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Dogs, but Wild

This blog about wild dogs was written by Allison Sponder. Special topic blogs are written by Bushwise students during their course, and all facts included are based on their research.

Read time: 4 mins

African wild dogs are my absolute favourite and have been for quite some time – long before I even thought I would witness them in person. Unfortunately, I think many people either do not realise just how fascinating they are, both as individuals and as a pack, or have been misled by misinformation.

What’s in a name

For quite some time, but even more so recently, there has been a push to change the common name from wild dogs to painted wolves. Many people think the name wild dog makes them sound basically like stray dogs, which is one reason there are many misconceptions about them. While I understand the thought process, I also believe we should rethink why the term “wild” or even “dog” has such a negative connotation. Although wildly different, they do share similarities to our domestic breeds of dogs. People both underestimate domestic dogs and misunderstand wild dogs, but that’s a whole other issue.

Coats

Wild dogs are fantastically unique, both in terms of behaviour and physical characteristics. The coat colour of wild dogs is highly varied; it can include red, black, white, yellow, and brown. Each individual has a completely different fur pattern that can be used to identify them. Some of the dogs have larger patches of white fur on them – which I personally find just stunning.

They have large, rounded ears, almost seemingly too big for their body. They are not large in size; they are actually quite similar in size to many domestic dogs, weighing anywhere between 18–36 kilograms and roughly one metre in length. Their lifespan is roughly 10–12 years as well.

Wild dog packs

Each individual not only has their own look but their own personality as well. Which makes for quite an interesting pack. The packs can consist of anywhere from two to 30 dogs, but generally a minimum of six dogs is ideal for consistent successful hunting.

The female alpha is in charge of the entire pack, making many decisions and choosing where to den. The alpha male and female are the only two dogs allowed to breed in a pack, but the priority of the group is to take care of the entire pack. All of the dogs look after each other, care for each other even when sick or injured, and take care of the pups.

Everyone in the pack will look after the pups. When the pups are still denning, and it is time to hunt, generally the alpha female will stay with the pups. The rest of the pack will head off on a hunt, and after they are successful, they will return and regurgitate the meal for the pups and mother. After the pups are old enough to join in on hunts, they will be allowed to eat first at a kill.

Wild dog hunts

One of the most fascinating behaviours exhibited by wild dogs is their hunts. They practise something unknown to most other species, democracy.

Okay, it’s not that complex. However, they have been observed basically voting on whether or not to pursue a hunt. They do this by sneezing. If the majority of the pack sneezes, the hunt will be a go. Mind-bending!

The hunt itself is also unique. Firstly, they are one of the most successful predators in the area with roughly 80% of their hunts ending in a kill. Although wild dogs can rely on surprise and quick bursts of speed, they generally take a different approach. These individuals have unmatched endurance even at high speeds, up to 60 kilometres per hour. They often will chase their prey until it exhausts and can no longer run. They eat quickly in order to consume as much as possible as fast as possible, because unfortunately for them, there is a good chance a much larger and more powerful predator is lurking nearby ready to steal the kill.

Wild dog packs eat a variety of things and the size of their prey generally depends on the size of the pack. They generally consume small-to-medium-sized antelopes such as impala, and warthogs, but can even take down wildebeest, kudu, or small buffalo – although quite rare.

There is so much to observe and learn about this species. Their behaviour, social structure, and capabilities endlessly fascinate me. Not to mention, they are stunning. Unfortunately, they are quite endangered with only around 6,600 individuals left in the wild. One of the biggest threats to these dogs is the loss of habitat, one pack can cover a range of roughly 1,500 kilometres which is incredibly large. Since habitat is shrinking constantly, they are running out of room to roam which means they are also running into other predators and in conflict with humans, specifically farmers. There are many efforts in place to conserve them, however we still have a long way to go.

Out here we’re constantly discovering new things about the birds, plants, and animals that call the African savanna their home. Join us where the wild becomes home.

December 4, 2023
Look Up…

This blog about astrology was written by Henlo Lourens. Special topic blogs are written by Bushwise students during their course, and all facts included are based on their research.

