Leopardess and cub on a hunt
Behind the scenes: Leopardess & cub on a hunt Guide Jordan Jacobson talks us through this incredible sighting On a beautiful morning game drive, Guide Jordan Jacobson came across an incredible moment between a Leopardess and her young cub. We spoke to Jordan to ask about this sighting and why it’s so important to this […]
July Sightings At A Glance
July Sightings At A Glance A quick overview of some of the notable sightings we enjoyed at Arathusa over the month of July – some rare, and ALL exciting! We are through winter’s coldest days, and look forward to the change of season coming over the next few weeks. Spring is one of our favourite […]
June Sightings At A Glance
June Sightings At A Glance We bring you a quick overview of sightings enjoyed at Arathusa over the month of June. As winter sets in, the bush opens up a bit more and the sightings get better. The smaller creatures are seen more easily, and the dry conditions make for clearer animal tracks. Bush walks […]
African Wild Dog
African Wild Dog Lycaon Pictus African wild dogs are also known as Cape hunting dogs or painted wolves. Lycaon pictus means ‘painted wolf’, which refers to the dogs’ irregular mottled coat with red, black, brown, white and yellow fur. Each dog has its own unique signature pattern. The African wild dog is the largest canid […]
May Sightings At A Glance
May Sightings At A Glance We bring you a quick overview of sightings enjoyed by our guests (as well as our rangers and trackers) over the month of May. Heading in to winter, the bush clears and animals are (clearly) easier to spot. It’s a great time to head out on safari, with a more […]
Fascinating facts about termites
Ever heard of a soul organism? Fascinating facts about termites If you visit Arathusa, you are bound to come across large mounds of sand of all shapes and sizes when on game drives or guided bush walks in the wilderness. These are, in fact, fascinating eco systems created by macro-termites – the predominant termite in […]
April Sightings At A Glance
April Sightings At A Glance We bring you an overview of sightings enjoyed by our guests at Arathusa over the month of April. Once again, we were not disappointed! LEOPARDS There were 80 separate sightings of leopards in April! We’ve broken them down for you below. Xidulu – 18 sightings Xidulu paid us a special […]
Brown Ivory Tree
Brown Ivory Tree [Berchemia discolour] Other names – bird plum, bruin ivoor (Afrikaans), Nkuhuma (Tsonga, Shangaan). The brown ivory is a fairly common tree in the northern Sabi Sands, with some impressive specimens on the Arathusa property. The brown ivory is a moderately fast-growing tree reaching up to 15 metres, and in exceptional conditions, over […]
March Sightings At A Glance
March Sightings At A Glance We bring you an overview of sightings enjoyed by our guests at Arathusa over the month of March. The change of season is upon us, and as we move from summer to autumn, the bush begins to thin out (making finding animals that much easier). The temperatures are also starting […]
A leopard called Xidulu
A leopard called Xidulu Xidulu was born on a property to the south and west of Arathusa. The name Xidulu means ‘termite mound’, which is fitting as leopards often use termite mounds as den sites as well as resting spots – they also provide the ideal vantage points from which to spot prey. Xidulu’s mother […]