Calling all young explorers!
Are you ready to discover the wild side of Africa?
When you visit Umkumbe Bush Lodge, you're not just coming on holiday with Mom and Dad. You're stepping into the incredible world of the African bush — where every game drive is a new adventure and you never know what you might find around the next corner!
To make your safari even more exciting, we've created a special challenge just for our younger guests:
Safari Bingo!
Before heading out on your game drive, collect your Safari Bingo card from Reception.
Your card features some of the amazing animals you might encounter around Umkumbe and the Sabi Sand.
Then it's time to become a Junior Safari Explorer! 🔎
Keep your eyes open, listen carefully and see how many animals you can spot.
Every time you find one of the animals on your card, mark it off.
And remember — safari isn't always about seeing the most animals. Sometimes it's about seeing one very special animal that you've been waiting for!
Meet Your Safari Neighbours
The African bush is full of incredible creatures, and each one has its own story to tell.
But did you know that many animals also have special names for groups of their own kind?
Let's see how many you can remember while you're on safari!
🦁 A Pride of Lions
Lions are one of Africa's most famous animals.
A family group of lions is called a pride.
You might see a pride relaxing in the shade, playing, grooming one another or keeping watch over their surroundings.
Male lions can be recognised by their magnificent manes, while lionesses are usually the hunters of the pride.
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
If you see five lions together, can you tell Mom and Dad that you've spotted a pride of lions?
🐘 A Herd of Elephants
Elephants are the largest land animals in Africa — and they are amazing to watch.
A group of elephants is called a herd.
Elephant herds are often made up of related females and their young calves.
Watch closely and you might see an elephant using its trunk to drink, feed, smell or communicate with another elephant.
And keep an eye out for the smallest members of the herd — elephant calves are adorable!
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
Can you count how many elephants are in the herd?
🦓 A Dazzle of Zebras
Have you ever wondered what a group of zebras is called?
It's a dazzle! 🦓🦓🦓
Zebras' black-and-white stripes make them one of the easiest animals to recognise on safari.
Look closely at their stripes — every zebra has its own unique pattern.
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
Next time you see a dazzle of zebras, see if you can count them before they disappear into the bush!
🦒 A Tower of Giraffes
Giraffes are hard to miss!
With their incredibly long necks and legs, they tower above many of the other animals in the bush.
A group of giraffes is called a tower — which seems like the perfect name!
Giraffes use their long necks to reach leaves high up in the trees.
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
If you see a tower of giraffes, look carefully at what they're eating. Can you see them using their long tongues to pull leaves from the trees?
🐃 A Herd of Buffalo
African buffalo are big, powerful animals that often travel together in large groups called herds.
A herd of buffalo can contain many animals, so keep your eyes open and see if you can count them!
Buffalo may look calm while they're grazing, but they are powerful wild animals and should always be given plenty of space.
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
Can you spot a buffalo with the biggest horns?
🐕 A Pack of African Wild Dogs
African wild dogs are one of Africa's most fascinating predators.
They live and hunt together in packs, working as a team.
Each wild dog has a unique coat pattern — a little bit like having your own special fingerprint!
Seeing a pack of African wild dogs is a very special safari experience, so keep those eyes peeled!
⭐ Bonus Challenge:
If you are lucky enough to see a pack of wild dogs, try counting how many different wild dogs you can spot.
🦌 A Journey of Impala
Impala are one of the antelope you are likely to see while exploring the bush.
A group of impala can be called a journey.
These elegant antelope are incredibly fast and can leap impressive distances when they need to escape danger.
Keep watching a herd carefully — you may spot a male impala with impressive curved horns.
🧠 Junior Ranger Challenge:
Can you spot the difference between a male and female impala?
🐆 The Leopard: The Master of Hide-and-Seek
Of course, we couldn't have a safari adventure without talking about one of the Sabi Sand's most exciting animals...
The leopard! 🐆
Leopards are masters of camouflage and can be incredibly difficult to spot.
They often rest in trees during the day, so remember to look up as well as around you!
And if you spot a leopard during your game drive, you've definitely earned some serious Junior Safari Explorer bragging rights.
🧠 Super Challenge:
Can you spot a leopard before your ranger or tracker points it out?
🦏 Other Amazing Animals to Look Out For
Your Safari Bingo card may also introduce you to some of the other wonderful animals that call the area around Umkumbe home.
Keep your eyes open for:
🐘 Elephant
🦁 Lion
🐆 Leopard
🦏 White Rhino
🐃 Buffalo
🦒 Giraffe
🦓 Zebra
🦛 Hippo
🐗 Warthog
🦌 Impala
🦌 Kudu
🦌 Nyala
🐒 Vervet Monkey
🐕 Spotted Hyena
🐕 African Wild Dog
And don't forget — there are plenty of smaller creatures, birds and insects to discover too!
Sometimes the most interesting things are the ones you weren't expecting to see.
🎉 BINGO!
Now for the exciting part...
Every time you spot an animal on your Safari Bingo card, mark it off.
Can you complete a row?
🏆 Get a Row — Get a Prize!
Once you've completed a row on your Bingo card, bring it back to Reception and show our team.
If you've got a winning row...
🎉 You've got BINGO! 🎉
You'll receive a special safari prize as a reward for your excellent wildlife-spotting skills.
And because our prizes can change, you never quite know what you'll receive!
🧠 How Many Safari Words Can You Remember?
Before your next game drive, see if you can remember these:
🦁 Pride — a group of lions
🐘 Herd — a group of elephants
🦓 Dazzle — a group of zebras
🦒 Tower — a group of giraffes
🐃 Herd — a group of buffalo
🐕 Pack — a group of African wild dogs
🦌 Journey — a group of impala
Can you teach these words to Mom and Dad?
🌿 Being a Junior Safari Explorer
Being a great safari explorer isn't just about finding animals on your Bingo card.
It's also about respecting the bush and the animals that live here.
Remember to:
🤫 Keep your voice down when watching wildlife.
👀 Keep your eyes open — animals can appear when you least expect them!
👂 Listen to your ranger and tracker. They know the bush incredibly well.
🐾 Give animals plenty of space. We are visitors in their home.
🌿 Leave nature exactly as you found it.
📸 Take photos, but don't forget to enjoy the moment with your own eyes.
❓ Ask questions! There is always something new to learn.
Good luck, Junior Safari Explorer!
Keep your eyes peeled...
You never know what you'll discover at Umkumbe Bush Lodge. 🌿🦁🐘🐆
More from Umkumbe Bush Lodge
Umkumbe Bush Lodge is set in the Sabi Sand which is part of the Sabie Game Reserve and famous for its leopards. Yet, in the heart of autumn, it was a baby zebra that stole the spotlight. Over the past month, guides, guests, and photographers across the reserve have been enthralled about a sighting that nobody quite expected: a foal so pale it looks almost ghostlike against the bushveld. Moving steadily with the dazzle, as integrated and accepted as a completely normal black-and-white foal would be.
Life in the bush is shaped as much by subtle detail as by size, strength and speed. Many of the animals found in the African savannah rely on patterns, colour, and markings as finely tuned survival tools. What may appear decorative or a special quirk can, in reality, be ways to camouflage, communicate, regulate body temperature, and outsmart predators.
