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Lionesses are the primary hunters of the pride. They are smaller and more agile than males and they use teamwork to bring an animal down. After a successful hunt, all the lions in the pride share the meal. But there is a pecking order, with the adult males eating first, followed by the lionesses and finally the cubs.
A very popular holiday spot for locals and a big attraction for tourists is Noetzie Beach, situated in Knysna on the glorious Garden Route. The beach here has a magical air about it and it feels as though you have been whisked away to paradise. This outstanding beach with beautiful sands has a lush green backdrop with three stunning castles set amongst these forest covered hills. The water is pristine and is safe for paddling, swimming and kayaking as well as surfing, whether you are a beginner or more experienced. Anglers don’t mind spending hours here admiring the views while waiting for their catch. The opportunity of a romantic picnic or stroll along Noetzie Beach with your loved one shouldn’t be missed.
Sabie Falls is hidden under the bridge as you drive out of Sabie towards Graskop. In 2010, a local named Eric Mkhatshwa cleared the area and tidied up the Williams Memorial Park. For a small fee, you can wander the tidy garden and get right to the edge of the waterfall. If you want to get even closer Kestell Barnard will take you abseiling down the falls.
Info source URL: www.countrylife.co.za/travel/6-of-mpumalangas-best-waterf...
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The photo was taken during October 2019 in Sabie, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Kalk Bay Harbour is a charming brightly coloured fishing harbour in the heart of the equally quaint town of Kalk Bay. Experienced local anglers take to the fishing waters with line, net and determination and return daily around lunchtime with a fresh catch for you to buy at cheerful prices. If you can't catch your dinner you may as well choose it and have it beheaded, scaled, de-gutted and filleted by a quirky expert (do your bartering before anyone picks up a knife). Take it home and try it simple and delicious on a rustic braai (barbecue), South African style with a local beer or wine. If you're feeling adventurous pick up a local recipe book and try a traditional potato salad side.
The crowned lapwing is an adaptable and numerous species, with bold and noisy habits. Crowned lapwings and the more localized black-winged lapwings sometimes associate and do not show mutual aggression, even within breeding territories. Different crowned lapwing males do however posture aggressively when nesting territories are established. The loser in an encounter assumes a special posture to signal his defeat.
The Afrikaans name, the Drakensberg, comes from the name the earliest Dutch settlers gave to the escarpment, namely Drakensbergen, or Dragons' Mountains. The highest portion of the Great Escarpment is known in Zulu as uKhahlamba and as Maluti in Sotho ("Barrier of up-pointed spears").
Ancient cultures in Africa revered the giraffe, as some modern cultures do today and commonly depicted it in prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Unknown outside of Africa, early written records described the giraffe as "magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height and inoffensive in character." The giraffe's high shoulders and sloping back give the impression that its front legs are much longer than the hind legs, but they are in fact only slightly longer. The giraffe has a distinctive walking gait, moving both legs on one side forward at the same time. At a gallop, however, the gait changes, and the giraffe simultaneously swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the front legs, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour. Its heavy head moves forward with each powerful stride, then swings back to stay balanced. Giraffes have "horns"; not true horns but knobs covered with skin and hair above the eyes to protect the head from blows.
Info source: www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_giraffe.php
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The photo was taken during February 2018 at Mabula Private Game Reserve, Rooiberg, Bela-bela, Limpopo, South Africa.
The blue wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on short grasses. It forms herds which move about in loose aggregations, the animals being fast runners and extremely wary. The mating season begins at the end of the rainy season and a single calf is usually born after a gestational period of about 8.5 months. The calf remains with its mother for 8 months, after which it joins a juvenile herd. Blue wildebeest are found in short-grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas in southern and eastern Africa, thriving in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid.
The lion is the most social of all wild felid species, living in groups of related individuals with their offspring. Such a group is called a "pride". Groups of male lions are called "coalitions". Females form the stable social unit in a pride and do not tolerate outside females. Membership changes only with the births and deaths of lionesses, although some females leave and become nomadic. The average pride consists of around 15 lions, including several adult females and up to four males and their cubs of both sexes. Large prides, consisting of up to 30 individuals, have been observed.
The fork-tailed drongo is a medium-sized bird at 25 cm in length, including the tail. The fork-tailed drongo has a mainly glossy black plumage, with the wings being a little duller. This bird has a large head with a hooked black bill and a red eye. The tail is deeply forked. The fork-tailed drongo can be easily mistaken for a southern black flycatcher as the two birds are very similar in appearance, except the drongo has a red eye and the flycatcher has a brown eye.
