If you make it to the crater of Mount Kilimanjaro, being able to see for miles and miles above the clouds makes the whole experience worthwhile. Written by: Matt Phillips
One final push and you arrive at Uhuru Peak – something I thought impossible. People are exhausted and very emotional, and you take it all in before you realise that you have to walk all the way back down. But here are five things that I wished I knew before I left:
1. Porters are the hardest-working people on the mountain
These guys will pretty much pick you up when you are down; they will leave camp after you and arrive before you; they will carry your bags, tents and other bits of equipment. Porters will completely go out of their way to make sure you are happy and safe; they will sing and dance all the way to the top of Kilimanjaro and stay with you when you most need support.
2. Altitude sickness
Not everyone will suffer from this, but many people do, especially after climbing to a high altitude too quickly. Most people get headaches, feel sick and dizzy – and the higher you go the worse the symptoms. On summit night, I suffered headaches, exhaustion and confusion while others suffered from sickness.
3. Bring plenty of water neutralising tablets
If you have treated your water with chlorine tablets, you will have a horrible taste of swimming pool water because of the chlorine. I found it very hard to want to drink water tasting like that, but neutralising tablets will take the swimming pool taste away completely. Not packing these is one of my biggest regrets!
4. Learn basic Swahili
English is not the first language for many porters and guides, so communication can sometimes be difficult. But do not worry; learning and speaking Swahili with your porters and guides can be fun.
5 . Nothing can prepare you for summit night
This was potentially the hardest night of my life. The more people I tell this to, the more people think it’s a complete exaggeration.
Leaving base camp at around midnight, after trying to sleep for a maximum of three hours, you start your summit climb. Two hours go by, and you are still walking. Five hours go by, and you are still walking. Everything will start to freeze – including your water. You stop for 10 seconds and struggle to get your breath back. I felt so exhausted and confused that I wanted to throw down my trekking poles and go home. That night, I kept asking myself why I was putting myself through so much physical and psychological pain on earth.
Then you reach Stella Point. The Kilimanjaro summit is only 45 minutes away, and the remaining walk is mostly flat and offers the most amazing view of the sun rising through the clouds, lifting everyone’s spirits. You then make it to the crater of Kilimanjaro. Looking around at all the glaciers and being able to see for miles and miles above the clouds, makes the whole experience totally worthwhile.
A group of six intrepid guests recently participated in an Africa Geographic safari to the remote and wild Nsefu Sector of the South Luangwa National Park. By: Ed Selfe
This area is accessible only during the sector’s peak game-viewing months (June-October). It offers some of the most genuine and rewarding game-viewing in Southern Africa, with the increasingly rare benefit of being extremely remote and secluded with few other visitors. The Luangwa River’s meanderings create a diverse matrix of beautiful habitats that form a stunning natural backdrop.
The very first evening in Luangwa was blessed by a beautiful sunset with a couple of elephants sedately drinking at the river. We couldn’t have set it up more perfectly! And it did set the tone for the week as we enjoyed wonderful sightings in the Luangwa Valley.
The benefits of this remote area were evident on the very first morning, when a herd of mixed-age bull elephants was spotted heading towards the river. We followed the river and stopped in the perfect spot to view them cross – with no one else around.
Holding a Grade 1 guide’s licence allows me to lead walking safaris in the national park, so when the bulls moved out of the river and across the sand, we got down from the vehicle and lay flat on the ground. Whilst safely protected by the vehicle, we took some wonderful low-angle photos.
One morning, we locked onto the alarm calls of a puku (an antelope species found almost exclusively in Zambia’s riverine regions), and after some searching, we came across the source of the commotion – a chunky male leopard climbing from tree to tree.
We used Zikomo Safari Camp as our base—a simple, rustic, remote camp on the banks of the Luangwa. They have an enviable location bordering the main South Luangwa National Park and the Nsefu Sector. This meant we had permission to cross the rivers that form the park’s boundaries, allowing us to follow up on any sightings or sounds on either bank. There is nothing more frustrating than spotting lions on the far bank and being powerless to approach them!
So it was one morning that we found the local Luwi pride resting in the shade of a sausage tree on the opposite bank. That afternoon, we left camp, crossed the river, and approached the pride as they roused. The light was perfect, and the interaction between the males and their cubs was one of the trip’s highlights.
The females soon set off hunting, so we gave them some space to manoeuvre, but the light was still too bright, and their attempts failed. We settled down in a sandy riverbed and shared the last of the evening light with them. Once again, we were entirely alone at this wonderful sighting in one of Africa’s most remarkable locations – a truly amazing feeling. There was ample time to discuss compositions and lighting angles, and for every guest to ask questions about how to get the photos they wanted.
One night, we carefully approached a hyena den, knowing that they had small cubs. We kept very quiet and waited for them to come out. It didn’t take long, and the following 30 minutes became an incredible highlight of this trip as two cubs were seen being groomed and cared for by a large female. We were able to sit and watch this behaviour without disturbing them and enjoyed a great chance to discuss what the best settings were to make the most of spotlight photography.
Later that night, we met another vehicle on a lion sighting. We took the chance to photograph the lion using their light—a textbook opportunity to photograph with a spotlight and another chance to teach and learn.
Our last morning turned out to be the best. Just when I wondered what else I would try to show the group, a large herd of buffalo approached the river. While the buffaloes sniffed the air and decided whether to come down, we played with fast-shutter-speed shots of impalas running across the sand, producing a very respectable and fun collection of panning shots.
Finally, the large buffalo herd came down the bank, and we all managed to take some great photos that captured the moment – the haze, dust and slightly harsh light worked beautifully to accentuate the drama of this encounter.
Moving on from this, we were very happy to find a small lion pride we had followed earlier in the week. They had recently killed a warthog and were contentedly feeding on the carcass.
Returning to camp as the light grew too bright, we found giraffes coming to drink at the river and enjoyed their reflections appearing and disappearing as the wind ruffled the water.
Next year, we will continue to use the rustic, simple offerings of Zikomo Bush Camp, and we plan to visit the valley a little earlier to avoid the heat while still reaping the endemic benefits of the Nsefu Sector.
As it often happens when I leave this area, I am already yearning to be back. I cannot wait to show this awesome corner of Zambia to anyone who chooses to join us on an Africa Geographic safari.
Comments from our guests:
“The lodge staff are very friendly, accommodating and helpful and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. Food was good, and one could not expect any better, considering the remoteness and heat that they have to contend with on a daily basis. Ed is a highly likeable person and conducted the safari in a very professional manner. He is very knowledgeable and explained nature in great detail. He understands photography and manoeuvred the vehicle into great positions for making the most out of photographic opportunities.” – A.Ellmer, South Africa
“Ed Selfe, the guide on this photographic safari, was brilliant at accommodating the wide variety of levels of photographic experience on the trip. His photographic knowledge and ranger experience were invaluable to improving my photographic skills.” – B. Hobday, Australia
How about South Luangwa for your next African safari – find a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
Elephants spend a good portion of each day eating. These gentle giants consume 150-200kg of food daily – and produce up to 100kg of elephant dung daily. Written by: Willow Alexandria Brough
An estimated 130,000 elephants occur seasonally in Botswana, meaning they produce about 13,000 metric tons of manure daily in that country! It is unsurprising that people have thought up some pretty creative uses for elephant dung over the years.
As the old adage goes: “waste not, want not!”; here are eight useful ways to make the most of all that poop:
1. Mosquito repellent
Lighting up a piece of elephant dung to keep the mozzies away might not sound incredibly appealing to some, but I can promise that if you ever find yourself out in the bush with no alternative, the bites on your ankles will quickly change your mind. Luckily, just the smoke from burning a dried-up chunk of dung is enough to repel mosquitos, which saves you from having to rub it on your skin. Surprisingly, it also doesn’t have a particularly pungent smell and is less offensive to your nostrils than the average spray-on repellent.
2. Lifesaving water
I genuinely hope you’ll never be in a situation where squeezing the last remaining liquid out of fresh elephant dung is your only option. However, for the sake of survival, if you are ever lost with no water in an area where elephants roam, this is a solution; albeit a rather undignified one. Take a handful of fresh elephant dung and squeeze …
3. Mild pain killer and a remedy for a bleeding nose
Because of the large variety of plants an elephant consumes daily, their dung is a one-stop-shop for traditional healing. In their faeces, you can find traces of most of the foliage that a medicine man would use in his treatments. Once it has been lit and the flames have been blown out, allowing it to smoulder, all it takes is one deep breath of smoke and that headache should be gone. As well as curing headaches, dulling toothaches and limiting other pains, elephant dung is known to clear the sinuses and cure bleeding noses. So rather than searching the savannah for the herb or bark used to cure a specific ailment, just consider inhaling some elephant dung instead!
4. Eco-friendly paper
Despite the vast quantities of food they shove in their mouths, an elephant digests only about 45% of what it consumes. Elephants are herbivores with highly fibrous diets, so much of the undigested material passes through them as intact fibres. And this is why their excrement can easily be made into paper products. Today, our paper is most commonly made with wood fibre pulp, but a similar pulp can be derived from the fibres in elephant dung. This ‘poo paper’ does have a slightly different texture than what we’re used to, but I would rather write on slightly rougher paper than watch our forests be chopped down.
5. A coffee brew
You’ve probably already heard of those ‘trendy’ (but ethically highly compromised) coffee beans passed through farmed civets’ digestive systems. The beans are collected from their stool, then washed, dried and roasted by brewers before being sold for ridiculous sums of money. Well, now it seems that someone in Thailand’s Golden Triangle has had a similar idea, but on a much larger scale. Instead of civets, a herd of 20 captive elephants are pooping out coffee beans made into coffee. They’re calling it Black Ivory Coffee and are serving it exclusively in five-star resorts across Asia and the Middle East. As elephants are herbivores (unlike civets), the fermentation process they use to break down the cellulose in their food brings out the sweet, fruity flavours in the bean and gives the coffee its chocolatey-cherry taste. All traces of bitterness vanish, and it has even been described as a sort of tea-coffee hybrid due to its softness on the palate.
6. Bizarre beer
The success of Black Ivory Coffee has inspired an even stranger drink – Un Kono Kuro. The name of this strange beverage is a pun on the Japanese word for poo, ‘unko’. Those same beans that elephants excrete are then fermented into beer. Its flavour is similar to that of the coffee – mellow and sweet, with its initial bitterness giving way to a hint of chocolate. One satisfied reviewer went so far as to refer to the aftertaste of the beer as more of an afterglow. With such a demand for this novelty alcohol, Un Kono Kuro was so successful that its online store sold out within minutes of its launch.
7. Biogas
Sources of green energy are becoming more important by the day. With fossil fuel supplies dwindling and global warming taking its toll, the time to find alternatives is now. Luckily, some zoos and sanctuaries are wising up and using the resources right under their feet. With the help of biogas digesters, the waste products of herbivores can be used to generate gas for stoves, heat and even electricity. And as we all now know, elephants are a perfect candidate thanks to the amount that they poop. As the digesters break down the organic waste, methane and carbon dioxide are collected to be used in stoves or gas-powered engines. Nutrient-rich bio-slurry is also created during this process, which can then be used as a fertiliser.
8. A home
This last one isn’t for us humans, but a lump of elephant dung acts as home to many creatures. Scientists know elephants as ‘eco-system’ engineers – meaning they can control the availability of resources for other organisms by modifying the physical environment. Many insects make these piles of poop their home, including beetles, scorpions, crickets, termites and millipedes. And we all know that dung beetles bury balls of elephant dung after laying their eggs in it. As well as creating a highly nutritious home for some of the smaller creatures, it also benefits those who would want to eat those creatures. Honey badgers, mongooses, hornbills and francolins will scratch through them, snacking on the hidden bugs and grubs.
And this concludes our chat about elephant dung. Remember, just because we call something a waste product doesn’t necessarily mean we should waste it.
The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder in isiZulu, and Africa Geographic’s CEO, Simon Espley, can most certainly attest to that after completing iSimangaliso’s mountain bike challenge:
“‘If you encounter an elephant, buffalo or hippo, keep cycling!’ This was the gist of the briefing that we were given before the start of our mountain bike adventure. This was followed by advice on how to behave if any of the animals as mentioned earlier might be stubbornly blocking the bush tracks and game trails that we were following on our 4-day cycle through Maputoland.
And so began an immersion for me into the depths of iSimangaliso Wetland Park – a World Heritage Site, Africa’s oldest protected area, and without a doubt one of South Africa’s most beautiful and diverse national parks.
Perhaps a safari from a saddle is not everybody’s cup of tea, but potentially being ‘on the menu’, as it were, certainly gave me a different perspective than from the comfort of a vehicle. Throughout the event, we had the chance to cycle through eight distinct interlinking ecosystems – each one unique and yet somehow also at one with the others.
The region was experiencing an extended drought during my adventure, with the receding lake shoreline and many of the marshes reduced to rock-hard cracked mud as far as the eye could see. Yet each day was magical as we navigated our way through sand forests, thorn savannah, rolling palm-dotted grasslands, lake shorelines and across rocky Lebombo mountain ridges.
One particularly magical stretch for me was a long track through the sand forests bordering Lake St Lucia’s False Bay. It was early morning, and the forest was alive with birds – crested guineafowl and gorgeous bush-shrikes being personal highlights as I toiled through the thick sand, alone in my thoughts. A red forest duiker scuttling across the path in front of me caught my attention, as did a family of bushpigs that went snorting off into the undergrowth at my approach. As the morning matured and the temperature rose, so the avian chorus changed, with tambourine doves and yellow-rumped tinkerbirds taking over with their melancholy musing.
One afternoon I strolled through the extremely laid back town of St Lucia to catch a ferry cruise up the lake – cold beers and a comfy chair made for a nice change from a day in the saddle. Imagine my excitement when I spotted a reclusive African finfoot in the nearby reeds, and I tried to point it out to my fellow passengers. However, they were captivated by the large pod of hippos grunting, snorting and cavorting right next to the ferry. And for me, that moment sums up iSimangaliso in a nutshell – this incredibly endowed wonderland has something for everybody.
During our cycle, we also mingled with the local people who depend on this spectacular area for their livelihoods and who play such a vital role in its ongoing survival. A lasting memory of iSimangaliso was the involvement of local people in the management of the park and the surrounding areas – this is an essential element of conservation going forward. It is also good to know that visiting iSimangaliso contributes directly to community welfare as well as to biodiversity conservation.”
The history of iSimangaliso makes it clear why the park places community development at the forefront of their conservation strategies.
A successful conservation model that also offered tangible benefits to poverty-stricken communities
During the late eighties and early nineties, half a million South African citizens signed a petition against a multinational mining company’s plans to mine the iSimangaliso dunes for titanium and other heavy metals. The citizens were also backed by Nelson Mandela, who strongly approved of nature-based tourism as an environmentally friendly approach to income generation. A battle ensued, and the citizens won, with South Africa’s government ruling in favour of protecting the area’s fragile beauty. With five cultural groups that call the park their home, the development of a ‘people’s park’ in the area was suggested as an alternative to mining, and tourism and conservation became important regional economic drivers. It became vital that iSimangaliso create a successful conservation model that also offered tangible benefits to poverty-stricken communities in and around the area.
According to iSimangaliso’s CEO, Andrew Zaloumis: “There are still many challenges facing iSimangaliso. The most important is to ensure that progress continues to be made towards putting an end to the paradox of poverty amidst the plenty of nature.”
With this in mind, there is an essential focus on improving soils and providing access to water, fencing and seeds to communities to improve food security in the area, while also protecting the vulnerable coastal peat swamp forest.
Furthermore, the development of infrastructure in the park is creating employment, and land claimants are empowered to co-manage the area. At the same time, the iSimangaliso Authority enables community members to develop skills in hospitality and guiding so that they can prosper in the local tourism industry.
A craft programme also links about 300 women crafters to an urban retail market that includes Mr Price Home.
The communities living in and around iSimangaliso today have a rich relationship with the land and its past, and tribal traditions, as well as indigenous knowledge, continue to shape the current environment in which 526 bird species and 2,505 species of flowering plants flourish. And it is the inherent understanding of the importance of conserving both our cultural and natural landscapes that makes the surrounding majesty of Lake St Lucia so unique.
With its 25,000-year-old coastal dunes and 700-year-old fish traps, the wetland park is of historical significance. It is home to the prehistoric-looking coelacanth, which was once considered extinct, but has been discovered living in the deep submarine canyons off Sodwana Bay. The park is also the largest protected area of recorded Stone Age and Iron Age sites in South Africa.
With the world’s highest density of black rhino, Africa’s largest estuarine system, and the greatest bird diversity on the continent, the biological wealth of this area is testament to what can be achieved in the name of conservation.
This 332,000-hectare park is an outstanding example of the global values that former President Mandela so strongly stood for, and it’s easy to understand why the park became the first place in South Africa to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1999.
In a poignant speech that marked the reintroduction of elephants to the Eastern shores of Lake St Lucia in 2002, Mandela pronounced:
“iSimangaliso must be the only place on the globe where the oldest land mammal (the rhinoceros) and the world’s biggest terrestrial mammal (the elephant) share an ecosystem with the world’s oldest fish (the coelacanth) and the world’s biggest marine mammal (the whale).”
These words have forever engrained themselves onto the shores that stretch from Maphelane to Kosi Bay, and no sentence has ever better captured the essence of the area.
Thanks to its entry fee pricing strategy, iSimangaliso truly remains a park for the people by maintaining public access to the park and activities at affordable prices.
And to complement the sheer ecological, historical and social diversity of the region, there is a variety of adventure activities to enjoy in the area, including kayaking, deep sea charter fishing and horseback riding safaris.
Whether you’re interested in birding or game viewing on trails, making friends with the hippos and crocodiles on an estuary boat cruise on Lake St Lucia, or scuba diving amidst the 1,258 species of fish and colourful coral reefs, there is something for everyone both above and below land.
From spotting the Big Five in the bushes to finding the five different species of turtles on the beaches, it’s hard to run short of things to keep you busy in this stretch of paradise.
Just don’t miss the start of the ancient nesting ritual when the leatherback and loggerhead turtles return each November to lay their eggs on iSimangaliso’s pristine shores. From 1st November 2015 to 28th February 2016, iSimangaliso has allowed Thonga Beach Lodge to conduct turtle drives once per night in a 4×4 vehicle that is allowed to carry a maximum of 10 guests and that leaves one hour before low tide. This can mean some very late nights, but it’s worth it!
Accommodation ranges from rustic trail camps to high-end lodges, so the park caters to almost every passion and budget, which explains why thousands of tourists worldwide visit each year.
If you’re a happy camper, you have your pick of the litter in iSimangaliso. The campsites in the park vary in size from a private 10-site facility at Mabibi Beach to a much larger facility divided into several camps at Sodwana Bay. It’s worth checking out the iSimangaliso website for further information to help you decide what suits you best.
Cranking the comfort up a notch, several self-catering options range from rustic huts to log cabins. These are based primarily in Kosi Bay, uMkhuze, False Bay, Eastern Shores and Maphelane, and you can make your choices depending on whether a swimming pool is of prime importance or ocean views are what makes you tick.
And if you’re only interested in catered lodges, try these incredible options that will cater to your every whim in the Coastal Forest section of the park – Kosi Forest Lodge, Makakatana Bay Lodge and Thonga Beach Lodge.
Each season has something extraordinary to offer in this region, but you can expect more rain from November to February, which means that the vegetation is much greener. March to October are the cooler months when it is less humid, so if you love to walk or hate the heat, then this is the best time for you. And if you’re a twitcher, then June to August are the best months to bring your binoculars as this is breeding season.
Just be warned that if you do wish to visit the park over the South African school holidays, you’ll need to book accommodation well in advance.
Oceans cover 71% of Earth’s surface and contain 97% of Earth’s water. Not surprisingly, the oceans are the largest source of biotic diversity on the planet. It is estimated that as much as 80% of all life on Earth is found under the ocean surface, and an estimated 90% of all photosynthetic life occurs in the oceans. This means that seaweeds and the microscopic algae of the ocean make up roughly nine-tenths of all the plant-like life on Earth.
4. Together with microscopic algae called phytoplankton, seaweeds (macroscopic algae) are responsible for all primary production in the oceans and, therefore, form the basis of the food chain in the oceans.
5. Seaweeds are amongst the fastest-growing organisms on the planet. For example, under optimal conditions, the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera, can grow nearly a metre (three feet) a day – attaining lengths over 50m.
6. While most seaweeds are soft and fleshy, many, particularly red seaweeds, are hard as rock. These hard red seaweeds, commonly known as coralline algae, deposit lime into their cell walls.
7. Strictly speaking, seaweeds are not plants. Only green seaweeds are considered plants as they have given rise to land plants. However, like plants, most algae and seaweeds depend on sunlight to create energy through photosynthesis.
8. Many argue that red seaweeds should be placed in a kingdom of their own. They are the only organisms on the planet with three life cycle stages.
9. Seaweeds assimilate minerals directly from the sea and are thought to be the most nutritious foods you can eat. Rich in trace elements and vitamins, many frequently contain more protein than meat and more calcium than milk.
10. The word seaweed is so commonly used, yet to refer to these marine algae as ‘weeds’ is very far from the truth. Although we often cannot smell or taste them, many ingredients in our foods and household products come from the sea and seaweed.
– Eaten in the Far East as a green vegetable in salads and soups
– Are rich in carotenoids (an antioxidant, age-defying substance)
– Are now known to help prevent cancer (including breast cancer in women), heart disease and strokes.
– Beta carotene, derived from green seaweeds, is used as a yellow-orange food colourant in cheese, coffee creamers, egg substitutes, margarine, mayonnaise, multivitamins and salad dressings.
2. Whole brown seaweeds such as kelp:
– Considered an excellent detoxifying agent.
– Produce alginate, a substance of considerable economic value used as a gelling and emulsifying agent. For example, alginate prevents the formation of ice crystals in ice cream. In the medical industry, alginate is used to encapsulate tablets in powder form and to form fracture castings and moulds. Other alginate products include brownie mix, frozen foods, desserts, relishes, salad dressing, sauces, gravies and even beer foam.
– Kelp also contains an astonishing amount of vitamins and minerals, particularly iodine, which has a normalising effect on the thyroid gland that controls the body’s growth and development.
– In many countries, kelp is harvested as a feed and nutritional supplement for commercially farmed animals.
– Due to its high micronutrient contents, kelp is widely used as fertilisers and plant growth stimulants.
3. While the seaweed industry in the West is based mainly on seaweed extracts, in the East, seaweeds are cultivated in huge quantities for human consumption. Red seaweeds from the genus Porphyra (purple laver), in particular, contribute at least 80% of all seaweed harvested worldwide.
In Asia, Porphyra (known as nori) is eaten as a whole seaweed, either dried or in soups, and globally as tasty wrappings for sushi. Nori’s iodine and high vitamin and protein content make it attractive, as does the relative simplicity of its mariculture (sea farming), which began more than 300 years ago in Japan.
4. Besides food for direct consumption, red seaweeds are also important for their phycocolloid extracts. Phycocolloids are seaweed derivatives that cause particles to remain suspended in solution and are, therefore, excellent as stabilising and gelling agents. The main phycocolloids derived from red seaweeds are carrageenan and agar.
Carrageenan is highly sought-after in western societies and is especially important in the dairy industry. Milkshakes, cheese, yoghurt and powdered milk (including baby formula) all possess red seaweed carrageenan extracts. Carrageenan is also used in toothpaste, cosmetics, shampoos, paints and pet food.
Agar, on the other hand, has its most important use as a medium on which to culture fungi and bacteria in microbial and medical pathological research. In food for human consumption, agar is found in baking and confectionery products and is widely used to clarify wine, juice and vinegar due to its excellent protein-binding properties. In larger industries, agar is used to make adhesives and capsules for tablets.
5. Due to their hard, calcified nature, encrusting coralline red seaweeds have several economic uses. In modern medical science, coralline algae are used to prepare dental bone implants. Coralline rubble (maerl) is used in calcium mineral supplements, as soil pH conditioners, in the filtration of acidic drinking water, and as food additives for livestock. Coralline algae are commonly used as “live rock” in the marine aquarium industry, and in many tropical communities, coralline rock is used as building stones.