Read time: 4 mins

“Keep your eyes on the stars”, “we are truly children of the stars”, and “look to the stars and from them we learn”, are just a few thought-provoking words that demonstrate the beauty and symbolic importance that comes from understanding and learning about these celestial bodies. This blog is about not only the stars, but also the importance of understanding them as a field guide.

Every culture on Earth has at some point looked to the stars for practical information and answers to the biggest of questions. A lot of what was first known is wrapped up in stories and passed down through generations. If we look at the invention of the telescope for example, it can be argued that Galileo’s invention was the result of all the questions asked and the astonishing predictions of what the stars mean, where they come from, and the general fascination that comes from the beauty of the night sky.

Learning about the Southern Cross

During the numerous game drives that happened during the winter when the sun set early, we conducted lessons about astronomy and more specifically about the Southern Cross.

As field guides, it is important that we understand how to use the Southern Cross and constellations alike as not only a way of direction but to also further our understanding and local knowledge of ancestral beliefs and societal influences that come from the speculations and beliefs of others. In doing so, we as field guides can create conversations about these celestial bodies. As well as encourage a new understanding and passion for astronomy.

I personally enjoy trying to see comets and learning about meteors. It really delights me when I get the opportunity to study the night sky and expand my knowledge about astronomy. I have always been fascinated by conversations about astronomy, and getting to know the different ideas and beliefs around astronomy that have been constructed from the questions asked by people.

Traditional beliefs about the Southern Cross

Within different traditional belief systems, the Southern Cross is more than just a way to find the southern point. The bright stars of the pointers and the Southern Cross were often referred to as a metaphorical group of giraffes by the Zulu, who traditionally believe that giraffes travel across the heavens to keep track of the location of the moon and the stars.

Among the Venda, these giraffes were known as Thutiwa. In October, the giraffes are believed to be moving above the trees on the evening horizon, reminding people to finish their agricultural objectives of planting crops.

The Karanga people believe the stars are the eyes of the dead. This gives them great solace in finding hope and trust for their protection.

Experiencing the night sky at Bushwise

During our course, we were able to experience the night sky on numerous occasions. One of my favourites was when we had a sleepout, where we were fully immersed in the environment and nature as a whole.

I found it particularly calming to look up at the stars and think about the challenges and achievements that I have experienced. I personally found happiness and a feeling of gratitude in having the opportunity to learn about the world we live in and appreciate the togetherness of both having my fellow students and my greatest passion in one place.

We get to experience so much peace and fulfillment when we take a moment out of their busy life to simply look up. Join us out here to experience it for yourself.

November 27, 2023
The Life & Habits of Black-Backed and Side-Striped Jackal

This blog about black-back and side-striped jackals was written by Jordan Grove. Special topic blogs are written by Bushwise students during their course, and all facts included are based on their research.

Read time: 3 mins

I will be sharing some interesting facts about both the black-backed and side-striped jackal. Both animals are found in various parts of the country, with the black-backed jackal being more prevalent. I will be focusing on the appearance, habitat, diet and breeding behaviours of each.

Appearance

The black-backed jackal has a distinctive dark black patch on the back, starting at the neck and running down to the base of the tail. The rest of the body has a rusty, reddish colour which stands out more in thick grass, making them easier to spot. They usually weigh between 8–10 kilograms. And in terms of their call, they have a unique wailing call which is difficult to mistake for most other animals.

In contrast to the black-backed jackal, the side-striped jackal has a more doglike appearance and is also larger, weighing up to 14 kilograms. They have grey-brown fur, with faint white stripes on their sides. Their tails are dark with a white tip. And their call is an almost owl-like hoot or a loud scream when threatened.

Diet and habitat

Black-backed jackals are far from being picky eaters. Besides scavenging, they feed on almost anything, including insects, fruit, lizards, rodents and sometimes two jackals will form a pair to hunt larger prey such as impala.

As a result of their widespread diet and being generally adaptable, they are found in many areas and habitats. The only areas that they do not thrive in are dense forests, as they prefer areas which are more open – possibly to give them more visibility of potential threats such as leopards or lions – when foraging and resting in these open areas.

