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Emdoneni News

Enjoy the best of it ALL

Cat Project – Lodge Accommodation – Treatment Spa At owner driven and multi award winning Emdoneni Lodge, guests enjoy a balance of sophistication and comfort in stylishly decorated en-suite rooms, which are fully equipped with air-conditioners, ceiling fans, fresh coffee and outside patio. Evenings offer true South African cuisine at the buffet restaurant or in the Boma, ending with a nightcap at our cosy bar or a chat around the fire. Emdoneni is a central base from which to explore the area, with game drives to Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserves, boat trips on Lake St Lucia or other adventures.  Join our experienced guides for an up-close and personal tour of our famous Cheetah Project to learn more about South Africa’s endangered wild cat species – the beautiful Caracal, agile Cheetah, playful Serval and delightful African Wildcat. Your journey to total relaxation and wellbeing begins at Emdoneni Spa. Rejuvenate your senses by experiencing or relaxing treatment in the comfort of your own room or at the spa. Choose a massage type or your choice: from gentle Aromatherapy, or Swedish; to Deep Tissue Sports or Indian Head Massage.  Alternatively enjoy a relaxing and unique Hand of Foot Ritual. Tel: +27 (0)35 562 7000/7001 Mobile: +27 (0)82 7133686 Email: info@emdonenilodge.com  

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Emdoneni Tips & Information

Valentines Special

Love me. Spoil me. Spa me. Celebrate Valentines with that special someone at Emdoneni Lodge. Package includes: 30% off a two-night stay + 20% off on all spa treatments + ALL cat tours – free of charge Offer valid for all bookings up until the 16th of February. Terms and conditions apply. Regrettably no kids allowed for this offer. To book or enquire, kindly email us on info@emdonenilodge.com  

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Cat Information

Why do cheetahs have spots?

The spotted fur of the cheetah helps it to blend into its surroundings so that it can stalk and hunt its prey more effectively. The cheetah’s camouflaged hide helps to protect as well by enabling the cubs to hide from lion and hyena predators. Along with containing spots, the fur also develops in a mantle along the head, neck and back of cub. This longer fur gives the cub the appearance of grass blades so that it can more easily stay hidden. Because cheetah cubs are so vulnerable to predation, females usually have large litters to counteract the high infant mortality rate of 90 percent. People often confuse between Jaguar, Leopard and Cheetah as they are of approximately same height with spots on their bodies, but if we investigate properly we will find there are many key differences among them including their habitat, diet, hunting style, morphology, and vocalization. Cheetahs are shaped so differently from other wild cats that they are their own genus. They have a rangy greyhound-like thinner body frame with deep chest and narrow waist. They have solid, round, polka-type black spots measuring 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.2 in) across. These spots are not “rosettes” like the jaguars and leopards have. There are no spots on their white underside, but the tail, which usually ends in a bushy white tuft, does have spots that merge to form four to six dark rings at the end. Cheetahs have a small head in proportion to their bodies to streamline their running. Eyes are set high on the skull. They have black “tear lines” running from the corner of their both eyes down the sides of the nose to their mouth. Leopards normally have smaller and rounder rosettes than those of the jaguars. In addition to this leopards are larger and much more muscular as compared to cheetahs, but slightly smaller and more lightly built if compared with the jaguars. Smaller than other members of Panthera genus leopards are usually solitary, but highly agile and depend on stealth to hunt. Despite being smaller in size this predator is quite capable of taking larger prey given its massive skull that well utilizes powerful jaw muscles. Jaguars are found in the rain forests of South and Central America, open and seasonally flooded wetlands and dry grassland habitat. They usually prefer dense rainforests. This animal has the strongest bite of all felids. It is capable of biting down with 2,000 pounds-force (8,900 N), which is twice the strength of a lion and the second powerful of all mammals after the spotted hyena; It allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells. The strength of the cat is such that an individual can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and crush the strongest bones. Credit: reference.com

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General News

Save our cheetahs!

Cheetahs worldwide is now sprinting fast to becoming extinct The South African cheetah , also known as the Namibian cheetah, is the most numerous and the nominate cheetah subspecies native to Southern Africa. Since 1986, it has been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.  Habitat  The South African cheetah live mainly in the lowland areas and deserts of the Kalahari, the savannahs of Okavango Delta and the grasslands of the Transvaal region in South Africa. In Namibia, cheetahs are mostly found in farmlands.  Population Previously estimated at a population of 4,190 individuals in Southern Africa since 2007, the total population of the South African cheetah has likely reached to over 6,000 individuals, with Namibia having the largest cheetah population worldwide. Since 1990 and on wards, the population was estimated at approximately 2,500 individuals in Namibia, until 2015, the cheetah population has been increased to more than 3,500 in the country. Botswana contains the second-largest population of cheetahs. In 2016, there are approximately 2,000 South African cheetahs in Botswana, which is about 20% of the world’s cheetahs. How many left?  There were 550 to 850 cheetahs left in South Africa in 2007. After many conservation efforts, the cheetah population has increased to more than 1,000 individuals. Previously in 2013, there were an estimated population of 1,200 to 1,300 cheetahs in South Africa. In 2016, it is estimated that 1,500 adult cheetahs live in South Africa.  The South African cheetah have gone extinct in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Malawi. The cheetahs have been reintroduced in Swaziland. Historically, it was believed all cheetahs were genetically homogenous. This changed in January 2011, when the Asiatic cheetahs and the Sudan cheetahs were revealed to be distinct even from their closest relatives from South Africa. Credit: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Area Attractions, Emdoneni Tips & Information

Cape Vidal Beach

The lure of Cape Vidal lies in its unique appeal as a genuine beach-and-bush destination that’s a little off the beaten track. Inland lies the prolific wildlife of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, while the coastline offers the marine delights of the Indian Ocean. DID YOU KNOW? Cape Vidal is the final resting place of the Dorothea, a gold-laden ship that foundered on a reef in 1898. Her exact location remains a mystery. Cape Vidal, Sodwana Bay, uMkhuze, Kosi Bay, False Bay and Maphelane form part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Cape Vidal is named after Captain Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal, a British Royal Navy surveyor responsible for charting the African coast during the 1820s. The bay at Cape Vidal is a popular fishing, snorkelling and swimming spot with a sheltered launch site for boats. Due to its location between two diverse environments, Cape Vidal offers travellers a choice between the wildlife of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the marine life of the Indian Ocean – a true beach-and-bush destination. The birdlife here is prolific, as are vervet monkey troops, and is best enjoyed by exploring the many self-guided trails leading into the wetlands around Lake Bhangazi. Cape Vidal also provides access to the eastern shores of Lake St Lucia where reedbuck, hippo, crocodile and buffalo may be seen, along with many bird species. Further afield game parks like Hluhluwe-Imfolozi are home to rhino and other large game. Humpback whales migrating north to Mozambique pass relatively close inshore, while game fish such as marlin and sailfish attract anglers. While frolicking in the waves you’re just about guaranteed to see dolphin pods, especially in the early morning. During December, endangered loggerhead and leatherback turtles arrive at the beaches to lay eggs in protected zones. The summer months attract sun worshippers who revel in the swimming, surfing and sunbathing along the coast. Offshore reefs and clear water make snorkelling hugely popular, or you might prefer a guided tour to deeper waters. Cape Vidal falls within a malaria zone, so it’s imperative that you take preventative medication for three weeks before your expected arrival date. credit: southafrica.net

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