Guide, Alon Cassidy, describes watching western lowland gorillas feeding on seasonal fruits in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of Congo:
August was a particularly fruitful month in Odzala in many ways. The western lowland gorilla groups living in the forest close to Ngaga could feast on seasonal landolphia and anonnidium fruits, and we enjoyed some wonderful sightings of these primates enjoying their seasonal treats.
Landolphia is medium-sized fruit which grows from a large vine. It’s quite rich and can be rather sour, but despite this, it is enjoyed by humans just as much as by our near relatives, the gorillas. Like all the best rewards, a little bit of work is required to enjoy it – you need to tear or cut through the fleshy skin and its rubbery latex to expose a cluster of pips in the centre; each of these is covered in a soft, fleshy and nutritious mesocarp.
The gorillas have perfected a technique that gets them to the good stuff in just three deft moves. They pluck the fruit from the vine, bite it open to reveal the juicy flesh, and enjoy. All of which means that during fruiting season, it’s unwise to stand under a landolphia vine as there may be a gorilla above you, contentedly discarding bits of fruit rind.
The typical diet of western lowland gorillas in Odzala contains a lot of fruit (in the right season). The availability of fruits determines their movements, and in fruiting seasons they can cover a lot of ground as they visit and revisit favourite trees and vines.
When one of our expert local trackers says that we need to pick up our pace to be in the right place at the right time, you know he means that there’s going to be a show. Western lowland gorillas are far more arboreal than their mountain cousins, and fruiting season means more opportunities for viewing them above the level of the dense undergrowth.
Taking photographs of gorillas in trees can be challenging, however, as you’ll often be shooting against the bright sunlight piercing the rainforest canopy.
One particularly memorable recent sighting involved the habituated gorilla group led by the large and powerful silverback, Jupiter. They were seen making nests near the landolphia vines, and we set off on a brisk walk with Gaben, one of our experienced trackers. He motioned to us that we should wait as the gorillas were on their way.
His prediction was uncannily accurate – just five minutes later, Jupiter’s group began to climb the vines in search of fruit. Standing spellbound with our two guests, we watched as eight gorillas plucked fruits from the vines that straddled the canopy. Jupiter himself chose not to climb, preferring to wait at the base of the trees and collect any fruit that fell. However, all he seemed to find were rinds, and he had to resort to eating marantaceae leaves instead.
The second key fruit at this time is the large anonnidium (or obei) which grows on a medium-sized tree. The obei slightly resembles a pineapple, and can grow to around 40cm in length. It’s popular with the guides, but it can be a challenge for them to find a ripe one that the gorillas have not gotten to first.
Watching Neptuno’s group eat obei fruits gave us important clues as to the hierarchy within his group, as the gorillas which get the biggest and best pieces tend to be the ones which are higher up in the pecking order.
We observed one youngster climb up into the obei tree as if to assure himself of first choice of the ripe fruits, but he then seemed to deliberately drop several them in the direction of the silverback, Neptuno.
This seemed to satisfy Neptuno, and he soon had morsels of bright yellow fruit stuck to his face as he enjoyed the obei that the youngster had gathered for him.
Elephants killed after being electrocuted when they pushed power lines into a pool of water they were drinking from. The blood is from burst blood vessels, a common symptom of electrocution.
In a tragic accident, 9 elephants have died in a freak accident after being electrocuted by power lines near Sua Pan and a village called Dukwi in Botswana.
The elephants were drinking water from a leaking pipe that supplies water to the village. They knocked down an overhead power line, which fell into the pool of water and electrocuted the elephants. The Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism has confirmed the accident and said that an investigation has been launched.
This area of Botswana has few natural sources of water once the pools of water resulting from seasonal rain have dried up, and elephants frequently seek water from water pipes and boreholes.
Botswana hosts more than one-third of Africa’s elephant population, partly due to the country’s successful wildlife conservation strategy and tourism policies, and partly due to pressure in other countries from habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict. This population represents a significant conservation resource in ongoing attempts to repopulate areas of Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. One significant hurdle to overcome is that of the provision of sufficient water, as elephants can no longer range over their historical migratory paths because of direct persecution and the rapid growth in human populations, farming activities and other development. Elephants are increasingly being marginalised into areas with insufficient water and food.
Water for Elephants Trust has an ongoing program of providing borehole water to thirsty elephants in this arid region.
What I miss most about fly-in safaris is the satisfaction of having journeyed. After all, the Swahili word ‘safari’ is derived from ‘safar’, the Arabic word for journey.
Don’t get me wrong. For time-strapped holidaymakers, flying to your lodge saves time and offers a different perspective of the bushveld. But, there’s something immensely satisfying about loading up your kit and navigating bush tracks to reach your destination.
Although most of us don’t have the equipment or experience to do this ourselves, fear not. In Botswana, you can still experience a mobile safari while others do the hard work.
In May this year, I joined a mobile safari through the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. You can book an entire mobile expedition for your family and friends, but, as a single traveller (my wife was holding the fort at home), I latched onto an existing expedition.
My travel companions were a German fellow (also sans his wife) and a wonderful family of five from the Dominican Republic on their annual holiday. Each year, this spirited family journeys in the real sense. They pick a destination and experience it in as granular a way as possible. They’d already slept under Namibian desert stars on this safari and driven themselves through Namibia to Botswana.
They were now on a mobile safari from Maun to Kasane, travelling through the wildlife gems of Moremi, Khwai, Savute and Chobe. I journeyed with them until Khwai, where I hopped off to spend time at a few lodges before flying back to Cape Town from Maun.
Camps that leave no trace
Let’s talk about accommodation because many people use that filter to help them decide on their next safari.
The hard-working backup crew drove ahead of us to set up camp and prepare meals. It was a fantastic feeling to arrive at a new campsite after a morning of game viewing to find our home all built and snugly ready for us.
Mobile safari camps are set up to have the least impact on the environment. Leave only footprints …
Each campsite we used was exclusively ours for that period, so there was a sense of absolute privacy that added to the appeal. You can choose between large, luxury Meru-style tents, which I enjoyed, or smaller dome-style tents, which my colleague Christian Boix thoroughly enjoyed earlier this year when he booked a mobile safari for his family.
Pictures do a better job of describing the campsite than I can. But, I will say that having stayed at many lodges of all luxury levels in my 25 years in this business, these Meru-styled mobile camps do it for me.
The inside of a typical Meru-styled mobile safari tent
Each tent has an en-suite bathroom with a bucket shower – a large canvas bag filled with water heated over a wood fire. There’s also a bush toilet: a deep hole dug in the ground, covered by a throne to remind you of home.
Once the crew dismantles your campsite, all that remains are footprints. The loo pits are filled in, and your contribution to local biodiversity is soon composted.
Each mobile safari camp has a dining area with a canvas roof
A potent digital detox
Perhaps you’re wondering about internet access? Well, once you’re clear of Maun and Kasane, there is none. This is an opportunity to detox from that incessant social media chatter. Instead, you’ll have time to tune into bush chatter: tree squirrel alarm calls, distant leopard grunts, and the perpetual burbling backing track of insects and birds.
There’s a rhythm to this mobile safari that encourages you to truly, seriously unwind. On a ten-day safari, you’ll typically be based in three or four areas for a few days each, with travel days in-between.
And, aside from the first day’s drive from Maun to Moremi, even travel days are just an extended game drive, ending at a new campsite in the early or mid-afternoon after a bush lunch along the way.
Time takes on a different meaning on a mobile safari, perhaps because you have more of it. Our guide Sam was extremely relaxed. He knew that with the ten full days at his disposal, and the wide range of habitats we’d journey through, he’d be able to show his guests all the most sought-after species, including lions, leopards and wild dogs.
And, he was right. Compare that to the unfortunate fly-in safari guides who have only a few hours a day and perhaps three days in total to deliver on a long laundry list of expectations.
Leopards are amongst the most sought-after wildlife sightings and regularly seen on mobile safarisThe Okavango is one of Africa’s lion strongholdsWild dogs are frequently seen during mobile safaris in northern Botswana
The slow safari schedule
Each day, you leave camp first thing in the morning after coffee and a light breakfast to catch the early morning ‘newspaper’ – tracks and other signs left by wildlife. After some fantastic wildlife encounters and a stop for coffee and biscuits (ask for Amarula in your coffee – yum!) you meander back to camp by late morning for brunch. This is followed by downtime and a siesta.
Late afternoon brings tea and cake before you head out for another game drive. There’ll be sundowner drinks and snacks somewhere out there. Shortly after dark, you’re back in camp for campfire stories accompanied by your favourite tipple (or two) and a delicious dinner cooked over the fire by talented bush chefs.
With heavy eyes and a full tummy, you stagger to bed. Your lullabies are sung by hyenas, lions, leopards, hippos, nightjars, and several species of owls. Yes, you may just pick up a pound or two because you’ll be pampered, bush-style, from dawn to dusk. But, you’ll also recharge your batteries and reconnect with the real you. Safari njema!
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi makes up about 26 percent of the renowned Okavango Delta. It’s largely dedicated to self-drive tourists and mobile safari operators. It was the first reserve in Africa to be established by local residents.
The Batawana people of Ngamiland were concerned by the rapid depletion of wildlife due to uncontrolled hunting and cattle encroachment. In 1963, under the leadership of the late Chief Moremi III’s wife, they took the bold initiative to proclaim Moremi a game reserve.
The Okavango Delta comprises more than 15,000 km² of watery paradise. It’s a lush wilderness of papyrus, impenetrable reed beds, grassy floodplains, and tree-covered islands.
The complex water channel network of varying depths is engineered and maintained by hippos and elephants. Some areas are permanently underwater. Others are submerged only when the annual floodwaters arrive from Angola.
This constant ebb and flow of water creates one of the most fascinating and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Unsurprisingly, the Okavango Delta is both a RAMSAR Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
No safari to the Okavango Delta is complete without a mokoro outing
The Okavango Delta is not a national park, so there are fewer restrictions on activities. Off-road driving when following wildlife is allowed, as are night drives and walking safaris. Unlike the national parks, the Okavango is largely unavailable to self-drive tourists (except for the Moremi section), so your safari is likely to be private and exclusive.
A bucket list activity unique to this area is gliding down the myriad of waterways on a mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe).
Your poler guide will expertly slide the mokoro along channels surrounded by tall papyrus and reeds, giving you a unique perspective and fantastic photographic opportunities as you silently sneak up on birds, frogs, otters and possibly even larger animals such as hippos, crocodiles and elephants. A lucky few will see the elusive and wary sitatunga antelope.
Wildlife includes the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), many antelope species, zebras, giraffes, hippos, and crocodiles. There are good populations of cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs, as well as a plethora of smaller species such as serval, aardwolf, pangolin, aardvark and bat-eared fox. You will see more wildlife in areas that are not permanently flooded.
Birdwatching can be spectacular. There are over 400 species including avian jewels such as Pel’s fishing owl, slaty egret, pygmy goose, crowned and wattled cranes, western banded snake-eagle, coppery-tailed coucal and colonies of incandescent carmine bee-eaters.
For accommodation options at the best prices visit our collection of camps and lodges: private travel & conservation club. If you are not yet a member, see how to JOIN below this story.
Simon Espley is an African of the digital tribe, a chartered accountant and CEO of Africa Geographic. His travels in Africa are in search of wilderness, real people with interesting stories and elusive birds. He lives in Hoedspruit with his wife Lizz and 2 Jack Russells, and when not travelling or working, he will be on his mountain bike somewhere out there. His motto is ‘Live for now, have fun, be good, tread lightly and respect others. And embrace change.’
Cape Town is an eclectic and exciting city, and on many bucket lists. With its beautiful beaches, buzzing cosmopolitan centre, world-class wine country, spectacular scenery and dramatic coastlines; there is so much to do and see in South Africa’s ‘Mother City’.
BUT how do you combine Cape Town with a quintessential African bush safari?
Summer is a popular and busy time in Cape Town, and for good reason. Located at the southernmost tip of the African continent, the Cape has a totally different weather pattern from the rest of Africa. It has a typically Mediterranean climate which means the summer days are long, hot and dry – perfect for lazy days on the beach and sundowner drinks with a view, followed by fine dining and world-beating wines.
Find out about Cape Town for your next African safari. We have ready-made safaris to choose from, or ask us to build one just for you.
And of course, no African trip is complete without that other item on the bucket-list – a bushveld safari, in pursuit of the Big 5 and plenty more exciting wildlife encounters.
But here’s the hitch: In bushveld areas, the average summer day is very hot, with thundershowers now and then. The bushveld is buzzing and alive with birds, baby animals and flowers (and mosquitoes), but animals can be difficult to see because of the thickness of the green shrubbery. Most safari enthusiasts prefer the dry cool winter months when the bushveld has thinned out and the lack of water makes wildlife concentrate near water sources and is easier to see.
So, how exactly does one combine Cape Town’s summer splendours with a wild Big 5 bushveld safari?
Here are four suggestions
Serengeti, Tanzania
The Great Wildebeest Migration is in full swing in Tanzania’s Serengeti during the first few months of the year, and you can expect exceptional sightings as the great herds are calving and the predators gorge themselves on easy pickings.
Expect high tourist volumes at predator sightings (unless you are in a private concession) and higher prices during this peak season.
Fly direct from Cape Town to Maun in Botswana in two-and-a-half-hours and step straight into your mokoro or speed boat for a spot of ‘glamping’ on a deserted Okavango Delta island paradise. Or take a short flight from Maun to any one of a number of luxury lodges.
Enjoy beautiful green bushveld and reasonable wildlife encounters (prime wildlife viewing is during the dry winter months). Expect fewer tourists and lower prices than during prime safari season.
The Cape Game Reserves of South Africa are closer to Cape Town than any other bushveld safari, and offer great wildlife opportunities to complete an idyllic beach and bush combo trip.
Hire a car in Cape Town and drive the Garden Route and Little Karoo to end up at your bushveld destination, or fly to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to meet your lodge transfer. Some of these bushveld lodges offer boat trips down winding rivers for a day at the nearby idyllic beaches.
Expect more tourists and higher prices during the warm summer season than during the winter, when temperatures can be a bit chilly.
Greater Kruger National Park
The Greater Kruger National Park area offers a wide variety of lodges and bush camps. Direct flights from Cape Town to Skukuza and Hoedspruit mean that you could be on safari within hours of leaving Cape Town.
Enjoy beautiful green bushveld and good wildlife encounters in the private reserves bordering the Kruger, even during the summer months (winter months always deliver more wildlife encounters). Expect a variety of prices and fewer crowds in summer if you avoid the local school holiday periods.
I have had the great fortune of having travelled in many parts of the world and have experienced many things. This was my third trip to Africa, and second to South Africa. I can say, without a scintilla of doubt, this was the most memorable, impactful, emotional and life-altering trip of my life.
My wife, Tamara, and son, Max and I recently spent ten days in South Africa. We were fortunate enough to spend five of those days in the bush near the Kruger National Park, at a temporary camp on the beautiful property of Mr James Campbell, with eight other YPO families and a cadre of world-class resources.
The enthusiasm, optimism, construction and progress that we experienced first-hand while spending time with everyday South Africans was contagious. As Max commented, “I think they may be some of the happiest and most content people in the world!”
Our trip was hosted by my friend, Dex Kotze, a fellow YPOer from South Africa. Dex is a businessman, an activist, a philanthropist, educator, thought-leader and an amazing husband and father. He operates his own NGO, Youth 4 African Wildlife, an educational organisation dedicated to teaching young people about the conservation of wild animals in Africa. For this experience, Dex had partnered with Elephants Alive and other NGOs and reserves and, with the help of the incredible Annie Sowden, he put together a program dedicated to education, adventure and camaraderie.
The YPO Experience
In total, we were nine YPO families, joined by the most compelling group of talented people imaginable. These included everyone from world-class park rangers and guides to scientists, researchers, philanthropist land-owners, activists, a world-class eco-journalist, wildlife vets, adventurers and two of the most insane helicopter pilots I’ve ever seen (have you ever seen a Robinson 44 fly in reverse while chasing after a rhino with a vet hanging out the side holding his dart gun!?).
We camped together, drank coffee at dawn around the fire together, drove in search of elephants and rhinos together, walked through the African wild tracking lions together and, most compellingly, participated hands-on in tracking, collaring and tagging wild elephants and rhinos together. And of course, we had ourselves a few ‘proper’ G&Ts at sundown around the campfire together.
All along, we learned about every aspect of the nature around us, from the water to the vegetation, from the trees to the insects and every other type of wild animal around us.
We had the opportunity of having one of the pre-eminent eco-journalists in Africa, Ian Michler, present with us on the trip. Ian, the creator of Blood Lions – a film about canned lion hunts – and I shared several ‘proper’ gin and tonics during the week and explored all aspects of environmentalism – from philosophical to political to economical. It was indeed an honour and a pleasure to spend time with him.
When I say this was a hands-on week, I mean just that. Dex and the scientists created the opportunity for us to do things that we will likely never again be able to do. To see the rangers and helicopter pilots rave about what we were doing and talk about how unique the experiences were, even for them, was an indication of the job that Dex and his team had done.
Just a sampling of some of my own experiences from the trip: I pulled the satellite collar around elephant necks, helped lift and move elephant and rhino limbs to make it possible to take anatomical measurements, milked an elephant for scientific purposes, injected an elephant with the antidote for the anaesthetic dart, removed a DNA sample from the drill bit shavings of a rhino horn, helped to place a tag into a rhino horn, and much, much more. All of this in the wild, on tens of thousands of acres of continuous fence-free land linking to the Kruger Park.
Along the way, we learned and witnessed firsthand the range of humanity’s severe impact on the environment. We learned about the impact of human encroachment on the wilderness. We learned about the economics of poaching. We saw, firsthand, the gut-wrenching result of poaching, where the world’s most magnificent animals are illegally shot and killed and left as food for vultures so that their horn can be ground up and used for mythical medicinal purposes somewhere far away.
We met and spent time with landowners and their team of anti-poaching rangers who are spending significant sums of money out of their own pockets to buy, protect and care for contiguous property that extends Kruger National Park through private land ownership, remove fences in between and pay for them to be patrolled so that future generations can view the planet in its raw form.
What we saw, in my view, was not the triumph of government but the triumph of individuals who have come together voluntarily, spending their time, money and resources, not to suck every last dollar of value out of the land through development, but in fact to protect and preserve it and its inhabitants.
At the same time, all of these individuals show a deep and genuine commitment to the local population. They hire locally, invest locally and are doing their best to add economic value through training and education of the local communities. They understand deeply that these are not political issues. These are issues of right and wrong and basic humanity. These are issues about the present and the future of human-wildlife coexistence.
For example, one James Campbell – a man who grew up as a potato farmer in Ireland, only to end up on the board of directors of De Beers and Anglo American. In the years between picking potatoes and attending De Beers board meetings, he talked his way into Cambridge University, became a scientist and a geologist, got to know people at the highest levels of business and government, got involved with multiple businesses, and finally became a private reserve owner in a large block near Kruger – where he lives out his dream of being a conservationist.
We met and spent time in the bush and around the fire with Craig Spencer – a park ranger and the founder of the Black Mambas, an all-female local anti-poaching crew. Craig and his team oversee an extensive area of land (40,000 hectares if I remember correctly) and are in charge of protecting it from the barrage of poachers who are intent on ridding his land of its most magnificent inhabitants.
To say that he is a larger-than-life, charismatic personality is to diminish what it’s like to spend time with him. I am not sure if I have laughed harder recently than I did listening to Craig’s tales of his adventures and regaling his bush stories. He is a man from a different time and a different place. A man with the mannerism of a classic British private school education, but the look of a park ranger who has no problem spending a few nights out in the bush with nothing but a couple of blankets and a knife (and one who has never met a barber that he liked).
I will never forget when, in the immediate conclusion of tagging a particularly large rhino (after he had finished drilling a hole in the rhino’s horn so that the microchip can be dropped in), he took a couple of steps back, wiped the sweat off his forehead and then reached into his pocket, pulled out a pipe, filled it, lit it and began smoking it as if he was in some after-dinner gentlemen’s club in London 100 years ago. Classically, while taking puffs from his pipe, I watched him as he walked away from us while muttering something under his breath about how these magnificent animals “don’t stand an f&#ing chance against these f&#ing killers who don’t give a f#%& …”.
