As you step out of your vehicle on arriving at your Kudu home, you may be fortunate enough to startle a warthog family who have taken up residence in your absence or the Shelley’s Francolin may fly out of their roosting spot in your thatch. We have over 30 species of game resident here and what better way to raise a family than to allow them to be a part of a natural world that is so rare to find during the course of our commercial pursuits. A night spent on Kudu is enough to iron out the kinks and stresses of our busy lives. And if you can spare the time for a few days on the farm you are sure to spot herbivores, large and small. Grazers such as Rhino, Zebra and Buffalo can be seen or the more selective Blue Wildebeest, Impala and Sable.
Among the trees as you traverse the farm in your open game vehicle you are sure to come across the Giraffe families with their young, peacefully browsing or lying in the veld in the early morning. And of course you will spot Kudu bulls with their magnificent horns as well as groups of females and their young. More difficult to spot are Klipspringers, Nyala and Waterbuck as well as the elusive Mountain Reedbuck. But if you are in the right habitat at the right time they make for those special moments that make great campfire stories. And if you can add Honey Badger, Dwarf Mongoose, Dassies and Spring Hares to your list you will speak about them to friends and family for years.
As the sun starts setting, take a hamper with sundowners, head out for the Wetlands or the Boomplaats plains and prepare yourself for spotting nocturnal animals that begin to stretch and yawn as they set off on their night’s adventures. If you are quiet and resist the temptation to blind them with spotlights, you may have the privilege of seeing Leopard, Brown Hyena, Civet, Serval and Genet. Over on the western side of the farm as you make your way through the Buffalo enclosure on your way to George’s View you may see Caracal, Ardvark and most rarely, the Aardwolf. You are sure to return to your evening dinner, quietly assured that you are part of a very special place.
REPTILES
Many people get the shudders when they think of snakes, and other things that go slither in the night. But stop and think how amazing it is that your resident giant Gecko keeps your home free of mosquitoes and that Kudu is home to a rich diversity of reptiles such as Tortoise and Monitor Lizard. It is fun to come across a Chameleon or a Terrapin in the dams and look out for Puff Adder or Black Mamba. It is a reminder to take care in the bush as we are in their territory and to step gently on the earth taking care to leave only your footprints behind. African Rock Pythons can sometimes be spotted lazily winding their way through a dam, or watching a Boomslang raid Weaver nests brings home the reality that each species is dependent on another on this ecologically fascinating farm.
INSECTS
There are a lot of insects in the world. That is for sure. And because the farm borders the highveld and the lowveld Kudu is home to many of them. Just leave the lights on your stoep on for a while and a million species seem to be attracted all at once to participate in a suicide mission. Look carefully, there are myriads of stunningly beautiful moths, strange bugs and on a balmy evening your lavender tree will be lit up with fireflies. The butterflies that have been spotted on the farm are among the most beautiful in the world. And what would a hot summer's day in Africa be like without the accompanying chorus of cicadas, grasshoppers and crickets?
SCORPIONS AND SPIDERS
There is a dangerous scorpion and a harmless scorpion. It is good to know the difference and on Kudu we strive to become bush-wise and to encourage all to have a healthy respect for the more dangerous species on the farm. The harmless scorpion has large pincers and a small sting. If you are unfortunate enough to be stung by the dangerous variety you will require anti venom. To recognise it, look for the small pincers and large sting. There are 6000 species of spider in Southern Africa. Many of them can be found on Kudu. Web trails catch the early morning light and can make the veld look quite beautiful. The harmless Golden Orb is most notable for its strong yellow web that is spun between trees.
BIRDS
Kudu Game Ranch is a Twitcher’s paradise and there is a regular column in Kudu Chronicles our online magazine that will highlight the habitat, sounds and appearance of the birds that live on the farm. Over 300 species of have been identified on Kudu so far and many migratory birds are also attracted to the forests, wetlands and bushveld. Get out there with your binoculars and a good birding book and spot 8 species of Kingfisher, 5 species of Woodpecker. Raptors such as the African Crowned Eagle can be seen nesting on the way down to Hippo Pools and Verreaux’s Eagle and the Lizard Buzzard can be seen circling in the skies. White Backed Vultures are attracted to the vulture pantry on Boompaats. While hiking the riverine trails you may spot a Nerina Trogan or the African Finfoot along the Dorps River. And what would our early morning wake-up call on the farm be without the friendly Chats, Arrow-marked Babblers and Francolins adding their calls to the dawn chorus?
