|
Balule Nature Reserve
Balule Nature Reserve is a protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park as a member of the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR). As part of a wildlife conservation initiative, all fences separating APNR reserves – Balule, Timbavati, Klaserie, Umbabat, – and the Kruger National Park have been removed. The ecological benefits of this initiative have made the region a popular ecotourism destination and conservation efforts have ensured that the wildlife population includes all the Big Five game. History The Balule area of the Greater Kruger National Park initially consisted several separate fenced game farms. In the early 1990s, landowners decided to remove the fences separating their properties in aid of conservation in order to increase the grazing area for the local wildlife and to diversify the animal gene pool. By the end of the decade, most Balule landowners had joined in the venture creating a much l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bush Elephant
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body mass of up to . It is distributed across 37 African countries and inhabits forests, grasslands and woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. Since 2021, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is threatened foremost by habitat destruction, and in parts of its range also by poaching for meat and ivory. It is a social mammal, travelling in herds composed of cows and their offspring. Adult bulls usually live alone or in small bachelor groups. It is a herbivore, feeding on grasses, creepers, herbs, leaves, and bark. The menstrual cycle lasts three to four months, and females are pregnant for 22 months, the longest gestation period of any mammal. Taxonomy ''Elephas africanus'' was the scientific name proposed by Johann ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olifants River (Limpopo)
The Olifants River, Lepelle, iBhalule or Obalule ( af, Olifantsrivier; pt, Rio dos Elefantes) is a river in South Africa and Mozambique, a tributary of the Limpopo River. It falls into the Drainage Area B of the Drainage basins of South Africa. The historical area of the Pedi people, Sekhukhuneland, is located between the Olifants River and one of its largest tributaries, the Steelpoort River. Course The Olifants River has its origin between Breyten and Bethal, Mpumalanga Province. It flows north towards Limpopo Province through Witbank Dam and then the Loskop Dam and is forced east by the Transvaal Drakensberg, cutting through at the Abel Erasmus Pass and then flowing east further across the Lowveld to join with the Letaba River. It crosses into Gaza Province, Mozambique, after cutting through the Lebombo Mountains by way of the Olifants Gorge, becoming the ''Rio dos Elefantes'', and finally joining the Limpopo River after 40 km before it enters the Indian Oce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saddle-billed Stork
The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill (''Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis'') is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa. It is considered endangered in South Africa. It is a close relative of the widespread Asian and Australian black-necked stork, the only other member of the genus ''Ephippiorhynchus''. Description This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of , a length of and a wingspan. While heights published have been in the aforementioned narrow range, reportedly adult saddle-billed storks in captivity can attain a height of up to . The male of the species is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of , with a mean mass of . The female is usually between , with a mean mass of . Among the large storks, the saddle-billed broadly overlap in size with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Ground Hornbill
The southern ground hornbill (''Bucorvus leadbeateri''; formerly known as ''Bucorvus cafer'') is one of two species of ground hornbill, both of which are found solely within Africa, and is the largest species in the Bucerotiformes, hornbill order worldwide. It can be found in the southern regions of Africa, ranging from Kenya to South Africa. Within these regions, they inhabit both woodlands and savannas. The other species of the genus ''Bucorvus'' is the Abyssinian ground hornbill, ''B. abyssinicus''. Southern ground hornbills are carnivorous and hunt mostly on the ground. Their food ranges from insects to small animals. Their nests are often found in high tree cavities or other shallow cavities, such as rock holes in cliff faces. These birds are a long-lived species, having lifespans in the range of 50–60 years, and up to 70 in captivity. In relation to their long lives, they do not reach sexual maturity until 4–6 years old, and begin breeding around 10 years old. Their sex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kori Bustard
The kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori'') is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family, which all belong to the order Otidiformes and are restricted in distribution to the Old World. It is one of the four species (ranging from Africa to India to Australia) in the large-bodied genus '' Ardeotis''. In fact, the male kori bustard may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. This species, like most bustards, is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore. Male kori bustards, which can be more than twice as heavy as the female, attempt to breed with as many females as possible and then take no part in the raising of the young. The nest is a shallow hollow in the earth, often disguised by nearby obstructive objects such as trees. Taxonomy English naturalist William John Burchell described the kori bustard in 1822. The specific epithet ''kori'' is derived from the Tswana name for this bird – ''Kgori''. Two subspecies are currently re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martial Eagle
The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of the booted eagle subfamily ( Aquilinae), it has feathering over its tarsus. One of the largest and most powerful species of booted eagle, it is a fairly opportunistic predator that varies its prey selection between mammals, birds and reptiles. It is one of few eagle species known to hunt primarily from a high soar, by stooping on its quarry.Steyn, P. (1983). ''Birds of prey of southern Africa: Their identification and life histories''. Croom Helm, Beckenham (UK). 1983. An inhabitant of wooded belts of otherwise open savanna, this species has shown a precipitous decline in the last few centuries due to a variety of factors. The martial eagle is one of the most persecuted bird species in the world. Due to its habit of taking livestock an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pel's Fishing Owl