While Craig’s competence and confidence were mixed with the wit and humour of a comedian, our other rangers displayed theirs with good cheer, humility, a more quiet charisma, and an equal passion for every aspect of their surroundings. Led by Sean Pattrick, a published author, naturalist and anti-poaching expert with the body of a rhino and the calm personality of a Buddhist monk, these men and women never ceased to amaze us with the depth and breadth of their knowledge.
There was not a question, whether brilliant or not (lots of those) that they did not answer with depth, patience and expertise. Sean and his team were a world of knowledge, entertainment and observations.
But what was most striking about all of our rangers was the almost bizarre combination of their obvious physical strength, humility, respect and passion for the wildlife around them, as well as the sheer depth and breadth of their scientific knowledge about everything from termites and ants, to elephants and giraffe (and every living thing in between). These were the kinds of genuine, humble and intellectually curious people whom I would be proud to have the opportunity to call “my friends”.
I will never forget tracking a lion on foot with Max and a few others, led by guides Sean and Quentin. Max and I walked behind Sean and Dex and watched Sean pick up the hundreds of different tracks over soft and hard surfaces while attempting to get into the lion’s head to figure out where it would’ve walked or under which bush it would’ve crossed. To watch him pick out the lion track amongst a plethora of marks in the dirt was pure magic.
Walking with these guys through the rugged African environment looking for a lion is an experience that one can’t easily forget. The level of harmony that they have achieved with their surroundings, including their understanding of the behaviour of these animals means that actual violent interaction between them and the animals is virtually non-existent and unnecessary.
Although one certainly can’t help but feel exposed while walking amongst the dead grass, the bushes and the rocks, not knowing where a lion could be lying perfectly camouflaged, the confidence and competence of our guides was all that we needed to take in everything around us.
The ability of our guides to pick up on the smallest signals, the tiniest indentation in the sand, the wet portion of a small branch or some broken stalks of grass, and use those pieces to put together the puzzle of what animals were in front of us, where they went and what they were doing, was magic in motion.
The realities of Africa
The single most sombre and emotional experience of our trip came the next day when a group of us hiked from the camp to find a rhino that had been killed by poachers the day before. We had to wait a full day because the location of the kill is considered a crime scene that needs to be investigated by the authorities.
We discovered that the poachers had escaped without the horn, probably because they had heard or seen the anti-poaching units coming towards them.
As you can see, by the time we followed the vultures to the carcass, the lions, hyenas and vultures had mostly eaten the whole animal (the white marks are the droppings from the vultures). As we got closer and closer to where the vultures told us the body of the rhino lay, the mood of the group got more grave and sombre. Grave, because we all knew there could still be lions hanging around the carcass, and sombre because we all knew we would soon come face to face with the reality of the purpose of our entire trip.
Walking up to the site of the rhino carcass was, in fact, as emotional and challenging as one can imagine. What made it more difficult was seeing the genuine sadness and anger of our rangers, at their helplessness. As Craig told me: “Look, I am not used to losing. I’m not used to being helpless. It just drives me mad to realise that I can’t stop this.”
This was not the end, however. Less than 24 hours later we learned that two pregnant rhino cows were killed less than two kilometres from our camp, likely by the same poachers who had not been able to get the horns from the first rhino. Tragically, the pregnant cows were killed and their horns removed. Their unborn calves do not get counted in the statistics, nor will any of the rhino calves that will never be conceived or born from those two dead cows.
The dedicated teams
In addition to the landowners, the rangers and the helicopter pilots – all of whom displayed an incredible command of their craft – we spent time with three of the most impressive and charismatic scientists I’ve ever met in my life: Drs. Cobus Raath, Peter Rogers, and Michelle Henley. These guys led a team of students, volunteers and professionals in what can only be described as Africa’s version of Formula 1 pit stop.
Being with these professionals and seeing them lean out of helicopters to fire darts, land the helicopters in an area the size of a couple of parking spots amongst trees and rocks, jump out of Land Rovers and helicopters to stabilise the animals with fascinating techniques (folding the ears of the elephant over their eyes or keeping their trunks open with a couple of small sticks) – and then within a few minutes take DNA samples, physiological and biological measurements, inject the animals with an antidote and run away and watch while, within a couple of minutes these animals awaken, stand up and walk away, is not something that any of us will ever forget.
We were so incredibly fortunate to be allowed to help in such a hands-on manner, literally working side by side with these professionals on the 13 large animals that we collared and tagged. That privilege was given to us by these scientists who, in their role as team leaders, saw the benefits of involving us in such an intimate and practical manner. As someone on the trip said, these scientists were simply poetry in motion. Watching them direct the teams, in an environment of total controlled chaos, while patiently answering every last question was unforgettable. Their passion for protecting these animals is an inspiration for all of us who may at one point or another seek a higher purpose in what we do. That, in and of itself, was a critical takeaway from this past week.
Finally, I must say a word about my old friend Dex Kotze and my new YPO friends with whom I had the pleasure of sharing the experiences of the past week. I want to say thank you for allowing all of us to experience your backyard in a manner that very few ever have or ever will. The pictures speak for themselves, but the memories and the lessons will be unique to each of us individually. We each know what our take-away was from the past week.
I will hang this experience like another ornament on the Christmas tree of life, and will fondly look back at it often. I will do so because I don’t want to forget the emotional connections we made with each other and with the animals, and want to remember them when the mundanity of everyday life inevitably rears its head.
Watch a video of this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime conservation experience below:
Dan Afrasiabi is President and CEO at Geneva Woods Health Care Services and member of the YPO Pacific and the US at large chapters. He has found a special place in his heart for African conservation efforts and is now a lifetime ambassador for Mother Africa.
I have just finished a photographic safari in the Nsefu area of South Luangwa with Clive and Sue Ferreira from South Africa, who booked their safari with Africa Geographic Travel. By Edward Selfe (Safari guide and photo safari specialist)
They were looking forward to great wildlife sightings and the remote seclusion offered by the Nsefu Sector, and I believe that Luangwa delivered on both! It was a pleasure to take them on safari and show them around South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.
Here’s what Clive had to say about the trip:
“I had a good and instructive time, and you certainly have a good eye and know the Canon 1DX well. This was a huge, unexpected bonus, in addition to your knowing your territory so well and sharing your intimate knowledge of the Luangwa bush with me. I learnt a lot more about my camera and clearly need to practise my fingers with all the new sets of skills. That was a huge bonus, and I am eternally grateful.”
Here follows a photographic rundown of the safari:
I will be back in the Nsefu Sector in a couple of weeks, running several private photographic safaris with new and returning Africa Geographic Travel clients, and once more based out of Zikomo.
It is a privilege and a joy to spend so much time in this magical area, and I am elated to offer unique and affordable photographic safari alternatives to both SADC and international photographers.
Labelled the butterflies of the sea, we often ask ourselves why are marine flatworms so vibrantly coloured? Is it simply that they can be, therefore they are? Or is there a deeper significance?
The answer is made all the more mysterious because they technically do not see in colour as they don’t have ‘eyes’ with retina and cones, though they do have patches of cells that can detect light and may be able to differentiate between some wavelengths of light.
Some flatworms take up pigments from what they eat, while others because of selection pressures for mimicry (such as mimicking a nudibranch mollusc) and camouflage – increasing their chances of survival and reproduction.
This probably plays a large part in the colour combinations that we see, but as yet we still do not know the exact answer and can only be grateful for their presence because the resulting colours are a pure delight!
Flatworms get their name because they are just that – flat worms. They have very primitive bodies, no internal body cavity, very few organs, they breathe by simple diffusion of gases and digest their food through direct contact, having first excreted digestive juices onto their food.
Many of the marine flatworms are beautiful and free-living, in stark contrast to the more numerous species of dowdy flatworms that live as parasites inside the bodies of other animals.
Flatworms are very small, most of them between 10 – 50mm in length, and usually less than 1mm thick – making them extremely delicate. Being so flat they are very mobile and can squeeze into many crevices, making them hard to spot.
Occasionally they can be found swimming, very inefficiently, by undulating the edges of their flat bodies.
Flatworms are hermaphrodites (they have both male and female reproductive organs), and mating flatworms engage in penis wars (better known as ‘penis fencing’). The first to penetrate their mate releases sperm, forcing the other to nurture the fertilised eggs.
Have you ever heard of nudibranchs? The Mafia Island Marine Park in Tanzania is host to a wide diversity of corals, fish, invertebrates and vertebrates. In fact the diversity was one of the reasons that it was first protected as a fisheries reserve in the 1970s.
Now it is a fully gazetted marine park and a fabulous place to dive, with the water temperature around 26 – 29ºC. This area is a great place for warm-water species as it survived the last coral bleaching event remarkably well with rapid recovery to the vibrancy and pre-bleaching colours and diversity.
The marine park is the home of giants and magnificent marine critters. The big fish dives with giant groupers, giant oceanic manta rays, giant moray eels, and great barracuda are exciting, but do they compare with treasure hunting for nudibranchs?
Nudibranchs (the naked gills) are molluscs, the flamboyant snails of the ocean. Their colours and shapes are stunning, and their multiple forms elegant and striking.
Searching for a new one becomes addictive!
Nudibranchs are often found exquisitely stationed on rocky outcrops, sentinel to the life going on around them, camouflaged or vibrant in opposition to the background colour. Finding a nudibranch is a treat – finding one that you have never seen before an even bigger treat!
Mating nudibranchs are not often seen. They are hermaphrodites and to mate they align themselves right sides together to pierce each other with their penis-like structure resulting in exchange of eggs and sperm. They can do this even in raging currents.
Carnivorous nudibranchs are occasionally found eating one of their kind. Hunting nudibranchs can be found perched and poised to pounce.
Nudibranchs are usually found stationary but occasionally they can be found on the move. To join the current and relocate their muscular foot lets go of its attachment to the coral to roll in the current, paragliding to another destination sometimes helped by a stone and slime anchor that moderates their descent
They are mostly solitary, doing their own thing, though sometimes they can be found in tandem.
Some photographers have a knack for capturing the moment when nature is showing off the most. That moment could be the supreme magnificence of a huge male lion in full flight or the regal stare of a bateleur eagle. It could be during a specialist photographic safari or a private moment alone. It may be the inquisitiveness as the aardwolf notices you for the first time or the delicacy of a waxbill sipping water from its mirror reflection.
John Vosloo, our Photographer of the Year 2017 winner, is one such photographer. He is living proof that a picture is worth a thousand words, that amateur photography has risen to the heights once occupied exclusively by professionals.
Join us in celebrating Africa’s incredible richness through the lens of this passionate story-teller.
Hong Kong has always been regarded as the epicentre of the global wildlife trade. It appears however that this trade is not adequately controlled by authorities and may lead many species to the brink of extinction.
Unfortunately, many news headlines announce illegal elephant ivory and rhino horn trade being processed through Hong Kong’s borders. Many other threatened animals are caught up in this illegal trade as well, from pangolins and turtles, to wrasse and even hippos – hippo teeth contain ivory, and carvings made from the teeth are cheaper than elephant ivory.
The findings from the study reveal that CITES trade records show that there are discrepancies in the volume of hippo teeth declared by exporters and importers in Hong Kong. Since 1975, Hong Kong has processed 90% of the 770,000kg of hippo teeth that have been traded internationally.
Two countries in Africa stand out as jointly providing 75% of hippo ivory into Hong Kong: Tanzania and Uganda.
Tanzania joined CITES in 1980, and it is the duty of a CITES party to report accurate trade numbers in threatened species. However, since 1980, an amount of 3,176kg of hippo teeth over the declared export amount from Tanzania has been received by Hong Kong. In addition, Uganda, which joined CITES in 1991, has completed 19 trade transactions with Hong Kong, but according to the trade records, Hong Kong has received less hippo ivory than declared by Uganda.
These figures amount to discrepancies in the volume of trade of over 14,000kg of hippo ivory – about 2,700 individual hippos.
Hippo teeth are carved into ivory ornaments. Photo credit: Peripitus/HKU
Hippos are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and they predict that over the next 30 years the population will decrease by 30%. Over-exploitation and the illegal trade of hippo teeth are some of the reasons for the decline in population, along with habitat loss and climate change. The IUCN also says that with the rate at which population decline is going, hippos could be extinct within the next 100 years.
To prevent further mismanagement of threatened species, the study looks to the authorities, urging them to increase their efforts in checking trade numbers on imports and exports, and working together to report any discrepancies and signs of illegal trade.
If nothing is done, and this sort of mismanagement continues, then hippos and many other species are ultimately headed for extinction sooner than we think.
Hippo teeth products for sale in an ivory shop in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Photo credit: Alexandra Andersson/HKU
The first three-day online rhino horn auction came to a close this past Friday and has been met with “disappointing” results, according to South African rhino farmer, John Hume.
Hume claims that there were fewer bidders and sales than expected, amidst an outcry from conservationists.
Hume, who owns a rhino farm in Johannesburg, blamed the last-minute issuing of the auction sale permit by Environmental Affair Minister Edna Molewa, leaving potential bidders less than two days to sign up and pay the R100,000 registration fee to gain access to the online auction.
The auction website – that was translated into Chinese and Vietnamese – advertised 264 rhino horns up for auction (almost 500kgs) and was catered toward both local and foreign buyers.
His lawyers released a formal statement from Hume stating, “The auction yielded fewer bidders and fewer sales than anticipated‚ but the legal domestic trade has now been re-established and the road has been paved for future sales”.
He continued, saying that “no longer will rhino need to be killed for their horn. No longer shall the supply come exclusively from dead rhino. From this day live rhino shall become more valuable than dead rhino. Despite government bullying tactics and illogical unsustainable animal rights propaganda‚ we will continue our fight to bring this dark trade into the light in order to conserve our rhinos”.
The names of the buyers, along with the prices the horns were sold at, will not be published. However, according to Hume’s lawyers, “all bidders were duly authorised to participate in the auction and were issued with legally required permits to participate”.
Hume owns 1,500 rhinos on his farm in South Africa, and harvests the horns on a regular basis. He says the method of removing the horns are humane and painless, placing the rhino under sedation while carefully sawing the horn off at a point where it allows for natural regrowth. He also says that this method wards off poachers.
The sungazer – a name that would fit that of a mighty dragon! Well, technically it does, as its scientific name is Smaug giganteus – a wonderful reference to Smaug the dragon in Tolkien’s The Hobbit. And the resemblance to Daenerys Targaryen’s dragon children in Game of Thrones is almost uncanny.
But that is where the fantasy world ends for the rare sungazer lizards, and reality begins.
NOTE: Sungazer lizards do not make good pets, and it is illegal to keep them in captivity.
Why sungazers are endangered
It can be summed up in one word: Humans. In South Africa, the only country where this lizard occurs naturally, the constant increase in human population means that more land is being transformed to meet agricultural, residential and transport needs. These are primary contributors to their habitat fragmentation – not to mention worldwide biodiversity loss. The construction of roads, pipelines and electricity infrastructure are the major culprits.
However, it doesn’t end there. Sungazers are used in the Sotho and Zulu practice of traditional medicine to make love potions. And reptile collectors and others LEGALLY keep them as pets and exhibits. Note that the keeping of these reptiles is legal in South Africa only if you have a permit. 1194 live sungazers were legally exported overseas, to 15 countries, between the years of 1985 – 2014.
There is a much darker side; a side that stokes the fire of the urgency of conservation management initiatives. Sungazers have also become victim of the ILLEGAL pet trade. Highly sought after all over the world because of their dragon-like appearance, these stunning creatures have been reduced to nothing more than a commodity traded for financial gain.
The sungazer lizard is endemic to the Highveld grasslands of the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. Interestingly, these lizards live in burrows underground, as opposed to around rocks like many other members of their family.
It’s clear that conservation management initiatives need to be implemented to avoid eradication of the sungazer. It can’t be denied that this isn’t a simple task, as the continued development of societal infrastructure and money to be made from illegal harvesting are ever-present.
It’s time to use social media to our advantage. Popular platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are habitually used to advertise sales of sungazers. Experts need to ensure that they are familiar with the jargon and overall “language” of social media. This has #GOT to happen!
Efforts need to be intensified to find a successful translocation method from areas under development to safe alternative areas. Yes, this will be difficult, considering that living in artificial burrows is not their nature, but that is where scientifically sound practical solutions have to be found.
If action isn’t taken now, then unlike Game of Thrones, they won’t be able to renew for another season.
The magic of Mana Pools Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a RAMSAR site of international importance. However, besides these titles, there is a special magic that lives here that safari-goers often describe as ‘the magic of Mana’.
Perhaps it’s the setting on the biodiversity-rich floodplains of the mighty Zambezi River. Or perhaps it’s the opportunity for up close and personal walking and canoeing safaris – and the chance for those once-in-a-lifetime game sightings.
Whatever it is, we on the AG team were lucky enough to experience the ‘magic of Mana’ vicariously through some incredible entries into our Photographer of the Year 2017 competition. All of the images in this gallery were taken in Mana Pools, and for us, they convey that special magic that exists only there. The chance to see it and experience it in real life would indeed be magical.
One of the most pressing and challenging issues currently facing African conservation is ensuring that elephants and other wildlife can coexist peacefully with humans.
In southern Tanzania, as in many other African places, this relates largely to elephants leaving their national park homes to forage among crops in nearby human settlements.
Not only is this a threat to the local villages’ livelihoods, but it is also a potential threat to elephant populations as the culprit elephants are often killed as a result.
While this is a complex issue, as is the case for most issues relating to African conservation, here we will attempt to break it down using references and examples from the following pertinent article and study – and find out just why killing them won’t solve the problem. These examples are specifically relevant to southern Tanzania and, thanks to the work of the Southern Tanzania Elephant Program, we now have a better understanding of the elephant behavioural patterns relating to this activity in the region.
What causes elephants to eat crops?
The first step to understanding the issue as a whole is to consider why these elephants would choose to venture astray from their natural food sources in the first place. Considering that there are plenty of food sources in the region (including Udzungwa and Selous), there is more than simply diet to consider.
Interestingly, it was found, in the study of Smit et al, that all of the elephants captured by camera traps in the crop fields were male. This is quite a significant finding, given the number of elephants in the region. It was also found, going by the age range of the elephants recorded on the camera traps, that the behaviour of leaving natural feeding grounds to forage elsewhere can be linked to certain milestones in the lives of elephant bulls. These milestones are:
♦ The start of reproduction in bulls, at ages 20-30 years
♦ The reproductive peak of bull elephants at around 40 years old
The relationship between the fact that only males were found foraging in the crop fields, and their age ranges, lies in the fact that bull elephants are seeking high-risk, high-reward behaviour at this stage of their lives. Their willingness to take risks to meet their increased energy demands makes the crop fields attractive to the bulls – not only as a source of food but also as a means of engaging in high-risk, high-reward behaviour, which is necessary for the bull’s development at this stage.
An additional bonus for the bulls is that the distances they have to travel to obtain this risky food source are significantly shortened because of the close proximity of the outer-lying crop fields to the national parks. So, the bulls are lucky to have these crop fields as a convenient source of food and adrenaline – but the impact on the livelihood of the human settlements is significant enough to warrant retaliation and further disrupt peaceful coexistence.
These findings from the camera traps are a fantastic example of how using patient and calculated scientific methods has led to a deeper understanding of animal behaviour, which, in this case, can be used to aid the coexistence between elephants and humans. Crop foraging is a primary obstacle to peaceful coexistence, so it’s important to gain a deeper understanding of not only why it happens but also what to do about it.
In their study, Smit et al. found a high degree of variation in crop foraging among individuals, with most bulls venturing sporadically and infrequently into the crop fields. This is an important finding in relation to prevention strategies because it means that the legal or condoned killing of these bulls as ‘Problem Animal Control’ would result in a higher number of individual bulls being killed – a significant loss for a species already under major threat from poaching in the area. It also means that killing individuals as retaliation to incidents is unlikely to affect crop loss, as many individuals are foraging at irregular intervals.
Further, killing these bulls would mean that the herd loses important breeding individuals, affecting its population dynamics and structure. If the bulls were to continue being killed, the young would potentially lose a vital source of social, behavioural, and ecological knowledge.
Thankfully, there are more effective, non-lethal strategies that have been proven to curb crop losses and the subsequent devastating killing of elephant bulls. For example, in an ongoing study in Kenya, the use of beehive fences has been shown to have an 80% success rate in keeping elephants out of the nearby farmlands – and, what’s more, the community was also able to benefit from the sale of ‘elephant friendly’ honey.
