Tag: Serval

Big cat family tree

The Cat (felidae) family tree

Pantherera family
Bay cat family
Caracal family
Leopardus family
Lynx family (this is the Eurasian Lynx)
Puma family
Leopard cat family
Domestic cat and family

The Cats form an incredibly successful family. It is true that they are missing from the polar regions, and Australasia, but everywhere that they reached they have been successful, and in many ecosystems they are the undisputed kings

Panthera Family

 This family split from hte Felid ancestor 10.8 million years ago. There have been some debate as to whether the two species of clouded leopards should be included in Panthera. On the circular mammal tree (which we are using – look in the species watch tab, or click here)

They are generally included in a subgenus Panthera_Neofilis

 

Lion - all subspecies
Leopard - all subspecies
Jaguar
Tiger
Snow Leopard
Clouded Leopard
Sunda Clouded Leopard

Bay cat Familiy

Bay cat ancestor split 9.4 milion years ago

Asiatic Golden cat
Bay cat family
Marbled cat

Caracal Family

Caracal Ancestor split 8.5 million years ago

Caracal family
African Golden Cat
Serval

Ocelot Family

Ocelot Ancestor 2.9 million years ago

Geoffrey cat
Kodkod
Tigrina or Oncilla (North and South)
Andean mountain cat
Pampas cat
Margay
Ocelot

Lynx Family

Lynx Ancestor 3.2 million years ago

Lynx family (this is the Eurasian Lynx)
Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ) lying down on a rock in Spain
Bobcat
Canada Lynx in the snow is gazing curiously at the camera

Puma Family

Puma ancestor 4.9 million years ago

Puma (cougar, Mountain Lion)
Jaguarundi
Cheetah

Leopard cat Family

Leopard cat Ancestor 5.9 million year ago

Asian Leopard cat
Fishing Cat
Flat headed cat
Rusty spotted cat
Pallas cat

Domestic cat Family

Domestic cat Ancestor

Domestic cat and family
Wildcat
Sand cat
Black footed cat
Jungle cat

Caracal

Caracals are a very lucky sighting, as they tend to be active when people are asleep

Caracal

Caracals are nocturnal, which means that they are often not spotted. Indeed, in our time in South Africa, it was the only local cat which we did not see. It has a huge distribution, which includes Africa, the middle east, central Asia and even parts of northern India and Pakistan. It is an expert jumper, and often catches birds in flight, being able to jump more than 3m straight up. It comes from the same genetic line as the serval and the African Golden cat.

Generally, while it is wide spread and usually relatively plentiful it is an animal that either takes a lot of luck or a great deal of patience to see it in the wild.

Serval

Serval

The Serval is a cat slightly bigger than domestic cats. It is a formidable jumper, and uses this to its advantage. It will usually hunt some rodents by stalking them until it is close and then leaping in the air and coming down on its back. It is also one of the few cats that regularly catches birds in flight, given its ability to jump as much as 4m up (indeed, if you see them in a zoo, it is not unusual for there to be a pile of feathers somewhere in their enclosure. The are a nocturnal savannah animal, and are found in most protected areas of sub-Saharan Africa. They are generally plentiful in any savannah with a good supply of water.

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    aaa Malamala reserve, Greater Limpopo transfrontier park – between Sabi sands and the Kruger

    Malamala reserve, Limpopo Transfrontier park

    Established back in 1927, initially as a hunting reserve, it has been purely with a camera since 1964. Relatively small, only covering 62 square miles, it is sandwiched between the Kruger and the Sabi sands game reserve. As such, the game is incredibly dense.

    There most luxury suites in each camp is 10, across all three camps so  if every single one is inhabited, a large so called traffic jam would not stop you seeing the wildlife. Unlike in the Kruger itself, you are not restricted to roads, which means often very close encounters., it also make 62 square miles an enormous area to explore with your guide.

    Camp Ndlovu

    Camp Ndlovu

    Camp Ndlovu bedroom
    Camp Ndlovu room
    Camp Ndlovu dining
    Camp Ndlovu
    Camp Ndlovu 2

    Camp Ndlovu lies within the Welgevonden Game Reserve, and sits alongside the Marakele National Park in South Africa.

    These protected areas and some other reserves are collectively called the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, which covers around 4,000 square km of bush.

    Sitting just two and a half hours from Cape Town, this is a perfect place to drop into for a few days during a Cape holiday. One of the big advantages of going on safari here is that there is no Malaria, which is rare for a safari destination.

    As a Big Five reserve you will have an action packed visit (cheetah are also present).

    For those interested in birds there are also over 300 species that are present including blue cranes.