Edible indigenous plants offer a great way to eat well and garden sustainably. We share some great tips on indigenous plants that you can easily grow and harvest in your garden for medicinal remedies and exciting culinary experiences – courtesy of Good Hope Garden Nursery. Written by Roushanna Gray & Gael Gray
We have a treasure trove of edible and medicinal plants within our rich plant kingdom in South Africa. It is important to know what part of the plant to use and how it can be used for culinary concoctions; some are edible only in certain seasons or after certain preparations. Below is a selection of some of our favourites!
Planting these indigenous edibles into your garden gives you easy access to fresh flavours that, at the same time, can handle our harsh South African climate as they are water-wise and easier to maintain than your classic herb or veg. This makes it much simpler to connect to your food and the rhythm of nature in a fresh and wild way and enjoy playing with new recipes using these ingredients picked on your doorstep. The local birds, bees and insects will be grateful, too.
1. Pelargonium culallatum (wild malva)
– The leaves of this plant diffused into a tea can be used to treat stomach disorders.
– Bruised leaves can be used as a poultice for sores and wounds, and a rolled-up fresh leaf inserted in the ear (not too deep) can reduce earache.
– Add the leaves to your bath for a fragrant, relaxing soak to relieve tired muscles.
– Tickle your salads and baked goods pink with the flowers of the wild malva.
This showy pelargonium grows to a height of one metre and flowers beautifully in post-fire years. It grows best in a sunny position in well-drained soil and looks best if pruned after flowering to prevent it from getting leggy.
Known as false buchu, this lovely shrub grows to one metre or more in height and width. They like well-drained soil and a bit of compost, and they prefer a sunny position, although they do tolerate light shade. As with all fynbos, a mulch of compost or bark is beneficial as it keeps the shallow root system cool. It responds well to pruning.
4. Oxalis pes-caprae (wild sorrel)
The whole plant is edible, and it has a nice, sharp taste. It is sour due to the oxalic acid content, so don’t overeat.
– The flowers can be used in salads, and the heart-shaped leaves can be used as a garnish in salads and dips.
– The stalks and roots can be eaten raw or cooked in milk. Traditionally oxalis is used as an ingredient in ‘waterblommetjie stew’ and as a salt substitute.
We all take this lovely spring flower for granted. It occurs naturally in the Western Cape and doesn’t have to be planted. It regrows from little underground corms as soon as the rains start. It responds well to a bit of compost and a sunny position, although a bit of shade doesn’t stop them from flowering. They die down at the end of spring.
5. Artemesia afra (African wormwood)
– The wormwood is used medicinally to treat fever, colds, flu, sore throats, coughs, asthma, pneumonia and headaches.
– The bruised leaves can be used as a poultice for sores and wounds, and a rolled-up fresh leaf inserted in the ear (not too deep) can also help earache.
– The leaves have a very strong flavour, so use sparingly, but it makes a great addition to iced tea and herbal drinks.
– Crush for a beautiful flavour addition to cocktails.
This hardy shrub has delicate-looking foliage and can be used effectively in a herbaceous border. It is easy to grow, drought resistant and responds well to being composted. It should be pruned hard after flowering to keep it looking good. Excellent garden plant.
6. Carissa macrocarpa (num-num)
The beautiful berries of the num-num can be eaten as a fruit as they are very high in vitamin C and pectin.
– Excellent for making jam and preserves.
– They impart a gorgeous ruby-red hue to syrups and cordials.
This reasonably slow-growing summer rainfall coastal shrub grows best in nutrient-rich soil. It is often used as a windbreak or a security hedge plant but also stands very well on its own. It is drought-resistant and grows up to two metres. The num-num has lovely white flowers in spring and summer, followed by delicious fruit.
7. Tulbachia violacea (wild garlic)
The whole plant is edible.
– The flowers can be used in salads and as a garnish.
– The leaves can be used like chives or as an insect repellent.
– The roots have a very pungent garlic flavour (so use them sparingly) and can be used like regular garlic. They are particularly great in stews and roasts.
– A tea made from the roots or leaves is good for coughs and colds, and it has similar medicinal properties to regular garlic.
This excellent border plant has bluish-green leaves. It flowers profusely if watered through the summer months with attractive mauve flowers. It is easy to grow and is reported to keep moles away. It occurs naturally along the south coast.
This plant has two forms – a scrambling shrub and a creeper. Both have beautifully scented large white jasmine flowers with a pink reverse from August to November. They are naturally widespread in summer rainfall areas. They will grow in sun or semi-shade and can tolerate wind.
9. Carpobrotus edulis (sour figs)
– The succulent leaves are excellent for skin problems like sunburn, bee and blue bottle stings, rashes, cold sores and insect bites.
– Chew on the leaves for sore throat relief.
– The fruits have a tamarind-tasting juicy seed centre and are used to make jams, chutneys and sauces.
– The pink flowers produce a sweeter-tasting fruit than the yellow flowers.
This fast-growing succulent ground-cover flowers from August to October. The large flowers are yellow but turn pink with age. It is widespread in the south Western Cape, where it is used as a pioneer plant to hold banks and exposed sand.
– This sage can be used medicinally as a tea for coughs, colds and stomach ailments.
– A delicious herb in cooking as it works well with veg and pasta dishes, chicken, sauces, stews and roasts. Add a sprig and fish it out later, as it imparts a delicious flavour but is bitter to eat.
– Dry the leaves and store them in a glass jar in your spice cupboard or add them to a salt mix.
– Use the flowers as a garnish in salads.
It is a hardy coastal shrub and grows in sandy coastal soils. It forms a good windbreak and is an excellent pioneer plant. It is covered in orange blooms with darker bracts in the early spring.
This metre-high, hardy shrub grows in coastal dunes and limestone soils of the Southern Cape, giving the ‘holiday’ smell to the Knysna area. It prefers a sunny position and is covered in white flowers in late winter.
PLEASE NOTE: Good Hope Gardens Nursery and Veld and Sea cannot take any responsibility for any adverse effects of using plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Extinct, then rediscovered. Lachenalia mathewsii stands quite tall at 10-20 cm and produces beautiful bright yellow flowers in a spike with a spicy scent that attracts honeybees. The entire genus of Lachenalia is endemic to South Africa. They are commonly known as “viooltjies” (the Afrikaans word for ‘ little violin’) as they look like little violins. Written by: Dewidine van der Colff, Botanical Society employed Red List scientist with the CREW programme
Lachenalia mathewsii, once thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in 1983. Currently, the species is only known to exist on two sites – one on a farmer’s property where it is potentially protected, and the other on municipal grounds just outside Vredenburg where there might be development plans in the near future.
This species is currently listed as endangered according to the IUCN Red Listing system. Its main threats have been identified by Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) volunteers visiting the sites and collecting threat and population data of this precious plant. The main threats are habitat loss as a result of potential development, habitat degradation due to grazing pressure, and fire exclusion which is needed to rejuvenate the species.
Previously, Lachenalia mathewsii‘s sunny disposition could be seen within seasonally moist Cape inland salt pans in Saldanha granite strandveld but the species has gone extinct in all of its historic localities.
Urgent attention should be given to Lachenalia mathewsii, and searches for more populations might ease its plight. However, the CREW project manager, Ismail Ebrahim, and our dearest volunteers, Oom Koos and his wife Tannie Elise, have been searching for years without much success. Our CREW FoTH (Friends Of Tygerberg Hills) team has also been very busy surveying the area without much luck. We hope that future searches may yield some fruit, however, based on the available suitable habitat, the hope of finding more sub-populations are very low.
We aim to ignite the passion for conserving the little bits of natural veld that still remain within areas of high agricultural activities. For the future of biodiversity conservation and economic growth in South Africa, we really need to find the perfect balance as this relationship is unfortunately not a mutual one. We need nature more than nature needs us, so we need to conserve these precious species, their natural habitats and ecosystems so that one day future generations may experience the violins of the veld.
Many of the species of plants found in the Cape floristic regions are facing a similar threat, and public awareness is a vital part of protecting our precious plants, such as the Lachenalia mathewsii.
The Botanical Society of South Africa is a long-standing partner of CREW and many of our members volunteer with CREW. Become a member and get involved in citizen science.
Leading animal rights group PETA has named the man they believe to be the German hunter who allegedly paid nearly £40,000 to shoot one of the largest remaining large-tusked elephants in Africa in a legal hunt. Several sources subsequently named the trophy hunter Rainer Schorr, a German businessman.
According to the Daily Telegraph and numerous other media sites, PETA in Germany offered a €1,000 reward to anyone who could identify the trophy hunter who killed what is thought to be the biggest elephant killed in Africa for 30 years and one of a dwindling remaining population of ‘super tuskers’. Photos of the dead elephant, the professional hunter and Rainer Schorr were circulated widely online at the time (see below).
In a case that echoes the furore that erupted after Cecil the lion was shot by an American dentist, 55-year-old Mr Schorr allegedly and, according to The Daily Telegraph, paid US$60,000 (£39,000) for a permit to hunt a large bull elephant.
The Daily Telegraph claimed that a former friend of Schorr recognised him from the photo of him posing with the body of the huge elephant. The man, who ended his eight-year friendship with Schorr more than a year ago over a business disagreement, said he was told a few weeks ago by a mutual friend that the businessman was on a hunting trip in Zimbabwe.
The former friend said that hunting was Mr Schorr’s “big passion” and that the entrepreneur partly owned a hunting farm in Namibia.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the former friend added: “On the other side, you have to be realistic; when that guy pays for a hunt, which is legal in Zimbabwe, you do nothing wrong according to national laws.”
The weigh-in: One of the elephant’s tusks is placed on a scale
This iconic elephant, one of the largest of a dwindling population of ‘super tuskers’, with tusks weighing in at 121 and 123lb, was shot on 7 October in a private hunting concession in the Malipati safari area in Masvingo Province. Rainer Schorr also allegedly killed other species during this hunting trip in Masvingo, including leopard and buffalo.
When approached by the Daily Telegraph, Rainer Schorr said: “I don’t know what you are talking about. You have the wrong person.” He claimed he was at a trade fair from 5-8 October in Munich, southern Germany when the hunt took place. He refused to provide evidence backing up his claim.
In Zimbabwe, hunting is legally permitted in certain areas, and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said that the Malipati safari area, where the elephant was shot, is being leased out to the Chiredzi Rural District council under “arrangements where communities benefit from revenue generated from wildlife-based projects including hunting in the area”.
“Such hunts go a long way in assisting communities in the surrounding area,” said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
It added that the elephant population of the Gonarezhou-Malipati complex was estimated at 11,452 elephants according to a 2014 aerial survey and that the Malipati safari area is allocated an annual sustainable quota and hunting permit.
Editorial note: More than four years after the publishing of this article, a lawyer claiming to represent Rainer Schorr contacted Africa Geographic and threatened legal action if this article was not removed, claiming that the trophy hunter in the photo is not his client. As a matter of courtesy Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley temporarily removed this article from the public domain, while conducting further research amongst his networks as to the accuracy of the lawyer’s claims. On receiving irrefutable evidence that the hunter was indeed Schorr, Espley contacted Schorr’s lawyer and advised him of his findings. He gave the lawyer a period of time to produce evidence backing up his claim, advising him that in the absence of such evidence the article would again be made available to the public. The lawyer did not respond, and Espley subsequently made this article available again to the public.
Islands are known to have high levels of endemicity with many unique species found only within their small areas. Madagascar, the land of the dodo, and several Indian Ocean islands such as Seychelles and Mauritius collectively form one of the 25 most biologically rich areas on earth. Mauritian flying foxes, found in Mauritius, are one such species. Yet it may soon join dodos on the extinct list. Written by: Fabiola Monty
Once occupying three islands in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, it is now found only in Mauritius due to habitat loss, cyclones and hunting. It is a threatened species that can play an important role in regenerating the severely degraded Mauritian native forests.
However, due to claims of economic losses from fruit growers, and assumptions that the population of the species has increased dramatically, a decision was made by the Mauritian government at the beginning of October 2015 to cull 20% of the bat’s global population. Despite local and international NGOs providing scientific evidence that this culling will not only be catastrophic for this threatened species but will also not solve the problem, around 18,000 Mauritian flying foxes are targeted and will soon be shot.
Penguins are in trouble – we all know that. But the extent of the population decline became clear when I attended a talk by Dr Stephen van der Spuy, executive director of SANCCOB.Written by: Georgina Lockwood
There are few things as delightful as watching a clumsy African/jackass penguin running like a schoolboy with his pants down, then transform into a master swimmer with torpedo-like agility as it dives into the ocean. The African penguin is such a character that it even has its own day – African Penguins Awareness Day.
I was at SANCCOB’s General Meeting at the Two Ocean’s Aquarium, learning about the charismatic penguins that attract 650,000 tourists to the sleepy coastal village of Simon’s Town and what SANCCOB is doing to save them – treating an average of 1,500 penguins in a non-oil-spill year.
The biological definition of a colony is: organisms of the same species, in this case, African penguins, living closely together to benefit from the safety found in numbers. Colonies of these suited-up little birds used to exist all along the southern African coastline. In the 1900s, it was estimated that there were between three and four million penguins – now, that’s a happy and healthy ‘colony’.
By 2014 there were only 19,000 breeding pairs dotted across South Africa, with another estimated 6,000 in Namibia – that’s not many, is it?
Sadly, overfishing, habitat loss, oil spills and predation by domestic and man-introduced animals pose the biggest threats to the African penguin’s survival. The population in South Africa is now restricted to areas around Simons Town, Robben Island, Dyer’s Island, Stoney Point and Dassen Island, with 60% of the birds occurring on St Croix Island and Bird Island near Cape St. Francis.
What is SANCCOB doing to help? In 2006 SANCCOB embarked on a Chick Bolstering Project – treating between 800 to 900 penguin chicks per year and roughly 500 just between October and January that were abandoned by their parents in moulting season – a time during which the adults shed and regrow their tuxedos and are unable to feed. This is a natural occurrence, but as so few penguins are left, human intervention has been deemed essential for the aquatic bird’s survival. And the good news is, it’s working! A recent study has revealed that hand-reared chicks survive just as well as wild ones.
SANCCOB has treated 95,000 oiled, injured, abandoned, and ‘at risk’ African penguins and other seabirds since 1968 in Cape Town and Cape St. Francis, and in my humblest of opinions, this is a charity worth supporting.
What would you get if you mixed the body parts of a kangaroo, horse, rabbit and hyena and then, just for fun, added massive fingernails? Certainly, one of the most unique-looking animals in the world – the aardvark. Written by: Maria Diekmann, founder and director of REST
This fascinating creature has rarely been studied. Few are kept in captivity due to their nocturnal behaviour, difficulties with an artificial diet and the need for large foraging areas. Their teeth, located towards the back of their mouth, are susceptible to infection in captivity, but no one is exactly sure why. While found in most ranges of southern Africa and not listed as threatened or endangered, many believe the species is declining.
The Rare & Endangered Species Trust (REST) in Namibia is preparing a young female aardvark for release back into the wild. Caught in a snare and found on a private farm, she was close to death when given to REST. Once her wounds had been cleaned, the long task of healing and gaining weight began.
Beatrice, or “B’ as she has been nicknamed, is amazing. As a young female, she only weighs about 45lb (20kg) – adults can reach 143lb (65kg). She sleeps approximately 18 hours a day, and REST supplements her natural foraging with a milkshake of food, cereals, grains, fruit and honey, both in the morning and noon. She wakes up between 6pm and 8pm and is taken out to forage naturally in the bush in the same habitat where she was found. Initially, a soft rope leash was attached, but for a few weeks now, B has been walking unleashed with me.
Fortunately, we have years of experience following released Cape pangolins in the bush, so my staff and students are used to walking silently behind a creature late into the night.
Having never rehabilitated an aardvark before, I was slightly concerned initially. However, my experience with Cape pangolins prepared me for the habits and needs of a similar, mainly nocturnal, ant-eating species. Like the pangolin, the information about aardvarks is conflicting and often wrong – at least in the region where I work. Both species prefer ants to termites, and the tongue of the aardvark is much thicker but shorter than that of a pangolin, only about 6-8 inches long. While a pangolin mainly uses its long, narrow, sticky tongue to attract and capture ants, the aardvark digs much deeper and laps up the ants. During these tongue licks, they consume massive amounts of dirt and small rocks. These small pebbles are believed to help with digestion and are then chewed for up to 10 minutes with a crunching sound that would displease any dentist.
Beatrice has taught me so much about aardvarks. If she represents the species, they are one of the gentlest alive as long as they do not feel threatened. Her nose, which she pushes into the hard ground to sniff out ants before digging, is as soft as velvet, and her powerful front feet have nails five times larger than humans and can move a foot of soil in less than a minute. Her back legs are used for covering her faeces and walking, which she does with a long sloping back like a hyena.
I have contacted a manufacturer of tracking units so that she can be tracked when released – to date, other researchers have used an implanted radio device, so I am gathering information on the best way forward. By Christmas 2015, Beatrice should be walking free. She will be monitored for health and safety, and I am confident that after months of rehab in the same area, she will do fine on her own.
The town of Ouesso lies in the heart of the rainforest in northern Congo. Spider webs of logging roads emanate from the settlement, dissected by the ‘forest highway’ of the Sangha River. The town’s location and accessibility from the forest make it a hub for the illegal wildlife trade. Bushmeat is openly sold in the markets with little regulation.
Although the spectacle of grimacing monkey carcasses and hacked crocodile tails on display at market stalls is an alarming sight to be confronted with, bushmeat has been an important source of protein for rural communities within the forest for centuries. However, today bushmeat usage has evolved from the small-scale, local consumption of the past. It has developed into large-scale exploitation with trade, shifting to the lucrative business of transporting the meat to cities for consumption by the urban elite as a delicacy, thus rendering the industry completely unsustainable.
The transportation of large amounts of bushmeat away from rural forest communities to urban areas is illegal in the Republic of Congo. At the end of 2014, the governor of Sangha province issued a statement to reinforce the application of these environmental laws – an important move for the region’s wildlife and its rural people whose livelihoods have come under threat due to the greedy exploitation of their primary food source.
In August 2015, the annual Congolese Independence Day celebration took place in Ouesso. Thousands of people travelled north from the more populated south of Congo to attend the Independence Day celebrations. The PALF (Project for the Application of Law for Fauna in the Republic of Congo) sniffer dogs were posted on the main road out of Ouesso to search the mass exodus of vehicles from the north during the days following the 15th.
Rick ready for action.Vehicles line up at Yengo-Mambili checkpoint. A team of eco-guards from Odzala-Koukoua National Park permanently man Yengo-Mambili control post. The boom gate is the only permanent wildlife product control post on the main road from northern Congo to the urban areas in the south.An African palm civet (Nandinia binotata) found in a vehicle heading south to Brazzaville.Three confiscated crocodiles keenly await their release as the team continues to search the constant flow of vehicles passing through the control post.The dogs continue working late into the night when there is a much higher chance of illegal products being transported.Buses loaded with luggage and passengers are searched. This requires encouraging all the passengers to exit the vehicle and wait beyond the barrier while the dogs search the bus’s interior.Passengers photograph the confiscated wildlife products piling up next to the road.An array of species from bush pigs, tree pangolins, and several species of duiker, monkey and reptile are discovered during the mission.A freshwater turtle shortly before its release.The confiscated crocodiles are released back into a nearby forest river and swim away unscathed.
A visit to the Cape Winelands is a great way to spend a sunny Saturday, a long weekend or a couple of nights tacked on to a holiday in Cape Town. And recently, I was privileged enough to spend four glorious Cap Classique-filled days in the area.
However, even after a very long weekend, I felt like I hadn’t even skimmed the surface of the many wonders the Cape Winelands offers.
With so many places to stay, wines to drink and fresh produce to stuff into my mouth, choosing which farms to visit was a tough decision and already had me reaching for the nearest glass of Pinotage. I wanted to see the farms that cared about what they gave back to the soil, the people and the environment.
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.
This treading lightly approach didn’t mean that I visited strictly sustainable or organic establishments, but simply that I chose to visit wine estates that are both making a difference and trying to offer something different.
My first stop was Boschendal, where a thoughtful dinner in my charming room went down a treat after a long day at work; especially when I spotted the bottle of Blanc de Noir reflecting the sun setting over the Simonsberg Mountains.
Boschendal was the perfect start to my Cape Winelands trip, considering that the first malva pudding ever served in a restaurant was rumoured to have been on that farm in the summer of 1979. And years after that famous dish touched the lips of awe-struck diners, I arrived on Heritage Day just in time for the farm’s 330th birthday bash! Boschendal has an admirable minimum food-miles policy of growing as much of the restaurant’s produce on the farm as possible – a pasture-fed black Angus cattle was on the spit that day, with no packaging or antibiotics included. A herb and veggie garden lies in front of the Werf Restaurant, and any food not locally grown or reared is sourced from sustainable small producers in the area.
From Boschendal, it was an easy meander down the road to quirky Babylonstoren, where Gundula, the resident gardener, introduced me to her pride and joy. As she strolled through the garden of edible greens in her zig-zag skirt and Pippy Longstocking socks, she spoke of how the team at Babylonstoren had nurtured a virtual wasteland into what is now the heart of the farm. This seasonal wonderland is home to laughing ducks that may waddle behind the occasional bride but whose real job is to act as an organic pest control by chomping up snails. An insect hotel also ensures that the organic produce from the garden is as fresh on your plate as it was on the bush.
After an early wake-up call followed by a stretch of yoga in the blissful Babylonstoren spa, I left behind the traditional Cape Dutch farms and moved on to the modern setting of Leopard’s Leap. While I indulged there in a Culinaria Food and Wine Pairing, it dawned on me that the magic of the Cape Winelands is thanks to the passion of its people. Creating wine is an art form – each grape is lovingly cared for, each wine tenderly nurtured, and every bite of food is that wine’s soulmate – bringing out the best. And La Motte, the sister farm of Leopard’s Leap, also adds another passion to the mix with a museum that features a rotating gallery of local art and is dedicated to Jacob Hendrick Pierneef, whose famous linocut designs adorn the estate’s Pierneef collection of premium wines.
La Motte is also a proud champion of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (now called WWF Conservation Champions) – a collaboration project between the wine industry and the conservation sector that recognises farms leading the way in production integrity, environmental sustainability and conservation.
This passion for the natural environment was evident in the Cape Winelands, with nearly 90% of South African wine producers now displaying the Integrity and Sustainability Seal. At Leopard’s Leap, faces lit up at the mere mention of the Cape Leopard Trust, of which they are a sponsor. Jeannie and Anita are doing great work in the Cape Winelands and beyond to preserve over 60 Cape leopards that call the area home. A mother leopard with small cubs has even been spotted just up the slopes from the vineyards.
After all the food, a short nap was appreciated in a shiny bedroom complete with feathered lamps at Jordan Wine Estate – a far cry from the famous Cape Dutch gables but a great example of how the traditional and modern have interwoven themselves throughout the area. At Jordan, the natural environment gives each wine its unique appeal, and every wine has its own story. The one that stood out for me was the chameleon range, inspired by the Cape dwarf chameleon. Proceeds from the wine even go to the Jordan Chameleon Bursary for the conservation of these cute little creatures. I had the pleasure of tasting more of these wines at Jordan Restaurant, which has been voted one of the country’s top ten restaurants by Eat Out, and is where the famous George Jardin uses local ingredients to create delicious masterpieces.
From Jordan, it was on to the ever-popular Spier Wine Estate, exploring the farm on a Segway tour and indulging at Eight Restaurant. Eight offers a farm-to-table experience with an inventive tapas-style menu allowing you to choose from various delights. At the same time, I took in the nifty recycled fixtures, such as the 10,000 flower-shaped roof fittings made from old milk bottles.
