Wild Life of the Kalahari

This morning as we left Urikaruus rest camp, we saw 3 cheetahs basking in the sun, between tall grass. We parked by the road and waited for a long time to see some action, but they just stretched a bit and lay down again. This made my day, because cheetahs are not easily spotted. Cheetahs are usually solitary, except when a mother is accompanied by her cubs. The cub mortality rate is high in the southern Kalahari savannah with predation and starvation the primary causes of death. Cheetah cubs are often killed by lions, but almost never eaten. Built for speed, they are able to chase down prey at speeds of over 75 km per hour.

A few kilometres on we saw a group of giraffe. There are now over 30 giraffe in the Kgalagadi Park – they always look so tall and stately!

The antelope here are truly magnificent animals. From the shy steenbok to the massive eland, all have found ways to adapt and survive in desert conditions. Many claim that the true king of the Kalahari is not the lion, but the gemsbok – an animal best designed to cope with such a harsh climate. The Kalahari antelope tend to have shiny, light-hued coats and hides to reflect the sun, and make use of water-saving mechanisms to help keep them cool. They cannot simply retreat into burrows to escape the heat of the day and every activity is geared towards conserving vital resources.

Off course - during the day’s trip from Urikaruus to Nossob Camp, we saw hundreds of Gemsbok. These large grazers can be seen in dunes and riverbeds. They do not need to drink water as they get all the moisture they need from a wide variety of food, including tsama melons and other succulent plants. They feed mainly at night when the moisture content of the plants is higher. Gemsbok have adapted well to the high temperatures of the Kalahari. They are able to raise their body temperature above that of the environment. The gemsbok calves throughout the year. These animals are some of my favourite, because this is their natural habitat, and they are not easily found in the rest of South Africa.

On more than 5 occasions, we spotted red hartebeest - they are predominantly grazers, often seen with herds of springbok or wildebeest. They are fast runners and, if approached by lions, are able to outrun them, thereby avoiding predation. Hartebeest drop their young in dense cover away from the herd, several weeks before the onset of the rains. By the time the young are weaned and ready to start grazing, the first fresh grass is available.

Everywhere in the lush grass, we would see the beautiful Springbok. They feed on a wide variety of grasses, shrubs, herbs and fruits. Being able to breed throughout the year allows all the springbok to lamb within a short period of each other and when the most food is available, usually between February and March in the Kalahari. The springbok’s familiar ‘pronking’ (short jump up in the air) is believed to be used as a signal to possible predators that the animal is fit and strong and would not make an easy catch.

Truly - this place has so much beauty to offer ……. Eland, red hartebeest, steenbok, blue wildebeest, jackal, brown hyena, African wild cat, bat-eared fox, leopard, lion ………. And a magnificent array of birds, birds of prey, snakes, lizards, reptiles and many more!!

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