I can't think that there are many people out there who doesn't know about the plight of the rhino yet 618 rhino has been killed by poachers in South Africa this year so far to satisfy the demand for rhino horn in the East. At this rate rhino could disappear of the face of this earth before I have grandchildren one day and posts like this would only be possible with old photos or ones like this rhino conservation piece outside the…
Watching elephants doesn't always have to be done from a back of a game viewing vehicle or your own car. Addo Elephant National Park has a waterhole with a nice viewing area at its main rest camp and often visitors arriving at the park gets to see elephant here before they even drive into the game viewing area.
Thor, the first white lion to be born at Seaview Predator Park, taking an afternoon nap. He had absolutely no interest in the paparazzi on this side of the fence.
This past week, ending today, has been South African National Parks week. The whole idea behind the week is to encourage South Africans to support and visit our National Parks more. During the week entrance to the parks are free to South African citizens. I got to go to Addo twice this week, first with a group of hotel frontline staff and again yesterday with a group of old folk from the Malabar Home of the Aged. Addo was buzzing…
On a recent visit to Kuzuko Lodge in the greater Addo Elephant National Park we had some amazing sightings. The afternoon game drive started with a close up sighting of their two male lions before we encountered a herd of elephants in a valley close to the lodge. The matriarch put up a spectacular mock charge what with flapping ears, stamping of feet and the shaking of a poor little bush. Unfortunately I didn't have me camera at the ready and missed…
The Lion. King of the Jungle but also one of the laziest animals around. But why not? When one is King you take it easy and just do the necessary, like hunt and eat. Addo Elephant National Park as well as most of the private game reserves around Port Elizabeth have lions so if you get to visit any of these you have a good chance of having a royal encounter.
People from all over the world travel to Africa on a daily basis to, amongst many things, see elephants in the wild. Here in Port Elizabeth we are extremely privileged to have Addo Elephant National Park as well as many private game reserves right on our doorstep. I could easily hop in my car and within an hour be watching wild elephants in their natural environment in Addo. From 9 - 13 September is South African National Parks Week and…
What is the difference between visiting a game reserve and a zoo? At a zoo the animals are kept in enclosures with little freedom and visitors are guaranteed to see them although the sightings include walls, buildings, fences and cages. At a game reserve you will see the animals in their natural environment and as they are free to roam throughout the reserve but there is no guarantee to see them. So which would you rather do? Personally I would take my chances and…
When you ask visitors which of the Big 5 they would like to see the lion and elephant always comes up first followed by the rhino and then the leopard. For some reason the buffalo always seem to be forgotten. Why? Because people see it as little more than wild cattle? Perhaps. What they don't realise is that the very docile and quiet looking Cape Buffalo are aggravated very easily and then turns into a killing machine, goring those in its…
Today is World Lion Day. It's the first global campaign to celebrate the importance of the lion world wide. People tend to be very aware of the plight of animals like the rhino, the gorilla and the African penguin due to their vulnerability, but very few know that it won't take much for the lion to be in the same situation. The king of the jungle is probably the most iconic of the animal species and have over the ages fascinated man,…