April marks the move of our safari times to winter times, which gives guides and guests another hour of sleep before they wake up for their safari. We have had a sensational start to 2024 here at the Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve with some truly exceptional wildlife sightings over the past several months. However, from the rain perspective we have not been blessed enough until the end of April. Waterholes, gullies and vlei areas have been dry with not much wildlife and birdlife.
Morning and evening safaris have been just as eventful with giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, and many general game activities around the plains on the reserve and incredible lion’s sightings occupying Lake Kyle territory just south-east of the reserve. With the dry season slowly approaching, we expect to see even more wildlife activity over the coming months. As winter approaches, with no perennial river sources on the reserve, flora drop their leaves, creating ideal conditions for exceptional game viewing.
What makes this time of year at Safari Plains so appealing to so many? Well, a few things are at play. The warm summer temperatures have dropped to a point that in the early mornings, a fleeced jacket is essential while, in the evenings, a roaring fire draws our guests to its warmth. The summer rains, for the most part, are a thing of the past, yet the landscape still holds a lush, green vibrancy that complements the long rays of the sun at dusk and dawn.
Birdlife is plentiful as the migrants fatten themselves up for the long journey back north while the lambs and calves of the plains game have grown fast into young adolescents. With all the abundance that the rainy season brings, it certainly has its discomforts which slowly fall away as we dip into winter; the classical safari season.
Giraffes, the captivating wild animals with their iconic long necks, are among the most fascinating creatures on the reserve. They symbolize grace, allure, and remarkable adaptation. Let’s explore the charm of the giraffe world and understand why they are considered one of the most astounding creatures in the world.
Almost all mammals here at Safari Plains make sounds that we can recognize. Our lions roar, our elephants trumpet, and impalas ‘honk’ to name a few. But what sound do you think a giraffe makes? Giraffes are often the quiet ones in the family, but even though giraffes make very little sound, they can still talk to each other in a unique way.
Giraffe are highly social animals that live in herds of 10 to 12 members. Thus, it’s important that they are able to communicate. In the wild, a giraffe can direct other members’ attention to a potential danger; they stop whatever it is they’re doing, and, in unison, focus on their environment.
This form of communication without sound, is called non-verbal communication. They do it by paying attention to other members’ body posture and eyes, and sometimes by touching each other. During mating season, the males make coughing sounds to attract females. When young giraffes stray too far from their mothers, the mothers make hissing or whistling sounds to warn them about the lurking dangers.
Giraffes don’t just make short bursts of sound like the coughing, hissing and whistling I mentioned above. They can also produce long sustained vocalizations, almost like a humming sound. The intersting part is they only make them at night! It’s not like a snoring sound that other animals make, this is an organized sound, with a pattern.
Perharps this humming sound is useful for giraffes to signal other members in the dark. It’s one giraffe saying to another, “I can’t see you, but I’m here with you.” Isn’t that sweet?
Giraffes are mammals of few words, but they care about each other a lot. Book and join us on safari here at Safari Plains and meet these magnificent gentle creatures.
Zebra uses their stripes as camouflage when they’re in a large group to mislead predators by making it difficult to distinguish individual zebras from one another. Zebras are sometimes referred to as a herd, but a more common collective noun for them is a dazzle of zebras
At some point midway through the morning safari, we interrupt the activity by finding a suitable place to stop for some coffee, a time to stretch our legs. The morning coffee stop has a selection of teas, hot chocolate, filter coffee, and if you are feeling up to it the infamous bush coffee – coffee with hot chocolate and Amarula cream liqueur, a liqueur made from the fruits of marula trees that often decorate the horizon.
Sunrises unveil spectacular displays of light, their warmth becoming even more spectacular as the sun emerges over the horizon at dawn.
I must say I am inspired by nature every day when I am out on a safari with my guests. However, nature is not just our inspiration; it is our greatest teacher. What lesson will you take away from your next encounter with the natural world at Safari Plains?
Until next time…
From Isaiah Banda & Mabula family.
Safari Greetings.