Thuru Lodge is home to an abundance of wildlife animals which is native to South Africa. Although there are many to mention, there are some iconic animals that stand out.
The magnificent Giraffe
As the tallest animal on Earth, you’d think that giraffes would be easy to spot on a game drive. Their distinctive brown and white markings serve as exceptionally good camouflage. It’s not unusual for giraffes to simply materialize out of the bush just a few feet away.
Giraffes have blue tongues, stubby horn-like protrusions on their heads and of course, outrageously long necks.
Interesting fact: In order to be able to drink without losing consciousness, the giraffe’s neck contains special veins and valves that regulate the flow of blood to its head.
The powerful Roan
The Roan is a powerfully built animal and one of the largest and most formidable species of antelope. The body mass of males is 242–300 kg and of females is 223–280 kg.
Named for their roan colour (a reddish brown), they have lighter underbellies, white eyebrows and cheeks and black faces, lighter in females. They have short, erect manes, very light beards and prominent red nostrils. The horns are ringed and can reach a metre long in males, slightly shorter in females.
The handsome Sable
Sables are very large and handsome antelope. They are characterised by glossy black coats with white under parts and white facial markings. They have long horns, which are ridged, and which curve backwards. Tips of horns are smooth and sharp pointed.
Cows and young are dark brown in colour. Both sexes have stiff black manes along the dorsal aspects of their necks. The shoulder height of bulls is 1.4 m, which weigh up to 270 Kg. Cows are slightly smaller.
Sables are most active during early mornings and late afternoons, and drink water at mid-day. This is a gregarious antelope, showing great variation in herd sizes.
The “Desert Warrior” Gemsbuck
The Gemsbuck, also known as an Oryx, is one of the world’s most popular antelope species. It is built like a horse, striped like a race car and has two incredibly long sharp horns like the one on a unicorn’s head. Its face is painted with a stunning black and white pattern.
Its appearance is not the only thing that makes this creature special. Known as the “Desert warrior”, these beautiful animals are grazers, and can survive without surface drinking water for many months. They are very unique to the Kalahari region.
The Springbuck – a national symbol
The Springbuck is a medium-sized antelope and move around in large herds. It is the National Animal of South Africa. Springbuck are unique to the Kalahari region, because they are not water dependent. They will readily drink water when available.
Besides the common Springbuck, there are also three other colour phases of these antelopes at Thuru Lodge. They are white, copper and black. There are not many locations where all four colour phases can be found!
Enjoy the sight of these magnificent animals and soothe your soul with a game drive at Thuru Lodge experience