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Leopard : Wildlife Southern Africa
Habitat: Leopards are more commonly found along riverine forests and bushes. Although less common, they also can be
found along open plains and savanna, mainly in hills and rocky outcrops.
Habits: Leopards normally hunt at night and dusk, staying in secluded spots during the day or lying in high branches of trees.
They are solitary animals by nature, only associating with a female for mating and staying with her only for a couple of days.
Leopards are masters of camouflage and they move silently trough the vegetation to attack their prey at very close quarters. The victim is normally killed with a bite on the back of the neck, and then taken up a tree, where the leopard will feed at leisure, away from scavengers.
Leopards are extremely territorial animals. Their life span is about 15 years, and they can attain a mass of about 70-kg.
Diet: Leopards are the most successful hunters of the cat family. Their prey includes Impala, Bushbuck, Warthog and also the young of Wildebeest, Kudu and Waterbuck. Rodents, ground birds, monkeys, baboons, frogs and fish, also make part of its diet.
Breeding: The female gives birth to one to three cubs after a gestation period of about 105 days. The cubs are kept in secluded spots, like thickets and rocky crevices. They are much darker than adults.
Female Leopards are very dedicated mothers leaving their cubs only when hunting.
Related Travel Information
Hippo : Wildlife Southern Africa
Hippos are the most feared animals in southern Africa. Each year more people are killed by them than by all the other animals together.
Hippos weigh up to two tons and can be four metres long. Hippos are vegetarians and feed exclusively on grass.
Hippos watch strictly over their territories and threaten anybody invading it by what looks like yawning. If the invader does not withdraw, they usually attack without any further hesitation. Smaller boats are particularly at risk, because a rhino can easily topple it over, and as their front teeth are as sharp as razorblades,
Wildlife in Southern Africa
South Africa is quite justly proud of its rich natural heritage, which is being diligently protected in the many nature reserves and national parks. The country is home to more than 300 mammal species, over 500 bird species, over 100 kinds of reptiles and countless insects.
Not all the animals are easy to watch. Besides the fact that many species are night-active, season, place, wheather and, of course, luck play a part as well. To observe and photograph animals, always requires a lot of patience and also good lenses with a long focal distance.
Explore the animal
Snakes : Wildlife Southern Africa
In all areas of South Africa, there are different species of snakes, most of them harmless, but some extremely venomous.
The Cape Cobra on the right is one of the more dangerous kinds. Its bite paralyses the muscles, respiration and eventually heart failure. One can recognize the snake by its flat throat. If disturbed, it raises its upper body and takes on a threatening posture. The probability of encountering such a poisonous snake is very small, since they all, except the puffadder, quickly disappear as soon as they sense the slightest movement.
Nevertheless, one should never go for
Moremi Wildlife Reserve
Moremi is the most diversified of all the Botswana parks in terms of wildlife and scenery and many people that is the most beautiful. Located on the northeastern part of the Okavango Delta, Moremi contains over 1160 miles (3000 sq Kms) of permanent swamps, islands, floodplains, forests and dry land. The park’s boundaries have been recently extended to the west and the northwest, significantly enlarging its size.
In the riparian forest you may spot elephants, greater kudu, Southern giraffes, impala, buffalo along with such predators like lions, leopard, wild dog, ratel (honey badger), spotted hyena and cheetah. Elephant
Crocodiles : Wildlife Southern Africa
Survivors of the dinosaur age, crocodiles are found in the warmer waters of Africa, Asia, Australia, and America. Crocodiles are often confused with alligators, but you can tell them apart by the shape of their tapered snout, and by the way crocodiles' lower teeth stick out when their jaws are closed.
Crocodiles vary in size. The saltwater crocodile measures up to 10 m in length, while others are no more than 1 m long. Hunted extensively for their skins, large crocodiles are becoming increasingly rare.
