Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

1 week ago

𝘿𝙖𝙗𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘-𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 🌍

This #WorldEnvironmentDay, the message is urgent: plastic pollution is overwhelming our rivers, oceans — and even our own biology. It’s time to rethink, reduce and reform. 🌱

“At Dabchick Wildlife Reserve, we are committed to practical, on-the-ground sustainability. As a conservation-focused destination, we know that meaningful change begins with what we do every day”. (Drs Peter and Pamela Oberem)

That’s why we encourage other lodges and reserves to adopt simple, effective practices: ✅provide reuse-able water bottles to guests,
✅replace bottled beverages with soda makers,
✅and put in place a clear waste management strategy.
✅Sourcing or producing your own food helps cut packaging waste — and enhances the authenticity of the guest experience.
@top fans
We’re proud to stand with the global community in the #BeatPlasticPollution movement.
AMES Foundation Dabchick Wildlife Reserve
Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Waterberg Tourism Waterberg Nature Conservancy
𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮.

#WorldEnvironmentDay2025 #DabchickWildlifeReserve #ProtectWildSpaces #SustainableConservation #PlasticFreeReserves ... See MoreSee Less

Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

2 weeks ago

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫!

Tucked away in over 1,000 hectares of bushveld, Dabchick Wildlife Reserve is home to a luxury tented camp with panoramic views of plains and mountain. With just 12 guests at a time, your stay is intimate, unfenced, and immersed in nature.

🦒Explore open landscapes alive with plains game - zebra, wildebeest, impala, blesbok, eland and more - while keeping an eye out for rarer sightings of sable, waterbuck, red hartebeest and giraffe, amonst others.

🦅 Birdlife is abundant, and early mornings or golden hours offer superb wildlife photography opportunities.

💡Dabchick has been carefully rewilded by conservation-focused veterinarians, Drs Peter and Pamela Oberem. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩: 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝, 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 🐾🐾

@top fans
⛺️Book your themed luxury tent and experience the stillness of winter in the Waterberg: www.dabchick.co.za
AMES Foundation Dabchick Wildlife Reserve
Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Rewilding Africa
Waterberg Tourism

#DabchickWildlifeReserve #WaterbergWilderness #WinterSafari #plainsgame #wildlifephotography #ecostay #conservationinaction ... See MoreSee Less

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Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

2 weeks ago

𝘿𝘼𝘽𝘾𝙃𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝘿 𝘽𝙄𝙍𝘿𝙎
𝐃𝐖𝐑 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡!
𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐧 (𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙪𝙨)
𝐈𝐔𝐂𝐍 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬:
Least Concern

With their vibrant colours and parrot-like antics, African green pigeons are among the most eye-catching birds in the bush — and a favourite sighting at Dabchick Wildlife Reserve.

These striking birds belong to the genus 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣, which includes 30 species spread across Africa and Asia. Just three species are found in Africa and its islands, with 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙪𝙨 being the only one found in the Waterberg and much of sub-Saharan Africa — though not in the drier, arid regions.

💡The name 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 comes from the Greek word for “timid” — a fitting description, as early editions of 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 describe them as “sensitive birds which may die of fright at the sound of a gun.”

Their species name 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙪𝙨 means “bald,” referring to the prominent red cere (the fleshy base of the bill).

💡What really makes them stand out is their plumage. Their green feathers shimmer in various shades, all thanks to a special carotenoid pigment obtained from their fruit-rich diet. Their yellow ‘trousers’, yellow-edged flight feathers, bright red cere and feet, and patch of rufous feathers under the tail add even more colour to the mix. Their eyes, too, are a striking yellow.

These birds are almost entirely arboreal, moving through the canopy with surprising agility. They’re rarely seen on the ground — even for drinking — as they get most of their moisture from fruit. Occasionally, though, they do practice geophagia: ingesting mineral-rich soil to neutralise toxins found in some unripe fruits.

