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African night sounds

May 12th, 2010, posted in Creatures Great & Small, Wildlife

In Africa there are many sounds that you will become aware of at night. I remember the first time I heard a Black-backed jackal, it was an eerie sound and looked to my Dad for comfort as we sat around the campfire on a neighbours farm. These days, we almost take hearing them call for granted, not quite, but almost!

Sleeping in a luxury East-African safari tent or simply under the canvass of a dome tent allows you to hear the night sounds and experience Africa with one of your finest senses, hearing…

There is nothing more awesome than hearing the roar of Lion, grunting of leopard or giggle of Hyena. Then I wonder if there is anything more peaceful than hearing the call of a Nightjar and song of crickets.

Towards the end of summer, I enjoyed a night in the bushveld with a few journalists from the UK and Europe. I was walking alongside a lady from Ireland a little distance from where we were eating in the open air boma when she commented on how loud it was, I thought she was referring to the conversation noise level, but after my response, realized quickly that she had been referring to the sound of insects!

Listening to the night is not quiet as you would somehow think it to be, although there would be no alarms, no traffic noise, no horns, the night is filled with a conversation of creatures that fill the darkness with life!

The following is a recording of painted reed frogs who sang a grateful song after the rains in Mozambique, a choir we had the privilege of hearing whilst staying at Machampane Wilderness Camp in the Transfrontier Park near the Kruger National Park!

Bushtrails video: painted reed frogs, the sound

The Snake I looked up to

April 26th, 2010, posted in Creatures Great & Small

For years I have lived in the African Bush and my childhood was spent in the mountains of the Drakensberg. I have seen countless snakes of all shapes and sizes, from hissing night adders at the high altitude on mountain peaks, to skittish grass snakes in the deep valleys below; however, I am still not used to them!

I have seen, stepped over and walked around many puff-adders. Puffadders are the fastest striking snakes in the world; they are fat snakes with excellent camouflage. The reason I have seen so many of them is that they tend to enjoy basking on footpaths and dirt roads; I don’t go looking for them, I just am aware they exist!

The giant snake of Southern Africa is the African Rock Python. This is a beautifully patterned snake; it is a constricertor with sharp teeth but no fangs and therefore no venom. The African rock python is an opportunistic snake and will strike at any formidable prey it encounters. This is the snake I looked up to…

Pieter often comes in from the reserve to take us on an impromptu game, bird or bush walk and on occasion when he has spotted a rare sighting, he has collected Joshua and I and take us to see a new born hippo, cheetah den, leopard etc. So, when he came home after a walk through the reserve and said I must quickly get Joshua, there is something he’d like to show us, I was very excited.

Pieter took me towards a tree and said, “There, can you see him?” I looked on the ground, in the grass, under a nearby bush and asked “What? Where?” Pieter said the python, so now that I knew what I was looking for, I looked closer to my feet searching but then when he pointed up into the tree, my eyes met with those of the Rock Python. That is why, it is wiser and better to go into the bush with a field guide – they see wild creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours in all sorts of locations.

Rock Python above me

My heart skipped a beat as I realized I had been standing under such a large snake without knowing it. My instinct was to turn and back away from the tree as panic replaced my excitement, but Pieter was waiting behind me and grabbed my shoulders, keeping me there, reassuring me that I was safe, he was telling me to look at the patterns on its underbelly, a part you rarely see as most often pythons are, on the ground, so I forced myself to look away from its head and follow its large, long body down the tree branches.

African Rock Python

When my breathing returned almost to normal, Pieter let me go and then I heard this little voice from next to me, “I’m not scared Mommy, look at the beautiful patterns”. It’s wonderful to know Joshua is not scared of snakes, it makes it easier for Pieter to show him then, teach him about the dangers, but also it allows them to observe snakes in their natural habitat, learning more about each species and taking back a little more after each encounter.

I’ll leave the observation to the two of them and keep my distance; snakes seem a lot more interesting when I’m further away from them!!

