A Delicate Discovery After the Floods

In January, as heavy floods moved through the iconic Kruger National Park, an unexpected guest emerged at Rhino Post.

With the lodge temporarily cut off and floodwaters moving through the area, Gerrit Meyer, Joint Operations Manager at Seolo Africa, was inspecting the property for potential damage. During his assessment, he noticed something unusual growing from the side of the leadwood at the bar: a small, delicate mushroom.

Leadwood is known for being extremely hard and dense, which made the mushroom’s appearance particularly interesting. With intense heat and high humidity this time of year, conditions were likely ideal for this fungus to develop.

It only lasted about three days, and it was really a case of me being in the right place at the right time, a bit like being lucky enough to get a glimpse of a leopard crossing a road,” says Gerrit, who has lived in the Kruger for 33 years. “I have never seen this species before but I think it was one of the wood-growing white gilled species.

The mushroom’s timing stood out. While the landscape was dealing with the effects of significant flooding, this small example of growth quietly appeared and just as quickly disappeared.

Mushrooms form part of the fungi kingdom, which includes toadstools, lichen, moulds and rusts. It is estimated that more than 1,000 species of fungi occur in South Africa. Globally, a 2016 study referenced by the National Library of Medicine suggests there may be between 2.2 million and 3.8 million fungal species worldwide.

Although interest in foraging for edible mushrooms is growing, mycologists caution that some species are highly poisonous and can be fatal if consumed.

For those of us who spend time in the bush, moments like this are a reminder that nature is always at work, often in ways we least expect. Even in challenging conditions, there is always something new to notice.