Broadening Horizons – September 2015

 

Arnold’s Velvet Gecko (Homopholis arnoldi), Blouberg Nature Reserve

The SCBC has been working on biodiversity data collection in the Soutpansberg for over a year now. Our activities have been centred on the Medike property on the banks of the Sand River. Due to the vastness of the mountain range and peripheral areas; to broaden the habitats in this biodiversity rich area, the SCBC has now begun to work in different areas. The purpose of this is to increase the SCBC project’s scope and create more accurate data representations of biodiversity assemblage for the region.

Delande’s Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei)

September was set aside as a month for travelling and we began the tour at Blouberg Nature Reserve to the west of the Soutpansberg range. Generally Blouberg is treated as a separate entity, but the mountain is geologically related to the Soutpansberg and under sampled. For the purposes of the SCBCs mandate (to spend time walking searching of biodiversity) Blouberg Nature Reserve was not well suited to the task. Because of the presence of buffalo in the area walking is discouraged. However the little time spent there did turn up some interesting new reptiles for our lists not yet found on the Soutpansberg; Delande’s Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei) and the newly described Arnold’s Velvet Gecko (Homopholis arnoldi). There are a few protected areas around the mountain that are buffalo free and this is an area that has been identified as having a lot of future potential for SCBC work.

Sunduvall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevalli), Mashovella, Soutpansberg.

After Blouberg it was our intention to explore the Northern slopes of the Western Soutpansberg, unfortunately the few sites that offer accommodation were fully booked. We spent a night at Mashovella, which is situated in a beautiful valley. Unfortunately Mashovella is not conducive to research, the accommodation is expensive and there are many rules governing activity on the property. So we moved on to a small farm called Zvakanaka. The property is small but gives access to quite a large chunk of the moister and higher Southern slopes of the Soutpansberg. The property is wedged between agricultural land and is very conducive to research. Unfortunately the weather was cold and we could not work, so decided to head east for warmer and dryer weather.

Mopane Veld, Nwanedi Nature Reserve, Limpopo.

Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis), Nwanedi Nature Reserve, Limpopo.

One of the habitats that we needed to sample was the Mopane Veld which grows on the northern edges of the Soutpansberg.  We decided to spend a few days at Nwanedi Nature Reserve. Nwanedi is a large reserve, comprised of riverine vegetation patches, Mopane veld and arid mountain savannah. The region is extremely hot and dry. Nwanedi proved to be very productive and conducive to research. Permission to walk anywhere was easily granted and there is also a good road network. We spent six nights at Nwanedi and made a list of 16 reptiles (four of which were new for the SCBC lists) and we also found six species of scorpion. The SCBC will certainly do more forays to Nwanedi in the coming months.

Pachydactylus punctatus, Nwanedi Nature Reserve.

Limpopo girdled lizard (Cordylus jonesii), Nwanedi Nature Reserve.

Holub's Sandveld Lizard (Nucras holubi), Nwanedi

Being in Venda we decided to spend a few nights in a rural site near the village of Segole at the Big Tree Lodge. The lodge is next to a property where there is a massive Baobab tree. The is claimed to be the biggest in the world and is estimated to be over 3000 years old. The tree is one of the most remarkable organisms that I have ever seen. Segole was good for reptiles – in the few days there we created a list of 15 species, including three new species for our lists. We used the big tree lodge as our base and I can recommend the place to anyone travelling in the area.

The Big Tree, Adansonia digitata at Segole.

East African Shovel-Snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni), Segole.

Common Barking Gecko (Ptenopus garrulus garrulus), Segole.

Parabuthus mossambicensis, Segole.

Still very much in the Venda area we travelled to the forested slopes of the far eastern Soutpansberg and stayed at Golwe-Vhurivhuri campsite. The community runs the campsite and the facilities are excellent. They have ample space for camping and two safari tents for those who want a bit of luxury. The campsite is situated on a river in a forest and is an excellent area for birding, otherwise difficult to see species like African Broadbill, Eastern Nicator, Narina Trogon and even Pink-throated Twinspot are very easily observed in and around the campsite. Our time at Golwe-Vhurivhuri turned up two new lizards for our lists as well as a new scorpion.

Zygaspis quadrifrons, Golwe-Vhurvhuri, Eastern Soutpansberg.

Spotted Sandveld Lizard (Nucras intertexta), Golwe-Vhurvhuri, Eastern Soutpansberg.

Forest at Golwe-Vhurvhuri, Eastern Soutpansberg.

