Kapama Blog
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Three is not a crowd
On one of our safari drives, we were extremely fortunate to experience something truly special. Not only did we come across the elusive leopard, but it was leopards mating…
Cats and Their Camouflage
Now that the bush has undergone its transition from its lush, green summer look to the various shades of winter browns, the cats that live out here gain the ultimate advantage. Camouflage!
This Is My Tree
There was no reason for the leopard to be alarmed but after about 5 minutes of lying down and watching them, he suddenly jumped up and went for them…
Night Drive In The Bush
We were driving along a particularly straight section of the road when I spotted a very strange looking creature about 50 m ahead slowly meandering down towards us. It took a couple of seconds for my mind to figure out the shape at that distance, but when I did my heart skipped a beat. Not able to control my excitement I hushed to my guests…
Elephants Being Elephants
This young elephant was only a couple of months old. It was being rather silly and excitedly ran between other members of the herd, then back to mom for some assurance and then back to the others once again.
World Giraffe Day
Today, Giraffes are considered vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (estimated population of +-100 000 individuals) with some subspecies listed as endangered.
Friends of the Badger
After the snack was complete the bird scurried along the ground before it took flight and that was the moment when we could 98% positively identify it!
The Kiss of Death
They are fast, large, agile snakes, highly venomous and very aggressive when threatened. This is not a snake you want to upset! They are the largest venomous snake in Africa and are blamed for numerous deaths. Any guesses what this snake might be?
Lilac Breasted Roller
Their name comes from their unique flight displays they perform. They will perform a fast, shallow dive from a considerable height with a rocking and rolling motion and a distinctive high-pitched vocalisation call.
Feeding Frenzy
It seemed no other animal had noticed it yet as the Buffalo carcass was in a very difficult spot in the middle of a muddy waterhole and really difficult to get to, unless you were happy to get wet and muddy.
Kapama Celebrates Winner of Rangers Photo Competition
Congratulations to our winning entries in the Kapama Private Game Reserve Ranger Wildlife Photography competition.
We received over 200 wildlife photos and choosing the winner was a tough decision.
Signs of Nature
That morning and during the day we had strong gusts of wind blowing. All the tracks would have been blown away or damage.
Unexpected Visitor
Just before we started to pack up my tracker – Vusi heard something. He went off to investigate further as to what might have made the noticeable noise. With the biggest smile, I had ever seen on Vusi’s face, excitement bouncing off him Vusi motioned for us to come over. It seemed we were in for a surprise that I never would have expected.
Harsh Times
Africa can be a harsh environment for animals. If there is little or limited rains, animals have to find a way to survive.
During these harsh times, animals need to discover ways to access as much water, nutrients and moisture as possible. Being out on a game drive can give you a front row seat to witness just how amazing nature can be!
The Basics of Wildlife Photography
Almost everyone who has and will visit Kapama Private Game Reserve for a Big Five safari has a camera, whether it is an entry level DSLR, a smart phone, a bridge camera or a mirrorless system. Going on safari is an incredible experience and many of us want to document and remember it by taking photos. So, I decided to put together a small piece on the basics of wildlife photography for those of you who are new to the world of photography and want to leave Kapama with great memories.
Most Wanted
From all my guest that I take on safari, one of the most asked question I get is:
Would it be possible to see the one eyed lion of Kapama?
There is no doubt that he is the most famous and an absolute icon – Our one-eyed lion. However, it’s extremely difficult to answer this question.
Seeing Spots
Of all the African animals, it seems the poor spotted hyena has the worst reputation. Various films and a place in the “Ugly 5” have only made this worse. One of the common defamations is that they are scavengers, stealing most of their food from more honourable species like Lions. Some claims have even been made that they dig up graves in search of human corpses. It’s high time someone stood up for these incredibly social and intelligent beings.
Use Your Senses
We moved into the area we thought the Impalas were making their distinctive alarm, in the hopes of catching a glimpse at what they themselves had caught sight of. They only alarm if they have seen a predator, so to see which direction they are looking will help us know which way to move forward on our drive. We didn’t see the Impala though. I became a bit worried that we had lost this opportunity.
Brothers In Arms
The next noise we heard was a bit closer. It was a small bello from an African Buffalo. This sparked a lot of interest in the Lions as they immediately got up and slowly started approaching the direction of the bellow.