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The Animals of Marloth Park

The animals that wander freely around Marloth Park are undoubtedly the jewels in its crown. There are very few places in Africa where it is possible to have such close communion with so many animals of the African bush.

Giraffe

A Giraffe is an awesome animal. You will be struck dumb to be on foot, even 30 meters from a Giraffe. Revel in its colossal-ness and the quiet dignity of the tallest animal in the world. These giants will stare at you without blinking, as though they are trying to make a telepathic connection, and you will feel the tug at your insides that being this close to one of nature’s wonders will produce!

If you have spooked them by coming upon them suddenly, Giraffe will take off in a most ungainly gait, and even though it may look strange, they are capable of pretty high speeds. Being in the right place at the right time to see a Giraffe stooping to drink is an image you will never forget, and hopefully you are ready to capture this action on camera.

Giraffe and trees have worked out the rules of “engagement” to ensure the survival of both of them. Have you ever wondered why a Giraffe does not stick around at a tree with juicy leaves and simply eat till its full? Here is how it works: Trees know when their leaves are being eaten, how they know, we do not know yet! What we do know is that the tree being eaten moves tannins around and floods its leaves with these bitter chemicals, which the Giraffe does not like the taste of, so it moves on.

What is even more incredible is that the tree “communicates” with nearby trees of the same type. By the time that the Giraffe gets there, the tree has been forewarned and is already moving tannins to its leaves. The result is that that the Giraffe soon moves off to a different type of tree or one too far from the original tree to receive the warning, so it wanders all over to get enough food to sustain its great bulk.

The next time you see A Giraffe browsing, look at is gorgeous eyelashes and marvel at its incredible tongue. Not only is it very long, but it is also used to strip off the tiniest of leaves from the thorniest branches. These animals get involved in fierce fights over possession of females. You will be stunned at the fury of the head blows to their opponent. They sometimes fight till the death of one of the protagonists! Take a good look at the Giraffe, there is so much more to these giants than meet the eye.

Zebra

Along with Giraffe, Zebra shouts Africa more than any other animals! These “donkeys in pyjamas” are the friendliest of our big animals. They appear to enjoy human company and will approach remarkably close. They also have eyelashes that most women envy, and they have liquid brown eyes that seem to be able to see inside you.

You might have only ever heard the curious sound that a Zebra makes on TV, but in real life, hearing them for the first time might make you think that you are hearing a hysterical dog.

These animals are very intelligent and will very quickly memorise the sound of the bag or bucket that you use to feed them, so they will come closer already. Be forewarned though, these striped donkeys inflict terrible injuries on rivals in fights over the herd females, with their powerful jaws. Have you ever seen a Zebra without a tail? They bite each other’s tails off when they fight, and their powerful kicks can kill a lion!

As beautiful as they are, and as empathetic as they appear to be towards humans, always remember that they are wild animals, large wild animals!

Kudu

Meet the royalty of Marloth Park! There is no animal with the regal bearing of a big Kudu bull. Unlike other animals whose stare seems inquisitive, a Kudu stares at you to make sure you understand who’s the boss in this forest.

Despite their size, their colour and stripes camouflage them perfectly in the dappled forest shade. Those long spiral horns are deadly weapons, so be careful of too close an approach. They also use those deadly horns to break branches off trees to get to the tenderest leaves.

Never bend down to pick up any pellets that you might have dropped while feeding them. A Kudu would think that you are challenging it, and it might attack!

A sound you will hear often is the Kudu’s bark. It is given as a warning to others nearby of danger and it is a deep, loud bark, loud enough to make a big dog envious! The cows by contrast, are almost apologetic and have a very quizzical look. Whereas a Kudu bull will step into the road and “command” passing traffic to give him right of way with his sheer regal presence, Kudu cows almost beg to be allowed to cross the street. Drive carefully though, as they and other animals might suddenly decide to dash across the road, in the blink of an eye.

Blue Wildebeest

The Blue Wildebeest is an animal whose beaty grows on you the more you see of them. Their subtly striped, grey hides and those crazy curved horns are quite loveable actually. When they walk, their heads are lowered and they look like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The most surprizing thing about these animals is the peculiar bleating sound they make when they communicate with each other. It sounds like someone trying unsuccessfully to start a petrol driven chain saw!

Nyala

Consider yourself very lucky if you see a Nyala in Marloth Park, as they are very scarce. The problem is that we have a large, healthy population of Bushbuck in Marloth Park, and Bushbuck males aggressively defend their territories, so they fight to keep the Nyala out of Marloth Park.

Bushbuck

Most visitors will have close contact with these beautiful forest sprites. These animals seem most comfortable in close proximity to people. They are extremely territorial, so if you see one around the house, they are probably still going to be there next year and the year after! This animal also has a very load warning bark!

