Information on ‘Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge’
Tree Squirrel
November 28th, 2011
(Paraxerus cepapi)
The tree squirrel are solitary or in pairs. They spend a large amount of time on the ground in search of food. When disturbed, they make great haste in retreating to the nearest tree.
Tree Squirrel
Posted in Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge | 
Tags: diet, holes, nests, solitary, squirrel, tree squirrel, trees
Water Mongoose
November 16th, 2011
(Atilax paludinosus)
Water mongoose are solitary, adept at digging and are good swimmers. They have well-developed cheek teeth for crushing crabs and beetles. Water mongoose emit a strong scent from an anal gland when disturbed. Additionally this gland is used to mark territories.
Posted in Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge |
Tags: body, dark brown, diet, gland, good swimmers, mongoose, solitary, water
Blue Wildebeest
November 8th, 2011
The blue Wildebeest are sociable animals. The bulls are highly territorial and stake out an area similar to that of a white rhinoceros. These Wildebeest create numerous ‘rolling grounds’ often depositing their dung thereon. These rolling grounds are usually in open areas providing good visibility for approaching carnivores.
Blue Wildebeest
Posted in Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge |
Tags: blue, blue wildebeest, diet, lions, snort, social, territorial, wildebeest
Impala
November 2nd, 2011
(Aepyceros melampus)
Impala have acute hearing and often frighten elephants by uttering loud snorts when alarmed by the approach of humans. Impala will often fight a great deal during the rutting season, emitting long drawn-out snorts. This preoccupation affects their vigilance and you can often pass by close without them being aware of your presence.
Impala
Posted in Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge |
Tags: baboons, graze, hearing, impala, lodge, scent glands, snorts
Lesser Bushbaby (Nagapie)
November 2nd, 2011
(Galago senegalensis)
These small creatures, as their Afrikaans name implies, have a shrill, plaintive call that sounds like a baby crying. They are nocturnal, occurring in pairs or singly and are widespread in distribution throughout the northern region above South Africa.
Bushbaby
Honey Badger
October 31st, 2011
(Mellivora capensis)
The Honey badger are widespread in Africa. Honey badgers are fearless, display considerable aggression and have a powerful bite. Their loose skin enables them to turn easily upon any threat that attempts to take hold of them. Additionally they will turn and attack humans and vehicles – they are best left alone.
Honey Badger
Porcupine
October 27th, 2011
(Hystrix africaeaustralis)
The porcupine is the largest African rodent, which has successfully adapted and has a wide habitat tolerance. It is disturbed throughout South Africa. The porcupine is armed with lethal quills which it rattles when confronted or alarmed. If this attempt fails it will attack in an odd sideways and backwards action, in attempt to impale their attacker. It should be noted that a porcupine does not shoot it’s quills. It’s principal enemies are the lion and the leopard, although they attack at their own peril.
Porcupine
Warthog
October 27th, 2011
(Phacochoerus aethiopicus)
Warthogs – gregarious, diurnal living in abandoned aardvark holes during the night, which they enter backwards as an escape and protective measure. They are fond of wallowing and rubbing mud-covered bodies on stumps, rocks and trunks of trees. Warthog have a habit of rooting for grass rhizomes which is usually, in many instances, the start of a wallow.
Warthog
Leopard
October 25th, 2011
(Panthera pardus)
Leopards are generally shy, solitary animals – cunning and far more silent than lion. They are expert climbers and are found in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to mountains, bushveld and desert. Heavily reduced throughout its range for it’s pelt although probably more common than initially believed. They live close to civilization and will, no doubt, be the last of the large Carnivore to hang on in a diminishing world of wildlife.
Leopard in a forest
Posted in Wildlife at Leopard Walk Lodge |
Tags: dangerous, diet, leopard. forest, panthera, prey, shy
Red Duiker
October 11th, 2011
(Cephalophus natalensis)
Red duiker
Red duiker live solitarily in dense forest and thickets. They defecate in communal middens and are probably territorial. They make a loud sneezing noise that might be an alarm signal. They eat fresh leaves, forbs and fallen fruit. Red dyiker are a protected red data species that have lost large amounts of habitat to agriculture. At Leopard Walk Lodge, within Suni-Ridge wildlife reserve, they find home in the sand forest and are readily seen in the vicinity of the accommodation and lodge areas.
Nyala
October 11th, 2011
(Tragelaphus angasii)
Visitors to Leopard Walk Lodge often enjoy viewing Nyala . This is one of the most beautiful antelope species that is to be found in South Africa. In fact, it is right in the environs where we are situated at false Bay Park (which now forms part of the Isimangaliso World Natural Heritage Site) where European scientists first discovered this antelope in South Africa – although local Zulu people would have already known about this strikingly colourful and stately animal.
Nyala Male
Suni Antelope
October 4th, 2011
(Neotragus moschatus zuluensis) Thomas, 1898
RED DATA SPECIES.
Leopard Walk Lodge is situated within the Suni-Ridge Sand Forest Park, Wildlife Reserve, where you may enjoy opportunities to view this tiny antelope.
Suni
Conservation measures at Suni-Ridge
Our reserve is named after the diminutive suni antelope which occurs here. The reserve was established to protect the sand forest ecology which is a habitat for suni.
