Our Content Collection
Innovation comes only from readily and seamlessly sharing information rather than hoarding it.
~ Tom Peters
We have gathered immense amounts of information during this journey, and have stored it here so that it can be shared with the aim of empowering those that need it.
Please feel free to browse our library by category of content below
Blesbuck
The blesbok or blesbuck has a distinctive white face and forehead which inspired the name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse.
Lannea Edulis
Lannea edulis has shiny green leaves that are hairy when young and leathery when matured, with creamy white flowers from August to October. It bears bright red ovoid berries from October to December that become purplish black when they become ripe, which have a juicy and pleasantly sour flavour and are eaten by mice, birds and humans.
The Wild Crew – Insects – August 2026
One of the great privileges of living in the Crocodile River Reserve is sharing your space with free-roaming wildlife. But when baboons and monkeys start helping themselves to your kitchen, what can you actually do about it?
Large Sourplum
The ripe fruits of the Ximenia Caffra or Sourplum are eaten by birds such as barbets, bulbuls and starlings and mammals such as giraffe, impala, kudu, grey duiker, steenbok, bushbuck and eland enjoy eating it's leaves. The larvae of a number of butterflies feed on the leaves, some examples being the Bush Scarlet butterfly, Natal and Silvery bar, Bowker's and Saffron sapphire and the Brown playboy.
Handling Tortoises
Tortoises store water in a cloacal bursa or sack in the rear of the body for use when required. They will also excrete this water supply as a defence against predators [or humans!] and to dampen dry soil when digging holes in which to lay eggs. If you pick up a tortoise trying to survive in very dry conditions it may excrete its valuable water supply, resulting in the eventual death of the animal.
The Wild Crew – Trees & Grass Plant Ecology – September 2025
On our recent Wild Crew outing, we took full advantage of the warm weather and spent almost the entire day outdoors on our nature walk. It took some time to reach our planned destination - a ridge on the Egoli Granite Grasslands - because there was simply so much to see and explain.
School Holiday Programme 2024 Photo Gallery
In total we had 52 attending the CRR 2024 School Holiday Programme over the four days in July 2024.
We hope that all the children who attended have happy memories of the time they spent with us in the CRR and have taken away with them a deeper understanding of the natural world, and the importance of caring for it.
We hope that all the children who attended have happy memories of the time they spent with us in the CRR and have taken away with them a deeper understanding of the natural world, and the importance of caring for it.
The Wild Crew – Bugs – Nov 2025
Before we’d even reached the veld, everyone had already caught their first bug, causing great excitement! Once in the long grass, each child had a turn using the sweep nets, and on our return to our ‘base’ at The Sheds, we identified the insects, observed them under a microscope, and then, of course, released them back into their habitat.
Themeda Triandra Grass
One of the species regarded as the most valuable grass in sourveld is Themeda triandra. Also known as Red Grass, it grows abundantly when the veld is in good condition.
Birds of the Crocodile River Reserve Talk
Justin guided us through a carefully curated selection from the CRR's impressive bird list — and while covering all 255 recorded species in one morning was never going to be possible, he chose beautifully. The majestic Brown Snake Eagle, the charismatic Arrow-marked Babbler, the humble Dove, the mystical Grass Owl and the very special Orange River Francolin were among the stars of the show. The presentation was, however, occasionally — and hilariously — interrupted by a group of Hadeda Ibis who clearly felt they deserved a mention too.
Crinum Bulbispernum
The Crinum lily is a large bulbous plant up to 1m high, which produces attractive grey green gracefully arching leaves during the summer months, and is often seen in the Crocodile River Reserve.
Cape Skink
The Cape skink is live-bearing and the female may take up to a week to birth her litter of offspring - often between 8 and 18 per brood. Each baby is born in a thin, membranous bag or 'shell' that it breaks out of within seconds. Newborns measure measure 5 to 7 cm.