    Camp Ndlovu is a luxurious way to do safari, and with only guests of one of the lodges allowed onto the reserve the number of cars is kept relatively low. With just five suites (one of which is suitable for families, though children under 12 by arrangement only) even when the lodge is full, it will not feel crowded.

    With each suite being very generously sized and being air conditioned, they will be a welcome refuge from the heat of the bush. Each has its own plunge pool and outdoor shower and bath. They each have extra long king sized beds, and a sitting room with a fireplace. Also included is a minibar and a nespresso machine. There is also a sizeable deck around the plunge pool with comfortable pool loungers, allowing you to relax in comfort and watch the world pass by.

    Despite the camps remoteness there is also WIFI within the camp. They also have extras such as bathrobes slippers and forgotten toiletries.

    Each air-conditioned luxury unit suite comes complete with its own plunge pool, outdoor shower and outdoor bath, air-conditioning and fan, king size extra length bed, a lounge with fireplace, Nespresso coffee machine with complimentary coffee pods, a mini bar, outdoor shower and bath and  an extensive wooden deck with pool loungers and private dining areas. Extras include bathrobes, slippers and complimentary toiletries and Wifi.

    This coupled with a history of wildlife never having been legally hunted here makes for far more relaxed animal encounters than you can experience elsewhere. Anti-poaching efforts continue behind the scenes to make sure that this remains the case as much as possible.

    Apart from those animals listed so far the reserve hosts around 50 mammals in total. Night time safaries are usually the only way to see them and brown hyena, aardwolf, pangolin and aardvark are present to be looked for on night drives.

    With a long history of human habitation within the area, there are also 2 san rock paintings within the reserve. There is a booking/questions form below the video, and below this is pricing information in south african Rand (at the time of writing £1 is about 20 rand

     

    To ask questions or enquire about availability or book please fill in the form below

    Fitzpatrick at Jock

    Fitzpatrick at Jocks

    Lounging in camp, with a view
    Sun downer drinks in the wilderness
    Luxurious room furnishings
    Beautiful furniture
    Wonderful decoration

    Fitzpatrick at Jocks is a small lodge perfect for groups and hired exclusively to one group at a time. Consisting of 3 Luxurious suites each with its own viewing deck. This allows people to enjoy the luxury of a lodge, but with the intimacy of being just a small group.

    Lying in the game dense south of the Kruger national park, this private concession covers around 23 miles which only your group and the main lodge will have access to. The lodge is built on the river bank, which means that often the wildlife will come to visit you so you can enjoy watching the world go by from the comfort of your suite.

    Beautifully equipped and set up for a group of up to 6 to share, this is an incredible place for friends to go together or for family time away from everyone else.

    With places to eat inside and out, and with its own staff, a visit can be fully molded around the group visiting- both in terms of food preference and activities.

    Things to do include bush drives, bush walks (which will include learning the beginning of tracking) sun downer drinks in the bush, as well as time simply relaxing in the lodge.

    Being in a game rich part of the park, it is also wonderful to lay back on a lounger and watch the animals move past.

    The above video gives you a good introduction to the lodge and the area around it.

    Below is a more detailed look at the lodge and the feel of the place.

    Fully inclusive pricing starts at

    If you are interested and would like to book or enquire about availability fill in the form below.

    Silvan Safari Lodge

    Silvan Safari Lodge

    Patio with a view
    Comfortable room, with a view
    Full suite
    Sitting area onto patio
    Swimming pool and seating
    Main sitting room

    Silvan Safari lodge lies in the northern portion of the Sabi Sands private reserve.

    It is the newest luxury lodge, sitting within the Leadwood forests and beside the waters of the Manyeleti River. It also won the leading world lodge in 2019 from world travel awards.

    The Sabi Sands is particularly game rich, especially with the big cats. While you will definitely see these on game drives, you may also spot them walking past the lodge.

    With just 6 spacious fabulous suites, and a family unit, even when full it is never going to feel crowded, and giving fantastic views out into the bush around it.

    With places to eat the incredible food both inside and out, and afterwards plenty of space you can choose how to spend your evenings. 

    Also expect incredible food and drinks sun-downers out in the bush on your evening drives

    Lying in the northern sabi sands, this is a less densely visited area. While this means that there are fewer people so it will feel more truly wild, it also means there are less other cars to direct to wild animals.

    However I would always choose fewer people. If your vehicle is the first down a road in the morning, or for a long time there will be many tracks to spot, as well as on occasions lions stretched out on the ground. As there are few people in the area it is also highly likely that you will often be in the first vehicle on the road each morning on your morning game drive.