Info source URL: southafrica.co.za/fork-tailed-drongo.html
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The photo was taken 2018-10 at Drakensberg Sun, Winterton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The Wire-tailed Swallow is a tiny passerine bird from the swallow family. They are agile and fast flyers, generally feeding on insects, mostly flies, when in flight. These swallows are somewhat similar in other aerial insectivores’ appearance and habits, like the swifts and the martins. It has distinctive, two long, thin outer tail feathers that appear like wires from which it gets its common name. It is found in Africa and Asia, boasting a striking blue upperpart, and a chestnut cap, which elegantly contrasts its bright white underpart. They are often found in open country near water and human habitation. Commonly seen in singles, pairs, or sometimes in small flocks.
The Monk's Cowl Nature Reserve with its breathtaking vistas of sweeping grasslands on the lower reaches, to magnificent towering cliffs and waterfalls cascading for hundreds of metres makes this an area of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park worth visiting.
Their dependence on water restricts the Burchell's Zebra to wander further than ten to 12 km from water. Densely vegetated areas are avoided. Predominantly a grazer, feeding in areas with short grass. Zebra have a strong sensitive upper lip with which it gathers herbage by collecting the grass between the lip and the lower incisors before plucking the harvest. The Burchell's Zebra lives in small family units, which typically consist of one stallion and one mare with their foals. Non-breeding stallions occur in bachelor groups.
Info source URL: www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_burchells_zebra.html
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Photo capture date & Location: 2018-08 Segaia Bush Retreat
Eland are found in grassland, mountain, sub-desert, acacia savannah and miombo woodland areas. They distance themselves from deserts, forests and swamps. Herbivorous, they feed in areas where shrubs and bushes provide the leaves they prefer. They use their horns to bring twigs and branches into reach. Also known to consume tuberous roots. They use their horns to bring twigs and branches into reach.
Info sourced from www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_eland.htm
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-02 Bushtime at Mabula
KwaThabisile Game Lodge is situated in the Leeuwkloof Valley Conservancy, a 400-hectare game reserve within 1 hour from Johannesburg and 30 minutes from Pretoria, and offers self-catering accommodation in fully equipped units. In the heart of Gauteng, Dinokeng ‘a place of rivers’, and Leeuwkloof valley, is a game lodge surrounded by wildlife roaming in a 400-hectare game reserve. Walking and hiking trails, viewing game, bird watching, fishing, and identifying trees, shrubs and insects. Our game includes over 240 grazers including kudu, zebra, blesbuck, impala, wildebeest, eland, waterbuck, duiker, and steenbok. Also warthog, porcupine, jackals, caracal, mongoose, vervet monkeys, bushbabies, baboon, reptiles, snakes, frogs, and tortoises. One can also see 200 species of birds sighted in our area.
Situated in the heart of the magnificent Drakensberg mountains, the Drakensberg Sun Resort is one of the world’s most scenic holiday destinations. This family-friendly Drakensberg resort is the perfect place from which to explore the region’s many fascinating attractions – or simply to relax and unwind in one of South Africa’s most picturesque settings. Breath-taking views, utter tranquility, and the joy of discovering one of the world’s most spectacular destinations – Drakensberg Sun Resort has something for everyone.
Info source URL: www.tsogosun.com/drakensberg-sun-resort
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-10 Drakensberg Sun Resort
Grazing
Active mainly at dawn and dusk, springbok form harems. In earlier times, springbok of the Kalahari desert and the Karoo migrated in large numbers across the countryside, a practice known as trekbokking. A feature, peculiar but not unique, to the springbok is pronking, in which the springbok performs multiple leaps into the air, up to 2 m above the ground, in a stiff-legged posture, with the back bowed and the white flap lifted. Primarily a browser, the springbok feeds on shrubs and succulents; this antelope can live without drinking water for years, meeting its requirements through eating succulent vegetation.
Some more photographs that were taken during our recent visit to Lujos Sekekama, Marloth Park, Mpumalanga.
The black-backed jackal is a very ancient species and has changed little since the Pleistocene, being the most basal wolf-like canine, alongside the closely related side-striped jackal. It is a fox-like animal with a reddish-brown to tan coat and a black saddle that extends from the shoulders to the base of the tail. It is a monogamous animal, whose young may remain with the family to help raise new generations of pups.
A brown duck with a vividly yellow bill and white scalloping on the feathers, giving it a scaly appearance, especially on the underparts. A common resident and nomad through Africa’s freshwater and brackish wetlands, where it forages for plants and invertebrates. The similar African Black Duck differs from Yellow-billed Duck by being darker overall and having white spots on the upperparts, a bull-neck, and a pale-pink-and-black bill.