The use of beehive fences is a good example of land-use consideration in community conservation efforts. A negative spin-off of land use inconsideration, together with rapidly growing human populations, has been the destruction of natural wildlife corridors. Therefore, it is now appropriate to consider mitigation efforts more carefully and sustainably.
Finally
Ultimately, it’s about ensuring the peaceful coexistence of humans and elephants in close proximity. Science has helped us understand these complex issues so that we can develop science-backed strategies and solutions—in this case, non-lethal strategies that promote peace.
On the surface, the upcoming legal auction of rhino horn set to begin on August 21 might appear to be a harmless propaganda exercise, but it may in fact signal a deepening of the rhino crisis. Written by Peter Knights, co-founder and CEO of WildAid
The domestic market for rhino horn in South Africa is small, and history shows that criminals will exploit all possible loopholes to obtain horn for trafficking to markets abroad. Further, the track record of South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in regulating legal trade in rhino horn does not instill confidence.
The recent rhino poaching crisis was triggered about a decade ago as new uses for horn – and new ways of obtaining horn – emerged in Vietnam. Vietnamese criminals, working with South African hunters, realised that they could import rhino “hunting trophies” into Vietnam with little or no oversight. This was replicated in China and provided a means for traffickers to supply horns to East Asian markets. The practice, now known as “pseudo-hunting,” was allowed to continue for years without action from the DEA. Although the commercial sale of hunting trophies was prohibited, South African authorities had no way to regulate what was done with trophy horns once they left the country. This will also be the case with horns purchased at auction.
Between 20 and 25% of South Africa’s rhinos are in the possession of private rhino owners, many of whom have stockpiled large quantities of horn from natural deaths and de-horning live rhinos. They portray the forthcoming horn auction as strictly for South Africa-based buyers and, therefore, within the law. Yet the auction has been advertised in Chinese and Vietnamese, leading to confusion and arousing suspicion. These mixed messages have caused the DEA to issue a statement reaffirming that international trade in rhino horn remains banned.
A moratorium on domestic horn sales was in effect in South Africa from 2009 until it was overturned earlier this year upon legal challenge from private owners. Before the moratorium, an average of only 100 kilograms of horns were sold domestically each year, according to a 2014 DEA report. While the figure was believed to be a low estimate, it is agreed that the domestic market is small, with limited demand for horn. Therefore, there is little to gain financially from an auction targeted solely at domestic bidders.
Previous sales before the moratorium indicate that horns will likely be trafficked abroad. The same 2014 DEA report includes information from seven unnamed private rhino owners who sold horns before the 2009 moratorium. One stated that the buyers were Chinese and that s/he suspected that the horns were taken to China. Three others indicated suspicions that the horns purchased had been smuggled out of the country to be traded on the black market. The three remaining sellers were “unsure” of what happened to their horns.
By opening a “domestic” trade in rhino horn with this auction, there is a real threat that, without credible enforcement, these horns will fuel the rampant international trade and sustain the poaching crisis. While rhino poaching has started to decline slightly in South Africa, far too many rhinos are being killed for their horns. In recent years, more than 1,000 of the country’s remaining 20,000 rhinos have been lost to poachers annually, and high-level traffickers continue to evade prosecution.
At the opposite end of the trade chain, campaigns to reduce rhino demand in Asia have shown signs of progress. Horns are now being sold at around one-third of previously reported levels. Opening up a new source of horn through “domestic” auctions in South Africa may well re-stimulate consumer demand, just as “pseudo-hunting” did before it.
At this critical moment for Africa’s rhinos, we would do well to remember the hard lesson learned from legal ivory sales. Although intended to satiate Asian demand, legal ivory sales ignited it instead. About 30,000 African elephants are killed each year for their ivory as the international community attempts to correct its mistake.
Conservationists fear that most of the rhino horn sold at the upcoming “domestic” auction will be taken out of the country. Sellers must also be aware of this, and the DEA must be extremely naive to think that the bidders will be buying purely for the domestic market. We should acknowledge the presence of the rhino in the room and recognise the proposed auction for what it is: the first stage of a wider plan to legalise the export of rhino horn, a plan that the DEA has already put in motion.
Private commercial considerations have been elevated over conserving wildlife, which is evident in almost all DEA decisions. The commercial tail continues to wag the policy dog at the expense of Africa’s rhinos.
So often, we hear from the pro-hunting lobby that by killing free-roaming lions, trophy hunters are actually saving lions. Well, if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. The term “sustainable offtake” often creeps into the justification. The trophy hunting of free-roaming lions is about as sustainable as putting ice cubes in a mug of steaming coffee. Let’s dig deeper into this issue of sustainability, shall we?
Consider the following six examples of why the trophy hunting of free-roaming lions is NOT sustainable – from the very countries held high by the trophy hunting industry itself as being paragons of sustainable hunting practices:
1. The Namibian government does not know how many breeding-age desert-adapted lions are left, how many territory/pride males there are, or even how many of each sex are killed during human-lion conflict. They told me so – see this article written by me. And yet each year they set trophy hunting quotas for large male desert-adapted lions. The awarding of trophy hunting quotas off the back of no relevant statistics is NOT sustainable.
2. Namibian laws permit rural livestock owners to request for the lethal removal of predators targeting their livestock – so-called ‘problem animals’. Fair enough. BUT trophy hunters are often used to perform the execution, and we know that trophy hunters want to shoot big male lions. And communities benefit financially when ‘problem animals’ are identified and taken down by hunters. Is it a coincidence then that there is a large bias towards male lions amongst those lions reported as being ‘problem animals’, and consequently executed by trophy hunters?
In the last scientific research report on Namibia’s desert-adapted lions, published in 2010, the author states, when referring to six collared male lions killed by trophy hunters as ‘problem animals’: “In all six cases, however, it is arguable whether the adult males that were shot, were in fact the lions responsible for the killing of livestock.”
This gap in legislation – empowering the two beneficiaries of ‘problem animal’ execution to act as witness, jury, judge and executioner – is NOT sustainable.
3. The above report concluded: “The long-term viability of the desert lion population has been compromised by the excessive killing of adult and sub-adult males. There is an urgent need to adapt the management and utilisation strategies relating to lions if the long-term conservation of the species in the Kunene were to be secured.”
Since then the situation has worsened as regards male lion offtake, with some areas now almost devoid of male lions. Even the last known adult male lion in the Sesfontein Conservancy was earmarked to be shot – again conveniently classified as a ‘problem animal’ – until international pressure forced the Minister to change his mind. A rapidly reducing male/female lion ratio is NOT sustainable.
4. Craig Packer, director of the Lion Research Center at the University of Minnesota, has led a series of studies identifying overhunting as the major reason for the steep decline in lion populations in Tanzania, the lion-hunting mecca. Packer was banned from entering Tanzania for exposing corruption regarding lion trophy hunting.
Being tagged as the cause of crashing lion populations makes trophy hunting of lions in Tanzania NOT sustainable, and the widespread use of fraud and corruption as a business tool suggests a morally bankrupt industry. Read our interview with Craig Packer here.
5. When 13-year-old Cecil the lion was shot in Zimbabwe, the overriding justification was that he was ‘too old’ to breed or to successfully hold a territory (as if those are the only uses of a mature lion). Then, Cecil’s son, Xanda, was also shot by a hunter, at the age of six – and the professional hunter Richard Cooke knew that Xanda was a pride male with cubs, and lied about the situation. In fact, Cooke also led the hunt that killed Xanda’s other son – at the age of four.
So, lions of all ages are being shot, and the trophy hunting industry lies and re-invents the justifications each time to suit their need to keep the business model rolling. That is NOT sustainable.
6. Rural communities living amongst wild lions have to see meaningful and sustainable benefit from having lions in the area. Lions are often a threat to lives and livelihoods and these people have the right to expect to be compensated to behave differently. After all, the rest of the world has mostly sanitised itself of large predators.
Surely for trophy hunting to be truly sustainable, these communities must receive a significant portion of the trophy fee? A 2013 study by Economists at Large, an Australian organisation of conservation-minded economists, found that on average only 3% of money generated by trophy hunting winds up in the hands of local people.
During research for my article referred to in point one above, Namibian government officials told me that the relevant community only receives about 12.5% of the trophy hunting fee for a quota lion (US$10,000 of the ± US$80,000 fee) – and only about 1% in the case of a ‘problem animal’ hunt. The rest goes to the professional hunting operator. This is NOT fair or sustainable.
This is what we do know about lions: Populations have crashed from about 450,000 in the 1940’s to about 20,000 today – mostly due to human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss, prey base loss and trophy hunting (US Fish and Wildlife Services). There are multiple references in this USFWS document to trophy hunting being a threat to lion populations, including: “Unless reforms are made to the current management of trophy hunting, we expect the declines specifically documented from excessive offtakes in Benin, Cameroon, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to continue. Furthermore, we expect excessive harvests to further contribute to declines in the species across its African range.”
The remaining pockets of lions are increasingly isolated from other populations, and no longer able to disperse and so maintain population genetic diversity and stability. When young males flee from dominant pride males, and seek out other lions, they leave protected areas and are picked off by hunters and livestock farmers – thus preventing the vital dispersal of young lions to other areas.
The surgical removal of big male lions by trophy hunters within the context of the above is NOT sustainable in any way, shape or form – regardless of what the other causes of lion population reductions are. The trophy hunting industry claim of sustainable practises is nothing but a lie. It’s a fiercely protected justification to continue the senseless and outdated fetish for killing off Africa’s big male lions for fun and ego. The fantasies of a few rich people are taking precedence over the survival of an African icon, over the proper functioning of Africa’s wild places and over the tourism industry which brings in many times more revenue, jobs, skills enhancement and societal benefits.
The trophy hunting of Africa’s wild, free-roaming lions is NOT sustainable and has to stop.
At Africa Geographic, we make it our mission to celebrate amateur photography. We believe that you don’t have to be a professional to capture a compelling and powerful image.
Perhaps the best example we can think of is the winner of our Photographer of the Year 2017 competition – amateur photographer, John Vosloo. This gallery aims to showcase and celebrate some of his best artistic work. He says that he is still high on the proverbial moon after winning the competition with this remarkable photograph.
John spends most of his spare time taking wildlife photos in his backyard of the Eastern Cape, South Africa – where he frequents the Addo Elephant National Park. He has been on a four-year mission to improve his photography and to capture the region’s stunning wildlife.
Here are some of the fruits of that journey – inspiration for budding wildlife and conservation photographers who dream of having their photos published. He also gives us his thoughts on having the opportunity to see his photos published in our 2017 Yearbook: “This photographic concept gives viewers, who may not be fortunate to have the opportunity to see Africa’s magnificent wildlife for themselves, the opportunity to see these high-quality photos and to deeply experience the messages portrayed through them. This, in turn, provides an important platform to promote biodiversity awareness, which ultimately promotes nature conservation at large. By merely having entered our photographs in this contest, we are playing a vital role in promoting conservation, which begs for as much publicity as possible. Publicity which will hopefully lead to action.”
We are very proud to be associated with amateur photographers like John, and others like him, who passionately celebrate Africa and allow us the privilege of sharing that passion with our audience.
Baby elephants are always curious and playful. Although this little chap appears to be on his own, they are usually under the vigilant watch of the rest of the adults and sub-adults in the herd.
The intensity and focus in the eyes of a cheetah are awe-inspiring, and always something to be marvelled at. Of the three big cat species, cheetahs are the only ones who are diurnal – they are more active in the day and generally hunt during daylight hours. They also have a unique social structure involving solitary females and social males.
There are estimated to be fewer than 7000 cheetahs left in the wilds of Africa today. The opportunity to see these elegant and graceful cats anywhere in the wild is a rare and special privilege.
Birdlife is amazingly abundant at these lesser-known salt pans, which are a sanctuary for an enormous mixed flock of greater and lesser flamingos. The pans are one of the few viable breeding grounds for flamingos in the Eastern Cape.
Young bull elephants are renowned for showing intimacy and greeting each other with affection. In the elephant world, family links are strong and powerful. It is a touching and heartwarming sight to see the way they interact with each other.
A zebra inspects and sniffs a tiny plant, an action that eventually led to it sneezing. The mesmerising intricacy and perfection of a zebra’s stripes seen up close could be studied for hours. Just another of Africa’s iconic sights.
Getting the primary symbolic and powerful features of the majestic elephant in one photo: the trunk, tusk, ear and eye. Sadly, their tusks have been wrongfully celebrated as possessions for centuries, leading to a scourge of poaching across Africa and their current status at ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
‘Dagga Boys’ – male buffaloes that have been kicked out of the herd to spend the rest of their days alone – are some of the most dangerous creatures in all of Africa, and many wild bush stories involve unfortunate encounters with them. It is rare to get so close to them to capture an intimate photo like this one.
An African goshawk exquisitely captured preening its feathers. Birds preen their feathers to keep them in tip-top condition – the process involves the uropygial (or preen) gland secreting an oily substance that contains wax to help waterproof the feathers and keep them flexible.
For their size, elephants move in an uncannily ordered manner in their herds, especially when they are on a mission to drink. An adult elephant can drink up to 50 gallons of water a day – as much as a household bathtub.
A male lion letting all and sundry know he is there, awake and not about to take any nonsense whatsoever. After 130 years of their absence, lions were successfully reintroduced back into the park in April 2013.
From biggest to smallest – elephants walking in single file in dazzling light. Elephants will often let their little ones lead the way in a group, placing trust in them and encouraging them to build their confidence in the wild world.
A spectacularly captured photo of the rarely seen interaction between two African spoonbills. The spoon shape of their bills makes it easier to grab slippery prey that might try to escape when they hunt in muddy, shallow waters. They feed by sticking their wide bills into the water and sweeping from side to side.
The malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve in northern South Africa, close to the Botswana border, is favoured by those who want a Big 5 safari – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo – without the crowds sometimes associated with larger, more popular reserves.
Madikwe does not permit day-trippers or self-drive game drives, ensuring the ultimate private safari experience.
The dry Kalahari ecosystem offers an alternative to the lush Lowveld bush seen in the Kruger National Park, so Madikwe offers unique and exhilarating safari game-viewing and photographic opportunities.
Aside from the Big 5 species, Madikwe offers the chance to see wild dogs, cheetahs, brown hyenas, large numbers of plains game, and about 360 bird species.
The absence of malaria, plus easy access from Johannesburg via road and air, makes Madikwe an excellent choice for family safaris – some lodges even offer child-friendly activities.
From luxury to basic, the range of accommodation means that there is something for everyone.
Madikwe is something of a success story for wildlife conservation, local community economic empowerment and private/public enterprise.
The state manages the land and animals, private investors own the lodges, and three nearby villages benefit from sustainable jobs and skills advancement.
Read what Africa Geographic safari client Marc de Chalain had to say about his Madikwe safari:
“We had been in Madikwe for a couple of days, and WOW, we had seen so much already! We had seen cheetahs on a kill, lions in great light, wild dogs, spotted hyenas, a brown hyena, rhinos, elephants, many bird species and much more.
And then our excellent guide, Francois, presented us with a dilemma: Male lions on a kill, or stake out a brown hyena den in the hope of seeing the cubs?
Debate ensued, and we decided to go for the baby brown hyenas. Brown hyenas are rarely seen in most reserves, although they are regularly seen in Madikwe. BUT baby brown hyenas are very seldom seen anywhere.
We waited silently and patiently at the den in the fading light, and after a long while, the mother ghosted in from the surrounding thickets, approaching the den cautiously. Then a small cub appeared, and shortly after, another.
What a privilege to observe these shy and wary creatures go about their lives in front of us. Amidst a cacophony of shutter releases, the adrenaline and joy we all experienced were tangible.
We had seen Africa reveal herself in a way which mere words can hardly do justice to.”
One of our Photographer of the Year entrants, Nelis Wolmarans, shared with us a sombre update on the subject matter of a photo that got him a place in the 2017 finals – the silverback gorilla, Giraneza.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the death of this phenomenal silverback, Giraneza. He had fought hard battles to secure a family of his own and finally settled at the base of Bisoke Volcano in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park with his small family.
It is believed that his untimely death was a result of an illness.
Despite his fearsome reputation in gorilla circles, Giraneza was a true ‘Gentle Giant’ to the people who had the privilege of visiting him and his family. R.I.P big guy!”
One of South Africa’s most threatened plant species needs your help! Cycads, which date back 280 million years are under increasing threat from the illegal trade and harvesting of these plants from the wild, as well as habitat destruction, use in traditional practices and threats from alien vegetation.
Enter the Botanical Society of South Africa (BOTSOC) – they realised that while the world is intently focused on the plight of our rhinos, elephants and other threatened wildlife species, the plight of the cycads is largely unheard of.
We met up with Zaitoon Rabaney, Executive Director of BOTSOC at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, to find out more.
So, how were they going to change this?
BOTSOC have come up with a ‘Save the Cycads’ educational campaign – a programme developed for schools and other learning institutes that provides teachers the materials and resources they need to incorporate the importance of endangered plant species into the curriculum.
A bit of history… and dinosaurs
Cycads were common during the Jurassic period, the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, up until 65 million years ago when a massive asteroid struck the earth and brought about the extinction of the dinosaurs, along with three-quarters of all life on our planet. But the cycads survived!
South Africa has been recognised as one of the global hotspots for cycad diversity. The country has 38 cycad species (37 species of Encephalartos and one species of Strangeria).
Cycads are characterised by their unique appearance: they have a trunk, leaves and cones, all of which are covered with stiff, sharp spines. Cycads will either be male or female and when they are in a reproductive condition they bear large cones.
Cycads and dinosaurs at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa
Today, cycads are the most threatened group of living organisms, and they could soon share the same fate as the dinosaurs, but what threatens their survival is no catastrophic asteroid strike but the greed and selfishness of mankind.
To put it into perspective, Zaitoon tells us that “Our cycads are rarer than the rhino and are more endanger of extinction”.
Cycad numbers
This unique and ancient plant has fallen victim to poaching at frightening levels. Of South Africa’s 38 cycad species, three are extinct in the wild, 12 are critically endangered, four are endangered, nine are vulnerable and seven are near threatened.
The biggest threat facing cycads is the poaching of plants from the wild to supply domestic and international trade.
In South Africa, the indigenous Encephalartos cycad species is protected under provincial legislation and/or the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004. But times call for more hands-on measures, the BOTSOC ‘Save our Cycad’ educational campaign will be used across the board throughout the country, and will align itself with strategy management plans nationwide.
The educational programme is set to launch later this year.
There is an urgent need for South Africa to focus its attention on cycads, in order to prevent further extinctions and to allow for the recovery of overexploited wild cycad populations.
Ndawe the tusker was the missing link, the proof we sought. We were sure that elephants made the long journey between Tsavo and Amboseli, and he was the confirmation. By Big Life Foundation
Ndawe was known as a ‘hundred pounder/tusker’, an elephant whose tusks weigh 100 pounds or more, and of which there are thought to be less than 100 on the entire continent. He was first spotted from the air in late 2016 and, on a whim, Big Life sent the photograph to THE TSAVO TRUST, who monitor the tuskers of Tsavo. The response was exciting – this was indeed a tusker that they knew, last seen in 2014. We have no idea how frequently he made the journey and still don’t know how many others do the same.
Sadly Ndawe’s journey has ended at the hands of humans, death delivered by four spears. He was speared for the first time in late April this year and treated by the joint Kenya Wildlife Service/The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust mobile veterinary unit. We don’t know why he was speared this first time, it was potentially the result of crop-raiding and conflict with humans.
The next spearings are more sinister. The area where Ndawe lived is now separated from cropland by the newly constructed electric crop-protection fence, and so it is highly unlikely that these are the result of conflict. The fact that three spears hit is even more unlikely in a spontaneous conflict incident. Big Life is confident that this was a poaching attempt, perhaps opportunistic.
Ndawe’s condition had been declining since the first spear wound treatment, and his recovery was not helped by the dry conditions and poor quality forage at this time of the year. It is likely that this did not go unnoticed, and he was targeted by poachers due to his weakness.
But none of the spears killed this tusker immediately, rangers reported the wounds and he was darted for treatment once again. Sadly, this time he did not get up. Infection from the wounds, his poor health, and age all contributed, but it was spears that killed him. At an estimated 55-60 years, he was a grand old bull and with his teeth worn down he was right at the end of his life, but this was a sad way to finish it.