    The “rooms” are individual suites (6 standard and one family suite) stretched out along the banks of a dry river bed (apart from perhaps after extreme rain, although the water is not visible much of the time, there will be water underground. This means that there will be many large trees around this area- attracting many animals to eat and leopards to rest up in the trees.. 

    Below is a video of one of the suites, There are a few videos of silvan safaris including other suites that are available.

    From delicious food, and incredible accommodation, to incredible trips out on foot or in the car, and with the ability to tailor your visit to meet your interest. With all of the luxuries available but surrounded by the incredible wildlife of Africa.

    Each suite comes with a plunge pool allowing you to soak during the hot periods of the day, as you watch the wilderness wander past.

    The pricing starts from for this luxurious destination. 

    To ask further questions or to enquire about availability and book, please fill in the form below and we will get back to you.

    If you wish to return to the Limpopo transfrontier park click here

    Madikwe Game Reserve

    Madikwe Game Reserve

    Madikwe game reserve is the 5th largest reserve (it covers 68000 hectares) in South Africa, but far less known than most other national parks.

    Containing the big 5, as well as cheetah and wild dog there is plenty of wildlife to be seen. With a variety of biomes, including grassland, forest and the rocky Tshwene hills, the reserve plays home to a variety of wild animals. These include the big 5. The reserve also has a population of  wild dog and cheetah, animals often not seen in smaller reserves such as this.

    The reserve’s grassland, forest and rocky Tshwene Tshwene hills are home to a variety of wildlife and you can spend hours watching the local wildlife. Hundreds of bird species include ostrich, vultures and the large kori bustard. Animals often gather at the Madikwe Dam to drink at sunset.

    It sits just 40km from the Botswana border.

    Jamala Madikwe Royal Safari Lodge

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    2_sofa_safari
    jamalajan066
    lodge_arial_with_ellies

    Jamala Madikwe Royal Safari Lodge Is set  in the Madikwe Game Reserve, a reserve covering 290 square miles. This malaria free reserve contains the big 5, as well as a range of other interesting animals waiting to encounter you each time you venture out of the lodge. It was used as a cattle ranch until 1991 before being transformed into the wonderful reserves that is there now. The big 5 are present, as well as some wild dog if you are lucky.

    The lodge is well known for its fantastic food, it also has a wonderful location, right beside a watering hole. This means that even when not on a safari drive, there is a constant flow of animals nearby, so it is possible to sit in a chair and watch the as the animals come to you. As this is a private reserve, you can be sure that there will be few few other guests and that you will therefore experience the wilderness away from the crowds.

    In terms of the lodge itself, it only has 5 villas each for two people. If you are travelling as a group the lodge can be booked for private use, but this is not necessary to have a fantastic time. The lodge is big enough for groups to spread out and have their own space if they wish.

    If you don.t feel like leaving the lodge, you can sit in the shade, in the heat of the day as you watch the animals coming for a drink. Indeed some have said it is among the best “sofa safari ” destination there is.

    With fantastic chefs, the food and drink you will eat will be impressive and will make you forget how wild a place you are in.

    To see ask a question, there is a form below the video. Below the form is pricing information. Please note that while all efforts will be made to keep these up to date, pricing should be checked on booking. Pricing is in rand, which is currently valued at roughly 20 to a pound (14 to a USA dollar) though this will get out of date quickly.

    Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa

    Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa

    Elephants come to visit
    They even drink from the pool
    Comfortable Safari vehicle for trips out
    Going on walks
    Lodge sitting room
    Relax overlooking teeming plains

    Mhondoro Lodge and villa is set within the Welgenvonden Reserve and is set on a hill looking out across the plains.

    There is a watering hole in front of the lodge, and uniquely this is connected to the lodge by an underground tunnel allowing guests to visit the hide in safety, without disturbing the animals they are there to see. This allows incredibly intimate views of wildlife that is completely relaxed

    The main lodge has 5 suites, two deluxe rooms for 2, two deluxe suites with 2 bedrooms each, perfect for families or friends travelling together and the separate Villa, which sleeps 6 (the Villa comes with its own staff and can be completely separate from the lodge).

    Despite being in such a remote place, you can expect to be pampered during your stay, with fantastic food and drink, incredible wildlife encounters and a comfortable place to sleep. With a fantastic team of chefs and quality food and drink the wildlife is not going ot be the only thing you remember about your stay.

    However, while your stay will be luxurious, that is not the reason you come to africa. As you see from the video above, there is significant amounts of wildlife that live on the reserve including the big 5 though there are 60 other mammals to look out for.

    One of the advantages of a private reserve like this, is often you stand a greater chance of seeing rarely seen mammals, such as aardvark and aardwolf and brown hyena (an animal almost never seen in the Kruger)

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