💡Their Afrikaans name, 𝙥𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙞𝙛 (parrot-dove), is wonderfully apt. Watching them climb through fruiting trees, often hanging upside down like parrots, is a delight. Despite their colourful plumage, they can be hard to spot among the leaves — but their beautiful calls often give them away.

🎼 Their song starts with a soft whistle and flows into a series of gurgles, chuckles, and growls — a soothing soundtrack in many bushveld habitats.

Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Waterberg Tourism Nylsvley, Birding Gem of the Limpopo
The African green pigeon is a breeding resident across the Waterberg, most common in the eastern regions. Its movements are driven by fruit availability, which makes it unpredictable at times. It’s scarce in surrounding thorn savanna, but frequently found in wooded habitats. Breeding occurs in summer, usually in pairs, while small flocks are seen outside the breeding season.

Drs Peter and Pamela Oberem comment:
“The calls of green pigeons are one of the signature sounds at Dabchick when 𝙁𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙞 trees are in fruit — attracting a remarkable diversity of birds, including green pigeons and Meyer’s parrots (𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙞).”

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙗𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚? Share your experience in the comments!

🎼 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 & 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬
ebird.org/species/afrgrp1?siteLanguage=en_ZA
📸 Alta Oosthuizen
@top fans
🦆Dabchick Wildlife Reserve offers great bird and other photography opportunities! Book your stay now!
#Birdwatching #Ecotourism
AMES Foundation
For reservations, contact: hospitality@dabchick.co.za

For more information, visit www.dabchick.co.za
KRUGER BIRD CHALLENGE
Source: Kruger Magazine article by Dr Ian Whyte

#ConserveWildlife #ProtectBiodiversity #Africa #BirdOfTheMonth #CutThroatFinch #DabchickWildlifeReserve #WildlifeConservation #ConservationInAction ... See MoreSee Less

Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

2 weeks ago

𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙗𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚
On Earth Day 2025, Dabchick Wildlife Reserve proudly reintroduced its first group of southern ground hornbills (𝘽𝙪𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙫𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞) in partnership with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project — a milestone for rewilding in the Alma Valley.

Since their arrival, the trio (a mature male, adult female, and juvenile helper) has settled in well. Fitted with tracking transponders, the birds are monitored daily. Shortly after release, they explored neighbouring properties including the SAPS Thabazimbi Training Academy and Thabanyana, with fantastic cooperation from both landowners.

They’ve since returned to Dabchick, often roosting in a grand fig tree and occasionally on the roof of an old storehouse.

💡Most excitingly, they are now spending increasing time near their nest site — a promising sign for the future of a free-ranging population here.
Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Waterberg Nature Conservancy Waterberg-Nylsvley birding route guide Waterberg Tourism Eks van die Waterberge Waterberg Gesels. Waterberg Game Breeders
This initiative forms part of a wider metapopulation effort across the region, supported by local community engagement, farmer outreach, and expert training of the Dabchick conservation team.

Thank you to all our partners, especially the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project and the AMES Foundation, for making this possible.

💡We look forward to seeing these magnificent birds thrive in the wild once again.
@top fans
Plan your visit to Dabchick for top-class birding, wildlife and landscape photography opportunities.

Bookings: hospitality@dabchick.co.za
More info: www.dabchick.co.za

#GroundHornbillReturn #Rewilding #BirdConservation #DabchickWildlifeReserve #EarthDay2025 #WaterbergWildlife #Ecotourism #WildlifePhotography #ProtectBiodiversity #ConservationInAction ... See MoreSee Less

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Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

2 months ago

𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬
Veterinarians are widely recognised for their critical role in animal health, animal welfare, and public health – particularly through safeguarding the quality of the meat, milk, and eggs we consume.

They are also pivotal in ensuring sufficient, safe food production for a rapidly growing human population – now exceeding 8.2 billion – through the control of animal diseases.

💡Through the “One Health” concept, veterinarians link the health of people, animals, and the environment. Yet their role in conservation is often overlooked.