The only consolation is that his tusks have been retrieved, and his death will not line a poacher’s pockets. We are doing what we can to track his killers, but for now, the scent is cold.
However, his life will have an enduring impact because he is proof of the importance of the Kimana conservancies and corridor, a highly threatened but critical link that elephants use to travel around the ecosystem. His name will certainly be a powerful force in the future as Big Life continues to work to protect this important corridor.
CELEBRATING KRUGER’S BIG TUSKERS. This gallery is aimed at celebrating the recent identification by The Emerging Tuskers Project of 12 additional large-tusked elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and to encourage visitors to the park to submit their photographs of large-tusked elephants. Due to poaching concerns, specific locations are not provided in this gallery and should not be made available to the public by anybody.
The project, formalised in 2003, allows for the recording of valuable data which can be used to determine the development timeline of the elephants’ tusks, as well as the distribution patterns of these magnificent creatures. This special project is a working example of ‘citizen science’ in African wildlife conservation, in which photographs and sightings from park guests are entered into the project database – and ultimately used to identify and name these rare tuskers. Visitors to the adjoining reserves, such as Manyeleti Game Reserve, are also encouraged to take part.
In 1980, Dr Uys de Villiers Pienaar named the park’s most impressive tuskers the “Magnificent Seven” – after the classic Hollywood western movie from 1960. These magnificent tuskers are likely some of the park’s most famous elephants of all time. They were respected, not just in South Africa but throughout the world, and their story did so much to bring the African elephants’ plight during a dark time to the attention of the world. Sadly, they have all long since passed onto greener pastures, but thankfully Kruger Park has been blessed with an ongoing legacy of large tuskers.
Big tuskers are very rare because of the rarity of big tusker genes and the very low proportion of old elephants in existing elephant populations. The current elephant population of Kruger (2015) was estimated at around 17,000. In this population, only 22 were classified as tuskers. Kruger remains one of the few places in Africa to see these unique and magnificent animals.
Name: Vusopfa Origin of name: Tsonga, meaning ‘untidy’. Vusopfa refers to the heavily torn and scraggly ears of this bull, making him easily identifiable. Special features: This bull has very distinctive features, most notably a noticeably marked left ear with multiple u-shaped and v-shaped notches of varying sizes throughout the full length of the ear lobe. A small hole at the top of the lobe is also visible when fully displayed. The right lobe is less scraggly but also supports notable markings. A long, extended U-shaped notch is visible at the lower point of the lobe; an uneven W-shaped notch can be seen towards the middle of the lobe. From a frontal view, this elephant’s tusks are fairly wide apart and symmetrical – with both growing relatively straight and curving at the tip. From a side profile, the left tusk appears more curved than the right. General: This bull was first sighted in December 2013. With no other submission at the time, it was decided to monitor him until additional sightings could confirm his status. Sightings since then were limited, with a few confirmed sightings in late 2014 and early 2015, increasing in 2016. Due to this, it was felt that there was sufficient evidence of his characteristics to name him and confirm his status as an emerging tusker.
Name: N’wamisejani Origin of name: N’wamisejani, meaning ‘clever or notorious woman’, refers specifically to this cow’s role of matriarch in her herd and the often revered manner in which the females in the herd will protect their offspring and siblings. Special features: This cow’s most notable feature is its tusks. However, the longest tusk of N’wamisejani grows at an angle to the trunk, protruding slightly sideways. A shallow w-shaped notch is visible on the left ear lobe toward the upper middle, and a small v-shaped notch can be seen toward the middle of the right lobe. General: This female was first sighted in 2014/2015. Given the unusual length of the tusks on this cow and an excellent photographic series showing the ear markings clearly, it was decided to name her.
Name: N’watindlopfu Origin of name: N’watindlopfu Spruit means ‘spruit of the elephants’ in Tsonga, and refers to the historic site where, in 1987, a striking and well-preserved panel of rock paintings depicting a group of four elephants was found on a small granite koppie. The name is a reference to the proof of the early existence of elephants in the Kruger National Park and, therefore, links to the great discovery that was this bull’s sudden appearance as a large tusker. Special features: This bull has small u and v-shaped notches in his right ear throughout the lobe. A larger nick is present in the upper part of the same lobe. The left lobe has more distinct markings and, when fully open, an inverted wide u-shape is visible in the middle of the lobe. In the lower level of the lobe, small u and v-shaped notches are visible. N’watindlopfu has a very slightly thickened area of skin on the upper and middle regions of his trunk. There is a small, elongated growth on his upper front thigh that is visible from the left side. His tusks are what would be referred to as the ‘typical’ Kruger shape, with one very long tusk that is straighter than a slightly shorter and more curved tusk. The tusks curve at different levels. In his case, the right tusk is straighter and shows indication of an old chip off the tip. General: This large bull had an interesting start in the tuskers project. A sighting on the 31st July 2014 initially created great confusion as to an ID on such an impressive bull due to an unclear location and similarities to other known bulls. Through back-tracking, it was established that he had been seen elsewhere to the other bulls and it was confirmed, as we had suspected, that we had a new tusker.
Further submissions by regular contributors in quick succession, with clear images of the left ear markings and tusks, confirmed this bull as a new tusker to the area. This bull seems to prefer being out of the limelight, which is perhaps why it took so long to find him.
Name: Jubilala Origin of name: Jub(a)ilala is a Siswati word, meaning ‘cut the ilala palm’, referring to the cutting of palms in Mozambique. Special features: This cow has very unusual tusks. Not only does the right tusk carry a very significant length for a female elephant, but the tusk also grows at a complete angle to her body. The left tusk is much shorter than the right and has a break in it that occurred in 2011. Thankfully, not much length was lost with this break – only the initial sharply pointed curve has gone, and the end is more rounded. A small, coin-sized hole can be seen in the right lobe just above halfway; a very small, shallow U-shaped nick is also visible at the top of the lobe. The left ear has two small V-shaped notches: one on the lower section of the lobe and the other towards the lower middle of the lobe. Most notable with this cow, after her tusks, is the tennis ball-sized growth on the back of the front right leg in line with her body. General: This cow was first sighted in December 2010. While she is a very impressive cow, due to the angle of the right tusk, it was felt that she would break this tusk easily, and there was a reluctance to name her if this was going to be the case. No further sightings of her were received until late 2011, so it could not be determined whether our suspicions were correct.
Sightings in December 2011 confirmed concerns, but to our surprise, the angled long tusk remained intact. However, she had broken the sharp curve of her left tusk. At this time, it was decided she should be named, and she has joined the ranks of the privileged few female tuskers in the large tusker status.
This cow seems to shy away from public areas and is very seldom seen, with an average of only one sighting per annum, but seeing her is worth the wait if she can be found.
Name: Xindzulundzulu Origin of name: Xindzulundzulu is Tsonga for ‘walking round and round in circles’. This is in reference to this bull’s very localised home range. Special features: This bull has very distinct tusks widely splayed from a front view, long and straight, with tapered, pointed ends. The left tusk has a slightly rounded tip with a dip in the tip. Side profiles of the bull do show a shallow curve in the tusks. His ear lobes are fairly clean, with a small v-shaped notch in the right ear towards the top of the lobe. The left ear has two small notches mid-ear, creating a U-shape between these. Very small growths appear on the thigh of the rear left leg. General: This bull was first sighted by Section Ranger Robert Bryden in 2009, at the time he was considered a worthwhile bull to monitor. The tusks lacked significant length, but given his young age, it was decided to continue to monitor him. Minimal sightings of him were submitted in the upcoming years, however, a growth spurt in his tusks in 2014 drew more attention to him and sightings of him increased considerably between 2014 – 2016. Given this significant growth and current length, it was decided to name him, confirming his status as a large tusker.
Name: Matlakusa Origin of name: Matlakusa from ‘tlakusa’, is a Tsonga word meaning to ‘raise, lift up’. Special features: This bull’s tusks closely resemble those of Xindzulundzulu, in that it is relatively symmetrical, straight and widely splayed, with a shallow curve from a side profile. The left ear holds the defining characteristics that separate these two bulls; there is a coin-sized hole in the tip of the lobe, as well as an area of damaged cartilage at the top, giving a large v-shaped ‘collapse’ in the ear. A very small u-shaped notch and two smaller holes are visible on the middle of the lobe but only at close inspection – and with the ears extended. The right earlobe had a smaller-sized hole towards the bottom of the lobe that has recently been torn and is now a U-shaped notch with a small hole towards the inner lobe above this. Other than this, the lobe is relatively clean-edged. A small protrusion of skin is visible on the trunk at the top, adjacent to the left tusk. Visible from a side profile is a growth on the left foreleg behind the leg, just above the joint. General: Initial images of this bull were identified as Xindzulundzulu, due to the tusk shape. Later, in 2014, a full series of images submitted caused a little dilemma, as Xindzulundulu was known to only be local to a specific area and a new bull was suspected. Additional images regularly submitted showing his left and right side allowed the defining characteristics to be seen, and we were able to determine that these were, in fact, two separate bulls.
This revelation allowed two previous sightings in 2012, which were thought to be Xindzulundzulu, but could not be confirmed as the locations did not make sense – and defining characteristics in these images were unclear – to be accurately identified as Matlakusa. The receipt of the 2014 submission with clearer images would confirm these identifications. Several other images placed with Xindzulundzulu’s monitoring file could now also be separated out as being those of Matlakusa – and in 2015/2016, it was decided that sightings of him were sufficient to name the bull confirming his status.
Name: Ndlovane Origin of name: Ndlovane, meaning ‘small elephant’, has been given to this elephant not for his size but for his young age and great potential to develop into a future great tusker. Special features: On the left ear lobe, towards the bottom, there are several small nodules and holes in the lobe, with a few additional nicks and nodules further up the ear. The right ear lobe has a few more distinctive markings: a small hole is visible towards the bottom and middle of the lobe. Towards the top of the lobe is an inverted U-shaped piece of the lobe caused by two shallow U-shaped indentations in the lobe. The tusks of this bull are irregularly shaped and very similar in shape to those of Ngonyama – for whom this bull is often mistaken. The right tusk is straighter and longer in appearance than the left tusk, which is curved forward – giving the illusion that it is the shorter tusk. Side profiles of the tusks provide the appearance of them being very close together, much like Ngonyama. However, from a front view, they are more splayed. This bull’s tusks are not as splayed as Ngonyama, but the side and front profiles are similar enough to confuse. A slightly less notable characteristic is his remarkable lack of tail hair. General: The first clear series of images showing this bull’s identifying features and confirming his status as a new tusker was submitted by a park staff member in 2014. This series allowed for the linking of other sightings in 2012 and 2013. These previous submissions were considered valuable enough to open monitoring files, but due to the angle of the bull or the image quality, the defining characteristics could not be fully determined. This bull is often mistaken for Ngonyama, as their tusk shape is very similar. However, the distinctive hole in the left ear lobe, thickening on the trunk, as well as growths on the rear are not visible in this bull – and as previously indicated, the tusks on this bull are closer together. Sightings of this bull increased dramatically in 2014 – 2016, leading to the decision to name him and confirm his status as an emerging tusker.
Name: N’waMndlovu Origin of name: N’waMndlovu is a Tsonga word, meaning ‘daughter of the elephant’. It refers to this cow’s role within the breeding herd. The images received would indicate that she is not the matriarch but one of the more senior cows in the herd structure, possibly a potential successor to the matriarch. Special features: Long, thin and curved tusks, with the right tusk having a previous break and shorter than the left, with a more rounded end. The ears of this cow are relatively clean; there are several small, w-shaped notches towards the top of the right ear lobe, the lower one being the largest of the series. A wide, W-shaped notch is noticeable on the top of the left ear lobe when the ears are fully displayed. General: This cow was a relatively new arrival to the tusker project, and was not monitored long after her first sighting in April 2014. Due to the exceptional tusk length for a female elephant, it was decided to name her immediately as sufficient information was available.
Name: Botsotso Origin of name: Botsotso is a Tsonga word that refers to a particular style of jeans that were worn in the olden days – it is a direct reference to the large and prominent folds of skin on the rear of this bull, making them one of his key identification characteristics. Special features: Once again, we have a bull with a similar tusk shape to Matlakusa and Xindzulundzulu. Although, this bull’s straight and symmetrical ivory is not as widely splayed, and shows an inward curve of both tusks towards the bottom. His most notable ear markings are found on his left ear – at the bottom of the lobe there is a deep, u-shaped tear in the tip. Further up towards the middle of the lobe, there is a small, v-shaped notch. In the outer lobe, above this, towards the top of the lobe there is a deeper w-shaped notch – both of these are only visible in high-resolution images. In earlier images, there are signs that the right tusk experienced a small break, which has subsequently smoothed over, and the re-growth has allowed the tusks to remain reasonably symmetrical. The trunk does offer a few key identification characteristics – at the lip line on the right tusk there is a scarring growth that looks like a tennis or golf ball between the tusk and trunk. General: This is another bull that started out being monitored slowly, as there was only one submission of him in 2010. A further single submission in 2011 confirmed the identifying characteristics, however, it was still felt that with limited submissions, he should continue to be monitored. From 2014 to 2016, sightings of this bull increased dramatically, and it was then decided to confirm his status as an emerging tusker by naming him.
Name: Ngwenya Origin of name: Ngwenya, meaning ‘crocodile’ in Tsonga. Special features: Ngwenya has a very noticeable, deep, U-shaped notch in his left ear lobe. Less notable on the same lobe are an inverted v-shaped notch below the large notch and a v-shaped nick below this. A small coin-sized hole is visible above the inverted v-shape towards the middle of the lobe. His right ear lobe does not have any noticeable markings, a very small v-shaped notch is visible towards the middle of the lobe, as well as a very shallow long u-shaped notch towards the top of the lobe. Ngwenya’s tusks are very curved, and from a direct side profile, the left tusk appears more curved and higher than the right tusk. A recent break (2016) in the left tusk has given the tusks a more even appearance. General: This bull was first sighted in 2013. There was limited footage of this bull at this time, with only a second sighting in December 2013. It was decided to monitor him until more submissions were made. A dramatic increase in sightings in late 2014 – 2016 cemented his status as a large tusker, and the decision was taken to name him.
Name: Hahlwa Origin of name: The name Hahlwa is a Tsonga word meaning ‘twin’. The tusks and the ear markings of this bull resemble, almost identically, those of Masasana – and in many images, he would seem to be his twin. Special features: The right tusk of this bull is slightly longer and straighter than the left tusk, which has a small curve at the tip. The tusks, like Masasana, are close together and from a side profile appear straight. The left ear has a w-shaped notch that has a piece of skin hanging in the middle, forming the w-shape towards the middle of the ear – very similar to Masasana. The right ear is the biggest differing identification mark between the bulls, where a wide square notch is visible on his lower right lobe. An oval, tennis ball-sized growth is also visible on his left front leg, close to the top, but this is not always prominently seen in images. The thickening on the trunk closely resembles the thick line markings on Masasana, although with a small variation in shape towards the centre of the trunk and top left, close to the ivory lip. General: This bull caused considerable confusion with his initial sightings in October 2015, primarily due to the majority of his identification markings being virtually identical to Masasana – but he was sighted in an area considered unusual for Masasana, who until recently had remained local to a more specific area elsewhere. Despite scrutiny of all his key identifying features by several experts, confirmation of his identity could not be offered. The ‘new’ notch in the right ear left questions as to whether Masasana was extending his home range due to the dry conditions prevailing in the KNP. At the time, this was a distinct possibility as many known bulls had changed their ‘traditional’ movements due to water shortages.
A committed answer to these questions could not be made until confirmed sightings of Masasana were received, as the bulls were just too similar. Fortunately, the wait was not long, and sightings of the ‘twin bull’ in late January 2016 and Masasana in another location in March 2016 confirmed that these were two different bulls.
Name: N’wendlamuharhi Origin of name: N’wendlamuharhi is Shangaan for ‘sand river’, meaning that ‘the river that is fierce when in flood’. Special features: Most notable on this bull are his tusks. His left tusk suffered a dramatic break many years back, and while there has been substantial growth of the tusk since then, there is a marked difference in length between the two tusks. The left tusk break has smoothed over time and has developed quite a prominent point to it. There are very few notable ear markings on this bull, aside from a small v-shaped nick visible in the left lobe towards the top, and small u-shaped marks towards the top of the right ear lobe. Visible from a left-side profile is a cluster of small growths on the front of the left foreleg, fairly high up the leg. The ear lobe often obscures these in frontal images. General: This bull was first noted by retired Section Ranger Johann Oelofse in 2010, shortly after the death of the similar-looking Mandhevhu. As these images did not identify any defining characteristics, it was decided to monitor him. The second submission in 2011 confirmed this bull’s status as a tusker, but it was decided to continue to monitor him to determine if there would be any continued growth.
Submissions of this bull increased dramatically at the end of 2013 and throughout 2014 – 2016. All submissions show considerable growth in the broken tusk, therefore the decision was made to name the bull confirming his status as a large tusker.
The images and information for this gallery have been provided with thanks to the dedicated people at Kruger National Park who work on this important conservation project.
If you would like to submit your photos to the project, please email your submissions to tuskers@sanparks.org.
Find out about the Greater Kruger for your next African safari. You can choose a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
The Zimbabwean trophy hunter who shot Cecil the Lion’s son, Xanda, was lying about the circumstances of the hunt, says Oxford University researcher Andrew Loveridge from WildCru.
The professional hunter, Richard Cooke, and the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association said that Xanda was a lone male who had moved out of Hwange National Park (where hunting is banned) because he had been ousted from his pride and that he had no dependent cubs.
But according to WildCru, Xanda was part of a pride with seven cubs and his territory spanned areas beyond the national park boundaries. Apparently, Mr Loveridge said that his staff had warned Cooke that shooting Xanda would be detrimental to the population of lions.
Andrew Loveridge was quoted by The Times as saying:
“These cubs were too young to survive on their own and will certainly be vulnerable to infanticide” – male lions normally kill their rival’s offspring when they take control of a pride. Therefore, Xanda’s cubs are vulnerable to being killed.
“There is no question that Mr Cook was fully aware that this animal was a pride male. He was a territorial male in a pride of three females with at least seven dependant cubs of between one and 1 1/2 years old.”
“Ethics is about not just adhering to the letter of the law, but also making informed ethical choices to limit the detrimental impacts of hunting activities.”
Xanda, the 6-year-old son of Cecil the Lion, has been shot and killed by a client of Zimbabwean professional hunter Richard Cooke, a Victoria Falls resident. Xanda, in his prime years and the father of several young cubs, was killed just outside Hwange National Park, as was his famous father.
Although the hunt was reportedly legal, Cooke has refused to divulge his client’s identity. Cooke also led the hunt in 2015 that killed Cecil the Lion’s other son when that lion was 4 years old.
Like Cecil the Lion, Xanda was wearing an electronic collar, fitted by Oxford University researchers monitoring lion movements in the area. Andrew Loveridge from the Department of Zoology at the university, said: “I fitted it last October. It was monitored almost daily, and we were aware that Xanda and his pride were spending a lot of time out of the park in the last six months, but there is not much we can do about that. Richard Cooke is one of the ‘good’ guys. He is ethical, and he returned the collar and communicated what had happened. His hunt was legal, and Xanda was over 6 years old, so it is all within the stipulated regulations.”
The 2015 killing of 13-year-old Cecil sparked international outrage after Walter Palmer shot the lion while legally hunting in Hwange National Park. Many pro-hunters declared Cecil the Lion to be ‘past his breeding prime’ and, therefore, fair game. One wonders what the same people would say about 6-year-old Xanda’s breeding status.
South Africa should implement a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy for poachers, suggest Botswana academics Goemeone EJ Mogomotsi and Patricia Kelilwe Madigele in a report titled ‘Live by the gun, die by the gun’.
Mogomotsi and Madigele suggest that Botswana’s relatively good anti-poaching track record compared to its neighbours is because of that country’s controversial adoption of this policy in 2013.
The report observes that private rhino owners in South Africa are even moving rhinos to Botswana precisely because of the relative safety of that country compared to South Africa, and that the ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy is a ‘necessary evil’ that is cheaper to implement than other strategies.