My last day brought a tour of Stellenbosch by bicycle, courtesy of Adventure Shop. This low carbon emission tourism experience saw me weaving through town, learning more about Stellenbosch’s heritage and Cape Dutch influence. It was then time for a final spot of wine tasting as I cycled from farm to farm while soaking up the breathtaking scenery. To round off the day nicely, we visited the Cape Winelands region’s most picturesque tasting room at Stark-Condé. We enjoyed hand-crafted chocolates with fine wines at Lanzerac. The cycle back allowed me to work off the fantastic food and wine from the week, and while I stopped to give my tired legs a break, I thought about how lucky I am to live within easy reach of an area so rich in history, culture and culinary delights.
And now, the next time I pick up a bottle of my favourite Sauvignon Blanc, I will know that it has its own story.
My top picks of what to do:
Go horse riding at Boschendal
Take a ride on a Clydesdale – the working (but not too hard) horses. These happy plodders will take you around the farm, passing the pasture-fed Angus cattle while you take in the surrounding views of the Drakenstein Valley. With almost half of the farm’s land set aside to conserve the fauna and flora of the Cape Floral Kingdom, overnight guests are encouraged to explore by mountain bike or on foot.
Vineyard and cellar tours at Jordan
Jordan Wine Estate is a bit off the beaten track, but getting there is worth the extra effort. The tour of the estate’s vineyards by Gary Jordan allowed me to take in the fabulous location of Jordan with its 360° views of the Winelands, oceans and even Table Mountain. Finish the tour in the estate’s underground cellar and appreciate how their Chardonnay is made – with a glass of it in hand.
Segway tours at Spier
Enjoy the 300 hectares of biodynamic farming, where mobile chicken coops and pasture-reared Angus cattle are used to fertilise vineyards. Pass by the free-range chickens and whizz past the wastewater treatment plant where all of the farm’s wastewater is recycled, which means that Spier is not even batting an eyelid even after the Cape’s driest winter since before I was born.
Boschendal Boschendal offers several accommodation options – you and ten friends can even spend time in Cecil John Rhodes’ holiday home playing bowls, dining under the stars and swimming in your own eco-pool. Franschhoek, Paarl and Stellenbosch are all within a 15-minute drive, making Boschendal the perfect base for your ultimate Winelands getaway.
Spier
Spier is an excellent choice for families. There is so much to do at the farm, from picnicking with homemade deli treats to exploring the educational protea garden or visiting the Eagle Encounters rehabilitation centre. It is also a hop, skip and a jump away from many of Stellenbosch’s other great farms, markets, restaurants and shops.
Find out about the Cape Winelands as part of your next African safari – find a ready-made safari or ask us to build one just for you.
Jordan Restaurant
This is the locally sourced strawberry on top of Stellenbosch’s culinary collection. The menu changes daily and is prepared by a team of seven expert chefs in an open kitchen. As some of the last guests to leave, we had the privilege of eavesdropping on the multi-talented George Jardin as he planned the menu for the next day, ordering the freshest ingredients from his suppliers – a process which takes at least an hour and a half after the last guest has gone to bed. This results in the freshest, most exquisite four-course meal, and I suggest you indulge in their food and wine pairing menu, then skip the sweet stuff for a trip into the cheese room, where I selected a fantastic array of South Africa’s top cheeses to round off my meal.
Babel
The menu at Babylonstoren’s signature restaurant changes daily according to what vegetables and fruit have been gathered from the garden. The fresh papaya that Gundula discovered on my garden tour undoubtedly found its way into the generous three-course wonder offered at Babel that evening.
Leopard’s Leap
Relaxed rotisserie lunches with wine cocktails are offered at Leopard’s Leap from Wednesday to Sunday. Alternatively, their cooking classes often result in full bellies being supported by wobbly legs that need the help of newfound friends to find the door when it’s time to go home. The food and wine pairing is an intimate experience that is said only to get better the more times you partake!
Pierneef à la Motte
The Pierneef à la Motte restaurant overlooks a gorgeous pond, and diners can enjoy meals made from biologically farm-grown produce. The farm shop also sells this produce and a variety of freshly-baked bread – including a Shiraz loaf. However, the highlight for me was the Winelands Tea Experience, where homemade confectionaries were paired with my gorgeous crème caramel tea selection. Not to mention that the Van der Hum truffle was to wine for!
For the last 88 million years, life on Madagascar has been on its own – creating an island of evolutionary oddities and diverse safari travel experiences. Sometimes referred to as a “Noah’s Ark” or the “eighth continent” due to its geographic isolation and high levels of endemism, the island is home to over 110 species of lemurs.
In this gallery, we celebrate some of these lemurs:
The IUCN currently recognises 107 species of lemurs, but their classification is an ongoing process that incorporates new knowledge and research on a regular basis. The lemurs of Madagascar have evolved with the island, influencing the plant life, and filling every available niche to for an astoundingly diverse superfamily of multitudinous shapes and sizes.
Unravelling the history of Madagascar’s animal inhabitants has proven challenging for scientists because, despite numerous dinosaur fossils, there is almost no record from around 66 million years ago to about 26,000 years ago. However, based on complex genetic studies, researchers believe that, rather than being present when Madagascar broke away, the ancestors of modern lemurs arrived sometime after Madagascar achieved geographic isolation, probably between 50 and 60 million years ago. Since then, the family has evolved into a wide variety of diverse primates whose closest relatives are bushbabies (galagos), lorises and pottos. Read more about lemurs here.
ALISON BUTTIGIEG is a Maltese IT Consultant and self-taught Wildlife Photographer. She loves spending time in the wilderness – especially if it happens to be in Africa – photographing the wild animals inhabiting the wilderness areas. I
It started with a phone call. The man on the other end of the line reported seven elephants stuck in the mud on the community side of the 164km West Laikipia fence near Pesi. The news was not promising – we needed to make a plan – quickly!
Word had already reached the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and they were on their way to the scene – a two-hour drive from Nanyuki, where Space for Giants (SFG) offices are located. We jumped in a vehicle and headed into the bush.
The story changed as we neared the scene, getting hopelessly lost on the narrow tracks between maize fields. The elephants were not stuck – the community was holding them hostage.
The moment we reached the dam, we were mobbed by several hundred local community members. We spotted the KWS senior warden for Laikipia County trying to placate a group of 50 men surrounding him. He had his hands full.
We pushed through the crowd to reach the dam’s edge and assess the situation. One boy of about ten years of age stopped us, “elephants eat my maize,” he mumbled in broken English.
Now we understood. These seven males, all known fence-breaking elephants to SFG researchers, had broken through the West Laikipia fence that is supposed to separate community land from large-scale ranches, where wildlife is tolerated. The elephants had smashed through the fence, entered the community land and destroyed a large crop of maize. The villagers were furious, understandably so. They had seen their livelihoods destroyed before their eyes. They wanted compensation. They wanted these elephants dead.
Human-elephant conflict in the Laikipia area is amongst the worst in East Africa and probably the most severe in Kenya. In 2007, SFG estimated that elephant crop raiding had cost local communities over US$1 million in lost revenue. These losses are catastrophic.
The KWS rangers had the situation under control – but it felt like a time bomb. You could feel the tension in the air. All the villagers were armed with sticks and machetes, angrily demonstrating at the elephants huddled together in the dam no more than 50 metres away. It would not take much to see this situation erupt into violence and bloodshed.
SFG called in support from our partners at Lewa Conservancy and Ol Pejeta Conservancy and chartered a support helicopter from Tropic Air – these elephants would have to be pushed from the dam. Soon a helicopter emerged over the horizon.
The helicopter’s arrival sent the crowd into a frenzy – it was there to help the elephants and not them. The KWS did well to control the crowd. But their increasing frustration was now aimed at the elephants, eager to leave and approaching the dam’s edge. The villagers mobilised themselves and set all the vegetation surrounding the dam on fire. A gang of 30-50 men started throwing stones. The crowd screamed and whistled. The elephants were trapped – and they knew it. They retreated and sought another way out, only to receive the same treatment. The panicked elephants huddled together in the centre of the dam, unsure of what to do as smoke filled the air and stones splashed around them.
There was no way of stopping the crowd from doing this – by now, they numbered at least 400 – a few rangers with guns would not intimidate them. The helicopter attempted to push them away by flying low overhead, but it only fueled their resistance. It was a standoff.
Suddenly one of the elephants – the one that had been attempting to escape for hours already, made his move. It had had enough. It was showered in stones and sticks as it reached the shallows, fires roaring in the background. It charged into the crowd that scattered before it. We lost sight of it immediately amongst the maize.
The Tropic Air helicopter reacted quickly, and the experienced pilot managed to steer it away from the fleeing crowd and to safety.
The courage of this elephant seemed to infect the three remaining elephants. As the helicopter returned, the police and KWS helped disperse the individuals trying to prevent the elephants from escaping, and the helicopter guided them out of the dam. Nevertheless, the remaining three elephants were in no mood to move. Stubbornly they huddled together and waited for night to fall. Under the cover of darkness, they slipped away unharmed.
The whole incident was bittersweet. There are no winners here. We are delighted all the elephants got away largely unharmed, but this incident illustrates the true state of affairs in Laikipia County. Local communities living side by side with these giants suffer significant losses daily and have little reason to value elephants. When elephants from Laikipia’s wildlife conservancies raid their farms, their complaints and requests for compensation fall on deaf ears – when an elephant is in danger, there is a monumental response from both the public and private sectors. The inequalities are all too clear.
The solution?
The rehabilitation of the West Laikipia fence. There has never been a more pertinent example of the need for a fence to separate man and beast. In Laikipia, the peaceful coexistence that we as conservationists strive for depends on a barrier made of wire, posts and 8,000 volts. It may not be pretty – but it works.
Space for Giants is an international conservation charity in Kenya through a local charitable trust with an independent board. SFG also focuses on mitigating human-elephant conflict in Laikipia County, securing space for these giants to roam and training the next generation of conservationists.
I am lucky to call Cape Town home because it means I’m able to enjoy the ocean right alongside mountain wilderness, five-star dining enhanced by fine wines, a buzzing art scene and a vibrant nightlife, the ramifications of which can be cured with exceptional coffee found on every street. To leave Cape Town for a holiday seems like madness, but perhaps it’s okay if it’s just for a weekend.
A certain train leaves Cape Town for Simonstown in False Bay every second weekend. Catch it, and you’ll travel back in time – not just because Simonstown clings to a bygone era, but because this train runs on steam. As you chug away from Cape Town, the expanse of False Bay is steadily revealed. Before long, the ocean is almost lapping at the rails, the hiss of the engine marks your passage in time and you eventually arrive, with a steamy shudder, in the 1800s.
Victorian buildings line Simonstown’s streets. With shuttered windows flung open to the bay and naval flags lining the eaves, it’s clearly the ocean upon which this town thrives. A centuries-old naval base gives credence to the old cannons that spike the surrounding hills, and a yacht club lures sailing ships from around the world. Not far from the old town, on the way towards the jagged cliffs of the Cape Peninsula, penguins make their home on protected beaches, and False Bay’s secrets of kelp forests and strange creatures are hidden beneath the waves.
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.
It’s a wonderful place from which to explore the peninsula, surf the waves of Muizenberg and commune in the antiquarian haunts and coffee shops of nearby Kalk Bay. But don’t miss lunch at The Flagship back in Simonstown. Chef Duncan Doherty is the relaxed and funny host of this unique establishment – more of a delightful home than a lodge and restaurant.
Much of his fare comes from the ocean on his doorstep, and although many arrive at his table as strangers, they soon kick their shoes off as friends. I kicked mine off, made some new American friends and stayed the night, anticipating the next leg of my next trip around False Bay on a more modern form of transport.
If motorcycles came with cup holders, I might have taken off immediately, but coffee was enjoyed sitting on Kalk Bay’s vibrant street, gazing alternately at the passersby and the imposing motorcycle that Tyger Valley Harley Davidson had lent me. I couldn’t help comparing it to a steam train because it handled like it was on rails. The size of the bike belies surprisingly nimble handling on the most curvaceous of bends.
Sticking to the coast after Muizenberg, the road skirts along a windswept stretch of beach, making up the deepest cut of False Bay; then, after crawling through Strand and Gordons Bay, you are rewarded with the most scenic stretch of coastal road in South Africa, if not the entire continent. It’s also the most fun. You can’t take a train around the tight turns of Clarence Drive, but on a bike, it becomes a fairground ride enhanced by the sea air washing up from the waves below and the breathtaking views around every bend.
When the curves run out, you can’t just stop and turn around, no matter how enticing the road. Hermanus is too close to ignore, especially during the whale season, and it’s a perfect base to explore the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley just outside Hermanus and commune with the water creatures of Walker Bay.
Birkenhead House is an incredible base, the hotel’s location being the envy of many – on a small cliff-top in Hermanus overlooking Walker Bay, where so many whales come to calve their young.
The unobtrusive entrance gives little away of its wonderful interior. As you descend its three expansive levels, flanked by an enviable collection of contemporary art, the ocean grows larger and larger in your view until you walk through the lounge and stand on the pool deck with the entire bay at your feet. Then a whale waves a flipper in greeting, a chilled glass of wine is put in your hand, and you think, perhaps getting away from Cape Town is something I should do more often.
Whale Watching by boat: Ivanhoe Sea Safaris specialises in boat-based whale watching from June to September. They are located in Gansbaai, just 40 minutes from Hermanus, operating in the waters of Walker Bay which is famous for its whale activity. Ivanhoe also offers eco trips focussing on the wider marine life and private charters.
Whale Watching by plane: African Wings takes off from Stanford, just 25 minutes from Hermanus, giving you a unique perspective on the whales in Walker Bay. Flights take up to three people and vary in duration between 30, 45 and 60 minutes. African Wings also offers a variety of scenic flights and tailor-made experiences.
Before reaching Hermanus when driving from Cape Town, turn left onto the R320 Hemel-en-Aarde Road to explore the wines and landscape of this beautiful valley. It’s a refreshing alternative to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, with a wide selection of award-winning vineyards and restaurants.
Ataraxia’s tasting room, The Wine Lounge, is built as a chapel situated on what must be the most spectacular spot in the valley – an ideal place to sit and contemplate their delicious wines.
Creation Wines has wonderful wine pairings with tapas, brunch pairings and a secret food & wine pairing.
Birkenhead House is situated in a quiet part of Hermanus on a cliff-top overlooking the whale haven of Africa. It comprises three houses with 11 eclectically decorated rooms, a spa, gym, and two pools. Stylish luxury contrasts with a laid-back atmosphere that has you feeling completely at home. Everything is at your own pace here, and the staff treat you more like friends than guests.
Boulders penguin colony:
As part of Table Mountain National Park, Boulders Beach is the protected home of over 2,000 endangered African penguins. But it doesn’t mean you can’t visit to delight in the antics of these characterful birds. From the turnstile entrance, a walkway means you can view the penguins without destroying their natural habitat, and there is also access to a sheltered beach where you and the kids can swim – but don’t touch the penguins.
The penguins are supported by SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds)
The variety of eclectic shops, restaurants and cafés on Simonstown’s main street and waterside belie the quaint size of this town. You can lose yourself here for a day hunting down that art piece, learning about the history and sampling the tasty wares of its restaurants and cafés.
Hard work like this needs a respite, and the restaurants on the waterfront are a good place to relax for a maritime meal while you watch the sailboats bob in the harbour. Boat excursions to Cape Point and Seal Island can also be arranged here with Boat Company and whale watching excursions in False Bay.
Simonstown Naval Museum:
The town’s naval history goes back to 1810, when the Royal Navy moved its headquarters from Cape Town to Simonstown. It’s a fascinating place to learn about the history of South Africa’s fighting and defensive ships, from the days of sails through to the minesweepers and submarines of World War 2 and beyond. Most surprising are the mapped records of German U-boat activity along South Africa’s coast, making one realise this wasn’t necessarily a quiet theatre of maritime war.
Chef Duncan Doherty hails from the renowned culinary and wine capital of Franschhoek, his connection with wine and food showing in his portfolio of work with Haute Cabriere, Fancourt, The Lanzerac Hotel and the Graham Beck Wine Estate. At The Flagship, he builds your 5-course meal around the best wines, pairing them with local, sustainable seafood in a relaxed atmosphere that makes you feel completely at home. To top it off, four sea-facing suites are waiting for you so you can linger in Simonstown for much longer.
This seaside town is the hip sister of Simonstown with restaurants, cafés and shops that range from cool and funky to discerning and chic. Kalk Bay’s harbour is a small, buzzing fish market where fishing boats offload their catch daily. A couple of tasty fish and chip restaurants line the harbour, and the finer fare can be found at Harbour House, with a view over the crashing waves of False Bay. Punctuating the shops of this town are several cafés, each with its own eclectic vibe, but make sure to sample the fare of Lekker, an Afrikaans word meaning “tasty”.
The Western Cape’s coastal roads are ideal for two-wheel touring – with twisty roads and incredible scenery, there’s no better way to experience it. If it’s for a weekend away, you can fit everything you need on a tourer like the Ultra Limited, which has enough luggage space for you and a passenger.
Atlantic Rail gets underway every second weekend, steaming down the track towards Simonstown or Stellenbosch and back again. Invite friends and family, take a picnic along, and if you really want to get into the swing of it, wear period costume for a true journey back in time.
About the author
ANTON CRONE quit the crazy-wonderful world of advertising to travel the world, sometimes working and drifting. Along the way, he unearthed a passion for Africa’s stories – not the sometimes hysterical news agency headlines we all feed off, but the real stories. Anton strongly empathises with Africa’s people and their need to meet daily requirements, often in remote, environmentally hostile areas co-habitated by Africa’s free-roaming animals.
His Excellency Minister Oldemiro Júlio Margues Baloi – Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs – has declared the country free of all known landmines.
APOPO, has been working in the country to help clear the landmines since 2007, extended their heartfelt congratulations to the people and government of Mozambique. Tess Tewelde, APOPO’s Head of Mine Action Africa, said, “APOPO is extremely proud to have played a part in this historic achievement that now allows the people of Mozambique to finally live without the fear of landmines and explosive remnants of war.”
Following the completion of remaining landmine sites in Manica and Sofala provinces in early 2015, APOPO proudly and safely finalised all their humanitarian tasks in Mozambique, in the process destroying a total of 13,274 landmines and returning 11,124,446 square metres of land for safe and productive use.
APOPO has helped rid five provinces of landmines, returning safe land to local communities to live, work, farm and play without fear. Most households in these areas are headed by smallholder farmers who have been unable to use the land to grow crops and sustain their livestock for decades until APOPO arrived to clear and release the area.
APOPO remains in the country at the request of the National Institute of Demining to continue providing technical expertise and capacity for any residual or remaining clearance work, such as the former ammunition store now known as the Malhazine Ecological Park, which Mozambique’s Ministry of Environment is transforming into a nature reserve, educational and tourism centre.
Mozambique’s landmine problem was once one of the most severe in the world, with a legacy of landmines and explosive remnants of war from decades of conflict. Thousands of landmines were laid in the country during its 1964-1975 fight for independence and the following civil war. All factions used landmines to defend provincial and district towns, roads, airstrips, key bridges, power supply infrastructure and military posts. Although the civil war ended in the early 1990s, landmines and unexploded ordnance have continued to claim hundreds of lives of innocent people and hinder development.
A large-scale mine clearance effort was launched in 1993 by the United Nations Operations in Mozambique and international NGOs. At that time, Mozambique was considered one of the most mine-affected countries in the world.
As well as traditional approaches to mine action such as manual de-miners with metals detectors, ground preparation, and de-mining machines, APOPO also deploys its unique mine detection rats to help speed up operations as they detect only explosive material (TNT) and ignore harmless scrap metal. One HeroRAT can check an area of 200m² in about 20 minutes – a task that would take a conventional de-miner up to four days.
An NSPCA report has revealed that tourists are still riding elephants in South Africa, despite a growing international move away from the controversial practice. Written by: Melissa Reitz
A report by the NSPCA (National Council of SPCAs) on the welfare status of elephants in captivity at 26 elephant facilities nationwide (14 of which offer elephant-back riding) reveals that nearly all captive elephants suffer welfare deficiencies in one way or another. This highlights the fact that South Africa is lagging in a growing global trend against using captive elephants for entertainment.
The report, compiled by the NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit, has been submitted to all relevant government departments in South Africa and NGOs nationally and abroad and offers a scientific overview of the cruel realities that many captive elephants endure physically and emotionally.
The report also confirms the lack of conservation benefits of the captive elephant industry. The WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) do not consider captive breeding a significant contribution to elephant conservation due to low breeding and high mortality rates. Also noted in the report is the high number of human injuries and fatalities due to public interaction with captive elephants.
According to the NSPCA report, more than half of the 26 facilities keeping captive elephants for public interaction use a method called: “free contact”, which includes the use of physical punishment, using an ankus or hook, to train elephants into submission.
“If tourists knew what it took to train an elephant for their ‘pleasure’, South African tourism could be damaged,” states Dr Mandy Lombard of Public Watch. “Although we hear of people being killed, few incidents where elephant handlers or tourists are attacked have been publicised.”
In the rest of the world, a growing movement against elephant back riding is emerging – with many travel agencies taking elephant riding off their itineraries and dissuading customers from supporting the practice.
Unlike South Africa, thirty-seven countries across the globe have bans on animals in circuses, including Mexico, Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands. Although not yet nationally endorsed, certain states of America have also issued circus animal bans. Still, England remains divided on this as political parties debate whether or not to change legislation.
After being sent the following offer several times from professional hunter Ivan Carter, award-winning filmmaker, Dereck Joubert decides to reply.
Dear Ivan,
This economic case is intriguing and worth unpacking scientifically and politely. Your note has a blend of economics and ‘experience’ or emotion, and I will attempt to separate them.
1. We have done much of this list already. Most guests in eco-tourism camps go out each day and do what most hunters do, except, of course, the experience is different as they actually walk more than trophy hunters do and leave the wildlife intact.
During the period from 1995 to 2003, I took notes on trophy hunting in what was called Area 6 (Linyanti Selinda) in Botswana and between 90-95% of animals were shot from vehicles so very little walking and stalking was involved. This, of course, was illegal, but this discussion is about viability, not infringements.
2. The photographic tourist with a camera gets up close enough to take a decent image with a 300mm lens, which is about 30% closer than a hunter has to with a high-powered rifle and a telescopic sight.
3. It’s a misnomer that each buffalo costs US$3,000 to stalk. This makes a basic assumption error that once you photograph the buffalo, you cannot take another photograph of it, either that day, the next or ever again. An image taken and a bullet fired have two completely different outcomes. The argument presented also assumes that while the buffalo may live for another 15 years, no one else can visit, pay the fees or photograph the buffalo. Great Plains provides free cameras in most of its camps, and the resulting statistics are revealing: most people take about 1,000 images a day. With a burn rate (those that are not keepers) of 50%, that implies 500 photographic trophies per day per person or couple! It is not fair to equate one photograph to one bullet. One bullet ends the potential. I would argue that each photograph gets taken back to the visitor’s circle of friends and serves as a brochure for more travellers to visit that same buffalo. One bullet? End of that cycle.
We once did a survey in Savuti in Botswana and calculated the value of a male lion dead (as a trophy) versus its value as an eco-tourism asset. It is complicated, but its value dead was US$15,000 then, whereas its value alive was around US$2,000,000. This is because of that basic oversight in your argument: a photographed lion yawns at the dawn repeatedly for photographs for over 10 years, attracting fees and lodging costs and also, importantly, distributing value down the chain to airlines, wages, curios, communities and food purchases (none of which were actually included in the US$2M calculation). However, one bullet ends those yawns in the sunrise forever for that lion.
Today you can hunt a lion for about US$23,000 for a male and, shockingly, just US$9,000 for a lioness! Who wants to shoot a lioness, by the way? A rare white lion will set you back about US$30,000. Who wants to shoot a rare white lion and end its life? I could run the numbers again in today’s terms, and we would find a proportionate increase in its value to be kept alive and wild.
4 An average stay at a place in Botswana, like the Zarafa Dhow Suite or Mombo, will cost you US$2,500 per day per person. In contrast, the average lodging fees for most hunting companies (I researched about 40) are around US$350-$450 per person.
5. Another miscalculation is in the sum that goes to the government. According to three sources, this is less than 5% of the price paid for the trophy, rather than your calculation of a third. And one of these sources was a government of Botswana study in 1999 and later a study by Animal Rights of Africa in 2008. Similar results are cropping up in IFAW and other NGO studies.