Similarly to the black-backed jackal, the side-striped jackal scavenges for food. Being omnivores, their diet consists of small mammals like rodents, invertebrates like millipedes and other insects, and plants, mainly fruits. They are very opportunistic and will also scavenge from the kills of other animals. Hunting happens at night, either alone or in pairs, but they can be found in groups of up to twelve when they are in a good feeding area.

Breeding habits

The black-backed jackal forms a monogamous pair, sharing the same mate for life. After a gestation period of two months, a litter of between one and six pups are born, usually between August to October.

The pups are generally born and raised in protected areas such as abandoned termite mounds, where they at first suckle from their mother and then feed on regurgitated food from their parents for the first three months of their lives. They stay in the same territory as their parents until they are old enough to establish their own territories.

Side-striped jackals are territorial and can live in family groups or in some cases on their own. These family groups consist of up to seven jackals and are dominated by the breeding pair, who are also monogamous and pair for life. Side-striped jackals reach reproductive maturity at between 6–8 months.

Breeding season for side-striped jackals depends on where they live, but it is usually between June and November. After a gestation period of around 57–70 days, 3–6 helpless pups are born and nursed by their mother for between 8–10 weeks. At 11 months, the pups will leave their home to establish their own territory.

And there you have it — nature’s dynamic duo, the black-backed and side-striped jackals. Next time you’re in their neck of the woods, listen for the echoes of their wails and hoots.

Join us out here at Bushwise where the faces and calls of the African bush will soon begin to feel like old friends.

November 6, 2023
Through the viewfinder: wildlife photography

This blog was written by Skye Ludbrook, Bushwise student at our Mahlahla campus. Skye has a keen interest in photography and is currently completing the IFGA Safari Guide Course 6/12 Months.

3 min read

Looking through the viewfinder on your camera is an incredible ability. It replicates taking a split second out of a moment and viewing it from a completely different perspective.

The power of a camera

Wildlife and nature itself are overwhelming things to experience. Seeing how all the branches of life work together to create a sensational whole and being able to feel that sensation through a picture is beautiful. When making use of the artistic medium, you open up many doors in terms of making your game drive the best possible experience.

Photography is a particularly important part of my life. It allows me to express emotions and experience through a visual source. When I look through my viewfinder I find an open space where I can encourage my creative side. Creativity is a vital aspect that all people should have in their lives.

Wildlife photography in particular, is an exceptional way of sharing information to people all over the world. As a guide one of our roles is to play a part in the conservation of the natural environment. I feel that photography is the best way to reach out about conservation.

Not only can you revisit that experience, but you also feel this sense of extreme focus. Taking photos of the environment around you allows you to feel abundantly engaged with what surrounds you and your experience. Over time those pictures will hopefully spark a focus on moments in your life that you never really focused on.

As a guide it is important to try and know a little bit about all the aspects that come with the job. Having an understanding of photography is one of them as it will increase the quality of your drive for both you and most importantly your guests.

Why photography is a useful guiding skill

By knowing how photography works, you can be both a guide to people starting out as wildlife photographers and most importantly to your guests who are trying to capture memories of their life changing experience.

You’ll be able to tell your guests what the best composition is for the image they want to take. You can guide them on the shutter speed (how fast or slow the shutter on your camera closes), the aperture they should set (the amount of focus the photo will show), and the ISO that should be used (this is dependent on the lighting you are in).

Throughout your guiding career, you’ll learn and gain more experience. This time spent learning and growing your photographic skills will reflect positively on your photo outcomes and help you impart some of these skills to your guests.

By enriching their skills, you create an overall positive experience for them which they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. I look forward to seeing smiles on my future guests’ faces when they take an image they love.

Capturing moments to last a lifetime

Wildlife photography can be as simple as sharing content you captured of amazing sightings or as important as sharing information about animals that are in danger and need saving. Our society absorbs information primarily through visual content. Using my abilities and passion for photography and the natural environment around me, motivates me to use it to my advantage.

I love capturing moments and being able to share them with the inquisitive people that make up the world, and I hope you find your spark to make a difference through your viewfinder. If you need a little extra inspiration, consider applying for a Bushwise course and take your wildlife photography to the next level.

