Indholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2021 i Kruger Magazine

Welcome to the Spring 2021 issue of With summer looming, the Lowveld is typically warm to hot during the day and cool in the evenings – just as it should be this time of the year. There is an excitement in the air as nature awaits the first summer rains, some newborn antelopes showing themselves and migrant birds returning to nest in our sunny South Africa. Our First Visit regular contribution is a fascinating email we received from nine-year-old Bella Watson. At her request, we publish her letter unedited – read all about her experience on page 15. If you have ever had the experience of being part of a game capturing team, you are both blessed and privileged. The Ranger Diaries article on page 54 provides insights into how…

Authors: A. Monadjem, P.J. Taylor, F.P.D. Cotterill and M.C. Schoeman Publisher: Wits University Press Language: English Extent: 714pp, hardcover, 925 Illustrations, colour Recommended price: R600.00 (South Africa) US$75.00 (International) Publishing date: June 2020 Peter John Taylor A Professor in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at the University of Venda. Ara Monadjem A Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Eswatini, where he has been lecturing in zoology for the past 26 years. Fenton (Woody) Cotterill A Research Fellow with the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. M Corrie Schoeman An Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. This is a truly impressive book. The authors have gone a long way in convincing me that people like them are…

“Driving from camp towards Shingwedzi on the tar road, towers of giraffe, herds of elephant and buffalo are easily spotted.” Sirheni is set in mopane woodland, and moving east towards the tar road, the vegetation changes to mopane shrub and grassland, which attracts many grazing species like antelope, zebra and blue wildebeest. Driving from camp towards Shingwedzi on the tar road, towers of giraffe, herds of elephant and buffalo are easily spotted as they cross the road towards the Mphongolo River to quench their thirst. This road between Punda Maria and Shingwedzi is a favourite for spotting leopard, cheetah and hyaena, and even on a few occasions, caracal. This is also home to rare species, like eland, reedbuck, tsessebe and roan antelope. “The small river road is tunnelled with large…

MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet recently reported that since its launch of the MyPlanet Rhino Fund in 2011, a specific fund started by MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet, to support rhino conservation through best practice initiatives and good governance, over R19 million has been given back to help the fight against rhino poaching. Highlights of investments include establishing K9 anti-poaching units, LPR camera networks, air surveillance capability, investments in mobile radar capability, night vision equipment, all-terrain vehicles, training of rangers, security technology, orphaned rhino care, dehorning of high-risk animals in key locations and much more. Now celebrating its tenth year of existence, the MyPlanet Rhino Fund, has come a long way since raising just R37 in its first month. Over R19 million donated in 10 years, and over 48 000 supporters, is proof that…

« 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,…

It has been some twenty years since I visited the Kruger with my parents, and this last April, I introduced my own young family to the magic of the Park. We stayed at the Tamboti Satellite Camp, and every day was filled with a myriad of memories. There was lots of nostalgia that took me back to my own childhood. As a family, we were always fascinated as much by the little things as we were with the bigger game. “The Park lived up to my rose-tinted recollections.” I hope to instil these same values in my children: the understanding that it is not about seeing a leopard at all costs but appreciating all of nature’s threads. And the Park lived up to my rose-tinted recollections. My kids elicited such…

« 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 the 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.” Working with animals When you ask a young girl or boy what they want to do when the grow up they often say they want to become a game ranger. Requesting a more detailed response they inadvertently respond with, “I want to work…

“The camp is named in memory of an elephant.” To the north of the Kruger National Park, more or less in the middle between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria Camps, lies a quaint but luxurious Bushveld camp called Sirheni. Located on the banks of the Mphongolo River with a view of the Sirheni Dam, you enter the camp via one of the most driven loops in the north, the Mphongolo Loop. Sirheni is the Xitsonga word for cemetery or graveyard, and the camp is named in memory of an elephant that died of anthrax and was buried nearby around the mid-1900s. Sirheni Bushveld Camp forms part of a relatively new concept in bush lodging accommodation, which is smaller and more luxurious and mostly built in the more remote areas of the…

“A vital component of the project involves monitoring lion prides using GPS satellite collars.” Over the last hundred years, the African lion has disappeared from 95% of its historic range. Over 200 000 lion once roamed Africa’s wild spaces, but today only an estimated 23 000-30 000 remain. Most lions are now primarily confined to areas under formal protection; their dramatic population declines driven by conflict with people over the threats that lions pose to humans and livestock, natural prey depletion, habitat conversion and the illegal wildlife trade in lion body parts. While they are often hated and feared, lions are somewhat paradoxically viewed by many cultures as the quintessential symbol of courage and strength. Unfortunately, rather than protecting them, this reverence sometimes motivates people to kill them for trophy…

“Experience the healing power of nature.” You have to understand that there is a romance to Africa! You can see a sunset and believe you have witnessed the hand of God. You watch the slow lope of a lioness and forget to breathe. You marvel at the tripod of a giraffe bent to water. In Africa, there are iridescent blues on the wings of birds that you do not see anywhere else in nature. In Africa, in the midday heat, you can see blisters in the atmosphere. When you are in Africa, you feel primordial, rocked in the cradle of the world. – Jodi Picoult And what better way to celebrate romance than by booking a getaway in the bush? Bundox Safari Lodge & Retreat is one of those rare…

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. WELOVEKRUGER sponsors our popular SUMMER 2021 FAVOURITE SPOTS competition! Specialising in accommodation options in and around the Greater Kruger, breathtaking game drives and important and interesting information on the areas surrounding Greater Kruger. Prizes 1 st prize – Two nights self-catering at Kruger Bush Rondavels for six guests sharing. 2 nd prize – Two nights self-catering at Elephant Walk Retreat for two guests sharing. 3 rd prize – R1 000 voucher for the…