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Elephant bull near Tremisana Lodge feeding on a Marula Tree

December 2014 / January 2015

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There can be no bigger thrill than having a Black Rhino bull sense our presence on a Bush Walk. I accompanied Rex on a walk this January. We were walking through a dry watercourse when we heard the most terrifying bellow – Rex, who was ahead of the group, came charging back and...
Young male leopard resting in the shade

November 2014

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The sighting of a Pangolin at Marc’s Camp as reported in last month’s newsletter by our tourist guide, Vanessa, has caused a substantial stir. I have received a number of comments from friends and previous guests. Old timers to the Kruger Park who have been there hundreds of...
Rhino mother and calf

October 2014

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The Sausage Tree, Kygelia Africana, is so named after its fruit which looks like a short fat salame (singular form of salami). Perhaps it was the Italian connection that led me to buy one specimen about 15 years ago and plant it at Tremisana Lodge. This year is the first year it...
Lioness near Satara

September 2014

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Unlike last year, when the rains fell on 1 September, this month the ground was parched and dry. No rain fell in September 2014 and both grazers and browsers are having a tough time. The condition of the veld is deteriorating rapidly. The old, sick and weak are moribund and the...
Great shot of a cheetah

August 2014

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The Barberton Daisy, Gerbera Jamesonii, derives its name from its geographic origin. Barberton is a town south of Nelspruit in the Lowveld and it was here, in the granitic soils, that the early gold diggers first saw this beautiful flower towards the end of the 19th century. It...
New sliding doors in treehouses 1 and 6

July 2014

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The home page of our website, www.vivasafaris.com has videos taken by guests of two lion kills. These videos were taken in July 2012 and July 2013. I was hoping that we could make it 3 out of 3 with another video for July 2014. No such luck ! Nevertheless, at the beginning of...
Warthogs having a disagreement

May 2014

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Sandra and I spent part of our long leave this May on a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land, led by the Catholic Archbishop of Cape Town, Stephen Brislin. It was a truly amazing and unforgettable experience. In between the wonderful visits to the places where our Lord walked, I...
Wesley's brilliant photo of young male leopard seen regularly near Tremisana

April 2014

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Last week we received an animated email from an upbeat Craig Spencer, Warden of Olifants West Game Reserve, in which Tremisana Lodge is located. Craig informs us that a Black Rhino calf was born in our reserve during the last week of April 2014. You may recall that, as part of...
Mating lions

March 2014

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After the heavy March rains this year, the butterflies have appeared in greater numbers than usual. I took this photo with my cell phone on a bush walk. A friend of mine, Ian Sharp, is an avid lover of butterflies. Viva Safaris helped in sponsoring a checklist of butterflies...
Young lion cub

February 2014

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My Italian background has played an important part in many facets of my life. Probably the biggest part has been in my founding of Viva Safaris in 1991. Because I can speak Italian fluently, the big Italian travel agencies like Sandown Travel and International Travel supported...