Gallery - Askari

Askari Gallery

📷 @audthebelge WOW 🤩 thank you so much to o

📷 @audthebelge
WOW 🤩 thank you so much to our awesome volunteer and photographer Audrey Fanjoy for sharing this incredible photo of the Askari pride during her stay last month. They sure look like one formidable force!! Simply stunning. Keen for more? Check out http://www.audfanjoyphotography.com

Our current Askari team has had a busy orientation

Our current Askari team has had a busy orientation week consisting of a few lectures and introduction to different aspects of the bush.

Other activities consisted of cleaning our nyala breeding camps, killing alien plant species and learning more about fences and the role they play in animal management. We also had the opportunity to visit the very educational Timbavati museum where we got a closer look at many of the species we come across on a daily basis.

Depending on where you are in their distribution r

Depending on where you are in their distribution range, Aardvark may be one of the most illusive animals in the bushveld. The Askari group “Baby Bush Squad” managed to place their camera trap in the exact place where this aardvark passed a few minutes before midnight.

These secretive animals are amongst the top predators of termites and ants and may consume as many as 50 000 in one evening. They do this through digging and making use of their extremely adaptable 30cm tongue. Their very large and hard nails are their greatest defense and when threatened they’ll flee and dig a hole that is big enough to hide their 65kg body in, in a matter of minutes.

They are considered one of the fastest digging animals in the world and there is a story of 32 men with shovels trying to unearth an aardvark with no success as they didn’t even get close.

This video was the closest many of us has come to them but great to know that they are around while we’re fast asleep.

Last week the team worked with Dr Pete Rogers and

Last week the team worked with Dr Pete Rogers and breeding manager Andrew to move some Sable antelope and treat an injured buffalo.

17 sable were darted and removed from the breeding camps and taken to Langa langa. There they were placed in the boma to settle and by the next morning had already met the 8 on the outside who we hope will show them the ropes.

The buffalo had suffered puncture wounds in his rump caused by the horn of another buffalo. The wound was cleaned and maggots removed and antibiotics administered.

The Askari team was lucky enough to encounter 3 of

The Askari team was lucky enough to encounter 3 of the big 5 (elephant, leopard and buffalo) during our Olifants boat cruise yesterday morning. We were just as fortunate to encounter many other rare and not so frequently seen species. Amongst them was the very special White-back night heron, African python, two incredibly colorful water monitors and a Nile Crocodile so close it slid underneath our boat.

There was a first for many and we were happy to call this one of our more successful town trips yet.

📷@audthebelge A perfect photo from one of our

📷@audthebelge
A perfect photo from one of our very own photographers, Audrey Fanjoy. She captured this Burchell's zebra on the move while on a herbivore monitoring drive.

While out on a monitoring drive checking up on che

While out on a monitoring drive checking up on cheetah sisters Rumi and Rae the Askari team was lucky enough to encounter the Askari pride on the move.

Currently in charge of the Northern territory is the Askari pride consisting of 2 adult females and their younger offspring consisting of 1 male and 6 females. As the pride currently moves around without any adult males, tensions are high to see which of the more dominant Southern males will move North to try and claim a new pride.
#askariwcp

Video credit: Audrey Fanjoy

The cold, dry winter days with minimal rain produc

The cold, dry winter days with minimal rain produces the near perfect substrate for tracking animals moving at all different hours of both day and night.
Over the last few weeks many interesting tracks and signs have been found and here you can see our current volunteer group setting up different camera traps in the hopes of catching a few of these elusive animals in their tracks...
Stay tuned to see what we capture. #askariwcp

Monday morning and it has already been a fantastic

Monday morning and it has already been a fantastic start to the week for our female cheetah and the best news following their release last week. Breeding manager Andrew has found both girls this morning and sent some photos through, each one has their own kill! They actually already split up on day 1 of release but this is not a surprise as females are solitary and they are well past the independence age.

Rumi has a duiker breakfast which is actually her 1st ever confirmed SOLO kill. Rae went a little bigger and has a kudu...her 2nd confirmed kudu kill! Awesome work girls 💪🏻😍

It was a big day for our cheetah today, both boys

It was a big day for our cheetah today, both boys and girls! All have had their challenges since release last year, but with a helping hand and plenty of determination we are ready to try again. Both sets of cats have been back in a holding boma and were released to the wild again this morning. Although it feels a little like we're back at the start, we have learnt so much....as have the cheetah! Fingers crossed for round 2.

Males Rocco & Luca have been treated for a fungal skin infection. It is thought that the wet and humid conditions of the season exacerbated the fungus which is underlying in all cheetah but surfaces if they fall under stress or become immuno-suppressed. A few months of antibiotics and skin baths have seen them through their treatment and their skin has healed nicely.

