South Africa: Nature Walk and Giraffe Survey

Today Liam took us on a nature walk and introduced Nish and Lizzie to the various plants and trees on the reserve as well as some of the local wildlife. The Cape Turtle Dove was singing away, along with the Red-chested Cuckoo and the Black Cuckoo. The Hadeda Ibis makes more of a terrible screeching sound which makes you think that you are in some kind of Jurassic park film with pterodactyls flying around you. On top of the mountain we got introduced to a lone Blesbok. I named him Billy. The girls were also introduced to the infamous Shongololos (or millipedes as commonly known). These things are great. Their defence mechanism against attack is to secrete an iodine substance that puts predators off eating them. On our walk we practically walked into one of the Rhino mothers and her calf and then Liam had us scrambling about in the bush for a bit. Michael came with us and told us the story of why the Buffalo Thorn plant plays such an important part in Zulu ancestral culture, the Zulu name being UmPhafa, hence the name of the reserve.

After our morning walk we had a spot of lunch while Liam took Spike back to his new borrow (this is kind of a daily ritual now). After lunch we headed out to study the Giraffe. There is one that I particularly love and today he decided to play with a feather to a bit. We also saw a lot of Zebra next to them and I got a bit carried away with the camera again. After a while we had to get out of the truck and follow the Giraffe on foot. While we were standing watching them I heard something fall out of a tree next to me. It turned out to be a Girdled Lizard.

I convinced Nish and Lizzie to go on the staff run to get snack supplies from Fiji's. Today was a new record, twenty three people in the truck today. Was probably a bad suggestion on my part as it was a bit cramped, not to mention freezing cold as the weather changed to over-cast, and then on the way back rain. Well done me!