6. All of the Great Plains camps do actually give US$100 to communities as a conservancy or community fee, as do many others, so that is at least equal to your ‘offer’. However, most hunting concessions can only service 12-15 or so hunters a year. Even on a seven-day safari, that is, at best, 20 clients a year. So the average hunting operation produces US$15,000 in community fees in a five-month hunting season. From one camp like Mara Plains, at a 60% occupancy of 14 guests per night for 12 months, the community fee would be US$306,000. Even if we remove from this any anti-poaching contribution, which on a hunting concession calculation may be US$15,000 (per your note), a very liberal comparison would work out as a net benefit to the community and conservation of US$30,000 for hunting versus US$300,000 for a photographic trip.
7. Keeping the animals alive is clearly more viable but also increases exponentially if you consider the addition of their offspring to the ecosystem. In the case of lions, each male lion would add a further US$2M every time a cub survives to adulthood, and lions have an average output of about six cubs in their lifetimes.
8. The entire safari cost of US$20,000-$25,000 you quote equates to a ten-day photographic safari with Great Plains. That excludes flights and tips etc. However, I see that if two people are on a hunt, the fee goes down by about 33% for the second person, so a trophy hunt for two people would be about 15% less than an average photographic safari. Hence photographic safaris, in some cases, already exceed the prices achieved from hunting.
9. So yes, converting that land to non-hunting ground would probably make more money, especially if your business model, which now aims at 15 people, could be increased to 100 as per your request.
10. To summarise, it is impossible to win any economic argument for hunting, so it comes down to an emotional one. Ironically, the hunting representatives urge everyone not to get emotional about the subject, yet hunters come to Africa to get the (emotional) thrill of killing. Anyone who says it is for conservation can simply write a cheque to any great NGOs saving wildlife today.
The argument for hunting gets thinner each time it is tested. Ultimately, it may be reduced to some small game farms in South Africa, but it should certainly not exist in the wild.
Cape granite flax was considered extinct, and the only evidence of its existence was scans of herbarium sheets dating back to the 1830s. Gigi Laidler was told to go and find one. In the wild. No pressure, then.
Gigi Laidler, a staff member at CREW, has this to say about the project, “One of the first things I learnt when I joined the CREW team is that ‘special’ doesn’t always mean big or showy when it comes to threatened species. There is much reward to be found in the small and seemingly uninteresting plants.
On my very first outing with the team, I was instructed to seek and find Granite Cape Flax Polycarena silenoides – a tall order for a small plant found only on Lion’s Head granites and presumed to be extinct. The only visual material I had to work with were scans of herbarium sheets dating back to the 1830s and descriptions gleaned from sources like Cape Plants and other Cape Floras. According to the Red List website, the status is Critically Endangered, possibly extinct and “Known from the slopes of Lion’s Head – three collections were made before 1940. We suspect this species may be extinct due to alien grass invasions and incorrect fire management.”
Of course, we didn’t find our plant on our first search in October, but undaunted, if I subsequently heard of anyone going anywhere near Signal Hill/Lion’s Head, I beseeched them to look out for a small plant in granitic areas.
Then one Sunday, I set off in search of this elusive target on a mild, overcast morning, with the odd hint of impending bad weather threatening to disrupt our botanising fun. Eventually, we reached our main target area on the lower road on the western side below Lion’s Head, where the granites start. We split the group with those feeling nimble and fleet-of-foot exploring the more bouldery section while the more “cautious” of us would simply scramble our way up the steep slope to the path, where we would rendezvous before returning to our vehicles.
I opted for the more direct scramble up the slope, and I didn’t get very far when an insignificant little weed-like plant about 8 or 9cm high caught my eye. Closer inspection confirmed all the “boxes” for the identifying features appeared to be “ticked”, – so I hazarded a guess that we had finally found our plant and proceeded to take many pictures. I will admit that the prospect of rediscovering a presumed extinct species is exhilarating, so Sunday night was a bit restless for me!
On Monday morning, my find was indeed confirmed as being the long-lost Polycarena silenoides – a little plant that can be easily overlooked and dismissed as being something common. Granite Cape flax, as it is commonly known, was probably obscured by mature vegetation on previous searches, and we are fortunate that after the fire, it is now visible in the burnt area, where there is not too much competition from other larger plants.
This population of Polycarena silenoides will now need to be more fully assessed and monitored so that its Red List status can be revised, and more can be learnt about its life form and responses to fire and other threats.
It is encouraging to know that perseverance pays off, and small can be exciting too. So let’s keep looking for those elusive threatened plants, and who knows how many other long-lost species are waiting to be rediscovered.”
The Cape Floristic Region Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) team is a citizen science programme that uses volunteers passionate about plants, many of which are also members of the Botanical Society of South Africa. CREW data feeds into IUCN Red Listing data with the SANBI Threatened Species Programme and is a way for the general public to make a meaningful contribution to conserving our unique natural heritage. This is plant conservation in action.
A hundred years ago, our fynbos rivers pulsed with fish life: glowing redfins swarmed among the cobbles, speckled galaxias suspended weightless in the bubble line, and a pack of mottled kurpers lurked silently in the shadows. Wiley eels grinned in their cavernous lairs as night set in and their hunt began. Large cyprinids, like the Clanwilliam sandfish, migrate great distances upstream to their rocky spawning grounds as the winter floods subside. But sadly, those days are now long gone.
Breede River redfins swarming among cobbles
Low-lying reaches have been degraded by human activities like agriculture, and fish populations have been decimated by predatory alien fish. Today our fynbos rivers are largely devoid of native fish species – a depressing realisation given that most of these species occur nowhere else on the planet. Our sensitive fynbos fishes are backed into a corner like a wounded boxer. They have retracted deep into isolated mountain tributaries, now their last outposts within vast networks of uninhabitable riverscapes.
Smallmouth bass have eaten their way through our fragile native fish populations.
Nearly all of these species have made their way into the pages of the IUCN’s red list, and some are now so rare and isolated that they are literally swimming on the edge of extinction. Again, a depressing prospect, but there may yet be light at the end of this dark tunnel.
In 2012/13, an ambitious conservation project conducted in the Rondegat River in the Cederberg demonstrated, under the disapproving eyes of its many sceptics, that sections of rivers can be rehabilitated and cleansed of alien fish. The project was spearheaded by the local conservation authority CapeNature, and monitoring by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) revealed rapid recolonisation by native fishes and aquatic invertebrates from upstream following alien fish eradication. The project showed that a chemical called rotenone can eliminate alien fish without detrimental long-term effects on the rest of the river ecosystem and thereby give our native species back some room to survive – an aquatic miracle if ever there was one!
Unfortunately, though, this solution doesn’t come cheap. This project, which successfully eradicated alien bass from four kilometres of stream and rehabilitated riparian habitat, cost more than ZAR4 million. While several species desperately need this type of intervention, future projects will rest on our ability to acquire the necessary funds – a tough challenge when working to save small, shy aquatic creatures that fall outside of the conservation spotlight.
With my new film, Fins in the Fynbos, I hope to raise the profile of these unique but globally threatened fish, highlight their struggles and offer a way to invest in their future by supporting very much-needed conservation interventions:
“Our relationship with the wild has always been important in my work. This series on starlit baobab and quiver trees was inspired by two fascinating scientific studies that connect tree growth with celestial movement and astral cycles. Most locations were truly wild and remote – far from civilisation and light pollution – in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Mighty and eccentric baobab and surreal quiver trees are featured in my work, each titled after constellations named by the ancient Greeks and Romans.” Beth Moon
“LYRA”
“CORVUS”
“ANDROMEDA”
“POLARIS”
“ARA”
“IZAR”
“HERCULES”
“VELA”
“OCTANS”
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
The American-born photographer BETH MOON has gained international recognition for her large-scale, richly-toned platinum prints. Since 1999, Moon’s work has appeared in more than sixty solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Italy, England, France, Israel, Brazil, Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore, receiving widespread critical praise. Her prints are held in numerous public and private collections, and in 2013, the first monograph of her work, Between Earth and Sky, was published by Charta Art Books of Milan. In 2014, Abbeville Press published Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time, with a third book to follow in 2015 from German publisher Galerie Vevais titled La Langue Verte. Beth’s work can be seen at www.bethmoon.com
Her book Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time is available from the publisher Abbeville Press or Amazon.
As I apprehensively shuffled into the caged box, my stomach clenched, and my heart stopped. I immediately knew I was in a bad place and desperately wanted to run straight back out.
But something told me to carry on; something told me that by enduring the next hour in this awful place, I could hope to make a positive change to the hell that I currently found myself encased in. And that’s when I decided that I should try my absolute hardest to turn my experience into a huge positive. And that’s when I came up with this experiment.
I spammed this lion cub petting photo the following day across my social media platforms. Within minutes of uploading the image, likes and comments immediately began to pour in, as I predicted they would.
Everyone loves to see a cute lion cub gazing into the camera, heightened by the fact that he had his paw on my shoulder as I stared lovingly into his beautiful big eyes.
However, the truth of the lion cub petting industry is that one of the enclosures that I was taken into contained three lion cubs that, at merely three weeks old, had been taken away from their mother, who was in another enclosure far away. The cubs were given “lion milk formula”. The sad thing is that the guide answered absolutely every question I asked him without thinking anything was wrong. Knowing full well that everyone who pets these poor cubs in their enclosures is making them more accustomed to humans and losing their instinctual fear.
Sadly, many places in South Africa like this one claim to be good places for animals, which thousands of tourists believe. They make millions by attracting tourists from all over the world to see, hold and interact with ‘wild animals’. There are currently only about 2,000 lions left in the wild in South Africa, whilst there are as many as 7,000 currently in captivity.
While you may see a cute lion, happy to be involved in today’s selfie culture, this cub’s future is headed for the canned hunting industry. So if you dream about stroking, holding and taking your selfies with lions, know that you will contribute to a multi-million dollar lion cub petting industry that ends in a bullet lodged in this lion’s brain – to put it straight to you. Sorry.
If you are unfamiliar with the term ‘canned hunting’, let’s use the example of the lion in my selfie and call him Leo.
When Leo reaches an age when he is too big to cuddle, he will be taken on walks with tourists who pay big bucks for that ‘privilege’. When Leo turns two years old, he will be too big or dangerous to interact with people closely, although he is now very comfortable with the idea after interacting with hundreds every week.
Leo will then be left in an enclosure until he reaches his prime – to look his most impressive. When Leo is about six, a trophy hunter will travel to South Africa, after paying around US$38,000, to point his big man gun at Leo while accompanied by guides to protect the trophy hunter.
Meat will even be put out for Leo so that the hunter will know exactly where he will be. And as Leo has been around people since he was taken from his mother at two weeks old, he has no reason to fear the hunter.
Now that the bullet is lodged in Leo’s brain let’s take a selfie next to this trophy. What a brave ‘hunter’.
And while you may venture to these lion cub petting places and think that they are doing good for conservation due to the sheer volume of animals held in these places, know that these animals are suffering greatly – both physically from malnutrition and poor living conditions and mentally after being taken from their mothers at such a young age.
The horrors I saw included hyenas in cages with lions “to see if they will be friends.” I also experienced an attempted attack by an older tiger cub who I was told was “just playing” as his claws dug into me, hissing caracals being shoved into my arms, and three-week-old lion cubs with chunks of their fur missing.
Is this conservation? Is this right?
Whilst I strive to share my story far and wide to educate as many people as possible about the truth, I remain optimistic that there is hope for the future of our wildlife. With the release of the canned hunting exposé Blood Lions, I am filled with faith that as much as people are trying to harm our animals, more are trying to save them.
When I attended a talk by Blood Lions star Ian Michler in South Africa, I could feel the passion-driven fight in every person in the audience wanting to contribute to saving these majestic species. And that has only increased recently since Blood Lions was released in South Africa. With plans for screenings worldwide, the impact of this footage will surely unite the world in fighting against these awful lion prisons.
And whilst many see the death of Zimbabwe’s most famous lion as a heartbreaking truth of the occurrences of our modern society, I see it as a window of hope. To me, Cecil did not die in vain. His death has caused a stir in the world, and many are finally opening their eyes to the extent of the problem.
Blood Lions, together with the killing of Cecil, has sent the world into action, with airlines including British Airways, Virgin, Delta and many more, banning the transport of animal “trophies”, meaning that the estimated 15,000 American tourists who visit Africa every year on hunting safaris will struggle to return home with their “prize”.
People increasingly question the hunters’ statements that their actions are all for conservation. It costs an estimated US$26,000 for a lion conservation charity to continue their research, whilst a hunter will pay up to US$50,000 to kill one male lion. So if a trophy hunter told you they are helping conservation by shooting a lion, would you now believe them?
All I ask is that you share this message and my story so that our children can grow up knowing the beauty of the natural and rightful king of the jungle. We will not stop fighting!
On an African safari, we see hippos lazing in the water with the tips of their ears and eyes poking out and the occasional spout of water as they take their next breath. But some of us working in the safari industry in Botswana discovered another side to these animals while on a weekend away in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Written by: James Wilson and Tim Frayne
After an exceptional shortage of rain during the wet season, the heavens opened for two consecutive days in April. After waiting the whole morning for the downpour to subside, we realised that we were waiting in vain and decided to pack a lunch and set out for one of the many game-viewing hides strategically placed above a waterhole.
What transpired was a scene like no other – none of us had ever experienced such a thing.
As the rain continued to pour, it became apparent that a mother hippo (separated from the pod) was suckling her newborn calf. On closer inspection, we saw that the hippo calf was only a couple of days old and had not yet been introduced to the rest of the pod. Mother hippos usually isolate themselves from the pod to give birth and slowly introduce the calf when ready. Fortunately, we arrived when she revealed her calf to the pod – a special experience.
Slowly, the hippo mother exited the water to the waterhole’s edge. Almost instinctively, other pod members inquisitively made their way to the water’s edge. Three or four family members came out of the water and proceeded closer to the mother and calf. While the mother was protective of the calf, she did not try to keep the other hippos from coming too close as it wobbled precariously during its first steps on land.
For no apparent reason, the mother began backtracking and quietly returned to the water, while the other hippos that came to inspect the newcomer also backtracked to the water.
Something was about to go down.
A scene of complete chaos ensued that none of us expected after such a touching family moment. As if the incessant tapping of the raindrops on the tops of their heads had caused them to lose all sense of control, they attacked the mother. Three adults launched towards her and sent her fleeing for safety into the deeper water of the waterhole.
After this battle, the calf was left stranded on the other side while the hippos continued to target the mother. After about two minutes of the mother defending herself and the deafening grunts and groans of the fight, things began to settle down again.
Suspecting the hippo calf might be in trouble, we watched as a few adult hippos cornered the mother on one side of the waterhole while about seven hippos began moving in on the calf. We’ve seen dominant bulls attack younger male hippos that may threaten their dominance, but here both males and females seemed to have a collective plot to attack the calf.
Chaos ensued once more as they lunged for the helpless calf and flung it into the air. This set off the rest of the pod, and the scene turned to carnage, the small waterhole becoming a whirlpool of blood and drama. The mother watched helplessly as the entire pod attacked and slaughtered the calf. Each adult fought for an opportunity to attack the calf, pulling it from one side of the waterhole to the other.
Even the most seasoned guides felt a little traumatised by the sight of the baby hippo killed.
We’re not sure exactly what possessed the hippos to do this and how they did it. They may know the pressure on the pod every dry season as water dwindles in the waterholes. Perhaps this female had migrated from another region last season and wasn’t fully accepted by the pod.
The point is that this is the reality of life and death in the African bushveld. Like everything in nature, the carcass made for much-needed sustenance for the resident crocodiles, terrapins and fish. Although all a little startled by what we had just seen, we knew we had been fortunate enough to witness an incredible natural moment while on safari.
During a recent trip to Madikwe Game Reserve, we were tracking lion spoor in the early morning light. The game ranger left the vehicle and followed the spoor that had veered off into the veld. He returned quickly with an excited glint in his eyes that had us all thinking: ‘Yes, lions!’ He informed us that he had not seen the lions but had found something else that was also, apparently, very interesting. The lions had led us to an enormous dead African rock python which was exceptionally fascinating to us as we flicked through pictures on his phone, but not interesting enough for the king of beasts as they had moved on.
Our ranger said we could see it for ourselves. I jumped at the opportunity – my 9-year-old son is mad about snakes, and a sighting like this would make me his heroin.
So, off we went to go and see the snake. When our group descended upon the snake, we fell silent out of respect and amazement for this five-metre-long legend of a snake. We slowly stepped closer to examine the dead python – there were no ants or insects on the snake and minimal signs of decay, so it couldn’t have been dead very long. So, why did it die?
The closer we got, the more we could smell a rotting stench coming from the snake’s middle, which was confusing as the corpse didn’t look old at all. There was fresh jackal spoor around the snake and pieces of flesh missing from the snake’s back where the jackal had begun to eat.
By now, I was truly curious! I wanted to know what happened! This was turning into an episode of bushveld CSI. The ranger pointed out that horns had punctured the snake’s bulging side – whatever the snake had eaten, a small impala or steenbok. That was it; that was how a python this big had died!
My first wild python sighting blew me away: the snake’s size, its exquisite patterns, the colours – just breathtaking and what an unfortunate death, but such is nature.
On my return home, I decided to turn to Facebook for answers. Hopefully, a few reptile specialists would be able to explain what happened.
Johan Marais of African Snake Bite Institute thinks that the snake caught the antelope and was unable to digest it and was trying to regurgitate the meal then his horns punctured his body.
To me, this sounds like what could have happened. The smell was wafting directly from the middle of the snake’s bulging belly, not from the head or where the jackal had begun eating. So, that is probably how the African Rock python died.
It happens in seconds. Tusks turn towards the sky, and the 5-ton elephant stops, scuttles backwards, flaps its ears, turns around… and runs in the opposite direction. The reason? Drones. Written by: Christina Goldbaum
“People think the drones work because they sound like bees,” says conservation biologist David Olson, noting that bees are a nuisance to elephants. “And the drones are like the mother of all Tsetse flies.”
Olson and his team at the conservation organisation RESOLVE and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute have been experimenting with the ability of small drones to herd elephants out of farms and into protected areas in Tanzania. The goal is to reduce human-elephant conflict (HEC), the decade-old struggle between farmers trying to grow crops and elephants scavenging for a meal. Unable to effectively discourage the elephants, farmers have begun resorting to extreme measures, including killing the animals with poisoned watermelons and arrows to save their crops.
The project is being tested this month in Tarangire National Park as crops are harvested and the height of elephant raiding season begins. Community scouts patrol the surrounding farms each night, calling in rangers armed with drones when they spot an elephant crossing into farmland.
And so far, the test results are clear: drones work.
“Elephants react in thirty seconds, and it only takes four minutes or less to chase the elephant off the farm,” says RESOLVE’s Jonathan Konuche, who has helped to train rangers to use drones. “And the rangers are in their vehicle at a safe distance.”
Before using drones, rangers flashed lights, made loud noises, and threw firecrackers wrapped in chilli – a substance elephants hate – to chase the animals out of farms, but the process was time-consuming and often ineffective.
When the possibility of using the aerial machines emerged, the team imagined attaching small sacks of chilli powder to the drones’ bellies, flying them over stubborn bulls, and shaking the drones to disperse chilli powder over the elephants – what they dub “chilli clouds.” But after initial tests, rangers realised that using chilli would present more problems than solutions.
“We’ve had a lot of chilli in the eye,” Konuche laughs. “But the rangers are tough.”
Chilli accidents aren’t the project’s only challenge, though. The drones are expensive (roughly US$1,100 per drone), their batteries last only twenty minutes, and their durability in tough field conditions is still uncertain.
“We can’t afford to buy six new drones yearly,” says Olson. “They need to last two to three seasons.”
Olson still hopes to scale the programme in Tanzania, where the elephant population has plummeted by 60% in the last five years, according to a new report from the Tanzanian National Parks Authority.
“We’re losing elephants fast,” Olson says. “We think these drones have a good use wherever elephants are.”
Hermann Meyeridricks, president of the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA), is asking the hunting association to reconsider its position on lion hunting. This comes after Meyeridricks and the CEO of PHASA, Adri Kitzhoff, attended a screening of Blood Lions, a new film exposing the brutal practices of the captive breeding and canned hunting industries.
In a letter emailed to PHASA members dated 24 July 2015, Meyeridricks says that the campaign against trophy hunting has intensified around the canned or captive-bred lion hunting issue since its current policy on lion hunting was adopted at its AGM in November 2013.
“We took the view that our position was a stepping-stone to clean up the captive-bred lion hunting industry and made it clear that it was certainly not our final word on the hunting of lions,” he says.
“From my dealings with the media and the community, it has become clear to me that those against the hunting of lions bred in captivity are no longer just a small if vociferous group of animal-rights activists. Broader society is no longer neutral on this question and the tide of public opinion is turning strongly against this form of hunting, however it is termed. Even within our own ranks, as well as in the hunting fraternity as a whole, respected voices are speaking out publicly against it.”
Meyeridricks says that with some airlines and shipping lines refusing to transport hunting trophies, PHASA has to face the fact that the lion issue is putting at risk the reputation of professional hunting in South Africa and its very survival.
“PHASA’s current policy on the issue is, broadly speaking, that it recognises the legality of and demand for captive-bred lion hunting, and is working with the predator breeders and government to improve its standards and conditions to a generally acceptable level. We have made little demonstrable progress on this front,” he says.
“Against this background, I have come to believe that, as it stands, our position on lion hunting is no longer tenable. The matter will be on the agenda again for our next annual general meeting and I appeal to you to give it your serious consideration, so that together we can deliver a policy that is defensible in the court of public opinion,” he says in the letter.
People panic in the event of a snakebite. The victim panics – so much so that he or she may get nauseous and start vomiting; those in attendance panic and make poor decisions as to applying first aid and assisting the victim; even doctors panic when faced with an emergency – several have called me, desperate for advice. So, when young Crawford Coulson walked into my office one Saturday morning in the Valley of a Thousand Hills (near Durban, South Africa) with a terrified look on his face and said, “A black mamba has just bitten me,” I knew I had to think fast.
I did not doubt that Crawford knew what he was talking about – he was the snake park curator at Assagai Safari Park, a crocodile and snake park in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Although it may take 3 – 16 hours for mamba venom to kill an adult, there are many cases where the victim has died within an hour.
“I have just been bitten by a black mamba”
We were about a thirty-minute drive from Addington Hospital in Durban, and Crawford clearly had a severe bite – the snake bit him on the back of the calf, and its fangs got stuck for several seconds. Within minutes Crawford complained that his lips were going numb. I got him into a vehicle and ran to the restaurant for help, but it was chaotic with tourists that had just emerged from two luxury buses. I drove to the owner’s house about 100 meters up the driveway, but it was empty – they had all gone shopping.
I sped off for Addington Hospital with the little BMW drifting from side to side as I took the corners on the highway. After fifteen minutes, Crawford was going downhill fast. He was sweating profusely, finding it difficult to keep his head up, and his speech was intermittent and slurred. I contemplated stopping at the closer Westville Hospital but knew they did not have a trauma unit, and I was not sure whether doctors would be available to deal with a snakebite emergency. I resolved to head for Addington, the main snakebite hospital in Durban at the time. The road was busy, as it is most Saturday mornings; I had my emergency lights on, and I was hooting to usher vehicles out of the way. As I entered Durban off the Western freeway, I blew the fuse on the hooter and had to worm through the traffic.
Crawford survived the bite without antivenom
As I pulled into Addington, Crawford was slipping into unconsciousness, and he was rushed into I.C.U. There was chaos and panic as they had no antivenom. But eleven hours later, after excellent hospital care, Crawford was out of danger, and he returned to work within a few days.
Miraculously, by being placed on a ventilator, Crawford survived the bite without antivenom.
The major effect of neurotoxic envenomation is that the venom paralysis the chest muscles and the victim stops breathing. But if the patient is properly ventilated, he or she may survive the bite without antivenom as the body eventually breaks down the venom – I stress, may survive; this is risky and does not always work.
