NVT

🇳🇱🐗 Today we say farewell to Euan, as he heads back home to the Netherlands after completing his Bushpig (𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠) research project in Nature's Valley.

Over the past five months, Euan spent countless evenings and nights walking transects, setting camera traps, analysing data, and working alongside our community to better understand one of Nature's Valley's most elusive residents.

His study combined 53 nocturnal transect surveys, 69 camera trap detections, and community-reported sightings to build the most comprehensive picture yet of our local bushpig population. The research estimated that Nature's Valley supports approximately 6–10 resident bushpigs, with activity concentrated at night and regular movement between indigenous forests, green belts, and residential gardens. The findings also suggest that Nature's Valley may support a higher bushpig density than previously recorded for southern Cape forests, highlighting just how important our unique landscape is for wildlife.

This project would not have been possible without the incredible support of the Nature's Valley community.

To everyone who shared sightings, photographs, videos and stories—thank you. Your contributions played a vital role in this research and demonstrate the power of community science in helping us better understand and conserve the wildlife that shares our home.

Euan's work provides valuable baseline information that will help guide future monitoring, conservation, and human-wildlife coexistence in Nature's Valley.

From all of us at NVT, safe travels Euan, and thank you for leaving a lasting contribution to Nature's Valley. 🌿🐗💚

Species of the month for July 2026 is...🥁🥁🥁🥁

Potamochoerus larvatus (Bushpig)!

Bushpigs, in the family Suidae, are widespread across the African continent, from Ethiopia in the north, southwards towards the southern Cape of South Africa. They require dense cover and tend to avoid open savanna or grassland habitats. In the southern Cape, apart from elephants, these are the largest forest dwellers.

Their home range in the Knysna region is ca. 720 hectares. Bushpigs occur in social groups of up to 12 members, but are typically less than five. These groups consist of a dominant male and female, with the rest of the group made up of other females and juveniles. Solitary males can also be found, as well as smaller bachelor groups. Bushpigs mate during autumn and winter, and litters consist of ca. 3 young. After six months, the dominant female will chase away young males, and after 1-2 years, chase away some of the beta sows.

Bushpigs are nocturnal and will grunt loudly when alarmed or when foraging. They are omnivores, and consume roots, insects, small reptiles, eggs, carrion, fruit and fungi.

What a special morning! 🐧🌊

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support the release of five rehabilitated African Penguins back into the wild. The turnout was incredible, and it was wonderful to see so many people sharing in this important conservation success story.

Moments like these remind us that every penguin release is the culmination of a remarkable journey — from rescue, rehabilitation, and care, through to that unforgettable moment when they waddle back home to the ocean. There is an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes effort that makes this possible, and we extend our sincere thanks to all the role players involved, especially the dedicated teams at Robberg Vet and Tenikwa for helping get these birds back into top condition for release.

The day was also a fitting farewell for two of our marine programme interns, Nynke and Esther, who have spent the past few months contributing to our conservation work. We are so pleased they had the opportunity to witness and be part of the full-circle process of rescue, rehabilitation, and release before their time with us came to an end. Thank you both for your hard work and enthusiasm—we wish you all the best for the future!

A final reminder: Lookout Beach is a dog-free beach. It was disappointing to see several dogs present at the release. African Penguins and many other coastal species can perceive dogs as predators. We ask everyone to please respect local regulations and choose one of the nearby green or orange zone beaches if walking your dog.

Conservation is a shared responsibility. By following these simple rules, we can help create safer spaces for wildlife and ensure that special moments like today's release remain positive experiences for both animals and people.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us in celebrating these five African Penguins heading back where they belong. 💙🐧

Photo credits: Gavin van Hees

Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre South African National Parks Bitou Municipality Birdlife Plettenberg Bay Robberg Veterinary Clinic Plettenberg Bay Tourism