Snack on the go

A big bull elephant having a snack on the go. Elephants are vegetarians; they eat leaves, bark, grass, roots, and even fruits. Although they eat a massive amount of food each day – up to 150 kg! – their digestive system doesn’t break it down very effectively. Elephant dung therefore still contains a lot of nutrients, which other animals make use of!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park

Beautiful male leopard

That moment when you drive over a bridge and look down into the eyes of a big male leopard… Pilanesberg hosts a good many leopard, but spotting them always seems to be a game of chance. I can tell you my hands shake every time I meet one of these magnificent creatures!
Photo taken in Pilanesberg National Park

Helmeted guineafowl

Guineafowls are such beautiful animals! I saw this one at the restaurant in Pilanesberg Centre, where it was eagerly waiting for any scraps. Guineafowls eat a large variety of foods, from seeds and fruits to insects, spiders and even small snakes – and apparently they don’t say no to fast food either!

Baby rhino

An adorable baby rhino resting in the shade. Rhinos spend their days and nights grazing, only resting during the hottest hours of the day. After birth, a baby rhino can walk within an hour. A rhino is born without a horn, but the front horn becomes visible within one or two months. The back horn starts growing when the calf is about a year old. The calf will stay with its mother for about three years before setting off on its own.

Klipspringer resting on a rock

One of my favorite animals since we first saw them in a zoo in the Netherlands. Klipspringer literally means ‘rock jumper’, and it is one of the things they do best. You can find them on rocky outcrops, although they are hard to spot because their coat blends in so well with the environment. Klipspringers are largely monogamous, and partners generally stay within five meters of each other. Females are generally a bit larger than the males, but only the males have short and spiky horns. Such a joy to find these in the wild!

Scrub hare grooming

An uncommon sighting of a scrub hare, grooming itself, during daytime. Usually, a hare will burrow a small hollow in the ground in which its body fits snugly. Lying flat, even predators cannot detect them because their color blends with the surroundings.