There is a very unique individual living here at Londolozi who has fast become a top hit with guests and guides alike, and I think it is high time we dedicate a blog to this fantastic, feathered female. I would like to formally introduce our readers to the one and only ostrich of Londolozi (and possibly the entire Sabi Sand!).
The lonely female ostrich takes a closer look at us! Photograph by Simon Smit
The lone ostrich is a strange sight in these parts. Photograph by Mike Sutherland
A very relaxed female ostrich approached our vehicle on game drive. Apparently lonely, she came to inspect us closely and even followed the vehicle frantically when we eventually tried to leave her. Despite being incredibly strange looking, she certainly has a fine set of eyelashes. Photograph by Amy Attenborough
The rarest animal at Londolozi – the single female ostrich! Photograph by Trevor Ryan McCall-Peat
A female ostrich treats us to an up-close and personal visit. With her seeming obliviousness to us, we could have some fun getting low angle photographs of her. Photograph by Amy Attenborough
The lonely female came in for a very close look yesterday afternoon. Photograph by Simon Smit
The only ostrich we see in the area may be getting a bit too lonely. Photograph by Simon Smit
Over the past few months of our weekly blog post known as ‘The Week in Pictures,’ you would have seen the occasional picture of this large bird and if you observed these photographs closely you will notice that over time she has become increasingly more relaxed with the vehicles to the point that she is now quite inquisitive. Residing predominantly in the open savanna areas in the South Western part of the reserve, game drives have begun enjoying some close encounters with this ostrich. Usually a gregarious species, this particular ostrich has found a niche here at Londolozi where she is living quite contentedly as predators that have happened across her clearly do not know what to make of her and run off at first sign. She appears to have made her way across from the Kruger National Park where ostrich numbers are more prevalent in the far eastern stretches of the greater reserve.
The resident ostrich of the Open Areas enjoys a splendidly colourful morning on the day after the big fire. Smoke still hanging in the air lent a lovely orange glow to the light on this day, allowing for fantastic photographic opportunities well into the morning. Photograph by James Tyrrell
Ostriches have incredibly flexible necks which is seen here as this female grooms her feathers. Photograph by Andrea Campbell
The largest bird in the world, these flightless giants generally prefer far more open habitat, as among the thickets of the Sabi Sand reserve they fall easy prey to the large predators. Photograph by James Tyrrell
She always provides a great sighting and when seen often comes right up to the vehicle almost as if to say hello. She is perhaps also responsible for one or two scratches on the Londolozi Land Rovers (she has a tendency to investigate everything with her beak!) Photograph by Nick Kleer
Up close and personal. Photograph by: James Tyrrell
Trevor gets an unexpected visit. Photograph by Andrea Campbell
We have all grown rather fond of seeing this ostrich out on game drive. Our only concern really is that she is a little lonesome but perhaps her encounters with the game viewers out on drive is enough to keep her entertained as she is no doubt entertaining us and as a species that can live for up to 40 years in the wild, we trust that she will continue to do so for a while.
Have you encountered this ostrich while on safari at Londolozi?
Written by Andrea Campbell, Londolozi Ranger
Awesome blog and pics of Jennifer. Encountered her a few times but never up close. Cant wait to see her again. Maybe a mate will come around sometime. Imagine little baby ostriches running around.
Absolutely fascinating that bird, impressive face, I love it. The first picture for me is the best.
She pecked and pecked at our Land Rover, her beak clicking on the metal bar! And she was very curious of my husband and Ranger Nick. But I got worried as she seemed to get interested in my shiny watch! She needs a buddy!!
When are you guys going to get her a husband? Or at least a boyfriend? She DOES seem awfully lonely. If Kruger has so many ostriches I am sure they would be able to part with ONE male ostrich for Jennifer. You could even call him “James”. – Wendy M
We met Jennifer earlier this year while on a game drive. One of the meanings of the name Jennifer is ‘white enchantress.’ Seems appropriate.
Love the close ups and the one of Trevor looking back from the vehicle. Thanks for featuring one of the less photographed less seen animals from Londolozi
She’s a special ostrich….my new favorite saying for anyone I consider intriguing or just plain fun.
For some reason, seeing photos of this lady ostrich always makes me smile. Maybe she will stay around for awhile.
We were at Londolozi last week for 5 days and had a couple of encounters with the ostrich. We absolutely love her, she danced for us, came right up to the vehicle to check us all out and one day followed us for an hour. Every time we stopped our vehicle to view another animal, here came the ostrich. She is the best, however, we too feel she needs a friend as she appears to be very lonely. We hope she stays safe and look forward to visiting her again next year!
Such a fun blog post on a very entertaining ostrich. Thank you Andrea for sharing her story.