Rare Sightings in the Kruger National Park

Pangolin:

They are highly specialized and rare mammals that only eat ants and termites of specific species. They are expert diggers with long, strong claws capable of breaking open even the toughest termite mounds or hard pieces of bark that can conceal an ant colony. They have a long, sticky tongue which they use to lick up their prey, and they are mainly nocturnal animals, though they can become more diurnal during the winter months. During the day, they sleep for the most part of the day in an underground burrow or a thicket of shrubs and grasses.

The only pangolin present in South Africa is the Ground Pangolin, which is notoriously hard to spot due to its low profile, shy appearance, and efficient camouflage.

Aardwolf:

The Aardwolf has a yellowish-brown coat with many vertical black lines, a bushy, black-tipped tail, and a long, coarse, dark-haired line on its back that rises when it is threatened or afraid. The Aardwolf is 40-50 cm tall at the hip, 20-25 cm long at the tail, and 65-80 cm long from nose to tail, weighing 8 to 12 kg. It looks like a tiny Hyena with stripes.

The termite-eating Hyena is a unique species of Hyena. The aardwolf’s teeth, except for its canines, have deteriorated to mere pegs, incapable of even chewing meat because they are too well adapted to eating termites. It also has well-developed fangs, which it uses to protect its territories from other Aardwolves. The Aardwolf’s diet consists primarily of two species of termites, one of which goes dormant during the colder winter months, forcing the Aardwolf to turn to the other.

Suni:

The antelope rams are just 5 kg and stand only 350mm at the shoulders. Ewes are slightly heavier than rams, weighing 5.4 kilograms. Coat is light brown to chestnut in color, with a slight shading at the flanks. Inner legs and underparts are white. Their ears are wide and rounded, with an ashy-grey exterior and a pink inside. The rams are the only ones that have horns, which are short, straight, heavily ridged, and smooth pointed. This species has the largest pre-orbital scent glands in relation to body size of any African antelope.

Their gestation period is about 6 months. In the season, ewes give birth to a single fawn. Mothers return to suckle and groom their newborns, who are veiled in dense bush. The months of November to March are the busiest for births. Adults are significantly darker than newborns. Sunis feed mainly at dawn and dusk on the forest floor. It collects fallen leaves, fruits, and flowers that have been dislodged from trees.

Roan Antelope:

Adult males weigh up to 300kg and stand 1,5m tall; endangered species with a limited population of approximately 70 in Kruger; like sable antelope but with a smaller body, horns similar to the Sable, and distinctive white eye and muzzle patches; adult males weigh up to 300kg and stand 1,5m tall.

Graze at all hours of the day and night; live in herds of two to five; rarely leave their territory; strict male-dominant hierarchy.

Black Rhino:

Bulls, like White Rhino, create territories and are usually solitary, but cows and sub-adults may be social since females’ ranges overlap. With a gestation period of 15 to 16 months, a Black Rhino cow will give birth to one calf every 2.5 to 3 years. The calf will weigh between 35 and 50 kilograms (80 and 110 pounds) at birth and should be completely weaned by the age of two. A female can attain sexual maturity around the age of 4,5 to 5 years but will not give birth to her first calf until she is around 6,5 to 7 years old.

Until she has her first calf, she can form a small grouping with her mother. Only about 10–12 years old would a male be able to breed, and he will be able to assert and protect a territory that includes females.