“You Have To See What Showed Up”: Cape Town Man Builds Pond To Attract Wildlife to His Bush House

• A Cape Town man renovating a bush villa near Kruger dug a pond to attract wildlife
• The simple pond was built with stones from around the property to give it a natural look
• The man had a trail camera installed at the pond to capture footage of different animals visiting

Matt Geri, who runs the Bush Story project near the Kruger, shared that he dreamed of attracting more wildlife right to his doorstep when he bought the neglected bush house. After finishing the roof, he took a break from construction to focus on something that would bring the animals closer: a wildlife pond. The video was shared on 6 November 2025 with the caption:

"I built a wildlife pond at the bush house to attract the wildlife in the area to the house. Within days, incredible animals started to show up."

In the video, Matt explained the process of creating the pond. They dug a 2.5-metre by 2-metre hole, lined it with plastic, and put in a simple concrete base at the bottom. They bricked up a little wall to hold water, plastered it roughly and added a few stones from around the property to give it a natural, wild look.

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When they filled it up, they found a small leak but managed to patch it. Matt then installed a trail camera to monitor who visits the pond on a daily basis. From elephants to porcupines, all sorts of animals visited his water pond.

"I thought I was just building a simple pond, but it's become a window into the life that surrounds the Bush house," he said.

The video went viral, getting over 2,000 reactions.

Mzansi loves the wildlife pond

People flooded the comments section with praise for Matt's efforts.

@Jeni Stentiford Malherbe said:

"The effort you've put into creating this wildlife haven is absolutely amazing"

@Peter Harding suggested:

"Build a bigger one now."

@Arlene Weston agreed:

"Gonna have to build a bigger one 😱"

@Adriaan Magiel Geldenhuys shared:

"Water is life, no water & everything will disappear. Thanks for the waterhole👌"

@Candy Farrell gushed:

"Gorgeous, well done."

@Ola Walt wrote:

"I spent a lot of time there as a kid. I am so happy to see it being restored and creating new memories."

@Marinus Du Preez asked:

"Is this part of the Greater Kruger?"

Matt replied:

"No, private land that shares a fence with the Kruger."

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Why wildlife needs water

Wildlife needs water, but the unfortunate fact is that they don't always get access to it. According to experts at Wildlife Trusts, all animals need water to survive, and having a water source in your garden can attract all kinds of wildlife. It’s not just for drinking, creatures like frogs, toads, and newts use water for shelter and breeding. Butterflies sip from muddy water to get minerals, and birds use it to bathe and keep parasites away.

In summer, water helps animals stay cool and hydrated, while in winter, it’s important to keep it from freezing so they still have access. Even a small puddle or pond, like the one shared by Facebook user @bushstory created can make a big difference. Just make sure the water is shallow with rough, sloped edges so any animal that climbs in can easily get out.

Watch the Facebook reel below:

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More wild animal encounters in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a video that showed a hissing cobra discovered inside a family's toilet.
• A South African motorist showed a massive snake crossing the road at Cape Agulhas National Park.
• A woman living in Zimbabwe's south-east lowveld shared a video of herself feeding wild monkeys, hippos and warthogs.

Source: Briefly News