to 120 km/h, cheetahs are the
world's fastest land animal. The ancient Sumerians, the Egyptian
pharaohs and even William the Conqueror trained cheetahs to help
them on hunting expeditions.
Once plentiful across most of Africa, Asia Minor, and India, the
cheetah has been hunted to extinction in India, and the only
significant populations left are in the game reserves of eastern
and southwestern Africa.
In the wild, their most important prey are medium-sized hoofed
animal such as gazelles, impala, and waterbuck. Having eaten their
fill, cheetahs rarely return to the kill and will eat carrion only
under dire circumstances. Cheetahs weigh about 45 kg.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
The Bushbuck is similar to the Nyala. The male bushbuck does not
have stripes and has shorter hair than the Nyala bull. The female
is also similar to the Nyala female but without stripes. Habitat
is dense ravine bush near water. Bushbuck are active in the late
afternoon and early morning. They rest during the heat of the day.
Bushbuck are predominantly browsers but will eat roots and young
shoots. Bushbuck are known to associate with Baboons and monkeys
as they feed on fruits that are dropped from trees.
Vervet Monkey
Cercopithecus aethiops
Vervet monkeys like dense bush for sleeping roosts but will forage
in open savanna away from sleeping areas. The Vervet monkey is the
only Cercopithecid in Africa with an entirely black face. Dominant
males have a blue scrotum and red penis. They live in family groups
of as large as twenty. They forage all day for fruits, nuts,
insects, scorpions, seeds and edible shoots. Vervets will also eat
bird's eggs and young nestlings that they find while climbing
through the trees.
Young are born at anytime of the year. They are very appealing but
must, like all animals, be treated with great respect as they have
a vicious bite. Vervet monkeys are preyed on by Leopard, Caracal
and large raptors such as Martial eagles.
Baboon
Papio ursinus
Baboons are the largest members of the monkey family, possessing
heads with long, naked, dog-like muzzles. Some species have patches
of bright red, blue or purple skin on their face, chest, or rump.
Depending on the species, baboons weigh approximately 14 to 40 kg
with females being about half the size of males.
Baboons live in well-organized troops, and the individual is only
secure within his own troop. Large, dominant males rule the group
and are responsible for keeping order between quarrelsome members
and for protecting the group from predators. Their principal enemy
is the leopard, but even leopards will avoid an encounter with the
larger, adult males who are courageous and vicious adversaries.
Baboons walk on all four limbs, with their tails (which in some
species is a mere stump) held in a characteristic arch.
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
This medium sized, very graceful, antelope is found from the Congo
Republic, in the north, to the Orange river in South Africa and is
found further into the republic. The female has the same colouring
as the male but has no horns. Impala are both browsers and grazers.
Impala feed on short grasses, leaves and fruits. Impala are capable
of leaping 10 feet into the air and jumping 30 feet in length. One
male will have a harem of 10-100 ewes.
Males fight fiercely during the rutting season, uttering loud grunts
during the fights to defend their harem from other males. Bachelor
herds keep near the breeding herds and continuously harass the herd
ram, trying to take over the herd. Leopard, Caracal and Jackal are
Impala's principal predators.
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
The world's tallest animal, a giraffe can easily look into a
second-storey window. Its height, which can be up to 4 m, allows
it to browse on high foliage, as well as to employ its highly
developed sense of sight to see farther than any terrestrial creature.
This "bird's-eye view" is also the animal's principal defence against
predators, allowing it to spot danger. Their buff-coloured hide,
with spots of darker brown, provides excellent camouflage, which is
another aid to their survival.
The movement and position of the animal's neck are used to express
emotion. When it is angry, a giraffe will lower its neck until it is
almost horizontal. In submission, it stretches its neck and raises
its nose in the air.
Eland
Taurotragus
Elands are the largest antelopes of Africa, standing nearly 2 m high
at the shoulder, and a fully-grown male may weigh over 700 kg. Both
sexes have heavy, spirally twisted horns of up to 1 m in length.
Elands form large herds, often in association with zebras or giraffes,
possibly in the hope of warding off lions.
Hunted extensively for their hide and flesh, and at times trained to
work in harness, eland populations have greatly diminished.
Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
One of the most striking and beautiful of the antelopes, the greater
kudu lives in central and southern Africa, in rocky hill country or
on brush-covered plains. Farmers in areas inhabited by the kudu must
take into account, when building their fences, the animal's ability
to easily leap obstacles 2.5 m in height.
The male's magnificent spiral horns can reach up to 168 cm in length
and are highly prized trophies. Kudus frequently use their horns in
"wrestling" matches, locking them together and then trying to push
or wrestle the opponent into submission. They have also been observed
in a form of play, tossing broken branches into the air with their
horns and catching them as they fall. In addition to man, lions,
leopards, and wild dogs prey upon kudus.
Zebra
Equus burchelli burchelli
Of all the wild equines in the world today, only the plains zebras
of Africa are present in large numbers. The zebra has narrow stripes
over most of its body, but these stripes broaden significantly on
its rump, with the black stripes predominating.
Adult zebras stay in family groups throughout their life, with the
exception of very old or sick stallions, who must avoid the other
stallions. Adolescent mares, on reaching sexual maturity, form new
families, or are received by other groups. The stallions form
bachelor groups with other stallions until they assume leadership
of their own family, whereupon they attempt to keep other stallions
away.
Should a stallion take leave of his group for a prolonged period,
he will often find, on his return, that another has replaced him
as head of the family. When predators disperse the herd, family
groups will come together again over a period of several days.
Foals seem to have little difficulty finding their mothers. They
can find their parent either by smell, or by recognizing subtle
differences in the pattern of stripes.
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