Author Archives: DeWetsWild

About DeWetsWild

Nature and wildlife enthusiast and tour guide, based in Pretoria, South Africa.

The joys of spring at Ithala

We’ve been singing Ithala Game Reserve‘s praises on this blog for a long time and our recent Heritage Day long weekend visit to this South African treasure further cemented our belief that Ithala is one of our country’s prime conservation areas.

Colourful spring flower displays were in evidence all over the reserve, despite not receiving much rainfall yet. With over 900 plant species at Ithala, including some extreme rarities like the pepper-bark tree and Lebombo cycad, Ithala is a botanist’s delight. Unfortunately we don’t know the names of most, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the show just the same!

Ithala in full bloom

Ithala in full bloom (Hypoxis flower)

Ithala in full bloom

The giraffe is Ithala’s emblem, and we were lucky to enjoy several encounters with these curious animals.

The giraffe is Ithala’s emblem

Most large game species were eradicated from the area before the reserve was proclaimed in 1972, and Ithala therefore had to be restocked. Today it is home to all the species that occurred here historically, with the exception of lion, and all-in-all provides sanctuary to 83 mammal species.

Impala sprint

Mountain reedbuck

Plains zebra

White rhinos dwarfed by Ithala’s grandeur

Impala ewes

Impala ram portrait

White rhinos in long grass

Kudu cow and calves

Well-hidden kudu bull

Curious Kudu

Plains zebra profile

Plains zebras are so photogenic!

Vervet monkey

Warthog

Dusty zebra

Blue wildebeest

Warthogs on the run

Nah nah nah nah nah!

“Lean on me”

Black rhino sunset

Ithala’s a bird-watcher’s paradise, with a list of 318 species recorded in the reserve. While we didn’t tick quite that many species during our visit – most of the summer migrants have not yet arrived – we were very thrilled with our close-up sighting of a pair of blue cranes shortly after arriving. Being South Africa’s national bird, it seemed a particularly special treat for Heritage Day!

Golden-breasted Bunting

Blue Cranes

African Pipit

Rufous-naped Lark

Black-winged Kite

Red-billed Oxpecker climbing into a zebra’s ear

Bar-throated Apalis

Southern Black Flycatcher

Martial Eagle

Cape Rock-Thrush (female)

Cape Batis (female)

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Ant-eating Chat

Little Bee-eater

Secretary Bird

Ithala’s not only about the big and obvious birds and animals, and closer inspection will reveal a multitude of insects, arachnids, amphibians and reptiles. We even encountered three of the reserve’s 41 snake species while walking around Ntshondwe Camp; they pose no danger as long as you don’t threaten them and true to form all three moved away very quickly and quietly.

African Monarch – With so many flowers in bloom, the abundance of butterflies is no surprise

Barberton Girdled Lizard

Natal Flat Lizard female

Solifuge a.k.a. Sun Spider

Talking about Ntshondwe, we just have to mention again how beautifully the accommodation units are placed into the natural vegetation, offering privacy and a really intimate nature experience.

Ntshondwe Unit 15, Ithala Game Reserve, September 2015

Its faunal and floral diversity aside, Ithala is richly blessed with amazingly diverse scenery. The reserve extends over 30,000 hectares, its area ranging in altitude between the 1,450m peak of Ngotshe Mountain to 400m above sea level along the Pongola River. The reserve’s vegetation ranges from grasslands to woodlands to dense riverine forest.

Ithala sunrise

Impala sunrise

Ntshondwe mountains

View over Ntshondwe

Ngubhu Loop snaking its way through Ithala’s hills

Pongola River

Dense vegetation along the Dakaneni Loop

Ithala sunset

Suspension Bridge at the Pongolo Picnic Site

Stream crossing

Pongola River

Ithala scenery

Where else but Africa?

We’re already making plans for our next visit to Ithala in early 2016, and you can probably see why!

Ithala Game Reserve is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and lies a 500km drive to the South-East of Pretoria.

Pretoria to Ithala
(drawn with Google Maps)

Lunar eclipse

42 Replies

Seems the whole world is being treated to a show of celestial choreography today, with a Bloodmoon or Total Lunar Eclipse. This was taken a couple of minutes ago over Pretoria.

Lunar eclipse 28-09-2015

Till next time, Ithala!

14 Replies

Our long weekend in Ithala was, well, too short!

Thanks to this glorious sunrise it was really hard driving away from this beautiful reserve and its hospitable staff this morning…

Ithala 27-09-2015

We’ll share more photo’s from our latest trip to Ithala Game Reserve in an upcoming edition of de Wets Wild!

Rhino sunset at Ithala

24 Replies

With World Rhino Day still fresh in our memory, this distant sighting this evening of a black rhino cow and her small calf was all the more special.

Ithala 26-09-2015

Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah!

23 Replies

This impala is rubbing it in that he can stay at Ithala his whole life, and we can’t…

Ithala 25-09-2015

Heritage Day at Ithala

28 Replies

South Africa celebrates 24th September as Heritage Day, and of course the de Wets will use that opportunity to revel in our country’s diverse natural heritage. We’ve made a long weekend of it, and find ourselves back at beautiful Ithala Game Reserve, where this laid-back plains zebra‘s expression sums up perfectly our own relaxed mood.

