Page 16 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 7 August 2024

NATURE
Juvinile Gabar Goshawk
WINTER IN THE

PILANESBERG

Give the gift of invention

in special edition Blue Blush

Cheetah
Dyson.co.za

Young male lions

The Pilanesberg is the closest wildlife reserve to

Johannesburg where one can observe the Big 5 as well
as many other interesting mammal and bird species.

TEXT & IMAGES: ANTHONY CAVANAUGH Brown Hyena

ue and I usually visit the er and numerous African Fish
Pilanesberg twice every year, Eagles. Being winter, we didn’t
once in winter and once in expect to see too many rap-
summer. Our timeshare at tors but notable sightings
SBakubung Lodge never dis- included a juvenile Gabar
sapoints, regardless of the climate. Goshawk, Spotted Eagle
Owl, Pearl Spotted Owlet
Winter is an ideal time to observe lions and a number of Black-
in a game reserve as, in the cooler winged Kites. Bushveld
weather, lions tend to be more active birds seen included Kori
during daylight hours whereas, in the Bustard, Jameson’s Firefinch,
heat of summer, one tends to see them Neddicky, Red-billed Oxpeck-
only snoozing under the shade of a er, White-throated Robin Chat,
tree. In June, we were very fortunate to Green-winged Pytilia, and the
see different prides of lions every day, Black-Backed Jackal magnificent Violet-eared Waxbill.
and all very close to the road. Indeed,
just north of the Pilanesberg centre we Not many cheetahs currently inhabit
came across lions at a kill (wildebeest) park are in a poor state and one has the Pilanesberg, as the open savannah
that was only some 3m off the road. to be aware of the many potholes in terrain favoured by cheetahs is largely
Four Black-backed jackals suddenly ap- the tarred sections. Some of the gravel lacking in the reserve. Nevertheless,
peared on the periphery of the kill and roads too have been badly rutted by we were fortunate to come upon
squabbled over scraps while keeping a the heavy rains that fell earlier this four cheetahs beside the road only
safe distance from the feeding lions. As year. The Legacy Group that owns both a kilometre from Kwa Maritane and
we left the scene of the kill, a leopard Bakubung Lodge and Kwa Maritane were able to take photos before they
ran across the road in front of us. Other has been in discussion with North totally concealed themselves in the
lion sightings were at Batlhako Dam West Parks on ways to improve the tall grass.
and along Kubu Drive, while we had a roads, and one hopes that decisive
second leopard sighting in a tree not far action is taken soon to rectify this Other excellent mammal sightings
from the road leading to Ratlhogo Hide. problem. The numerous dams, howev- included brown hyena, springbok,
er, have benefitted from the good rains steenbok, and slender mongoose. The
Rhinos in the Pilanesberg have been and are at high levels last seen many once abundant red hartebeest and
dehorned as a deterrent against years ago. tsessebe were very few in number, no
poaching and a spotter plane was doubt with many having fallen prey to
often seen flying low over the reserve Interesting bird sightings on and the many lions in the park. Elephants
as a further deterrent against illegal around the dams included African are plentiful in the Pilanesberg and
activities within the confines of the Black duck, Red-billed Teal, Glossy it was heart-warming to see so many
reserve. Several of the roads in the Ibis, Cape Shoveler, Giant Kingfish- white rhinos with calves.

14 DPL issue 7 2024
16 DPL issue 1 2024 Stockist: @Home, Hirsch’s, Takealot, Superbalist, ARC, Woolworths & Edgars