Female 'Rumi' also suffered an unusual problem, and needed an operation to remove a huge mass of hair from her stomach. When the river flooded, and we couldn't reach her to help with feeding, it seems like she may have scavenged to survive. This led to a hair build up and blockage which had to be removed surgically. Although 'Rae' has remained wild this whole time, we have rejoined her with sister Rumi for the re-release.

A few months later and today, the team released everyone into the wild again. We will now spend time monitoring them and keep you posted with their progress

An old memory today from many years ago at Askari

An old memory today from many years ago at Askari when we were re-wilding 'Safiya' the caracal and she scared this elephant into charging at us on one of our bush walks! Maybe there's some truth to the saying that elephants are afraid of mice!

Askari is back in action and getting our hands dir

Askari is back in action and getting our hands dirty once again...
Here you can see our current volunteer Emmanuelle having the wonderful opportunity of joining the Askari team as we reunite our two cheetah sisters (Rumi and Rae) after an almost 2 month separation. As many of you might already know Rumi returned to the cheetah boma on Langa after her operation and recovery time while her sister remained on the reserve and seemed to have had some trouble of her own without her sister.
Both cheetah girls are looking great and working towards full strength before their release back into the Langa open system in a few days time. #askariwcp

When we're fast asleep.....and the bush comes to l

When we're fast asleep.....and the bush comes to life! Some camera trap captures

A very Happy Mother's Day from our pride to yours

A very Happy Mother's Day from our pride to yours ❤

Stunning capture of one of our barbet species here

Stunning capture of one of our barbet species here on the reserve, a 'Crested barbet' #askariwcp

Imagine having to work so hard for a drink every t

Imagine having to work so hard for a drink every time?!

Plenty of sightings of the Askari pride recently,

Plenty of sightings of the Askari pride recently, and what better backdrop than that of the magnificent Drakensberg mountains

Beautiful winter morning light on the eyes of fema

Beautiful winter morning light on the eyes of female cheetah 'Rumi' #askariwcp

World hyaena day 🥳🥳...and also Freedom day h

World hyaena day 🥳🥳...and also Freedom day here in South Africa. What a day to celebrate my favourites and the 2 species of hyaena we see here on Pidwa

Our February newsletter is now available on our we

Our February newsletter is now available on our website, catch up on all the news and sightings from around the reserve #askariwcp https://askariwcp.com/2021/04/20/february-2021/

A stunning sunrise on a crisp 8 degree morning. Wi

A stunning sunrise on a crisp 8 degree morning. Winter is on the way!

A juvenile bateleur waiting over a carcass this we

A juvenile bateleur waiting over a carcass this week

Today we bid farewell to our recent group 'High 5

Today we bid farewell to our recent group 'High 5 Big 5'. It's been a fantastic month of sightings and work around the reserve and obviously so special to have our volunteers back - check out what we've been up to here

The team adventuring on a stunning early morning b

The team adventuring on a stunning early morning bush walk today

A beautiful sub-adult Dark-chanting goshawk on our

A beautiful sub-adult Dark-chanting goshawk on our drive

A fantastic morning for the team yesterday cruisin

A fantastic morning for the team yesterday cruising the Olifants river. Some great birds, crocs, hippo, buffalo and elephant

Male cheetah 'Luca' received the second treatment

Male cheetah 'Luca' received the second treatment for his fungal skin infection this week. Again he was washed with a fungicide shampoo and dried off. He and brother 'Rocco' have now been released back into the wild. Close monitoring will continue and further treatment may be needed but in the meantime they can continue to hunt for themselves

A lion pride spotted during our herbivore count dr

A lion pride spotted during our herbivore count drive this weekend

So good to be back in the Kruger National Park wit

So good to be back in the Kruger National Park with our group 🥳. Plenty of elephants, hippos everywhere with all the water, chameleons, great birds, lots of corn crickets to dodge and some real Kruger magic to welcome us back......a big 5 combo of lion and elephant! #askariwcp

The sun sets on another day at Askari

The sun sets on another day at Askari

Yes you're seeing it right....that's a hair dryer.

Yes you're seeing it right....that's a hair dryer....and we're using it on a cheetah 🤣 (photo 3). Male cheetah Luca received his test results this week confirming he has a fungal skin infection. The team worked with Dr Peter Rogers to treat him while under anaesthetic. He was washed thoroughly with a special shampoo, this was rinsed off with special alcohol. We then dried his hair to ensure he didn't lose heat. We had already purposefully chosen the hottest day of the week for the treatment but this was just to be sure! We will monitor him closely and likely repeat this treatment a number of times #askariwcp

This morning, even this spotted hyaena got its sha

This morning, even this spotted hyaena got its share of the sable carcass ensuring nothing goes to waste in the bush

The death of a Sable antelope gave the opportunity

The death of a Sable antelope gave the opportunity for a vulture feeding frenzy. In this photo you can see hooded, white-backed AND Cape vultures

Load More… Follow on Instagram