Ithala 24-09-2015b

World Rhino Day 2015

18 Replies

How long do we have left to appreciate our rhinos in their natural environment?

Will Joubert be able to take his children to a South African game reserve and show them what a real, live rhino looks like?

Would the citizens of the countries driving the slaughter of our rhinos to satisfy their fallacious beliefs even care about what they stole from Africa’s children?

How long do we have left?

World Rhino Day is upon us again, and as every year before for almost the last decade the future for these spectacular creatures seem even more bleak.

Figures published by South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs at the end of August 2015 indicated a minimum of 749 rhinos lost to poaching in South Africa for the year to date, 544 of which in the flagship Kruger National Park. A recent poaching incident in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park pushed the total lost in Kwazulu-Natal Province this year to 75. This follows on the loss of a staggering 3,900+ rhinos in this country alone to the end of 2014, since the poaching scourge started escalating in 2007 .

Still, there are many individuals and organisations investing enormous effort and resources into ensuring these charismatic animals are protected for future generations, and they deserve our respect and support. According to DEA at the time of their release, 138 poachers have been arrested in the Kruger Park this year, many of them heavily armed and only apprehended after exchanging fire with rangers and military personnel. The costly process of translocating rhinos out of high-danger zones to areas where they are thought to be more secure, is continuing. South African National Parks invested large sums donated by the Howard G Buffet Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation, and private donors into the purchasing of helicopters, all-terrain vehicles and other equipment to ensure that the Kruger Park’s rangers have the resources they need to face this onslaught on the wildlife in a Park bigger than many sovereign countries. Involving the communities living around reserves where rhino occur is pivotal to success, exemplified by SANParks’ liaison with Christian churches and iSimangaliso Wetland Park and their partners’ “Rhino Walk” taking place between 7 September and 2 October, during which they’ll visit 75 schools with thousands of learners. Fighting rhino poaching requires a multi-faceted approach, which is why iSimangaliso have also recently de-horned the entire rhino population on the Western Shores of Lake Saint Lucia, and publicised this widely.

Had it not been for these, and many more, dedicated people, and their tireless efforts, the situation undoubtedly would have been far worse still.

The war has not yet been lost.

Springbok

42 Replies

Antidorcas marsupialis

The Springbok is the only gazelle occurring in South Africa. They are medium-sized antelope, with a shoulder height of 70 – 85cm and a weight of 26 – 50kg, rams being more strongly built with thicker, longer horns than the ewes.

Springbok ram

Springbok ewe

Black Springbok

Copper Springbok

Springbok Ram

Springbok Lamb

Springbok showing off

Springbok herd in the Auob valley

Springbok Ram

Springbok Rams

Black Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Black Springbok

Black Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Black and “normal” Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Female Black Springbok

Black Springbok

“Standard” Springbok

White Springbok

The Springbok prefers open country, occurring from deserts and semi-deserts to dry shrubby plains and grasslands. They are mixed feeders, including a wide variety of grass and browse in their diet. They will drink regularly if surface water is available, but can live for indefinite periods without drinking.

Springbok herd at Mountain Zebra National Park

Young springbokin Pilanesberg National Park

Springbok ram at Chelmsford Nature Reserve

Springbok herd in Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Springbok in the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve

Springbok herd in Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Springbok ram at Rietvlei Nature Reserve

Springbok ram

Springbok herd

Herd of Springbok

Springbok

Black Springbok

Springbok

Springbok are herding animals, sometimes congregating in their thousands. In the 1800’s, explorers and settlers recorded springbok treks numbering millions of animals, often taking days to pass through a particular area. Most groups however are much smaller, consisting of about 30 individuals. During the rutting season, adult rams establish small territories in the best grazing areas to which the breeding herds are most attracted. They are most active during early morning and late afternoon, resting during the heat of the day, often out in the open.

Springbok

Young Springbok

Springbok ewe

Springbok lamb

Springbok

Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Springbok

Springbok in the rain (photo by Joubert)

Springbok

Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Springbok

Gemsbok and Springbok

Springbok at sunset in Mokala (photo by Joubert)

Springbok

Springbok youngsters

Springbok

Springbok ewe (photo by Joubert)

Black and normal coloured Springbok

Springbok herd on the move

Springbok (photo by Joubert)

The Springbok is well known for their agility and stiff-legged jumping displays, known as “pronking”. They can jump as high as 3.5m, and can reach speeds in excess of 80km/h. It is thought that their “pronking” is an energy-efficient way of displaying to predators that it would not be worth their effort to attempt chasing the springbok. Despite being so fleet of foot, springbok, especially solitary rams, are a staple in the diet of cheetahs and other large predators, and lambs are easy prey for anything the size of an eagle, jackal or one of the small cat species and upwards. Their life expectancy in the wild is estimated at only 10 to 12 years.

