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 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!
