Fabulous evening in the bush with friends….Unexpected visitors…

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Bushbabies only stop by for a minute to eat yogurt and then quickly leap to the trees.

Yesterday afternoon, our friends Lorraine and Michael (who is the cousin of our friends Don and Kathy) arrived for sundowners and dinner. It was cold outside, but we all bundled up and stayed warm after dinner when the temperature dropped dramatically and the winds picked up.

The conversation was lively and engaging throughout the evening, as we discovered we had many common interests in our shared love of wildlife and the bush. This is a common theme we’ve enjoyed as we’ve made many friends in the bush over the years we’ve spent in Marloth Park since we first arrived in 2013.

For the first time, both the thick-tailed bushbaby and the much smaller lesser bushbaby arrived to eat the yogurt. In the recent past, we wrote about the thick-tailed bushbaby when we spotted one here at night, and again, a Jabula on a weekend night.

Here’s our story about the smaller “lesser bushbaby”:

The Elusive Acrobat of the Night: Lifestyle and Habits of the Lesser Bushbaby in South Africa

Hidden in the moonlit forests and woodlands of South Africa, a small, wide-eyed creature lives a life of agility, caution, and clever adaptation. The lesser bushbaby, also known as the lesser galago (Galago moholi), is a nocturnal primate whose endearing appearance belies a complex and intriguing lifestyle. Known for their enormous eyes, velvety fur, and spring-loaded limbs, these tiny tree-dwellers are among the continent’s most fascinating — yet often unseen — nocturnal mammals.

Big Daddy stopped by last night.

Masters of the Night

Lesser bushbabies are strictly nocturnal, meaning they are active only after the sun sets. During the day, they take refuge in tree hollows, thick foliage, or nests made from leaves and twigs, hiding from predators and the hot African sun. As dusk falls, they awaken with energy, grooming themselves and each other before heading out in search of food.

Their massive eyes are not just cute — they are a functional adaptation for life in the dark. These eyes are highly reflective, giving them exceptional night vision. If you’re lucky enough to spot one with a flashlight, the reflection from their eyes shines like twin orbs in the darkness.

Agile Athletes of the Trees

One of the most remarkable traits of the lesser bushbaby is its leaping ability. They are capable of springing more than two meters in a single bound — an astonishing feat for an animal that rarely exceeds 15 centimeters in height. Using their powerful hind legs and long tails for balance, they can leap from branch to branch with incredible speed and accuracy.

Their hands and feet are perfectly adapted for life in the trees. Each digit has a flat pad that helps grip branches, and their second toe sports a specialized grooming claw — a tool they use meticulously to keep their fur in pristine condition.

Tom put a little container of fruit-sweetened yogurt on the platform, and we had a pleasant surprise of seeing both the thick-tailed bushbaby, as shown here, and the little bushbaby as shown in the other photos.

Diet: Sweet and Savory

Lesser bushbabies are omnivores, with a diet that shifts depending on the season and food availability. Their preferred food is tree gum, which they lick from bark using a long, slender tongue. Acacia trees are especially popular sources of this sticky, nutrient-rich substance. To access gum, bushbabies will often bite into tree bark and return later to harvest the sap that seeps out.

But tree gum isn’t their only menu item. Insects — particularly moths, beetles, and grasshoppers — make up a substantial part of their diet. They also consume small vertebrates, fruit, and occasionally flower nectar. Their sharp hearing allows them to detect even the faintest rustle of prey, making them efficient nocturnal hunters.

Communication and Territory

Though generally solitary foragers, lesser bushbabies maintain a loose social structure and communicate using a variety of sounds, scents, and behaviors. Their vocalizations include clicks, chirps, and distinctive “crying baby” calls — the origin of the name “bushbaby.” These calls can carry over long distances at night, helping individuals locate each other or warn of danger.

Here is the “lesser bushbaby,” which we’ve been trying to attract for months, and finally made an appearance last night.

Territorial by nature, males will defend their range from intruding males, using scent-marking and vocal displays to assert dominance. Females, on the other hand, tend to have overlapping ranges and often form close-knit groups with their young or other related females.

Breeding and Raising Young

The breeding season for the lesser bushbaby typically coincides with the warmer months, when food is more abundant. After a gestation period of around 125 days, the female gives birth to one or two infants. Newborns are altricial — born blind and helpless — and are kept in the safety of a nest or dense foliage for the first few weeks.

Mothers carry their infants in their mouths from one sleeping site to another and leave them in hiding spots while they forage at night. As the babies grow stronger, they begin clinging to their mother’s fur and eventually start exploring the branches on their own. Weaning occurs around six weeks of age, but the young may remain close to their mothers for several months.

We didn’t have time to adjust the red eye on the camera.

Habitat and Threats

Lesser bushbabies are found across much of southern Africa, including savannas, woodland edges, riverine forests, and suburban gardens — especially where trees and shrubs offer shelter and food sources. In South Africa, they are commonly seen in areas like the Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, though their secretive nature often keeps them hidden from casual observers.

Despite being classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, these small primates face several threats. Habitat destruction due to urbanization and agriculture poses a growing risk, as does predation by domestic cats and owls. In some areas, bushbabies are also captured for the pet trade, which disrupts wild populations and often leads to poor welfare outcomes for the animals involved.

Endearing Survivors

Their wide-eyed innocence and nimble movements make the lesser bushbaby a beloved figure among wildlife enthusiasts. Yet these tiny primates are much more than just adorable faces — they are intelligent, resourceful, and deeply adapted to life in a complex, ever-changing environment.

Norman was captured by the trail cam late at night.

In the quiet of a South African night, while the world sleeps and the stars stretch out above, the lesser bushbaby leaps effortlessly from branch to branch — a silent and enduring symbol of nature’s remarkable creativity.

Tonight, we’re staying in, having a lovely evening and again, a delightful evening in the bush.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 4, 2025:

St. Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas, Australia, is situated near the pier and on the ocean, offering fabulous views. For more photos, please click here.

More wonders in the bush with Kady and Rich…Only four more days until they depart…

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This is the thick-tailed busybaby that walks the veranda railing at Jabula, enjoying the bits of banana the staff leave for him.

Today’s main photo is of a thick-tailed bushbaby, which few have ever seen. Every weekend when we dine at Jabula, we see this elusive nocturnal animal when the staff places a piece of banana along the railing to attract their nighttime visitor.

Guests are always in awe of seeing this special creature, and phones are busy attempting to take a photo of this difficult-to-capture, fast-moving animal.

Here is some detailed information about the bushbaby, at least twice the size of the tiny bushbabies:

The Thick-Tailed Bushbaby: A Nocturnal Acrobat of the African Night

The thick-tailed bushbaby (also known as the greater galago), Otolemur crassicaudatus, is the largest of the galago species and one of Africa’s most captivating nocturnal primates. With its oversized eyes, expressive ears, and extraordinary leaping ability, this elusive creature has adapted beautifully to life in the treetops. Found in wooded areas, forests, and savannas across eastern and southern Africa, including parts of Kruger National Park, the thick-tailed bushbaby is both mysterious and marvelously equipped for life after dark.

Giraffes in the garden.

Weighing between 1 and 2 kilograms and measuring up to 75 cm in length (including the tail), the thick-tailed bushbaby is significantly larger than its more diminutive cousins. Its long, bushy tail not only helps with balance when leaping between trees, but also serves as a visual identifier. The body is covered in dense, woolly fur that ranges in color from gray to brown, allowing it to blend effortlessly into the treetop shadows.One of the bushbaby’s most striking features is its enormous eyes, perfectly adapted for night vision. These primates are entirely nocturnal, and their sharp vision is complemented by acute hearing, thanks

their large, mobile ears. Bushbabies can swivel their ears independently to detect the faintest rustle of leaves or insect movement, giving them a near-surreal awareness of their surroundings.

Their diet is varied and omnivorous. Thick-tailed bushbabies feed on fruits, tree gum, insects, small birds, and even eggs. They are particularly fond of the sticky exudate produced by acacia trees, which they harvest by gouging into the bark. This makes them vital to their ecosystem, as they help with seed dispersal and control insect populations.

The magic of giraffes in the garden continues to amaze us.

Social by nature, thick-tailed bushbabies often live in small groups, although they forage alone. They communicate through a variety of vocalizations, ranging from sharp barks and grunts to eerie cries that echo through the night. These calls serve to establish territory, alert others to danger, or locate one another in the dense forest.

Their locomotion is another marvel. Thick-tailed bushbabies are powerful leapers, capable of jumping over 2 meters from branch to branch using their strong hind limbs. On the ground, they move with a bounding gait, but they’re much more agile and comfortable among the trees. Their hands and feet are equipped with opposable thumbs and grooming claws, which aid both in movement and personal hygiene.

Despite their adaptability, thick-tailed bushbabies face several threats. Habitat loss due to deforestation and the expansion of human settlements continues to shrink their natural range. In some regions, they are hunted for bushmeat or captured for the illegal pet trade. However, they are currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, thanks to their relatively wide distribution and ability to live in both protected and modified environments.

Big Daddy stops by several times a day.

For those lucky enough to hear a thick-tailed bushbaby’s calls on a warm African night, or to glimpse its wide eyes in the beam of a flashlight—it’s a magical reminder of the life that thrives while the world sleeps. Agile, intelligent, and adapted to the night, the thick-tailed bushbaby is a quiet yet vital part of Africa’s nocturnal ecosystem.

On another note, in four days, on Tuesday, July 15, Kady and Rich will begin the long trek back to the US. The layover time in London has been reduced from nine hours to seven, which helps a little. We’ll be anxious to hear how they are feeling once they return. It’s never easy, but it seems that going from east to west is a little better with time gained as opposed to lost.

Last night the four of us had dinner at Ngwenya Resort enjoying the meaty buffet and its wonderful offerings. This all-you-can-eat buffet with delicious meats and side dishes is ZAR 200, US $11.22. With our drinks, tax and tip the total bill was ZAR 807, US $45.28.

We’ll be sad to see Kady and Rich leave but, Tom and I will easily roll back to our usual active lives in the bush with our human and animal friends. As always, life will be good.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 11, 2015:

Ironically, one of our favorite wild animals at the Cairns Tropical Zoo was the Dingo, looking familiar to us as a domesticated dog. However, Dingos are wild animals, and many attempts to domesticate them have failed. For more photos, please click here.

Another stunning sighting…They come out at night…

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At first, we were thrilled to see her climb up the table to eat the banana but later decided we needed to place the plate of bananas on the veranda floor.

I contemplated bringing back the daily feature “Sighting of the Day in the Bush’ as we’d done during the prior 18 months we lived in the bush during 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. Over the next week, we’ll keep an eye out for those special photo ops, and if it makes sense, we’ll begin that feature once again.

Also, in 2013/2014, we featured “Small Things,” If we encounter good small things now, we’ll add that feature on occasion with appropriate photos. Right now, we’re getting into the rhythm of finding those special photos to share each day. However, it feels as if posting such special features is more difficult during the heat of the summer months.

The hottest days spent outdoors on the veranda are sticky and uncomfortable, seeming to put a damper on my creativity, although not my enthusiasm, to spend more time on my computer than usual. Right now, with the basic posts, managing and downloading photos, editing, and fact-checking occupy at least half of each day.

At first, we spotted her looking our way while clinging to a tree in our garden. “The Male Thick-Tailed Bushbabies regularly form sleeping groups with females, and they are young.”

The remainder of each day is spent taking photos, commiserating with the wildlife in our way, responding to emails, comments, and messages, handling financial matters, cooking, and eventually, as we run low on groceries, venture out to shop in Komatipoort. We’ve been waiting to shop for the 14-day quarantine to pass. Right now, we have reached the first seven days, with only seven more to go, since we arrived in Marloth Park. We began counting from the day we arrived, not the day we left India, since any exposure we may have had occurred during the 59 hour travel time.

It’s not as if we’ll spend any time in groups of people once our quarantine ends. We’ll only visit with our usual friends whom we know have been cautious, while we’ll still wear masks and social distance. I am tentative about heading to Komatipoort to shop for groceries on the 27th. But, we can’t expect Louise to do all of our grocery shopping.

We couldn’t believe how brazen she was. She had no fear of us. “The Thick-Tailed Bushbaby is a nocturnal primate with child-like cries, which gave cause for the English vernacular name. Thick-tailed bushbabies are three times the size of the smaller bushbabies. This is probably due to its diet and larger body size. This is the most social of all known bushbabies.”

Unfortunately, we can’t buy too much at one time with the possibility of load shedding hovering over our heads, day after day. If the power goes out for too many hours, we could lose everything we purchased. There is much to consider when one lives in the bush. But we’re doing well in figuring it all out, as we always do.

Once we arrived here, an area of concern was being able to get in enough walking to maintain my previous level of fitness achieved from walking in the corridors in Mumbai for the past ten months. As much as I’d enjoy walking on the roads here in Marloth Park, I don’t feel comfortable.

After the two surgeries on my legs in 2019, due to infections after open-heart surgery, I am not quite as sure-footed as I used to be. Walking alone on the uneven dirt roads in the park could present a tripping issue for me. Besides, there are often leopards and lions on the loose, and although I love the wildlife, I certainly wouldn’t want to encounter such a predator while on a walk.

After her adventures on the table, she climbed down to forage for more to supplement her diet with insects, fruit, and leaves.

The locals seem to have no qualms about walking on the roads during daylight hours since most predators roam at night. There is a 6:00 pm curfew here at night. But, I needed a backup plan. With Louise‘s help on Facebook yesterday, she found a local homeowner with an excellent treadmill she wasn’t using. The rate was very fair at ZAR 1800, $121 for three months. We didn’t flinch from paying this amount, knowing how important it is for me to continue to walk.

This morning, our helpers delivered it, and I’ve already completed my first session. I plan to use the treadmill every two hours during the day to keep me from sitting too long. After all the walking in India, you’d think a treadmill would be easy but, I definitely will have to work my way up to a decent speed, checking my pulse frequently. Of course, I will be careful.

We were excited to share today’s photos from Monday night when we had a raucous visit from the thick-tailed bushbaby that dwells in our garden. She came right up onto the table and ate a plateful of mashed bananas we’d put out in case any bushbabies came to visit. Then, when she pooped and peed all over the table, which we cleaned after she left, we decided, going forward, we’ll place the banana plate on the floor of the veranda, not on the table.

I wish we had a photo of the most hysterical thing she did while on the table. Using her funny little “hands,” she picked up my wine glass and tried to take a sip. I immediately grabbed it out of her hands, all the while laughing. We wish we had a photo of that, but it’s not always possible to react quickly enough for animal antics.

Have a good day! Stay safe!

Photo from one year ago today, January 20, 2020:

A two-year ago photo of an Egyptian Goose on the far shore of the Sunset Dam in Kruger National Park. For more on the year-ago post, please click here as we are prepared to leave the US to head to India. For more please click here.