Indholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2018 i Kruger Magazine

Spring is here, and that means that nature returns to life in the Greater Kruger.” Spring is here, and that means that nature returns to life in the Greater Kruger with surprising and exquisite abundance – acacia trees bloom, cuckoos and bee-eaters visit, and impala start to drop their young in increasing numbers. If you’ve been reading KRUGER MAGAZINE from the outset, you’ll be familiar with our Species ID series, which tells you more about your favourite wildlife. In this issue, you’re invited to learn all about the ‘unlikely’ giraffe, an animal so strange that early travellers on the continent hardly knew what to make of it. “The appearance of a troop of those antediluvian figures, gliding majestically amid the wild magnificence of an African landscape, never failed to transport…

I enjoy picking up a Kruger map, scanning thousands and thousands of photos, revisiting those special memories and looking for that one favourite spot. These are my favourite memories… 1 Gezantfombi Dam Having a Crocodile Bridge koeksister at Gezantfombi Dam, watching a grey heron coming in for a landing and practising BIF shots, when a leopard appears out of nowhere. Needless to say, when you go through the photos, you realise he was there all the time... 2 Lower Sabie Sitting at the Lower Sabie deck at 4am listening to all the early morning sounds and for the first time hearing the call of the western barn owl living in a thatched roof. On another occasion, watching a huge male lion crossing the bridge… 3 Satara Experiencing the most beautiful…

“Punda Maria Rest Camp is the northernmost main camp of the Kruger National Park.” Punda Maria Rest Camp is the northernmost main camp of the Kruger National Park – and is normally either a last or a first stop for many travelling through the park. It is situated about 8km from the Punda Maria Gate, and the nearest town, Makhado (Louis Trichardt), is about 170km outside of the gate. There is a day visitors’ site right at the gate and an Environmental Education Centre with trained staff open to day visitors and school groups. Being in a sandveld area – loose, sandy ground – and situated amidst rolling hills with many natural springs, with a subtropical climate, it is home to many species not seen elsewhere. This area is famous…

« 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. Vultures, although sometimes despised as scavengers and eaters of carrion, are fascinating birds that play an extraordinarily important role in food chains and ecological processes. They are the dominant diurnal…

« Nick Zambatis 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. General description and identification The sausage tree (Kigelia af ricana), is a large tree, 18-20m tall. It typically has a relatively short, straight but stout main trunk. The crown is dense, rounded and also up to about 20m in diameter. Leaves are unusually hard and leathery. The main trunk and older branches…

« 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. In Issue 4 of KRUGER MAGAZINE, we looked at the developmental years of Kruger National Park (1955 to 1980). In our Spring edition, we explore the Park’s reaching maturity in a variety of aspects. This 14-year window into more recent history has seen some significant developments, especially from a tourism perspective. “During 2001, Jock of the Bushveld was changed from a self-catering bush lodge to a full-service five-star concession lodge.” Camp development The following developments took place during this era: New developments Roodewal This quaint 19-bed bush lodge is located on the Timbavati River, between Satara and Olifants, and was…

« Salomon Joubert (Dr SCJ Joubert) started his conservation career in 1964 as a postgraduate student in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, and was appointed to the Kruger National Park as Junior Ranger at the end of 1964, stationed at the remote Klipkoppies Section on the Mozambique border (due east of Letaba). In 1967, he was granted study leave to do a BSc (Hon) (Wildlife Management) degree at Pretoria University. In November 1967, he was transferred to the Research Section with responsibility for rare antelope, in particular roan. For his work on the social behaviour of roan, he was awarded an MSc and subsequently a DSc degree on the population ecology of roan. In 1976, he was promoted to Head of Research and was intimately involved in monitoring large mammal populations,…

“The weekends introduce the joy of birding to a broader audience and raise awareness about the plight of rare and endangered bird species and the critical importance of protecting them.” The SANParks Honorary Rangers is recognised by SANParks as its official volunteer organisation and trusted channel for fundraising and public support. Its members share a passion for conservation and give freely of their time and energy to provide services and raise funds in support of SANParks. In this way, they provide the public and business community of South Africa with an opportunity to support conservation efforts in our national parks. Contributions and sponsorships are gratefully received. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the tremendously popular Kruger National Park Birding Weekends, hosted by the West Rand Region of the SANParks…

