The mere mention of the word “rat” makes many people cringe, but there is something special about the Greater Cane Rat. It is a giant rat with a relatively short tail and a more rounded head and face than your typical house rat. These rodents live in or close to water where among other plants they feed on bull rushes, sedges and reeds. The cane rat gnaws these plants off with its massive incisors. Cane rats are superb swimmers and spend the day resting or sleeping in a shallow bowl of sand or a bed of plants or grasses.

We discovered a cane rat sleeping below the pool deck at Kapama Main lodge this morning and it took little notice of all the spectators watching over it.

Westley Lombard

Senior ranger