Crocodile River

21
Oct
2024
Exploring Ngwenya Lodge’s Game Viewing Hides: A Wildlife Lover’s Dream

Exploring Ngwenya Lodge’s Game Viewing Hides: A Wildlife Lover’s Dream

Exploring Ngwenya Lodge’s Game Viewing Hides: A Wildlife Lover’s Dream

Ngwenya Lodge is known for its spectacular wildlife experiences, and one of the highlights of any stay is the chance to visit the resort’s well-placed game-viewing hides. These hides provide guests with an intimate, uninterrupted view of the wildlife along the Crocodile River, which borders the iconic Kruger National Park. Each hide offers a unique vantage point, making it easy to spot some of South Africa’s most beloved animals in their natural habitat. Let’s take a closer look at the different hides available at Ngwenya Lodge and what you can expect from each one.

Crocodile Sandbank Hide

Located just south of the restaurant and viewing deck, the Crocodile Sandbank hide offers one of the most picturesque views of the Crocodile River. A guided handrail leads you through dense vegetation, making for an exciting walk to this hide, which is nestled on the perimeter of the lodge’s grounds. From here, visitors can enjoy sweeping views into the Kruger National Park and watch as the river winds its way through the landscape.

This spot is a prime location for spotting large game. It’s not unusual to see elephants slowly making their way to the riverbanks for a drink or a swim. As the name suggests, crocodiles are also common sightings here, basking in the sun along the sandbanks. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the elusive lion, either lounging in the distance or prowling the edges of the river in search of prey.

Top Sightings:

  • Elephants
  • Crocodiles
  • Lions

Elephant Crossing Hide

To the north of the restaurant and perched on stilts is the Elephant Crossing hide, a birdwatcher’s paradise. Elevated to give visitors a fantastic view over the reed banks and floodplains of the Crocodile River, this hide is well-suited for those who appreciate both big game and the quieter beauty of birdlife.

The surrounding vegetation here is thick, creating the perfect environment for bird species to thrive. If you’ve brought your binoculars, prepare to spot a variety of birds flitting between the trees and across the riverbanks. Of course, the hide lives up to its name – elephants often make an appearance, crossing the river or grazing along its shores. Keep an eye out for waterbucks too, which frequently visit the area in small herds.

Top Sightings:

  • Elephants
  • Waterbucks
  • Bird Species

Lion’s Crossing Hide

For guests looking to venture a little farther south, Lion’s Crossing is the southernmost game-viewing hide on the property. A short flight of stairs takes you down to this protected hide, where you’ll be treated to a magnificent view of the Crocodile River. The shallow pools and rocky outcrops in this section of the river create small, scenic rapids, making it an ideal watering spot for many animals.

This hide is especially known for hippopotamuses lounging in the water or along the riverbanks. You’ll also spot a variety of antelope species coming to the water for a drink, and, of course, the ever-present elephants are frequently sighted here as well. This is one of the most serene and picturesque hides, perfect for taking in the calm of the river while waiting for the wildlife to appear.

Top Sightings:

  • Elephants
  • Hippopotamuses
  • Antelope Species

The Ngwenya Experience

Whether you’re an avid birder, a photography enthusiast, or simply someone looking to unwind and soak in nature’s beauty, the hides at Ngwenya Lodge offer something for everyone. With each hide offering its own unique view and selection of wildlife, no two visits are ever the same. So pack your camera, bring your binoculars, and prepare for an unforgettable experience as you witness some of South Africa’s most iconic animals up close.

Tips for Your Visit:

  • Be sure to visit each hide at different times of the day for the best variety of wildlife sightings.
  • Bring water, sun protection, and a camera to capture your wildlife encounters.
  • Keep noise to a minimum to avoid disturbing the animals – they’re more likely to approach if it’s peaceful.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, as you may need to walk short distances to reach some of the hides.

At Ngwenya, nature is just a few steps away from your front door, and these hides offer a truly immersive way to connect with the wild beauty of the Crocodile River.

Posted by Ngwenya Marketing in Environmental Conservation, Kruger National Park, Ngwenya Lodge, Ngwenya Sightings, 0 comments
05
Jun
2019
Raka; Our Resident Crocodile

Raka; Our Resident Crocodile

The warm weather has touched the landscape across the Crocodile River and the cold-blooded reptilians slide onto the sandbanks from the cool water to bask in the sunlight. Like logs, the creatures lie almost lifeless, soaking up the rays of sunshine with beady-eyes seemingly staring blankly ahead. Raka; our resident crocodile, slides his huge body out of the water; he is the largest of the crocodiles on this stretch and dominates many of the smaller crocs in these waters.

On this particular morning one of our guests, Tommy Weys, captures some incredible photographs of Raka in his natural habitat. An unfortunate impala has wandered too close and has been snagged. A fully grown crocodile, like Raka, will consume 20% of his body mass in a single sitting. While his main diet subsists of fish, birds and smaller antelope, he is not impartial to establishing his dominance over the River by consuming smaller crocodiles as well.

Raka’s digestive system is a well-oiled machine; perfected through thousands of years of evolution. His jaw cannot move other than to clamp down or open up; he therefore swallows prey whole. The meal will reach his stomach, and be met by hydrochloric stomach acid, as well as small stones (that he swallows) which help him to grind the food; due to an inability to chew. What’s even more interesting about this process is that his blood plays a vital role. Crocodiles have a special valve in the heart muscle linked to an aorta leading directly to the stomach, which miss the lungs completely. The blood that travels along to the stomach is thus rich in carbon dioxide, a crucial component in releasing more acid into the stomach to disintegrate prey. The influx in gastric acid means that Raka can devour and digest his prey faster than any other animal and dissolve bones that have made it into his system.