The forest that Golwe-Vhurivhuri connects to is full of secrets and recently turned up the second record of a Forest Cobra, Naja melanoleuca. Looking at the habitat in the forest as Golwe-Vhurivhuri and comparing it to suitable habitat in the KZN coastal forests, future work in the area is bound to reveal the presence of this shy snake. During 2016 the SCBC will make regular forays into the area.

Still following our west east trajectory we decided to end the Limpopo part of the tour at Pafuri on the eastern limits of our catchment area. We stayed at Pafuri River Camp on the banks of the Mutale River just south of the Limpopo. The property boasts some nice riverine bush with Mopane veld scattered with Baobabs. The Mopane veld in the area was crawling with Pachydactylus punctisima and in some patches the density of this species was remarkable. For scorpions the area is very good and a reliable place to find Uroplectes chubbi, Lychas burdoi and many Hottentota trilineata.

Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Pafuri, Kruger National Park.

Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), Makuleke, Kruger National Park.

The final destination on the tour was to the coastal forests of Kwazulu-Natal to study the habits and habitat of the Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca). We camped at Mtunzini and walked for cobras every day. Finding the cobras was easy enough, one day we saw four individuals. Getting a picture was a bit tricky as the snake is very shy. But from what we saw at Mtunzini, the forest cobra likes thick areas in closed canopy forest and also seemed more abundant in areas close to the river there. The way to find them is to walk slowly and silently looking deep into piles of rotting wood and tangles of vegetation. All the ones we saw were on the ground (some moved off into the bushes) and most were basking. At Mtunzini we only saw the Forest Cobras in the day. Looking for cobras we also encountered a few other reptiles in the forest, including the Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis polylepis), A big Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis capensis) and the bizarre Giant Legless Skink (Acontias plumbeus).

Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis polylepis), Mtunzini, KwaZulu Natal.

Giant Legless Skink (Acontias plumbeus), Mtunzini, KwaZulu Natal.

 

2 July – 23 August

Uroplectes chubbi

The near two-month period at Medike in the Sand River Gorge was a long and productive stretch for the SCBC. There were some interesting developments and a good number of new species for the SCBC lists: three new mammals, a new scorpion (a first for the Soutpansberg) a new reptile and two new bird species.

Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra, Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake

Winter in the Soutpansberg is characterised by warm days and cold nights. It is an extremely dry time of year – and the dryness was exacerbated by the past El Nino event. Deep in the winter months, most animals and plants exhibit some or other form of dormancy, waiting for the warmth and the rains to return. Mammal sightings increase – at night it is very easy to see bush babies and rodents moving about.

Stripe-bellied Sandsnake,  Psammophis subtaeniatus, arguably the most common snake in Limpopo.

Paradoxically winter can be a good time of year to find reptiles – especially fossorial species as they tend to bask under sun-warmed rocks. An afternoon of looking under suitable rocks can often reveal more reptiles than one would commonly encounter on a typical summers day. The reptilian highlights for me this winter were seeing how common Sunduvall’s Writhing Skinks (Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii) and Soutpansberg Worm Lizards (Chirindia langi occidentalis) are on the property. Finally managing to see and photograph the Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra) and a very relaxed encounter with an African Rock Python (Python natalensis) made the winter successful for our reptile work.

Southern African Python, Python natalensis

Lifting rocks during this period also provided another surprise – two Uroplectes chubby found in the Sand River. According to scorpion fundi, Ian Engelbrecht, these are good records for the area – the closest records before these are from Northern Kruger National Park to the east and to the west on the Mogolakwena River system.

Since scorpions in Southern Africa are so under samples we have begun to include these fascinating invertebrates in our search for biodiversity. Already we have ten species on the Medike property. This list is bound to grow as we extend our search to surrounding areas.

Dark Opistophthalmus glabrifrons.

In terms of birding the winter was a good and produced two new species for the SCBC lists. A young female Saddle-billed Stork was seen in the Sand River and a Cape Bunting was spotted one afternoon along the railway track.

Our conservational activities during the winter saw a continued opposition to the illegal sand mining that has been going on in the river to the South of Medike. Two representatives from the Department of Minerals and Energy visited the site and we are hoping that with this new development we see a stop to this on-going and intrusive environmental degradation in the area.