Pieter and Joshua look up at python

Pieter pointing to the tails

Python, camouflaged in tree

Long, large snake

Constrictor in tree

Patterned body

A career as a game ranger

April 26th, 2010, posted in Educating You, Uncategorized

Would you like to become a game ranger? Do you know what it takes to be a field guide? Do you have the confidence to lead people into the wild as a Trails guide? Do you simply want to study to become a game ranger, or do you want to learn more about wild animals and the environment for a month, 6 months or year?

I could give you a thousand reasons why you should become a game ranger, a hundred more reasons to become a field guide and a few others to become a Trails guide; however you have chosen this site because this is where your interest lies and I have selected some of the best places to fulfil your dream.

Bhejane Nature Training – KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Nature Guide Training – Limpopo, South Africa

EcoTraining

Limpopo Field Guiding Academy

What is FGASA – The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
FGASA represents individual Tourist Guides, Nature, Culture and Adventure guides, Trackers and organisations involved in offering professional guiding services to members of the public.

FGASA is an accredited provider with the Tourism Hospitality and Sport, Education and Training Authority (THETA). The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa has set guiding standards for many years and continues to maintain the highest standards within the guiding industry. In conjunction with THETA within the new National Qualifications Framework, FGASA promotes the standards for guiding throughout Southern Africa in the form of:
• A standard outcomes-based training syllabus
• A code of ethics and a set of guiding principles
• An assessment system based on high standards of competence
• A effective training course endorsement system
• A valid recognised First Aid Certificate requirement
FGASA aims to promote a culture of professional guiding based on a strong ethical well-informed, safety conscious approach to provide the visitor to the African bush and environs with a pleasant and memorable experience.
FGASA is fully committed to the development and implementation of the national qualifications, promoting the development of all tourist guides, including previously disadvantaged individuals as guides, trackers, trainers and assessors as part of the South Africa’s transformation process.
FGASA promotes the training of guides through the endorsement of training providers who conform to the FGASA and National training standards. The Association also promotes the highest standards of guide assessment by appointing and registering fully qualified and experienced assessors to carry out practical evaluations at all levels for all the guiding qualifications.
FGASA’s philosophy is one of promoting the guide and tracker on the ground in terms of skills development, recognition of existing skills and creation of job opportunities within the tourism industry.

Serval sighting

April 12th, 2010, posted in Wildlife

Ian and I are so excited! When we were walking this morning in the foothills of the Drakensberg, we saw an adult serval. The serval was sitting on his haunches then it stood up and swished his tail, we watched in awe at this unusual sighting! When the serval realised that we could see him/her it turned and bounded into the grass. On the way back from our walk, very close to where we had seen it we heard either a call from the serval or its cubs – it was a short sound, so we looked in the book and the book said how – how – how

We have seen fresh scat every now and then on the road so we knew serval were on the estate but to see one during the day was amazing!

Why the internet did not work for me

April 7th, 2010, posted in Climate & Weather, Uncategorized

Could we class the internet as a form of employee? Could it be classed as cheap labour? The internet makes money for many people. The internet is a messenger. The internet supplies me with information. I certainly use the internet to bank and shop. In a rather abstract way, the internet works for me…

I write this post from the African Bush, too far away from an exchange to have, ADSL, too far away to make use of fibre optic cables, surrounded by hills prohibiting cell phone signal and thus unable to use 3G or GPRS.

My means of communication with the outside world is via a satellite internet connection. Most days it works fine and since most of my business is done via e-mail, Skype and IM, all I need to do is keep my website up-to-date, right?

During my working week I make time to write a few articles to blog about, but mostly I put together tours for people wanting to visit Africa and this takes time, only because I match each client’s interest to a tour, I do not like sending them on typical tour packages, rather, I like to find out a little more about these people, what type of accommodation they would prefer, what they would like to see and the time they have set aside to visit, then I check availability and put a selection together for them to choose from. This involves e-mailing and checking availability where ever possible online, so having internet is vital to my efficiency.

However, when we have an electric storm, I have to unplug the satellite connection to avoid being electrocuted and whilst this may afford me the opportunity to prepare e-mails or blogs, the minutes and sometimes hour tick by… Today the cloud cover is low and thick and every now and then the satellite losses its connection and I have to wait for the connection before continuing. Due to the weather, today the internet did not work for me!

