When Will The Rains Break ?

In Southern Central Africa we rarely speak of summer and winter; it’s usually the “dry season” or the “rainy season”. Looking at the Kruger National Park landscape at the moment could be very confusing!

The north with its associated mopani is brown, yellow and red. It is bone dry. The odd green sjambok pod tree which leads the way with early green leaf is absolutely striking. The South, however, is amazingly green, even ‘tho the main rains have not yet broken. They have broken up on the highveld, the catchment area of Kruger’s main rivers which are flowing steadily for this time of the year, even up in the north. Kruger is actually a mosaic of colour at present. There is a great contrast between the tall yellow grass from last season and the recently burned areas. In the north, this
burnt grass is as black as charcoal and in the south, it’s verdant green!

That is what Kruger is all about – the cycle of life with all its contrasts. Its just amazing what we don’t see when we live in our concrete jungle.

 

 

A Day Safari in Kruger – by Peter Winhall

We had left our Lodge on the banks of the Crocodile River overlooking Kruger in our open-safari vehicle, and after an exciting morning with our guests, with great sightings of elephant , lion and giraffe, and one of the biggest herds of buffalo I have seen, we stopped to relax during the midday heat to have lunch overlooking the Sabi River, where we watched a pod of hippo cavorting at close range.

By mid afternoon, we had seen many more species of game and the guests’ check list registered some 15 species of mammal. We stopped on numerous occasions to identify birds, with some great sightings of Vultures, both white-backed and lappetfaced as well as a beautiful pair of bateleur eagles in a dead leadwood tree close to the road. Herds of elephant slowed our progress to such an extent that the sun was beginning to dip fast in the west and I had to make the gate by 6.00 pm. to exit the Park and make my way back to the Lodge.

I was travelling at the maximum speed limit looking at my watch, when a movement to the right caught my eye. I reversed back to a clearing and there not 40 meters away were a pack of wild dogs( pictus ………. ) tearing at the last remnants of an impala they had just killed. What a sighting! To just see these beautiful endangered creatures in the wild is special, but to witness them on a kill, their tales swishing from side to
side as they gorge themselves to take the food back to their pups at their den is quite amazing.

The west sky was glowing red, and photography was difficult so we set off for the gate. En- route I explained to my guests that even in my teenage days, wild dogs were considered vermin because of the clash between them and livestock farmers. They were shot on sight and even a bounty of five shillings would be paid out for each tail. My guests were shocked! I went on to explain that although this practice has stopped, the wild dog’s main predator is still man, but in many parts of Southern Africa, it is the tribesman now and not the stockman who is the main problem. The reason? “Muti” !! (sort of medicine or talisman). The wild dog is a very successful hunter. It is said that when they go out for a hunt they have (in good conditions) a 95% chance of success. A leopard’s success is usually put at about 60% and a lion’s at 30 !! Ironically, it is the wild dog’s very success that is its downfall. …It is in demand by ……or medicine men will sell a dog’s foot, ear or some other body part as a charm , ear

 

 

Bushwise Safaris June Newsletter 2007

We hear, by means of bush telegraph, that the culling of elephants in Kruger is to be re-instated shortly, perhaps within the next six months, after a suspension of several years to assess the situation. The suspension
moratorium was introduced by our Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism giving further breathing space to the elephants and further time to the research scientists to try to come up with alternatives to this horrible final solution. But how can one conjure up an alternative solution so quickly when more than 6 billion humans continue their pillage of the planet. It is amazing that the “elephant problem” is at the top of many conservation agendas, whereas it should be the “human problem.”

There are countless factors to be taken into consideration but ultimately it all comes down to space or more specifically habitat. Elephants need space to survive and because of their bulk and primitive digestive systems, needing some 150kg of vegetation to survive each day, they do need a lot of space. Again, because of their bulk, they happen to make a huge impact on their environments, especially when confined, which means impacting on the habitats of other species also struggling for survival.

