Game Viewing
It's not only the "Big Five" animals which you are likely to see in the area around Rippon's Safari Lodge, there are plenty of other species to spot. You may even be able to track some on foot. Among the mammals you may see are: Buffalo, Cheetah, Eland, Elephant, Giraffe, Leopard, Lion, Oryx, Rhino (both Black and White) and Zebra.
Birds to watch for include: Blue Crane, Cape Longclaw, Crowned Eagle, Crowned Hornbill, Grey Cuckooshrike, Knysna Turaco, Martial Eagle, Narina Trogon, Secretary Bird and Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. Among some of the more interesting insects are: Addo Flightless Dung Beetle, Cicada, Ground Beetle, Long Horn Beetle, Termites, Tiger Beetle and TokTokkie.
And let's not forget the more common trees including: Cabbage Tree, Common Guarri, Ironwood, Knobwood, Kuni Bush, Num Num, Outeniqua, Yellowwood, Plumbago, Sweet Thorn and Tree Euphorbia.
Recent Sightings
Ranger Diaries
Francis Dendera wrote on Friday, May 18th 2012 at 13:48:04: Our Lion Population is increasing considerably. We have recently spotted 2 more females with cubs. This brings us to a total of 4 females with cubs.
Since most of the small dams have dried up, we have been very lucky to have elephants around the lodge dam for a long while now.
Another elephant calf was born about a week ago. It is unbelievable to experience how the mother and the rest of the herd are looking after it. A newborn calf cannot use its trunk, so it just flops around. The calf suckles by throwing its trunk backwards to expose its mouth.
 |
Nofias Mpala wrote on Tuesday, May 8th 2012 at 09:44:49: We have had very special Sightings this month.
On one particular drive we managed to find the tracks of a lioness with cubs- After following these for quite a distance, we stopped to take pictures of the sunset... and there, right next to the vehicle, lay the lioness devouring the last bits of a warthog carcass. Unfortunately she then moved away, but to our surprise, she brought back her 2 ½ Month old cubs to the carcass! This was a Fantastic experience! On the same drive we were lucky to also see an African wild cat, Lions chasing Impala and another set of Lion cubs!
|
Francis Dendera wrote on Sunday, April 15th 2012 at 08:51:50: We have finally spotted the new lion cubs! The lion pride has killed a very large Kudu bull, and to our surprise the cutest little cubs have been joining their mother around the kill for her to keep an eye on them. Although they are still being hidden, they will often accompany their mother during feeding and she is starting to move them around.
Another exciting moment was the birth of a new baby hippo, it still can’t move around by itself in the water, so it is riding on its mother’s back, which brings us lovely entertainment
After releasing the new buffalo herd, we are still hoping that they will join the other herd, but there is still no sign of this happening. This is probably because the new herd has their own dominant male.
|
Michelle du Toit wrote on Saturday, April 7th 2012 at 07:56:07: Another special sighting this morning. A Leopard!!! It must be the same leopard we have been seeing in recent weeks because she is displaying the same playful characteristics as we have seen during February and March. Normally leopards are shy and will stay a fair distance from the Jeeps, but this one doesn't seem worried about keeping her distance at all. She lies on the side of the path rolling around playfully and giving the guests the most beautiful photo opportunities.
|
Nofias Mpala wrote on Tuesday, April 3rd 2012 at 13:04:14: I learnt a lot on a walking safari as a back up guide. Ben Sikhulu was the lead guide and he narrated the social structure of termites inside the mound. The fact that there is a queen, a king, soldiers and workers. He mentioned that the role of the queen is to lay eggs and she can live up to more than 50 years!! The soldier’s role is to defend the colony through use of formic acid against predators, while the workers construct the colony using saliva and mud.
While on the walking safari I spotted a herd of giraffe from a far and we approached them in a zigzag formation to about 50 meters. The Impala, zebra and water buck took off before we could get too close, a behaviour they don’t display when approached by a game drive vehicle.