Sunduvall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii,)

Bird List

Freckled Nightjar

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Eqyptian Goose; Lesser Honeyguide; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Cardinal Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; Acacia Pied Barbet; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Malachite Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Little Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; African Wood Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-dove; Tambourine Dove; Black Crake; Three-banded Plover; African Fish Eagle; Cape Vulture; Brown Snake Eagle; Little Sparrowhawk; African Goshawk; African Harrier-Hawk; Verreaux's Eagle; African Hawk Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Grey Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black Stork; Saddle-billed Stork; Black-headed Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Gorgeous Bushshrike; Grey-headed Bushshrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; Cape Batis; Chinspot Batis; Pied Crow; White-breasted Cuckooshrike; Black Cuckooshrike; Southern Black Tit; Lesser-striped Swallow; Wire-tailed Swallow; Rock Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Eastern Nicator; Terrestrial Brownbul; Sombre Greenbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Long-billed Crombec; Cape White-eye; Rattling Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Bar-throated Apalis; Yellow-throated Apalis; Grey-backed Cameroptera; Kurrichane Thrush; Ashy Flycatcher; Grey Tit-Flycatcher; White-throated Robin-chat; White-browed Robin-chat; Bearded Scrub-robin; White-browed Scrub-robin;

Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-chat; Red-winged Starling; Collared Sunbird; Greater Double-collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Spectacled Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Swee Waxbill; Common Waxbill; Blue Waxbill; Jameson's Firefinch; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Striped Pipit; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting; Golden-breasted Bunting; Cape Bunting

Crested Guineafowl

Mammals

Eastern Rock Sengi

Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Lesser Bushbaby

Chacma Baboon

Vervet Monkey

Jameson's Red Rock Rabbit

Cape Porcupine

Tree Squirrel

Tree Mouse

Namaqua Rock Mouse

Bushveld Gerbil

Serval

Caracal

Leopard

Brown Hyeana

Cape Clawless Otter

Slender Mongoose

Dwarf Mongoose

Water Mongoose

Large-spotted Genet

African Civet

Yellow-spotted Hyrax

Rock Hyrax

Bush Pig

Sharpe's Grysbok

Red Duiker

Klipspringer

Bush Buck

Reptiles

Pelusios sinuatus, Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Afroedura pienaari, Pienaar’s Flat Gecko

Chondrodactylus turneri, Turner’s Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia, Common Tropical House Gecko

Homopholis wahlbergii, Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko

Lygodactylus capensis capensis, Common Dwarf Gecko

Pachydactylus vansoni,  Van Son’s Gecko

Chirindia langi occidentalis, Soutpansberg Worm Lizard

Vhembelacerta rupicola, Soutpansberg Rock Lizard

Smaug warreni depressus, Flat Dragon Lizard

Platysaurus relictus, Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Afroablepharus maculicollis, Spotted-Necked Snake-Eyed Skink

Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii, Sundevall’s Writhing Skink

Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis, Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink

Trachylepis margaritifer, Rainbow Skink

Trachylepis varia, Variable Skink

Varanus albigularis albigularis, Southern Rock Monitor

Varanus niloticus, Nile Monitor

Agama armata, Northern Ground Agama

Python natalensis , Southern African Python

Aparallactus capensis, Black-headed Centipede-Eater

Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra, Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake

Psammophis subtaeniatus, Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

Dendroaspis polylepis, Black Mamba

Afrotyphlops bibronii, Bibron’s Blind Snake

Myriopholis longicauda, Long-tailed Thread Snake

Leptotyphlops scutifrons scutifrons,  Peter's Thread Snake

Camera Trap Highlights: New Mammals for SCBC Lists

During the month of June two cameras (one SCBC camera and the other belong to a Medike resident) were left on a tree next to a remote mountain road one camera was low down facing north and the other was higher up facing south. The site was chosen due to the amount of animal spoor on track and we were targeting Brown Hyaena. We have seen the tracks, but never managed to get a shot of the animal. The location paid off. The cameras were left for nearly a month and we were surprised to discover just how busy that road was.

The footage we got included two new cats, Caracal and Serval. Some bad footage of another new mammal, the Red Duiker (not included in this post). Two leopards, a big tom and a smaller leopard (possibly a female) and some nice footage of a Jameson’s Red Rock Rabbit (not a new mammal species, but the first time we have managed to get an image).

Brown Hyaena, Hyaena brunnea

The Caracal or Rooi Kat (Caracal caracal)

A large male Leopard (Panthera pardus)

A smaller Leopard, possible female.

 
Unfortunately on of the cameras was removed by hunters. They obviously though the camera was a security device and removed it to eliminate evidence. This is quite a big blow as we only had the one camera. But luckily we have the footage of the new mammals.