Words by Skye Ludbrook, photos by Louise Pavid

#lion #wildlife #gameranger #Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #safariguide #Exam #training #guidejobs #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguiding #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

October 11, 2022
I never thought I’d become a field guide

Updated: Sep 10, 2025

This blog was written by a current Bushwise student.

3 min read

My name is Queeneth Seepano, born and bred in Welverdiend, Mpumalanga. I am a person who is passionate about wildlife. But growing up I was an indoor person and I didn’t like being around nature, so I thought I would never want to be part of conservation.

That all changed when I was selected in 2019 for the Bridging Course at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), a partner of Bushwise Field Guides. It exposed me to a lot that I didn’t know about and it led to my interest in conservation.

My first step into conservation

For a year, I was part of the RISE (Rural Initiatives for a Sustainable Environment) department at the SAWC. I worked as a coach in the ‘Coaching Conservation’ program, for kids in grades 5, 6 and 7 at a few primary schools.

As a coach in this program, my eyes were opened and I saw how these communities, mostly the young kids, didn’t know much about the animals being protected or their importance in our daily lives. And I saw a reflection of myself when I was in school.

It was a good feeling to educate these kids about conservation so they can grow up with a conservation-minded mentality. In that year, I was also exposed to guiding the kids around the Kempiana area. I fell in love with being out in the bush, especially the part where I was able to share my knowledge with these kids.

Applying to join Bushwise

I then realised it was something I wanted to do for a living – sharing my knowledge with people, and helping them experience and enjoy nature.

I didn’t have a qualification then, until I saw the scholarship posted at the college, wanting candidates to join Bushwise and the SAWC in their field guide training collaboration. At first, I was nervous to apply, but after my supervisor encouraged me, I did.

I passed my interviews and started with the online learning course where only four of the six candidates would be chosen. I was lucky enough to be chosen by Bushwise. It was my happiest day ever when I received their email. Tears of joy were rolling down my cheeks.

I joined Bushwise on 8 July 2022, where I am now completing my course as a field guide. Over the past three months, I have gained so much more knowledge.

One of my best experiences so far

A highlight of my time with Bushwise was the week in September when I was camp manager. It was a very busy week and quite tiring as we were learning about track and sign and trailing with Colin and Samantha Patrick. It was a very educational week for all of us. I was in group A who learnt track and sign with Samantha.

Samantha made it easy for us to understand and see the differences between different tracks. I am still so amazed at how much we didn’t know about tracks. During that week, we thought we saw civet tracks, but they were actually jackal tracks. So Samantha showed us how we could differentiate between them.

Being out and examining tracks all week prepared us for our assessments. The little tracks like squirrels, mongooses, genets, you name them really drove us crazy. Even the impala, bushbuck, steenbok and duiker tracks twisted our brains into knots.

But I am glad to say that at the end of this week, we all got our levels in track and sign. It was a very great week, I had fun. As camp manager I am very proud of my fellow students for making it through this week.

It was a great week as we were able to see the pack of wild dogs, a herd of buffalo and pride of lions right outside the reception which is not far from the campus. It was a very amazing week all in all.

What a journey it’s been

I must say Bushwise does push you to your limits to help you create a better version of yourself and prepare you for the real world. I am very happy with the efforts of everyone at Bushwise and all experiences I’ve been exposed to.

Learn more about track and sign on our IFGA Safari Guide Course 6/12 Months.

Words by Queeneth Seepano and photos by Louise Pavid and Queeneth.

#AdvancedRifleHandling #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #Exam #training #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguidetrainer #fieldguiding #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

October 11, 2022
The Lowveld is lekker: living next to Kruger

This blog was written by Menina Nightingale, a Bushwise student who’s currently studying at our Kempiana campus where we train future field guides in collaboration with the Southern African Wildlife College.

3 min read

Imagine being able to say that you live just outside of Kruger National Park. Our campus is on a reserve that’s part of the Greater Kruger National Park, so we can nip down to the Orpen Gate and go for game drives on the weekend. Just in case we don’t do enough of that during the week!

This also has its perks for planning adventures for our off weeks. Being right next to Kruger, I jumped at the opportunity to drive down to Sabi Sands with Jos, another Bushwise student. We were desperate to get some of the epic leopard sightings the area is so well known for. After four weeks of hard work studying for the final Bushwise exam, a week off to explore “the Sands” was much needed.

