Explore this page to discover some of the different animals, birds and insects which occur naturally in this region. An exciting recent development is the number of game farms and lodges that are being created - leading to the reintroduction of species like elephant, buffalo, hippo and giraffe which had all been hunted out of this area a long time ago.

Beetles

Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera (which means sheath-winged), the largest order in the insect world. Of all the insects on earth, 40% are beetles. One of the main pillars of their success is their adaptability which enables them to exist in all but the harshest habitats on the planet. More Information ...

Mammals

The name mammal is derived from the Latin mamma, which means a milk-secreting gland or breast, so, what all mammals have in common is the ability to suckle their young. Apart from the monotremes, mammals give birth to live young.

Mammals can be elusive due to excellent camouflage and a highly attuned survival instinct as well as the fact that many are nocturnal. Most mammals are terrestrial but you do find aquatic species (like Whales and Dolphins) and semi-aquatic species (Seals and Hippos). More Information ...

Snakes

Snakes (suborder Serpentes) and lizards (suborder Sauria) are both members of the reptilian order Squamata, which means the scaly ones. Snakes are basically specialised, legless lizards. Unlike lizards, snakes have no eyelids or external ear openings and cannot grow new tails. A big advantage for snakes is that the two parts of their lower jaw are connected at the front by an elastic ligament making the lower jaw extremely flexible. This flexibility allows them to swallow their prey whole (even if the prey is larger in diameter than the snake). More Information ...

Tortoises & Terrapins

Tortoises & terrapins belong to the reptilian order Chelonia and both are protected from predators by a hard shell made up of the carapace (top) and plastron (bottom) which are connected together by a bridge. This "house" leaves holes for the animal to withdraw it's head, limbs and tail when danger threatens. More Information ...

Voëls van ons Kontrei (Afrikaans)

‘n Mens hoef nie ‘n fanatiese voëlkyker te wees om die klompie voëls wat in ons omgewing rondhuppel, stap en vlieg te geniet nie. Daar is immers sommige wat tot by jou agterdeur sal kom op soek na ‘n versnaperinkie. En ‘n vroegoggend-koffietjie in jou agtertuin sal beslis nog ‘n hele aantal ander nektar, insek- en vrugtesoekers oplewer. Hoekom dan nie probeer om ‘n naam aan die geveerde te koppel nie?

Hierdie reeks artikeltjies het eerste in die Hoorn koerant verskyn. Lys van Artikels ...