Indholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2017 i Kruger Magazine

“ Our passion also prompted us to launch the magazine to bring the Kruger experience to the palm of your hand, worldwide and cross-platform.” Few parts of the world can match the Greater Kruger region for its wildlife, natural and cultural diversity or the unique customer experience it offers to each visitor to this iconic region. As one of the largest conservation areas in the world, the Greater Kruger is a biodiversity hotspot, home to approximately 148 mammal species, 505 bird species, 118 reptile species, 53 species of fish and 35 species of amphibians. The Greater Kruger region attracted more than 1 750 000 visitors in 2016. Everyone has a story about Kruger, but ours began decades ago; our abiding passion for wildlife prompted us to buy property in the…

Ralf Kalwa is Ecological Consultant at Malelane, a position he has held since December 2001. He established Rhengu Environmental Services in the Malelane area and is trails leader for the Lebombo Eco Trail. Prior to holding this position, Kalwa was Manager: IEM: Kruger National Park from 2000-2001 and Senior Section Ranger: Kruger National Park from 1994-2000. “Every ranger in Kruger gets a Shangaan name, given to him by his staff and fellow field rangers,” says Kalwa. “Mine is Mahlometela… the man who sees everything .” I think it all began sometime in the early Sixties, when I grew up in the hub of industrial South Africa, the Vaal Triangle. The towns in this booming world of iron and steel, oil and coal, were my first home –…

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. First, we must…

Who are the SANParks Honorary Rangers or ‘SHRs’? Over the next few months, KRUGER MAGAZINE will be following SHR, its members, activities and structures to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of this praiseworthy organisation. Established in 1964 by Harold Resnick and Dudley Schoof, SHR is a dedicated group of volunteers who share a passion for nature – a passion that has led them to adopt a vision to be a world-class volunteer organisation operating as an integral partner to South African National Parks in support of their strategic objectives. There are over 1 600 SHRs who volunteer their time and skills to support SANParks to develop, expand, manage and promote a system of sustainable national parks that represents biodiversity and heritage assets, through innovation and best practice…

You will notice that a number of QR codes appear in KRUGER MAGAZINE. Not everyone knows what they are, or how to use them, so this is a quick guide. A QR code (an abbreviation for Quick Response Code) is a square two-dimensional barcode that was originally designed for use in the automotive industry in Japan. The barcode is machine-readable, which means you can capture the QR code by means of a scanner app on a smartphone. This low-tech solution is very useful as it makes it possible for you to access interactive material that will enhance your experience of text – refer to, for example, at KRUGER MAGAZINE’s story on black mambas (page 132) – you will be able to watch a National Geographic video simply by pointing your…

“Mopani Rest Camp was built in 1992 and got its name from the thousands of mopani trees surrounding the camp.” Situated between Letaba and Shingwedzi, the Mopani Rest Camp is a medium-sized camp in the far northern area of the Kruger National Park. Mopani Rest Camp was built in 1992 and got its name from the thousands of mopani trees surrounding the camp. One of the most visited sites inside the camp is the very famous old baobab tree, right in the middle. It is quite humbling to sit on one of the little benches under this baobab (for more on this iconic tree, turn to page 72). “One of the biggest attractions at Mopani is the magnificent view from the popular Baobab Tree restaurant, as it overlooks the Pioneer…

Appearance The martial eagle is considered the largest of the African eagles as measured by wingspan, which can reach 2.6m. Its scientific name, Polemaetus bellicosus, refers to its ‘warlike’ appearance, likely derived in part from the short crest that gives it an angular shape to the head and bright yellow-orange eyes. Adult martial eagles are identifiable by a dark-brown head, back and upper chest, which contrasts with white underparts flecked by conspicuous dark-brown spotting. Young martial eagles are lighter in appearance, initially with a white chest and light-grey head with dark-grey upperparts that become progressively browner over about five to seven years as they moult into adult plumage. As they reach adulthood, their eye colour also changes, from brown or light yellow to amber. Martial eagles can attain a little…