I remember on this amazing morning with guests who were staying 3 nights, I picked up the spoor of a male elephant, a few minutes later I saw more spoor, droppings and broken down branches of Sweethorn Acacia. We followed the tracks for about 15 minutes and I spotted the ‘Ndlovos’ elephants from afar. I drove to them and stopped about 5 metres away. We passed the same spot later and could see where they had enjoyed a breakfast of roots from the Cabbage Tree. In just a few moments of our arrival we were surrounded by about 30 elephants. Oh Boy What a road block!!! They stayed around the vehicle calmly eating for nearly 2 hours.
In the meantime a fellow ‘office mate’ (and what a wonderful outdoor ‘office’ we have) Francis Denera, tracked down the lions. Guess what??? He found them on a White Tailed Gnu kill. They had just eaten the back legs and were lying down for a break when he suddenly saw a male lion coming. Francis called me on the radio to join him, but to our surprise the ‘King of the Jungle’ did not approach the carcass where the 3 lionesses were feeding. Why????? ……….Visit us at Rippons to hear the rest of the story.
|
Francis Dendera wrote on Thursday, March 15th 2012 at 12:43:00: One of the Female lionesses who is usually often seen, has been out of sight for more than a month now. 2 Weeks ago I was so excited to find female lion tracks with small cub tracks! We are now all waiting in anticipation to be the first to see them. Lion's can hide their cubs for up to 2 Months - I really hope to see them soon!
We have recently released 7 New Buffalo with a calf very close to the lodge and one of the cows also seems to be pregnant. It will be quite interesting to see what happens when they meet up with the older herd.
I will keep you posted on what happens.
We have had the most amazing leopard sights lately. Guests were treated to 4 consecutive days of seeing a leopard literally lying on the side of the path, playing like a big kitten..... just a VERY BIG Kitten in this case. This was a fanatastic sighting because leopards are normally very shy and most sightings are from a distance.
|
Nofias Mpala wrote on Thursday, March 1st 2012 at 10:36:07: Bird watching has been fascinating with flocks of Eastern Red Footed Kestrels conquering the air in their competition with the Forest & Steppe Buzzards.
Secretary birds have been spotted on nearly every drive.
Jackal Buzzards compete with White-necked Ravens and Black Crows to be the kings of Shamwari. Join us to hear the unique cry of the African Fish Eagle along the Bushmans River.
|
Nofias Mpala wrote on Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 at 18:05:45: Watching the two Bull elephants being released from the main reserve was a great excitement for guests. ‘Operation Bayethe’ went very smoothly. The reason for this relocation is to not only increase the number of elephants into the Rippons & Bayethe reserve, but also to diversify the gene pool.
A rare sighting of a male leopard was the highlight of most guests game drive. He looked very regal as he surveyed the reserve from a kopjie at Nolas open which overlooks a valley which at the time was full of Wildebeest, Impala and Springbok. I wonder if he was as surprised as us to see Black Springbok!!!
With the leopard binocular vision, he watched a pride of three lionesses and one male who seemed interested in hunting, but as the temperature began to rise they decided an afternoon nap under the Acacia Sweethorns was a better option.
Ranger - Nofias Mpala
|
Francis Denera wrote on Saturday, January 28th 2012 at 20:31:49: The intense rainfall experienced in the Eastern Cape brings on a significant change in our Game viewing experience. Sightings around the lodge are greatly improved. In the last 2 months we have seen Elephant bathing in our lodge dam and plenty of Giraffe, Antelope and our ‘resident’ hippo have been frequent visitors to the dam.
On drive we have been enjoying sightings of 4 new lion cups, and plenty of young antelope as this is our lambing season. Baby Warthogs are in abundance, but are proving to be fairly easy prey for the 2 Cheetah hanging around the lodge. Even the Rippons Buffalo have given birth this year.
There has been great competition between carnivores The Lion have been getting the better of hyena, and we have found 2 hyena killed by Lion in the past month.
The highlight of the Month has been watching Lion feed on a Giraffe carcass, 3 females and 1 male spent 3 days on the carcass. What a thrilling experience hearing the crunching of bones, roaring and snarling!
