It’s scenery like this that causes us to return to one of South Africa’s wild places at every opportunity, and why we pine for the bush whenever we cannot be there. This photograph was taken in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and shows a guided sunset drive about to cross the Black-Imfolozi River.
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Wanderlust“
We’ve made mention before of how fortunate we are to live in Pretoria, where so many nature reserves are to be found in close proximity to the city. At 3600ha, the Rietvlei Nature Reserve is the largest of the nature areas within the city limits, and is located right at the southern edge of the metro.
Rietvlei is an important reserve in that it protects a variety of rare and threatened plants, animals and habitats. Visitors are drawn by a wide range of birds and animals that include lion (in a separate 100ha camp), white rhinoceros, buffalo, hippopotamus, cheetah, brown hyena and large herds of zebra and antelope. In addition, the Rietvlei Dam offers opportunities for fishing and sailing, with hiking, biking and horse trails being attractive alternatives to driving around or spending hours in one of the four photographic hides for exploring to reserve. Visitors can even overnight in the reserve, with camping and chalets being available next to the dam. There are two picnic sites in the reserve and a coffee shop where you can enjoy delicious baked treats.
Unfortunately, due to its urban setting, the reserve can hardly be described as pristine and its management has to contend with a lot of human impact, much of it totally unavoidable and irreversible. The encroaching city sprawl almost surrounds the reserve while electricity pylons, water pipelines and invasive alien plants are very much in evidence. These negative factors however shouldn’t deter you from visiting Rietvlei – it has so much counting in its favour and it certainly is a popular retreat, especially over weekends, for city-dwellers intent on spending some time in the outdoors, as we were last Sunday.
These photographs were taken this past Sunday in the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria, South Africa – more from Rietvlei coming soon, so watch this blog 🙂 !
A river runs through it
A herd of eland dot a green hillside in the Rietvlei Nature Reserve
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Green“
One of our most treasured sightings ever in the Kruger National Park. This magnificent animal was called “Masbambela”, named in honour of ranger Ben Pretorius who had spent 35 years working in the Park. Masbambela means “the one that can stand his ground” – isn’t that an absolutely apt name for this beautiful creature?
Masbambela was a shy tusker rarely seen by tourists to the Park and even Kruger’s researchers had difficulty tracking him, making our sighting on the 15th of January 2006 all the more special. We found him to the north of our beloved Shingwedzi Rest Camp, along the course of the Mphongolo River, where he was feeding peacefully only meters away from our vehicle.
Unfortunately, by August 2006 researchers noticed that he had broken a piece off his left tusk and sadly, Masbambela died, of natural causes, in November of that same year. His intact right tusk measured 2.31m in length and weighed 49kg, while the stump of his left tusk was 2.07m long and weighed almost 43kg.
We are honoured to have one of our images of Masbambela featured in Johan Marais’ book “Great Tuskers of Africa” – a must read for anyone interested in these awe-inspiring African icons.
Over the years we’ve encountered a number of other bulls carrying impressive ivory – if you are as much in awe with these beautiful animals as we are, have a look at the special posts we did on Kruger’s Big Tuskers and Isilo of Tembe.
Have a look here to see other “unique” entries from wordpress bloggers.
Annually, the 2nd of February is celebrated as World Wetlands Day to highlight the important role wetlands play in improving water quality, reducing flood damage, controlling erosion and storing fresh water. In recognition of the day we are posting some more images from one of South Africa’s most important wetland areas – the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
We’ve just returned from a morning outing in the Moreletakloof Nature Reserve near our home, where we encountered this zebra. If you’d like, there are more photos from our trip here.
We’re participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com‘s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is “Now“
Probably the best thing about living in Pretoria is that there’s a bunch of nature reserves very near to us. The tiny (100 hectare) Moreletakloof Nature Reserve is just one example: it is only 2.6 kilometers from our home, and early this morning Joubert and I headed there for a bit of walking. Despite it being overcast and drizzling we had a thoroughly enjoyable father-and-son experience, encountering a variety of birds and animals along the trail.
Ostriches are frequently encountered in Moreletakloof, and can be dangerous when protecting chicks.
Moreletakloof’s animals are quite habituated to the human presence
Zebra foal with an irritating itch in the ear
Impala
More impala
Red bishop
And even more impala
This small stream meanders from one end of the reserve to the other
Trail through thicket
Restored farmhouse from the late 1800’s now operating as a restaurant, with blesbuck grazing on the grounds
Blesbuck
Who’s watching who?
Blue wildebeest whispering sweet nothings?
(Picture taken near Satara in the Kruger National Park)
Have a look at other bloggers’ interpretation of this week’s theme “Love”.
Game viewing in the Moreletakloof – a tiny nature reserve smack in the middle of Pretoria’s eastern suburbs.
(this is our second entry for this week’s challenge – have a look at the first if you’d like)
Have a look at other bloggers’ interpretation of this week’s theme “Beyond”.
A leopard stalking warthogs near Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The leopard’s attack proved fruitless and in the end the hogs had their revenge, chasing the leopard back into the dune forest.
Have a look at other bloggers’ interpretation of this week’s theme “Beyond”.
DeWetsWild