Lion paw prints

Going on a game drive is nothing like visiting a zoo. The animals in a game reserve are free to roam all over which means there's never a guarantee that you will see them. A recent game drive I went on produced everything we wanted to see except for lion. I have a question though. How do you know the lion crossed the road if nobody saw him? He leaves his footprints. As we were watching a couple of giraffe…

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Going on a game drive at Kuzuko Lodge

Over the Zuurberg mountains in the southern part of the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland lies a place of glory. That bit should actually be written with caps as Kuzuko Lodge's slogan is Place of Glory. Most game reserves are located in a part of the province where lush subtropical thicket vegetation is prevalent which makes Kuzuko different. Wide-open spaces, sparse vegetation, dry climate and often warmer temperatures. Due to this Kuzuko doesn't have big numbers of animals like the other…

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Yawn!

It's a lazy and hot Friday morning at Kuzuko Lodge. The sun's already baking down without a cloud in the sky. The pride spots a kudu and the two female take the lead in the hunt. It's a patient wait watching it through the spekboom as it stands browsing unaware. Then the chase is on. Adrenalin pumping. Excitement. Hunger. Fear. Everything happens so fast yet everything else stands still. The kudu stood no chance as she gets taken down in…

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Yawn and Snarl – World Lion Day

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,…

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A memorable weekend

Clan Firefly spent a memorable long weekend across the Zuurberg enjoying the best the southern Karoo has to offer and as soon as I get a chance to edit the pictures and write a blog post or two I will share it all with you.  Here's a taste of what we did so long, most of which were new experiences for the KidZ.   Game drives at Kuzuko Lodge...... looking for big game. Learning about the history of Ann's Villa...  ... and taking in…

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The Lion Matches lion

When I saw this lion at Kuzuko Lodge near Port Elizabeth it immediately reminded me of the lion on the Lion Safety Matches logo.   There is a bit of a resemblance.

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White Lions at Pumba

There are about 500 white lions left in the world, most of them in captivity.  Pumba Game Reserve is one of only a few game reserves in South Africa that has free range white lions on its property.  Pumba's white lions is right at the top of what visitors to the reserve wants to see and it was no different when I got to visit for a night.  On the evening game drive we spotted a female with two cubs in the…

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White lion

Don't you want to just cuddle up to this big furry mane and fall asleep with him?  White Lions is quite a rare sight and the only Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape where you can see them in the wild is Pumba Game Reserve (which I hope I'll have the opportunity to visit some time soon).  The second option to see them is the Seaview Game and Lion Park just outside Port Elizabeth where the park has a breeding…

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Die Groot Vyf

Wie of wat is die Groot Vyf?  Kom ons wees meer spesifiek en sê die Groot Vyf van die diereryk, anders dink mense dalk ons praat van lande, natuurwonders of toerisme-attraksies.  So, wie of wat is die Groot Vyf van die diereryk?  Dis nie die vyf grootste diere of die mooiste vyf nie, maar die vyf wilde diere wat die gevaarlikste was om te voet te jag in Afrika.  Ek sê was want vandag is dit niks om 'n dier vanaf die agterkant…

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Big 5

The Big Five was the phrase given by big-game hunters to the five most difficult or dangerous animals in Africa to hunt on foot. These days the Big 5 is high on the list of must-see attractions on a tourist's list of things to do or see when visiting South Africa. I present to you, The Big 5. African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)Lion (Panthera leo)Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) (above) or Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) Leopard (Panthera pardus)

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