Baobab Wildlife Sanctuary

Recent rains have transformed the bushveld.

Our dam is now full, holding enough water to carry wildlife well into the dry season ahead. In a landscape where every drop matters, this helps a lot. It means stability for the herds, resilience through winter, and one less pressure point on the land.
We are grateful for the rain, and for the reminder that nature still provides when it can.

The recent rains in have taken their toll, having to sure the dam wall that had 2 feet of water in it last night, this morning all 10 feet are full and overflowing. We are grateful for the rains.. but they can settle down now.

"A male steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) caught on camera quenching his thirst at the dam. Normally these little antelope get much of their water from plants, so seeing one hop over the dam wall to drink is a liitle unusual behaviour. With their oversized ears and solitary nature, steenbokkies are perfectly adapted to the bushveld, always alert, always cautious.

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Fun fact: an aardvark’s tongue can reach 30 cm, slurping up thousands of ants in a single night. Another, the burrows it leaves behind become homes for warthogs, porcupines, and owls.

Adults can reach 60 cm at the shoulder, stretch over a meter long, and weigh up to 80 kg. Using the dam wall as reference, about 50-60 cm tall, this individual is right in line with the average size of a healthy adult.

Filmed at Baobab Wildlife Sanctuary, Limpopo, South Africa.

A cautious herd of impala (Aepyceros melampus) gathers at the waterhole, pausing often to scan for danger. Among them, a lone zebra joins in for a drink, taking advantage of the extra eyes and ears around. Look closely and you’ll spot several impressive males showing off their horns.

In the bushveld, every trip to water is a careful balance between thirst and survival.

The African civet (Civettictis civetta) lives much of its life in the shadows of the bushveld, but waterholes reveal its secret routines. Like many nocturnal mammals, civets rely on these safe spots to drink after long nights of foraging.

Last time we asked about hawk eagles, and now they’ve returned to the same waterhole. This time, they were filmed bathing and taking their time to preen, shake, and enjoy the cool water.

Locally known as a legevān, the monitor lizard is one of the bushveld’s most impressive reptiles.
This one props itself up out of the watering hole for a quick sunbath… but here’s the question. Is it a rock monitor or a Nile monitor?

Though found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, civets live in the shadows, rarely seen by people. Their bold stripes, spots, and ringed tails make them unmistakable, yet most encounters happen only through fleeting glimpses, or camera traps like this one.

Despite their wide range, civets face pressures: hunted in some regions, captured for the perfume trade, and increasingly struck on roads at night. Each loss chips away at the balance they provide, dispersing seeds, controlling pests, and keeping ecosystems healthy.

A reminder that visibility does not equal safety, and that every animal deserves protection.