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I have had a few responses and enquiries in relation to the photos of the white lions taken by Tolli – see newsletter September 2021 on Home Page of www.vivasafaris.com. Most people that wish to see a white lion do so at a zoo. According to the Global White Lion Protection...

To Be ( vaccinated ) or Not To Be ( vaccinated ) ? – that is the question ! It has been interesting to me that both my sons, one of whom is a physiotherapist, have steadfastly refused to be vaccinated against Covid, much to the horror of both my daughters, one of whom is a...

With its bright red flowers that appear in early August, the Coral Tree, Erythina Lysistemon, is very easily noticed in the bushveld. The flowers appear before the leaves. The flowers are carried in short, dense aggregates about 10 cm long and give the appearance of coral, hence...

The Hooded Vulture, Cathartes Monachus,  is so named in reference  to the thick, woolly buff-grey down on the side of the neck extending to the centre of the crown on its head. The Latin word, Monachus, means “pertaining to a monk” in reference to the hooded appearance. It is...

In my opinion, there is no sound in the African bush more evocative than the eerie whoop of the Spotted Hyena, Crocuta Crocuta. It begins with a low guttural “whooo” and rises to a falsetto quasi-scream ending with a high “ooop” – hence the word “whoop”. At all 4 of our...

From time to time, we encounter keen and observant tourists that spend time in camp looking at birds and insects.  One of the most difficult insects to locate is the Giant Stick Insect, Bactrododema Tiaratum.  This is a large, slow-moving insect with very elongate, slender bodies...

The Banded Mongoose, Mungos Mungo, is so named after the conspicuous transverse bands on the lower part of the back. Banded Mongooses are seen regularly at all our camps, scurrying around in small groups of up to 15 individuals. They are diurnal and sleep in burrows. When...

As with domesticated animals such as dogs and cats and even doves, wild animals display a range of emotions. The African Elephant is probably the animal most likely to display visible emotions. These include joy, love, grief, fear and rage. While we must guard against identifying...

When Donald Trump labelled the Corona virus the “China Virus”, the effect was to stir up more anti-Chinese feelings. When the new variant first identified in SA was labelled the “South African variant”, the effect was to frighten more tourists away from SA. On 28 February our...

The Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone viridis, is unmistakeably colourful: chestnut upperparts, dark head, bluish eye-ring and beak allow it to join the Paradise Whydah as worthy of a heavenly title ! During the breeding season, the male develops impressively long central tail...