Mamba bites are few and far between in South Africa, and in most years we hear of just a dozen bites or so. This deadly snake with its fearsome reputation and supposedly aggressive nature is far from the deadly attacker that people imagine; the black mamba is in fact a very shy and elusive snake that is quick to escape when disturbed. But if cornered or threatened without hope for escape, it will bite and may even deliver multiple bites.
In Crawford’s case, the snake was coiled up in the morning sun and fast asleep when he accidentally stepped onto it. About two weeks later I caught a 2.5metre black mamba a few paces from where Crawford was bitten.
The main snakebite culprits
Cytotoxic venom
The vast majority of snakebites are inflicted by snakes with cytotoxic venom. Cytotoxic venom, though extremely destructive to tissue, seldom causes fatalities, and most victims recover quite quickly, although some require multiple operations to counter the devastating effects of the destructive venom on body tissue.
Symptoms include:
– severe pain.
– excessive swelling.
– in many cases, blisters followed by necrosis (death of body tissue).
Neurotoxic venom
The two snakes that cause the most fatal bites are the black mamba and the Cape cobra. Their venom is potently neurotoxic and fast-acting.
Symptoms include:
– Nausea.
– Slurred speech.
– Ptosis (drooping or falling of the upper or lower eyelid).
– Progressive weakness.
– Eventual paralysis of chest muscles causes difficulty in breathing and death. In severe cases, victims struggle to breathe within 20 minutes, but in untreated cases, death could take about 4 – 16 hours.
Haemotoxic venom
Two of Southern Africa’s snakes, the boomslang and the twig or vine snake, have haemotoxic venom, affecting the blood clotting mechanism. Fortunately, both these snakes are placid and seldom bite unless captured or accidentally stepped on. One or two boomslang bites are reported yearly, and virtually all twig snake victims are snake handlers.
Symptoms include:
– Victims may experience no symptoms for several hours after a bite, but eventually, blood starts oozing from the fang punctures.
– This is followed by a bleeding nose, bleeding from the mucous membrane and eventually massive internal haemorrhaging. This could take a day or two and, in untreated cases, a slow and painful death.
Preventing snakebite
Most snakebites occur during warm wet summer nights from January to March/April.
Should you encounter any snake, back off and move away. Five metres or more from any snake is a safe distance, and it is a myth that snakes chase after people. Even the deadly black mamba never chases people and avoids confrontations unless cornered. It is not an aggressive snake and seldom accounts for bites.
– Wear adequate boots when in the field.
– Never handle any snake, regardless of size (some snakes play dead).
– Use a torch when walking at night.
– Keep your tent zipped closed at all times when camping.
In the event of a snakebite, it is best to keep the victim calm and rapidly, but safely, transport them to the closest hospital with a trauma unit.
Do not do any of the following:
– Never cut or try to suck the venom out. It does not work, and you will do more damage than good.
– Never apply a tourniquet. Arterial tourniquets do not slow the rate at which venom is absorbed and often do far more damage than good.
– Do not apply ice or heat; never give the victim alcohol.
– Forget about traditional remedies, including Condy’s crystals and charcoal – no traditional remedies help for snakebite.
– Never inject antivenom, cortisone or antihistamine. Antivenom is highly effective when required and must be administered by a medical doctor in a hospital environment. Many people are allergic to antivenom (it is made from horse blood), which may result in anaphylaxis in severe cases. This critical medical condition will require urgent medical intervention by a doctor.
The biggest danger is a neurotoxic bite that affects breathing
The first aid options for snakebites are limited, and victims must be transported to a hospital urgently. The biggest danger is a neurotoxic bite that affects breathing. If you are several hours from a hospital and have pressure bandages (crepe bandages), and you are quite sure it was a mamba or cobra bite, you can apply the pressure bandages around the limb from the bite towards the heart as tight as you would for a sprained ankle. This puts pressure on the lymphatic system and may delay the rate at which venom is spread through the body. But the pressure bandage should not be used for cytotoxic venoms with a lot of swelling.
Otherwise, one can assist-breathe the patient or resort to C.P.R., but that is seldom effective for more than 15-20 minutes. Never attempt mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without a face mask – you do not want to swallow someone else’s bodily fluids. The most effective form of first aid in serious bites from snakes with neurotoxic venom is using a bag valve mask (BVM) which could be life-saving. But one would need some training in using a BVM – something worth considering if you are far away from medical help or often venture into the bush.
In Southern Africa, snakebite is a reality that many people have to deal with. There are over 170 different types of snakes in the region and of them, about 20 are potentially deadly. About 7,000 snakebites are recorded annually here, with up to 50 fatalities.
Johan Marais has devoted most of his life to his favourite hobby – reptiles. He grew up in Durban, where he encountered common reptiles regularly. In his early twenties, he worked at the Fitzsimons Snake Park in Durban and then moved up to the Transvaal Snake Park in Halfway House where he worked as curator for three years followed by about six years farming crocodiles. During this time, he was an active member of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Over the years Johan has conducted numerous reptile field trips with friends and scientists either in search of specific reptiles or conducting reptile surveys. Today he spends most of his time lecturing on reptiles, training people to handle snakes safely, conducting field trips, photographing reptiles and talking on the corporate circuit.
African Parks is pleased to announce that it has agreed with the Government of Malawi to manage and operate Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve for 20 years. The agreement follows an application and evaluation process administered by the Public-Private Partnership Commission in which African Parks emerged as the preferred partner to manage the two protected areas.
Liwonde National Park, located in southern Malawi, is 548m² and consists of woodland, floodplains, grasslands, and lagoon. It supports the largest remaining population of elephants in the country as well as one of two populations of black rhino. Other mammal species include hippo, hyena, buffalo, warthog, several antelope species and more than 400 bird species. Lions were once commonplace, and the healthy populations of other large mammals will allow for the quick reintroduction of predators.
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, located in the central region of Malawi, is 1,800 km², lying within the miombo woodland zone. It is a major catchment area for Lake Malawi. Although a depleted park, it still has remnant populations of elephant, warthog, baboon, and various antelope species, as well as 280 bird species. Well managed, it has the potential to become an important area for elephant conservation in Malawi. Black rhinos, lions, cheetahs and wild dogs once existed here but are now all locally extinct.
“We are excited about the mandate granted to us by the Ministry Of Information, Tourism and Culture and are encouraged about the potential of both projects,” said Peter Fearnhead, African Parks CEO. “We aim to restore the biodiversity in both Liwonde and Nkhotakota completely, enhance the tourism product and experience, reduce the extensive human-wildlife conflict, ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and contribute to the socio-economic development of local communities living around the two areas. This will be achieved through a US$18m investment in the two parks over five years, made possible by a few key partners of African Parks”.
African Parks is a non-profit organisation that takes on total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities. With the addition of the Liwonde and Nkhotakota tour portfolio, they now manage three parks in Malawi, including Majete Wilderness Reserve.
DID YOU KNOW that African Parks offers safari camps (lodges and campsites) where 100% of tourism revenue goes to conservation and local communities? Find out more and book your African Parks safari.
With only 31 museum specimens and a handful of possible sightings over the last twenty years, the Pousargues’s or savanna mongoose (Dologale dybowskii) is one of the least known carnivores in the world. But now we can learn more about them. Written by: Thierry Aebischer & Raffael Hickisch
During our fieldwork between 2011 to 2015 in the southeastern part of the Central African Republic, we discovered a population of this forgotten dwarf mongoose in the Chinko Project Area, a conservation zone recently founded and now part of the African Parks network.
Before we started the first expedition, almost nothing was known about the wildlife in the eastern Central African Republic. We now have a better understanding of this small carnivore and its social structures thanks to direct field observations and strategically placed camera traps installed around termite mounds occupied by Pousargues’ mongoose. Astonishingly, the Pousargues’s mongoose shares its jungle home with eight different species of mongoose.
Observations from the Chinko show that Pousargues’s mongoose lives in small groups ranging from three to 12 individuals, which regularly move between their favourite termite mounds. Breeding has been observed taking place in mid-May during the early rainy season. A small group of three adults have been observed caring for an infant, carrying it around in their mouths. A first genetic survey based on collected scat samples shows the Pousargues’s mongoose being a close relative of the forest-dwelling Kusimanse crossarchus.
Based on more than 1,500km of walked transects, over 14,500 camera traps, days spent in more than 400 different locations and countless hours of field observations, Pousargues’ Mongoose seem to occur in much lower densities than most other mongoose in the Chinko Project Area. Habitat preferences and their ecological recommendations are still largely unknown, so further studies are needed. The vegetation is relatively pristine in eastern CAR, South Sudan and northern DRC due to less human interference in these areas. As such, it can be assumed that the habitat of Pousargues’s mongoose is still available at scale.
Poaching and overgrazing seriously threaten animals like lions, elephants, wild dogs and possibly this little mongoose in the Central African Republic. Therefore, managing large-scale reserves like the Chinko Project Area is important to secure a functional ecosystem and the long-term survival of a diverse wildlife community, including nondescript dwarfs like the Pousargues’s mongoose.
DID YOU KNOW that African Parks offers safari camps (lodges and campsites) where 100% of tourism revenue goes to conservation and local communities? Find out more and book your African Parks safari.
Many tourists are lured to South Africa with the prospect of petting a lion cub or walking with young lions. Some come as “volunteers”, paying to stay at lion breeding facilities where they hand-rear cute cubs. All are sold the lie that their money and help go towards increasing lion numbers and conserving the species. These are ‘blood lions’.
The truth is that most of these lions are bred for the bullet, with over 800 captive-bred lions being killed annually by trophy hunters. Due for release at the Durban International Film Festival on 22 July, Blood Lions is set to expose this bloody and brutal industry.
Every single day in South Africa at least two to three captive bred or tame lions are being killed in canned hunts.
There are about 200 farms and breeding facilities holding as many as 7,000 lions in captivity today – about three times the number of wild lions in legitimate conservation areas. Breeding farms supply hunting operators with adult lions to be shot in confined areas. This makes it difficult for the lions to evade hunters, and easier for hunters to locate and kill them. Canned or captive hunting has opened up an entirely new market for people that would otherwise not have been able to afford a wild hunt, and business is booming.
The film follows longtime wildlife campaigner Ian Michler on his quest to uncover the truth behind these breeding facilities and the canned hunting industry. Opponents to predator breeding and canned hunting have been calling for an end to these practices for almost 20 years, but with little lasting success as both practices continue to grow.
“The Blood Lions team believes the film will provide the campaign with a significant boost,” says Michler. “Powerful footage and a compelling narrative from a number of world-renowned conservationists and welfare experts will leave viewers in little doubt as to what is taking place on many private farms across South Africa. Other than greed and ego, there are no reasons to be breeding lions in captivity to be killed in captivity. We believe the film can be a global tool for meaningful change.”
Filming undercover
One of the greatest challenges for Michler and filmmaker Nick Chevallier was gaining access to and filming on breeding and hunting farms that are not open to scrutiny. “Many of the operators, which includes the hunters as well as the cub-petting and other farms, are hostile to any inquisitive questioning because they do not want the fraud exposed,” says Michler.
“Investigative filming techniques became critical to telling this story and to the journalistic process,” explains Chevallier who has been involved with wildlife documentaries for most of his long career. ‘This documentary was different in that the story unravelled over a couple of years. We knew it was going to be a difficult project in view of the secrecy and sensitivity of the topic. Getting access to places was a big challenge, as was trying to film and capture sequences without revealing too much of what we were doing. In the field, it was also emotionally challenging for me, particularly on the breeding farms, and later when viewing footage.”
There is no doubt that the revealing and graphic nature of the film will affect animal lovers and wildlife campaigners alike, potentially motivating them to action. But one of the key questions is if it will motivate trophy hunters and hunting organizations.
Breeding lions have no real conservation or educational purpose
“Given that breeding and canned hunting of lions serves no real conservation or educational purpose, and that the ethics and sportsmanship of the behaviour are seriously questionable, you would have thought that any self-respecting hunter would be completely on-sides in trying to have the practices stopped,” says Michler. “However, the mainstream bodies, PHASA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) included, have decided to side with the breeders and canned hunters as these practices provide easy trophies to a far greater market than traditional fair-chase hunting could ever do. Throw in all the other commercial activities such as cub-petting, trading and the volunteer tourist scam, and you have an industry that provides significant profit opportunities to their membership. So the lucrative financial spinoffs have trumped everything else.”
The breeding and hunting industries try to justify their activities on the grounds that they are making significant contributions to conservation, either financially or by protecting the species. But Michler says they can make no such claims and that it is detrimental to conservation. “The breeders and hunters do not work with any recognised conservation agencies or lion ecologists,” says Michler. ‘”y making the claims they do, the true conservation messages and priorities are being confused and vital funding is being directed away from where it is needed most.”
Asked about the ability of such documentaries to generate public awareness, Chevallier said, “Today there are a lot more well researched, investigative type stories out there focusing on cruelty issues and the viewer respects this opportunity of ‘lifting the lid’. As much as viewers worldwide love to watch beautiful natural history documentaries that show animal behaviour in wild settings, the world is changing fast, as are concepts like ‘wilderness’. The global human population explosion is obviously having a major impact on wildlife, as is the commoditisation of nature, and people are catching on to this. There’s more awareness and social media is playing a very big role.”
Hunters standing up against canned hunting
Thanks to this awareness there has been positive progress in the campaign to eradicate the exploitation of wildlife. Recently a number of international airlines banned the transport of animal parts, including hunting trophies, on their flights, and Australia has banned the import of hunting trophies. There is also progress in hunting circles. “There is a growing group of professional hunters here in South Africa that have stood up against the practices. They have taken on PHASA and are prepared to see a split in the body between the ethical and unethical hunters,” says Michler. “I do see opposition to breeding and canned hunting growing significantly across the world and hopefully many more hunting organisations will realise they are damaging their reputation if they continue to support canned hunting.”
Blood Lions has already been accepted in some international film festivals and will be screened in parliaments around the globe, universities and schools, as well as to select audiences of decision-makers.
Chevallier considers himself fortunate to be able to influence some way “I really enjoy tackling nature-based, environmental stories where I can help support the “voiceless”.”
Michler says he sees the film as a significant step up in over 15 years of efforts for him. “The process is unfolding at a quicker rate. Throughout the Blood Lions film and the campaign, I have noticed two things”, he says. ‘One: opposition to hunting, in general, is growing, and, other than for those involved, it is almost universal when it comes to canned hunting. Two: The justifications have run out for the vested interests, especially those that make the killing or make money.”
A hunter recently shot and killed a female elephant while trying to hunt a bull elephant at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve near Bela-Bela in Limpopo province. Written by: Sharon van Wyk
Controversy surrounds issuing the permit to hunt the bull and killing the apparently very docile cow. teamAG attempted to speak to the management at Mabalingwe and was referred to Hannes Wessels, who did not return telephone messages.
According to Mabalingwe shareholder Rob Preller, one of the owners, Hannes Wessels, approached Limpopo’s Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) for a permit to shoot the bull. The application was declined because Mabalingwe didn’t have an elephant management plan, a legal requirement for reserves with wild elephants.
Dr Yolande Pretorius of the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Wildlife Management was contracted to draw up the plan, and interim recommendations included the use of GnRH and putting the female elephants on a contraceptive programme. A bull elephant, without other competitive bulls around, stays in permanent musth, which is a state of sexual arousal. This makes it aggressive but the issue can be managed by administering a course of vaccines known as GnRH that lower testosterone levels.
“He apparently gave the bull the first round of GnRH, but it seems likely that he didn’t complete the course, and continued to be aggressive as a result,” said Dr Pretorius.
“At this stage, I brokered a deal to buy the bull and translocate it,” says Rob Preller, but added that Wessels refused the deal, preferring to shoot it.
Pretorius says Wessels pressured her to finish the elephant management plan by the end of June. “I became uneasy because I knew he wanted to get a permit to shoot the bull and couldn’t without the management plan,” she says. “After constant pressure from him – and the fact that he had ignored my recommendations to manage the bull properly – I withdrew my services without finishing the management plan.”
Investigations suggest that Wessels may have persuaded LEDET to issue a permit on the grounds that the bull was a ‘damage-causing animal’ (DCA). “If he did, I don’t know how,” says Preller, “because LEDET is supposed to investigate DCA claims before issuing permits, and no such investigation occurred. LEDET is also legally obliged to either put down the problem animal themselves or use a professional hunter, and a nature conservation officer must supervise the shooting. Instead, it appears Wessels ‘sold’ the permit to a local hunter.”
That’s when things went awfully wrong. A female elephant allegedly charged the vehicle carrying the hunter during the hunt and was shot instead. Wessels refused to comment on the incident, claiming it was ‘too controversial’.
The head of the Mabalingwe Common Property Association, Jan Zeederberg, was also unavailable for comment, as was Matie Barnard, manager of Mabalingwe’s agents, Waterberg Property Management. Kgmotoso Theko of LEDET’s Modimolle permit office was not taking calls, and the LEDET communications officer, Mboni Mushiana, has not responded.
With the hunting permit still valid, the bull’s future is uncertain, although sources at Mabalingwe suggest it has been postponed.
“We’ve got the solution to this problem in the form of the GnRH,” says Preller. “But it seems that Mabalingwe’s owners are more concerned with making money from its death than giving it a fair chance at life.”
To ease us into the “staycation” concept, our city safari adventure began at the vibey Unity Brasserie & Bar. Durban is known for being quiet on weeknights, and Unity proved that wrong by being packed at 6 pm on a rainy Tuesday night. We were treated to a local beer tasting courtesy of That Brewing Co., then dived into our new favourite brew “Beasts of the Deep”. To stave off any hangovers, we also tucked into outstanding veg burgers; their gourmet bunnies are the stuff of legends.
Our beer buzz on, we made a late check-in to our home for the next two nights. The Concierge Boutique Bungalows shares premises with the innovative Freedom Cafe, made of two bright red shipping containers. We did not expect to find the colourful art explosion that burst out of our room as we opened the door and loved the Daschund-inspired graphics and wine. Our room opened out onto our own partitioned patio garden, so we felt like we were in an exotic Henri Rousseau painting when our doors were open.
The next morning, after a good strong cup of coffee on our private patio, we arrived at what must be one of the regeneration cornerstones of the Glenwood neighbourhood – The Corner Café. Editorial note: Corner Cafe has subsequently closed. Founder Judd has become something of a Durban institution himself, building on his ethos of seasonal and locally grown produce served in the warm and homely atmosphere of the Café.
Tucked away in the depths of Glenwood is another local legend, 36o3, a cosy sibling-run restaurant that has built a reputation for some of the most vibrant and innovative food in Durban. We don’t usually seek out the chef to compliment them, but Andy felt he needed to hug Brett Gentles after the best meal we have ever eaten in Durban or South Africa.
One morning we were lucky enough to get a table at the always bustling Glenwood Bakery, surrounded by the aromas of freshly baked artisanal bread.
We often filled our faces in the tasty Glenwood neighbourhood before heading out for the day to see what Durban had to show us.
A twenty-minute drive from Glenwood found us in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, surrounded by what looked like giant hamster balls. There are two types of balls, officially known as Groovy Balls – an Aqua Ball, aka “Washing Machine”, and a Harness Ball, aka “Tumble Dryer”. We both jumped inside the washing machine and linked arms to prevent head-on collisions. After throwing a bucket of warm water in with us, we were rolled down a hill for an intense 27-second churn in what felt like a giant slip ’n slide. This will definitely whet any adrenaline junkie’s appetite!
With every turn of the spiralling road, we delved into a Durban we knew nothing about
An incredible homemade lunch was had at Kloof’s famous Sprigs restaurant; then we headed deeper into the hills. Our next adventure was in the rural village of isiThumba, and with every turn of the spiralling road, we delved into a Durban we knew nothing about and felt the anticipation we usually get when arriving in exotic and far-flung places.
Our guide Nhlakanipho, from Durban Green Corridor, spent the afternoon with us in the village of his birth and proudly shared stories of the area and the people who live here. He explained that isiThumba means “kidnapping” and is named after the mountain above the valley. According to legend, after some local herdsmen disappeared, their chief, wanting to avoid a war with the neighbouring village suspected of killing the herdsmen, told the community that the mountain had kidnapped the men and that they should avoid that area at all costs. While the story may have passed into folklore, the name remains.
Feeling irie
Venturing into the heart of the Inanda Valley, the great people of Durban Green Corridor took us to one of Durban’s most unique attractions: the Rasta Caves. We were beneath a huge rock overhang after a long walk and steep ascent along the cliff face near the uMzinyathi Waterfall. The cave walls are decorated with paintings and Rasta scriptures. Until recently, a community of Rastafarians lived and worshipped here. While nosy tourists like ourselves have largely chased them off, we were fortunate enough to meet 17-year-old Shadow Shakes, who looks after the caves and lives there in solitude, worshipping Jah.
Feeling irie and having spent some time in Ethiopia and fallen in love with their food, it was a delight to sit in the home of Habesha back in Glenwood that evening, where we relived the magical energy of Ethiopia and North African cuisine. A good shiro wot (spicy chickpea stew), injera (the spongy pancake-like accompaniment to all Ethiopian meals) and a cup of buna (strong, aromatic Ethiopian coffee) was the perfect way to end an exhausting yet enlightening day.
Being a terrible human before 10 am, the idea of Stand-Up-Paddle boarding at sunrise was something I (Szerdi) was dreading. Luckily we had the vibrant Charlotte from Xpressions and the flattest sea I have ever seen. After a quick lesson on the beach, we struck out for open water only to be dumped by an ankle-high wave; finally, I was awake and ready to see Durban from the sea.
After that wobbly start and a stance that resembled someone hovering over a port-a-loo, I finally got the feel of it and “SUPed” forth. Seeing the city’s beauty from such an unusual vantage point took my breath away.
While at the beach, one of the best ways for couples to explore Durban’s seafront promenade is on a tandem from Bike and Bean. Despite being the middle of winter, Durban weather is relatively warm, and locals keep in shape throughout the year, so we rode along with many other riders and runners. Once back at Bike and Bean, we recharged with muffins and coffee while taking in the unspoilt sea view.
You can’t but love Durban’s South Asian influence, and the Bangladesh market tucked away in the suburb of Chatsworth is a must. Walking down the market aisles, you’re struck with sensory overload. There was so much to see, hear, smell and taste, and we ended up chatting with friendly stall owners and shoppers as we wandered through the vibrant market.
Down the road is the Hare Krishna temple. The Temple of Understanding, as it’s known, is hard to miss with its three gold-tipped towers. The temple’s restaurant is famous in Durban for its vegetarian meals. After spending a good deal of time sampling pretty much everything, we were lucky enough to be in time for a ceremony known as the Raj Bhoga-arati.
The burning of incense and rhythmic drumming brings devotees into the centre of the temple, where they await the unveiling of curtains that reveal statues of their gods, to which they sing while receiving a blessing. The chanting, drumming and burning incense that filled the great hall created a powerfully calming atmosphere.
One evening we found ourselves at one of Durban’s best-kept secrets, Palki. Tucked away in an old Berea house, this restaurant has served authentic Indian cuisine for eighteen years. It has become a favourite with Durban’s Indian community and a growing number of people keen to expand their culinary horizons. With our tummies full of spicy goodness, we ventured across the (Umgeni) River for our night at the luxurious Three Cities Auberge Hollandaise Guesthouse. Being regular travellers, our idea of luxury is our own toilet and hot water. Still, our room was almost half the size of our entire house, and we felt completely rejuvenated by the luxury of it all.
Leaving the luxury behind, we headed for the vibrance of downtown Durban. As sheltered suburbanites, it’s embarrassing to admit that this is one area we have been dying to explore but lacked the nerve to do so. What’s strange is that everywhere else we travel, we are usually the first to seek out and explore the rougher areas, but home-based prejudices seem to be the hardest to break. We are so glad we finally did. Seeing this part of Durban really illustrates what a melting pot of African and international cultures Durban is, and engaging with the street life of our city was one of the turning points for turning our crush on this city into a fully-fledged love affair.
