Long-necked Beauties

Giraffe feeding from the top branches.

On Shamwari Game Reserve we are fortunate to have many different species from the tiniest little ant to the big and strong elephant. Each species and animal is unique to his role in the natural system. Each animal helps keep the balance in nature with their day to day life. From an owl catching a mouse for supper to the springbuck grazing on the sweet new grass after the rains. So what is the purpose of a strange but gorgeous looking animal like a giraffe?

Well, if you look at the body structure of a giraffe they are bizarre looking with their long legs and neck. But what would be the reason for this adaptation? A giraffe is so tall in order to get to the juicy leaves at the tops of trees where no other browser can get to. The older and taller giraffes will go for the tops of the trees and will never run out of food because there is no other animal, except sometimes elephants, who can reach these areas of the tree. The shorter giraffes will eat around the lower areas of the trees where they trim the trees daily.

Giraffes are highly adapted for their role in the natural system. Let’s look at some of the problems and solutions in the body design of a giraffe:

· Long legs will swell up from gravity pushing blood down to the feet. Solution: The skin on their legs is very thick and tight, keeping the blood circulating and not stretching the skin to cause swelling.

· Blood circulation through a huge body, against gravity and providing all the organs with enough blood to function properly. Solution: A large heart (up to 12kg in adult males) to pump blood through the body. A selection of valves prevents sudden pressure changes, which could cause damage to organs.

· Feeding on trees which are protected by spikes or spines. Solution: The tongue of the giraffe can get up to 45cm long and coupled with the dexterous upper lip, manipulates branches to allow the tongue to get in between the thorns and strip the leaves. The thick, slimy saliva, tough upper palate and rough horny projections on the inner lips also help cope with the pricks of the thorns.

· Grooming and getting rid of parasites. Solution: They make use of a bird called the oxpecker to eat off the ticks from their bodies. The birds will move all over the giraffe’s body to feed off the ticks, from the legs all the way up the neck and even in the ears.

So next time you are lucky enough to see a journey of giraffe, take some time to think about what an amazing design these animals really are. The long-necked beauties of Africa!

By Jone' FickShamwari Ranger

New Arrival - 3 Caracal Kittens!

Caracal kitten.

We have three baby caracals of just over two weeks old at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. A farmer brought them to us earlier this month and said he found a jackal sniffing around near the den. We will raise them over the next few months and release them onto the reserve once they are weaned and can hunt for themselves.

The Little Ones Learn To Hunt

Words and image by Jone' Fick

Shamwari Field Guide

We found the six 2 month old cubs with their mother and aunty enjoying the fresh cool air of the morning. They were very energetic and were running around, attacking each other and trying out their stalking skills. Mommy and aunty soon joined in for some fun. This type of playing is vital for the cubs to build muscle and learn the hunting skills they will need later in life. A few minutes later they disappeared into the bush and weren't seen for the rest of the day. Lions are more active at night and in the cooler parts of the day. When the sun is too hot they will lie around and sleep for most of the day, just like your cat at home.

Cute Little Lion Cubs Join The Family

Four new lion cubs at Shamwari Game Reserve

As we come into the summer months here in the Eastern Cape, many mothers have given birth to young in the pleasant climate. As a result we have lots of adorable lion cubs running around Shamwari Game Reserve at the moment. These four are from the Southern Pride and have amused us on game drive to no end.

Shamwari's New Babies

Seeing baby animals run around, feet and ears out of proportion to the rest of their bodies is always a treat. The last two months we have had two new arrivals on the property. The first to be called in was a new baby elephant that has been giving us rangers and our guests many joyful sightings. Recently we watched as he drank water with his mother and played with the other slightly older elephant calves.

Rangers have also excitedly been calling in sightings of a white rhinoceros female and her new born calf. It has been a few weeks since the birth and the female has started to relax so that we have been able to enjoy sightings of the two grazing happily with a third, sub-adult male white rhino. This little rhino is curious and skittish and was startled a couple of days ago when he had wondered too close to a flock of Hadeda Ibises to see what they were. The Hadeda’s flew up, shouting as they flew, causing the little rhino to run to his mommy in panic.

I look forward to seeing more of these two inquisitive animals and watching as they grow and learn about the life around them at

Rehabilitation Centre Update

The Shamwari rehabilitation centre has been quite busy lately. The two white lion cubs were returned back to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve almost two months ago to start the rebonding process with their mother. Word is they are doing very well and the interaction between mother and cubs is very good. Our two caracals were also released two weeks ago on Shamwari. Being rehabilitated animals, they are not as shy as the other

wild caracals, so sightings have been good and they seem to be doing very well.

In March, Wilbur our warthog received a friend, another warthog called Winston. Winston was found as an orphan at another game reserve and the owners decided to bring him to the rehab centre which was good for both Wilbur and Winston as they have each other for company. Wilbur is now 8 months old and Winston 5 months. Both of them are almost fully weaned off their milk and have been placed on a grower pellet to help with the process.

Clint, the white rhino and his friend Harry, the sheep are doing well. Clint is almost 14 months old and we have slowly started with the process to wean Clint off his milk. In about 2-3 months he will be fully weaned and almost ready to be returned back to the reserve he came from. Two meerkats also joined the rehab centre. They are from an apartment in Port Elizabeth and so far they are doing well. We feed them a natural diet and they are foraging for themselves which is a good sign.