The report does cover, but not in any great detail, the legal or human rights perspectives. It also does not discount the usefulness of other conservation methods – rather it argues that in order for those methods to be effective, they need to be implemented alongside a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy.
Poaching poses a serious threat to biodiversity, socio-economic conditions and national security – especially for countries that depend on tourism as a generator of revenue. Poaching continues to rise in many countries, despite the implementation of fines and prison terms, and governments are trying to find ways to curb this rise. The Botswana government considers poaching an act of war.
The report acknowledges that the ‘green militarisation’ policy has created tension in northern Botswana, where communities have to live amongst wildlife, but suggests that these tensions relate to poorly managed human-wildlife conflicts and rural communities’ belief that the government prioritises conservation over human welfare. This tension belies the effectiveness of the policy and proves that the policy is a means to and end and not the entire solution.
The other parts of a total solution do not deter poachers, whereas the ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy does deter poachers very effectively. The report claims that Zimbabwe’s elephant population increased from 52,000 to 72,000 when the same policy was implemented in the 1980s.
The authors argue that the introduction of ‘shoot-to-kill’ by the Botswana Defence Force in 2013 resulted in:
1. The effective end of mega-fauna poaching in Northern Botswana;
2. An improved sense of stability amongst local people and tourists alike.
Disasters involving art materials are nothing new to me after years of travelling and sketching in southern Africa.
My pretty collection of pastel sticks were pummeled into tiny pieces by drives through the thick sand of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Ambitious plans to paint large watercolours were scuppered by the dry heat and hot winds of Namibia, so tubes of paint and heavy pads of unused watercolour paper made the trek from one end of the country to the other without leaving my bag. Simple line drawings in charcoal returned home smudged to the point where they look like they may have actually been drawn by the giraffe I was sketching.
So, having learned some harsh, sandy, dusty lessons about field sketching materials, I recommend pens or pencils for sketching on Art Safaris, with some watercolor for use at camp. Sounds simple, right?
Not exactly, because the wide variety of pens and pencils available – greyscale; coloured; pastel; watercolor; biros; markers; water-soluble or permanent; brush-style or regular nib – can fill an entire suitcase. Even worse, and much heavier, is the astonishing array of papers available. Then there are watercolors and brushes.
So, although you might spend many happy hours in your local art supply store choosing materials, bringing too much with you on the Art Safari will mean you spend more time finding the right pencil than doing any sketching.
So here is my absolute essentials list:
♦ Pencils: 2H, HB, 2B – plus sharpener and pencil case.
♦ Pads of paper with hard covers (ring-bound), and at least 50 sheets in each, 11 x 14″ or 35 x 28cms.
Even if you leave everything else behind, you’ll be fine if you have these. Having enough sketching paper is especially important, as you will use a lot of it, and you only ever want to draw on one side of the paper – unless you want to create a masterpiece on both sides!
Optional extras:
♦ Watercolour field box set containing a dozen solid half-pan colours.
♦ Small water container with a screw-top lid.
♦ Three types of brushes: 3 round, 7 round, 14 round.
I have high praise for my Windsor & Newton field box set, which is so tiny and yet so easy to use and transport. The only thing I discard is the brush that comes with it – cute though it is. The box set could go in the list of the essential materials, but watercolour is not for everyone, so it remains in the optional list.
Incidentally, my first Windsor & Newton field box set was accidentally driven over and crushed in Botswana. But I think it would be a little unfair to blame this on the construction of the field box set, especially as my second box set has been faithfully recording scenes from around Africa with me for the last 18 years!
Now you have the essentials (and maybe some optional extras), you can think about any new materials you might want to experiment with on your Art Safari. Once again, less is more. If trying coloured pencils is your aim, don’t bring a lovely metal box with 200 colours laid out in meticulous order in two trays.
Instead, bring 20-25 pencils in a range of colours and keep them in your pencil case. Believe me – you won’t have time to miss the things you didn’t bring, but you may regret carrying something you didn’t use.
Now you’ve done the hard work and finished reading, reward yourself by joining fellow artists and me on an Art Safari in South Africa!
South African lion farmers are supplying large volumes of lion bone, teeth and claws as ‘tiger parts’ to an insatiable Asian market – says a report recently published by the Environmental Investigation Agency. South Africa is the world’s largest exporter of lion body parts.
The report goes on to say that this growing industry in South Africa is fuelling the demand for tiger products and driving the poaching of wild tigers and other big cats. Consumer demand for wild animal parts ensures ongoing poaching of wild tigers and wild African lions, leopards, clouded leopards, snow leopards and jaguars.
The supply of African lion parts into Asia frustrates enforcement efforts in Asia and undermines demand-reduction efforts to end the tiger trade.
There are now twice as many captive tigers in Asia than wild tigers, as wild tiger populations continue to crash and the population of captive tigers rises.
And South Africa’s government has contributed to these catastrophic knock-on effects on wild big cat populations by sanctioning the export of 800 lion skeletons a year in order to generate profits for lion farmers. This decision was made ostensibly to protect local wild lion populations, despite evidence that the same decision made by the Chinese government failed to curb the poaching of wild tigers.
The legislation in South Africa relating to tigers is relatively weak because tigers are not indigenous to the region, opening up the industry for abuse and laundering of wild tiger parts. Lack of cooperation and differing legislation between provincial authorities in South Africa contributes to the problem.
In South Africa, there are approximately 6,000 to 8,000 captive lions in about 200 facilities, dwarfing the wild population of approximately 3,490 lions. In addition, there are at least 280 tigers in South Africa in at least 44 facilities.
Tiger bone is consumed primarily in China, Vietnam and Lao People’s Democratic Republic as traditional medicine, high-end ‘tiger bone wine’ and as a virility product.
A recently completed 11-month undercover investigation by Elephant Action League (EAL) called Grinding Rhino has exposed the networks, the players and the means by which rhino horn is trafficked into China.
A separate 200-page Confidential Intelligence Brief (CIB) has been prepared for law enforcement only, and it includes detailed information and evidence on 55 identified Persons of Interest involved in rhino horn trafficking in China and Vietnam.
Although completely illegal since 1993, anyone with the desire and means can easily buy rhinoceros horn in China. All you need to do is walk into an ‘antiques’ shop and ask.
1. The rhino horn trade is an extremely complex web of traffickers, transporters, wholesale dealers, and traders, making law enforcement incredibly difficult;
2. Rhino horn and other wildlife contraband generally moves from Vietnam to the Guangxi or Yunnan Provinces and then to China’s primary retail markets (Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Beijing);
3. Local populations at the China-Vietnam border use the smuggling business as a means to support themselves and their families;
4. Smugglers use individuals to transport contraband across the border; individuals can more easily pass through the border without inspection or detection;
5. Official ports of entry and private border crossings are both used to smuggle goods, but private crossings have weaker security;
6. Most high-crime smuggling occurs via mountain and land routes, but moving goods across the border via boat is still a common practice in some areas;
7. In Vietnam, wildlife dealers claim to have relationships built with shipping companies so that they can ship contraband directly to customers throughout China;
8. In China, many traders offer delivery of illicit goods via registered courier services;
9. Similar routes are used by smugglers for all types of contraband, including illegal arms and narcotics;
10. The corruption exhibited by customs and law enforcement authorities in Vietnamese and Chinese border regions is substantial; fining smugglers and taking bribes is standard practice at most ports of entry;
11. Many illegal wildlife product dealers are involved in the redwood furniture business, or similar art and antiquities businesses, and traditional Chinese medicine markets, with established connections in Vietnam and/or Guangxi.
12. Most dealers do not hold a large inventory of rhino horn (whole, raw, or carved), instead, material is generally sourced on-demand and primarily sold only to familiar customers in order to avoid detection by authorities;
13. WeChat, the mobile application, is used extensively by dealers to connect with buyers and exhibit available rhino horn products; Alipay is used by many to process payment transactions;
14. One contact alleged that he sells rhino horn scrap to a Chinese international pharmaceutical company, Tong Ren Tang, for use in medical products. This is unconfirmed by EAL and denied by another POI that previously worked for the company;
15. A seasoned rhino horn dealer, who is also a Vice President of the local Association of Collectors, alleged involvement with commanders in the Chinese military, where they used him to identify authentic wildlife products (such as rhino horn) for them to purchase, as well as allowed the Chinese navy fleet to pick up and carry wildlife contraband back to China;
16. EAL investigators also found large quantities of other wildlife products such as tiger (teeth, skins and bones), as well as ivory, bear paws, bile and gall bladders, hawksbill turtle shells, helmeted hornbill beaks, snow leopard skins, civet cats, king cobras, wolf skin and teeth, and corals;
17. The price identified was between $26,500 and $40,000/kg for whole raw rhino horn, and between $34 and $70/gram for cut objects (see products list and prices on the report).
Screaming Namibian newspaper headlines and vocal activist outbursts on social media speak of what looks like the systematic removal of some of Namibia’s last free-roaming lions in that area by livestock farmers, intent on eradicating the enemy.
But scratch a bit deeper, and you soon see that although the root of the problem lies in human-wildlife conflict (HWC), the situation is magnified by an information vacuum – leading to a sad cocktail of simmering tensions and intolerance.
Look, let’s not pretend that humans killing off the competition is a new thing – most of the Western world has been sanitised of dangerous critters, and their former wild areas have been tamed and converted into comfortable, non-threatening lifestyle collateral. And so, too, the remaining wild areas in Africa are under massive threat as humankind rolls out its exclusive-use model. But what makes this situation so desperately sad is that Namibia has been a shining light when it comes to increasing wildlife populations in the face of human pressure.
There are now about 150 desert-adapted lions in the arid 52,000 km² rangeland of northwestern Namibia, up from 25 in 1999. This success is due to involving and empowering affected rural communities in managing wildlife, a strategy that makes Namibia a leader in the field.
HOWEVER …
I started asking questions in February this year about Namibia’s desert-adapted lions after reading a 2010 report by researcher Dr Flip Stander that illustrates an alarming drop in male/female ratios. Stander’s Desert Lion Conservation Project is a long-standing research project mandated by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). My interest was further triggered by ongoing reports via social media about the double whammy of the selective trophy hunting of large male lions and the ongoing loss of lions to HWC.
MET is pretty transparent that they allocate annual trophy hunting permits, and I assumed that these would be based on a sustainable strategy and hard facts resulting from scientific research. I was curious about how many male lions of breeding age there are currently in the population of 150 and how many male lions die each year from human-wildlife conflict incidents – because these facts would surely indicate how sustainable the trophy hunting quota is.
And so, in February, I started digging. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the fun started.
Approaching the lodge owners
My first port of call was to various lodge owners that operate in the area. They could not provide the answers and referred me to MET and the project website.
Tourism plays a fundamental role in providing significant employment, skills training, anti-poaching support and many other conservation benefits and services in the area. I was surprised that the experienced lodge owners I spoke to seemed to have no knowledge about the current status of the lions other than the total population figure, which they hold up as evidence of the success of their own conservation objectives.
I do, though, understand the sensitivities surrounding their relationship with MET and affected communities and their reluctance to engage on the topic.
Approaching MET
I also approached MET with a request for information. I was impressed that several high-ranking officials engaged with me and, after a fair amount of prodding, provided some information.
The thing is though that in reply to my question, ‘How many breeding-age males and breeding-age females are in that population of 150? How many territory/pride males?’, MET replied: “… we are still awaiting latest results to give us further information.”
And in reply to my question, ‘How many lions killed due to HWC were firstly adult males and secondly adult females?’, MET replied: “The accurate figures in term of age and sex is not available at the moment.”
So, MET has no current data on how many male lions there are and how many die each year due to human-lion conflict. And yet each year, male lions are shot by trophy hunters based on a MET quota.
Does this not seem strange? Note that the number of lions killed by trophy hunters is generally less than those killed due to HWC, but the placing of lions on hunting quotas is a proactive strategy that could be stopped if found to be unsustainable.
The questions that MET did reply to:
1. Are hunters prohibited from shooting territory/pride males, and if so, how is this differentiation enforced?
MET: “Hunters are prohibited from shooting females and encouraged to hunt post-productive males. This is difficult to enforce at the moment because operators do not have to be accompanied by MET officials in conservancies where there are conservancy game guards available.”
2. What is the annual trophy hunting quota for desert-adapted lions in this area, and how is it calculated?
“The quota for lions in 2016 was a total of four lions.”
3. How much does the community receive from the ±US$80,000 fee for a lion trophy hunt such as this? And how much does the government receive? Lastly, with regard to revenue, how much stays overseas?
“The conservancies, on average, receive about US$10 000 for a lion. The government does not receive any money for hunting in conservancies unless through government concessions when lions are part of the package and if they are hunted as problem animals. In this case, N$10 000 is paid into the Game Product Trust Fund for each lion, and the rest is paid to the conservancy where the animal was declared.”
4. Is the baiting of lions permitted?
“Baiting is permitted, but using live animals for baiting is not permitted.”
5. How many lions have been shot as hunting trophies in the region in the past 10 years?
“In the past 10 years, about 15 lions have been trophy hunted in the region.”
6. How many lions have been killed as problem animals in the region in the past 10 years? Of these, how many were killed firstly by community members/farmers, secondly by MET officials and thirdly by trophy hunters?
“In the past 10 years, ±17 have been killed due to HWC, of which six are by professional hunters with a MET permit, and the rest by the community. It is very possible that some cases are not reported to MET.”
Approaching Dr Flip Stander
And, of course, I approached researcher Dr Flip Stander, who is the leading light in this vital research project. It appears that he alone has the information I seek. I have never met Stander but have high regard for him. He is, by most accounts, totally committed to the cause and has dedicated his life to it. He is, however, a recluse operating in an extremely remote area and unfortunately did not reply to my emails – although his assistant did reply and promised feedback. I am still waiting, and recent reminders have been ignored.
♦ 47 collared lions died, of which 32 were killed by people – 20 as a result of HWC and 12 by trophy hunters. 77% of these lions killed were male.
♦ Stander collared 31 young male lions – of which only eight were alive at the date of the report – two adults and six young lions. Of these collared male lions, 19 were killed by people – 11 of those by trophy hunters. Of the trophy hunting killings, five were on quota permits, and the remaining six were so-called ‘problem animals’ – a gap in the legislation that permits communities to nominate ‘problem’ lions that trophy hunters are invited to kill. Stander’s comment in his report speaks volumes about this practice: “In all six cases, however, it is arguable whether the adult males that were shot were in fact the lions responsible for the killing of livestock.”
♦ Stander’s stats reflect a serious decline in the ratio of males to females, and he concludes: “The long-term viability of the Desert lion population has been compromised by the excessive killing of adult and sub-adult males. There is an urgent need to adapt the management and utilisation strategies relating to lions if the long-term conservation of the species in the Kunene were to be secured.”
And that is why I have been trying, since February, to obtain current statistics relating to male desert-adapted lions.
Spats with social media-empowered keyboard warriors have driven Stander even further underground. Judging by some of the comments I have seen on Facebook, some activists think that Stander should go beyond the clearly defined boundaries of his project and assist with hands-on human-wildlife conflict prevention and mitigation. Lack of engagement by anybody from his project has fed the flames and got some keyboard warriors all riled up – some have even accused him of colluding with MET to cause the downfall of these lions!
The activists and concerned citizens
I constantly engage with many activists and concerned citizens, who feed me with valuable raw information. Some Namibian-based activists have stepped into the breach by monitoring some of the lions and providing practical livestock protection assistance to communities. But these good people do so in their spare time and with limited resources.
Unfortunately, other activists simply feed the spiral of confusion and anger with their emotional outbursts and conspiracy theories. Others call for boycotts of Namibian tourism – clearly not the appropriate solution.
Approaching a community representative
I also approached a community representative who was referred to me as the go-to person in this regard. After a Facebook message promising feedback, he slipped off the radar and ignored all subsequent emails and Facebook requests for feedback.
Fundamental to understanding the Namibian situation is to respect the fact that rural Namibian communities are the key to solving this crisis. They have to live with dangerous animals in the neighbourhood – animals that threaten lives and livelihoods. For this problem to be overcome, the relevant communities have to see benefits that outweigh the costs and risks – their expectations are no different to yours and mine.
Conclusion
Despite the existence of a long-running research project, it would appear that the key decision-makers (MET) are flying blind, awarding trophy hunting permits without current desert lion population statistics. This is disappointing, considering the comparably stellar record that Namibia has with regard to increasing wildlife populations.
Most importantly, the vital support and understanding of some rural communities seem to be on the wane, as frustration leads to tension and even vigilantism – a clear and present threat to fragile desert-adapted lion populations and other species like cheetahs, rhinos and elephants. What a damming reflection on all concerned.
Cape leopards are extremely camera shy and rarely encountered. team AG recently met up with The Cape Leopard Trust to discover more about these big cats that are found in the remote Cape mountain ranges and how camera traps are revealing their secret lives to researchers.
Today there are approximately 30 – 35 adult male and female Cape leopards in a 3000km² area of the Cederberg Wilderness. Read more about them here.
A study by Martins (2011) in the Cederberg region showed that the leopards here utilise far larger home ranges (between 235 km² and 600 km²) than previously recorded and hence that they occur at lower population densities than previously thought. In the wetter, fynbos region of the western Cederberg Wilderness Area, as well as in the Boland mountains, leopards have somewhat smaller ranges compared to the drier Karoo areas, and the population density is therefore slightly higher.
There is no definitive total for leopard numbers in the Western Cape, however, data from recent leopard studies in three distinct mountain areas suggest that there are fewer than 1000 leopards in the Western Cape.
On 4 May 2017, the #CederbergProject was launched with a lengthy deployment of cameras for their long-awaited camera trap survey. This survey comprises 130 cameras at 65 paired stations in a 1625km² area of mainly fynbos habitat in the Cederberg Wilderness Area and adjacent private property.
To place these cameras, the team had to hike to remote locations, clocking long hours in the rugged Cederberg terrain. These camera traps will provide invaluable insights into the lives of these elusive cats and become great educational resources for their outreach programmes.
Who wouldn’t be inspired to protect and conserve the leopard after seeing this video from a Boland project camera trap!
The Cape Leopard Trust was launched in 2004 as an active predator conservation working group in the Cape. It uses research as a tool for conservation, finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict and inspiring interest in the environment through an interactive and dynamic environmental education programme.
The turquoise water teemed with tropical fish, palm trees swayed, and warm waves lapped at our toes on the sandy beach. We could easily have been on a beach in the Indian Ocean. But we were at Greystoke Mahale.
This lodge, inside Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, is on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It’s about halfway between the borders of Burundi and Zambia. Behind us, within hiking distance of the beach, loomed the foothills of the Mahale Mountains, covered in a mix of miombo woodland and rainforest.
Hidden beneath this canopy is a thriving population of wild chimpanzees.
Mahale Mountains is one of Africa’s few national parks that can be experienced only on foot. There is no single road in the 1,613km² of the park. Add to this the fact that the only way in or out of Mahale is by boat, and you begin to get an idea of the true remoteness of the place.
For those searching for an entirely new wilderness experience, there’s little to compare with the excitement and beauty of this remote park. Mahale is a long way off the beaten path, but the lake, the beaches, the extraordinary forest and – of course – the chimpanzees make it a journey well worth taking.
The shoreline of Lake Tanganyika is an area of great beauty. The lake is part of the western Rift Valley and has several million years of history. It’s the longest lake in the world (673km) and the second deepest (1,470m at its deepest point). Lake Tanganyika holds a staggering 17 percent of the world’s fresh water.
The lake water at Mahale is crystal clear and filled with an incredible array of tropical fish. There are about 250 species of cichlids in Lake Tanganyika, 98 percent of which are endemic to the lake. Although there are crocodiles in many places along the shore, they’re rare at Greystoke, so we could snorkel in the shallows quite safely.
However, we had come to the Mahale Mountains to see the chimpanzees, so we temporarily turned our backs on the lake and headed off into the hills. There are only two protected areas for chimpanzees in Tanzania. Gombe Stream National Park was made famous by researcher Jane Goodall. But Mahale is 50 times the size and infinitely more diverse.
The chimpanzee population in Mahale Mountains National Park is the world’s largest protected population of the eastern subspecies of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Thanks to the park’s size and remoteness, they are flourishing. Mahale has approximately 800 chimpanzees. However, only one group has been semi-habituated by humans and is regularly visited. This M group, of about 60 individuals, was the group we would look for.
