Page 17 - Kyalami Issue 1_2023

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NATURE

Thornybush Private Game

Reserve is situated in the

Timbavati region of the

greater Kruger National

Park with access to many

of Kruger Park’s mammal

species and over 400 bird

species.

ue and I joined other members of the Wits Bird
Club at Marula Camp, one of the many camps
in the reserve. It nestles in a grove of marula
Strees and has four very comfortable and well-
appointed air-conditioned chalets, each with a large
verandah and superb views of the bush. The swimming
pool and a sunken viewing hide at ground level with
Retz's-Helmet shrike the camp waterhole, are two additional features of the
A WEEKEND AWAY AT camp.

Game viewing is by means of a ten-seater safari vehicle
THORNYBUSH GAME RESERVE and on our first evening drive, our guide Lance Robinson
pointed out numerous bird species including Dark
Chanting Goshawk, Bateleur, a Wahlberg’s Eagle being
mobbed by Fork-tailed Drongos, as well as identifying
many birds by their call. We came across an old male
lion named Maposa, a popular and often seen resident
of the reserve, and who is unfortunately blind in one
eye. With the night closing in and the light fading fast,
we came upon a leopard in a tree and our driver advised
that this leopard also had a cub nearby. We decided to
come back to the same spot the next morning to try to
see both leopard and cub.

Just after sun up the next morning, we drove to the
same spot, and there on the ground to our great delight,
were both leopard and cub. The adult leopard was
chewing on what looked like the remains of an impala,
Maposa with the cub looking on enviously. We stayed at this site
for about half an hour, during which time both animals
posed nicely for the camera.

Later that morning Lance heard the call of a Thick-
billed Cuckoo and then saw a pair of them not far in
front of us. The Thick-billed Cuckoo is rarely seen in
Southern Africa and this was a lifer for the rest of us
on the vehicle. Other birds seen were African Barred
Owlet, Temminck’s Courser, Hammerkop, Black-bellied
Bustard, Black-headed Oriole and Violet backed
Starlings, to name just a few. On other drives around the
reserve, we came upon wild dogs, rhinoceros, another
leopard, a pride of lions, buffalo, elephant and many
antelope species. Other highlights included seeing a
honey badger run across the road in front of the vehicle
and while on a night drive, we all saw a spotted genet.

The various habitats in Thornybush include bushwillow-
marula woodland, riparian thicket, and thorny savannah
Wild dogs
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