Update On Rhino Poaching

Update on the rhino poaching statistics: The total number of rhino poached since the start of 2013 is 82 with 61 in the #KNP. View the link to get the full media release 

 http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55438

Safari Starting 2nd February 2013

 2nd February 2013
Mark collected guests from Nelspruit at 11h00am and then made his way to Pretoriuskop for lunch before departing on an afternoon drive.

Route: Napi - H3 - Napi

Sightings for the afternoon were 3 x Elephant bulls at voortrekker link 1 x elephant bull in altercation with a dazzle of zebra. He chased them around for approximately 20min until the zebra's gave up and moved off. 2 x lioness and 3 x males lying on the road on the H3 300m from S113 Herd of buffalo near boulders exit on Napi.  He then made his way to Nkambeni for the night.

3rd February 2013
After breakfast Mark made his way back down Albasini. Below is the route that he took.  He met up with Verity at 11h30am to collect another four guests that joined the safari.

Route: Albaseni - Doispan - S114 - S112 - Napi

Sighting for the day were 1 x Musth elephant bull just before mestal dam 2 x Lioness at Stevenson hamilton in the shade 5m off the road. Distance visual of herd of buffalo just before transport dam. General game viewing (kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, warthog and birding) was good over the past two days. No Rhino or leopard as yet.

Dean enters the park with 6 guests who were picked up at the Life Hotel. After entering the Kruger at Numbi Gate his route wwas as follows:

Route:  Numbi gate, up Napi to about seven kilometres past the boulders exit,  Pretoriuskop and then onto Nkambeni.

Sightings on the drive were elephant, impala, kudu, buffalo and cheetah seven kilometres past the Napi boulders where we had a great sighting of a female cheetah with her two juvenile cheetah cubs. After a toilet stop at Pretoriuskop we headed out for the camp of Nkambeni.

 4^th February 2013

Route:  Nkambeni,  Numbi tar, Napi, H3, Afsaal, S112 , Stevenson Hamilton, S114, Skukuza, Paul Kruger gate road, Doispane , Albasini and into Nkambeni.

After lunch at Skukuza we headed out. Animals spotted were loads of elephant, impala, kudu and giraffe. As well as rhino and buffalo. A very slow days game viewing. Lets see what the next few days bring........

A "Did you know" For The Day.....

Did you know that snakes eat their pray headfirst because the limbs of the victim fold flat against the body making it easier to swallow.

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Kruger National Park Photos



Blackbacked Jackal



Male lion



Close - up of a female lion



SANParks Beefs Up Security At The Entrance Gates Into the KNP

South African National Parks
SANParks beefs up security at the entrance gates into the #KNP

The South African National Parks (SANParks) announced in a statement today that new security measures at the iconic Kruger National Park are being implemented.
According to Wanda Mkutshulwa, Head of Communications at SANParks, the measures are meant to enhance current security arrangements when guests, visitors and contractors ente...r the iconic KNP. “We have taken a decision to deploy a crop of newly trained rangers to assist with policing and security at all our main entrance gates. These rangers will help with search and seizure duties where necessary, as well as the arrest of offenders. She said this deployment is part of a wider security strategy being implemented in the fight against rhino poaching. “We are at war and every single tactic will assist in ensuring that total control of all entry and exit points are managed by those tasked with the upkeep of the area integrity. It is no secret that the KNP has borne the brunt of these activities in recent times. Therefore if we are serious about winning this war all commands must be marshaled from one point.” According to Mkutshulwa the deployed rangers have been trained in customer etiquette and also in the handling of sniffer dogs. “Our tracker dogs have been instrumental in the many successful anti-poaching operations that we have decided to utilize sniffer dogs at our gates; we are in a fortunate situation where individuals and companies are assisting us with training and donations of these dogs. We are not pulling out any of our tracker dogs from their missions but have specially trained sniffer dogs ready for deployment.” The deployment is with immediate effect and is part of rolling out the many security measures that are being implemented in the KNP. The measures are meant to bring down the number of animals that are being lost to illegal hunting emanating mainly from the KNP’s eastern border with Mozambique.
……..ENDS
Released by SANParks Corporate Communications, Telephone: 012 426 5170
For Media Enquiries
Reynold Thakhuli, SANParks GM: Media Liaison, Tel: 012 426 5170 Mobile: 073 373 4999 e-mail: rey.thakhuli@sanparks.org
Ike Phaahla, Media Specialist, Tel: 012 426 5315 Mobile: 083 673 6974 e-mail: isaac.phaahla@sanparks.orgSee More

Safari Starting 29th January Ending 31st January

29^th January

Dean collected guests from their hotel at 07h00am in Johannesburg and then started off for Nelspruit.  After changing over vehicles, it was on to the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park and then to Pretoriuskop for lunch.  After lunch they travelled down Napi which is now re-opened and to the H3 where there were a pride of lions eating on two Buffalo that had been killed.  On the way to the H3 sightings of Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo as well as general game sightings were good.  We then made our way to Nkambeni  which was our camp for the next two nights.

30^th January

The following morning after a hearty breakfast we set off from camp once again down Napi getting a great sighting of 25 Wild Dogs and more sightings of Rhino and Elephant and a good sighting of Lions at Klipspringer Kopjies.  We went back down the H3 to see what was left of the Buffalo carcasses and found the lions walking away from the remnants of their meal.  Dean then turned around and went back towards Napi, getting a troop of Baboons, Impala and Kudu.  After a break at Skukuza, it was off to Eloff along the Sabi River to the High water bridge, and then down the Tshokwane tar where there was not much to be seen.  We then returned down Napi towards Pretoriuskop as guests were going on a night safari and we were heading there for lunch before continuing on to camp for a rest before the night drive.  On the way back we were fortunate enough to have more sightings of Lion, Wild Dogs, Elephant, and Rhino.  Guests then left on their night safari at 17h00pm.

31^st January

The next morning we left Nkambeni after breakfast and loading luggage and then proceeded down Napi getting sightings of Giraffe, Elephant , Rhino , Hyena, Impala and Kudu.  We stopped off mid-morning at Pretoriuskop , before departing from the Kruger and making our way out of the park and back to Johannesburg.

Our next safari will depart tomorrow the 2^nd of February with Mark entering with his guests.  We will update you as the week goes by as we have more than 20 guests going in and out of the park for the next week.  Until then ..................