Skip to content
  • 1 800 414 3090
  • info@africansafarico.com
Facebook Linkedin-in Instagram
Inquire now
  • African Safaris
  • Marine Safaris
  • Travel Styles
  • Parks
  • Stories
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • African Safaris
  • Marine Safaris
  • Travel Styles
  • Parks
  • Stories
  • About
  • Contact
  • African Safaris
  • Marine Safaris
  • Travel Styles
  • Parks
  • Stories
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • African Safaris
  • Marine Safaris
  • Travel Styles
  • Parks
  • Stories
  • About
  • Contact
Inquire now
  • September 7, 2018

The Little Things

We as Guides get Guests from all over the world and the one thing that we hear on a daily basis is a request to see the Big 5. However, although magnificent and amazing to see in their natural environment, sometimes it is just as exciting to move away from the Big 5 and focus on a few of the smaller things in nature.

Recently I had a couple from the U.S stay at Kapama River Lodge for 3 nights. I picked them up from the Hoedspruit/ Eastgate airport. This is always a great way to get to know each other a bit better. Questions I ask are: “Is this your first time to South Africa?”  or “Have you ever been on a safari before?” etc. Then I usually ask my guest if there is anything in particular that they would like to see during our game drives and day-after-day, to no surprise, I get a request for the Big 5. This is completely understandable and expected as most people venture all the way to South Africa to experience these magnificent creatures.

But on this particular day, I got the best surprise ever when the husband said, “Please, Just not the Big 5”. I stopped and asked why, eager to know why he was so adamant Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino were not on their bucket list.  He replied that at a lodge where they were prior to Kapama, the guide only concentrated on the Big 5 but didn’t stop at all for the smaller things. “We  have been on numerous Safaris in South Africa and have most definitely seen all of the Big 5. So please, on at least one game drive can we only concentrate on the smaller things.” He almost pleaded. I got so excited and immediately nodded in agreement. I knew I had a kindred spirit on the game vehicle, and that our time together would be something special.

That afternoon we left the comfort of River Lodge to begin our exploration of the marvels of the bushveld. We started off, not with a one of the Big 5, but rather one of the Little Five. We found a Leopard Tortoise slowly making its way along one of the roads. They get their name from the yellow and black spots on their shell and they are the world’s fourth largest tortoise species.

 

 

Although we did not spot them, the rest of the Little Five is made up of Red-billed Buffalo-weaver, The Elephant Shrew, the ant Lion and last but certainly not least the Rhino Beatle. They are so called as the male Rhino beetle has a signature horn on the top of its head. A Rhino beetle can also lift 850 times its own body weight!

As we moved on from the Leopard Tortoise, nature just kept on surprising us with snakes, birds, wildflowers, snails, mushrooms and so much more.

 

 

 

 

 

As we moved on from the Leopard Tortoise, nature just kept on surprising us with snakes, birds, wildflowers, snails, mushrooms and so much more. We ended the night off with a beautiful flap-necked chameleon. A few interesting facts about these interesting creatures:
–      They normally rest on weak hanging branches as heavier predators cannot balance on the branches
–      Their name comes from the flap at the back if its neck and helps with its camouflage
–      You will normally see them moving with staggered motions. This is to replicate wind blowing through trees

 

 

My guests and I agreed that our 3-hour game drive was not enough to appreciate the smaller things we had discovered and decided to do it again the following morning.

The point is that we always try to focus and spend lots of time, if not all our time, on finding and tracking the big and scary things out there, without realising that true beauty lies right in front of us. All we have to do is to take a breath of wilderness air, open our eyes and mind and let the bushveld tell us its stories.

 

Story  and photos by Ranger Rassie Jacobs River Lodge

Are you ready for your next big adventure? Inquire now

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Get in touch

Contact us today

Let our Africa and Latin America travel experts start putting together the perfect itinerary for your next big adventure! Call or email us to schedule a meeting to discuss your dream safari or tour.

