About the Author

Chris Taylor

Ranger

Chris was born and raised in the Kwa-Zulu/Natal Midlands where his family inspired his early passion for the natural world. Exploring Southern Africa as he grew up, this passion was allowed to develop and his curiosity to expand. After high school, Chris spent ...

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on The Londolozi Secret Seven

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We were fortunate to see a number of the animals on your list Chris. On our bucket list is a caracal, and hopefully an aardvark and pangolin one day. We have seen a different mongoose in Kgalagadi. The yellow mongoose. They are scavengers in the camps and don’t hesitate to jump on your table to try and take your meat.

These secret seven animals are always special to see. I have been lucky to come across a couple of these animals over the years. I managed to have an epic on-foot sighting of an Aardvark three years ago in the Waterberg area and that was truly special. Still waiting to get my first sighting of a Pangolin.

That must have been an incredible experience seeing an aartvark on foot, Declan! You can count yourself very lucky.

Chris, I wanted to CRY when I read about the African Wildcat! I was fortunate enough share my life with one for eleven precious months before he was killed by a cobra. That little animal gave me more trouble than you can imagine but he ADORED me. He slept in my arms every night, ducking the tip of my middle right hand finger. He was intelligent to an uncanny degree and ALWAYS came when I called – at a run and when an African Wildcat runs for a hundred metres over open ground I believe they can put a Cheetah to shame. After the Roman Empire collapsed and the Huns started moving in a great many people from Egypt started trekking South into Africa as can be witnessed by many black languages which even today have elements of Latin in them. Also, the Worship of Isis and Basset Ra collapsed under the onslaught of Christianity and the destruction of the Library at Alexandre. So the priests had to make a run for it to and of course they brought their Temple Cats with them. These cats very likely inbred with local wildcats and with each other, possibly going wild and I believe this is at least partly the foundation of our African Wildcat today. Kitten was special.

Wonderful article on 7 very elusive animals. We have been lucky enough to see 4 on your list. Still looking for the pangolin, the aardvark (we did see a leopard with a dead aardvark), and the Mellers mongoose. Thanks for sharing this list, Chris.

Eight trips to East and Southern Africa and we’re still looking for aardvark and pangolin. Another reason to keep coming back, I guess!

Just as you mentioned, we spotted a honey badger on the way back to camp–no chance of a photo!

Master Tracker

Managed four of the secret seven, but my top two didn’t make it on to your list, a caracal and an otter. Can’t believe one was seen recently

Fabulous article that was well researched. While driving back to camp one night, we were fortunate enough to encounter not only honey badgers, but slender mongoose as well, actively moving from bush to bush. At Sabi Sabi, I hit the jackpot spending several minutes with a family of black rhino in addition to seeing a serval on the night drive back to camp. I’m still hoping to see a Pangolin and Aardvark- perhaps next visit.

Chris, I enjoyed reading this article so much. Knowing how much there is still to see makes me want to return all the more. I am still thinking of Mashaba 3:3. Has anyone sighted her after we saw her injured? Thank you and Milton for the greatest experience of my life.

Hi Marsha, great to hear from you again! The Mashaba female has recovered from her wound that she was carrying and we were lucky enough to watch her hunt a herd of impala a few days ago – she was unsuccessful but looking in a much better condition nonetheless. I hope to see you and Howard back here soon!

Love this lineup!! Have managed to see honey badger and black rhino in the wild, but none of the others.

How interesting to learn about Londolozi’s secret seven. My heart went out to the Serval who hasn’t flourished as well as the others. A very beautiful animal. All in all Londolozi continues to impress in all areas it touches. Remarkable.

Hi Joanne. The serval, along with several other small predators do indeed have quite a tough time in these parts, however they do flourish in other areas where the densities of large carnivores are slightly lower. Nature has its way of finding a place for everything!

Love it Chris, finally some of the lesser famous Londolozi critters get their share of the limelight! Do we ever get any Red Mongoose sightings?

Chris, Thanks for pointing ot the “secret seven”! Boy, is our next guide going to start to sweat when we had them this list of the animals we want to see on our next game drive at Londolozi!

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