“Visit Crooks Corner and take a drive through the fever-tree forest, which is a magical must.” The area surrounding Punda is rich in animal life, including elephants, buffalo, giraffe, impala, zebra and a variety of antelope, as well as eland and tsessebe. Because the area is rocky, it is favourable for spotting leopard. The Mahonie Loop that runs around the camp is very popular for afternoon drives. Combine this with sitting in the bird hide at the camping site after the drive, for an afternoon of unsurpassed photo opportunities – late afternoon is the animals’ favourite time to quench their thirst. For a full day-drive, choose to go north to visit Crooks Corner and take a drive through the fever-tree forest, which is a magical must. Take your picnic basket…

“One of the project’s aims was to find out where vultures are breeding, but the vast area that needed to be searched made this work a challenge in terms of logistics and the costs involved.” The Greater Kruger National Park is home to breeding populations of five vulture species, which makes it the perfect place for studying and monitoring these birds. These vultures are all either endangered (lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus and Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres) or critically endangered (white-headed vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis, hooded vulture Necrosyrtes monachus and white-backed vulture Gyps af ricanus). Vultures were once common and widespread across Africa, but they are now going through unprecedented declines across the continent. The Greater Kruger National Park is a stronghold for vultures in southern Africa. A decade ago, the status…

My wife and I were on a day trip up to the north of the KNP – our favourite area as it has interesting birds, good scenery, reasonable game and fewer people and cars. It’s always a privilege to see anything, given the fine line that exists between seeing nothing and seeing everything when driving. One is always hopeful of seeing something! Having spent the first hour watching hyena gorge on a giraffe carcass, we knew anything else would be a bonus. As we all know, self-driving is always a case of juggling driving, spotting, positioning and being aware of what is happening around you, not just looking through the viewfinder. We were driving away from lunch, slowly wending our way back to the rest camp, when we came around…

Balule Camp Sites Units: 15 | Persons: 90 | Date of agreement: 1991/07/09 Bateleur Guest Cottages Units: 7 | Beds: 34 | Date of agreement: 1989/04/29 Berg-en-Dal Family Cottages Units: 4 | Beds: 24 | Date of agreement: 1984/03/01 Jannie le Roux Guest House Units: 1 | Beds: 6 | Date of agreement: 1985/12/01 Rhino Guest house Units: 1 | Beds: 8 | Date of agreement: 1990/01/01 Biyamiti Unit description: Guest Cottages | Cottages Units: 15 | Beds: 70 | Date of agreement: 1991/05/22 Boulders Private Camp later became Bush Lodge Units: 1 | Beds: 12 | Date of agreement: 1985/10/01 Jock of the Bushveld Private Camp later became Bush Lodge Units: 1 | Beds: 12 | Date of agreement: 1983/84 Letaba Family Cottages Units: 8 | Beds: 48 |…

You don’t have to be a game ranger or have a qualification in nature conservation. SHRs are looking for people who have a passion for nature and who are enthusiastic about becoming actively involved in a broad range of activities, from marketing and fundraising, to hosting bush camps. Children under 18 can apply to join the Junior Rangers. The first step to becoming a member of SHR is for potential new members to identify a region matching their location and interests. The email details will put you directly in contact with the region, which will then invite the candidate to one of its meetings and provide the candidate with the SHR application form. After a brief chat about SHR and why the candidate wants to join, the region will assist…

Remembering good times is awesome, but remembering that first time you did something amazing in your life is precious, and a good way to start any conversation. It is also a way of connecting with people, for enjoyable ‘first times’ are normally shared without reservation. It is the enjoyable things in our lives that create bonds of friendship and kinship among like-minded individuals. In Issue 3 – Autumn 2018, we wrote about KNP opening its doors to the public in 1926, and how amazing it must have been to have been there in those days. We also asked readers to share their first-time visits to the Greater Kruger. We received quite a number of responses! We hope to receive lots more. My first ever visit to the Kruger was in…

« 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. Everybody loves giraffes. With their tall elegance, gentle nature and large limpid eyes, they are ‘unlikely’ animals – a bit of a curiosity of the natural world. A little girl…

« 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 Ralf. “Mine is Mahlometela… the man who sees everything .” The hungry hyaena Malelane Section is one of the busiest in the Kruger National Park. The entrance gate is ideally located off the N4 toll road and, with four tourist camps, a picnic site and seven staff villages, there is nothing…

For the leisurely traveller, we suggest you ask Minette McKechnie, our marketer, to plan a tailored visit to the nearby ghost town and surrounding attractions to make your visit even more memorable. Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre and Hoedspruit’s Endangered Species Centre allow for close contact with wild animals in a safe environment. Drive through the scenic Magoebaskloof on a rainy day or take a boat trip along the magnificent Blyde River Canyon. You can also view the Berlin and MacMac waterfalls and Bourke’s Luck Potholes, or stare into the future through God’s Window…if the sky is clear.…

« 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. In this…