If trekking five to six hours a day up steep inclines in humid jungle conditions is not for you, think carefully before deciding to visit Mahale! M group’s territory is approximately 39km² and covers beaches, lowland forest, hills and valleys, much of which is impenetrable to the average human tracker. The seasons determine where the chimps will be found. Different fruits ripen in different locations at different times. So, knowing what’s on the menu is essential.
Traditionally, the Batongwe and Holoholo people lived in the Mahale Mountains. They’d been there for hundreds – possibly thousands – of years and were highly attuned to the natural environment. They lived with minimal impact on the ecology and coexisted peacefully with the chimpanzees. They regarded them as ancestors and never hunted them for bushmeat.
When the Mahale Mountains National Park was established in 1985, about 35,000 people were relocated from the mountains into surrounding villages. In the formerly inhabited parts of Mahale, you can see the exotic and cultivated plants they left behind: palm trees (for oil), mangos, guavas and lemons. These trees form part of the diet of both the chimpanzees and some of the park’s other primates, including yellow baboons, vervet, red-tailed, and colobus monkeys (both the red and Angolan black-and-white colobus).
To prevent too much competition between the rapidly growing baboon population and the chimpanzees, the exotic trees weren’t eradicated when the people were moved away. Since the fruit trees are found mainly along the shoreline, chimpanzees regularly come down from the hills and dine right by the camps when the fruit is ripe.
On foot through the forests
Unfortunately, exotic fruits were not on M group’s shopping list during our time in Mahale. Consequently, day one was quite a long slog. Two hours of trekking uphill with Greystoke Mahale’s terrific trio, Mwiga, Mathius and Butati, had the group dripping with sweat. Some were wondering what they had signed up for, and one declared it was so humid he had developed a severe case of swamp ass.
But, nothing can adequately convey the adrenaline rush that kicked in when we first heard the calls of the chimpanzees. Heat, distance, aching legs, swampy asses – all was forgotten as the shrill cries echoed through the forest canopy. Redoubling our speed, with energy miraculously restored, we hurried on through the dense vegetation. Suddenly, there they were.
Our first sighting was of just three chimps: a mother, her baby and another female. We’d been too slow to catch the rest of the group. They’d been hunting red colobus monkeys and, after a successful hunt, had descended at speed back down the mountain we’d worked so hard to climb.
Fortunately, this group of three had remained, and we could sit and spend time watching them. Mum was eating the remains of the monkey carcass, and the baby was clearly bored. He swung in the trees, hanging first by one arm, then the other. He swung upside down, performing aerial somersaults, and occasionally reached out to touch the tail of the red colobus monkey that his mother was eating – a somewhat macabre choice of toy.
Spectators at a primal drama
After this tantalising taste, we didn’t see any chimpanzees for a few days. We swam, fished, snorkelled and kayaked while we waited for the trackers to find the elusive M group again. On day four, we finally got word that the trackers had located them. So, off we set up the mountains again.
This time, we knew what to expect, although it didn’t make it any easier. Again, we heard the spine-chilling screams and cries of the chimpanzees as they hunted another red colobus monkey. We listened to the whoops of excitement when the hunt was successful. This time, we reached them in time to witness group politics playing out.
The alpha male took possession of the kill, dragging the bedraggled corpse through the forest and across the riverbed. The others followed in hot pursuit. Some begged, others attempted to ingratiate themselves with him, and yet more pretended to be indifferent. Their tactics depended on their hierarchy in the tribe.
The alpha male had difficulty deciding whether to eat the kill or court one of the in-season females. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and this was proving a dilemma.
Time close to the chimps is limited to an hour to minimise interference and disturbance. But for us, time seemed to stand still. It felt like we had been with them both for two minutes and two hours. The adrenaline and excitement of the chase, followed by plenty of time to observe the group dynamics and get so close to so many different individuals, was simply amazing.
The secret life of chimpanzees
The researchers studying wild chimpanzees in Mahale since the 1960s depended on habituating the animals for much of their research. Initially, this was achieved by feeding them sugarcane and bananas. But, once reasonable levels of habituation were established, feeding was reduced. By 1987, it had been completely abandoned.
Now, researchers follow the chimpanzees as they range freely in the forest, monitoring their activities and social structure. Field research has also shed light on how our closest genetic relatives can cure some of their afflictions in the wild.
Chimps in Mahale use medicinal plants to treat a variety of ailments. For example, chimpanzees have been witnessed eating two different plants to treat themselves for roundworm. One plant contains a chemical that kills the worms. The other is a fibrous leaf that the chimps fold up accordion-style, swallow and excrete whole, physically scraping the worms from their intestines.
While chimpanzees are adept at treating several ailments with plant medicines, they aren’t immune to human disease, which has proven fatal in some cases. A few years ago, flu was transmitted from humans to chimpanzees, and a large number of the community died as a result. Now, anyone anywhere near the chimps must wear a surgical mask and refrain from eating or drinking. If unwell, you may not visit them at all.
You’re also supposed to keep a minimum distance of 10 metres from the chimpanzees at all times. However, this is sometimes proved difficult. M group was always on the move and showed a complete lack of interest in us, regularly passing and sitting very close by. One of our group was given a resounding thump by Christmas, one of the senior males, as he ran past her. Apparently, he was trying to reinforce his position in the clan. She had quite a bruise as a souvenir the next day. In another instance, Teddy, another male, quite literally sat on the foot of one of our group. Teddy was so close that the man couldn’t even focus his camera to photograph his new friend.
We’d been warned not to be startled or to run away if charged at by any of the chimps. While this was good advice, in theory, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Chimpanzees are about five times stronger than humans, so holding my ground as six young males came charging down the hill, whooping, screaming, chasing one another – and coming close enough to me that the hair on their bodies brushed against my bare legs – took considerable will power.
Descending from their night nests in the morning, chimpanzees feed on fruits, leaves, buds and blossoms. Once their appetites are sated, they become vocal. This is the best time to locate them. Rama, our knowledgeable guide at Kungwe Beach Lodge, informed us that we could expect to hear them at 10 am. Sure enough, we heard the first calls at 10:05.
Chimps are amongst the noisiest wild animals, which certainly made finding them in the dense undergrowth a little bit easier. We found a group of around 15 individuals in dense foliage. It was too dark, and the space was too confined for photography, but this was actually a good thing.
Putting aside cameras gave us time to focus on the behaviour and mannerisms of various individuals. We watched an infant playing with his elder sister. We laughed as we saw him practising being a grown-up, stamping the ground and doing mini displays with puny twigs and leaves. Then, some of the older males arrived, and we saw another side to them as they tickled and patted the infant in passing before settling down to groom each other.
Another day, another five hours of trekking. We had started on a visible path, but as soon as we heard the chimps vocalising – right on time at 10:01 – we veered sharply off the trail and spent at least two hours bush-bashing through decidedly prickly vines and thorny vegetation. Samjee, another of our guides, took the lead and got busy with a machete, hacking a trail through the undergrowth.
We spent large sections of that day on our hands and knees, crawling under bushes and scrabbling through dense undergrowth. We even used vines like ropes where there was no other possible route. When we first heard the vocalisations of the chimpanzees that morning, they were celebrating another successful monkey hunt. But, by the time we reached them, there was no sign of the meat.
Many of the group were high up in the trees, and we only caught glimpses of them. So, we sat down and focused on the ten or so individuals on the ground nearby. Chimpanzees use a complicated system of sounds to communicate with one another. They accompany this with much touching, hand-holding, grooming, and even kissing. This was our last day in Mahale, and we enjoyed observing the group relaxing in the shadows.
A pair of surprise sightings
When it was time to leave, we reluctantly returned to the lodge. But Mahale hadn’t finished with us yet. Halfway back to camp, we came across a lone female chimpanzee and her baby in a tree beside the trail. We enjoyed another half an hour watching them.
The baby bounced up and down on branches, trying his best to intimidate us. Then, like a child with ADHD losing concentration, he performed some daredevil midair stunts. Suddenly remembering us again, he’d quickly do some more practice displaying. We could have watched him for hours. We returned to camp bruised, battered, and bleeding – but very, very happy.
Mondays and Thursdays are rest days for the chimps; no visitors go trekking on those days. This coincides with the twice-weekly flights in and out of the Mahale airstrip (a 90-minute boat ride away from the lodges). So, we spent our last morning on the lake in a wooden dhow.
It was cool, with no hint of the heat and humidity to come later in the day. While there are lions, zebras, giraffes, roans, sables, and hartebeest on the other side of the mountains, we, like most people, wouldn’t get that far.
However, we did see hippos, palm-nut vultures, and violet-backed starlings (new to us). And then—to round off a perfect morning—a leopard on the beach. He sat calmly on the sand, watching us pass by, looking like a cat who had just lapped from the gigantic saucer that is Lake Tanganyika.
Where to stay in Mahale
Greystoke Mahale
Greystoke Mahale sits on a pristine, white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains rising behind.
It has just six en-suite wood and thatch bandas set on the forest’s edge. The rooms are tucked back into the forest line so that your only view is of the beach and the lake beyond. They’re also made almost entirely from sustainable materials sourced on Lake Tanganyika.
The central mess is the only structure on the beach, and days start there, eating breakfast while waiting to hear news of the chimps. Evenings end with sundowners on the rocks of the headland, where drinks are served around the lamp-lit bar.
Kungwe Beach Lodge
Kungwe Beach Lodge sits on a stretch of secluded golden beach surrounded by the dramatic mountain range and crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika.
On a gentle boat safari down the lake, you may encounter crocodiles, hippos and otters and an abundance of birdlife. Test your skills against the local methods of freshwater fishing and explore the lake on a kayak, or spend the day relaxing on the beach.
Enjoy a sundowner around a crackling fire in the evening while the sun slowly dips down over the mountains. This romantic getaway is the perfect blend of comfort and luxury.
About the Author
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain guide, traveller, and mother of two. When not climbing, she also owns and operates a 3,000-hectare cattle ranch in central Zambia.
She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, Turkey, and Uganda, and takes travellers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.
Located in southeastern Ethiopia, 400km from Addis Ababa, the Bale Mountains are a landscape created by volcanic fires and shaped by glacial ice.
The highlands are almost always ringed by clouds and covered in mist, rain or sleet. Giant lobelia plants stand guard over the undulating plateau and its numerous glacial lakes and swamps. You are surrounded on all sides by volcanic ridges and peaks.
Only about 200 people a year trek in the Bale Mountains, and given the recent unrest in Ethiopia tourist numbers nationwide are drastically down; so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
We didn’t see another trekker for the week we spent in the park, and if it hadn’t been quite so cloudy when we climbed to the top of Tullu Demtu (Ethiopia’s second-highest mountain at 4,377m) I know there wouldn’t have been another person below us in this spectacular, ethereal landscape for as far as the eye could see.
Averaging 4,000m above sea level there is nowhere else like it on the African continent, a place where natural selection has been hard at work; plants, animals and birds have all been fine-tuned to withstand the extremes of temperature, oxygen depletion, fierce winds and extreme ultraviolet radiation.
The result has been the creation of an ecosystem that is one of those rare and rarefied places, where many of the things that live here are found nowhere else. There are more animals unique to these mountains than just about anywhere else on the planet!
The Bale Highlands are home to 20 endemic Ethiopian mammals (five of which, including the magnificent and endangered mountain nyala, are found only here), 12 endemic amphibians, 12 reptiles, 16 endemic birds and all the Bale monkeys and big-headed mole-rats in the world.
The Bale Mountains are rated one of the four top birding spots in Africa and it is easy to see why, with such rare birds as the blue-winged goose, Abyssinian catbird, spot-breasted plover and Abyssinian ground-hornbill to be seen.
Ethiopia has more than 860 species of bird, 283 of which are found in the Bale Mountains and 16 of which are endemic to these highlands.
Mountain nyala
In 1969, 215,000 hectares of the Bale Mountains were declared a National Park and in 2009 nominated as a World Heritage site. But Bale is not a national park in the normal western understanding of the concept.
Somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 people live within the park’s boundaries, divided between local villagers in the Harrena forest and pastoralists tending cattle, sheep and horses on the Senetti Plateau. Stock numbers now exceed the sustainable utilisation of the fragile moorlands, threatening the food source of the rodents, who are in turn the principal food source of all the carnivores, including the Ethiopian wolf.
The star of the Bale show is undoubtedly the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis). With its thick, brick red coat on top and white belly below, its narrow snout and lithe body, it looks more like a large fox or a jackal than a wolf. The afro-alpine zone of the park is home to about half of the world’s total population of between 400 and 450 Ethiopian wolves – this is the rarest canid on the planet and Africa’s most endangered carnivore.
An even bigger threat to the wolves than the shortage of rodents to eat is the presence of several thousand domestic dogs in the park. These dogs are carriers of rabies and interact openly with the wolves. In 2010 rabies and distemper killed 106 of the wolves (about 40% of the Bale population at the time) and again in 2014 between 30 and 50% of the parks wolves were killed by rabies.
The numbers have recovered slightly now, due to a rabies vaccination project and the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project, which attempts to vaccinate 4000 domestic dogs, and all of the wolves in the park annually. We were lucky to see twelve wolves during our time in the park and also met some of the researchers working with the conservation project as they walked the plateau making notes on the wolves they saw.
Conservationists worry that if a viable solution is not found and efforts to control the unsustainable exploitation of the park’s natural resources are not successful, that not only the Ethiopian wolf but a number of other rare and endangered animals in Bale will vanish.
A week was barely long enough to do justice to this beautiful park. We trekked across approximately one-third of the park, starting in the tiny rural town of Dinsho, crossing the Senetti Plateau and finishing in the Harrena Forest. It was a ‘rustic’ style trip, food was basic, to say the least, our cook had a repertoire that consisted solely of rice with cabbage or pasta with tomato sauce, and we ate these dishes with regular monotony; always knowing that whichever we ate for lunch, the other would, without fail, appear at dinner!
The accommodation was tents, which were tiny but snug and warm and many mornings we awoke to find it covered with a layer of ice. This was an amazing opportunity to visit Ethiopia’s most important biodiversity hotspot and see some of the rarest creatures in the world.
Witnessing the birth of a wild animal is an incredibly rare and special event. Imagine the excitement when guests on safari at Nsefu Camp in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park could watch a spotted hyena giving birth.
A new hyena den was discovered near the camp recently, and while guests were admiring the pack of hyenas going about the family business, their guide, Julius, realised that one female was in the process of giving birth. The incredible arrival of three healthy hyena cubs followed, right before the guests’ wide eyes.
The proud mum briefly took her young cubs into the den before emerging with them again. Almost instantly, the three new siblings started testily sizing each other up to see who was king of the hill while the adults all watched on, seemingly entertained by the newcomers and their antics.
Female hyena anatomy – it’s no laughing matter
While any animal birth is awe-inspiring in its own way, hyena births are particularly interesting and, quite frankly, a little bizarre. We might know the hyena for its infamous ‘laugh’, but the female hyena anatomy is definitely no laughing matter.
Spotted hyenas live in a clan dominated by one female, known as the matriarch, and all females outrank males. While this is quite unusual in the animal kingdom, there is a good reason why girl power rules the hyena clans. Female hyenas have three times more testosterone in their bodies than their male counterparts! This results in them being more muscular and more aggressive. And, as if that wasn’t enough, it also causes the hyena females to grow a pseudo-penis!
This makes it incredibly difficult to differentiate between male and female hyenas. The females don’t have external vaginas and urinate through their pseudo-penises, just like the male hyenas. And, in case you were wondering, yes, they are capable of an erection.
Keen on an African safari? We have a range of ready-made options and our safari experts will also build one just for you.
Hardcore hyena moms
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any weirder, the poor female hyenas need to give birth through their pseudo-penis. No surprise here, but it’s quite a painful process for the mother and often tragic for her babies.
Hyenas usually bear litters of two to four cubs, but sadly about 60% of them suffocate on their way out. The mothers are also in danger as the birth canal is only an inch in diameter, often making the birthing process fatal, as evidenced by the high death rate for first-time mothers.
Cuddly cubs
Interestingly, the spotted hyena cubs are born with their eyes open, contrary to the other two species (the striped hyenas and brown hyenas). The hyena cubs will suckle for as long as 12 to 18 months, which is unusually long for carnivores.
At about 5 months old, they will begin to snack on meat from kills near the den. Then when they are about a year old, cubs begin to follow their mothers on their hunting and scavenging forays. Until then, they are left behind at the den with a babysitting adult.
It’s rare and wonderful sightings like witnessing the birth of hyena cubs that make the South Luangwa National Park such a epic safari destination.
The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s flagship national park. Wherever you are in the world, if you’re even remotely interested in the safari experience in Africa, you’ve likely heard of the Kruger. It offers a wilderness safari experience that is right up there with the best that Africa has to offer. There’s so much to see and so many adventures to be had in Kruger, that it’s always helpful to figure out what kind of safari experience you want before embarking on the trip of a lifetime!
That’s why this article is a must-read for all first-time visitors to the greater Kruger National Park area, and repeat visitors keen for a change. Essentially, there are two options for your safari to this area: a lodge-based safari in some of the Greater Kruger’s more luxurious safari lodges, or a self-drive visit to the adjacent national park, overnighting inside the park in the traditional chalets or camping facilities offered by SANParks.
By looking at some of the advantages of both options, you can make an informed decision before embarking on one of the greatest journeys of your life to one of the best safari destinations Africa has to offer!
Private Kruger lodges
My wife and I are experienced safari-goers, having travelled to most national parks in southern Africa (the whole spectrum, from luxury lodging to wilderness camping). We recently headed to the Greater Kruger region to experience a lodge-based safari to refresh our minds about why we love this special wilderness area of Africa so much. We visited two very different lodges, each with its unique appeal – and each reminded us why this is such a fantastic option for safari-goers.
The first lodge we stayed was called Rhino Post Safari Lodge, which also has Rhino Walking Safaris’ Plains Camp, where we stayed for two nights. These lodges are inside the national park, and the focus here is on delivering a great bushwalking safari – highly recommended. Although we were lucky enough to spot lions, cheetahs, rhinos, a large herd of buffalo and a whole host of other game on foot, it dawned on me that it’s the finer details that matter most when considering this type of safari.
You’re gifted with the time to better understand how the bush functions, the circle of life in Africa and the fascinating biodiverse ecosystems that play host to these special animals – all of which are a privilege to see in the wild. Only a few special places in Africa offer such authentic, wild bushwalking experiences, and this is one of them. The opportunity to learn about the African bushveld, while being in the heart of one of Africa’s most precious wilderness areas is extraordinary. That is something you can experience first-hand when staying at a lodge.
We then spent two nights at Umlani Bush Camp, in the prestigious Timbavati Private Game Reserve, which is famous for excellent game viewing. There’s no electricity here, although there is a generator for power to charge your devices and for limited wifi access, and lighting is done with lanterns, which adds to the charm and makes for a romantic setting. Here we had the chance to sit back, relax and unwind with a magnificent view of the wild Kruger as we watched elephants and other wildlife make their way past the camp from our viewing deck.
This is a different kind of wilderness experience, being an eco-lodge run almost entirely off the grid and well off the beaten path of the tourist routes. If you consider that the national park attracts roughly half a million tourists every year, why not be one of the tourists that escape the crowds? That’s the experience that Umlani – and indeed many of the other private lodges in the Great Kruger – offers travellers seeking personal, intimate experiences in wild places.
So, why would you consider visiting a lodge instead of exploring the Kruger on a self-drive basis? As a first-time traveller to South Africa, it’s definitely worth the money to spend a few nights at a lodge. Firstly, everything is catered for, and you are treated like royalty. The food and accommodation are excellent, the service is five-star, and the rangers who guide you on the safari are incredibly professional and knowledgeable. You are guaranteed to have some excellent sightings, and you might even be lucky enough to see all of the Big 5, including the ever-elusive leopard.
To drive around in an open game-viewing vehicle, exploring the small gravel tracks, and taking in the sights, sounds and smells of nature is good soul food.
What’s nice about the game drives is that no more than three vehicles are allowed at a sighting. The pressure and human interference with the animals are kept to an absolute minimum and guests are ensured excellent viewing opportunities. The rangers are also allowed to go off-road, which provides good sightings.
Also, if you’re a first-time visitor to the park, the expert bush knowledge of the highly professional guides and staff at the lodges is invaluable in creating those unique, wild memories of your first Kruger experience.
