Animals

You should get to see a few animals and bugs on your expeditions. I have seen scorpions a few times, and snakes on only two occasions to date. Caution should be taken with baboons, especially if you have dogs in your party.

Angulate Tortoise

Chersina angulata

I saw a number of these little guys around the campsite at the Bontebok National Park, as well as one making a bee-line across the dirt road.

According to www.conservation.org: “The Cape boasts an impressive level of tortoise diversity. South Africa itself has the highest tortoise diversity on Earth, and five species are found almost exclusively within the Cape Floristic Region”.

Sighting: Bontebok National Park [late February]

Cape Cobra

Naja nivea

Snakes are a reality of the great outdoors, and you need to watch carefully where you put your feet! Another reason (besides safety and the prevention of erosion) to stay on the path! The Cape Cobra‘s powerful neurotoxin affects the respiratory system: 60% of victims die, usually of respiratory failure, which takes place within 2–5 hours.

My first encounter with a snake was on the Bloupunt Trail in Montagu. From its appearance and behaviour, I am pretty sure it was a Cape Cobra. It had been on the trail in front of me, and as I was not nearly vigilant enough, I had moved close enough to it that it had reared up with its hood extended, ready to strike. Considering I had broken another hiking rule by hiking alone and was more than an hour’s walk from any help, I was extremely lucky to have looked up in time. A sobering thought.

Sightings: Bloupunt Trail, Montagu

Cape Dune Mole Rat

Bathyergus suillus

We generally only see these mammals when they are presented as gifts by the cats on the smallholding. The molehills they push up are a different story: they are evident everywhere on the property!

This large burrowing rodent is commonly found in the soft coastal sands of the Western Cape, especially coastal strandveld.

Have a look at those teeth!

Cape Genet

Genetta tigrina

This quite skittish, but remarkably bold little visitor paid us a visit as we sat at night around the fire outside our chalet at Sanddrif in the Central Cederberg. It was active quite late at night in winter temperatures hovering around zero degrees. It had a sleek body, a beautiful, long, striped bushy tail, and a cat-like face.

Sighting: Sanddrif [July]

Chacma Baboons

Papio ursinus

Chacma Baboons are fairly common on the Cape Peninsula (though there are none on Table Mountain itself) — you are hardly likely to spend a day at Cape Point Nature Reserve without coming into close contact with one of the four troupes in the area. Unfortunately, they are cheeky opportunists and have learned that humans are an easy supply of food — mostly as a result of the stupider of the two feeding them and leaving food around their habitat. Please be aware that they will approach you aggressively for food, and will grab anything they can — including your bags and cameras. Especially take care if you have dogs — the chances are your pet will come off very badly (most likely dead) from a fight with a baboon.

As suburbia encroaches on their natural habitat, baboons are now frequently coming into built-up areas with disastrous results. There are various initiatives in place to deal with this problem, for instance in the Cape Point Nature Reserve you will quite likely bump into one of the “baboon chasers”! The baboon monitoring programme is being managed by Nature Conservation Corporation (NatConCorp), which has a 24/7 Baboon Help Line for all problems related to baboons. Do not hesitate to call them on 071 588 6540.

I came across these young baboons playing next to the road on Mitchell’s Pass near Ceres. As cute as they were to watch, the heartbreaking truth is that they were way too comfortable in my presence, and were raiding the bins in the roadside culvert. I dare say their playful little show is something that is all too often rewarded with titbits from their human audience.

The behaviour of baboons in their natural habitat where their exposure to humans is minimal is in stark contrast to what you may observe in the areas mentioned. On a recent winter trip to the Central Cederberg, I witnessed a small troupe moving through the cottages at Sanddrif. They scattered into the veld immediately after I moved toward them. As I drove back to Cape Town via Ceres, I passed 4 troupes along the dirt road which was encouraging. What was more heartwarming was that they were extremely shy and moved quickly off into the fynbos as I approached along the road.

Read more about the plight of the baboons on the Peninsula here…

Please do all you can to help in this matter. Never feed or leave food around where baboons are found, never interfere with baboons in any way, and attempt to educate people to do the same.

Sightings: Tokai Arboretum; Cape Point Nature Reserve; Beaverlac; Algeria, Sanddrif, Cederberg.

Chameleon

Dassies

Procavia capensis

Dassies (Cape hyrax or Rock hyrax) are commonly found in rocky outcrops. They are believed to be the closest relative of — of all animals — the elephant! I cannot remember ever having been in the vicinity of the restaurant on Table Mountain without seeing a couple of them.

Please do not feed them: the population on Table Mountain has suffered considerably from a junk food diet courtesy of idiot tourists who do not heed the signs pleading with you not to do so. They are docile little critters more cared about sunning themselves than paying any attention to you and will scatter if approached.

It is not unusual to see them along the coastline. On a trip to Jongensfontein, we saw plenty of dassies amongst the rocks. Their boldness in not scattering until we were within metres suggests that they are fed here also. I would be interested to know if and how their diets differ from dassies living in the mountains.

