http://www.aquilasafari.com/news News and stories related to travel and tourism in South Africa Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:36:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ornithogalum maculatum (Chinkerinchee or Rooi-dirkie) Commonly seen on Aquila Private Game Reserve this time of the year. http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/uncategorized/aquila-safari-plant-of-the-month/ White-Breasted Cormorant/ Witborsduiker (Phalacrocorax lucidus) These large fishermen birds have a distinct white chest an under parts with black wings and a long, sharp bill used for fishing. Their habitats are marine and inland waters, usually seen in large dams and pans. These cormorants are usually silent except for when they ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/bird-of-month-aquila-safari/ Leopard/ Luiperd (Panthera pardus) This strong, muscular cat is a true master of disguise. Its coat is covered in spots forming rosettes, which camouflages it well in numerous habitat types. An adult Cape leopard weighs around 30 - 40 kg, half that of its northern cousins. It is the apex predator ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/wild-animal-of-the-month-leopard/ Bird of the month: Little Grebe/ Kleindobbertjie (Tachybaptus ruficollis) This bird is also known as a dabchick. These grebes are slightly smaller than the black necked grebe and have a light rufous colour on the under parts, with black upper parts and a dark rufous coloured neck with black on top ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/bird-of-the-month-aquila-safari/ Animal of the month: African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) The African elephant is enormous and unmistakable. Its nose and upper lip is elongated into a fantastically muscular and mobile trunk. Most adults have two large tusks, which are very large modified incisor teeth. The large, flat ears are coincidently roughly the shape ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/aquilas-african-elephant/ Do horns regrow? Answer: No. Horns that have broken off will not regrow. However, if the horns are merely damaged, they may continue to grow in an irregular, deformed manner. http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/uncategorized/aquilas-question-of-the-month/ Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps Cristatus) These graceful water birds are unmistakable, having a dark double crest and a rufous ruff around the sides of the head. They mostly occur in large openings of fresh water and rarely in sheltered coastal- embayments. Their calls vary from growling and snarling to a barking ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/aquilas-bird-of-the-month/ On the 15th of July 2008, a juvenile eagle was spotted circling the air above the lion reserve. The pied crows, which claimed the lion reserve area as their own, chased it off. On the very same day, another ranger spotted two juveniles together, gliding along the rock faces. While ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/conservation-projects/black-eagle-aquila/ Special sightings: Being witness to a lion hunt is a rare and special sighting few are privileged enough to see. It's all about being in the right place at the right time. On the 3rd of June 2008, some of our guests were lucky enough to see a lioness stalk and ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/game-animals/aquila-interesting-news/ Black Eagle Project: The Black Eagle/ Witkruis arend (Aquila verreauxii) is a large, black raptor with a distinctive white V on its upper back. It can be found in rocky hills, mountains and gorges. Its diet consists of mainly rock hyrax, but also hares, monkeys, game birds, small antelopes and other ... http://www.aquilasafari.com/news/conservation-projects/black-eagle-project/