Lodges offer the traveller a luxury experience, with fantastic food, excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities and five-star service and accommodation. This is the kind of safari experience that is guaranteed to stay with you for a lifetime.
Find out about the Greater Kruger for your next African safari. You can choose a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
Self-drive Kruger safari
So, after touching on the fantastic safari you can experience at a lodge, why would you even consider a self-drive Kruger National Park safari?
Because a self-drive and self-catering Kruger safari has so much to offer the wild traveller! The Kruger boasts an incredible array of activities, including self-drives, guided game drives and night drives, guided bush walks and wilderness trails, and even mountain biking, to name a few. There’s also a whole range of accommodation options, including guesthouses, chalets, bush camps and rustic camping. These might not be as luxurious as the private lodge options, but they offer a completely different experience – one that is more rustic, intimate and authentically Kruger, taking you back in time to when the park was first opened to tourists in the early 1900s.
The Kruger is an incredible place, and the diversity of game and different habitats from north to south is astounding. There’s an excellent road network in a wilderness area of two million hectares, which is about the size of Israel!
I have thought a lot about the Kruger self-drive experience and what makes this flagship national park stand out for me. Yes, it can be busy with other tourists, and there may be some traffic jams at sightings, but there are also real wilderness areas and roads with meagre traffic numbers, especially in the north. Even on the busy roads, it is still a unique wilderness and a privilege to enjoy.
So what makes the Kruger self-drive experience so unique?
I don’t think there are a lot of places where you can still take a map, plan a route and travel through Big 5 country on your own, on your own timing. The choice of where your adventure takes you is in your own hands. That freedom to explore this magnificent wilderness is, for me, the quintessential Kruger experience.
With such a vast wilderness to explore and with enough time, a Kruger self-drive could give you the strongest sense of freedom you’ve felt in a long time.
I often think that in our busy lives in the 21st century, we all miss the adventure of life—we all long to reconnect with the wild and to have our hearts filled. That’s exactly what a safari to the Kruger offers and is something I feel each time I visit—that sense of fulfilment, that re-connection. That’s something to consider if you’re considering a safari trip to Africa. The Kruger will give you that. How you experience it is up to you.
Find out about the Greater Kruger for your next African safari. You can choose a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anton lives in Pretoria, South Africa, and works in his family’s property development and investment business. He and his wife, Renate, both have a passion for wildlife, with a particular interest in birds.
Some pressure groups regularly call to boycott tourism in certain African countries, reacting to the death of animals that could conceivably have been prevented.
This is particularly so when the animals are hunted or culled or when the government in question has been slow in preventing human-wildlife conflict situations that result in the death of animals. And the resulting angst is magnified when a charismatic, named animal dies.
I disagree with the strategy to boycott tourism. After personally engaging with several pressure groups over the years, I thought I would summarise my basic counterargument in this opinion editorial.
The logic seems to be that threatening the government’s treasured tourism revenue streams will convince them to change their ways, thereby saving the animals. This logic does not hold up to scrutiny because damaging the tourism industry will result in:
1. Fewer people being employed in tourism, and those in rural areas (where the animals are and where there is little scope for alternative employment) could then turn to some form of wildlife extraction (as they did in the past) to meet their basic needs. Habitats will be modified to suit cattle and goats and tolerance of wild animals, which are often a threat to lives and livelihoods, will disappear. In other words, more animals will die, and ecosystems will be damaged.
2. Less tourism revenue for government coffers, and the resultant need to switch to alternative revenue streams in order to keep the lights on – such as hunting, mining, fishing, logging etc. In other words, more animals will die, and ecosystems will be ruined.
And so, the call for tourism boycotts to save animals is logically flawed.
The personal dimension
All of us who care react emotionally when confronted with upsetting imagery and seek the end of the carnage. And herein lies the rub – most calls to boycott tourism come from a deeply personal place, and the call for a boycott is really saying, ‘if you don’t change your ways to reflect my personal ideology, I will take you down’.
This is where some people lose the plot and cross the line into hypocrisy. Many of those who argue aggressively to boycott tourism are from the Western world, where most wildlife has been removed, and the countryside has been tamed and turned into wealth that provides a comfortable lifestyle, free of the daily issues that plague most African countries. There seems to be a pervading view amongst this sect of people that Africa should be a wild and undeveloped place so that they can feel at peace with life.
Some of this personal bias is because of the ongoing ‘Disneyfication’ of Africa, where mainstream media portrays Africa as having two dimensions: On the one hand, we have sprawling human poverty, and on the other hand, we have pristine wilderness sans humans, where animals roam freely.
Here at Africa Geographic, we host active discussions on a 24/7 basis that stem from our articles. And so often, the reaction on Facebook to tragic news such as R.I.P Tullamore, the last lion of the 5 Musketeers is: “What are humans doing there in the first place? They should be removed!”.
The inconvenient truth, of course, is that humans live in these vast areas where lions and elephants roam and have done so since before the Western world was ravaged by humans. Humans are expanding their ranges in Africa, as they are doing all over the world, and human-wildlife conflict is increasing. We need solutions for that, and boycotting the entire tourism industry is not one of those solutions.
This might come as a shock to those who have grown up believing in a ‘Disney’ Africa and who think that entire countries should bow to their personal demands. There is a really big need in the Western world, particularly among social media activists, for education about the real Africa.
During a recent Facebook discussion with a person from Europe – who called for boycotts of Namibia because of the named lion Tullamore’s death (refer to the link above) – I questioned whether they had called for boycotts of their own country because it voted at the recent CITES Council of the Parties conference in favour of trade in ivory, baby elephants and lion parts. Their reaction? “My country does not have safaris, so we cannot boycott them.” Such is the depth of their Western world indoctrination about Africa.
The best way to build up any African country’s wildlife and ecosystems is to help them justify to their people why these animals should be tolerated and that the ecosystems should not be turned to pasture for cattle and goats. Tourism is a massive part of that process. Yes, many African countries have corruption problems, and many are not very efficient in carrying out their duties, but name one country in the world that is free of these issues. Just one.
Madikwe Game Reserve is a special place with such a high diversity of animals that one just never knows what’s in store for a group of photographers. Written by Francois van Heerden (photographic guide)
And this Africa Geographic safari was no different! On our very first drive, we set out eagerly to see what the reserve had to offer – and found the elusive wild dogs!
“Leopard Rock was excellent, extremely homely and friendly. Francois was brilliant, offering great photographic advice and really doing his best to show us as much as possible. Incredibly knowledgeable.” ~ comment and photograph by Bruce Braithwaite
Earlier that morning, the pack managed to corner a big bull kudu, but this kudu did not back down and fought for his life – until the dogs (and the kudu) were so exhausted that there was a stalemate. We thought the kudu might get away as the dogs moved off later that afternoon, but the next morning, we found out that the wild dogs’ persistence had paid off, and they had managed to overpower the kudu.
On the next two drives, we saw two separate male lion coalitions, brown hyenas (always a highlight), and loads of general game, including herds of elephant at the lodge waterhole, which offered perfect photographic opportunities.
Our plan for the second afternoon was to head to the river for some bird photography. But any good plan can be turned on its head, and we found ourselves watching herd after herd of elephants coming down to the river to drink.
We stayed with the elephants in lovely back-lit conditions, practising our photography skills in the tricky light.
“We had a fantastic time in Madikwe, and Francois is an amazing guide. Everything there was absolutely perfect, including our involuntary encounter with a black mamba.”~ comment and photograph by Robert Leder
The next morning of our Madikwe safari, as the sun was rising, we set out to find the wild dogs again, and luckily, we did! Eventually, we realised that they were heading back to their kudu kill, which we had heard had attracted spotted hyenas. Realising we might see some predator interaction, we followed the wild dogs with anticipation.
We positioned ourselves in a good spot close to the hyenas and waited for the dogs. At first, they stood a distance away, but after a while, they built up the courage and came running in with a high-pitched chattering – trying to intimidate the hyenas off the carcass.
The dogs managed to corner one hyena, but the rest just stood their ground close to the kill. The hyenas had the upper hand, with numbers on their side, and eventually the dogs left the hyenas with the carcass.
After that, we continued following the dogs until we lost sight of them in some very thick bush. In awe and full memory cards, we stopped for a mug of warm coffee.
As if we couldn’t get any luckier, after coffee, we saw two cheetahs posing nicely on top of a termite mound. We took the opportunity to photograph them from various angles and compositions.
The last evening was spent with a lovely braai under a star-lit sky, reminiscing about our exciting week of photography and game viewing, celebrating the formation of new friendships and the creation of long-lasting memories.
Find out about Madikwe for your next African safari. You can choose a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
Tullamore, the last of the famous ‘5 musketeers’ desert-adapted lions of northern Namibia, has been killed in the Okongue area, along with a lioness and two cubs, in the ongoing battle between rural cattle farmers and free-roaming lions. The lions were poisoned. Tullamore was the last surviving member of a group of 5 desert-adapted lions made famous by the movie ‘The Vanishing Kings’.
Since Vanishing Kings was made, Tullamore’s 4 musketeer comrades were all killed by farmers – three were poisoned, and one was shot in 2016. Tullamore was then moved to the Okongue area for his own safety. He then became the dominant male of a new pride, some of whom were killed with him in this latest incident. Both Tullamore and the lioness carried collars, which were allegedly burned after the killings. The killings may have happened a while ago, as Tullamore was reported missing by researcher Flip Stander in early April.
Records dating back to 1934 reflect these big cats inhabiting the northern Namib desert along the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. It was then observed that desert-adapted lions were common in the coastal mountains and riverbeds between the lower Kuiseb River and the Kunene River. They were believed to be plentiful in the Kaokoveld and along the Kunene valley. The Skeleton Coast National Park was proclaimed in 1967, and since then, Namibian desert-adapted lions have been put on the map as an iconic species of this unique desert region.
Today, the population of an estimated 150 lions is under pressure from human influence, with human-lion conflict the primary threat.
For more information about Namibia’s desert-adapted lions and to view a gallery of photos, click here.
Niassa Wilderness, one of Africa’s last true wilderness areas, is driving a brave new conservation model to protect this iconic paradise. Read the full story here.
“Are we seriously landing there?” The Cessna Caravan was heading towards a massive rocky dome, and what appeared to be a short dirt track in a dense sea of woodland. But, as we skimmed over a wide sandy riverbed, the track morphed into a landing strip. We bumped down and taxied to a halt. Paradise found. Niassa.
This landscape leaves me speechless. ‘Jurassic’ is possibly the best way to describe it. Yet, there is so much more to it than that. There is a powerful presence here, a heady blend of raw fecundity and ancient whispers that sets this vast landscape apart. This is how Africa used to be before it was colonised and reshaped.
This was my second visit to paradise. I was here to assist a special group of conservationists who are preserving the largest concession within Niassa National Reserve for the Mozambican people.
Stepping out of the Cessna and into the baking November heat, we were met by Director of Conservation and Law Enforcement Derek Littleton and his able team. Later that evening, Derek explained to our film and photographic crew that Niassa Wilderness is a privately managed concession within the Niassa National Reserve, comprising over 10 percent of the entire reserve.
The logistical realities of patrolling such a vast area are immense, especially during the rainy season when large parts of the reserve are flooded, making them inaccessible to all but determined poachers. During our brief visit, we came to appreciate how difficult the task is. This is illustrated by the plight of the elephants in the massive and remote 42,000 km² Niassa National Reserve. Rampant commercial poaching has caused elephant populations across the reserve to plummet by more than 70 per cent. In 2012 there were 12,000 elephants here; in 2016 only 3,500 remained.
At 4,450 km², the newly named Niassa Wilderness is the largest of 17 concessions in the national reserve. It hosts 20 percent of the entire elephant population and the largest number of intact breeding herds and mature bulls.
In 2000, Niassa Wilderness (then called Lugenda Wildlife Reserve, or ‘Luwire’) became the first concession in the reserve to be allocated and subsequently funded by a private investor. Since then, it has operated as a responsible trophy hunting concession.
A luxury photographic tourism lodge, Lugenda Wilderness Camp, was built in 2006 but closed at the end of 2015 to focus on anti-poaching efforts. It now serves as Niassa Wilderness HQ and as a venue for hosting donors and media teams. Due to the increase in elephant poaching, all elephant trophy hunting was voluntarily brought to a halt from 2012.
The new Board of Directors has decided to phase out all hunting and source funds from donors to fund anti-poaching efforts instead. The new funding model ensures authentic community inclusion and that 100 percent of donor funding will go into conservation and community activities. The Board of Directors serves voluntarily, and advice and assistance are drawn from a network of similarly philanthropic professionals.
One warm evening around the campfire, Derek explained the added level of complexity that makes this task so difficult. About 35,000 people are living in 40 villages inside the national reserve. Niassa Wilderness incorporates seven of those villages.
These isolated people have no access to jobs and have historically eked out a subsistence lifestyle from the bush. They fish, gather honey and hunt for bushmeat, skins and ivory. They also grow tobacco and food crops, which are raided daily by wild animals. Villagers are frequently attacked and sometimes killed, by crocodiles, hippos, elephants and lions.
In short, wildlife for these people represents either food or danger. Therein lies the conservation challenge. And, now that poaching has moved beyond subsistence levels into commercial operations, the challenge is exponentially more significant.
As we listened to a lion groan from somewhere in the pitch darkness, Derek remarked that he has a team of only 40 anti-poaching staff. That’s one person for every 11,250 hectares. To even begin to assert themselves on poachers, he’ll need a minimum crew of 75 people – one for every 6,000 hectares. This stark statistic puts the situation and his ambitions into sharp relief.
Trophy hunting in the concession has been strictly controlled and sustainably managed. It used to serve the vital role of preventing all but subsistence poaching. But, even a well-run hunting operation has been powerless to stop the rampant commercial poaching that has hammered elephant populations in recent years. Derek and his team now plan to increase the level of protection activities significantly. They also want to involve communities in the drive to purge the reserve of poachers.
The need for more military-style protection was driven home to me during a lengthy drive along rutted dirt roads to visit one of the seven villages within the concession. Brian Johnson, who manages the current trophy hunting activities, was at the wheel. I asked him why hunting is better than photographic tourism in keeping poachers at bay.
“Look,” he said bluntly, “a bunch of macho hunters packing 375s is a bigger threat to poachers than a carload of tourists packing Nikons.”
There you have it.
One evening, I was enjoying a spectacular African sunset on the banks of the Lugenda River with the new Niassa Wilderness CEO Greg Reis, a trusted and valued friend of long-standing. He shared his hopes for the future with me.
“We’re phasing out hunting in favour of donor funding,” said Greg. And we’ve made the communities and wildlife the beneficiaries of the trust. Our entire team, from the Board of Directors to management and dedicated hard-working anti-poaching rangers, has decided to be on the right side of history, to put Niassa before short-term monetary gain.”
He paused. “Now, surely, is the time for the anti-hunting fraternity to get behind this brave project. This is one of Africa’s last true wilderness areas, with excellent intact habitat. However, wildlife suffers under the massive pressure of poaching.
“We need funds to bring more local people from our communities onto the right side, to give them reason to protect wild animals and their environment. It’s time to move beyond words; it’s time to make a real difference.”
Perhaps one day Niassa too will offer adventurous travellers the opportunity to experience true African wilderness. Until then, the brave and visionary Niassa Wilderness team will hold the fort. Will you help them? A luta continua!
Niassa Wilderness would not be possible without the vision and significant investment of Adel Aujan, a businessman who fell in love with Niassa. He was the first to sign up for an initial 25-year lease on the concession, and to invest in the reserve. Aujan passed away in January 2017, but his family continues their involvement in Niassa Wilderness.
IT’S ALL ABOUT CO-OPERATION
The Mozambican government manages its protected areas via the National Conservation Areas Authority (ANAC), which provides the legal framework for conservation activities in Niassa.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), working closely with ANAC, has overall management responsibility for Niassa Reserve and, amongst other things, provides vital coordination between the various concession holders in the reserve.
Vast wild areas like Niassa are best managed in close collaboration with neighbours who will support you while you do the same for them. Niassa Wilderness continues to work closely in partnership with neighbouring Niassa Reserve properties Mariri and Chuilexi, a formal alliance established from 2016, that serves all parties well.
Size Niassa National Reserve: 42,000 km² / 4,2 million hectares. (Twice the size of South Africa’s Kruger National Park.) Niassa Wilderness (concession within the reserve): 4,450 km² / 445,000 hectares.
Location Northern Mozambique, bordering Tanzania.
Habitat Miombo woodland, granite inselbergs, open savannah, wetlands, river floodplains and riverine forest.
Wildlife 350 African wild dogs (significant in relation to the global population of an estimated 6,600 adults). Endemic species:Niassa wildebeest, Boehm’s zebra, and Johnston’s impala.
Elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, leopard, hippo, crocodile, sable antelope, Lichtenstein hartebeest, Livingstone’s eland, common reedbuck, klipspringer and others. Over 400 bird species.
Simon Espley is an African of the digital tribe, a chartered accountant and CEO of Africa Geographic. He travels extensively in Africa, seeking wilderness, real people and elusive birds.
ET the aardvark was found and brought to me at ZURI Orphanage, situated outside Tsumeb, Namibia, in August 2015. Small and alien-like in appearance, ET settled in quickly with life on the farm. Told by Erika de Jager and written by Nina Joubert
We have a house full of cats and dogs but settling in an aardvark was a completely different experience. There is very little written about aardvarks, so we had to learn as we went along.
After a month, ET became strong enough to go for walks with the dogs on the farm.
Gradually he started digging and especially loved old aardvark holes. He got more inquisitive by the day, teaching himself how to eat and walk around the house. That’s when he moved into my bottom kitchen cupboard.
ET has a very playful personality, and I got to experience it every day. I loved playing games with him. Eventually, he got too energetic for us to handle in the house, so we started leaving him by an old aardvark gat (burrow).
Here he learned what it meant to be an aardvark in the wild. It was nice to see him adapt to a more normal aardvark life. We fetched him in the morning because it gave me peace of mind. In my eyes, he was still the little aardvark that was given a second chance at life and I wanted to be sure that he would be safe.
Every morning we tracked him to his hole and I would stand outside with a bowl of his cereal in hand and call his name. Soon enough, a little nose would appear from the burrow. I will never forget these mornings when we waited in anticipation for him to make his appearance.
Eventually, it wasn’t necessary to track him anymore as one night in February ET made a surprise appearance on our stoep (veranda). There he was, back home all the way from his burrow almost two kilometres away!
I immediately made him a bowl of cereal, and he ate it happily. Since that night, ET has been coming almost every night. Sometimes he doesn’t come, and I start to think the worst. Then he appears again and we see that he has been walking around with another set of aardvark footprints…
I cannot explain the different emotions I feel when I see ET. We formed a bond. He comes when I call him, but I can see that he is getting wilder every day. He is skittish around new people, and when we are having a braai (barbecue) with friends, he doesn’t come at all.
Other times he comes earlier than expected and if I haven’t put out his cereal yet he pushes against my bedroom door to let me know that he is here. This never ceases to bring me joy.
Every time I see him, it is magic, and every time he leaves I’m a little sad. But his visits reassure me that he is doing good.
So many people know so little about these creatures, including ourselves, and ET became an ambassador of sorts. He gave us a glimpses into the life of an aardvark and us the opportunity to see this amazing animal up close.
Have a look at ZURI’s Facebook page to see updates on ET and the other animals in their care at the orphanage.
A large leadwood tree near Nandzana waterhole in South Africa’s Kruger National Park contains a much sought-after nest cavity that has been used by a range of species over the years. Here, I witnessed a titanic battle between a squirrel and a parrot. Written and photographed by Andre Botha
Lilac-breasted rollers, pearl-spotted owlets, yellow-billed hornbills, glossy starlings and tree squirrels have been recorded using this cavity for nesting or roosting. Sought-after real estate!
One winter morning, I witnessed a tussle between one of the current occupants of the nest, a pair of brown-headed parrots, and a tree squirrel that dared to venture too close to the nest.
Fortunately, the parrot was too quick and evaded serious damage, whereas the squirrel’s tail looked quite the worse for wear. It eventually scuttled down the tree and out of sight.
