Kapama Blog
Join us as we explore the wildlife, camps and culture on the reserve
Cape buffalo
Buffalo are known to kill lions when lions try to hunt them and even go out of their way to charge and mob lions to make sure they are chased out of the area where there are small calves.
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.
The Circle of Life
, I almost drove straight past a female giraffe. You might not think this very exciting, but what I did not notice at first was that she had a small calf with her. As we got closer I noticed it was possibly the smallest calf I had ever seen. It was so small in comparison to his mom it barely came to the height of her belly to suckle.
An Elephant Parade
They came to a small ridge that they needed to cross to continue with their march. A few of the older and bigger elephants causally and gracefully stepped up over ridge with ease and agility.
Taking Flight
It was not long after discovering this wonderful nest hat we noticed there were 3 small eggs inside. This Dark-Capped Bulbul was getting ready to experience motherhood and her perfectly weaved nest would be home for her little ones for 2 weeks at least.
Leopard Cubs Spotted
The Leopard is probably the most desired animal to be seen when out on a game drive but yet is the most difficult animal to find. They can be incredibly elusive at times and hide very well with extremely good camouflage. Not to mention they love to keep to themselves. We left Buffalo Camp for our morning safari, which in the summer time starts at around 6 am. We were extremely lucky and came across a female Leopard with her 2 cubs shortly into our drive.
The Little Jackal that Could
The black-backed jackal is an opportunistic scavenger and predator. It will take food that is both abundant and easy to acquire, but it can also hunt for its own prey. On this particular day, I think the jackal thought Christmas had come early, with the huge carcass of this giraffe lying there for the taking, just for him. Or so he thought…!
Growing Up Wild
But now we are beginning to experience a spectacular change of seasons, with temperatures already soaring into the high 30’s. The rain has teased us with a few scattered showers and babies can be seen around almost every corner!