Nick Zambatis is the former Manager: Biodiversity Conservation in Conservation Management: Kruger National Park. He retired in 2016. His first job in Kruger was as a research technician based at Skukuza, which he started in 1987. “The transfer from Pretoria to the Lowveld was ecstasy and the Kruger appointment was a dream come true,” he recalls. He holds an MSc degree on the determinants of grass composition and production in Kruger National Park, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. What on earth is a ‘pachycaul’? It is a plant with a disproportionately thick main stem in relation to its height, and with few or no side-branches. Yes, in Kruger, this is the baobab, Adansonia digitata – perhaps one of the best-known trees in the world, and an icon of the African…

“To truly get to know and understand the Kruger National Park as we know it today, one needs to appreciate its history and origins.” Part 1: Before 1898 In order to truly get to know and understand the Kruger National Park as we know it today, one needs to appreciate its history and origins. The various situational factors and circumstances prevalent at the time of its conception on 26 March 1898, when the Sabie Game Reserve (then known as the Gouvernements Wildtuin), and prior, need to be understood. The following anecdotes aim to reflect on those very early years. “The Lowveld had extensive trade routes connecting the mining areas to the key ports of Delagoa Bay (now Maputo), Inhambane and Sofala.” Extensive evidence exists within the current boundaries of the…

 « Donald Strydom runs the Kinyonga Reptile Centre, formerly known as Swadini Reptile Park, which was founded in 1984. He has been involved in the filming of approximately 50 documentaries and has worked with Sir David Attenborough. Through the Kinyonga Reptile Centre, Donald has established the Help Endangered Reptile Project (HerP), which focuses on conservation through education and research. “The black mamba got its name from the inside of its mouth, which is black.” Good or bad, the truth revealed… Africa’s legendary black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), a snake feared by many, has a reputation of being an aggressive and dangerous reptile that many say is more intelligent than any other snake and will calculate and plan an attack on humans. Some believe that these snakes have the most potent venom…

Remembering Rhinos is the follow-up to the highly acclaimed Remembering Elephants charity publication, which raised more than £135 000 in 2016 to fight poaching via The Born Free Foundation. Both books showcase images donated by 65 of the world’s best wildlife photographers and aim to shine a spotlight on the poaching crisis and raise funds to fight it. Contributing South African photographers include Greg du Toit, Shem Compion, Daryl Balfour, Ross Couper and Isak Pretorius. Both books are the brainchild of British wildlife photographer Margot Raggett, who came up with the idea after seeing a poached elephant in Kenya. Here are a couple of extracts from the book: “South Africa alone lost over 5 000 rhino over the last five years, conservatively speaking. Wildlife crime and corruption is spreading like…

“For a real wildlife experience, and to escape from your busy lifestyle, this camp is heaven on earth.” Tsendze Rustic Camp is the campsite closest to Mopani and is as close to nature as you can get. For a real wildlife experience, and to escape from your busy lifestyle, this camp is heaven on earth. With 34 campsites, large ablution blocks and kitchens, it is comfortable yet off the grid. This is an absolute must-visit campsite. All the hot water is run on gas geysers and solar power is provided where needed. No generators are allowed in the camp, to keep noise levels to a minimum. Stands are very clean and open, yet private. Each stand is numbered and has its own dustbin. The camp managers, Elina Mona and Rodgerh…

“SABAP is an important citizen science project that is made possible by contributions from more than 2 000 volunteers annually.” The FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, a world-renowned Centre of Excellence, is based at the University of Cape Town. In 2011, researchers at the Institute and the Animal Demography Unit identified decreases of up to 60% in the population size of the martial eagle. These declines were evident in the decrease in reporting rate of this species between the first and second Southern African Bird Atlas Projects (SABAP), which are separated by 20 years. SABAP is an important citizen science project that is made possible by contributions from more than 2 000 volunteers annually. Worryingly, these declines were also observed inside large projected areas, including the main stronghold for martial…