We stood on the rim of the caldera, the immense volcanic amphitheatre of the Cirque de Mafate, on the French island of Réunion. As far as the eye could see sheer walls of lush green vegetation encircled the seemingly endless and mythical world before us.
Technically part of France, yet sitting in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Réunion is a land of contrasts. The perimeter of the island is hot and sunny, with sandy beaches and warm water. Whereas the mountainous interior boasts the highest point in the Indian Ocean, Piton des Neiges, and is cool, damp and regularly shrouded in clouds.
A huge part of Réunion’s appeal is found high above sea level, inside the towering volcanic calderas left behind from the island’s violent volcanic history. These calderas, or cirques, offer amazing hiking opportunities and have more than 1,000 kilometres of hiking trails.
Cirque de Mafate, on the rim of which we now stood, was formed when the magma chamber of Piton des Neiges, or ‘snow peak’, collapsed some three million years ago, and is unique in that the entire cirque, which contains over 200km of hiking trails, has no roads and is accessible only by foot or helicopter.
The name ‘Mafate’ comes from the Malagasy word ‘mahafaty’, which means ‘lethal’ or ‘the one who kills’, an allusion to the difficulty in accessing this cirque.
The first settlers arrived in Mafate’s lush volcanic crater in the 18th century. Today, Mafate’s roughly 800 inhabitants (known as Mafatais) live in tiny villages called îlets, a local Creole word that comes from the French, îlots, meaning ‘islands of greenery’. Approximately ten villages in the cirque consist of just a handful of colourful, tin-roofed houses. There is no electricity or water grid in the entire (approximately 100km²) valley.
Doctors, police officers, teachers or foresters, if or when needed, either have to hike in or be brought in by helicopter and the same for the residents’ provisions. In 2010, UNESCO designated Mafate (as well as Réunion’s two other, more accessible cirques and all the island’s pitons and ramparts) as a World Heritage site, and this has led to an increase in tourism in the area.
You could spend days hiking the network of beautiful trails covering Réunion Island, visiting rainforests, volcanoes and waterfalls while camping out or staying with local villagers in mountain gîtes (small cabins). Many people do multi-day or even week-long hikes through the cirques, but sadly, as we were challenged for time, our only option was a day hike down into Mafate.
Hiking is an excellent way to experience this wild and isolated area, though the hundreds of kilometres of trails are definitely not for those suffering from vertigo and should not be hiked alone. Fortunately, I was accompanied by Nico, a local Réunionese guide, who not only knew the way but also filled me in on all kinds of information as we descended through the gathering clouds and headed off into the wilderness of Réunion Island.
The amphitheatre-shaped valley is accessible from a half-dozen trailheads, some leading over steep mountain passes, others along rivers and gullies, which lead to the network of narrow hiking trails that connect the hamlets. We planned a steep, sharp descent to Roche Plate (1110m) which was somewhere way below us, tucked out of sight.
The sun slipped in and out from behind the clouds, and the temperature alternated from pleasantly cool to hot and humid. We were overtaken by some young, enthusiastic, rucksack-laden hikers who quite literally ran down the mountainside.
As we were only intending a day hike and had no intention of mimicking their frighteningly breakneck speed, we moved over and let them pass. As we descended we met red-faced, breathless hikers making their ascent back up the rugged steep valley walls – I tried not to think too much about the fact that this would be us in a few hours’ time!
We had planned to eat at one of the local gîteswhen we reached Roche Plate, but the view was too breathtaking to contemplate eating indoors. Stopping at a vantage point just above the village we ate the traditional sweet potato cakes and pain au chocolat we had brought with us. The view was mesmerising and we spent an hour contemplating the vast expanse of the green volcanic crater in front of us.
Finally dragging ourselves away we began the steep ascent back the way we had come – fortunately arriving at the top a lot less red-faced than some of the other trekkers had been!
Hiking in an extinct volcano is definitely something to add to your bucket list, it is just as fantastic as it sounds.
My trip to Reunion was arranged by The Reunion Tourism Board whose website has a great deal of helpful information about the many aspects of this amazing destination, and Nicolas Cyprien was my guide while hiking Cirque de Mafate.
Rhinos throughout South Africa are being brutally killed for their horns. In this article, I would like to focus on some of the positive contributions by the private sector and the trials and tribulations they face in trying to keep rhinos safe – including the need for sustainable funding of private rhino conservation.
Many articles in circulation paint a very negative picture of private rhino owners as greedy businessmen with no compassion. Although there are some bad apples in the private wildlife industry, these are certainly in the minority, and most private rhino owners have chosen their lifestyles (and livelihoods) based on a love of nature, the African bushveld, and wildlife.
Private reserve owners with rhinos protect their land with adequate fences, good technology and sufficient manpower – and they do so without assistance from taxpayer money, government or donors. So in essence, they are self-sufficient conservationists.
In 2016, 1054 rhinos were poached in South Africa, and of these, about 160 were on private land – about 15% of the total- which is proof that private rhino reserves are working very hard to keep their animals safe.
Private rhino reserves are staffed by tough, dedicated and professional people who strive for the health and well-being of many species of wildlife on the property. These people have years of experience in the bush and generally have a background in nature conservation studies – further testament to their passion for wildlife. These are the people who first come across cruelly poached rhinos and who often must deal with orphaned rhino calves, badly injured adult rhinos, and severely traumatised staff.
There are about 330 private rhino reserves in South Africa – home to about 6,500 rhinos – almost a third of the national rhino population, and more rhinos than all the rest of Africa combined. Since 2008, more than 70 private rhino owners have sold their rhinos and opted out of having them on their land. This is due to the ever-increasing risk to rhinos as well as to reserve employees from armed incursions by gangs who wish to kill the rhinos for their horns.
The levels of cruelty seen in rhino poaching incidents leave great emotional distress in their wake, both for the animals and the people who care for them. Numerous rhino owners, wildlife veterinarians, anti-poaching teams and others involved in rhino management are starting to speak out on the effects of these incidents on their psychological well-being – a terrible trauma to have to endure after seeing these animals grow up, play, breed and thrive on your own property.
For many private rhino owners, who run close-knit and often family-operated reserves, the idea of having to endure this is enough for them to sell their rhinos on to someone else, who may be better-equipped or in a better financial situation to be able to protect rhinos.
The costs of protecting rhinos have now reached exorbitant levels, with security measures amounting to considerably more than the overall expenses of general management and conservation of rhinos. Private rhino owners have spent more than R2 billion on rhino security over the past eight years. Without some means of generating these funds, more and more private rhino owners will sell or get rid of their rhinos.
Eco-tourism is a business option for a few private reserves, such as Phinda, Shamwari and Manyoni. Still, tourism is seasonal, and most tourists (national and international) visit national parks rather than smaller private reserves. Some reserves allow hunting to supplement income, but with regard to rhinos, this is not the norm – fewer than 80 rhinos were hunted in SA in 2016. Ideally, the buying and selling of live animals to other rhino owners and private and national reserves (for genetic diversity/population establishment, etc.) will bring in these funds. Still, with rhinos being so costly and difficult to protect, fewer people are willing to take them on. The value of live rhinos has dropped dramatically over the past few years.
If these rhino guardians and our national parks could sell their stockpiles of horn—a sustainable natural product that is humanely taken from rhinos—the money generated from these sales would go a long way towards keeping the rhinos and other wildlife on the reserve safe and encouraging more private wildlife reserve owners to invest in rhino conservation once more.
The judges had a tough time this year choosing our wildlife category winner in the Photographer of the Year competition as there were so many amazing finalists.
It got to a point where they had whittled it down to five wildlife photographs. However, it was clear that all five were perfect contenders for first place! A tough decision had to be made…
In the end there could be only one wildlife winner – who went on to become the overall Photographer of the Year winner – and the judges felt that the remaining four photographs should be given a special commendable mention.
♦ Johan Mocke – “He who adapts best, wins!” (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa/Botswana)
This photo had us jumping out of our seats from the moment we first saw it. At first glance, this is opportunistic photography at its finest. Anyone who’s spent just one day out in the bush with a camera will know what we’re talking about. But, if you’ve been lucky enough, as we have, to sit staring at this photo (sometimes thirty minutes on its own) debating and deliberating, you’ll know that this photograph is something more – it’s the symbol of a pure passion and dedication to wildlife photography.
It takes a passionate interest in this jackal’s behaviour for the photographer to know how to capture this exact moment. In a world of instantaneous and forgotten moments, the ability to vividly capture a moment like this is special. We greatly appreciate that, and as far as forgotten moments are concerned, well, the jackal would go on to hunt many more sandgrouse – but likely never be so perfectly captured in action again. Thus, this photograph was a strong contender for the winner’s prize.
♦ George Turner – A magical shower (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania)
This photo clearly spells one thing for us: magic. There is magic in the way the photographer has captured the mixture of ethereal lighting and the soft and tranquil rain, and in the photographer’s words, “the effect of creating hope”. That alone makes this a stunning photograph.
The fact that there’s a perfectly captured subject of Africa’s most graceful and elegant cat adds to the magic. This is a Narnia-esque photo where the cheetah seems to be inviting you into his world. This stunningly captured evocative story that perfectly illustrates the graceful side of these magic cats made it a strong contender for the winner.
♦ Panos Laskarakis – “Thirsty look” (Serengeti National Park, Tanzania)
This photograph speaks to us deeply of raw, wild Africa. This is not Africa imagined or created – this is real Africa. If there was one standout photograph that could be used to portray a sense of untamed wilderness, it would be this ‘chocolate lion’.
The focused look in the lion’s eyes and the mud on its fur, tells the story of an entirely wild creature living an entirely wild existence. The fact that this magnificent creature was captured in one of the wildest places on Earth, the Serengeti, is fitting. We strive to celebrate real, wild Africa and the success of this photograph in that regard made it a very strong contender for the winner.
♦ Ernest Porter – A rock monitor hides in a tree (Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa)
Never have we so kindly received such an open invitation into the world of reptiles than the story captured in this photograph. Who does that piercing stare belong to? How long has it been staring at us for? Are we intruding on it its territory? It seems likely that it’ll slink off in the blink of an eye – will we ever see it again?
The multiple stories in a single moment so perfectly captured in this photograph made it a strong contender for the overall winner.
After an exhausting final selection process involving many hours of both technical analysis and heartfelt opinions from our judges, we were faced with the exhilarating task of having to choose an overall winner and category winners for this year’s Photographer of the Year competition. Have a look at this post to see how difficult choosing a winner became.
We have been extraordinarily privileged to have had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich stories and emotion evoked by the deserving finalists’ images. And we came to a collective understanding through this: that standout photography presents the perfect mixture of the moment captured by the photographer and the ensuing emotional reaction and journey for the viewer.
We felt that the overall winner’s photo would be the one that told the most engaging story – the one that spoke to all of us on a deep, emotional level. And the one that we hope will convey its underlying message to all our community spread far and wide across the world.
Congratulations to all our winners! And thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Africa!
2017 PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR & WILDLIFE CATEGORY WINNER John Vosloo – “Circles of protection.” Judges’ comments:
John Vosloo’s image is not only technically sound, but there is also a rich and complex visual story. It is the story of matriarchal and herd protection, of the African elephants’ dignified dedication to protecting their young and their species.
Elephants face unprecedented persecution from international wildlife criminals, from human-wildlife conflict pressures, habitat loss and from trophy hunters that persist in their strategy to remove the remaining large-tusked individuals. This magnificent photo speaks of the plight of elephants across Africa, and their resilience – if only humans would change their ways.
Many photographers this year have told wonderful stories with their images, but none as powerfully as John.
CULTURE CATEGORY WINNER Christophe Lapeze – “Proud” Judges’ comments:
Christophe Lapeze’s image of a proud Mursi woman in Ethiopia is, for us, the most evocatively told story of tribal culture in this year’s selection. This particular shot stands out above the other photos in this category as a bold and strong portrayal of cultural authenticity – almost as if the woman had taken it herself.
Here, she is not being ‘staged’ or ‘showcased’ as has become the somewhat blurred norm with cultural photography. She seems to be showcasing herself, sending a bold statement of pride in her culture, and our obligation to respect it. Our refreshed sense of respect for her and her culture is what ultimately decided this photo as the winner of the Culture category.
TRAVEL CATEGORY WINNER Willem Kruger – Quiver trees in the Richtersveld Judges’ comments:
Willem Kruger’s star trail image is another standout image in its genre. While most astrophotography invites us to explore the universe beyond, this particular photo with its seemingly simple foreground, invites us to explore the wonder of the universe from a uniquely African perspective – what if we were walking, alone at night, lost in the African desert pondering the mysteries of life and the secrets of our universe? What if we climbed that hill to discover more? What world would be revealed to us?
Reeling under a massive backlash from supporters of the captive lion hunting industry and a huge split within the ranks of its membership, the president of the Professional Hunting Association of South Africa [Phasa], Stan Burger, unexpectedly announced his resignation on Tuesday with immediate effect. Written by Simon Bloch for News24
In a statement, Phasa said its President-Elect, Dries Van Coller, will now be at the helm.
Asked what had led to Burger’s resignation, and why the executive was not supporting Burger against the backlash, spokesperson Retha van Reenen said, “let me put it into perspective. A lot of the members decided not to sign an affidavit sent out last year that they would not support or promote captive lion hunting or captive lion breeding activities.”
As a body representing and promoting the interests of professional hunters, Phasa has faced an inordinate amount of challenges. None more so than the fallout after the 2015 announcement that it had adopted a resolution at its annual general meeting to distance itself from the captive lion breeding and captive lion hunting industries.
In November 2016, a group of 13 Phasa members challenged the resolution and its constitutionality and took Phasa to the High Court in Pretoria where it argued Phasa had acted illegally when it took steps to suspend their memberships. In its affidavit opposing their application, Phasa said some of the applicants were members of another hunting organisation, known as the South African Predators Association‚ which was in favour of captive-bred lion hunting.
Phasa said after receiving responses from the 13 members‚ it decided to lift the suspension of three members who had explained that they were not involved in the breeding and hunting of captive lions.
At the time, Burger said his organisation stood by its resolution to distance itself from captive-bred lion hunting and would defend its resolution in court. Phasa said it gave the applicants seven days within which to provide reasons why their membership should not be terminated.
According to the judgment that was eventually handed down, Phasa lost the case.
In a statement, Burger said, “It has been a privilege to serve the association, but the time has come for others to now carry the torch”. Van Coller said Phasa would continue with minimum disruption as the association continued to serve the members of the professional hunting fraternity of South Africa.
Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands Trust and executive producer of the documentary film Blood Lions, told News 24, “It would be tragic for the South African hunting and tourism industries if Phasa were to backtrack on its commitment to stop the hunting of captive-bred lions in South Africa.
“Stan Burger has led the charge to clean up the hunting industry in this regard, something I can attest to that there is little doubt.”
He said Phasa had, for the past 18 months, been under significant pressure from the “unethical hunting fraternity in South Africa”.
“It’s unfortunate that it appears that this faction may be prevailing. The fallout from the local and global outrage will further damage the industry and South Africa’s conservation reputation,” Venter said.
Without detracting from the wonderful and critical role that our national parks play in conservation, I would like to focus on the private sector’s positive achievements in this regard.
Around the middle of the 20th century, wildlife had no economic value in South Africa. At best, wildlife was simply good sport and there are numerous accounts of the eradication of huge numbers of free-roaming wildlife throughout southern Africa. Plains game species were seen to compete with livestock, so animals like bontebok, blesbok, roan and sable antelope and tsessebe were also slaughtered to the point that their populations numbered less than 500 individuals. Wildlife was seen as vermin.
In the late 1800s, the government established a few statutory game reserves on land unsuitable for agriculture, and some 30 years later, we had national parks, many of which still exist today and form the bulk of the country’s primary tourism destinations. Even these reserves only had limited wildlife populations, and through exemplary conservation management strategies based on trial-and-error methods, these populations were protected and increased.
Wildlife also started gaining economic value for private reserve owners and commercial wildlife ranching was recognised and supported by the state. These landowners focus on increasing natural habitats for wildlife and often converting agricultural land into suitable game areas. Their practices are sustainable and have a significant green footprint in terms of habitat, soil restoration and biodiversity support.
Contribution of game ranching. Dr Pamela Oberem, The New Game Rancher, Briza Publications
Social aspects
♦ Wildlife ranches generally employ more than three times the staff that livestock farms employ
♦ Over 140 000 people have jobs (about 65 000 of which are permanent positions) in the private wildlife industry
♦ There are about 10 000 private game reserves in South Africa
Conservation
♦ There are over 20 million hectares of land in the conservation management industry – substantially more conservation land than all our national parks combined
♦ Private wildlife ranches generally focus on a select few of the game species on their land for commercial use, but they provide habitat for countless species of mammals, birds, fish, insects and plants that are not commercially exploited at all. With habitat destruction being one of the primary threats to wildlife biodiversity, these private reserves often represent vitally important corridors for wildlife between designated protected areas that are increasingly surrounded by swathes of land transformed by human activity.
♦ According to statistics from Wildlife Ranching SA, on average, a single wildlife ranch of about 2 700ha that focuses on eco-tourism and biodiversity support is home to 45 mammal species, 266 bird species, 43 reptile species, 29 grass species and over 100 other tree and plant species.
♦ Several species (bontebok, blesbok, roan and sable antelope, tsessebe, black wildebeest, leopard tortoise) have been rescued from the brink of extinction thanks to the creation of these reserves and now have healthy and growing populations in the country. There were only a few hundred disease-free buffalo in the country in the late 1900s, and buffalo also faced threats of eradication due to diseases to which they were susceptible. Thanks to the collaboration of national and private reserves and various breeding projects, there are now more than 36,000 disease-free buffalo in the country, which is yet another success story for conservation in SA.
Economics
♦ At present, the wildlife ranching industry, practising both consumptive and non-consumptive uses of wildlife, contributes about R20 billion to South Africa’s balance sheet
♦ Approximately 20 000 tons of game meat is produced annually from this sector (excluding meat from biltong hunts), thereby contributing to food security
♦ About 65 000 people are permanently employed by this sector, with many more temporary jobs being provided throughout seasons or events, e.g. translocations/game capture operations, breeding projects, etc. These temporary positions push the total employment figure up to over 140,000 people who are supported by this industry, with a large proportion of employees made up of local community members.
We are proud to present the Finalists of our Photographer of the Year Competition. The standard of entries this year was exceptionally high, to the extent that our list of finalists is larger than we had initially planned for. After days of judging and intense debate, we could not reduce our list to fewer than 26 finalists. The finalists are listed in no specific order.
A spokesman for the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has confirmed that all CITES requirements have been met for the issue of export permits and that the United Arab Emirates CITES Scientific Authority has issued the necessary permits for the importation of the elephants.
Eden Game Farm is a private game farm and registered game dealer in the Grootfontein district, near Etosha National Park. The farm is owned by a Swedish national.
The sale of baby elephants from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park to China in 2015 attracted heavy criticism from wildlife experts and activists alike, after some died and others showed signs of malnutrition and neglect.
The MET spokesman said he was not concerned about the same happening in this instance, as Eden Game Farm had satisfied all the relevant compliance procedures. He said that the babies would be kept in isolation after capture, and inspected prior to exportation to make sure they are in good condition. He also explained that baby elephants need to be tamed after being separated from their parents, to reduce the stress.
MET previously sanctioned the export of 150 wild-caught animals (including elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards) to a zoo in Cuba, a project dubbed ‘Noah’s Ark II’, which proceeded despite significant opposition from many quarters.
Our 2017 Photographer of the Year Competition is now closed for entries. Here are the Semi-finalists that have been put together in TWO galleries this week. Click here to see PART I of the gallery.
Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
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Simon Espley is an African of the digital tribe, a chartered accountant and CEO of Africa Geographic. His travels in Africa are in search of wilderness, real people with interesting stories and elusive birds. He lives in Hoedspruit with his wife Lizz and 2 Jack Russells, and when not travelling or working, he will be on his mountain bike somewhere out there. His motto is ‘Live for now, have fun, be good, tread lightly and respect others. And embrace change.’
Dan Afrasiabi is President and CEO at Geneva Woods Health Care Services and member of the YPO Pacific and the US at large chapters. He has found a special place in his heart for African conservation efforts and is now a lifetime ambassador for Mother Africa.
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain guide, traveller, and mother of two. When not climbing, she also owns and operates a 3,000-hectare cattle ranch in central Zambia.