Serval (Leptailurus serval subsp. serval)

Another highlight included in this post was captured by Alan Carr in April. The footage clearly shows an African Wild Cat, Felis lybica, this is the ancestor of the domestic cat. This animal is threatened because it freely hybridizes with the house cat, polluting the gene pool.

African Wild Cat, Felis silvestris subsp. cafra

Finally a rather special species for our list was captured one night in May. The camera was set close to a pool of water in the hope of capturing a Water Mongoose. Instead we captured a brief video of the rarely seen Selous’s Mongoose.

Selous's Mongoose, Paracynictis selousi subsp. selousi

11 May – 6 June

A Fish Eagle surveying the gorge.

Moonrise and scorpio - a night scene.

Reticulated Centipede-eater, Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus, a snake that is not often seen.

This was an interesting period. The weather began to cool drastically and the light in the day is noticeably dimmer than when the sun is closer. Still not bad weather for what is considered winter in South Africa. The drought of the past year has really had a knock-on effect and the veld is taking strain. The fruit trees never fruited properly (this is especially noticeable with the lack of dry Grewia fruits on the trees). Let's see what the next rainy season brings. 

The endemic Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis.

Van Son’s Gecko, Pachydactylus vansoni

In terms of sightings this was an interesting period. For me the highlight was seeing two gecko species that have not been seen since March last year (Van Son’s Gecko and Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko). The dry environment also led to a spike in mammal sightings, because there is less vegetative cover it is easier to see certain species. Lesser Bush Babies, Large-spotted Genets and Porcupines were seen often on night walks and around the accommodation. The dry season also leads to a change in certain animal’s behavior, an example of this is the tendency of the Crested Guinea Fowl to hang around the accommodation. Usually they are very nervous of people, but they become semi-tame this time of year.

A very boldly marked Variable Skink, Trachylepis varia.

The Common Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus capensis capensis.

Boophone disticha. These strange plants are common in the dry hot areas of the property.

Large Hadogenes soutpansbergensis. Another species endemic to the Soutpansberg.

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) under cultivation.

With the cool weather reptile and invertebrate work slows down considerably, however there has been some recent success with burrowing reptiles. A new snake was added to the list (Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake) and also another sighting of the Reticulated Centipede-Eater. The snakes warm themselves under sunbaked rocks, over the next few months we will continue with looking for these subterranean species.

A new mammal was added to our list during this period, the Mountain Reedbuck. We have been trying to capture hyaena on a trap camera and I was pleased to see a small herd of these nice looking antelope.

The last few weeks have seen some further developments in the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation’s programme. We are continuing our fight against the illegal sand-mining which is destroying a wetland south of the property. Our neighbour is selling rights to outsiders to remove sand by the truck load. You can see from the images the destruction this is causing.

This road was actually a river once before sand mining in the area became so big.

The knock-on effects of this activity are wide reaching and will certainly affect the area for years to come. The immediate problems this is causing is increased pressure on our part of the river from fishermen, they are no longer able to use the area upstream because of the environmental degradation. With all the activity it is much easier for poachers to get into the area, both small scale poachers hunting bush meat and also rhinocerous poachers using the free for all to access our neighbours at Leshiba. As for the future we can only speculate, but I am sure there will be increased problems with Alien Invasive plants and property destruction when the floods come. Watch this space for developments.

Crested Guinea Fowl, a strange looking bird from any angle.

Bird List

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Eqyptian Goose; Greater Honeyguide; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Cardinal Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; Acacia Pied Barbet; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; Red-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Common Scimitarbill; Malachite Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; White-fronted Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Pearl-spotted Owlett; Cape Eagle Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-dove; Tambourine Dove; Three-banded Plover; African Fish Eagle; Cape Vulture; Little Sparrow hawk; Black Sparrow hawk; African Goshawk; African Harrier-Hawk; Verreaux's Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Little Grebe; Grey Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black Stork; Black-headed Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bush shrike; Gorgeous Bush shrike; Grey-headed Bush shrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; White-crowned Helmet-shrike; Cape Batis; Chinspot Batis; Pied Crow; Southern Black Tit; Wire-tailed Swallow; Rock Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Eastern Nicator; Terrestrial Brownbul; Sombre Greenbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Long-billed Crombec; Cape White-eye; Rattling Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Bar-throated Apalis; Yellow-throated Apalis; Grey-backed Cameroptera; Rufous-Naped Lark; Kurrichane Thrush; Ashy Flycatcher; Grey Tit-Flycatcher; White-throated Robin-chat; Red-capped Robin-chat; White-browed Robin-chat; Bearded Scrub-robin; White-browed Scrub-robin; Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-chat; Red-winged Starling; Amethyst Sunbird; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Spectacled Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Blue Waxbill; Red-billed Firefinch; Southern Grey-headed Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Striped Pipit; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

The White-browed Scrub Robin, an extremely accomplished mimic.

