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It is getting warmer …

… and one can see much more reptiles at Thanda. I took this picture around noon when I was driving back from dropping of guests.

This Monitor Lizard (an ectothermic species) was enjoying the sun on one of our main roads. As I approached he decided it was safer in the grass.

About endothermic and ectothermic animals:

There are five major groups of vertebrate animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). One of the differences between these groups is the way their body temperature is controlled.

Mammals and birds have a body temperature that stays about the same no matter what the temperature of their environment is. They are called endotherms. An endotherm is an animal that can control its internal body temperature. Endotherms are called “warm-blooded” animals.

The other three vertebrate groups are often called “cold-blooded” animals. This term is falling out of favor with scientists because it is misleading. They are called, instead, ectotherms.  The blood of fish, amphibians, and reptiles is often warm. Their body temperatures are always close to the temperature of their environment.

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I can’t see!

The grass was bit high for one of our Lion cubs. The little one could not see properly so it decided to use the back of its uncle to get a better look what was going on.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Birds, Birds, Birds …

Thanda Private Game Reserve is well known for its excellent game viewing. The Super Seven (Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Black and White Rhino, African Elephant and Cape Buffalo) are spotted regularly. And as you know I publish many pictures of these magnificent creatures.

But especially in the summer season there are also many birds to be seen. Here is a small selection of bird pictures (African Hoopoe, Little Bee-eater, Violet-backed Starling, Fork-tailed Drongo, Village Weaver, Brown-hooded Kingfisher) . I will post more pictures for the birders among you over the summer month 🙂

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Up the Mountain!

We tracked our Elephant herd for a long time when we spotted them going up a mountain. It is amazing how these huge creatures can move up a hill.

On the same game drive we found our four Lion cubs resting in a road after playing hard.

And on the way back to the lodge we had a good look at one of my favorite antelopes – female Nyalas.

Another hard day in Africa 🙂

 

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Seeing Black!

Watching White Rhino is amazing but it is much less exciting than watching a Black Rhino in its natural environment.

This is a picture I took today on our game drive. The Black Rhino and her calf had a good look at us before she decided to retreat into the bush.

Seeing Black! What a joy!

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That hurts!

Our young north pride male Lion participated in a Porcupine hunt. Inexperience and clumsiness resulted in two Porcupine quilts getting stuck in his mouth and chest. That hurt!

 

But he managed to get them out again. When we saw him two days later the quilts were gone 🙂

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Love is in the Air :-)

Summer has arrived!

For the bird lovers among you: These are two Village Weavers at the end of a mating session.

About Village Weavers:

The Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) occur in a wide range of habitats, including woodlands and human habitation.  It builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward facing entrance which is suspended from a branch in a tree. 2-3 eggs are laid. This is a colonial breeder, so many nests may hang from one tree.

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The Big Five in One Drive!

After two weeks of rain, wind and cold we had some great drives in the last few days.

During the bad weather it was very difficult to find animals. They all were hiding in the thick bush from heavy rains,  very strong winds and many thunderstorms.

But this morning we got rewarded for our hard work and patience. When we left the lodge we spotted a Leopard just as we left (he did not stick around, but we got a good look). Then we met our dominate male Lion on to of a hill. We tracked our Buffalo herd and just as we left them we saw two White Rhinos (mother and daughter) in an open area. Before we headed back to the lodge we went to the area where we saw the breeding herd of Elephants last. We did not find them but we found  one of our oldest Elephant bulls. After observing him for a while we turned back to the lodge.

We also saw Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Nyala, Kudu, Waterbuck and Wildebeest.

It seemed that all the animals wanted to make an appearance after the long absence from the Safari stage 🙂

PS: All pictures above were taken today!

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Bull Fight!

Today we had a very nice sighting of our breeding herd of Elephants. They were walking up a hill in front of us. I took these pictures of two young bulls at the end of the herd having a bit of a fight (sparring would be a better word).

Have a good week 🙂

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A Warthog burrow, the Lions close and the Landi stuck :-)

Today I got my Land Rover properly stuck for the first time. While we were trying to get close to a pride of Lions resting in thick bush I dropped my right back wheel into the entrance of an old Warthog borrow which was filled with water (it looked like a puddle!).

So Bheki and I got to work while are guests remained on the vehicle. In close proximity to the Lions we used a high-lift-jack to lift the car out of the hole, placed two special “mud-ramps” under the wheel and drove the car out of the hole. This was a first such rescue mission for me. The guest thought the procedure was very exciting.

So for today I have chosen a Lion picture (taken today – a cub hugging an adult’s tail for comfort) and a picture of two Warthogs (taken a while ago – two males fighting).

I have no pictures of the vehicle rescue (I was otherwise engaged at the time :-))

 

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