Sure enough, the Sands met our expectations with leopard sightings that were out of this world! The whole of our first morning was spent in awe with a beautiful female, Kuchaba, rasping endlessly for her cub. The following days we were lucky enough to find her cub, a few other leopards, and even a male, Marieps. Nine leopard sightings and five different leopards all in one off week! Unreal. It’s fair to say that Sabi Sands definitely lived up to its expectations.

After the most relaxing week along the Sabi River near Kruger, it was time to get back to business, and start my week as camp manager – kicking it off with mock assessment drives at 6:00 on Monday morning. Everyone has been hard at work preparing for this week over the last few months and with mock assessments through the week and exam on Saturday, the nerves were definitely noticeable.

The mock assessment drives act as a practice run before our real drives next week. It was a quiet week for mammals, but – much to some peoples horror (or dread) – the birding was amazing.

Those that had morning drives had a great morning chorus to practise their bird call identification. We are also beginning to get all the migrants back – which is both very exciting and a bit daunting, as it adds to the birds we need to be able to identify. As it is the start of the mating season for some of the birds, we’re also beginning to see some flamboyant displays.

An absolute highlight for me this week on a drive was getting to see the first red crested korhaan display dive of the season! As part of their mating ritual, the red crested korhaan displays both his brilliant red crest, from which his name is derived, but also an incredible aerial display.

This begins with a series of indicative clicks and high pitched vocal calls before he flies straight up into the air. Once up in the air, he stalls and locks his wings and falls to the ground. Right before he hits the ground, he flaps his wings to catch the fall. The bravest male, who will most likely find a mate, is the one who waits the longest to catch his fall.

There was much excitement in the car for the rest of the drive back to camp. In between drives, we spent most of our time studying to get ready for the theory exam. A lot of flash cards were made and several late night study groups were had. After all the hard work, it was worth it to get through the exam, crack open a few beers, have a braai and watch rugby.

The weekend ended with two reptile surprises and an amphibian rescue. A common platana was having a morning swim in the pool. With much hilarity, we executed a relocation mission back to the pond.

A day later an alarming big spotted bush snake found its way into my and Daisy’s room. Keen to keep our distance, Ricardo, Trevor, Daisy and I tried to calmly talk it out of the room, but it ended up on my bed instead . Thankfully, he did eventually make his way off the bed and out of the room.

In the very same afternoon a rock monitor lizard unexpectedly joined the lunch queue. Now that winter is coming to an end, we’re clearly getting all the reptiles back! What a week! The Lowveld really is lekker.

Imagine a week where you see leopards, rare birds, reptiles and more. This could be you – and soon – if you apply for a course with Bushwise.

Words and photos by Menina Nightingale (red-crested korhaan image by Louise Pavid)

#wildlife #Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #Exam #training #guidejobs #animals #safari #sightings #fieldguiding #tracking #endangeredspecies #Assessments #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

October 4, 2022
Crunchtime to the Bushwise exam

Updated: Sep 10, 2025

It’s halftime on the Bushwise Professional Field Guide course, which can only mean one thing: Bushwise exams. In this blog, student Tyler Dan Delhougne describes the stress of studying in the bush, and the camaraderie that comes with it.

2 min read

Time management isn’t something that comes naturally for most, it’s a learned skill that takes years to develop. A skill that pays off best when utilised daily. My time as camp manager was certainly a test of these skills.

A week under pressure

In a single week our class endured the heat of practical observations, “the battle of our senses” from tests on slides and sounds, the pressure of our second Bushwise exam, the fine tuning of blogs, and perhaps the hardest of all, the daunting task of maintaining a clean kitchen. Let me explain…

Over the week we started our mornings by engaging in practical observations. In this exercise, the trainers walk into the African bush and place numbered cones at anything from a specific tree to the dung of a zebra. Then two by two we walk in their footsteps with pen and paper at hand to test both our knowledge of the bush and how we recognise things that are often overlooked.

These practical observation sessions helped to prepare us for the test that awaited us later that week.