We ultimately met up with Stembiso and Jonas, owners of the energetic and bespoke Street Scene Tours, who took us on a passion-filled, shebeen hopping tour of the KwaMashu township. Ste’s passion for his hometown and his depth of historical knowledge saw us visiting the homes of Mahatma Gandhi and the Ohlange School, where Nelson Mandela cast his historic vote in the 1994 elections.
What made this tour so special was meeting people like Mandla, an IEC worker who was the first person to shake Mandela’s hand on the day of the election and whose story left us with goosebumps and tears, and the personal relationships Street Scene has built up with the community. After a few quarts at the shebeens, which certainly enhanced our passion for Durban, we ended our day and exploration of our city with a Durban classic: a beans bunny chow at the Britannia, Durban’s oldest hotel.
In hindsight, we were naive to think that a staycation in our own city wouldn’t show us anything we didn’t already know. We’ve always had a lukewarm admiration for our city – the same fondness for that ugly but warm sweater you don’t wear anywhere else but home. But Durban proved us wrong. Now, when talking to other travellers, our “go-to” list of cool South African places won’t be limited to the safari icon of Kruger National Park and Cape Town – the Mother City; our Durban will have pride of place.
ANDY STENT AND SZERDI NAGY are a married photographic team intent on exploring and discovering as much of our incredible world as they can. Their passion for travel was sparked when they travelled to Nepal in 2010 and since then they have used their wedding photography business to fund their adventures. They love exploring Africa in their trusty Land Rover, Murray, and having the chance to meet and interact with people from all over the world. They also have a quest to find the most beautiful campsite on the planet.
Rising hundreds of meters off the desert floor, the ancient Namib Nauklift National Park dunes in Namibia are unforgettable.
“After soaring high above the vast landscapes of Namibia, we feel blessed and privileged to be alive. We have seen landscapes that have left us breathless with their beauty, terrified at their expanse and lonely in their isolation. There is a certain stillness you find deep inside when viewing the wild open places of Namibia from above…… great herds of buffalo, a lone elephant bull on an endless plain, marching dunes, dancing flamingos, the swirling and meandering Kavango and crashing waves on empty desert shores. It has been a journey and an adventure – a true African safari.” Photographer Jay Roode
Some say over 800 years old, an ancient camel thorn tree stands at the tip of a river that once flowed, its shadow reaching out, it seems, to the life that could have been. Deadvlei.A herd of desert-adapted elephants wander across the baked landscapes of northern Damaraland.A tidal river on the Walvis Bay lagoon creeps inland with fingers of blue, bringing with it life.The Eduard Bolean – the shipwreck of an old Portuguese steamer that ran aground in 1908. The shadow almost seems more solid than the ship and is the only indication of what this vessel must have looked like in its heyday. Sperrgebiet coastline.Each year thousands of Flamingos flock to feed on the jet-black brine pans south of Walvis Bay on the Sperrgebiet coastline.A truck makes its way across a sand corridor bordered by the luminous pink brine pans south of Walvis Bay.The Kunene River snakes its way across a landscape etched with the delicate pattern of forgotten pathways it once took.A small family of Hartmann’s mountain zebras drink their fill at the aptly named Zebra watering hole late one afternoon in the Namibrand Nature Reserve.Where the icy Atlantic kisses the sun burnt shores of the Sperrgebiet. Here Conception Bay shimmers an emerald green in the midday sun.Alien landing spot? These are the remains of a discontinued Decca navigation system/Radar station. The grid pattern is a system of underground cables which were part of the operational system.It is seldom that this desert feels soft rain falling on its shoulders. Here, a pan amongst Sossusvlei’s majestic dunes is filled with water after an unusual rainy spell.
More than 100 rock art sites at the Ennedi Plateau in Chad have been identified, thanks to Rocco Rava, the park manager. African Parks, who manage Ennedi, has been evaluating the potential for Ennedi to be established as a wildlife and cultural protected area. These sites show thousands of paintings and engravings on cave and rock walls, some dating back 8,000 years.
In February, African Parks concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Chadian Government to assess the landscape, obtain an understanding of the people and pinpoint the challenges in establishing Ennedi as a protected area.
Located in northeast Chad, in the Sahara Desert, Ennedi is famous for its rock paintings, towering rock arches, and quivering, yellow sands. A portion of Ennedi falls within a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site.
Its rock art tells a story of the area before it was impacted by climate change, of the presence of elephants, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs and ostrich. Paintings also vividly depict the lives of communities, as highlighted by hundreds of scenes featuring warriors, herdsmen with cattle and dancing women.
Left unprotected, this rich tapestry of the region’s archaeological history will continue to be eroded – through sandstorms, animal defecation, human contact with the art, and the pillaging of chunks of rock art to sell to tourists. It’s one of several reasons to restore and conserve this unique landscape.
Rock art is a cultural treasure in Ennedi that needs to be protected and preserved. African Parks expects to conclude its assessment of Ennedi by November 2016 and will shortly thereafter present its recommendations to the Chadian Government for their consideration in establishing Ennedi as a protected area.
DID YOU KNOW that African Parks offers safari camps (lodges and campsites) where 100% of tourism revenue goes to conservation and local communities? Find out more and book your African Parks safari.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is growing increasingly concerned about the proliferation of captive facilities holding a range of carnivores in South Africa for the sole purpose of tourism and financial gain. We urge the public to consider a few facts when visiting any of these facilities that hold lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas and even some exotic (non-native to South Africa) species such as tigers and panthers.
No captive carnivore facility is breeding carnivores for release into the wild, despite what they may claim. Captive carnivores do not contribute to the conservation of free-roaming populations; they are not releasable and do not form part of any registered conservation or management plan for any carnivore in Africa.
In many carnivore facilities, petting and bottle feeding of cubs are offered for a fee. These cubs are often taken away from their mothers to stimulate faster reproduction and provide a constant supply of petting carnivores. Visitors pay to pet the animal and have their photograph taken with it and their slightly older tame carnivore siblings.
These carnivores become human-imprinted; they do not grow up in a natural social group, making it impossible to release them into a natural habitat for the long term. This, coupled with the disease risk posed by captive-bred animals, as well as their potentially dubious genetic lineage, renders them a risk for release to not only themselves but to other free-roaming carnivores.
Frequently, a ‘paying volunteer’ is exploited for further financial gain, with volunteers being told that the carnivore mothers cannot care for their offspring and that once they are old enough, hand-raised carnivores will be returned to the wild.
“There are approximately 6,000 captive lions in South Africa bred for various economic purposes”, as opposed to approximately 2,300 free-roaming in reserves and parks. [Draft Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for Lions, 2015]. The BMP defines captive lions as “lions [that] are bred exclusively to generate money. Managers actively manipulate all vital rates and demographics.”
The EWT’s concern relates to the public’s understanding of the role and the purpose of captive carnivores and these facilities in carnivore conservation, and we urge the public to understand better the role of these facilities as well as the risk that these animals may pose to the public:
– Captive-bred carnivores are always more dangerous than their wild counterparts. They lose their fear of humans and associate humans with food providers. Their social structures are heavily interfered with, and their natural cycles are often manipulated. A wild carnivore will usually steer away from humans, but a captive-bred carnivore may not need such caution.
– A facility breeding carnivores will usually have to sell their offspring; it stands to reason that they cannot always have cubs and youngsters if they do not sell ‘excess’ animals.
– The captive-bred lion hunting industry in South Africa has increased rapidly in recent years, and South Africa is increasingly supplying captive-bred lion bones for export to Asian markets.
– The Department of Environmental Affairs released figures in December 2013 that stated that “South Africa officially issued permits for the export of nearly (if not more than) 1,300 dead lions from South Africa to China, Lao PDR and Viet Nam from 2011 to 2012 inclusive.” BMP, 2015.
– “The so-called ‘canned hunting’ industry for lions has also increased in recent years, and the total value generated from hunting captive lions amounted to about R98 million in 2006/2007.” Lion BMP, 2015.
This raises the question: where do all these lions come from or go to? In South Africa, a thriving canned hunting industry can, in many cases, be linked to an equally thriving industry based on cub petting and commercial captive breeding centres.
Some may argue that there is educational value in allowing people to handle wild animals. However, this kind of education provides the incorrect message that wild animals exist for human entertainment, and that they can be petted like domestic animals. They also do not learn much about the natural behaviour, social structure or role of free-roaming carnivores.
It is important to note that captive breeding is not a conservation recommendation for any carnivore species in South Africa. Carnivores breed extremely well in the right conditions. For almost all our threatened carnivore species, the conservation priorities include reducing human-wildlife conflict, securing suitable habitat, reducing illegal offtake and maintaining balanced, functioning ecosystems. Without these in place, captive breeding leads to an over-supply of non-releasable animals which often end up as trophies. We also question whether any funding generated from captive carnivore breeding supports the conservation of free-roaming carnivores.
The EWT does not allege that any specific facility is breeding carnivores for the lion bone trade or for the practice of ‘canned hunting’, but we do urge the public that visits these facilities to ask at the very least these critical questions:
– What is the plan for the long-term future of the animals in this facility?
– Where are the cubs’ mothers?
– Why are cubs not being raised by their mothers?
– What happens to the facility’s cubs when they grow up?
– If they are released into larger wildlife areas, where ate they located, and can the facility provide documentation to prove a viable, ethical and successful release process?
– If the facility is breeding, do they have a management plan that determines responsible husbandry and management of all stock?
– Do any of the ‘stock’ have the opportunity to live out their natural lives, or are they hunted or bred with again?
– What happens to the facility’s surplus animals?
– Can the public inspect the facility’s record books and follow an individual animal’s life cycle?
– If these animals become part of another breeding programme, for what purpose?
The EWT calls for more active participation from the public in questioning the role of all captive carnivore facilities and the management of the animals in their care. We also call on the tourism sector to recognise the role that they may be playing in supporting some facilities that cannot account for the conservation claims that they make.
The journey for these seven lions began on the 29th of June in a truck bound from KwaZulu Natal to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The cats were accompanied by a team of veterinarians in a chartered plane from OR Tambo to Kigali International Airport. 46 hours later, they arrived in Rwanda and were loaded into trucks and taken to a boma in the north of Akagera National Park.
Excited children and citizens serenaded the pride’s arrival, waving them on their way. Unseasonal rains also greeted the entourage on the route, making the trip a bit longer and muddier than originally expected.
The two males proved timid on release but eventually left the safety of their crates. On the other hand, the females emerged from the crates immediately and began to regroup and explore. The cats were hungry and feasted on a buffalo carcass left in the boma.
The pride will be in the boma for the next 14 days as part of a quarantine process.
The Akagera Park manager and a team of rangers are keeping a watchful eye on the regal felines. It is an exciting time for Rwanda as the return of one of the Big 5 to the park is a monumental leap for conservation and the African safari industry. Akagera National Park is managed by African Parks in partnership with the Rwanda government.
A local baboon troop was the first to discover the presence of the cats – in a series of alarm calls, they notified the rest of the park so hopefully, the buffalo, zebras and giraffes all know what’s coming, as the natural order of life is restored in Akagera.
DID YOU KNOW that African Parks offers safari camps (lodges and campsites) where 100% of tourism revenue goes to conservation and local communities? Find out more and book your African Parks safari.
An international research team suggests that African vultures will likely qualify as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s global threat criteria. Written by: Andre Botha, Manager of the EWT’s Birds of Prey Programme and Co-chair of the IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group
In a report published in the scientific journal Conservation Letters, scientists from across Africa, Europe and North America have published the first estimates of decline rates in African vultures on the continent. Their findings show that many national parks and game reserves offer little effective protection to African vulture species.
African white-backed vulture in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Scavengers such as vultures are essential to a healthy ecosystem. Without them, carcasses would be largely consumed by scavengers such as dogs and jackals, which could increase levels of disease transmission with possibly dire consequences for human health.
Hooded vultures in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
Dr Ralph Buij of Alterra Wageningen University highlighted that: “the trade in vulture parts for traditional medicine is particularly widespread in West Africa, where vultures are openly traded at large markets, especially in Nigeria and Benin. As vultures remove large amounts of pathogen-infested meat and other waste products each day, they limit disease spread in rural and urban areas. Ironically, therefore, the trade of vultures for traditional medicine may, in fact, enhance the spread of disease.”
Lappet-faced vultures in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
As long-lived, slow breeders, vultures take several years to reach maturity and typically fledge only a single offspring every one to two years. Yet the study indicates that Africa’s vultures are declining at between 70% and 97% over three generations, a time interval used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) when assessing a species’ threat status. Since six of the eight species are largely or wholly confined to Africa and are projected to decline by at least 80% over three generations, the study suggests that they are likely to qualify as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the IUCN’s global threat criteria.
Lappet-faced vulture in Limpopo
Dr Darcy Ogada of The Peregrine Fund, National Museums of Kenya, and lead author of the study said: “Large declines of African vultures should ring alarm bells due to their immense ecological importance. Vultures are vital to a healthy environment, especially in Africa, where ‘free’ ecosystem services such as disposing of carcasses and other waste products remain the norm. If we don’t take urgent steps to save these birds, particularly to curtail wildlife poisoning, we should expect long-term consequences for the environment and humans in Africa. What makes our results so concerning is that national parks and game reserves appear to offer these birds very little effective protection. Because vultures are mobile and can easily travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres, decline rates were worryingly high even within protected areas.”
White-headed vulture in the Maasai Mara National Reserve
The study’s authors highlight two important distinctions between the Asian vulture crisis and that in Africa. Firstly, the decline rates evident in Africa have been substantially lower than in Asia to date, affording African governments a window of opportunity to head off the environmental consequences of a collapse.
Secondly, while Asian vultures have declined largely due to ingesting the anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, African vultures face multiple threats. They include incidental and deliberate poisoning, the illegal trade in vulture body parts for traditional medicine, killing for bushmeat, mortality caused by power lines and wind turbines, and a reduction in habitat and food availability.
Hooded vulture
The study suggests that poisoning is the greatest quantifiable threat to Africa’s vultures, accounting for 61% of all reported deaths. African vultures are often the unintended victims of poisoning incidents, in which carcasses are baited with highly toxic agricultural pesticides to kill livestock predators. However, the study also shows that the recent rapid increase in elephant and rhino poaching throughout Africa has led to a surge in the number of vulture deaths recorded, as carcasses have been poisoned specifically to eliminate vultures, whose overhead circling might otherwise reveal the poachers’ illicit activities.
Poisoned African white-backed vultures on Imfolozi Game Reserve
Dr Ogada added, “The situation requires the resolution of a number of environmental and cultural issues. We propose a range of measures, including more effective regulation of importing and selling agricultural and other chemicals commonly used as poisons. This would benefit not just vultures but all species widely targeted by pastoralists and poachers in Africa.”
African white-backed vulture in KZN
According to Dr Munir Virani, the Africa Program Director for The Peregrine Fund, “Saving African vultures from extinction will require unstinting support from African governments. In addition, outreach programs geared toward pastoral communities in East Africa will be critical in ensuring that they perceive vultures as a vital and integral component of ecosystems and economies”.
The giraffe was lying on the track with an impressive male lion crouched nearby. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me to see lions on a fresh kill at such close range on the fringes of the Namib Desert in Torra Conservancy. A once-in-a-lifetime experience even for community conservation veteran Garth Owen-Smith, who accompanied us. Written by: Helge Denker
There are 30 known lions in Torra, a communal farmland area, and over 150 estimated in Namibia’s northwest. This specific male’s pride is believed to consist of 14 individuals. The lions are relatively unbothered by vehicles – as many tourists have found on their African safari.
The conservation of these lions is hugely important in the face of rapidly diminishing global lion ranges and numbers. Once widespread, even across parts of Europe and Asia, lions today occur only in fragmented pockets across Africa, mostly in large national parks. However, in Namibia, lion range and numbers are expanding, at least for now. Current estimates indicate between 600 and 800 animals.
Yet Garth Owen-Smith predicts real lion trouble for the northwest and says actions must be taken now to counter it. Garth saw lions starving at the end of the drought of the early 1980s when lion numbers – and drought conditions – were similar to what they are now.
Droughts can be a time of plenty for predators. Lions enjoy favourable conditions because wildlife is concentrated in the few areas where rain has fallen or around isolated waterholes. But game dispersal in search of grazing can also work against the lions, as it did in the early 80s, and will then bring them into increasing conflict with livestock. Today, more people and livestock use the northwest than thirty years ago. Farmers trying to access sparse grazing are forced to move livestock into lion areas.
“People do not want to hear about lions; the lions have made farmers poor,” says Vitalis Florry. Talking with the Torra Conservancy field officer (and livestock farmer), it’s clear that trouble is brewing. In the last two months, one horse, two cattle, three donkeys and 25 goats were lost to lions in Torra. Elephants demolished one of the three lion-proof stock enclosures built with donor funding to reduce conflicts last year. The others work well, but such enclosures are costly and provide only localised relief for farmers facing lion troubles. Lions now range across some 25 conservancies, and the sentiments of communities are similar everywhere: the costs and dangers of living with lions outweigh the benefits.
Lion proof? A conservancy lion kraal can be successful if livestock is actively herded and the kraal is well-maintained. The enclosures are costly and accessible to only some farmers facing lion troubles.
Lion rangers are employed in several conservancies to help monitor lion movements and reduce conflicts. Their salaries are paid by conservancies, tourism operators and NGOs. But monitoring lion movements in rugged terrain can be near impossible without remote tracking technology. While about a third of the adult lions have been fitted with transmitters, mostly by Dr Philip ‘Flip’ Stander as part of the Desert Lion Conservation Project, the early warning system that remote tracking could enable is currently not active. Funding and manpower are the main problems. Who pays for and maintains the tracking technology? Who sends out warnings to local communities? Flip Stander cannot do all of that alone. Conservation NGO Africat has taken this on in some conservancies but covers only a small portion of lion range.
Most rural communities want to see fewer lions. Actively zoning core wildlife areas helps. But wildlife moves, especially during times of drought. The northwest is marginal wildlife habitat, and wildlife needs to wander and opportunistically use available resources to stay alive – including the odd livestock meal for lions. More must be done to reduce conflicts, but some will always occur and need to be offset by direct returns from lions.
Who’s threatening who? The fresh tracks of lion and man alongside each other in Omatendeka Conservancy symbolise the often uneasy coexistence of man and beast.
African safari tourism is part of the long-term solution. Yet current tourism contributions are limited. Joint-venture lodges generate most of the returns for communities. Input from the mobile tourism sector is generally meagre. The TOSCO Trust (Tourism Supporting Conservation) is now trying out a system of conservation contributions in a few core areas to help address this.
Trophy hunting is making an important contribution, funding game guard salaries and other conservancy running costs, especially in the many areas without tourism. Yet lion hunting is extremely controversial. Trophy hunters are accused of singling out prime breeding males, skewing population demographics and upsetting pride structures. Desert Lion Conservation Project data shows that significantly more lions are killed by locals than by trophy hunters – without generating any conservation returns. Targeted trophy hunting of selected lions could reduce lion troubles and generate significant conservation revenue. Yet poor practices by some operators reinforce the stigma, and around the globe, pressure is mounting to ban trophy hunting of lions altogether.
There is a new guard of concerned conservationists fighting the cause of the lions and collecting funds for their conservation. The efforts are making an important difference, especially in research, but as long as they remain ad hoc, they offer only short-term relief. If lions are to survive outside national parks for generations to come, more permanent funding streams need to flow directly into conflict mitigation.
Some loss compensation payments are made via the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s Human-wildlife Self Reliance Scheme. After initial start-up funding from the MET’s Game Products Trust Fund, conservancies pay compensation from their own income, reinforcing the importance of generating direct returns from wildlife.
The concept of wildlife incentives is now being piloted in a few conservancies. Local communities are encouraged to conserve predators (and other problematic species) through payments for wildlife sightings made by tourism operators. The idea includes securing funds from external partners to match tourism operator contributions and is being coordinated by the Natural Resources Working Group of NACSO. This may prove to be a vital, ongoing funding source – if it is embraced.
“Funding needs to be used effectively where it is most needed,” says Russell Vinjevold, who coordinates human-wildlife conflict mitigation for Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation and knows of the difficulties of accessing funds to actually make a difference in the field. “The problem is finding a lasting balance between the aspirations of people and the needs of wildlife.”
It all comes down to people and land use – more than money. Lions are dangerous predators that are difficult to live with. That’s why they disappeared from Europe and Asia long ago. That’s why their numbers are dwindling across Africa. That’s why they are not tolerated on commercial farmland in Namibia, why no one wants them in their ‘backyard’. If we want communal farmers to put up with this threat to their livestock and their lives, we need real innovation. We need to stop talking about saving ‘the last of the desert lions’, because we can hardly expect more than 150 lions to coexist with people in the north-west. We must listen to the people out there and help them live with the lions.
The street food festival is the city and local cultures come alive, where languages, lives and customs collide ….
Cow cheeks, mielies, samoosas, shisa nyama, bunny chows, gatsbys, rotis and vetkoek will be ready and waiting for the hungry and the adventurous at South Africa’s Street Food Festival on the 26th of July and the 1st of August!
The festival, that started in 2014, attracts some of South Africa’s best street food vendors and will be serving up street treats at the Side Street Studios in Woodstock on Sunday 26 July before making it’s way up north, for the very first time, to Johannesburg at the Hazard Gallery in the Maboneng Precinct on Saturday the 1st of August.
Showcasing many of Cape Town’s favourites, be prepared to chow down on all the goodness that Max Bagels has to offer, the heavily dark brews of The Department of Coffee, Didi’s Burritos little wrapped bundles of joy, the tasty delights from Meisies Kitchen food truck, the unforgettable meat of Southern Smoke and Argies’ proper Argentinean asado.
Whereas in Joburg you can expect to nab something delicious from The Counter, the wonderfully loud and atmospheric Sumting Fresh, the Middle Eastern and African flavours of Tutto Laffa’s yellow food truck, meaty Greek love on a stick from Soul Souvlaki, Maboneng staples Little Addis, saucy nibbles at Ribs, Wings ‘n Things, all the fun that comes with a Braaied Mielie Lady and a Roasted Nut Lady, with Grounded Smoothies to wash it all down.
You will have the opportunity to not only try new things and rediscover classics created with love and crafted care at the street food market but to learn from some of the big names in South Africa’s food industry at the festival’s day-long congress. “By showcasing our South African street food culture, we hope to inspire and empower people to pursue their love for food as a career,” explains Hannerie Visser, Street Food Festival Director.
The day finally culminates in a dinner designed to celebrate African cuisine, prepared by the Max Bagels guys (Matthew Freemantle and Andrew Kai) in collaboration with local African immigrant cooks. On the night you look forward to (depending on availability of produce, of course): Nigerian bitter leaf soup, Malawian grilled tilapia with nsima (pap), Zimbabwean mopani worms, Somali style kid meat stew and Ghanaian plantain milkshakes.
Book now to taste and learn your way through the South African streets. Admission to the market is free, whereas the conference is R300 and the dinner is R350. Tickets can be booked at Quicket.co.za.
Bat-eared foxes are cute and a popular sighting during African safaris. Guides often get asked the following questions about the cute and charismatic bat-eared fox:
They are fairly common throughout the dryer regions of Southern and Eastern Africa, where they are most often seen foraging at night or in the early morning in warmer months and during the day when the weather turns colder. Bat-eared foxes like to lie in the shade of acacia trees and favour short grasslands and arid savannah. They are often seen where domestic and wild ungulates have extensively grazed, but they venture into tall grass and thick shrub areas if threatened. They dig dens to raise their young and provide shelter from extreme temperatures and high winds. They are highly social, so if you spot one, watch for more.
What do bat-eared foxes eat?
Most bat-eared fox’s diet consists of small invertebrates such as ants, termites, spiders, scorpions and crickets. They will also eat small birds, mammals, reptiles, and even desert truffles.
What are the major threats to bat-eared foxes?
They are killed by larger carnivores such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and African wild dogs if they can catch them. Pups are also vulnerable to smaller predators such as the black-backed jackal and the martial eagle. Humans are also responsible for the death of large numbers of bat-eared foxes due to traps and poison intended for predators. They are also hunted for their pelts.