Bibron’s Stilleto Snake, Atractaspis bibronii.

Reptiles

Pelusios sinuatus                                                   Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Kinixys spekii                                                         Speke’s Hinged-back Tortoise

Crocodylus niloticus                                              Nile Crocodile

Afroedura pienaari                                                Pienaar’s Flat Gecko

Chondrodactylus turneri                                       Turner’s Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia                                          Common Tropical House Gecko

Homopholis wahlbergii                                         Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko

Lygodactylus capensis capensis                            Common Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus ocellatus soutpansbergensis           Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko

Pachydactylus vansoni                                          Van Son’s Gecko

Smaug warreni depressus                                      Flat Dragon Lizard

Platysaurus relictus                                               Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis                      Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink

Afroablepharus maculicollis                                  Spotted-Necked Snake-Eyed Skink

Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii                             Sundevall’s Writhing Skink

Trachylepis margaritifer                                        Rainbow Skink

Trachylepis striata                                                 Striped Skink

Trachylepis varia                                                   Variable Skink

Varanus niloticus                                                   Nile Monitor

Agama armata                                                       Northern Ground Agama

Afrotyphlops bibronii                                             Bibron’s Blind Snake

Python natalensis                                                   Southern African Python

Bitis arietans arietans                                            Puff Adder

Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus                           Reticulated Centipede-Eater

Atractaspis bibronii                                               Bibron’s Stiletto Snake

Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia                                   Eastern Bark Snake

Psammophis subtaeniatus                                     Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

The Eastern Bark Snake, Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia.

A large Leopard captured on camera trap up on an old mountain road.

Rock Hyrax, one of the most abundant mammals on the property.

It is always nice to see Bush Buck in the day.

Mammal List

Bushveld Elephant Shrew; Chacma Baboon; Vervet Monkey; Thick-tailed Bush baby; Lesser Bush baby; Jameson’s Red Rock Rabbit; Tree Squirrel; Porcupine; Bushveld Gerbil; Namaqua Rock Mouse; Multimammate Mouse; House Rat; Cape Clawless Otter; Selous’s Mongoose; Water Mongoose; Dwarf Mongoose; Large Spotted Genet; African Civet; Brown Hyaena; Leopard; Rock Dassie; Yellow-spotted Dassie; Bush Pig; Bush Buck; Mountain Reedbuck; Klipspringer; Sharpe’s Grysbok

The dry season has really led to a spike in sightings of the Lesser Bushbaby, our smallest primate.

Mountain Reedbuck, a new mammal record for SCBC.

Nile Crocodile

About a month ago I was walking along the river and something in the water caught my eye. I raised my binoculars and I saw a crocodile. The animal immediately disappeared. I was 100% sure of what I had seen and I had a fellow eye-witness.

I spent a lot of time trying to relocate the animal and even began to doubt what I had seen. Last week my crocodile duty paid off and I saw the animal and managed to get some photographs.

This is a good record for the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation and also for Limpopo in general. The Nile Crocodile is under immense human pressure and is considered vulnerable. The threats to the species are summerised in the latest red list of South African Reptiles as follows:

The main threat is degradation of aquatic habitat. This includes degradation of lakes, wetlands, dams, rivers, and estuaries, construction of dams in rivers, water contamination, and removal of water for agricultural and industrial uses. Illegal sand mining and urbanisation also result in habitat destruction. Other threats include persecution by humans (killing of adult crocodiles and destruction of nests), negative effects of invasive vegetation, fire, over-fishing with gill nets, crop encroachment, harvesting for the medicine market, and accidental poisoning that may be associated with leaching of fertilisers into water sources. 

(Marais, J. 2014. Crocodylus niloticus (Laurenti, 1768). In M.F. Bates, W.R. Branch, A.M. Bauer, M. Burger, J. Marais, G.J. Alexander & M.S. de Villiers (eds), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.)

To have a free roaming animal like this in the area is really a privilege and is a good motivation to push for the conservation of the specific area and western Soutpansberg region. With proper protection of the area I am sure in the future a breeding population can be established.