Pronking Springbok

Springbok lambs

Springbok

Springbok lambs

Pronking Springbok

Springbok ram

Pronking Springbok lamb

Pronking Springbok lamb (photo by Joubert)

Pronking Springbok (photo by Joubert)

Single lambs are born at anytime of the year, though most births coincide with the rainy season. The lambs remain hidden for the first couple of days of their lives, before joining their maternal herds and associating with other lambs in “nurseries” in the herd. Lambs start grazing by two weeks of age and by a month old they can run as fast as the adults. Lambs are weaned by 4 months of age and ewes can start reproducing at 6 months old. In years of good rainfall, adult ewes can lamb every 8 to 14 months. This exceptional fecundity ensures that springbok numbers can rebound quickly when better times return after droughts or disease epidemics.

Springbok at speed

Territorial springbok ram

Springbok lamb

Springbok ewe

Springbok ram

Springbok ram and youngster

“Pronking”

Springbok ram at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

“Pronking”

Springbok at speed

Springbok ewe

Springbok Ram

Springbok on the run through wet grass

Springbok ewe and lamb

Territorial springbok ram

Springbok herd

The Springbok is one of the most common and widespread antelope in South Africa. Their numbers were severely depleted by hunting in the 1800’s and the migrations of herds, millions strong, must have been a sight to behold. They have however been widely reintroduced to their former range, being popular game farm animals, and have also been introduced to areas which they didn’t naturally occupy. Today, the IUCN considers the springbok’s future to be secure, and estimates the population in South Africa at a minimum of 1,25-million animals, with a similar number occurring in Namibia, Botswana and Angola.

Springbok lambs

Springbok on the wide open plains of the Mountain Zebra National Park

Young Springbok rams testing their strength (photo by Joubert)

Young Springbok

Springbok dot the Rooiplaat Plateau

Springbok in the golden light of a Golden Gate sunrise

Springbok in the Golden Gate landscape (photo by Joubert)

Springbok at sunrise

Springbok lambs

The Springbok is South Africa’s national animal, and mascot of the country’s national rugby team (participating in the Rugby World Cup that starts today).

Monochromatic

53 Replies

Zebras reflecting in the water of the Kumasinga Pan, on a hot December day at uMkhuze Game Reserve.

Monochromatic

“Monochromatic” is the theme for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge.

Common Duiker

35 Replies

Sylvicapra grimmia

The Common, or Grey, Duiker is the largest and most widespread of the three duiker species occurring in South Africa. These small antelope stand between 45cm and 70cm high at the shoulder, and only the rams carry short horns, though on average the ewes, at between 16 and 25kg in weight, are about 2kg heavier.

Common Duiker ram

Common Duiker ewe

Common Duiker lamb

Grey Duiker

Grey Duiker and Vervet Monkey

Grey Duiker (photograph by Niel de Wet)

Common Duiker

Common Duiker ewe and lamb

Common duikers occur in all of South Africa’s natural habitats, and can even hold their own in intensively farmed area, and in and near towns and city suburbs. They are independent of water, and drink seldomly even where surface water is readily available. These duikers are mixed feeders, subsisting on leaves predominantly but also taking grass, bark, seeds, fruits, flowers, twigs, pods, fungus, roots and tubers. Unusually for antelope, they have been seen eating insects, small vertebrates like chicks and geckos, and carrion.

Common Duiker ram at rest

Common Duiker feeding

Common Duiker in typical habitat

Common Duiker ewe

Grey duiker

Grey (Common) Duiker

Grey Duiker

Common Duiker

Grey duikers are mostly solitary, occurring in pairs when mating or when a ewe is accompanied by her lamb. Both sexes are territorial and mark their areas with dung-middens and secretions from facial scent glands, ram’s territories usually being larger and overlapping those of one or more ewes. These antelope are mostly nocturnal, active from dusk to dawn and sometimes all day under overcast conditions. By day, they seek cover in long grass or dense thickets. When threatened, they will first attempt to hide before fleeing with sidestepping moves along well defined pathways – thus giving rise to their name (“duiker” being Afrikaans for “diver”).

Grey Duiker

Common Duiker

Grey Duiker

Common, or Grey, Duiker

Grey Duiker

Common Duiker

Grey Duiker

Common, or Grey, Duiker

Common Duiker

Single lambs, weighing less than 2kg, are born at any time of year (mostly in the rainy season) after a gestation of 190 days. Newborn lambs are hidden in dense vegetation. All Africa’s larger predators, from lions to owls, eagles and even baboons, will prey on common duikers, explaining why their life expectancy in the wild is only 8 to 12 years. Shine, a well-known and much loved resident at Kruger National Park’s Shimuwini Bushveld Camp lived to the ripe old age of 22 before falling prey to a leopard.

Common Duiker ewe

Common Duiker ram

Common Duiker

Common Duiker at night

Common Duiker

Grey Duiker

Common Duiker

The common duiker is one of Africa’s most numerous antelope, and it is estimated that as many as 10-million occur across the continent. Some populations however are under considerable pressure from subsistence and commercial hunting. They are regularly seen in most of South Africa’s wild places and are a frequent nighttime sighting along country roads.