Pel's fishing owl (''Scotopelia peli'') is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae. The species is found in Africa and lives near rivers and lakes. It feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow moving rivers with large overhanging trees to roost and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees. Though as many as two eggs are laid, often only one chick is raised. Taxonomy The species' common and specific name honours Hendrik Severinus Pel, who was governor of the Dutch Gold Coast (now Ghana) from 1840 till 1850. Description Pel's fishing owl is one of the largest owl species in the world. Among the world's owls, it ranks as the fifth heaviest on average, the seventh longest in length and measured wing chord and fourth longest in mean wingspan, although not all large species have had measured wingspans.Weick, F. (2007). ''Owls (Strigiformes): annotated and illustrated checklist''. Springer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lappet-faced Vulture
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (''Torgos tracheliotos'') is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus ''Torgos''. It is not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures, and does not share the good sense of smell of some members of that group. The lappet-faced vulture was formerly considered monotypical, but now is separated into two subspecies. The nominate race lives throughout Africa. The subspecies ''T. t. negevensis'', differing considerably in appearance from African vultures (as described below) is endemic to the Arabian peninsula. Name The scientific name is Greek, meaning "Cartilage-eared Vulture" Distribution This species is patchily distributed through much of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, though it is absent from much of the central and western parts of the continent and declining elsewhere in its range. The l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lioness Balule
A lioness is a female lion. Lioness(es) may also refer to: Music * Lioness Records, a British record label * Lioness (band), a Canadian indie rock band ** ''Lioness'' (EP), their 2008 EP * ''Lioness'' (Sivert Høyem album), 2016 * ''Lioness'' (Beccy Cole album), 2018 * ''The Lioness'' (album), a 2000 album by Songs: Ohia, or its title song * '' Lioness: Hidden Treasures'', a 2011 posthumous compilation album by Amy Winehouse Sports teams United Kingdom *England women's national football team * England women's national rugby league team *Great Britain women's national rugby league team * Millwall Lionesses L.F.C., an English women's football club *London City Lionesses, an English women's football club Elsewhere *Argentina women's national field hockey team *Kenya women's national rugby sevens team Other uses * ''Lioness'' (film), a documentary about the American servicewomen in Iraq *Team Lioness, female teams of United States Marines during the Iraq War * ''The Lioness'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mopane
''Colophospermum mopane'', commonly called mopane, mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree in the legume family ( Fabaceae), that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus ''Colophospermum''. Its distinctive butterfly-shaped (bifoliate) leaf and thin seed pod make it easy to identify. In terms of human use it is, together with camel thorn and leadwood, one of the three regionally important firewood trees. Range and habit It is native to Southern Africa, including Southern Angola, Zambia, Southern Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa. It grows in alkaline (high lime content) soils which are shallow and not well drained. It also grows in alluvial soils (soil deposited by rivers). Where it occurs, it is often the dominant tree species, frequently forming homogeneous stands. In Northern South Africa a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sclerocarya Birrea
''Sclerocarya birrea'' ( grc, σκληρός , "hard", and , "nut", in reference to the stone inside the fleshy fruit), commonly known as the marula, is a medium-sized deciduous fruit-bearing tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa, the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa, the savanna woodlands of East Africa and Madagascar. Description The tree is a single stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown. It is characterised by a grey mottled bark. The tree grows up to 18 m tall mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands. The distribution of this species throughout Africa and Madagascar has followed the Bantu in their migrations. There is some evidence of human domestication of marula trees, as trees found on farm lands tend to have larger fruit size. The fruits, which ripen between December and March, have a light yellow skin (exocarp), with white flesh (mesocarp). They fall to the ground when unripe and green in colour, and then ripen to a yellow colour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senegalia Nigrescens
''Senegalia nigrescens'', the knobthorn, is a deciduous African tree, growing up to 18 m tall, that is found in savanna regions from West Africa to South Africa. The tree is resistant to drought, not resistant to frost and its hard wood is resistant to termites. Ecology Giraffes often browse on the flowers and foliage of this tree, while the seed pods and foliage are browsed on by a range of mammals, including elephants. Uses An ointment made from the roots has traditionally been used to treat convulsions. Gallery Acacia nigrescens, saamgestelde blare, Steenbokpan.jpg, Acacia nigrescens, bloeiwyse, Pretoria NBT.jpg, Acacia nigrescens, peule, Steenbokpan.jpg, Acacia nigrescens, knoppiesbas, Steenbokpan, a.jpg, References External links * * nigrescens Trees of Africa {{Mimosoideae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_03.jpg "Click for more on -> Bush Elephant")
_in_flight.jpg "Click for more on -> Martial Eagle")
_(33317710636).jpg "Click for more on -> Lappet-faced Vulture")
