Land of the Giants

Mashatu is the home of no less than seven of Africa's giants: the African elephant, the lion, giraffe, the baobab tree, the eland, the ostrich, and the kori bustard. It is fitting therefore, that some 75,000 acres / 30,000 hectares of pristine game land, be set aside for these unique, prodigious features of this exhilarating continent.

Loxodonta africana

The African Elephant, Africa's largest mammal. By nature, elephants are essentially family orientated creatures and may be found in herds of 10 to 20 and up to 50 and more. Bulls usually have larger tusks than cows and a more rounded forehead; the cow is more angled. The elephant's tusks are just modified incisor teeth, used as weapons and as an aid in procuring certain foodstuffs, like the bark of trees for example. Other distinguishing characteristics of elephants are their large ears. These serve as a display function, as well as performing a cooling effect. This is due to a high percentage of blood vessels which cool the blood when the ears are flapped. The elephant also has a long trunk which it uses to drink and feed. There are 55 000 muscles in an elephant's trunk, making it an extremely sensitive, prehensile and dextrous aid in an elephant's survival. An elephant's trunk can hold up to 15 litres of water. It uses its trunk to locate food by touch and smell, as an elephant cannot see down its trunk. If an elephant loses the use of its trunk it will die.

Panthera leo

The Lion, Africa's largest cat. To avoid the heat of the day lions are most active at night. They are highly social animals and found in small prides of up to twenty individuals. A pride consists of related females and cubs residing in a home range or territory. The males are nomads that have gained custody of a pride through competition with other males. The mane of the lion is used as protection and to increase their apparent size. Sometimes males will form a coalition, 2 or more males grouping together to defend a pride. Hunting is done communally, often using driving and ambushing techniques. They will eat up to 25% of their own body weight.

Giraffa camelopardalis

The Giraffe, Africa's tallest mammals, are gregarious animals with keen scent, hearing and sight. They move at speeds up to 50 km/h. Giraffes have a blotchy yellow and black or brown coat-color pattern, which is unique to each individual.

Both sexes have horns and a their . tongues can reach up to 18"! Females and their young live in maternal herds, whilst males separate from their mothers in, approximately, their third year to join bachelor herds, gradually becoming solitary with maturity.

Adansonia digitata

The Baobab Tree. Like the elephant in the animal kingdom, the massive baobab tree easily eclipses its fellow species in size and age. It can grow up to 25 meters tall and can live for several thousand years. The baobab is leafless for nine months of the year. The leaves are about 5 inches long and have three to seven glossy leaflets. It produces 5 to 7 inch flowers with five white petals and numerous purplish stamen. There is a delightful Bushmen legend concerning the origin of the tree: in the beginning seeds and plants were distributed by the gods to the animals of the world to cultivate. The Baobab was issued to the hyena, which was the very last in the queue, and he was so upset that he planted it upside down!

 

Taurotragus oryx

The Eland, Africa's largest antelope. Eland are shy inoffensive animals, and excellent jumpers. Eland, with their spiral horn, are mainly browse but will also graze and are independent of water, deriving moisture intake from plants.

Eland stand almost 6 ft (1.8 m) high at the shoulder and may weight up to 2,000 lb (910 kg). Its oxlike body is light brown, with a few narrow white stripes running across the back and down the sides. It has a hump between the shoulders, a short, erect, black mane, and a long tail with a short, black tuft.

Struthio camelus

The Ostrich, Africa's largest bird, with their gentle eyes, superb plumes and vicious kick occur throughout Southern Africa from the bushveld in the east to the dunes on the Atlantic coast in the west. The ostrich runs with it's wing outspread, at great speed. The inner of the two toes on each foot is much larger and bears most of the bird's weight. In both sexes the head, neck, and thighs are bare or scantily feathered. The male is glossy black with beautiful long white plumes on the wings and tail. The female is a dull grayish brown. Males are polygamous and usually have from two to six females in their flock.

Ardeotis kori

The Kori Bustard, Africa's heaviest flying bird - the male Kori stands about 90 centimetres tall and can turn the scales at 23 kilograms. They are seen single, in pairs or groups in woodland, grassy plains and Kalahari scrub. Kori bustard walks slowly with measured strides and flies reluctantly, although they are remarkably strong fliers. They take off with very heavy wing beats, but once air-borne they fly fast and strongly. When in a group, the birds walk in a loose line across the veld searching for food.