Impala

These two-toned beauties are almost everyone’s favourite antelope. Nothing says bushveld quite like a herd of Impala. And there isn’t a human alive whose heartstrings won’t be tugged by a nursery herd.

There is a softness about these animals that appeals to all of us. This is however deceiving, which you will discover when the males are competing for territories and females are in the annual rut. The snorts and growls that come out of these innocent looking animals can be quite startling, even if you have heard them before.

Duiker

Another of our small antelope species that seem to live in close proximity to people. They have such puppy dog faces and little wet noses to go with them. Unlike bushbuck, they will however not allow a close approach.

Baboons and Monkeys

Two of our resident species that provide the most entertainment, are the Baboons and Monkeys. Although being human like, their incredible acrobatic abilities can keep us enthralled for hours. There are dark sides to them too, especially Baboons! They are omnivorous and will eat anything they can catch. Look at those huge canine teeth, longer than a Leopards, to know what they are capable of.

The biggest problem they pose to us humans is that they will use any opportunity to get our food or into our homes. This is usually when people leave a window or door open that they are not watching, or when they leave the house on their way somewhere but forget to lock the doors. The mess and damage that a troop of Baboons or Monkeys can create in a house has to be seen to be believed.

When it comes to sneakiness though, Vervet Monkeys are way ahead of their bigger cousins. Any open door or window is an invitation to them, and they will sneak in before you even know it, even behind your back! They are also notorious for grabbing stuff that they can get their hands on, like keys or cell-phones, so rather leave your valuables inside when you see them in the vicinity!

Ostrich

These are truly huge birds and will dwarf grown men. For most of the year, these birds go about their business without drama, appearing to be tolerant of human presence. But when mating season comes around, the male of this species, silent for the rest of the year, develop a deep, booming voice. When you first hear it, you will swear it is a lion! (And you will break out in fearful sweat if you are near the source of the booming roars but can’t see what’s making them.) In breeding season, the shins of the male Ostriches turn from grey to bright red and during this time it’s best to stay far away from them. They will attack any human male, in fact, the males of any species, during the mating season.

You only need to take a look at the huge feet of an Ostrich, equipped with vicious claws, to understand how dangerous these birds can be! And on top of that, they have “claws” on their wings as well!

Sadly, it seems that there are no ostriches left in Marloth Park at the moment!

Mongoose

The two common Mongoose species you are likely to see in Marloth park are the Banded Mongoose and the Dwarf Mongoose. Both these species go around in groups, with the Banded Mongoose being more commonly seen in Marloth Park.

Like Monkeys, Mongoose are especially adept at spreading refuse all over the bush. Welded mesh “Baboon-proof” refuse bins are no barrier to these little animals. They simply rip the bags open and drag items out. (We do have a Municipal dumping site in Olifant Road.)

Bush Babies

The Bush Babies you are almost Guaranteed to see in Marloth Park any time from dusk, are the Lesser Bush Babies. These tiny little creatures with their huge eyes and bottle-brush tails are the most impressive athletes in the bush! They perform the most amazing leaps, out of all proportion to their size, as they jump from branch to branch and tree to tree.

They also show extraordinarily little fear of humans. It’s our night-time lights that attracts the insects that are their main prey, not our friendly faces. To see them up close, put out some banana or pawpaw. You can even entice them more by adding some unsweetened yogurt, but unsweetened only please.

They will easily take the banana right out of your hand if and when they feel like it. The bananas also attracts the attention of fruit bats, which gives you an opportunity to see these amazing animals up close as they fly by, trying to snatch banana pieces. On most evenings, the “chip, chip” clear call of the Bush Babies rings out in the unpolluted bushveld air.

The other Bush Baby species you might be lucky to see is the Thick-tailed Bush Baby. Much bigger, about the size of a domestic cat, it looks for all the world like a Lesser Bushy Baby that has let itself go on fast foods! It is far more laid back and less frenetic too! Instead of jumping around like its smaller cousins, it ambles along usually, although it is capable of great leaps as well. Generally looking relaxed, they tend to stare at us humans as though we owe them money!

The name of the two species comes from the Thick Tailed Busy Baby’s mournful cry, which must have sounded to early explores like a baby crying out there in the dark!

Genets

If you spend more than a night or two in Marloth Park, you are bound to see another one of our nocturnal hunters, either one of the two species of Genets that are common residents, the Greater-spotted Genet or the Lesser-spotted Genet. This is another animal that takes advantage of human dwellings.

Although very cat like in their appearance and movements, genets are related to Civets and Mongoose and not the cat family.

Bats

Beside the Brown and Russet fruit Bats mentioned already, the night sky is always full of tiny Free-tailed Bats, desperately trying to consume every out and about mosquito they can find, so they really are our friends.