On further inspection of this prehistoric creature paleo-biologists discovered that a crocodile’s bite force averages around 16 460 newton’s; 10 000 newton’s more than that of a lion or hyena. Interestingly though, the muscles to open the jaws are not nearly as strong, which is why conservationists recorded relocating crocs by simply holding their mouths shut.

This by no means diminishes a crocodiles dangerousness; Raka will stalk his prey from below the water’s surface and lash out quickly, clamping his strong jaws shut around his victim, before pulling it back into the water where it will drown. Once shut, his jaws act as a vice-grip and will be near impossible to open.

Raka may remain in the River whilst feasting on his prize, but this is to minimise his vulnerability to other crocodiles attempting to make a claim on his meal. Once he is satisfied, he drags his large body from the cool waters and basks in the sun to digest his food. The warm rays of the sun, and the special second aorta, work in conjunction to speed up digestion; without these tools Raka’s meal would putrefy in his stomach.

As he lies along the lazy Crocodile River, we begin to notice how he, and other crocodiles around him, seem to share the same vacant expression and wide-open mouth. This social behaviour is not at all random, and shares with us another glimpse into the marvellous evolution these creatures have experienced. We already know that crocodiles are cold-blooded, so their body temperature is directly proportional to that of their environment. Along the Crocodile River, temperatures can sky-rocket to over 40° Celcius and Raka, as well as his other scaly comrades, can overheat. Lying on the sandbanks with their mouths agape works similarly to that of a dog panting; the cool breeze ripples over the crocodile’s mouth and cools the blood flowing around its brain. Once thoroughly cooled, the crocodiles will return to the depths of the Crocodile River.

Each day we watch, eagerly, as crocodilians put on a show for the Lodge’s visitors along the meandering Crocodile River. Raka; our resident crocodile and fiercest mascot, makes regular appearances to amaze and instill a sense of wonder and awe in those lucky enough to behold him; a living, breathing dinosaur of the deep.

Posted by Ngwenya Marketing in Ngwenya Sightings, 0 comments
05
Jun
2019
Into The Biome

Into The Biome

Ngwenya Lodge sits comfortably along the winding Crocodile River on the South-Eastern boundary of the Kruger National Park. Being located at prime river-frontage, a major water source for Kruger wildlife makes Ngwenya well-positioned for year-round game-viewing. However, exploring the Kruger National Park on a self-drive or guided tour make for some incredible sightings; even more so when we delve into the biome of the Park and use it to our advantage for spectacular wildlife finds.

The Kruger National Park is classified as a majority Savanna biome.  This biome is characterised by grass-dominant ground coverage and woody vegetation as its upper layer; it also makes up approximately a third of South Africa’s overall biome. The upper layer of woody plants and trees almost never dominates the ground cover; this is attributed to the annual rainfall being relatively low in the area, recorded by 15 rainfall stations throughout the Kruger daily with a mean of 500mm each year. The region experiences its rainy season during the summer months; December, January and February with earth-shattering thunderstorms which are a sight to behold and often studied by international and national students. Wild grasses and shrubs make up the majority of the ground cover and provide an ample grazing ground for a range of antelope, while Acacia trees can be spotted in clusters or alone, and provide an excellent food source for larger game such as giraffe and elephant.

The Kruger National Park can be broken down into eight overlapping ecosystems, all forming a part of the greater Savanna biome, with the Central Grasslands providing the best example of the Savanna. The Northern Sandlands, Mopaneveld and Lebombo ecosystems fall further away from Ngwenya Lodge, but all make for interesting and unique game-viewing drives, should visitors wish to travel further into the Park.

Closer to home however, lies a multitude of ecosystems, each overlapping the next and providing a home to varied species, these are the; Riverine Bush, Thorn Thickets to the East, South Western Foothills, Mixed Broadleaf Woodlands and the Savanna Grasslands heading North.

  • Riverine Bush areas populate the River edges and can thus be found looking from an Ngwenya Lodge chalet patio, or lookout point. The foliage has near year-round access to water, creating a dense cover for species in the area. Commonly found on the floodplains are; elephant, waterbuck, crocodile and occasionally big cats and other game during the drier seasons when water is scarce.
  • Thorn Thickets are located towards the east along the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers and are characterised by large Acacia trees. During the summer months this thicket provides excellent cover for game seeking to wait out the heat of the day, and giraffe can often be found grazing from their favoured food source; the Acacia tree.
  • South Western Foothills make up the area enveloping Pretoriuskop and Berg-en-Dal to the West of Ngwenya Lodge. This area receives the highest rainfall within the Kruger Park and features incredible granite outcrops perfect for looking out over the Lowveld for a refreshment stop.

Nkumbe Lookout Point, Lower Sabie

  • Mixed Broadleaf Woodlands cover Skukuza and surrounds moving west into the National Park. The Woodlands are characterised by a range of Bushwillow trees and provide an excellent opportunity for guests wanting to spot predators. Regular sightings of lion, leopard and hyena are reported in this region.
  • Savanna Grasslands start north of the Sabie River and are a typical example of the Savanna biome; large open spaces covered in wild grasses and the occasional cluster of Acacia trees mark the area. This ample grassy vegetation means that large herds of antelope can be sighted here; zebra, wildebeest and rooibok cover the plains. The area also attracts many predators and cheetah put their speed to good use on the grasslands.

The Kruger National Park offers a wide range of ecosystems to explore and even more species to be sighted; a treasure trove of wildlife experiences. Journey into the biome and discover all this South African landscape has to offer.

Posted by Ngwenya Marketing in Wildlife