In addition to preventing and treating disease in wild animals – on game ranches, within wildlife reserves, and across broader ecosystems – veterinarians’ work is deeply multi-disciplinary.

Their expertise spans evaluating veld (rangeland) conditions, monitoring animal health across properties, and conducting game counts. These game counts form the cornerstone of effective wildlife population management and have underpinned the remarkable success of sustainable use in South Africa: the rewilding of nearly 𝟐𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 of previously marginal or damaged agricultural land into thriving, rewilded, vibrant mosaics of game ranches.

💡This rewilding movement has played a major role in saving species once on the brink of extinction, including the bontebok, oribi, black wildebeest, and both black and white rhinoceroses, among others.

Moreover, veterinarians have been instrumental in the safe translocation of millions of animals – a monumental contribution to conservation not only in Africa but worldwide.
@top fans AMES Foundation Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve - Wildlife
At 𝘿𝘼𝘽𝘾𝙃𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝘿𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙀𝙍𝙑𝙀 and 𝙍𝙀𝙒𝙄𝙇𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙉 𝘼𝙁𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼, we salute veterinarians – not only for safeguarding our health, our livestock, and our companion animals, but above all for their profound, often underappreciated contribution to rewilding, conservation, and securing the natural heritage for future generations.

🦆Dabchick Wildlife Reserve offers great wildlife and landscape photography opportunities! Book your stay now!
#Birdwatching #Ecotourism #wildlifephotography #rewilding

For reservations, email: hospitality@dabchick.co.za
For more information, visit www.dabchick.co.za

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Dabchick Wildlife Reserve

2 months ago

🌍 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙗𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮!

On this Earth Day, Dabchick Wildlife Reserve is proud to announce the release of its first southern ground hornbill (𝘽𝙪𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙫𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞) - a major step in a long-anticipated rewilding initiative in partnership with the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project.

Following years of consultation and careful planning, Dabchick has adopted a small group of suitable birds, with the aim of establishing a new, free-ranging population in the Alma valley.

💡This complements rewilding efforts on surrounding conservancies, contributing to a broader metapopulation in the region.
Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Waterberg-Nylsvley birding route guide Waterberg Nature Conservancy
Before the release, engaging with the local farming community was essential. Southern ground hornbills are not always well received, and their survival can be compromised by lead poisoning from scavenging on hunting remains. To address this, the AMES Foundation - Dabchick’s conservation partner - hosted an information session at the local farmers’ hall. Presentations by Dr Lucy Kemp and Justin Henry (BirdLife South Africa) highlighted the dangers of lead in ecosystems and offered practical alternatives, including lead-free ammunition sourced locally. The meeting drew strong interest and positive engagement.

💡Key to the project’s success was hands-on training for the Dabchick team - Mpilo Mhalanga, Erika Bezuidenhout, and Klaas Maluleke - at the Mabula centre near Loskop Dam. The team learned best practices for managing and caring for hornbills with minimal human contact to maintain their wild instincts. A holding pen was constructed to Mabula’s specifications, offering a transitional space before full release.

In November 2024, three birds - a mature male, an adult female, and a younger helper - arrived at Dabchick. The birds have settled well and will be released in stages to ensure gradual acclimatisation to their new environment. Post-release monitoring will track their movements and wellbeing.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, the AMES Foundation, and all involved in this collaborative effort. With dedication and continued support, we look forward to these iconic birds thriving once again in the wild landscapes of the Alma valley.

🦆Dabchick Wildlife Reserve offers great wild bird, wildlife and landscape photography opportunities! Book your stay now!
#Birdwatching #Ecotourism #wildlifephotography #rewilding

For reservations, email: hospitality@dabchick.co.za
For more information, visit www.dabchick.co.za

#ConserveWildlife #ProtectBiodiversity #Africa #DabchickWildlifeReserve #WildlifeConservation #ConservationInAction
#EarthDay2025 #GroundHornbillReturn #DabchickConservation ... See MoreSee Less

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