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News from Zululand
The Leopard Project proved to be extremely successful, with eleven photographed leopards, two of which are cubs, we are extremely excited to be able to get this information.
Over and above the leopard information, Shannon was able to get a lot of extra information on other various species on the Zululand Rhino reserve. The Black Backed Jackal population is thriving on the ZRR, as is the Serval population. A number of the photos taken included spotted hyena. Brown Hyena was photographed slightly less. Caracal was caught on camera a number of times, and ample photographs were taken of many other animals.
Bush Cuisine
Rosemary and Red Wine Sauce
This Sauce is lovely with lamb! But can be used for other red meat dishes as well...especially venison.
Ingredients:
1 Onion, Chopped Fine
1 Tsp Crushed Garlic
1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Tbsp fresh Rosemary (Dried Rosemary ma also be used)
¾ Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Soya Sauce
Maizena (corn flour) to thicken
Method
Fry Onion and Garlic in oil.
Stir until Onion is cooked then add Rosemary, stir.
Add Red Wine and Soya Sauce, cook until onion changes colour.
Add maizena to thicken.
Stir continuously
Have you ever wondered….?
Is the cheetah a true cat?
For all intents and purposes, and based on current classification, yes. A lot of people believe the cheetah to be a non-cat or more closely related to dogs. This belief, a definite fallacy, stems from the firmly entrenched notion among laymen that if an animal has claws or nails that stay out, it is a dog, and if they are sheathed it is a cat. This is of course a simple conclusion to reach if one bases the theory on domestic animals, but it is incorrect.
Animals are classified at family level by fundamental skeletal feature, with lesser physical and behavioural characteristics determining affiliations in subfamilies and genera – although DNA sampling techniques have largely superseded this.
In fact, cheetah claws are moveable; they are protractile as those of other cats, just to a slightly lesser extent, and the major difference is that they are uncovered. This is an adaption to their lifestyle – they need to run their prey down, and the claws that stay out help give them grip to turn at speed.
The cheetah’s uniqueness in the cat family does mean that it is placed in a different genus called Acinonyx, thus the cheetah is not as closely related to other cats as they are to one another.
Written with the help of “Beat about the Bush by Trevor Carnaby
Naboom Euphorbia
Euphorbia Ingens
This tree belongs to a most unusual group of plants which in ancient times was named in honour of Euphorbus, physician to King Juba of Mauritania. It is a succulent that grows in the warmer parts of the South African Continent.
It grows singly or in groups and stands out in any surroundings. Unlike other species of Euphorbia, the lower branches do not die down with age; they lengthen and rebranch, giving the tree a dense, globular crown.
The juice or sap of the Naboom is a milky latex and will blister delicate skin, a drop in the eye causes severe pain, and could even lead to blindness.
Long Crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalus
This Eagle’s comically long crest, dark brown plumage and piercing yellow eyes render it unmistakable. In flight it shows white windows at the base of the primaries and the tail is well barred with a broad sub terminal band.
Males have white leggings and a longer crest than females; females have brown or brown and white mottled leggings. Immature are similar to the adults but have a shorter crest and a greyish eye.
Funny Bones
I have Contacts
A policeman pulled a female driver over and asked to see her license.
After looking it over, he said to her, “Lady, it stipulates here on your license that you should be wearing glasses.”
“Well, I have contacts,” the woman replied.
“Look lady, I don’t care who you know,” snapped the officer. “You’re getting a ticket.”.
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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 May competition! The winner of our Leopard Mountain competition for May is Jess Hallgren 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:
You’ll find me on ground,
Or in a tree
Assassin beetles pick on me.
If you touch me I curl up
To save my life with some luck.
With millions of feet
I don’t have much meat.
See me you’ll squirm
I’m a lot like a worm.
What am I?
A Millipede
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 July 2009 terms & conditions apply):
This month’s competition:
I’m flat and I’m quick,
I fit under a brick.
Mating is a dance,
Don’t take a chance.
You’ll also see me in the sky,
Usually I’m quite shy.
I can cause a lot of pain,
Though I don’t really live up to my killing name.
What am I?
Stand another chance to win yourself and a partner a night at the lodge…Send no more than 2 of your favourite Leopard Mountain holiday photos to
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to see if your is the best.
This competition is running until the 31st of December 2009, winner will be announced February 2010.
News from the Lodge
This month we say a sad good bye to Sandy, she has been with us for more than a year and will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best with her big move to the U.K.
Linda is also leaving us in the month of July, she has been with us almost a year, we will miss her and wish her all the best.
“As with all things, Leopard Mountain has to grow with the times and so we are proud to announce that we have also entered the Face Book generation. Kim has created the “Leopard Mountain Game Lodge” group and regular specials, competitions and news from the lodge and the reserve will be posted there for all to see. If you are a past guest or staff member, feel free to post your pics or memories onto the site.”
Click here to have a look at our online gallery of Leopard Mountain Lodge!
Best guest comments of the month:
Everything was so special – so good for the soul, such a happy family! Drives were fab – Ellies were amazing, food outstanding. THANK YOU!!
You guys knock the spots off many other reserves. We had a wonderful time & will recommend you to friends.
Another brilliant stay – and with many many special moments! Thank you to all the staff.
Thought for the month:
“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -Audrey Hepburn
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