African Wild Dog – have no expectation

April 1st, 2010, posted in Wildlife

Can having an expectation ruin a sighting? Will guests “jinx” a sighting? There have been times when visitors to a game reserve come to see lion; it is almost as though they become obsessed with seeing a lion in the wild.

Fate, Murphy’s Law or the hand of God teaching these guests patience often prevent the secret of bush being revealed and special sightings from occurring. The opposite also happens when the reason for your game, bird or bush walk is to experience nature for what it is, without any expectations…

On my recent visit to Zululand to help train students along the lines of animal behavior we took a game drive and were blessed with an African Wild Dog sighting!

Having no expectation of seeing wild dog, only going to learn more about the wildlife, these students were about to learning about the bush and animal behaviour, in a very special, albeit brief encounter with one of Africa’s rare species!

The African Wild Dog Lycaon pictus, is an endangered species and can only be seen in 6 countries, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania. Their distribution has been greatly reduced within these countries and is very fragmented, so when you see them, know you are blessed!

No two dogs have the same markings and colouration and yet they are unlikely to be mistaken for any other African canid. The ears are large, dark and rounded; the legs are long and its bushy tails usually has a whit tip. The African Wild Dogs’ body is irregularly blotched with black, white, brown and mustard coloured hair.

These highly social wild animals live in packs that average 10-15 adults and sub adults. Hunting is done by the pack with a success rate of about 70%. Packs kill only for their immediate needs. The African Wild Dog is one of the few, truly nomadic carnivores with home ranges extending to 1500km². Pack ranges do contract when there are small pups at the den requiring regular feeding, which is done by the adult hunters of the pack regurgitating meat back at the den for the pups. Pups begin to join the pack at about 3 months but only hunting from 12-14 months.

The unusual Tail

March 23rd, 2010, posted in Wildlife

What’s unusual about this Tail? Well, it’s short…

“ The one that got away” becomes the talking point of an open-landrover, wildlife safari, the question asked on a game walk “What happened to that Zebra’s tail?”

It is in these moments that the field guide or game ranger must decide to tell the truth or make up a story to entertain the guests.

I don’t know why this Zebra has a stump tail, I would guess it escaped some sort of attack, but I had no one to ask, perhaps it lost the remainder due to an infection, the possibilities are endless and though this animal species is often seen on the African Plains, I decided to dedicate this blog post to the Zebra with almost no tail making it an unusual sighting, even though the zebra is a common sighting!

Pangolin sighting

March 9th, 2010, posted in Wildlife

Living your life in the African wild means your chances of seeing unusual sightings is better than when taking a short safari! More often than not these scarce sightings take place on an unscheduled game walk, or whenever you do not have a camera nearby. It as though these unbelievable moments are kept sacred, it is more than “ Murphy’s law” it’s as though the bush is sharing a secret with you!

You can imagine our excitement when one of the guests out on a game drive with Pieter saw something running through the grass. Pieter looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a Pangolin making its way through the long grass! They are solitary animals and mainly nocturnal, with occasional daytime activity making this sighting extra special! What is even better, is that this time cameras were available to capture this uncommon species.

The Ietermagô (Afrikaans for Pangolin) is distinguished by other mammals by its covering of overlapping horny plates. The eyes are small and the ears are just slits in the side of the head. The legs are short and heavily built; the forefeet have a nail on the first toe, curved claws up to 5cm long on the second, third and fourth toeas and a short claw on the fifth. All five toes on each hind foot have a small nail-like claw. The tail is long and heavy.

The Pangolin eats ants and sometimes termites. They hide during the day in Aardvark or springhare burrows, holes or under piles of vegetation. It locates ants’ nests by smell, scratches them open with its claws and licks the ants with its long sticky tongue.

What makes it unusual:

The Pangolin walks on its hind legs; the front feet rarely touch the ground.
It has a well-developed anal gland produces a stinking secretion.
Pangolins have no teeth; they grind their food in a muscular gizzard.
When threatened a pangolin rolls up with its head protected by its tail.
Young ride crossways on the base of their mothers tail and when they are older, they ride lengthways on her back.

