As you well know, the whole country has been experiencing above average heat waves with little to no rain. That however didn’t stop us from having a fantastic month at Buffalo Thorn Lodge. The African bush remains a frenzy regardless of seasonal extremes. In the heat, the waterhole was the highlight with constant sightings of elephant and rhino as well as a huge number of plains game. Quenching thirst while staying alert is first nature to visitors at our waterholes. The eastern pride of lions were also frequent and welcome visitors at the lodge.
We also have some sad news. A female rhino was poached on Black Rhino’s western boundary. She had a year-old male calf that ran away when this despicable act occurred. A search for this little rhino ensued for days on end while he remained frightened, confused and understandably elusive. There were only two sightings of him over a two-week period. Unfortunately, he never joined up with any other rhinos, which made him a target for the eastern pride of lions given his age and marginal size.
We managed to find him early one morning which allowed us to mobilize the vet and the ground crew. We finally got to sedate him and move him to the rhino orphanage. It was a successful relocation and word is he is doing very well and adapting well to his new home and has already made some friends. Due to his elusive and secretive nature he was fittingly nicknamed Houdini.
March has also been a month with some weird and wonderful occurrences. Sightings of vultures were made, and a herd of Eland were spotted on the reserve. Our guests were also fortunate to witness a Leopard tortoise digging and laying eggs. Here are some highlights for the month of March:
With Winter approaching, we are looking forward to hosting you at Buffalo Thorn Lodge! Join us for a warm hot chocolate by the campfire.
Kindest bush regards
The BTL Team