A characteristic of the Blesbok is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip which divides this blaze above the eyes. Body colour is brown with a lighter coloured saddle on the back, and the rump an even lighter shade. The legs are brown with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs. Lower legs whitish. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender. It was once one of the most abundant antelope species of the African plains, but Blesbok have become scarce since 1893 due to relentless hunting for their skins and meat.
The garden snail (Helix aspersa) is a terrestrial gastropod mollusc and one of the best-known species in the world. It is so common that it is one of the most proliferated terrestrial molluscs. The garden snail is a terrestrial species with nocturnal habits; it does most of its day-to-day activities at night or very early in the morning, but if it rains during the day, it usually goes out.
Info sourced from www.snail-world.com/garden-snail/
Photo capture date & Location: Garden
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Cape Point is in the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve within Table Mountain National Park, which forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage Site. It includes the majestic Table Mountain chain, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, and the coastlines of the Cape Peninsula. This narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of extraordinarily diverse and unique fauna and flora.
When it comes to the tallest land animal on earth, Giraffe is the tallest of all. Due to its height, Giraffe always has been the center of attention in safari parks. The average height of a Giraffe is 5 to 6 meters. A newborn Giraffe is about 1.8 meters tall i.e. 6 feet which is almost equal to the height of its mother’s legs. The tallest Giraffe in the world ever recorded was about 19 feet tall and was called George It was a Masai bull that was kept in Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England back in 1959. It was brought from Kenya and it died in 1969.
The Mother City has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and something to offer everyone. It is no surprise that South Africa was one of the first countries outside of Europe to earn blue flag status for some of her beaches - there are three on offer in and around the Mother City, Cape Town. The blend of 2 oceans (the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean) and hence 2 different styles of beach, divided by a 1000m high peninsula, leaves Cape Town an unrivalled holiday destination.
The African darter, also known as the snakebird or, slanghals in Afrikaans, is a water bird that is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has earned the name snakebird for the way that it swims – it keeps its entire body very low in the water, with only the neck and the head sticking out, giving it the appearance of a swimming snake. The male darter’s body is almost completely glossy black with the exception of the white streaking on the face and body, and the colouration of the neck, which has a warm chestnut hue. The female (like the juvenile birds) is browner than the male with less noticeable white streaks. Both of them have gold-coloured eyes with brown bills. The male’s bill is slightly larger than the female’s. This bill is used to impale fish and is, as a result, strong and sharply pointed.
Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. This, "the place of much water", is the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.
Commonly known as the red hartebeest, it is the most colorful hartebeest, with black markings contrasting against its white abdomen and behind. It has a longer face than other subspecies, with complex curving horns joined at the base. The average weight of a male is about 150 kg, and the female is 120 kg. Their average shoulder height is 135 cm, and horns are 60 cm long. The life expectancy of a red hartebeest is around 19 years. The red hartebeest is closely related to the tsessebe and the topi.
Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hartebeest
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-02 Bushtime at Mabula
Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth and have distinctly massive bodies, large ears, and long trunks. They use their trunks to pick up objects, trumpet warnings, greet other elephants, or suck up water for drinking or bathing, among other uses. Both male and female African elephants grow tusks and each individual can either be left- or right-tusked, and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. Elephant tusks serve many purposes. These extended teeth can be used to protect the elephant's trunk, lift and move objects, gather food, and strip bark from trees. They can also be used for defense. During times of drought, elephants even use their tusks to dig holes to find water underground.
Fights between Zebra males usually occur over mares and involve biting and kicking. In plains zebra, stallions fight each other over recently matured mares to bring into their group and her family stallion will fight off other males trying to abduct her. As long as a harem stallion is healthy, he is not usually challenged. Only unhealthy stallions have their harems taken over, and even then, the new stallion gradually takes over, pushing the old one out without a fight.
Info sourced from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-09 Rietvlei Nature Reserve
There are ways to fish sustainably, allowing us to enjoy seafood while ensuring that populations remain for the future. In many indigenous cultures, people have fished sustainably for thousands of years. Today’s sustainable fishing practices reflect some lessons learned from these cultures.
Roodeplaat dam is a well-known destination for bird watching, game viewing and a range of water sports including freshwater angling.
