Wildlife and conservation new, wild travel information and links for booking
Rock or cape hyrax has 5 recognized subspecies, again, unsurprising given its vast range. Generally having a hide within a natural rock cavity, Rock hyraxes are social animals that live in colonies of up to 50 individuals. They sleep in one group, and start the day, warming up in the sun
They are also listed as least concern
As or when we get contacts to see these creatures, they will appear beneath the news section
Photo credit: Charles J Sharp
Southern tree hyrax It is found in temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, moist savanna, and rocky areas.
It may be found at elevations up to 4,500m across a wide range of countries, which include Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa.. It is largely nocturnal. The males call is an alarming series of shrieks.
It is listed as least concern.
While these are often a species that you just see, when you stop by a pile of rocks, tourism is likely to help give these curious little mammals some value. I will add links below the news section (though it may take time for it to have any articles listed), as I make them.
As we make connections for places to see these animals they will be added below.
Hippopotamus are a fascinating animal. Large, highly aggressive, and spending most of their days in water. For many people, their memory of a Hippopotamus on safari (or in a zoo) is a pond with a grey bump in the middle. But there is far more to a hippopotamus than meets the eyes. Duromg the night, Hippo leave the safety of the water and go into the bush to graze.
They are incredibly dangerous, and there is a far higher risk for people wandering in the bush to be killed by hippo than anything else. In the past, they were one of the few species that still lived in significant numbers outside reserves. Unfortunately, as the human population of Africa has grown, the majority of these free roaming Hippo have been killed – for an African living on a tiny income, a hippo is a huge pile of meat, which can be sold, and some of its teeth are made of ivory.
A rough estimate suggests that the meat is worth around 8000. When you add in the Ivory teeth, it is possible for a Hippo carcass to be worth a years average salary (and that is the mean salary). 85% of Africans survive on $5.50 per day, which works out at almost exactly $2000 – so for 85% of Africans, a hippo carcass is worth 4 years of salary – assuming that you do not make much money from the ivory, and it would not be surprising if this added significantly.
When you look at these numbers, it is not surprising that people poach Hippos -and it makes it very hard to work out how to save them.
Of course, Hippo can be worth far more in tourism dollars over their lifespan.
Common hippopotamus are possible to see in all the Savannahs that we have listed so far. Visit wild places to see the total list.
Below is links to some of the biggest (though as I say, hippo can often be seen in small reserves and in places outside reserves as well. All our savannah wild places have sizable populations of common hippopotamus.
Katazi House is the way a fantastic place to stay as a group if visiting the mountain gorillas of the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Consisting of a master suite, junior master suite and two further spacious suites. The communal rooms consist of a Cinema, a treatment room for massage and other treatments (staffed) as well as an interactive kitchen with wine celler and a fire pit. Much of the food is local, with a significant proportion of it grown on site
This spacious house is large enough to take around ten guests and comes with rooms for the staff as well (who will only be there to look after you).
Expect delicious food, a luxurious house to be your home away from home and a wild experience you will never forget. Katazi House can base its timings around its guests as there is only ever one group there at a time. All the amenities at Kitwonda lodge are also at your disposal during your stay
This is a luxurious place to base yourself while you do your gorilla trek.
Of importance to note, whether you are doing 1 gorilla trek or more than that, there are many other things to see within the park and there are all sorts of other treks you could do to keep you busy for the rest of the week. These activities include though are not limited to golden monkey treks and volcano climbs.
If you are interested in booking this property, or have any questions fill in the form below.
Kwitonda Lodge is a fantastic base for mountain gorilla trekking within the Volcanoes National Park Rwanda. Sharing a 1.2km border with the park, the lodge is within the ecosystem and there are monkeys and other forest animals that live around the lodge.
Set up to be a luxurious retreat before and after your gorilla trek into the forest.Â
Within the property there is also a childcare facility, allowing you to visit the gorillas even if you have children too young to accompany you on the trek. There are a range of activities that children can take part in while you are on your gorilla trek, one notable possibility is visiting the wild golden monkeys living nearby.
The accommodation consists of seven 1 bedroom suites with 270-degree views of the volcanoes and boasts floor-to-ceiling glass
doors.
There is also one 2 bedroom suite, perfect for friends travelling together or families.
If you are interested in this property and would like to know more, or would like to enquire as to availability please fill in the form below.
SINGITA KWITONDA LODGE NO OF UNITS BASIS RACK (USD)
 PEAK SEASON 1 Jun – 31 Oct 2022 & 15 Dec 2022 – 5 Jan 2023
 Suite 7 per adult per night 2 800 Double/Twin per child per night 1 400 Two-Bedroom Suite 1 per suite per night (1-3 guests) 8 400 2 Doubles/Twins per additional adult per night 2 800 Maximum 4 guests per additional child per night 1 400 OFF-PEAK SEASON 6 Jan – 31 May 2022 & 1 Nov – 14 Dec 2022 Suite 7 per adult per night 2 100 Double/Twin per child per night 1 050 Two-Bedroom Suite 1 per suite per night (1-3 guests) 6 300 2 Doubles/Twins per additional adult per night 2 100 Maximum 4 guests per additional child per night 1 050 FEES & LEVIES 6 Jan 2022 – 5 Jan 2023 Singita Conservation & Community Partnership Levy per guest per night 2% of accommodationÂ
Â