Address: 1752 NW Market St # 520 Seattle, WA, 98107

Email Address: info@africansafarico.com

Telephone: 1 800 414 3090

Who we support

African Safaris

  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris
  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris

Latin America

  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours
  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours

Highlights

  • Beach
  • Cape Town
  • Culture
  • Gorillas & Chimps
  • Great Migration
  • Victoria Falls
  • Wine
  • Beach
  • Cape Town
  • Culture
  • Gorillas & Chimps
  • Great Migration
  • Victoria Falls
  • Wine

Travel Styles

  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon
  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon

Information

  • When To Travel
  • Travel Protection
  • Who We Are
  • Contact Details
  • Stories
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • When To Travel
  • Travel Protection
  • Who We Are
  • Contact Details
  • Stories
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

African Safaris

  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris
  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris

Latin America

  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours
  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours

Highlights

  • Beach
  • Cape Town
  • Culture
  • Gorillas & Chimps
  • Great Migration
  • Victoria Falls
  • Wine
  • Beach
  • Cape Town
  • Culture
  • Gorillas & Chimps
  • Great Migration
  • Victoria Falls
  • Wine

Travel Styles

  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon
  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon

Information

  • When To Travel
  • Travel Protection
  • Who We Are
  • Contact Details
  • Stories
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • When To Travel
  • Travel Protection
  • Who We Are
  • Contact Details
  • Stories
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
© 2023 African Safari Company
Join our mailing list
Facebook-f Linkedin-in

Sign up to our mailing list

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest safari news, exclusive offers and more!

Marine Safari
Destinations

Marine Adventure
Destinations

  • Madagascar Safaris
  • Maldives Safaris
  • Mauritius Safaris
  • São Tomé and Principe Safaris
  • Seychelles Safaris
  • Madagascar Safaris
  • Maldives Safaris
  • Mauritius Safaris
  • São Tomé and Principe Safaris
  • Seychelles Safaris

National Parks
and Reserves

Explore Parks

Botswana

Chobe National Park
Kalahari Desert
Linyanti Private Reserve
Makgadikgadi Pans
Mashatu Game Reserve
Moremi National Park
Nxabega Concession
Okavango Delta
Savute Region
Selinda Concession

Kenya

Amboseli National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Masai Mara Game Reserve
Meru National Park
Nairobi National Park
Samburu National Park
Shaba National Park
Tsavo West National Park

Mozambique

Gorongoza National Park

Namibia

Damaraland
Etosha National Park
Skeleton Coast
Sossusvlei

Rwanda

Nyungwe Forest National Park
Volcanoes National Park

South Africa

Grootbos Nature Reserve
Isimangoliso Wetlands Park
Kapama Private Reserve
Kwandwe Private Reserve
KwaZulu Natal
Madikwe Game Reserve
Phinda Private Reserve
Sabi Sands Reserve
Thanda Private Reserve
Thornybush Game Reserve
Timbavati Reserve
Valley of 1000 Hills

Tanzania

Arusha National Park
Lake Eyasi
Lake Manyara National Park
Mahale Mountains
Ngorongoro Crater
Saadani National Park
Selous Game Reserve
Serengeti National Park
Tarangire National Park

Uganda

Bwindi National Park
Kasanka National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Lake Mburo National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park

Zambia

Kafue National Park
Lochinvar National Park
Lower Zambezi National Park
North Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa National Park
Tsika Island
Victoria Falls

Zimbabwe

Gonarezhou National Park
Hwange National Park
Mana Pools National Park
Victoria Falls

Safaris by
Travel Style

Safaris by
Travel Style

  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon
  • Sustainability & Conservation
  • Exclusively Yours
  • Bush & Beach
  • Explorer
  • Family
  • Highlights
  • Romance & Honeymoon

Latin America
Destinations

Latin America
Destinations

  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours
  • Ecuador Adventure Tours
  • Galapagos Adventure Tours
  • Peru Adventure Tours

African Safari
Destinations

African Safari
Destinations

  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris
  • Botswana Safaris
  • Congo Safaris
  • Egypt Safaris
  • Kenya Safaris
  • Morocco Safaris
  • Mozambique Safaris
  • Namibia Safaris
  • Rwanda Safaris
  • South Africa Safaris
  • Tanzania Safaris
  • Zambia Safaris
  • Zimbabwe Safaris