The long-tailed widowbird, also known as the "Sakabula", is a medium-sized bird and one of the most common in the territories it inhabits. Adult breeding males are almost entirely black with orange and white shoulders, long, wide tails, and a bluish-white bill. When flying, male long-tailed widowbirds are readily visible due to their extremely long tails. Between six and eight of their twelve tail feathers are approximately half a meter long. The tail during flight display is expanded vertically into a deep, long keel below the male as he flies with slow wingbeats 0.5 to 2 meters above his territory.
Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_widowbird
Photo capture date & Location: 2017-12 Rietvlei Nature Reserve
The Sentinel or Hangberg is a peak marking the western end of the mouth of Hout Bay in South Africa. It has a shear cliff dropping towards the sea, and a coastal hiking path is accessible at low tide. It is adjacent to Hout Bay Harbour and the Hangberg settlement, and to the higher Karbonkelberg peak. Just offshore to the south is a colony of Cape fur seals known as Seal Island, and a big wave surf spot known as "Dungeons", which has hosted the Red Bull Big Wave Africa competition.
The Sabie Falls are found at the start of the spectacular Panorama Route. The Panorama Route then travels further north up to the Blyde River Canon. The Sabie Falls are a short walk from the parking lot with a number of different viewing areas. Beautiful all year round, the falls are surrounded by steep cliffs and lush vegetation.
The African Fish Eagle is most frequently seen sitting high in a tall tree from where it has a good view of the stretch of river, lakeshore, or coastline which is its territory. Near a lake with an abundant food supply, a pair may require less than a km² of water to find enough food, whereas next to a small river, they may require a stretch of 25km or more. So well known and clear is the call of this bird that it is often known as "the Voice of Africa". A handsome bird, the African Fish Eagle is easily recognized by its pure white head, the striking contrast between the white upper-body and tail, the chestnut belly, and the black wings. The sexes look alike but the female is the larger of the two.
Info source URL: www.sa-venues.com/.../birds_african_fish_eagle.htm
Photo capture date & Location: 2018-10 Falcon Ridge Bird of Prey Center
The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberg, Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.
The red-billed hornbill is a large bird, but one of the smaller hornbills at 42 cm in length. This hornbill has grey upperparts and mostly white underparts. A black strip runs down the back of the neck. The red-billed hornbill has a long tail and a typical hornbill bill, long, curved and red/orange in colour. The bill does not have a casque. The face is grey-streaked and the eye is yellow. This hornbill is distinguished from other hornbills by its red/orange bill and it has spotted white wing coverts. The red-billed hornbill is an omnivore, feeding mostly on insects, but will feed on fruit and seeds. They feed mainly on the ground.
Vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding the genetic and social behaviours of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension, anxiety, and social and dependent alcohol use. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals. Studies done on vervet monkeys involve their communication and alarm calls, specifically in regard to kin and group recognition, and particular predator sightings.
Although hippos lie close to each other, they do not seem to form social bonds except between mothers and daughters, and they are not social animals. The reason they huddle close together is unknown. Hippos are territorial only in water, where a male presides over a small stretch of river, on average 250 m (270 yd) in length, and containing 10 females. The largest pods can contain over 100 hippos. Younger bachelors are allowed in a male's stretch, as long as they behave submissively toward the male. The territories of hippos exist to establish mating rights. Within the pods, the hippos tend to segregate by gender. Bachelors lounge near other bachelors, females with other females, and the male on his own.
Info source URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus
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Photo capture date & Location: 2019-10 Sabi River
St James Tidal Pool: Arguably one of Cape Town’s most well-known and popular tidal pools, you’ll find this one below the railway line, in the seaside suburb of St James, which is tucked neatly between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay. During summer, the beach and tidal pool become especially busy, so it’s best to get there in the early morning to beat the crowds, and have a refreshing dip in peace.
The rock hyrax, also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Rock hyraxes weigh 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb) and have short ears and tails. Along with other hyrax species and the sirenians, this species is the most closely related to the elephant. Rock hyraxes are found at elevations up to 4,200 m (13,800 ft) above sea level in habitats with rock crevices, allowing them to escape from predators.
Greater kudus tend to bear one calf, although occasionally there may be two. The pregnant female kudu will leave her group to give birth; once she gives birth, the newborn is hidden in vegetation for about 4 to 5 weeks (to avoid predation). After 4 or 5 weeks, the offspring will accompany its mother for short periods of time; then by 3 to 4 months of age, it will accompany her at all times. By the time it is 6 months old, it is quite independent of its mother. The majority of births occur during the wet season (January to March). In terms of maturity, female greater kudus reach maturity at 15–21 months. Males reach maturity at 21–24 months.