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News from Zululand
"Seasons" Greetings from Leopard Mountain... We write to you from a very hot and sunny Zululand. No need for jerseys anymore, just a lot of 30+ sun screen lotion. With temperatures reaching a high of 38 degrees Celsius on a regular basis, one can never be too careful.
It has been an exciting year for the Zululand Rhino Reserve, with the birth of our first elephant calf to be conceived on the reserve, birth of black & white rhino and the start of the Leopard Project, which Shannon Chapman has written us a short piece about:
The Northern Zululand Leopard Project was initiated by the Honorary Officers of Kwa Zulu Natal Nature Conservation Services, who felt there was a need to understand the dynamics of the local leopard population in the Kwa Zulu Natal area. Although the IUCN does not list leopards as a threatened species it is a protected species according to CITES. Due to the elusive nature of leopards, very little is known about localized populations. It is known that leopard populations are under very heavy pressure both from legal hunting and destruction permits and from illegal poaching pressures.
The goal of the Northern Zululand Leopard Project is to provide accurate population density estimates in areas throughout northern Zululand. This is accomplished through the use of remote camera traps which capture images of individuals that are used to provide positive identification. Using the number and frequency of the positive identification of individual leopards, we are able to statistically calculate an accurate population density for a sampled area. Using these figures we can begin to understand how well the leopard population is doing over the greater area, areas of high pressure and risk to the animals, and changes in the population through time whether due to natural or unnatural pressures. The identification of individuals will also help in the monitoring of existing populations and limit the number of leopards that are able to slip unnoticed into the hands of poachers.
Thus far, the project has had a successful trial run in Thanda Private Game Reserve and is currently implementing our first full-scale population survey inside the Zululand Rhino Reserve. During the trial phase in the ZRR we were able to identify at least five individuals-two adult males, two adult females and a cub. We hope that our initial success carries over into the full scale survey. If you would like more information or are interested in becoming a sponsor for the Leopard Project please email Shannon at
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Bush Cuisine
Meringue Trifle
This is a lovely recipe to share at the Christmas table...Enjoy!!!
1kg Mixed Fruit (gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, apricots)
175g Castor Sugar
225g Sweet Biscuits
3 Tablespoons maraschino or cherry brandy
250 ml Milk
6 Tablespoons Single cream
1 ½ Tablespoons Custard powder
4 Egg whites
Method
Wash the fruit. Remove stalks, stones and skin, then chop or slice as necessary. Put in a large, ovenproof dish and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of the sugar. Lay the biscuits over the fruit and sprinkle with the liqueur to moisten. Heat almost all the milk in a saucepan with the cream and 4 tablespoons of the remaining sugar. Mix the reserved milk with the custard powder, then pour on the hot milk. Stir well and return to the saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring all the time, and simmer until frothy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking until stiff. Pile over the trifle and bake in a moderate oven (180ºC) for 8 – 10 minutes, until the meringue is set. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 4-6.
Have you ever wondered....?
Why do Zebra's have stripes?
(Please note that only the Burchell's Zebra is discussed here)
No one has ever or will ever know for sure, although, most theories with regard to the reasons for their unique striping revolve around camouflage & defense.
The most popular theory is that predators without colour vision find Zebras visually difficult to isolate when they are bunched in groups. The stripes tend to blur the individual body outlines – also believed to be one of the reasons you seldom see lone zebras. Another theory is that the stripes make it easier for individuals to see one another in poor conditions.
However general zebra behavior does not support many of these theories. They prefer to be conspicuous, resulting in them becoming a tempting target.
After years of study the question remains unanswered, but one interesting phenomenon has become apparent. There is a greater concentration of capillaries below the black stripes than the white stripes This pressure gradient causes cooler air to flow from the white stripes to the black stripes. These cool "winds' help to cool the blood and to dissipate heat from the black stripes. A big negative of stripes is that they are more attractive to flies for some reason. In an effort to chase flies away, zebra tend to sway their tails more actively than bovids.
Why do zebras often look dirty?
The coat is very seldom snow white, rather having pale hues of brown that are more prominent near the rear. Zebra love to dust bathe, and this obviously tarnishes the clean white stripes.
Although certain individuals, particularly foals have a brownish tinge to the coat which possibly helps with camouflage, this is the exception. Browning coats are usually the result of staining be clay soils or those high in iron oxide, especially after rains. Some of these soils take a long time to wash out. The brown stripes on top of the white stripes on the flanks and the rear of many zebras are not, however caused by dust bathing but by natural pigmentation in the hair. They are called 'shadow stripes'. The zebra is one of the few animals that roll over entirely when dust bathing. Most others roll on one side at a time with the spinal areas usually remaining uncovered. Zebras will also scratch against objects like trees which may temporarily discolour the coat. Fine dust penetrates the coat better and is probably, therefore, more effective for smothering and dislodging ecto – parasites – the primary function of dust bathing.
Why do some zebras have no tail?
Individuals with stumpy tails are invariably stallions that have had some part of the tail bitten off by other stallions in fights over mares, or during fights in bachelor herds.
