Madikwe Moments Blog
Forest Farm residents enjoy their annual stay at Jaci’s
by Jaci's Lodges – 10 June 2011The highlight of the year for staff and residents of Forest Farm Centre (a residential home for adults with cerebral palsy) is their winter visit to Jaci’s Lodges – and this year was no different for the 17 visitors who made the annual trip to Madikwe.
Giant buffalo spotted in Madikwe
by Jaci's Lodges – 25 May 2011This past weekend, Jaci and Jan spotted a massive male buffalo while out on a drive in the Madikwe Game Reserve.
“He was part of a huge herd of about 300 disease-free buffalo,” said Jaci. “We saw them in the eastern corner of Madikwe Plains.”
Recycling is a win-win situation
by Deon de Villiers – 12 May 2011When I heard that there was a truck coming to Madikwe to collect an old, rusty car that had been lying in the bush for many years, I was quick to jump on the band wagon with a few of Jaci’s rangers to collect and recycle as much old scrap metal as possible. Years of walking safaris in Madikwe meant I had a good idea of where tons of old metal from the farming years had been lying, and now was a good time to put that memory to test and do a positive thing for Madikwe and our planet.
Night game drives are best for spotting the elusive genet
by Christine Marot – 5 May 2011Although less common than their cousin the civet, both the small-spotted genet (Genetta genetta) and the rusty or large-spotted genet (Genetta tigrina) are found in the more arid regions of South Africa.
Genets have tails as long as their bodies and boldly patterned, spotted and striped soft fur coats which afford the small animals excellent camouflage in their leafy forest habitat.
Jaci’s Tree Lodge featured online and in print!
by Christine Marot – 18 April 2011Jaci’s Tree Lodge has featured twice in the media of late, in the April 2010 issue of Getaway and in a recent TripAdvisor blog. The blog is featured below and you’ll catch the “Out on a limb” feature in the mag.
“I was in Johannesburg for business and wanted to see some of South Africa on the weekend. Based on recommendations from a colleague, I booked two nights at Jaci’s Tree Lodge.
Unexpected feast for a young crocodile
by Deon de Villiers – 18 April 2011When an impala ram died in the camp from injuries sustained in a wild dog attack, the easiest way to dispose of its body was to put it at the waterhole as a first-come, first-served meal for predators.
Lying right next to the water obviously meant that Madikwe’s favourite little crocodile had a head start, even though lions had been seen in close proximity that morning.
Jackals mate for life and strongly defend their territory
by Christine Marot – 14 April 2011Look out for the solitary black-backed jackal on the grasslands of Madikwe. It’s easy to spot courtesy of a distinctive mantle of black hair on its back, a feature that has earned the mammal its common name.
Jackals live singly or in pairs, but are occasionally found in loose family packs. Male and female mate for life and both mark and defend the boundaries of their territory.
The animals communicate by yipping and growling, but when they come upon a kill, a ululating howl alerts other members of the pack to the find.
Stealth is the secret weapon of the barn owl
by Christine Marot – 12 April 2011Known as isikhova in Xhosa, the ghost-like barn owl (Tyto alba) is characterised by golden-grey plumage offset by white underparts. It has a distinctive and beautiful heart-shaped face dominated by large black eyes.
Education is power
by Emmanuel Mekgwe, Assistant lodge manager – 4 April 2011We at Jaci’s Lodge recently took a group of schoolchildren from the surrounding area for a tour of the Madikwe game reserve. Most of the kids had no idea that the magnificent wildlife of Madikwe lies practically on their doorstep, and we wanted to show it to them. We also took the chance to educate them about the animals and eco-tourism.
Ostrich – the world’s largest bird and the world’s largest egg
by Matt van Onselen – 28 March 2011Ostriches are native to the more arid regions of South Africa, including Madikwe, where they forage for the plants that provide both food and water to sustain them.
Ostriches were not the only giant birds to have evolved, but similar-sized birds, such as the dodo, Elephant Bird and the Giant Moa bird, are now extinct. Ostriches therefore not only hold claim to the title of world’s largest bird, but they also have the largest eggs. They are about 15 centimetres long and the equivalent of roughly 24 chicken eggs. Although this would make a massive omelette for breakfast, the egg size is actually not that big when viewed relative to the size of an adult ostrich.
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