One of the more unique aspects of Tau Game Lodge is that the lodge overlooks a vast open plain with a huge waterhole right in the middle. As far as animal traffic is concerned, it's definitely one of the busier waterholes in the Madikwe Game Reserve.
The waterhole is so active throughout the day and night, that many guests opt to sit and watch the animals come down to drink and forage instead of heading out on the morning and afternoon / evening game drives.
Photographic opportunities are amazing, especially if you're a birder. The number of wetland birds such as Avocets, stilts, ducks, storks, herons, geese, moorhen and teals is nothing short of spectacular. To top it all off, there are five resident crocodiles who show themselves periodically throughout the days and nights. These fascinating reptiles always make for interesting viewing.
The original webcam was installed way back in 1988 and over the years it has been replaced with more sophisticated versions. It's incredible how technology has improved. The webcam can be accessed through Tau's website https://www.taugamelodge.co.za/main-lodge/live-webcam/. It literally brings safari into your living room, and you can keep an eye on the waterhole 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you're lucky enough, you will see some phenomenal sightings. Besides the herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebra and impala coming down to drink, there are some amazing sightings that have been witnessed at this waterhole, one of which occurred recently over the period of a couple of hours.
It started off with a lion kill at the waterhole, and the sequence of events following this were jaw dropping to observe and of National Geographic proportions. A lioness was feeding on a carcass in the late afternoon, only to be chased off by a big male lion, as normally happens when it comes to a pride feeding on a kill. The lioness moved off towards a thicket while the male fed on the carcass. A couple of minutes later, out of the thicket came four cubs into the clearing and headed straight for the carcass. The cubs approached cautiously and started feeding with the male lion. This is not uncommon, but nevertheless still a phenomenal sighting. What happened next can only be described as a very unique sighting. While the male lion and the cubs were feeding on the carcass, the other lionesses from the pride came to lie down nearby. While this was all happening, two rhinos ambled up to do an inspection and sent the lions scattering. Having completed their inspection, the rhinos eventually went on their way and the lions returned to feed. When we thought things couldn't get more interesting, along came a herd of elephants who also decided to conduct an inspection of their own. Again, the lions scattered for the thicket where the lioness had originally hidden her cubs. There was great concern that the elephants would smell the lions and the cubs, but fortunately no harm was done to the cubs.
Eventually, the elephants disappeared into the night, and a calm returned to the scene.
Whatever was left of the carcass wasn't of any interest to the lions, and they too sauntered off into the darkness.
Again, one would have thought this would be the end of a very eventful evening at the waterhole, but alas, it was not over. A few black backed jackals had been lurking in the shadows waiting to steal a tidbit from the carcass. With the lions nowhere in sight, they proceeded to start feeding only to be disturbed by a brown hyena, very rarely seen in Madikwe. It was time to stick together, and the jackals teamed up to chase off the brown hyena. You cannot make this stuff up. While this was all happening, a herd of seven buffalo bulls came down to the water to drink on the opposite side of the waterhole and proceeded to scratch themselves on a rubbing post. This all happened over the period of a couple of hours but made for fantastic viewing. All the while the gusts staying at Tau had witnessed this from the main viewing deck, or in the in the comfort of their own suites. So do yourself a favour, click on the link https://www.taugamelodge.co.za/main-lodge/live-webcam/ and keep an eye on the waterhole wherever you may be in the world. A couch safari has never been better.
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