Indholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2020 i Kruger Magazine

The Greater Kruger is almost as luscious as it was in 2013 – the last time good rain fell in this region of South Africa. How quickly one forgets how beautiful the Lowveld is after a normal rainfall season – and how dense the bush really is during late summer. It is not just our area that is beautiful; there are the most amazing people here too. The story of Lilly Otto and her brother, Troy, taking a devastating activity’s tools and turning it into something so positive and self-sustaining, will leave you in awe. Read all about the Down to the Wire project on page 48. Africa’s smallest carnivore, the dwarf mongoose, exhibits a range of intriguing habits. They also have a mutualistic relationship with hornbills! In some of…

“Snares are difficult to find , making them a silent, hidden killer.” This is the story of a snare: From the hands of a poacher created to kill, set along an animal path, destined for death. Saved by the compassion of a wise field ranger and turned into a symbol of hope. A piece of wire, now worn by the world, to create and spread awareness for the love of our wildlife. When holding it in your hand, it is just a piece of wire with a loop here and a knot there, but placing it in the hands of a poacher, it becomes deadly. Snaring is an extremely pervasive method of poaching. Wire snares are anchored cable or wire nooses set along highly active animal paths to catch wild…

The Makuleke community used to live where the Limpopo and Luvhuvu Rivers meet in South Africa with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In 1969 they lost their land under apartheid legislation but regained it 29 years later. Instead of resettling, they turned this biodiversity hotspot into a contract park within the Kruger National Park and it is now managed jointly with SANParks. The Makuleke Contractual Park or Pafuri Triangle, constitutes the northernmost section of the Kruger National Park, and comprises approximately 240km2 of land. “Only when our natural and cultural resources are well kept, will we be able to transfer knowledge, skills and business opportunities to our children. This is why we can now turn our creative talents and rich cultural heritage into products that we proudly present at outlets in and…

“ I have never known in my own experience or in that of my staff, the full-grown wildebeest to be attacked by any carnivore but the lion, except on a few occasions by the little ratel.” (James Stevenson-Hamilton – first warden of South Africa’s Sabi Nature Reserve). Situated basically in the middle of the Park, Satara can be called the heart of the Kruger, and therefor has endless options for game drives to choose from. Whichever road you choose, wildlife spotting is in abundance. If you like the gravel roads, you are in the right place. If you fancy travelling on tar roads, you can go in any direction, but in this issue, we are going to focus on what selected tar roads and some of the popular gravel roads…

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. Origin of Crocodile Bridge The quaint little camp with rangers’ post adjoining, owes its existence to the Selati Railway line which, within the current boundaries of the Kruger National Park (KNP), has two major bridges, one over the Crocodile River and the second over the Sabie (spelt Sabi in early years). The two establishments were then simply named after these bridges, Crocodile Bridge and Sabi Bridge (which was the name used for Skukuza before 1932). In Issue 10 of KRUGER MAGAZINE, we featured the history of Shingwedzi Camp. In this issue we look at Crocodile Bridge Camp. History of the Crocodile…

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, a…

The Christmas of 1976 saw my first visit to the Greater Kruger National Park. I had recently become a single mom of two young children, so together with my mom, luggage, groceries, presents, etc. we were ready for our first wonderfully exciting trip into the unknown in my little 1969 VW Beetle. Our excitement had reached its peak on arrival at the Paul Kruger Gate. What I was met with was way beyond any expectations I had of the whole Kruger experience. To me the most incredible feeling was that within 100 metres of entering through those gates, it was like leaving one world and entering another – a world of peace and tranquillity and the anticipation of what awaited us. Our first sighting was that of the ever-popular impala,…

Ralf Kalwa is an  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, Ralf 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 majority of visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) arrive in a variety of modes of  transport and cruise along the hundreds of kilometres through the many landscapes searching for memorable sightings. They often wonder what hidden treasures are lurking behind the no entry roads,…

Looking back on this photo today, I am not sure who is happier with the outcome – me or this giant kingfisher! The day started with a drive in the surrounding area of the beautiful Balule Camp, also our home base for a few days. The morning drive led us to one of my preferred photography hotspots, the low-water bridge near the Balule Camp on the Olifants River. The scene was magical as a pied kingfisher entertained us with its in-flight aerial manoeuvres complemented by the soft touch of the Kruger light filtering through the clouds. The pied kingfisher was all over the place, eventually moving to a pool nearby, leaving me a bit disappointed. But then, to my surprise, this giant kingfisher appeared with something big in its beak.…

In 1969 three farmers shared the idea of combining their land along the Klaserie River. Their idea was to form a single private nature reserve in an effort to conserve the natural state of the area. Once boundaries were set, Klaserie was officially proclaimed a nature reserve in 1972, with Jan de Necker as the founding chairman and Van Reenen van Vuuren as the first warden. The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR), a nongovernmental organisation involved in the full spectrum of nature conservation, is one of the largest privately-owned nature reserves in South Africa, covering some 60 000ha, and part of the Greater Kruger National Park. The reserve is run by an executive committee comprising members or landowners who are elected at the AGM and operate through the reserve’s current…

COMPETITION! All KRUGER MAGAZINE Facebook members are invited to share their favourite spots with the community. The TOP 3 winning entries are chosen by the KRUGER MAGAZINE executive team and will be announced on the KRUGER MAGAZINE Facebook group. Popular votes by members of the Facebook group will be taken into consideration in combination with engaging entries. CLICKPACKGO sponsors our popular WINTER 2020 FAVOURITE SPOTS competition! Specialising in accommodation options in and around the Greater Kruger, breathtaking game drives, important and interesting information on the areas surrounding Greater Kruger  and unique and convenient Bush Boxes! Prizes 1 st prize – Mjejane Game Reserve two-night weekend for a maximum of 10 people, self-catering. 2 nd prize – R5 000 accommodation voucher to redeem at a participating ‘Bush Bucket List’ destination on…