Why we are sharing this safari sighting with you:

Although Pangolin’s are widespread, they are uncommon. Pangolins are exceptionally sensitive to insecticides. Their habit of rolling up when threatened leads to their getting tangled in, and killed by, electrified game fences. Pangolin scales are sought after for traditional medicine, and poaching is a major cause of death.

Red Data Book: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix II.

To book your wildlife safari, please complete this enquiry form.

bush birthday for a boy

March 3rd, 2010, posted in Home Schooling

Celebrate a 6yr old boy’s birthday in the bush

“So what kind of cake would you like for your party?” ‘A dragonfly, please Mom.’
“Ok” and that was the beginning of planning Joshua’s themed party.

The edible ticks are buns with slices of cheese as the legs!

We played unravel the spider web, pin the spider to the web and had a treasure hunt for toy insects! Fun was had by all! More photos will go on our facebook page… The weather was a typical summer’s day & we had a swim in the pool too! Even though there were only a handful of children, there was lots to do and great excitement – the way birthday parties should be!

treehouse-start-of-treasure-hunt

treasure hunting

The Birthday Boy loves insects of all shapes and sizes, so we read about them, draw them and observe them. When we take a walk on the reserve, he will find spiders, tiny bright green species in hidden webs, and large bark spiders on the trunks of trees, we listen to the chips of crickets and we can’t help notice the shrill of the cycadas! Somehow, we do bring home pepper ticks at least once a week in summer too! Our garden is a fenced part of the Nyala breeding camp, so toktokkies come and go as they please, millipedes are common and we have a series of scorpion burrows as well, so our life is full of arthropods!

Montusi

February 17th, 2010, posted in travel

Why this is my favourite Drakensberg Accommodation:

We had a medium journey to the Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal of about 3½ hours on the road from Johannesburg, we stayed on the N3 until Harrismith, paying Toll fees all the way and weighing up the cost of taking the alternative route next time to avoid the cash payouts and traveling a two-lane country roads that may also have slower moving trucks traveling it!

Taking the R712 and then R74 past Sterkfontein Dam and down the Oliviershoek Pass sparked the excitement in us, we had left the highway and now we were headed along country roads to our romantic getaway in the mountains.

Seeing the amphitheatre is always awesome, that massive basalt in every shade of blue welcoming us, showing us the road in the Royal Natal National park region of the Northern Drakensberg, it’s no wonder that the Amphitheatre is the most photographed mountain peak in Southern Africa!

On arrival we are welcomed into the thatched reception, given a brief tour of the main lodge facilities and then taken to our room… our room is a mini chalet! The Lodging is private, each with its own car port, bedroom with bathroom en suite, tea corner and mini bar fridge, lounge with fire place and private patio that looks out across rolling grassland hills with a view of the amphitheatre in the distance.

We enjoy a beverage on our patio, marveling at the view and begin to relax, at last!
Dinner is taken in the dining room and we place our orders off a Table ‘d hôté menu, the food is delectable, the lighting not to dim and we find ourselves enjoying the meal so much that we ask to take our coffee in the nearby lounge. The fresh air and our bodies going into unwind mode make us retire fairly early that evening and we walk across the lawns to our garden suite.

We seldom sleep in and I was so pleased we awoke early, it was misty and after coffee we put on our hiking boots and went for a walk high up on the hill behind the lodge, by the time we had reached the top, the sun had burnt away the clouds and we had a clear picture of the valley below. The way down went quickly and we arrived at the lodge in time for breakfast which again, was tasty!

I had booked a horse ride for the afternoon while my partner was going to fly-fish in the trout dam so we decided to play a fun game of tennis and then lounge around the pool until our activities began. Needless to say, that evening we were bursting with news to share about our adventures in the mountains, I had an early bath and this time we had our pre-dinner drinks up at the bar area before going into the dining room.

The beds were so comfortable, we did not wake at all and in the morning, this is what we saw from our bedroom window:

Bedroom view from Montusi

Yes, Montusi is my favourite Drakensberg Accommodation!

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