Humans don’t need space just to survive, they want more space to exploit; to extract minerals; to convert to agriculture ; to build cities for their burgeoning population… its all called economic development, the euphemism for exploitation of the natural environment! It’s a head to head battle between humans and the evolved habitats of so many fellow creatures in the natural world, and unless viruses or other diseases intercede to dramatically reduce human impact, the elephants as well as the thousands of other species are certainly going to be the losers.

Surprisingly, an estimated 80% of elephants in Africa exist outside of conservation areas (J.Hanks –Africa Geographic vol 14 , no 3) and yet within South Africa, virtually the entire elephant population is confined within National Parks. Greater Kruger is home to some 85% of them and therein lies our dilemma. With a 6% annual population growth, something has to happen! It is not an over reaction. Sooner or later elephants will change the environment and inevitably impact on biodiversity. Should the fences be cut to allow them to wander more freely (if they choose to!), to interact with formal and rural agriculture like the 80% that Dr Hanks refers to, or should they continue to be confined within Kruger with the risks of heavy impacting on this country’s last great wilderness area? Birth control and migration or expansion corridors are other future possibilities, but there are obviously time constraints, and it would appear that the pressure is on!

Some very bold decisions are about to be made .

PLW. … 21-06-2007

 

 

 

Bushwise Safaris Spring Newsletter 2007

Wow – the rains came and within 24 hours our dry bush was transformed into a green landscape. We have had about 140 ml of rain since September.

With the change of season also came the birds – beautiful sightings have been had of, raptors, plum coloured starlings and the lesser striped swallows to name but a few.

Walks from the Lodge along the river have been most productive with guest viewing at least three of the big 5 within half an hour on most occasions. Great excitement when lion made an impala kill right in front of our eyes. The animal sightings in Kruger – well it has simply been spectacular over the past 2 months. This leopard sighting with clients on the open safari vehicle resulted in this picture taken by guests the Corelli Family from Italy… and their safaris just got better.

And yet another magical safari resulted in this pic taken by Wolfgang and Chris van Wingere from Belguim.

Our own resident animals have also started their new year with litter of offspring. Day by day the little ones grow and are becoming playful. No doubt soon they will be as wild and threatening as their parents. These families of warthogs are now regular visitors to the Lodge – we shall watch their progress keenly. A mothers task…

It remains our privilege to live in the truly superb wonderland of ever-changing activity. To those guests who have been in house recently thank you for booking with us we have enjoyed you all. For those of you who are still to arrive we look forward to your visit.

Tim and the Bushwise Team

 

Bushwise Safaris Newsletter May 2008

As I sat on the open-deck of the lodge, cold beer in hand, admiring the changing red hues of the sunset, it felt so good to be back in the bushveld. Yesterday’s drive in Kruger had been exceptional with the leopard and its
impala kill in the tree opposite Sunset dam at Lower Sabie. Just 17 paces away totally exposed on a thick branch of the Lonchocarpus capassa. It could not have been choreographed better! Then 15 kms further on, another leopard with its kill!! This time more difficult to see as it was at the foot of a sycamore fig, rather obscured by some dense vegetation. There had been other highlights, with two elephant breeding herds crossing right in front of us, the mothers turning to face us with their stand-off warnings while their disciplined infants scrambled under their mother’s protective bulk.

I popped another beer as the crimson sky in the west flashed its final glow, and leaned over the upstairs balcony of the Lodge overlooking the Crocodile River into Kruger. Yes, I thought, realising that the dust in the atmosphere was responsible for the better sunsets these days, we are likely to have some great game viewing along the Crocodile River this dry season. The interior bush has already dried out and there is no doubt that the game in the south is likely to be reliant on these waters in front of the Lodge which emanate from the Highveld region.

The hippos, in the water in front of me, broke the silence and grunted in chorus along the river, as if in agreement with my thoughts. Then there was silence again as they prepared themselves for their nocturnal wanderings along their meandering paths to their preferred grazing areas away from the river. A slither of red framed the western horizon and already the thin crescent of the new moon appeared over the trees in the  east. It was a perfect evening. No wonder the beers tasted so good.

As always, to out past guests, thank you for staying with us To our guests yet to arrive, we look forward to meeting you and sharing our piece of the African Bush with you.

The Bushwise Team