Other threats to the bat-eared fox include diseases such as rabies, canine parvovirus and canine distemper virus, drought, and habitat loss.
Four fun facts about the bat-eared fox:
1. The bat-eared fox has extremely pointed teeth, which enables it to quickly and efficiently chew its meals to aid digestion;
2. They seldom drink water as they obtain most of the moisture they need from their food;
3. Unlike other canids, the male undertakes most parental care duties, while the female forages for food that maintains her milk production;
4. From a farmer’s perspective, bat-eared foxes play a vital role in controlling harvester termite populations, which farmers consider a pest.
In 2009 I was commissioned to document a complex rock art panel on the roof of a shelter in a remote area of South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains. The area is out of bounds to the general public and required me to visit the site on three occasions to capture all the relevant information from the rock surface. During this time, it occurred to me again just how observant and skilful the early San artists were regarding their understanding of paint and implement making. This, combined with the rich and detailed imagery and symbolism they had represented on the rock, made for a challenging and absorbing project. The Christmas Shelter project has definitely been one of the highlights of my painting career, and I owe a great deal of gratitude and appreciation to the people who made it possible.
Paint and brush material was sourced from animals hunted nearby
Years of weathering and layers of surface deposits, like dust and salts, can obscure detail in the art that is only made clear by close inspection with magnifiers and lighting. The tracing process allows one to capture this detail very accurately. It is a slow and painstaking process and only years of practice enables one to more clearly ‘read’ the often faded imagery. I have often taken visitors to sites where imagery is faded, only to be told they cannot ‘see’ much on the rock. But after time at the site, and with assistance in ‘piecing’ together the faded motifs, they exclaim that they see much more and enthusiastically re-examine other sections of rock they had passed over moments before.
To accurately record the images at Christmas Shelter, I needed to draw from my stock of existing ochres and search for new materials in the landscape. During this time, I shot a blesbok and two ground squirrels. I divided the meat between myself and my staff, and the hair from these animals was a source of paintbrushes that I made and used for the project. I used strands from the tendons of the blesbok’s forelegs to bind the hairs onto wooden paintbrush shafts. The blood, a very good carrying and binding agent for dry pigment, was also used in the paint-making process. Combined with egg and plant juices from certain succulent plants, these two components make a very good paint.
‘I often felt like it was cracking the code of the rock’
Completing the final documentary artwork depicting the Christmas Shelter panel took six months. I spent many hours at the site meticulously tracing the images on the rock face and colour-matching the various hues and tonal variations in the rock. Steps, cracks, undulations and exfoliated segments must be noted and recorded. On occasions, the unfinished work was taken to the site as a work-in-progress comparison to ensure I captured the feel of the rock. I often felt like it was cracking the code of the rock – that is to say, getting the right mix of techniques and colours that would accurately reflect the rock surface I was trying to depict on canvas. Once the code was worked out, I always felt a surge of energy and confidence regarding the way I would tackle the rest of the scene.
The creation of the panel required all my years of skill and experience in documenting rock art. Many different methods and techniques were used to faithfully recreate both the rock background and the imagery that had been placed there.
A description of the Christmas Shelter Documentary art.
The idea that rock paintings can best be interpreted in terms of the rich cosmology and religious beliefs of the people who did them is a strongly held view by contemporary researchers. Rock paintings, apart from their intrinsic beauty, played an integral and crucial role in the life of these early communities. Through the paintings, communication with the past and the spirit world was possible. The rock surface was seen as a veil between the real world and the spirit world. It was in these two worlds that one animal dominated the minds of the painters more than any other and that was the eland. It was greatly admired and revered by the San and is the most painted antelope in San rock art in South Africa. There are at least 8 clearly definable images of eland in the Christmas Shelter panel. On the left side of the panel, a large eland in red and a human figure, dominate this section. The upper torso and head of the human figure has been painted between the forelegs of the eland. It appears as if the human figure is touching one of the forelegs of the eland. Behind this figure are three nested, ethereal looking male human figures with what appears to be red lines extending from their heads. The San Shaman spoke about a potency boiling up inside him and exiting through the head or neck region. Middle right of the painting there is a beautiful image of an eland from the rear in a foreshortened position. The fat on both eland and San women was believed to have great potency.
Returning to the old ways
I saw my first San painting at 14 and asked questions that many people must ask when seeing the art for the first time: Who made them, how old are they, what do they mean, and what did the artists use to create them? I was with my uncle, ‘Ginger’ Townley Johnson, then. Having lost my father at a young age, I found myself drawn to this adventurous relative. A well-liked, humorous and eccentric man, he had become interested in rock art through his father, Frederick Townley Johnson, who had been looking for rock paintings in the Oudsthoorn district of the Southern Cape since 1910. In time, Ginger and his two friends, Hyme Rabinowitz and Percy Sieff would rediscover and document hundreds of sites throughout South Africa and particularly the Cederberg mountains in the Western Cape. Their work began in the 1950s and continued through into the early 1990s. These records would eventually become part of much larger databases at universities and museums in South Africa.
‘It was the technology behind the paintings that beckoned me most’
One of my uncle’s principal concerns was the art’s vulnerability to natural weathering. Unlike the deep limestone caves of western Europe, where rock paintings are mostly shielded from harsh wind, sun and rain, the majority of sites containing rock paintings in South Africa are in shallow caves or underexposed rocky overhangs. This, coupled with damage to the art by people and livestock, motivated my uncle to develop a method of recording the images onto paper using various techniques. I accompanied him on many field trips and watched him work at rock art sites and his studio in Llandudno. I was fascinated by how he would accurately re-create images we had seen weeks earlier and in rock shelters hundreds of miles away. Of the questions above about art, it was the last one that intrigued me most. While the meaning and age of the images were important to me, questions about the technology behind the paintings beckoned me the most. It came to me very clearly one day that I, too, wanted to continue in my uncle’s footsteps by locating and documenting this fragile and irreplaceable art legacy. However, instead of using commercially available paints as he was doing, I resolved to make my own paints and implements from materials I would collect in the landscape in which I so often walked.
‘I would need to discard the tools I was using and begin a kind of experimental archaeology’
I found little in written records on how early cave artists made their paintings. If I wanted to show what cave artists might have used to create their art, I should make my own implements and paints and duplicate their paintings using materials and methods that would have been available to them. This meant attempting to think as an early cave artist would have thought. I would need to discard the tools I was using, like pocket knives, spatulas, plastic and metal containers and commercially available brushes, and begin a kind of experimental archaeology. I had already decided to make art my livelihood, and this new path seemed like the beginning of a new adventure. So, apart from using a rifle to shoot an animal, all other processes would be accomplished using what I could find in the veld.
Some mountain slopes yielded various ochres that I could use as a pigment base. Others yielded a dark grey stone that, when struck against another stone, yielded a very sharp cutting edge. A gemsbok horn, when cut into segments with end caps made from the dried scrotums of a grey rhebok, made a good holding vessel for my delicate feather-tipped brushes. A giraffe’s knee cap component makes an excellent, lightweight holding vessel for mixed paint, naturally hollowed small loose rocks make excellent paint pots, and scapulas from animal skeletons bleached white by the sun make good mixing surfaces. The landscape around me became a veritable supermarket for tools and materials.
Colours from rock and bone
I learned that there are four basic pigments that early cave artists had at their disposal. Mineral pigments, such as red and yellow ochres, are iron-rich clays and present as soft or semi-hard rock that can be ground into fine powder to form a durable paint base. The other two pigments are white and black. White comes from white clay, kaolin, raptor droppings or burnt eggshell and bone, and black comes from charcoal and manganese oxide. I divided the painting process into three stages. Firstly, identifying pigments and their manufacture into a workable paint using various binding and carrying agents. Secondly, the collection and/or manufacture of vessels to hold the pigments and mixed paint. Thirdly, an array of implements would enable me to apply the mixed paint to the surface of the rock.
‘I have found that different animals yield different quality brushes’
Over the years, I have found that different animals yield different quality brushes, and hair from different parts of the animal can yield different types of brushes. Different brushes would, in turn, have different uses or applications at the rock face. Feather-tipped brushes are not as durable while making good painting implements and do not hold as much paint as a bristle brush. During my rock surface trials, I found that fat and egg make good binding agents. Animal blood and sap from certain plants, such as the euphorbia species, can also bind. In contrast, saliva, water and animal gall are good carrying agents (i.e. they hold the finely ground pigment particles in suspension, allowing the paint to be drawn out on the rock surface).
Flat stones can be used as mixing surfaces or as heating stones. Animal bones, hooves and horns, stone paint pots, and plants (i.e. small calabash) are all important utensils when painting at the rock face.
When confronted with beautifully rendered polychrome roof paintings and tried to do the same with elementary implements like chewed sticks and quills, I realised that more sophisticated implements must surely have been used. These were those ‘Aha…’ moments when one sees things differently. The paint mix and viscosity must be just right; the painting implement should be of such a construction that relatively large amounts of paint could be held in a reservoir of some kind to be released onto the roof of a shelter in the correct manner.
Broadly speaking, South Africa’s geology is a great horseshoe of mountain ranges surrounding a relatively flat hinterland. From the Gifberg mountain ranges in the west to the Makabeng Plateau in the northeast, one can find rock paintings in thousands of caves and rocky overhangs. The Drakensberg mountain range is particularly rich in rock art. With its abundant rainfall and plentiful supply of flora and fauna, San communities inhabited these mountains for thousands of years, and over time there was significant contact and cultural exchange between San groups and Bantu herder communities that moved into the region. This is evident in many aspects, one being language. The clicks in various Nguni-speaking languages originate in contact with San communities.
In 2005 I was fortunate enough to work on a project with an old man named Kerrick Ntusi, who had both Sotho and San genealogy. Kerrick was an initiation leader in his younger days and always wanted to complete a “healing of the land ceremony” for his people and his forbears. He could remember his grandfather painting in a cave in Lesotho, and I was tasked at the time with recording in the paint under instruction from Kerrick, on a sheltering wall in KwaZulu-Natal, the images that he could remember from his birth cave, as part of this ceremony. This was an extraordinary experience for me and one that I will always remember.
Where to see the art
Researchers in other countries, such as Australia, have found that it is better to only open two or three to the public in an area where there may be ten painted sites. These are termed “sacrificial sites”, and although they are both monitored and managed, they nevertheless are susceptible to vandalism by the public. This management policy safeguards the other seven or eight sites that are not open to public viewing. This is the case with Christmas Shelter. Two primary places of interest for the public to learn about rock art and view it are the Didema Rock Art Centre in the Cathedral Peak area and the Kamberg Rock Art Centre in the Nottingham Road area.
Within two hours walk from the Kamberg Rock Art Centre is the world-famous Game Pass Shelter site open to the public. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide, who one can arrange through the Kamberg Rock Art Centre. On route to Game Pass Shelter, one passes the much smaller Waterfall rock art site, which also contains several rock art images. Today, the Christmas Shelter documentary artwork hangs at the Rock Art Research Institute at Wits University, Johannesburg. Who knows when more of the panel will exfoliate from the cave ceiling and be lost in the accumulated debris of the shelter floor? The heat from periodic veld fires through the area will certainly accelerate weathering. In some small way, at least a moment in the painting’s life has been captured and is encapsulated behind glass in a building in Johannesburg for visitors to see.
An exhibition, “Tracing the Cosmos – follow the brush strokes of the cave artists”, runs from 24th June to 30th August 2015 at the Origins Centre, Wits University, Johannesburg. The Christmas Shelter artwork will form part of this exhibition.
About the author
STEPHEN TOWNLEY BASSET was born in Cape Town, graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Social Science degree. He is the third generation in his family to be involved in the location and documentation of rock art in Southern Africa and is today a specialist in the field. His primary interests lie in the accurate, full-colour documentation of the art and research into pigments, paints and implements used by early hunter-gatherers of the region. Stephen consults with farmers and landowners on the conservation and management of sites. He is regularly involved in rehabilitating rock art sites and removing graffiti from vandalised sites.
Stephen lives with his wife, Karen, and their two children in Queenstown and has recently relocated his gallery and studio to the town of Cathcart on the N6 between Queenstown and East London in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. At this studio and gallery, he will set up a display of the pigments, paints and implements both sourced and used for his paintings. Both original artwork and various limited edition art prints will be sold from this location.
Editorial note: Subsequent to this post, SA Express has placed into liquidation – amidst accusations of ineptitude, fraud and corruption.
Open letter to the CEO of SA Express
Dear Mr Ntshanga
I stopped flying SA Express a few years ago after repeat problems, but SA Express was the only option for my recent trip to Hoedspruit. And so, when my outbound flight was delayed and the return flight cancelled, I was instantly taken back to those bad days.
I guess we all expect really bad service from SA Express these days – and your staff seem resigned to that fact. Apart from the resultant stress, extra costs and those stale nuts you import from China, what really incensed me was the arrogance of the way your team deals with these issues and the impregnable wall of protection you have built between yourselves and aggrieved clients. Regarding the delay on the first flight, your staff suggested that I contact the supervisor, who “is currently not available but would be available in 2 days” (2 days after my flight). In the case of the cancelled direct flight to Cape Town and subsequent rerouting on much later flights via Johannesburg, the staff at the airport said they could not help me as they were merely agents, and your call centre advised my personal assistant that “all supervisors are in a meeting and unable to assist”.
Both sets of your staff told me very firmly that SA Express does not refund clients for costs incurred due to changes – even when clients paid a premium for direct flights and did not receive that benefit. That, Mr Ntshanga, is theft.
As to why the changes were made, various SA Express staff advised us that the changes were due to low passenger numbers, but some later blamed technical issues – even pulling the classic “your safety is important to us” line.
When I attempted to contact you directly, your team refused access and shepherded my requests to a PR person, who broadcast the standard corporate-speak at me. I was assured of follow up from your team – which of course never happened. A week later I am still waiting for a resolution.
This country deserves better than this. You and your team are surely generating large amounts of negative equity for our passionate tourism industry. Complete safari offerings require reliable flights to Africa’s wild places, and you and your team failed to deliver. How many of our precious local and international tourists and business people have you and your team left stranded, angry and out of pocket? An informal request to my personal network on Facebook resulted in numerous sad stories of shocking service from SA Express, and refusal to refund costs.
My advice to clients and friends is to avoid using SA Express if they can.
Senegal’s Lake Retba is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow corridor and is known for its high salt content, up to 40% in places. It is dubbed Lac Rose (Pink Lake) due to its pink waters, the result of Dunaliella salina algae which produces a red pigment to absorb sunlight. The colour is most robUST during the dry season from November to June and less visible during the wet season. Some 3,000 people arrive at Pink Lake from all over West Africa to harvest salt, much of which is used to preserve fish, a staple diet in the region. Images by Nigerian photographer Ayo Obuseh.
AYO OBUSEH was born in Nigeria, West Africa. He became a professional photographer after several years of working internationally as a soldier and an epidemiologist. His African background brings a particular style to his photos. He likes the rural elements as well as the frontal perspectives. Typically Ayo shoots glamorous photographs of families, wild animals in their natural habitat and serene, picturesque environments. His photographs of lakes and ancient structures beneath vibrant skies blast off the screen and page with explosive colours. As part of his photographic portfolio, one may also find sepia-infused works that resonate with an essence of nostalgia. Follow Ayo on Facebook.
Since man tamed the horse, the majestic animal has gone from a means of transport to a tool of industry and war. Human society has advanced on the backs of horses, but we have since dismounted, finding little use for horses other than leisure. However, in some remote corners of Africa, the horse plays a crucial role in conservation. Perhaps it’s time we mounted up again.
Some wildlife areas are inaccessible by vehicle or plane and are too vast or treacherous for man to patrol on foot. But here, the horse comes into its own, giving conservation professionals and rangers access to areas that would otherwise suffer heavily from poaching. One area, in particular, is Zakouma National Park in Chad, where African Parks, who took over management of Zakouma in 2010, uses local rangers who are natural horsemen to patrol vast areas of the park.
Local poachers are natural horsemen, but then so are the park rangers
‘Zakouma undergoes an astounding transformation during the rains when much of the park becomes inundated with water,’ says Darren Potgieter, Field Operations Manager of Zakouma National Park. ‘At this time, most roads become completely impassable to vehicles; headquarters gets cut off from the western part of the park, and other access is severely restricted. There is a critical period at the beginning of the rains and again at the end when it starts to dry up when vehicles cannot get around, but one can still move on horseback. Historically poachers would take this opportunity to penetrate the park on horseback to shoot elephants. During this period, horse patrols are our only means to access and provide the spatial coverage required to protect the elephants.’
Even in the dry season, when foot patrols and vehicle access are possible, horses play an important function in allowing rangers to cover a lot of ground rapidly and with minimal effort. Horses also allow improved visibility to the rider in the long grass. ‘There is also a “fighting fire with fire” element to using horses,’ says Potgieter. ‘The primary poaching threat is from armed horseman, so follow-up, tracking and intervention are best done on horseback.’
One horse patrol team is always within earshot of the breeding elephant herd
As part of a wider anti-poaching strategy in Zakouma, the horses have played a vital role in halting the slaughter of what used to be vast elephant herds. In fact, they have been so effective that there has not been one poaching incident in Zakouma for over three years. Horses are also used to track the family herds equipped with GPS satellite collars, and there is always a horse patrol team within earshot of the breeding herd.
Zakouma National Park has four horse patrol teams, together with foot patrol and motorbike patrol teams comprising a total of 70 rangers (52 active in the field, the others are eco-guards, radio operators, drivers, gate guards, etc.) and 32 horses, all Chadian stallions descendent from the Spanish Barb or Berber horse believed to have originated in North Africa during the 8th century when Muslim invaders reached the region.
Horses are vital to co-operation between the park and local clans
Local communities are primarily nomadic and have relied on horses for centuries. African Parks has ensured collaboration between the community and the park officials, and horses have played an important role in achieving this. A racing stallion, Horus, was donated by a Chadian businessman and breeder to be used as part of Zakouma’s community program. Horus’s good genes were offered to the nomadic communities around the park, and the stallion covered 49 mares last dry season.
This works both ways. A nomad horse, Andrine, was donated to Zakouma National Park as a token of cooperation from a clan of the Ouled Rachid tribe that spends the dry season in the south of Zakouma. ‘We have community game guards in a similar nomad community to the north of the park that assist the park with patrolling their area on their horses and providing information on a secure digital radio network,’ explains Potgieter. ‘Being in constant contact and collaboration with the park and the rangers brings tangible security benefits and employment to these communities, and this particular group of nomads would like to start the same program in their area, hence the donation of the horse to Zakouma.’ Potgieter says Andrine is a fiery horse and, as is common to this breed, he’s resilient and copes well in tough work conditions.
Why aren’t horses used more in anti-poaching roles?
It is rare for horses to be used in anti-poaching roles. Among other small programs in Africa, horseback patrols are conducted on the slopes of Mount Kenya, Bale Mountain National Park in Ethiopia and Kruger National Park in South Africa. Horses are being introduced to another African Parks managed area, the Bangweulu Wetlands of Zambia, where, like Zakouma, vast areas are inundated with water. But horses are more commonly used as a way for guests to experience the wild in a thrilling, more natural way.
The expense of the intensive care that horses need and the training of specialist rangers makes using horses in anti-poaching roles prohibitive – unless the area is virtually inaccessible by other means, and the local community are horsemen themselves. The model has been proven in the tourism industry, where horseback riding safaris are a popular safari activity even in remote areas. In Zakouma, horses have proven remarkably effective, but elsewhere technology has meant we have long since dismounted and left the horse behind. Yet much of that technology has proven ineffective against poaching.
The ranger on horseback can cover far more distance in a far shorter time than a ranger on foot. On a horse, he can manoeuvre through or over obstacles that would stop a vehicle. On a horse, he is a formidable and intimidating presence. One wonders if the expense might be worth using more horses and training more riders as part of a wider anti-poaching strategy. Perhaps it’s time we mounted up against poaching.
DID YOU KNOW that African Parks offers safari camps (lodges and campsites) where 100% of tourism revenue goes to conservation and local communities? Find out more and book your African Parks safari.
Contributors
ANTON CRONE quit the crazy-wonderful world of advertising to travel the world, sometimes working, and drifting. Along the way, he unearthed a passion for Africa’s stories – not the sometimes hysterical news agency headlines we all feed off, but the real stories. Anton strongly empathises with Africa’s people and their need to meet daily requirements, often in remote, environmentally hostile areas cohabitated by Africa’s free-roaming animals.
SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) is caring for 30 oiled African penguins and four orphaned African penguin chicks at its centre in Cape St. Francis this week.
The birds were admitted from Bird and St. Croix islands off Port Elizabeth, and they will be washed and rehabilitated for the next few weeks until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
Rangers from the marine section of the Addo Elephant National Park rescued these African penguins, air-lifted them via helicopter, and then transported them by road to SANCCOB’s seabird centre. The birds received a few days of intensive care to improve their strength and hydration, and the first batch of oiled penguins, with 50 to 80% of their bodies covered in oil, were washed earlier this week. For the next few weeks, the washed birds will continue to be fed, hydrated and swum to ensure they regain the natural waterproofing of their feathers.
The four African penguin chicks under three weeks old were removed from their nests as their parents were also oiled and rescued. Weighing a mere 500 grams upon admission and with their bodies covered in fluffy down feathers, these chicks will be hand-reared by the SANCCOB Eastern Cape team to ensure that the tiny chicks have everything they need to grow into healthy, fit youngsters.
Thus far, the oiled birds and their chicks have responded well to rehabilitation.
“The ongoing chronic pollution of seabirds is a major concern for SANCCOB. The number of oiled birds captured for rehabilitation rarely reflects the actual impact of chronic oil pollution on seabird populations”, said Juanita Raath, Rehabilitation Coordinator at SANCCOB in Cape St. Francis.
The exact source of the oil that affected these birds is unknown, but it is a well-known fact that hundreds of thousands of seabirds worldwide are affected by chronic oil pollution. There is a significant overlap between the busy shipping lanes around our coast, especially those close to busy harbours (such as Port Elizabeth and the Coega Region), and areas with a high concentration of seabirds (such as Algoa Bay). The illegal and incidental operational discharges from ships, the possibility of wrecks leaking oil, and the seeping from faulty pipelines constantly threaten seabirds along our coastline.
The recent shift in the availability of sardine and pilchard, which is the main source of food for African penguins, has also caused penguins to travel further distances from their breeding locations to find enough food to sustain themselves and their chicks. The extended periods that they are now spending in the water also increase their risk of becoming oiled, as well as reducing the likelihood of them being able to return to the colony if they are oiled.
Addo Elephant National Park manages the only two African penguin colonies in the Eastern Cape, the rangers identify and stabilise all seabirds needing rehabilitation and hand-rearing and transport them to SANCCOB for rehabilitation. SANCCOB is the only organisation mandated by the South African government to respond to oiled seabirds. The oiling of these penguins highlights the importance of maintaining a well-trained team ready to respond to catastrophic events and these ongoing, smaller spills.
For visitors to Namibia, Mesosaurus Camp should be high on their destination list. Mesosaurus Camp is situated on the farm, Spitzkop, about 40 km outside Keetmanshoop. Massive nests in camel-thorn trees, home to the sociable weaver can be found at the campsite. Written by: Dr Martin Briggs
Quiver trees dot the surrounding hills, and the base of one of these resembles a dinosaur foot grasping the rocks – an analogy to the fossils for which this farm is famous.
The base of a quiver tree – a living fossil resembling the foot of a dinosaur
We were fortunate enough to arrive on a day that Giel Steenkamp was taking a group to view the fossils. Giel stumbled on these reptilian fossils and thought the imprints embedded in the rocks were those of the salamander. However, it took Dr Oelofse of the University of Pretoria to identify them. Dr Oelofse immediately realised that the creatures on Spitzkop Farm predated the salamander and correctly identified them as fossils of the order Mesosauria.
Mesosaurus fossil with indentations of the dorsal spinous processes clearly visible.
Giel explained how the geological ages affected these parts of Gondwanaland and how it was once covered in water, with swamps populated by reptiles, crabs, fish, and prawn-like creatures. These lived in water mostly no deeper than 35 to 100 centimetres during the late Carboniferous and early Permian ages. Ceratosaurus and Megapnosaurus probably also lived here at a later stage.
