Indholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2017-2018 i Kruger Magazine

“KRUGER MAGAZINE has a dual purpose – to entertain and also to educate.” It’s the holiday season and summer in the Greater Kruger region, which means lush vegetation, the return of migrating birds, and sightings of newborn animals everywhere – impala are especially abundant. The first rains have fallen, but we need good rains to restore the park to its beautiful best. We hope you are reading this issue of KRUGER MAGAZINE while on a well-deserved vacation – preferably in the Greater Kruger region itself! If you are only dreaming of the bush, however, we trust the magazine will whet your appetite for your next visit. You’ll find a host of informative and entertaining articles in our Summer issue – including a new column, ‘Favourite Spots’. Visit our Facebook group…

Following the excitement on KRUGER MAGAZINE’s Facebook group when Graeme Mitchley shared the sequence of events at a leopard sighting at Biyamiti Weir, Meldt van der Spuy conceptualised our new regular column, FAVOURITE SPOTS. From issue 3, the editorial team will select the Top 5 ‘FAVOURITE SPOTS’ shared by the members of our Facebook community before publishing the next issue of KRUGER MAGAZINE. Facebook members will enjoy the opportunity to vote for the best entry, which will then be published in KRUGER MAGAZINE. Everyone has their favourite spots in the Greater Kruger, and I couldn't wait to share my spot: Lake Panic, near Skukuza. It so happens that Quintus’ spot is also Biyamiti Weir! For this issue, we’ve approached Graeme to share his story with all our readers! Biyamiti Weir…

“Orpen is one of the preferred ca for those who enjoy hearing the night sounds so typical of the bushveld.” Midway between Acornhoek and Hoedspruit, in the province of Limpopo, is the Orpen gate on the western border of the Kruger National Park. The camp was named after Eileen Orpen, who bought seven farms during the 1930s and donated the land to the Park. Orpen is one of the preferred camps for those who enjoy hearing the night sounds so typical of the bushveld. The camp is one of the smaller camps in KNP, giving it that special secluded and private feel, and everything is within walking distance, with no crowds or traffic. There is a well-stocked Park’s Shop filled with all the necessities – from biltong to Amarula and…

“From Orpen, Tamboti and Maroela camps, the H7 is the only way into the Park, but it is known as one of the best roads for game viewing – especially predators.” It’s summer and that means camp gates open at 4.30am – an hour earlier than the entry gates. Your chances of finding lions on the road this time of the morning are very good. So, get up early, pack your picnic basket and coffee, and hit the road before sunrise. From Orpen, Tamboti and Maroela camps, the H7 is the only way into the Park, but it is known as one of the best roads for game viewing – especially predators. About 6km from the Orpen camp, travelling on the H7, you can turn right on the S106, a…

“Southern Africa has been richly endowed with ten of these beautiful species. Nine of them can be found in the Kruger National Park.” « Dr Ian John Whyte is an independent environmental consultant who retired from SANParks in 2007. He was previously engaged in full-time wildlife research in Kruger National Park from 1970-2007. At the time of retirement, he was responsible for the coordination of all research projects pertaining to elephant, buffalo and other large herbivores and rare antelope. He is a member of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission’s African Elephant Specialist Group. He has co-authored two field guides to the birds of the Kruger National Park and is in the process of publishing a book about his life and work in KNP. Kingfishers occur on all of the…

What could be triggering and supporting the outbreak of the mopane worm? Mopane worm, which is the caterpillar of the mopane moth, is one of the most well-known insects in southern Africa because of its charismatic outbreaks on mopane trees. It is also famous because it is one of the few insects that is still consumed in the region – the mopane worm is nutritional for humans and fuels a commercial industry worth millions of Rands a year. It plays an important role in the ecosystem of the mopane trees by browsing and cycling nutrients from the mopane leaves into the soil. Since the life cycle of this moth involves two habitats – the crown of the mopane tree and the soil – it means conditions at these habitats must…

« Joep Stevens is a keen historian who was introduced to the Kruger National Park by his parents in 1966. This ignited his interest in and passion for the Park. » Part 2: From 1898 to 1926 It is widely acknowledged that the Kruger National Park was conceived with the proclamation of the Gouvernements Wildtuin on 26 March 1898. This was when the Park fell in what was then known as the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) or South African Republic (more or less comprising the current provinces of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and the North West). The primary purpose was to protect the rapidly diminishing wildlife, which had been decimated at an unsustainable rate since the arrival of the Europeans. A little more than 18 months later, in October 1899, Paul Kruger…

“The steenbok is a very delicate and appealing antelope with fascinating behaviours.” « Dr Mike Cohen is an environmental consultant and founder of the consulting firm CEN IEM Unit, which specialises in environmental impact assessment, rural development, natural resource planning and management. He served as regional ecologist for the then southern Transvaal, worked for the Department of Environmental Affairs (where he coordinated the South African Plan for Nature Conservation) and was director in the former Cape Nature and Environmental Conservation Department, stationed in Port Elizabeth. In 1994, he became director of conservation at the Eastern Cape Environmental Department. He left government in 1996 to start his own consultancy. The steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) is an antelope that is frequently mentioned in both popular and scientific literature, and an animal that is…

As I applied full power to commence my takeoff run, the slow and sluggish response of the airplane served as a reminder that the Piper Cherokee 6 was loaded to its maximum weight capacity. The struggle between lift and gravity was, to my great relief, won by lift. The tyre noise fell silent and we climbed away, leaving behind the wet runway at Chimoio, Mozambique. A 17-year civil war in Mozambique has left the wildlife virtually eradicated. Massive herds of grazers that once roamed these plains were hunted to near extinction in order to feed the warring factions. We had removed the four passenger seats in the rear of the Piper to make room for our precious cargo: 202 grunter crocodiles (around 400mm long), originating from Lake Chicamba. They were…