Testing the ears and eyes

After testing our sight and touch in the natural world, we all headed to the classroom to study slides and sounds. The croak of toads, the grunted “gnu” of a wildebeest, the colour of a boomslang and the features of a violin spider are all things we need to know for our big test at the end of the week, which will determine how well we see and hear the many different creatures that surround us in the savanna.

We spent the week pushing ourselves to use our sense of touch, sound and sight for the test, while we also had the looming presence of our second Bushwise exam, which brought on a bit of fear and pressure in us all. This exam covered the second half of all our modules from amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, conservation management, ethology and even human habitation.

Bonding over shared Bushwise exam stress

Stressful would be an understatement for the week we faced, but it’s during times of great stress that we band together the best. As the week progressed, every one of us grouped together and hit the books hard. All helping each other conquer “the battle of the senses” as we called it.

For hours on end, all that could be heard from the tents was the calls of frogs and mammals and the flipping of flash cards. Small groups of students would also band together to walk around campus to better understand and identify the flora surrounding the camp.

It’s this bond we all shared together and the passion for the natural world that kept us going to survive this week. Not only had we survived, we came out victorious.

Like the phoenix, we arose victorious

Students who had originally been struggling with practical observation had amongst the highest scores in the class. Some who couldn’t tell between a banded rubber frog and a Bubbling Kassinas are now teaching others how to see the differences. We sat in each other’s rooms for hours coming up with entertaining and even silly ways of remembering different calls of frogs, toads and mammals.

Though the week was hard and our plates full, we all emerged levels ahead of where we all once stood. Nothing is more satisfying than being able to sit outside day or night and identify every single creature that we are hearing around us. Just giving us another level of insight into the bush that we all know and love.

All we had left to do now was learn how to clean our own dishes, but that’s a battle for another day.

Imagine passing your big Bushwise exam, and realising you’re one step closer to your dream of becoming an African safari guide? It could be you. Apply today.

Words and photos by Tyler Dan Delhougne

#wildlife #Birding #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #Exam #training #guidejobs #animals #apprenticefieldguide #safari #sightings #fieldguiding #tracking #endangeredspecies #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides

September 30, 2022
Africa’s frogs: sightings from a lowveld campus
About 115 species of frogs and toads can be found in South Africa. Naturally it’s quite difficult to find them all, but in this blog Bushwise student Kyla Jordan shares what she’s learned about Lowveld frogs.

4 min read

We have seen many different species of frogs around our campus. We have a resident frog that we see every day in our rooms, bathrooms and the classroom. Our most commonly seen resident frog is called the foam-nest tree frog. We have three locals in our ladies bathroom which have been sleeping in the window from the start of our course!

Image by Kyla Jordan

Like many frogs, foam-nest tree frogs have adapted to survive without water during the dry season (which in the Lowveld is winter). Like all amphibians, oxygen can pass through the frog’s highly permeable skin. This helps keep the frogs moist at all times. In order to survive during the dry season, frogs will enter into aestivation – a state of metabolic dormancy – which makes its skin resistant to evaporation.

I particularly like that some foam-nest tree frogs are a stone white colour which means they’re able to camouflage with the toilet seat – giving you a nice big fright if you don’t spot them early enough. The three in our bathroom sleep all huddled up together and always look like they’re smiling, which is the cutest thing ever.

Our resident frogs

My friend Shannon and I spotted a red toad one evening along our pathway to our room. Their call sounds almost similar to the giant bullfrog. This is not a frog but a toad. Frogs and toads are two completely different things. Frogs have long legs that are longer than their heads and body, which are made for hopping.

Toads have much shorter legs and prefer to crawl rather than hop. One easy way to tell them apart is to look at their skin – frogs have smooth, slimy skin where toads have dry, warty skin.

What can frogs tell us about an ecosystem?

Frogs are considered to be an “indicator” species because they are the first to be affected by degradation of the environment. Their decreasing numbers may be a warning to us that conditions of the Earth are changing. Frogs also play an important part in the food chain as both predator and prey. Frogs control the insect population, which controls diseases such as malaria. They are also a very good food source for other animals.

Another cool thing about frogs is that some frogs use aposematic coloration (aka warning colours) to alert predators that they are foul tasting or poisonous. This protects them against predators.