There is absolutely NO truth to the myth that Bats get stuck in human hair, so there is no reason to be afraid of these useful animals. Their eyesight and sonar are both excellent, they do not fly into people!

Most of the little bats that flit around in our night skies, are Angolan Free-tailed Bats. It has been estimated that there are around 40 species of bats found in our area, and they make up almost an astonishing quarter of the mammal species found in Marloth Park.

Lizards

Marloth Park has a varied population of Lizards species, many which seem to be quite happy close to us humans. The most noticeable of these is the dinosaur-like Rock Monitor, very often encountered around houses in Marloth Park. Mostly around half a meter in length, they can grow to almost a meter. Our resident Snake Rescuer Juan De Beer says that they are capable of giving a nasty bite, so keep your distance at all times and rather contact him if one wanders into the house.

If you are lucky, you may also come across a Water Monitor, usually smaller and more brightly coloured. There are definitely fewer of them in Marloth Park than the Rock Monitors.

A common sight around the houses in Maroth Park is Plated Lizards. These little guys look like mini crocodiles with the pattern of scales on their backs. They will scuttle for cover when humans appear, but over time they become accustomed to us and much calmer.

Another lizard species that can be found all over Marloth Park is Agamas. Their most distinctive features are their rough scales and big heads. During the Agama mating season, male Agamas heads turn bright blue.

Flat Lizards also develop bright colours during their mating season, but it is usually their tails that get the bright colours. Flat Lizard males get into epic battles over territory and females.

Skinks can be found everywhere! They are an incredibly varied group of reptiles. Some species have rudimentary little legs and others no legs at all! These legless Skinks look just like little snakes, except that they do have eyelids and can actually wink at you!

Children of all ages have been fascinated by Flap-necked Chameleons since time immemorial! These slow-moving reptiles with their turret-like eyes that move independently from one another, and their ability to change colours, makes them stand-out favourites. Be alert when driving, they are often seen crossing our roads in slow, jerky movements when they are either bright green or so dark, they are almost black. (The dark colours show that the animal is stressed.) When they are targeting an insect for capture with their long, sticky tongues, those two eyes are laser focused on their prey, giving the Chameleon excellent binocular vision and thus depth perception. When they sleep at night, their skin becomes very pale, almost white, which makes them quite easy to spot with a torch.

Like almost everywhere in the country, Geckos are seen every night in Marloth Park, as they love the houses of people. They are strictly nocturnal and hide up under rocks during the day. Insects are attracted to our lights at night and Geckos will be found hunting around those lights every night. Geckos live exclusively on insects, including Mosquitos, so they are very handy to have around the house. Geckos, by the way, are the only Lizards to lay hard shelled eggs, so if you find any of these tiny, perfectly formed eggs, you will know who it belongs to. Geckos can also shed their tails to escape a predator and then grow a new one after that! At the end of their spinal cord in the tail, there is a control centre, a sort of mini brain. When the Gecko sheds its tail, this control centre takes over and causes the tail to wriggle, squirm and jump for up to 30 minutes, allowing the Gecko to escape!!

A big contribution of the bushveld night choir is Frogs. Frogs are a good indicator of an area’s ecological heath. Judging by the huge variety of species seen in Marloth Park, especially after rain, we’re not doing too badly in that regard!! Very likely to be seen are the Foam Nest Tree Frogs. They are the ones who produce those white “blobs” on branches overhanging water all over the park. Those “blobs” are their nests and when the little tadpoles hatch, they drop into the water to live out the next stage of their life cycle.

Frogs are often found around houses as they are nocturnal and hunt the insects that are attracted by our lights. There are two species that are a delight to find and looked at closely. One is the Bushveld Rain Frog. These little (40 to 50mm) frogs are almost perfectly round and have four short legs. They can’t hop, so they walk! When alarmed they puff themselves up like a puffer fish! The second one is the slightly bigger (50 to 60mm) Banded Rubber Frog. It is almost black, with red stripes and spots on its back.

Tortoises and Terrapins

Yes, they are also commonly found in Marloth Park, so look out for these fascinating reptiles that travel around with their houses on their back.

This is nowhere near a complete list of creatures you are likely to see in Marloth Park. The numbers of mammal, Reptile, Bird and Insect species found in the 3,000 ha of Marloth Park and Lionspruit is enormous! During your stay in Marloth Park, you are bound to meet some of our Insects, and even ones that you have never seen or even imagined. These can be quickly identified if you use a guidebook on insects or post a photo on the social media pages mentioned.

Enjoy your stay and the variety of experiences you will have, and above all, live and let live! Tread carefully wherever you go. Leave nothing but your footsteps, so that others might feel the same peace and awe that you did.