« Prince Albert II of Monaco accepted the role of Patron of the Rhino Conservation Initiative and the Rhino Conservation Awards in 2014. Photo by Frederic Legrand. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/yxvmfMbsq4s  to watch the video: ‘Rhino Conservation Awards 2017 - Prince Albert II’ « Dr Edna Molewa. At the Rhino Conservation Awards, the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, celebrated winners, runners up and nominees who have made a marked impact in the war against rhino poaching. KRUGER MAGAZINE attended the glittering Rhino Conservation Awards 2017 ceremony held at Montecasino on 21 August. Founded by Dr Larry Hansen and Miss Xaioyang Yu, with sponsors Carl Zeiss Sports Optics in collaboration with the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and the Game Rangers Association…

“Orpen has two ‘satellite’ camps, about 1km into the Park: Tamboti tented camp and Maroela .” camp Tamboti boasts 40 river-facing tents, consisting of two to four sleeper units. Ten of these are fully equipped with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchenette, veranda and dining area. The other tents are served with communal kitchen and bathroom facilities. There are also three wheelchair-friendly units. The units are all completely shaded under the most magnificent and very large trees. Birdlife is amazing, and the silence – even during the daytime – makes for exciting species call identification. This camp also has its badgers, and don’t be surprised if you hear them grunting around your tent at night.…

2 October 1867 Age: 0 Born in Dublin, Ireland while his father was on military duty. 1875 Age: 8 His mother, Eliza, aged 36, died from effects of puerperal fever. January 1877 Age: 9 Is sent to a boarding school with about 12 boys. 2 July 1879 Age: 11 His father marries Frances Leyland (she passed away on 29 February 1880). 1880 Age: 13 Starts keeping a journal (diary) and did so until a week before his death in 1957. January 1881 Age: 14 Is sent to Rugby until 1883. 21 July 1885 Age: 18 His father marries Florence Gibbs. 1 September 1886 Age: 19 Is admitted to Sandhurst as a cavalry cadet. 1888 Age: 21 Completes his training at Sandhurst. 13 March 1888 Age: 21 Is appointed as Second…

The Flying 4 Rhino and Conservation Trust was formed by a group of like-minded conservationists who felt they needed to do something to fight against the massive surge of poaching (specifically rhino poaching) in South Africa. The objectives of ‘Flying 4 Rhino’ are to provide free air support and policing patrols to anti-poaching units within reserves and parks, as well as on private land (essentially wherever a population of endangered species exists). At present, ‘Flying 4 Rhino’ covers approximately 180 000 hectares of land. The Trust works purely on donations from partner organisations, individuals and corporate companies. Raising the funds to keep our aircraft in the sky is the single biggest challenge we face, besides doing our best to keep our breeding populations of rhino and other species alive. One…

“It is clear that Orpen’s manager, Paul Kubayi, and his staff are passionate about their camps.” The Maroela camp, which caters for guests with caravans and for campers, is laid out with 24 sites, making for enough space if you are a ‘large’ camper. Here, too, there is enough shade given by the large trees. The bathrooms are spacious, and the communal kitchenettes are well equipped. There are also freezers for the use of campers. It is clear that Orpen’s manager, Paul Kubayi, and his staff are passionate about their camps, which are clean and very neat, and hospitality and care for guests are of a high standard. They are all very proud of Orpen, and the staff in The Park’s Shop share this friendly and helpful outlook – no…

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is a credible, impactful player in regional conservation, committed to identifying the key factors threatening biodiversity and developing innovative methodologies and best practice to reduce these and promote harmonious co-existence and sustainable living for both people and wildlife. One of the oldest programmes within the EWT is the Carnivore Conservation Programme that has a key focus on African wild dogs in the Kruger National Park. Wild Dogs are the most endangered carnivore in South Africa, with only 450 individuals in the whole country. Half of South Africa’s wild dog population is located within the small fenced reserves scattered around the country while the other half is located in the Kruger National Park. The EWT has been monitoring the population of wild dogs in the Kruger…

« Roger de la Harpe is a freelance photographer based in South Africa. He has long had a passion for conservation, natural history, wild places and indigenous cultures and has plied his trade in various regions of the African continent for 25 years. With his wife Pat, he has published 27 coffee-table books, the most recent of which, African Icons , celebrates Africa’s most iconic features and creatures. Two previous books, In Search of the African Wild Dog and In Search of the African Lion , have a strong conservation focus. Roger and Pat also own and manage Africa Imagery, an online database of over 45 000 images of the people, wildlife and landscapes of the African continent. Let’s look…

“Midrand’s members play host to paying guests and provide driving and walking safaris to raise funds for SANParks.” The SANParks Honorary Rangers (SHR) movement has 31 regions spread across South Africa. Of these, Midrand Region is one of the younger and smaller regions. Founded in 2010 by four enthusiastic and pioneering spirits, the region has flourished and, seven years later, has close to 40 members, with a wide range of projects supporting various conservation initiatives. Midrand Region is actively involved in projects in the Kruger, Marakele and Golden Gate National Parks. One of its first projects was the series of ‘Kruger Park Memories’ calendars, published in 2011, 2012 and 2014, depicting historical photographs of visitors to the Kruger National Park. The guiding principle of the region is that…