Mesosaurus (meaning “middle lizard”) is an extinct genus of reptiles from the Early Permian age. Mesosaurus was long thought to have been one of the first marine reptiles.
Mesosaurus, an amphibian reptile living here about 270 million years ago, was the apex predator of this age and locality and is probably one of the most convincing examples to prove the drifting of continents. The same genus in the same rock formations is found in southern Africa and South America.
Their teeth were too soft to attack larger prey – they were predominantly filter feeders (e.g. plankton). As the waters receded, these inhabitants sank into the mud to be preserved as fossils. Sediment blown into the lake also covered the remnants.
Giel takes care to prevent damage to the fossil beds from livestock and the elements. Lifting a protective sheet of corrugated iron roofing, Giel pointed out the grooves delineating a fossil embedded in the Dwyker shale. The spine and limbs of an ancient Mesosaurus were revealed. So detailed was the imprint that indentations indicating the dorsal spinous processes were clearly visible, and even a fracture suffered by the specimen in a toe could be determined in the smooth shale surface.
We learned that the Mesosaurus fossils on Giel’s farm were the oldest reptilian fossils in southern Africa. Another site revealed a Mesosaurus fossil with intact faeces. Although long since turned to stone, this’ coprolite’ still showed vividly as a brown streak. Giel explained that Dr Oelofse determined the diet by examining specimens of this coprolite.
Giel Steenkamp displays a Mesosaurus fossil
Giel, joking that he was another fossil on the farm, spritely opened and closed gates as he led our convoy towards a kopje where quiver trees grew in abundance. The stem of the quiver tree is a living fossil, consisting mainly of fibre, proficient at storing water. Giel enlightened us as to the origin of the name and showed us how the Bushmen made quivers for their arrows by removing the fibrous innards of a branch. Closing one end of this ‘tube’ with a pelt resulted in a perfectly hollowed receptacle, or quiver. Small flowers appear in May, June and July in the canopy of leaves. Giel explained that, as one would expect, the leaves of this aloe are bitter, and kudu will occasionally reach up to feed on the canopy. This is possibly because of the anti-parasitical properties of the sap; early stockmen added these leaves to livestock water troughs, maintaining that parasites, such as ticks, would be suitably dislodged. The forest of quiver trees grew amongst stacked dolerite boulders, and Giel explained that the dark colouration was magnesium oxide, while iron oxide formed the lighter colours. Locally, these pigmentations are known as ‘desert varnish’.
An elephant still roams the Knysna forest in South Africa – she has been seen on rare occasions. About 500 kilometres east lies Addo Elephant National Park, a primary tourist destination and home to more than 600 elephants.
Not many people remember that these two elephant groups were once connected: just 200 hundred years ago, elephants moved freely between Knysna’s Garden of Eden and Addo. Human presence and settlements have put a stop to this migration path.
The NGO, Eden to Addo, has been working tirelessly since 2006 to make this migration a reality again. To undertake such epic work, Eden to Addo focuses on developing ecological corridors between existing protected areas: the Garden Route National Park, the Tsitsikamma National Park, the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site and Addo Elephant National Park.
Such corridors consist of privately-owned land: the agglomeration of landowner partners allows communication between these areas, thus enforcing biodiversity and ensuring ecological processes and connectivity for species. The organisation has already successfully developed corridors between the Garden Route National Park and the Robberg Peninsula and between the Tsitsikamma National Park and the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site. Current work is focusing on the Springbokvlakte, between the Baviaanskloof and the Addo Elephant National Park, where thousands of springboks used to roam.
The area Eden to Addo cares for is the most bio-diverse in the world: it includes five different biomes of South Africa’s seven. Among these, mistbelt forest might be one of the most fragile because of its fragmentation during European settlement. The fynbos biome also lies within the area and hosts over 9,000 plant species. The corridor includes the Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo, offering the visitor a sensation of deep immersion in nature.
Such diversity makes the corridor a stunning area to see and hike in. Eden to Addo initiated an annual Great Corridor Hike in 2006 to raise funds and achieve its mission. It starts in the Garden Route and ends in the Addo Elephant National Park – 20 days and 450 kilometres later. This slack pack adventure allows you to witness Eden to Addo’s conservation work while experiencing beautiful wilderness areas, including those exclusive to Eden to Addo.
Hiking the Great Corridor is an opportunity not to be missed. It enforces the dedication of Eden to Addo’s work: protecting nature from Man’s impact without excluding him from his natural common heritage.
The male initiation ceremony of the Xhosa people of South Africa, Ulwaluko, is an age-old tradition. It’s a mystical, secretive ritual that occurs far away from the eyes of the public. The only information non-participants and non-family members ever have about it is the disturbing death toll from what the newspapers call botched circumcisions. As a result, there is pressure from some quarters to ban the custom altogether.
And, as winter approaches and a new crop of abakwetha are preparing to ‘go to the mountain’ to earn the right to call themselves men, the controversy is bound to resurface. But, having spent the 2014 winter season filming a documentary with three abakwetha, I can testify that the ceremony is a test of courage and is much more than a circumcision ritual.
Banning it is a ridiculous notion. Ulwaluko is fundamental to Xhosa life
I think banning it is a ridiculous notion. Ulwaluko is fundamental to Xhosa life, but it’s not a rigid, inflexible ritual. It changes with the times. For example, the abakwetha no longer actually go to the mountains, but somewhere close by yet cut off from the village. And the seclusion period is much shorter. When 63-year-old Bangile Pakamile went through initiation he was away for six months, and his younger brothers, who are in their forties, spent three months in seclusion. Now their sons Sandile and Anathi, and their close friend Lulama, will spend one month in the bush.
There are two seasons for the Ulwaluko – winter and summer. Despite village elders murmuring, ‘we had it harder’, the month in the bush is not easy, particularly in winter. Every boy knows the inherent dangers – the number of deaths mounts up on the front pages like a recurring nightmare. Indeed, by the time Sandile, Nathi and Lulama had safely stepped out as new men, 39 initiates had died in the Eastern Cape, and more than 300 had been hospitalised.
The number of deaths mount up on the front pages like a recurring nightmare
The initiates, known collectively as abakwetha or individually as umkwetha, surrender their names. Their clothes are shredded in the days leading up to their exclusion, and they carry a short stick with a white cloth tied to one end. Women cut dry grass for thatching while men chop down flexible saplings. Dressed in traditional clothing, the adults construct a domed dwelling called iboma that will serve as the home for the abakwetha. Each of the customs is intricate and detailed, but there is no instruction booklet, so the men constantly remind each other of the many important details as the preparation continues.
The structure is surrounded by a symbolic barrier of thorn branches with a single entry and exit point. One member of the construction crew accidentally stepped across the thorn branches and was scolded by one of the elders. His indiscretion was probably due to ceremonial brandy rather than a failure to adhere to traditional guidelines. Alcohol has woven its way into every stage of the ceremony. Where traditional beer known as umqombothi might have once served a role, brandy and Castle Lager have been added. I find myself included in this custom, and a bottle of brandy is requested from me. All those present contribute in one way or another. The greatest contribution comes from the parents of the initiate. By my calculations, it costs somewhere in the region of ZAR10,000 (US$900) to put a boy through the initiation. There are cows and at least two goats to slaughter, traditional blankets, a month’s worth of food, traditional surgeon fees, overseer fees and food and drinks for parties. And the brand new smart clothes worn at the end of the month can cost in excess of ZAR2,000 alone. It’s a significant burden on already financially stretched families.
Buttons with no holes
John Pakamile, a 20-year veteran overseer of the initiates, tells me that the early white settlers brought two things to the Xhosa people. Alcohol and buttons with no holes. I sat dumbfounded, pondering ‘buttons with no holes’. John laughed at me and said: ‘We had everything we needed. Fresh water from the rivers, wild animals to hunt, livestock and gardens – what use did we have for money?’
For rural people far away from industrial and commercial centres, making ‘buttons with no holes’ is a constant struggle. But despite the economic hardships, many live full and dynamic lives filled with humour, warmth, love and generosity. It is a close community, and participation in the Ulwaluko involves every member of the wider family group and friends. While elders ensure practices are correctly adhered to, five or six younger boys will be in constant attendance at the abakwetha. Delighting in their role as inqalathi, the young boys chop wood from the nearby forest and begin making a pile of firewood outside the entrance to the iboma.
To comply with regulations governing traditional circumcision initiates must be at least 18 years of age and must present written parental or guardian consent to the central office of records for initiates. The initiates, the traditional surgeon, and the overseer must all be registered and have the necessary permits. There are actually traditional police who visit during the season demanding the official papers, which are kept in a plastic sleeve and tucked up into the thatching of the iboma. Failure to comply may result in fines and/or prison.
At the office of records, we met with the traditional surgeon. Although the circumcision is still done with an assegai (spear), I am assured by John that hygiene standards are rigorous. For two initiates, the spear has two sharp blades, one on each end. For three initiates, the surgeon brings two spears. The surgeon is an outsider who only appears for the removal of foreskins. He attends to all the initiates in the area and, thankfully, is not a participant in alcohol-related rituals at any time.
When the big day arrives for Sandile, Anathi and Lulama there is a huge gathering at the family homestead. The abakwetha are stripped naked and ushered inside the family kraal (traditionally a collection of huts within an enclosure). They sit on the bare ground draped in grey blankets while a cow and goat are slaughtered. There is a great deal of alcohol consumed by those in attendance, especially the old men who sit looking on from a semi-circle of chairs. Axes and knives flash in the winter sun as the animals are butchered, cooked in big pots, and then rapidly consumed by all.
All the while, in the swirl of dust, blood and noise, the abakwetha sit quietly with heads bowed in submission while attending men explain what is to come and what is expected of them. Their heads and pubic hair are shaved. They are offered choice cuts of goat and cow and encouraged to fill up.
They find the surgeon waiting for them in the bush with spear in hand
At dusk, all the men rise and encircle the abakwetha, singing an immensely powerful song. They slowly shuffle and dance along the road while the entire village ululates and shouts. The energy in the group feels edgy and somewhat dangerous. The men carry an assortment of sticks, and small scuffles break out as they near the edge of the village. Suddenly the three abakwetha drop their blankets and run for their lives as the men tear after them, shouting and wielding their sticks. It must have their teenage hearts beating out of their chests.
Having escaped one terror, they find the surgeon waiting for them in the bush with a spear in hand. They sit down with legs apart, and a rapid single cut from the assegai removes the foreskin. The boys make no sound; they don’t flinch, stoic bravery being an important part of this and the hurdles to come. Their wounds are dressed with a medicinal plant called izichwe and tied with a leather thong around their waists. There is only a small group in attendance, and in the fading light, I can just see one of the boys’ shoulders rise as the thong is pulled taut, but he makes no sound.
The white cloth tied to the stick that they carried is thrown high into the air, a signal that it is done. A collective cry from the village follows – it is the last time the women will see or hear anything of the abakwetha for a month.
The abakwetha are understandably in great pain and discomfort for the first few days. They eat only half-boiled maize and no water for seven days. They have a blanket and a little straw between them and the cold earth. The little inqalathi are their lifesavers keeping the fire burning through the night. It’s freezing cold, and the abakwetha lie with their knees raised, progressively weakening as the days go by.
Their overseer John Pakamile shows them how to dress the wounds with ischwe leaves, visiting them up to four times a day during this critical time. After five days, John covers their faces, arms and legs in the white clay of the initiate. It is supposed to keep them warm and protect their skin from the sun, but no deeper meaning is forthcoming. The initiates must keep up this application of white clay or be punished. They are also given beautiful white blankets with red stripes and sit silently in the sun as John delivers the next set of instructions.
It will be two days before they are allowed water. They appear thin and weak. They tell each other stories to avoid boredom and talk about food often. Their jaws hurt from grinding half-cooked maize.
They must show vigilance in their actions. After dressing the wounds, John makes them hold the water bottle for him to wash his hands. Even though they are dying of thirst, they never complain.
They are so weak on the morning of the seventh day they can barely stand. What were once three vigorous teenagers now appear like old men, hunched over their sticks. They hardly talk as they slowly apply white clay to their bodies before leaving the iboma. A goat is slaughtered outside, and the men in attendance drink ceremonial brandy in the warm winter sun. The abakwetha are given great spoonfuls of maize meal and sour milk followed by hunks of broiled goat. Their personalities and vigour return; they begin to laugh, tell jokes and even dance.
In the following days, they go for walks to collect leaves for dressing their wounds. The big stiff leaves are rolled between two bottles to soften them for comfort. I tried to help by collecting leaves and, on offering some to Sandile, he looked at them and said, ‘Not big enough, Rich.’ I don’t think he meant to joke; he just needed bigger leaves than I would.
The seclusion, suffering and pain represent the trials of life
There are two other iboma built across the hills where six more abakwetha are undergoing the Ulwaluko. We went for a long walk to see how they were doing. Their iboma is very impressive. I later find out one of the boy’s fathers works for a thatching company and that he used old thatch and poles. These initiates are attended by a gaggle of their inqalathi. These micro-lumberjacks scale the thorn trees and work their machetes to keep firewood coming.
As the days pass slowly, the abakwetha walk in the hills chopping wood, teasing the inqalati and following their strict regimen. By day 20, their spirits are high. They dance, stick fight and hunt for rabbits in the bush. Their little helpers continue to devastate the thorn tree population.
The inqalathi are learning all the time. They watch all the ceremonies and learn the ‘language’ of the abakwetha, taking in with some trepidation what their rite of passage will require when it is upon them.
The verbal transfer of knowledge seems secondary to the symbolism. The seclusion, suffering and pain represent the trials of life; it is the process that matters, not what is said. It is a test of personal character and fortitude. Of course, no boy should needlessly die, but I wonder if the Xhosa people would place such a high value on the ceremony if there were zero chance of fatalities.
The abakwetha sing a beautiful song about their ordeal. Patrick, one of the inqalathi, translates it for me. While the backing singers repeat the phrase ‘It’s hard to be a man’, Lulama, who has a higher voice, sings the guidelines of the abakwetha. In particular, one verse is repeated: ‘I won’t go to Makiwane, no, no, no, it is not the time for Makiwane. Be quiet little boy; it’s hard to be a man.’
Cecilia Makiwane Hospital is a public hospital on the outskirts of East London. I asked them what it would take for one of them to go to the hospital. Sandile points his finger at the ground of the iboma and says, ‘We will never go. We would rather die here than go to the hospital.’
‘We will rather die here than go to hospital’
Meanwhile, the death toll for initiates stands at 35 in the Eastern Cape for this winter season, and there is still a week to go. This reluctance to seek outside help is one of the key reasons so many initiates die, but some overseers act responsibly. Last year pneumonia spread amongst initiates nearby. The supervisor blamed bad spirits in the iboma, and got all the boys proper medical attention. When they were well again, they returned to another iboma, away from the previous site. A smart application of spiritual beliefs saved the boys’ lives – and upheld tradition.
I have often filmed the abakwetha carrying out the morning ritual of applying white river clay. Today, perhaps through boredom, they adorn Anathi’s back with a giant NIKE logo – another strange clash of the traditional and the new. Lulama gets Zebra stripes on his back, and Sandile gets his girlfriend’s name. It seems rebellious. I dread to think how many whacks of the cane John might give them if he sees the NIKE logo. Maybe he won’t mind. Understanding the taboos is a minefield, and perhaps that’s the idea – to keep the abakwetha on their toes.
Their mood is high at this stage, and they count the days towards the 12th of July. I have taken to showing them videos of my children in Sydney. We all laugh; they see Charlie’s fourth birthday cake and are stunned as if they have never seen anything so amazing.
John and his youngest son cut palm leaves that they bend into three crowns for the initiates as a symbol that their homecoming is near. Their heads are freshly shaved, and John instructs them to shave the head of one of the inqalathi, ten-year-old Athiti. It is an honour for him, as he will serve as a mascot over the coming two days. He will lead the procession back to the village and participate as if he were an umkwetha himself.
On their final day in the bush, the abakwetha and inqalathi work hard, chopping a huge stockpile of wood. Men build a bonfire outside the iboma and play a traditional initiation game called ceya through the night. It’s played with short and long twigs concealed in each hand, accompanied by what seem to be impersonations of animals, and spirits with strange clicks and squeals. In the firelight, the wild gesticulations, explosive laughter and warmth between the men of all ages is magical. How long have men played ceya by the fire under the spectacular African night sky?
At dawn, John leads the abakwetha to the river. Before entering the water, they pay homage to the ancestors by daubing river clay on their foreheads, then they stand knee-deep and carefully wash all remnants of white clay from their bodies. In the cold morning light, they head back to camp naked. Bangile, the eldest of the Pakamile family, covers their bodies in butter. He then covers them in coloured blankets, leaving them just a tiny peephole through which they hold their black sticks.
Forming a single line behind young Athiti, they shuffle away from the iboma, where the men break into song and set the hut alight. Within minutes it is a fireball; all the trappings of the last month incinerated. The abakwetha do not look back as they walk on, followed by dozens of men, young and old. As they move through the village, women ululate, and small children join the group. When they reach the Pakamile homestead, the women beat sticks onto a corrugated iron sheet.
The boys sit outside the kraal, the little mascot Athiti at one end and an older man at the other, representing the generations. Seated around the boys are more than a dozen old men. Each of them stands to impart words of wisdom to the abakwetha. After each speech, a symbolic offering of one or two Rand coins represents the first step on a much larger journey. All I can think about is buttons with no holes.
After the speeches, the initiates are moved inside, surrounded by friends and siblings. Two girls enter and transform the boys by painting their faces with red ochre and wrapping their heads with black and white cloth. From being amakhwetha the initiates have become amakrwala. Finally, they begin to relax their stoic demeanour.
The following day, after a hearty breakfast of soup, vegetables and meat, the three amakrwala are escorted to Lulama’s rural home, a beautiful spot overlooking a pristine valley.
As a thank you to the overseer and the people of Chintsa village, the family slaughter a pig for their guests and mark the occasion with more brandy and beer. While family members sit in the morning sun, men butcher the pig and cook it on the open fire. The amakrwala sit in the grass, and Lulama sees his siblings for the first time in a month. At a certain point, John ushers him into a hut. Lulama washes and bathes his whole body while standing in a large enamel dish. He finally reappears in brand-new Western clothes. Lulama’s face is then smeared with a brownish paste to mark the final stage of the transition.
The entire group then travels back to Chintsa village. Sandile and Nathi wash and dress in smart flat caps, jackets, pressed trousers and leather-soled shoes. Bangile, the oldest man, embraces them and warmly slaps them on the back. There are brief speeches and ceremonial brandy shots, and it is finally over. They walk out of the hut and take their first steps on the long journey of life as men.
Not once did I witness fighting, drinking or disobedience from the abakwetha. Likewise, the adults in direct supervisory roles performed their duties skillfully and responsibly. Because the tradition isn’t written down or uniform across the Xhosa nation, I am sure the ceremony has many variations. I suspect the deaths and mutilations may result from badly run initiation schools. Perhaps because I have witnessed a school run well, I am biased, but people from my culture circumcise babies and voluntarily risk their lives with breast augmentation and nose jobs. We are quick to judge traditional cultures and even quicker to forget our similarities.
I loved the warmth and comfort shown by the community of men. I have never sat in communion around so many fires and seen children and adults work together so effortlessly for a common cause. All had their role, and all had respect for each other. I was shown incredible kindness and understanding and was never questioned about my presence or purpose. They trusted me. The long ceremony gave me the time to ponder my own role as a man, something Westerners like me blunder into via alcohol-fuelled 21st birthday parties.
When I asked the abakwetha why they had to go through all this, they replied: It’s hard to be a man. You can’t buy or be given it; you must be it. You have to endure pain, hunger and hardship. When times get tough in your life, you know you got through your initiation, so you can get through whatever challenge you face.
Richard Bullock with the Xhosa initiates he filmed and wrote about.
Australian-born RICHARD BULLOCK began his professional life as an advertising copywriter in Sydney with Chiat/Day/Mojo. This was followed by a long stint at TBWA Hunt Lascaris in Johannesburg South Africa, where his love for the African continent took hold. Along with his South African wife, Richard travelled and worked worldwide, often returning to their second home in Chintsa on South Africa’s east coast. In 2004 he began writing and directing film projects for clients. Eventually, he crossed over from advertising to directing full-time, helming projects globally for Adidas, Sony, Amnesty, Omega, Motorola and many more. One of his unique talents is directing projects in remote and sometimes difficult locations. He has shot films about climate change in Peru, eye surgery in Mongolia, heart disease in Rwanda and plastic surgery in South Africa. His long-form films have run on the National Geographic Channel, Eurosport and the BBC. One of his latest projects involved documenting the controversial Xhosa circumcision ritual near his Chintsa home. You can see Richard’s film work here.
The infamous black mamba is a snake with an unfortunately bad and arguably exaggerated reputation. It is the most feared snake in Africa and is known for being highly aggressive and thought to attack without hesitation. However, this is not quite true. Written by: Nick Evans
Black mambas are majestic animals that are incredibly strong and intelligent. They are alert snakes with a keen sense of sight. Also, they have a fast metabolism to digest prey quickly.
During the day, they actively hunt on the ground and in trees. They’re excellent climbers and often bask in the sun from the treetops in the morning. Their diet consists mainly of rodents and other small mammals, birds and reptiles.
The way that black mambas kill their prey is quick and efficient. They strike the animal, injecting it with their potent, fast-acting neurotoxic venom. They then wait and let the venom do its work. The bitten animal dies shortly after being envenomated. The mamba then starts working its jaws around the dead animal and swallows it whole.
Contrary to popular belief, black mambas are also not actually black. They usually have a grey or light brown colouration with a white underbelly, which turns a shade of black towards the tail. Their name comes from the inside of the mouth, which is pitch black.
Black mambas are not nearly as aggressive as they are made out to be. If disturbed, they tend to flee rather than fight. They are one of the world’s fastest-moving snakes, so they can disappear in seconds.
If threatened, they will raise their heads off the ground, spread their narrow hood, and gape at the threat, thus showing off the pitch-black inside of their mouth. This serves as a warning sign and can prove to be intimidating enough. Humans have this warning to be thankful for, as a bite can kill a human quicker than most other snake species.
Claims have been made that mambas can raise themselves high enough to stare at human eye level. While they can rise high up off the ground, possibly to chest height, this is a rare occurrence, and they usually disappear long before they need to take this line of defence.
If you ever encounter a black mamba in the wild, try to appreciate and enjoy the sighting. Admire its beauty and watch how it moves through the bushveld. There’s just no other snake quite like a black mamba.
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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ANDY STENT AND SZERDI NAGY are a married photographic team intent on exploring and discovering as much of our incredible world as they can. Their passion for travel was sparked when they travelled to Nepal in 2010 and since then they have used their wedding photography business to fund their adventures. They love exploring Africa in their trusty Land Rover, Murray, and having the chance to meet and interact with people from all over the world. They also have a quest to find the most beautiful campsite on the planet.
STEPHEN TOWNLEY BASSET was born in Cape Town, graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Social Science degree. He is the third generation in his family to be involved in the location and documentation of rock art in Southern Africa and is today a specialist in the field. His primary interests lie in the accurate, full-colour documentation of the art and research into pigments, paints and implements used by early hunter-gatherers of the region. Stephen consults with farmers and landowners on the conservation and management of sites. He is regularly involved in rehabilitating rock art sites and removing graffiti from vandalised sites.
AYO OBUSEH was born in Nigeria, West Africa. He became a professional photographer after several years of working internationally as a soldier and an epidemiologist. His African background brings a particular style to his photos. He likes the rural elements as well as the frontal perspectives. Typically Ayo shoots glamorous photographs of families, wild animals in their natural habitat and serene, picturesque environments. His photographs of lakes and ancient structures beneath vibrant skies blast off the screen and page with explosive colours. As part of his photographic portfolio, one may also find sepia-infused works that resonate with an essence of nostalgia. Follow Ayo on 
Richard Bullock with the Xhosa initiates he filmed and wrote about.
