The Zebra of Timbavati Wildlife Park

Getting back into the discussion of the animals at Timbavati Wildlife Park, this week is all about the zebra!

As you may know zebra are recognized by their beautiful coat of fur! Their stripes are much like the uniqueness of fingerprints. Though they all have them (whether they are black and white or brown) no two are exactly alike.

Zebras are very social animals living in small-large herds. They feed almost entirely on grass though they will eat sparingly plants like shrubs, herbs, leaves, bark and even twigs. They have a digestive system that allows them to sustain diets of lower nutrition.

Zebras have excellent hearing. With larger and more rounder ears than horses, they can turn their ears in almost any direction. Along with their great sense of hearing is their eyesight. They are able to see at night though not as well as some of their predators.

The female zebra is also called a "mare." Mares will give birth to one baby zebra or foal once every twelve months or so. She will then nurse said foal for up to one year.

Stop in and visit with our majestic zebra at Timbavati Wildlife Park!

Upgrading The Safari Train Ride

Timbavati Wildlife Park is regularly undergoing improvements to your experience. With our fourth season finally in the books. We are happy to discuss some of the improvements that we have made this year. One major project that we took on this year was the automation of our Safari Train Ride Gates.

The Safari Train Ride takes our guests on a ride through our pastures where they have personal interactions with some of our larger hoofed grazing animals. You can barely see any remnants from the previous incarnation of our grounds, the old Riverview Waterpark. This transformation has taken place one improvement at a time and the investments in improvements are ongoing.

This week’s video actually allows us to walk and talk with owner Mark Schoebel as he takes a walk through the park and checks in on the gate automation installation. The smiles are genuine the work is the best our craftsmen have to offer and the result is the experience that our guests have when they attend regularly and share our growth with us.

Sable Antelope

This week we are talking about the majestic sable antelope. The Sable Antelope (scientific name hippotragus niger)  is from the southern savanna of Africa. They live in  a combination of grasslands and woodlands. They avoid extensive open lands.

The sable antelope in the wild can live up to sixteen years and travel about a mile a day. During the dry season they will travel less than a mile.  They are nocturnal and diurnal (active during the day). They prefer to feed just until dark because of a high risk of predation at night. Their natural predators are animals like lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, crocodiles, and wild dogs.

These animals are specialized grazers. They will feed on herbs and grasses which typically make up ninety percent of their diet. They seek water at least every other day. None of these antelope are known to travel more than 2 miles from a water source.

Male antelopes grow slightly bigger than the female. They have incredible horns that can reach to 165 centimeters, can weigh around 530 lbs and have a height of about 5 ft.  A female's horn is much shorter around 102 cm, have a weight around 485 lbs and are a pinch shorter than males.

Stop in to Timbavati Wildlife Park and say hello to our friends the majestic antelope!

Cockatiel

Cockatiel also known as nymphicus hollandicus are native to Australia! They can be found in pairs or small flocks throughout the wild. Cockatiels like to nest in hollow tree limbs or trunk holes located near water.

The cockatiel's average weight can be anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds and they can be as long as 12-14 inches long. Cockatiels like to feed on fresh fruits and vegetables. They will also eat seeds and pellets. Though they are related to the birds who can imitate the human voice these specific birds much rather imitate whistles.

The breeding season for cockatiels lasts from August to December though they are able to and do breed year round. When nesting a typical cockatiel will lay 4 to 7 eggs. These eggs are laid every other day and have an incubation period of about 18-21 days.

Stop in for a whistle or two from our cockatiel friends at Timbavati Wildlife Park!