What sounds do frogs make?

Frogs also have a variety of different calls. They have release calls, aggressive calls, satellite behaviour calls, time sharing calls and distress calls.

Frogs give a release call when the male accidently clasps the wrong species or a female will use this call if she is not ready to mate. Aggressive calls are used in combat fighting.

Another interesting sound is used in satellite behaviour. Satellite behaviour is when a sexually matured male calls for a mate but a silent male sits nearby. The female approaches the calling male but the silent male intercepts and clasps her.

If you hear frogs call in a song-like rhythm, this is the males calling and it’s a behaviour known as time-sharing. This allows them to actively spread out so that females can listen to the different calling males and know where to go. So the next time you hear frogs calling you know there is a reason for each different call.

The frogs I’m looking forward to seeing

We have not yet seen many frogs because of the dry season. But there are tons of species to be found here in the Lowveld. We can expect to see these species here around campus:
1. Banded rubber frog
2. African bullfrog
3. Giant bullfrog
4. Painted reed frog
5. Bushveld rain frog
6. Common river frog
7. Broad banded tree frog
8. Bubbling Kassina
9. Plain river frog
10. Mottled shovel nosed frog
11. Brown backed tree frog
All these species are likely to start showing up in the rainy season, which would be in summer, and that is just around the corner!

Frogs play an important role in the ecosystem and they are such interesting animals to study. Are you interested in frogs like Kyla? Apply to join a Bushwise course and soon you could be learning about animals in their natural habitat!

Words by Kyla Jordan, photos by Callum Evans unless captioned otherwise.

#wildlife #bushwise #fieldguide #Exam #training #animals #tracks #tracking #endangeredspecies #fieldguidecourse #studying
September 29, 2022
My Bushwise journey: A dream come true

This blog was written by Tsakani Precious Maluleke, a Bushwise Professional Field Guide student. Each student takes a turn as camp manager, and writing a blog is part of the experience.

2 min read

Greetings everyone! My name is Tsakani Maluleke from Makuleke Village, and I want to share a very exciting chapter of my life with you. Over the past five months, I have experienced a journey that has not only broadened my knowledge but also deeply touched my heart.

I have always loved nature and that is what led me to study Conservation Management, but I never thought I could find myself in field guiding. Last year in April I got a job as a housekeeper at The OutPost Lodge in the Kruger. It was during this time that I suddenly had this burning desire of wanting to be a nature guide.

On the 24th of August 2023, I went searching online for field guiding courses and I came across Bushwise. I enquired that day about their Field Guiding Online course for the April to June class and while still thinking about how I’m going to pay for this course a friend of mine sent me a document. It was a Bursary application form from Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC).

I applied immediately and, to cut that story short, I ended up at the SAWC as a Bushwise student. This was a dream come true for me. The opportunity to learn and grow in this field was now the only thing I wanted. The SAWC, together with one of its UK-based supporters, Metamorphosis Foundation, and Bushwise, made it a reality.

The course was intense and I learned so much in a very short space of time. From understanding the intricate ecosystems of our beautiful landscapes to mastering the skills needed to guide and educate others, every moment was filled with valuable lessons. The training not only expanded my knowledge but also honed my practical skills, preparing me for a future in guiding.

Beyond the studies, the people I met during this journey were truly remarkable. My fellow students, my trainers, the whole Bushwise team and the SAWC were all incredibly supportive and inspiring. We shared many unforgettable moments, from early morning game drives to late-night study sessions. These individuals have become like family to me, and I will treasure each moment we spent together for the rest of my life.

Reflecting on these past months, I am filled with gratitude and joy. The experience has been nothing short of amazing, and it has strengthened my resolve to pursue a career in guiding and conservation. I am excited about the future and look forward to applying everything I have learned to make a positive impact.

Thank you to every organisation or every person who made this dream a reality, and for providing me with such an enriching and unforgettable experience. Here’s to many more adventures and to the continuous journey of learning and growing in the world of nature and wildlife!

Ready to turn your passion for nature into a career? Learn more about Bushwise in-person and online courses and apply now to start your journey as a field guide!

June 13, 2020