Fauna & Flora

The topic of this month’s report is again one of those mammals that rarely get a mention in the Reception sightings book, the secretive and elusive Bushbuck.

In recent months a Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus) ram and ewe have been moving through camp, and the ewe seems to have made this area her home range for the better part of the last few months.

Of special interest in the month of September 2020 were two sightings of caracal (Caracal caracal), in Afrikaans, rooikat, and in Tsonga, nandani. The caracal is not often seen on Ingwelala, the one pictured below is courtesy of Jeanette Gray, taken on Goedehoop.

With two different caracal (Caracal caracal) sightings this month, it is only fitting that this gorgeous cat is our species of the month for September!

The Chacma baboon  (Papio ursinus) is a species that needs no introduction at Ingwelala. It is well known to all. 

A common pedestrian seen crossing the reserve roads these days, is the flap-necked chameleon, Chamaeleo dilepis. 

The Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is a rarity on Ingwelala. Researching cheetah facts on the Internet allowed me to discover many interesting facts about a species so seldom seen in our neck of the woods.

With 4 recorded cheetah sightings through the month of April, it is only fitting for the cheetah to be our species of the month!

This beautiful sac spider was found tucked away beneath the belt clip on the Conservation Intern’s radio, whereafter it was identified.

A plant that drew much attention this season is the herb type plant called Dicoma tomentosa. It is currently abundant on the reserve favouring road verges and open areas.

A thoroughly rewarding start to the day at this time of the year is leaving on a short game drive down Argyle Road at the break of dawn.

One of the first insects appearing after the rains.

In this month’s report, three duikers are featured, to understand more about these animals. The facts listed below are for comparative purposes.

Undoubtedly one of the most commonly noticed insect activities is that of the dung beetles, particularly those rolling dung balls.

The cohesive groups of dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula), Africa’s smallest carnivore, have been very active on Ingwelala this summer.

The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest and heaviest terrestrial mammal in Africa and has an extensive range from south of the Sahara Desert to South Africa. 

Ingwelala is a beautiful bushveld retreat situated in the middle of a vast wilderness. Together with the Timbavati Reserve, Klaserie Reserve and the Umbabat Reserve it comprises of 180,000 hectares.

The fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea) is one of the easiest thorn trees to identify. A distinctive identifying characteristic is the green to yellow bark. It tends to be a greener yellow in its early years, turning more yellow as it ages.

In some of the “know your places” the summer evenings produce a stunning spectacle in the form of fireflies as they go flashing about, advertising their whereabouts. 

Visitors to the Reserve post the onset of rains will have noticed the multitude of fireflies visible after dusk, some interesting facts about these phenomenal little insects are worth mentioning here: