One of the most fun things of safari life is that nature provides the best décor for your everyday routine…
“If you’re small, you must be smart Limpopo-Lipadi’s elephant breeding herd roams across the reserve, but there is a pattern in where they prefer…
Shareholder Mauro has lots of reflective moments when driving around in the Reserve and looking eye to eye with the…
As shareholders we cannot emphasise enough how incredible it is to be able to enjoy the bush at your own…
Earlier this year, the Motse Committee (the community outreach arm of Limpopo-Lipadi) purchased much-needed medical equipment for clinics in the…
We are over the moon to announce the birth of an impressive litter of 12 wild dog pups! They were…
During a recent stay shareholder Mauro described how amazing it is to be a part of Limpopo-Lipadi and its eco-system:…
Stumbling across a leopard is the safari goer’s dream, especially when this elusive cat is sitting perched on the branch…
Recently, shareholder Mauro spent some exceptional days with family and friends at Limpopo-Lipadi. One night he took out his camera…
Oh my, Botswana winter nights can be cold – if only to warm up very quickly after sunrise, usually with…
Wild dogs at play Limpopo-Lipadi’s emblematic wild dogs travel across the reserve in a matter of hours. The whole reserve…
Never be in a rush, you never know what is behind the next bush Shareholder Conny Krauss spent some fantastic…
It is often the case in modern day Nature Conservation that iconic animals, especially the cute and cuddly, or majestic…
On his first trip in three years, shareholder Ian took his 85-year old father with him, so this was a…
Shareholder Martina and her partner Jost spent about four weeks in the reserve. So many incredible adventures to tell. Here…
Sometimes you need a bit of luck and some calculations. While driving around the reserve on a rather uneventful evening…
Sitting on the banks of the mighty Limpopo river is like going on a game drive without using your vehicle,…
With a second year of good rains the reserve is looking so green and lush and the animals seem to…
After some good rains in the past months, the reserve looks in mint condition: the grass stands tall, the Limpopo…
It’s summer in the southern hemisphere! The first rains have fallen, some animals are dropping their babies, and fresh chewy, green leaves are decorating the trees for some that can reach high enough, like this giraffe.
Longtime shareholders, Walt and Thea finally made it back to the reserve after a long break from travelling. They are soaking up the goodness of being back.
We released 124 blue wildebeest into the reserve at the end of October. The capture and release went flawlessly, and we didn’t suffer a single mortality, which is amazing since it was 42ºC—in the shade!
When we did the initial planning for the 2020 Elephant Translocation, the DWNP indicated that one of the prerequisite permit…
Have you ever been woken by a real bushveld alarm clock? Alison Nicholls has. She recalls being woken by the sounds of an alarm clock one morning, only to realise that it was in fact a crested barbet.
Have you ever wondered about the anatomy of giraffes? Well, wonder no more.
Our operations manager, Duane recently spotted a wild dog pup, bringing new hope to the reserve’s endangered but beloved wild dogs! They are the second most endangered animal in Africa, with a population of ± 6 600. What a great way to start the week!
What a great way to start the week! Our reserve manager, Duane spotted a wild dog puppy a few weeks ago. We’re not quite sure if there are more, but for now, we’re just over the moon about this one new member of the pack!
It’s no secret that we carry a special torch for wild dogs here at Limpopo-Lipadi. These endangered canines are protected on our reserve. Here are ten interesting facts you might not have known about African wild dogs.
July kicked off a busy wildlife management month for us at Limpopo-Lipadi, with our first order of business being the sale and translocation of three giraffes to a neighbouring game farm. Read here how the capture and relocation process works.
After one and a half years and two cancelled attempts, shareholder Eric was delighted to finally be able to return to a beautifully plush reserve and spend some time in the Botswana bush.
The lion is king of the African bush, even at Limpopo-Lipadi. Alessandro Gruzza took some beautiful photographs of a nine-year-old male and his pride when he visited our beloved reserve earlier this year. Read his story.
To some people autumn signifies the end of a year of life. The grass that was still bright green a month ago is now a soft gold, and although this seems like the end, this is exactly when the African bush shines brightest. Read more about the beauty of winter in Africa.
Working with animals has always been a part of Gabriella Postiglione’s plan. Her journey has taken her from Italy to America, Tunisia, South Africa and Botswana, where she completed her PhD working on our beloved wild dogs.
During your evening drives in the reserve, you may spot their shining eyes bouncing around in your torch beam, or they may wake you up in the early hours of the morning to their ear-splitting shrieks: the elusive and incredibly cute bush baby. Read more about these cuities.
On the list of wildlife spotters is always the ‘Big Five’ (rhino, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo). But did you know, there’s a complimentary ‘Small Five’? At Limpopo-Lipadi you can find the Big Five (save the buffalo), but also the Small Five.
Jackals have somehow never really made the safari A-list. Monogamous, social and smart, jackals are also highly vocal and often you can often hear them calling each other while you’re having your sundowner drinks on one of our plains, so keep your ears peeled.
Dung beetles spend their entire lives rolling dung uphill, living in it and fighting off pirate beetles that try to steal their hordes. Watching them puts the past year of our lives into a rather harsh perspective.
Shareholder and artist, Alison Nicholls takes us down memory lane to one of her fond memories of Limpopo-Lipadi. She remembers sitting in a hide with a friend and enjoying a constant constant procession of different species at the waterhole.
In 2019, management and the game reserve council approached shareholders about the importance of selective bush-thinning in the reserve’s encroached and formerly overgrazed areas. We’re happy to report a positive difference in the past year.
Shareholder Malcolm and his family made their way to our beloved reserve for a trip that way too short. Crossing borders again wasn’t as easy as it usually is due to restrictions. Read all about their experience.
We appreciate every drop of rain that as fallen during December, especially after a couple of years of sub-optimal rain. The bush is lush and the roads are like streams. Read Malcom’s story about what can happen if you try to avoid an obstacle on the road.
So happy to be back after so many months, shareholder Malcolm and his family were soaking up the experience once again. Read all about the regeneration of the bushveld after record amounts of rain over December.
Shareholder Malcolm and his family were some of the first to make the trip back into Botswana after so many months of closed borders. His trip on the main road to the reserve was a tricky affair after record rains had fallen in December. Read his story here.
Dehorning of rhino has become a top poaching mitigation method over the years and is now required by law for all rhino living in Botswana.
With the first rains upon us, it will not be long before we see the first impala and wildebeest lambs. Read more about the ram’s playfighting to prepare them for adulthood.
Limpopo-Lipadi’s operations manager, Duane, writes about the importance of keystone species, like vultures, in our ecosystems and the role our reserve can play in preserving this vital species. Read more!
On one of his late afternoon inspection drives in the reserve, general manager Glen counted himself a lucky man to be able to enjoy the beautiful Botswana sunset at Tholo Dam in the company of some thirsty zebra’s.
General manager, Glen has the privilege of wandering off into the reserve whenever duty—or sometimes leisure—calls for it. And sometimes he makes a friendly encounter, like this up-close-and-personal with an elephant.
The season just before summer really hits us, is an excellent game-viewing season for small and shy antelope like the steenbokkie, who is proof that if you’re not strong, you’d better be smart.
Remember the story about the biggest elephant translocation in Southern Africa. A documentary has been produced about the incredible journey and we couldn’t wait to share a sneak preview with you. With a big thank you to all involved.
Newsflash from our Operations Manager, Duane. Just when he thought that the wild dog population on the reserve would die out, he got some very exciting, very reassuring news, Read all about it!
Symbiosis is a way of life. It helps certain species survive against the odds. Read more about the species at Limpopo-Lipadi who help each other survive and what we humans can learn from them.
The giraffe, abundantly present in Limpopo-Lipadi, is the tallest animal in the world and its silhouette is unmistakable: long and tapered legs, a massive body and a very long neck. Unfortunately, the giraffe’s legs are too long, or its neck is too short to reach the ground, depending on your point of view. Eating is not a problem because it feeds on leaves and twigs from the trees that only it, with its 5m height, can reach. But, bending over to drink is really complicated.
Botswana’s national bird is the kori bustard and we are proud that a number of these birds call Limpopo-Lipadi their home. Read more about these magnificent birds and where to spot them when next you’re at the reserve.
Our general manager, Glen, had some close-up encounters with a bull elephant on a mission.
One of the tell-tale signs of historic overgrazing is bush encroachment by certain species of plants, like sickle-bush (Dichrostachys cinerea), blackthorn (Senegalia mellifera) and slender three-hook thorn (Senegalia Senegal).
A couple of days ago Glen, our general manager, and Duane our reserve manager, received a report from the Anti-Poaching Unit that the lions had killed a young giraffe just off the main road as you head towards Two Cribs. Read his story of a day brimming with adventure.
The lockdown in Botswana was a period on intensive work, especially when it came to finalising and implementing the conservation plans of our interlinked ecosystems for the years to come. Read reserve manager, Duane’s views of our ecosystems.
This is a rather rare, though admittedly not the best, photo on our blog. Some animals in our reserve are rather unhabituated, so it was a treat to have a pack of banded mongoose sit still for a couple of seconds and make eye contact.
The world is in varying stages of lockdown and while we’re not sure when we can visit our beloved reserve again, the conservation and maintenance work continues with more fervour than ever. Here’s what the maintenance team has been up to.
In the last days before the Botswana lockdown, Graham Morgan visited the reserve with some Australian friends, who had heard about the marvels of Limpopo-Lipadi and couldn’t wait to check things out for themselves. Read Graham’s account.
Reserve manager, Duane and general manager, Glen, and a handful anti-poaching and staff members are the only ones left on the reserve during the Botswana lockdown. Read about their close encounter with an unhabituated elephant cow during a patrol.
Paul and Sheryl Freund have had some incredible leopard sightings. This past November was no exception. The heat had many animals drinking at Tholo dam, including some leopards, who only came out at dusk or at night. Read about Paul and Sheryl’s sightings here.
In 2018 Aileen Oosterling many hours with four lion cubs, watching the play and goof around with each other. Two years later, she got to see them again! All grown up now and on their own, away from the pride.
Honey badgers are formidable fighters and not even lions want to mess with them. But, they are shy and not very often seen. Paul and Cheryl Freund were lucky enough to see them for a few seconds before they disappeared in a hole.
Shareholder Paul Freund took the time to document the story of the reserve’s prominent alpha-female wild dog, TwoSpots. The book chronicles her life as a youngster growing up in the boma, to her disappearance in 2019.
There are guests at Limpopo-Lipadi that come to the reserve and claim to hardly ever see a leopard. Then you have others who prove the opposite. Last November shareholders Paul and Cheryl had numerous incredible viewings.
Shareholder Aileen has been spending a lot of time at the reserve lately and gladly shares her sightings and stories with us. This time she writes about the many southern masked weavers building their nests.
While shareholders aren’t able to visit the reserve at the moment, our vet and our reserve manager are hard at work making sure that everything runs smoothly and that the animals are well taken care of. Read about their efforts with the lion pride here.
Ryan and his guests were the last shareholders at the reserve before it closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Game drives were generally disappointing. But then, at Middle Plains, they saw her. A fit lioness, looking for her next meal.
Life in the bush is not a walk in the park. You always have to be on high alert and vigilant about the danger lurking behind every tree or bush. Sticking together on open terrain is a very good way to steer clear of lurking danger.
In the green season it may take some effort to spot animals between the vibrant green bushes and tall grass. But sometimes it’s just luck when you almost literally stumble across a leopard, about to get her paws on dinner. Watch the video of one such an encounter at Limpopo-Lipadi.
One of the upsides of being a shareholder, is that you have the reserve to yourself from time to time. It’s also a downside because there’s no one to alert you of amazing sightings. Luckily, on a quiet morning, we heard a call over the radio of a wild dogs sighting. Read here.
Summer at its heights means that it is birding galore at Limpopo-Lipadi, with so many migratory birds taking up residence at the Reserve in this period. Anton Kruger and family spent a couple of days at the Reserve recently and shared some of their ‘catches’ with us. Enjoy!
During a sundowner self-drive in October last year, shareholders Clive and Jill saw a spectacular brown hyena, soaking up the sun and taking a bath in Tholo Dam. It was quite a sighting. Read about it here.
Anton Kruger is a shareholder of Limpopo-Lipadi, who always surprises us with his beautiful photos and stories. He tells about his most recent visit in the ‘green season’, making it clear that going on a safari is a great adventure for all, even for small kids. Read his story and enjoy his fantastic photos.
The Elephant breeding herd is often followed by several young males and, just like young human lads, they want to…
Sometimes, the simple act of sitting in a hide opens you up to the most incredible sightings. Read Martina’s story of a herd of elephants that seemed to unite with some old friends. I must have been quite a sight!
It is so important to avoid overgrazing popular waterholes by luring territorial animals like impala to other grazing areas. In this pursuit, we’ve introduced a new waterhole at Limpopo-Lipadi, called Wilderness. Read more about it on our blog!
Shareholders Clive and Jill were privileged to see not one, but two of the notoriously fearless (but shy of humans) honey badgers taking on a python in a small umbrella thorn tree! It was quite a sight! Read more on our blog!
Patience really is a virtue. Even when you feel like there are no more animals left on the reserve, if you patiently wait, they will come to you. Hunker down in a hide and wait it out!
Shareholder Guido van Toorenburg recently had an extraordinary few sightings at Limpopo-Lipadi. Not only did they see one of the cheetah brothers that everyone assumed had left the reserve, they also saw not one, but two lion kills! It was an exciting stay this time around! Here is his story.
The more time you spend on the reserve, and especially at waterholes, the more likely you are to see some very special events.
So, as bushbucks are abundant around the lodges, they are less so in the rest of Botswana, and we cherish their company, with the little munching noises and the crackling of leaves and branches.
Bird photography is a special form of wildlife observation. It requires a good eye and a good camera. With the enormous variety of bird species at Limpopo-Lipadi, it is definitely worthwhile to invest a bit of time and effort into birding.
For many of us, sundowner time is the best time of the day. The golden hour just before the sun sets creates the most beautiful light for photography, nocturnal animals come out, and it is the time for drinks at a well-chosen spot to enjoy the light, the animals and the company you’re in.
Long-time shareholders, Walt and Thea have been frequenting Limpopo-Lipadi on a regular basis. When they come, they like to stay…
Summer is here and it is getting hot out there, so we need to protect ourselves from the blistering sun. But it’s not just us humans who need to watch out for sunburn. Some animals do too.
A couple of years ago, Limpopo-Lipadi had a large pack of the endangered African wild dogs. What a delight it was to encounter them so regularly out on their hunts, or lazing around near a waterhole or in the shade.
The elusive bush pig is one such creature that hardly ever shows his snout, especially not during daytime.
Having a good number of lions in the reserve does not necessarily mean that you stumble over them in our 200-something square kilometres. And so, on some visits, you may start giving up on the idea of seeing lions.
Game viewing was calm, very calm. All the radios were quiet, apart from the guides chatting and updating each other…
Limpopo-Lipadi is proud to have 14 kilometres of beautiful Limpopo river frontage, with its precious ecosystem and riverine trees and…
While on the look-out for a good viewing of the lion pride, shareholder Woody got a much better surprise during…
Being an enclosed reserve means that we have to keep track of the number of animals, and particularly the balance…
Sometimes you are woken during the night or in the early hours of the morning by a sound that can…
If you ask one of our guides which animal they fear most, they unequivocally answer: elephant. Gentle giants usually, but…
The spotted or striped hyena takes the spotlight in movies like the Lion King, while the brown hyena usually takes…
During our two-yearly game counts it’s always striking to see some high numbers of animals that you hardly ever see…