November Rangers Digest

With the dawn of the year peeping over the horizon, there is a huge amount to reflect on at Buffalo Thorn Lodge. From the amazing rain at the outset of 2023 (which backed our wildlife through another typically rough winter), to the immense fires that ravaged through the greater Pilanesberg National Park. The Pilanesberg still faces immense challenges, the least of which are not financial, as they seek to re-build and re-gain a sense of former glory. A tough call as the park’s ratings dwindles in the eyes of an increasingly informed public. In the unenviable midst of all this, the wildlife population continues to do what they do best – survive. Much like our World Cup winning Springboks, they get the job done. They find a way! With thousands of years of evolutionary history firing through their DNA, the wildlife in Africa & in the Pilanesberg find ways to survive and even thrive. With a potent history of RWC wins in their DNA, our Springboks found a way to a remarkable victory against the odds & in defiance of what the world was expecting and, in some cases, wanting. Go Bokke! Stay Rassie!

The first November rains washed and brightened everything while spawning a new sense of life and urgency. It’s as if the bush was impatient to burst, bloom and brag in a display of colors and fragrances. There is a vibrant feel to our surroundings right now. Even our wildebeest appear to walk with a little more energy and figure. Or perhaps that’s because they know the lions are on the reserve! Regardless, the sightings at Buffalo Thorn Lodge this month have been epic. The Lengau pride of lions have been hunting zebra right in front of the lodge. Tale and her 2 young cubs have been spotted playing in a drainage line. The two old central pride male lions were feasting on a wildebeest kill. Elephants have been at our lodge waterhole on a daily basis. The proximity of wildlife has been a huge bonus for our esteemed guests. A variety of bird species populate our trees and skies with regularity. Look up at any given moment and you will spot a winged friend. Look around at ground level and the truth repeats. Our new bird bath is a dynamic drawcard in this respect. ‘Active’ is the word that describes our bird bath best. Photo opportunities abound!

The August ‘Rangers Digest’ – Cheetah edition reported that Rain (the female cheetah) had a torn Achilles tendon in her leg. The veterinarians sedated her at the Pilanesberg center and established that her injury was too severe for her to survive in the wild without supplement feeding / human interference and the decision was made to Euthanize her. She will always be remembered as the queen of Pilanesberg, and her legacy will be etched into the history books as one of the purest bloodlines on the African continent.