Rare wildlife behaviour observed in the Little Karoo heat

At Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, the bush often tells its own stories, and at the moment, one such story is unfolding in broad daylight.

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Along one of our main safari routes, a female aardvark and her juvenile have been regularly spotted during daytime bush safaris.

While these sightings have been a rare and memorable experience for guests, they also present an unusual and intriguing phenomenon. Aardvarks are typically nocturnal, and observing one active at around 15:00, especially in sustained temperatures of up to 35°C, is highly atypical. Even more remarkable is the consistency of these sightings, which have been occurring for several weeks.

Under normal circumstances, aardvarks are strictly nocturnal animals, emerging after sunset to forage and using their powerful claws to excavate extensive burrows within minutes. On rare occasions, particularly during cold winter afternoons, they may surface briefly to absorb the last warmth of the sun. However, consistent daytime activity during the height of a Little Karoo summer suggests deeper ecological pressures at play.

Research conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand in the Kalahari has shown that extreme heat and prolonged dry conditions significantly reduce the activity of ants and termites.