Sightings: vicinity of Restaurant, Fountain Ledge, Table Mountain; Jongensfontein

Grey Rhebok

Himalayan Tahr

Hemitragus jemlahicus

A program to eradicate these little guys from the mountain was started a while back (and then stopped as a result of the outcry) as they are not indigenous to South Africa. They cause erosion, as well as compete for territory with indigenous fauna, like the Klipspringer.

There are supposedly only about 50 remaining. I have seen them on several occasions — each time there were three of them. Is it possible that these are the last three?

Whilst I understand the need for exotic flora and fauna to be removed from Table Mountain, I can’t help but find it thrilling to come in close contact with animals like this whilst in the outdoors — it must tap into some deep instinct!

Sightings: top of Platteklip Gorge; top of India Ravine

Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

We saw a pair of beautiful klipspringers alongside the N1 in Du Toit’s Kloof on our way to Montagu. They bounded away from us as we approached, then turned to pose perfectly for the camera!

We seem also to always be greeted by a few when we arrive in the Cederberg in the early morning.

Sighting: Du Toit’s Kloof [October]; Groot Winterhoek [February]

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

Apart from spotting quite a number of Angulate Tortoises in the Bontebok National Park, I spotted this much larger Leopard Tortoise just as he was heading off into the fynbos after crossing the road. We also saw a number of them in Cape Point Nature Reserve, some surprisingly close to the shoreline.

Sighting: Bontebok National Park [late February]; Cape Point Nature Reserve [September]

Puffadder

Bitis arietans

I have seen a puffadder on several occasions: on three occasions the snake was crossing a dirt road (once on the West Coast, once near Citrusdal, and another in the Tankwa Karoo National Park), and the other it was lying hidden amongst some fynbos (on Little Lion’s Head). It is possibly the most common and widely occurring snake in Sub-Saharan Africa and is responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake. The snake is fairly easily recognisable: it is fat, has a distinctive brown patterned skin, and a blunt head that is less triangular than that of most other snakes.

The puffadder has a reputation for being lazy, preferring to lie in wait to ambush for passing prey — it is well camouflaged for this end. This, the fact that it does not readily flee when approached, and the extreme toxicity of its venom which is delivered by a powerful strike, combine to make it such a nasty character. The venom has cytotoxic (meaning damage) effects and possible death is caused by massive tissue damage.

Red Hartebeest

Alcelaphus caama

Sightings: Bontebok National Park [late February], Tankwa Karoo National Park [September]

Scorpion

Opisthacanthus capensis

This little guy found his way into the bathroom of a holiday house we were staying at in Plettenberg Bay.

I think the general rule is that if the pincers are large and the tail small it is less toxic than vice versa. But just as I don’t stick around to make positive IDs of snakes to know if they are venomous or not, I don’t take any chances!

He was respectfully relocated.

Southern Rock Agama

Agama atra

The Southern Rock Agama is a commonly occurring lizard — you will see these guys sunning themselves on rocks everywhere. Whilst not poisonous, they can inflict a painful bite. As they are fairly timid and will scuttle away if you approach, the likelihood of this happening is improbable!

The blue colour of the male’s head and legs intensifies during the mating season. He really isn’t doing himself any favours in terms of camouflage and I guess it seems a bit odd that an adaptation that serves reproduction should at the same time in all likelihood also result in increased mortality due to predation!

Sightings: common on Table Mountain; Kogelberg Biosphere; Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve

Squirrel Monkey

Saimiri sciureus

Squirrel monkeys are not native to South Africa; they come from South America. If you see small monkeys in South Africa they are most likely Vervet monkeys which are grey with black faces surrounded with white, and not the yellowish coloration of the smaller Squirrel monkey.

Table Mountain Cockroach

Aptera fusca

We saw this little guy whilst hiking up Constantia Corner. I am not a big fan of creepy crawlies, but even though we suspected him of being a cockroach, he was so much cuter in nature than he would seem in my kitchen!

Says Michelle: “turns out he was a Table Mountain Cockroach (surprise!), or Giant Cockroach — and a HE as the females don’t have wings (they resemble giant, striped woodlouses)”. They can grow to a size of 3 to 4cm in length.

Table Mountain Pride

Springbok

Antidorcas marsupialis

I was quite startled to see this Springbok strolling casually along the road in the Cederberg, but Leanne assured me that it is common for farmers to keep them as tame farm animals. We saw a few in the distance on our trip through the Tankwa Karoo National Park, and were surprised to see that rather than being together in a herd, they were grazing great distances apart. We were delighted to see a baby springbok on the same trip!

Sightings: Tankwa Karoo National Park [September]

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

These monkeys are native to Africa and the most common species found in South Africa. They often make a nuisance of themselves on the urban fringe in areas in places like Knysna, Noetzie, Plettenberg Bay and Nature’s Valley.

We met the cheeky guy in the video below at De Vasselot Rest Camp in Nature’s Valley. He spent some time scoping out the lay of the land before shooting down to steal some food off our camp table!

Sightings: Nature’s Valley; Noetzie; Wittedrift