Sociable weaver nest colonies are a prominent feature of the Tswalu landscape. They may house hundreds of individual weavers, often living in small family groups, but collectively building and maintaining the structure. A leopard will typically use a tree like this as a territorial scent marking site or a lookout point. These nest colonies also provide shelter for many Kalahari mammals, birds and reptiles. Anthony Lowney, who conducted his PhD thesis on this topic, found that these colonies are