Guests at Jaci’s Safari Lodge and Jaci’s Tree Lodge in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve can enjoy some rare sightings of wild dog.

The lodges have currently got 2 packs of wild dogs in their vacinity, and one pack has 6 puppies. The dogs have been seen out on night drives, hunting by moonlight. A wonderful game viewing experience !

Stay 4 nights in a Superior Sea-Facing Room at the luxurious 5* Twelve Apostles and Spa, and receive one complimentary night at the superb Madikwe Hills Private Game Lodge in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve.

The luxurious 5* Twelve Apostles Hotel lies poised above Atlantic rollers and flanked by the majestic Table Mountain and her Twelve Apostles mountain range.

Whales are regular visitors to this particular stretch of coastline between June and October, so a 4 night stay here gives you ample opportunity to see these magnificent creatures – even from your own bedroom !

The Madikwe Game Reserve is home to a wide range of African wildlife to flourish – including the Big Five, cheetah and a thriving population of endangered wild dog, as well as gemsbok, springbok, zebra and giraffe, and over 340 species of birds. Madikwe Hills is set on a hill amongst huge boulders and age old tamboti trees, overlooking the endless bushveld of the reserve.

You will be accommodated in ultra-luxurious glass fronted suites designed for complete relaxation and comfort.

Click here to read more about this Special Offer and to book with Travel Butlers !

We get a monthly update from one of our favourite lodges in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Savanna – and this month’s newsletter has some very interesting wildlife stories !

The first one involves an unusual incident in the middle of the month when a leopard was confronted by a large male baboon. The baboon seemed to show no fear or respect and it was the leopard which showed the aggression and respect to the baboon. The baboon walked backwards and forwards, displaying itself to the leopard, no more than 4 or 5 metres away.

Finally the leopard, trying not to lose face, turned around and slunk off into the bush. This is an unusual incident, as many people believe that baboons are a favorite prey species of the leopard. This may be the case in areas where other species are not as prolific as they are in the Sabi Sands, but in this area it is very rare that a baboon will kill a leopard.

With all the recent rains in the area, the dams are full, and as a result there has been an influx of hippo into the Savanna area and at the nearby pan – at one point they had 8 hippos !

After the elephant, the hippo is the heaviest land animal, and a fully grown male adult can weigh up to 3,200 kg. During the day, a common sighting of hippos is of them half-submerged in lakes or rivers.

One female gave birth in the dam at the beginning of the month and guests at Savanna have had wonderful viewing of this little “blob” bobbing around its mother in the water. Even a baby hippo can look cute!

Adult hippos can submerge themselves completely under water for up to 5 minutes by closing their nostrils and ears, but on average surface every minute and a half. Young hippo calves can only stay submerged for 20 – 40 seconds.

A very rare bird has been discovered on the Savanna property: the striped crake.

This bird has only been recorded in South Africa a few times and it was discovered at a little pan where it had bred and had 2 chicks.

There has been great interest in this bird within the birding fraternity of South Africa and the lodge has also had a number of guests travel large distances just to come and see this nondescript little bird.

And finally, probably one of the most amazing stories for a while … there are 3 adult wild dogs that have Savanna as part of their territory.

One of these adults was caught by a lioness and feigned death while the lioness walked off with it in her mouth.

As soon as the lioness put the dog down and was distracted by the remaining 2 dogs, the 3rd dog got up and ran off, making good its escape.

And they say animals are dumb …. !!

Anyone who missed “Natural World: A Wild Dog’s Story” on BBC TV this weekend should have a look at the video on the BBC iPlayer site.

The film follows the remarkable story of an African Wild Dog called Newky and follows his life from puppy to adulthood…it is a magnificent film, and really captures the hardship of these fascinating animals lives.