Most people assume that the zebra has had a close encounter with a predator and was lucky to escape. Zebras that have had such escapes tend to have deep gashes from the predators' claws on their flanks. Zebra stallions are not territorial, but set about establishing a harem by stealing young females one by one from stallions with existing herds. The resultant skirmish between the males can be very aggressive, with both individuals rearing, and trying to bite each other on the neck, ears, legs and tail. They also often drop to heir knees and attempt to bite the ankles. The incisor rows of teeth in both jaws are formidable and, together with the large canines, are used as weapons during combat. If the timing is right, an appendage is easily lost or severely mauled. The tail is usually bitten off when the stallion bolts & runs off with the other in pursuit. Use of the tail as a deterrent to flies is sorely missed. These encounters can also happen within established herds between dominant and subordinate males.
News from our Rangers
Summer is always such a fresh and prolific time of year. Our resident red winged starlings have had chicks, chirping away from dusk to dawn. We are welcoming all the summer resident birds to the farm and the blue wildebeest as well as warthog are proud to include the little ones to their families.
There have been many spectacular sightings of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. The hide has been crawling with activity, a tortoise as well as a Pygmy Kingfisher took a bath in the water, dark backed weavers building their nests at the entrance at the hide and of course the always entertaining warthog taking a mud bath. Other sightings have included an African Python, Giant plated lizard and a very strange insect called a mole cricket. This cricket looks like a mixture between a dung beetle, normal cricket and spider, now there's something you don't see every day...
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Ispidina picta
This petite bird has been blessed with strikingly beautiful colouration. Smaller than a sparrow, it is the smallest of all Kingfishers in South Africa. They often go unnoticed as they perch on the lower branches of trees or bushes. They are common summer residents in South Africa, and are neither dependant on fish nor water, eating mostly insects, but also frogs & lizards.
They nest in tunnels and banks, or even in the roofs of warthog & ant burrows near the entrance.
They are monogamous, and there is no difference between the males & females.
Wild Pear Dombeya
Dombeya rotundifolia
This tree is a telltale sign of spring, being the first tree to flower as soon as spring has sprung. Rotundifolia refers to the big round leaves that appear after the cream coloured flowers have disappeared. The leaves are rigidly covered by coarse hairs, giving the leaves a sandpapery feel. Many butterflies are attracted to the flowers, and the caterpillars of three species eat the leaves.
Funny Bones
A man told the ringmaster that he was interested in joining
the circus as a lion tamer. The ringmaster asked if he had
any experience.
"Why, yes. My father was one of the most famous lion tamers
in the world, and he taught me everything he knew."
"Really?" said the ringmaster. "Did he teach you how to make
a lion jump through a flaming hoop?"
"Yes he did," the man replied.
"And did he teach you how to have six lions form a pyramid?"
"Yes he did," the man replied.
"And have you ever stuck your head in a lion's mouth?"
"Just once," the man replied.
The ringmaster asked, "Why only once?"
And the man said, "I was looking for my father."
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Feel free to drop us an email with your favorite jokes to add into future newsletters. You can send them to
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Brain Teaser
Thank you to everyone who responded to our November competition! The winner of our Leopard Mountain competition for November is Diane McEwen! Congratulations - you have won yourself and a partner a free night at the lodge including dinner, bed & breakfast as well as game drives!
Last Month's competition was:
My tail strong
And my body long
I bask in the sun,
You'll see me and run.
Carnivorous my diet
On land, or in water I'm quiet
With knobbly skin,
I look like I grin.
What am I?
A Crocodile
.........You could be the lucky person to win yourself and a partner a free night including dinner, bed & breakfast and game drives at the lodge. Simply answer the riddle below to be entered in our lucky draw and email us the answer to
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(competition closes 20th January 2009 terms & conditions apply):
This month's competition:
I'm big and bulky
I like to soak
I get angry when provoked
Grass is what I eat
Lots & lots, it's such a treat
I can run under water and on land
Fast, yes fast with my big feet
My mouth opens up wide
You see my teeth and take a stride
With little ears and little eyes
My aggression comes as a big surprise.
What am I?
News from the Lodge
We had a wonderful sighting at the lodge just this week. One of the girls was walking down to chalet number 6, when suddenly we heard a loud shriek and another girl running towards the office calling us. We quickly jumped to the occurrence to find one of the biggest rock monitors I have personally ever encountered in the long grass. Obviously a bit frightened by all of us, he quickly made a run for it towards the boma area, crashing through the bush, sounding more like an elephant than a reptile. He sat looking at us from across the boma, on the other side of the wall, and next minute he bolts over the wall, falling from the short wall onto the step, doing a double flip and disappearing to the buffet hut. We could hear him crashing through the lanterns, glass breaking and chairs falling. He managed to get all the way to the other side of the hut and curled himself up in a corner. We had a quick look close by and then left the startled monitor lizard to find his own way out again and disappear back in to the natural surroundings he is familiar to.
Rock monitors can inflict a painful bite, but is not poisonous.
Click here to have a look at our online gallery of Leopard Mountain Lodge!
Best guest comments of the month:
Thanks for an awesome stay, this place is fantastic! And the staff are really wonderful people! THANK YOU! We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed the great times we spent here. THANK YOU!
Totally Amazing! Fantastic view, peaceful and relaxing. Staff took great care of us!
Our sincere thanks to all of you for providing us with such a fantastic introduction to wildlife safaris. Everyone was really pleasant and helpful and nothing was ever too much trouble. I could write volumes – but need to leave space for others.
The Boikanyo Foundation
Since it's the time for giving why don't u spend a few minutes and a small amount making a donation to The Boikanyo Foundation. The foundation raises funds for paediatric cardiac surgery at Johannesburg General Hospital for underpriveledged children. Please visit www.boikanyo.org for more information. Any amount will help... :-) |
