Bush Encounters: Tales from Beyond the Fence

As the owners of Thorn Tree Bush Camp, we’ve come to expect the unexpected. Life in the Dinokeng Game Reserve bush is full of surprises—some heart-stopping, some hilarious, and some downright snaaks! Whether you’re arriving with your bush trailer, pitching a tent, or staying in one of our comfy cabins, just know: there’s always a story brewing beyond the fence.

Here are a few of our favorites…

Charls’ Unexpected Stay at Thorn Cottage 

In mid-2016, one warm Sunday afternoon, we arrived at our new property, Thornybush Cottage, to found a very special visitor—Charls, the elephant bull. While waiting for us to show up, he helped himself to a few grapefruit and other citrus treats. Not stopping there, he also reshaped a couple of trees and decided to “adjust” the fence on his way out.

After some fence repairs and saying goodbye to the grapefruit trees, Charls must’ve decided the electric fence wasn't worth the hassle. Since then, he’s stuck to the outside of the property—and we like to joke that he was just offering his unique brand of “help with renovations.”

In 2018, Charls was relocated to a new home in Zinaf, Mozambique, where he still roams free.

Note to self: never argue with a grey silent giant.

Lost Breakfast

During the quiet early days of COVID, we were making our morning coffee when all of a sudden—wham!—a kudu bull came charging through the camp. Strangely, the electric fence was still intact, and the alarm hadn’t gone off.

Curious, we stepped outside and discovered the real drama—a cheetah had been chasing the kudu, who, in an impressive display of agility, had leapt clean over the 2.1-meter fence to escape. The cheetah stood just outside, stunned and staring at what was supposed to be its ontbyt, now gone.

The kudu, clearly very pleased with himself, strutted through the property, paused, and with another effortless leap cleared the opposite fence like a seasoned escape artist. The cheetah? Still standing there, probably wondering where it all went wrong.

Two Kings, One Territory

One crisp morning at Thorn Tree Bush Camp, just as the kettle started to boil at the main house, we were met with the deep, chest-shaking roar of lions—close. Real close.

We stepped outside and scanned the bush. At first, it seemed like the lions were moving off, so we returned to the kitchen. But before the coffee even brewed—kaboem!—an almighty ruckus erupted in front of Monkey Thorn Cottage.

Adrenaline racing, we rushed out and found Michael, our trusty field guide and ranger, already on the move. What we saw next was something straight out of the wildest nature doc: two fully mature male lions—Samara and Markele—locked in a roaring, growling showdown.

Dust flew. Muscles rippled. The earth shook. This wasn’t a casual encounter—it was a territorial battle, a proper “who’s the baas here” moment. With Michael by our side, we watched in awe as the two kings set the rules, right there in our backyard.

It was a moment we won’t forget—a powerful reminder that in Dinokeng, we live by nature’s rules.

A Roaring Night on Red Hartebeest Camp site

One evening, lus vir kamp and craving a closer connection to the wild, we traded the comfort of the main house for our Conqueror trailer up at the Red Hartebeest campsite—one of our private camp sites  where the bush truly wraps around you.

Just after midnight, the eerie laughter of spotted hyenas echoed nearby. We lay in the dark, alert. Then—ROARRR!—Markele again, in full voice. That roar was so loud it felt like he might’ve joined us inside the camp!

I held my breath, waiting. A second… then a third roar. Thankfully, it became clear he was just outside the fence, on patrol, letting the bush know who’s in charge.

We lay there wide-eyed, listening to the orchestra of the wild—Markele’s thunder, hyenas laughing, jackals yipping in the distance. It was pure bosveld magic.

Nights like that remind us why we live in Dinokeng Game Reserve. Out here, you’re not just near nature—you’re part of it.

Life beyond the fence is full of moments that remind us just how close we live to the wild. It’s humbling, thrilling, and often downright funny. From baboons trying to nick rusks, to guests learning the hard way that food never gets left unattended—there’s never a dull moment at Thorn Tree.

So, as ons mekaar sien by die kampvuur, ask us for a story. We’ve got plenty—and the bushveld? It always has more to tell.

Look out for our next blog on 19 May: Bush Tracks & Back Roads: 14 Wild Weeks in Our Urban Escape Vehicle.