Some Great Photos Taken By Dean



Kudu's



Male Lions



Leopard in the tree

Rhino DNA Initiative Comes To A Halt

A desperate call is made for R100 000 for repairs to the generic analyser machine of the RhODIS. RhODIS is the unique South African developed rhino DNA profiling system, which provides prosecutors scientific evidence to link recovered evidence presented in a court case, to an individual incident. This method has already been used to successfully convict and sentence numerous rhino poachers.  The RhODIS database is situated at the veterinary genetics laboratory at the University of Pretoria’s Onderstepoort campus. The database contains DNA from over 6 000 rhino from both our national parks, provincially managed and private reserves with new samples being added daily. The aim is to have all the rhino in our country registered on the database to ensure no poacher can slip through unpunished. The genetic analyser machine is the key piece of equipment giving the final DNA profile. The DNA work has been hampered by the fact that the laboratory only has one such machine, limiting the number of cases it can process.  The current machine has, however, stopped working. This has stopped the progress on all current rhino DNA work. Due to the huge pressure on the resources of the RhODIS project, in getting all the rhino registered as well as coping with the pressure from forensic cases, the veterinary generics laboratory  need to increase their throughput of DNA samples from 16/day to 40/day. The scientific equipment which is pivotal to the project is extremely costly. A further R2.5 million is also called for to secure a second generic analyser.  This initiative is run by the SANParks honorary rangers, who can guarantee that 100% of the funds generated will be channelled towards repairing and procuring the generic analysers. No money will be used for administration. 

A Rhino Cow Had To Be Euthanised In The Kruger National Park

A rhino cow had to be euthanised in the Kruger National Park after she was badly mutilated by poachers a day after a SA Air Force helicopter crashed in the Park claiming the lives of all five soldiers on board. Follow the link for the full story: http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55491

Loss Of Lives In The KNP

Ministry of Water and Environmental Affairs and SANParks Board saddened by the loss of lives in the KNP: Visit the link to get the full story http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55489

Safari Starting 26 March 2013

26 March 2013

Route: Nkambeni Safari Camp onto Numbi gate tar down to skukuza for a break.

Animals seen were elephants, rhino, buffalo, ground hornbills, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, kudu, bushbuck, Nyala.

After our break we drove down Paul Kruger Gate road, onto doispane and up albasini to Nkambeni for lunch.

Animals seen were elephants, rhino, kudu, impala, zebra, wildebeest and hippos.

Afternoon drive: 

Route: Nkambeni onto alabasini to Mendel dam up the shabeni link and around shabeni kopies.

Animals seen were hippos, kudu, impala, common duiker, steenbok, elephant, rhino.

27 March 2013

Today we took the same route as the 26th, animals seen were rhino, elephant, kudu, impala, wildebeest, hippo, zebra and buffalo.

28 March 2013

Route was the same as Wednesday with the same sighting experienced. After picking up new clients, we took a drive in the afternoon getting pretty much the same as the previous two days.

29 March 2013

Today was the same route down to skukuza for a break, until Verity and James left us and went through to Numbi gate on doispane and albasini, sightings experienced by them were Hyena, buffalo, ground hornbill, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, vulture and a juvenile bateleur eagle.

After our break, we went through to marula lop, and found a male and two female lions with their three cubs in the Mahle Mahle causewa. After we finished at that sighting we made our way up Tshokwane tar over the high water bridge and back to skukuza for lunch on elloff street.

30 March 2013 

We left Nkambeni and made our way down the albasini, up shabeni link road, around circle road and down the Faye loop and into Pretoriuskop for a break.

Animals seen were kudu, waterbuck, impala, hippo, dwarf mongoose, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

After the break it was out to napi road, down to Shithave dam and around the napi boulders loop.

Animals seen were elephant, rhino, buffalo and waterbuck.

31 March 2013

Today’s route was the same as Saturday only that we went to manungu kopie and got a female leopard with her cubs. Everything above was seen again..

Afternoon drive:

We collected more guests from Verity and Numbi Gate and went to  Pretoriuskop for lunch.  After lunch we went down napi road to the junction and h3 were we turned around and came back to Nkambeni.  Animals seen were impala, kudu, elephant, buffalo and wild dog just 2.5 Km's from watergat towards the h3.

1 April 2013

This mornings drive was as follows, we went to manungu kopies close to Pretoriuskop camp were we found a leopard with her cubs, we then went down the napi road to skukuza were we found buffalo, elephant, impala, waterbuck and kudu.

After the break and hearing were there was a possibility of some lions, we made our way down the s114 to remoter kopies dam, were we found two female lions lying about 100 meters from us, they were quite active so we spent about two hours there watching them. 

After this we made our way back to skukuza for lunch.

After a lunch stop, we made our way back to Nkambeni getting more elephant as well as six different sightings of rhino.

More updates to come so keep watching.......

New Initiatives Aim To Curb Poaching Crisis

The Kruger National Park remains the hardest hit by rhino poachers this year, having lost 70 rhino to mostly foreign poachers since January 1. At the time of going to print, the total number rhino poached since the start of 2013 is 102. A total of 10 have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal, 11 in North West, 4 in Mpumalanga and 7 in limpopo. In 2012, the number of rhino poached for their horns in South Africa soared to 668. This year alone, 33 poachers have been arrested, 24 of them in the Kruger National Park. The minister of water and enviromental affairs, Ms Eden Molewa, has noted with concern the increase in poaching and its confident that SANParks is on the verge of a turnaround given the initiatives presently being implemented. She emphasised the fact that rhino poaching is fought at verious levels, including field coverage, public awareness, regional engagement and even at a global level. In the upcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting, the minister plans to engage with the regional groupings on this issue. Futhermore, she welcomed the recently announced signing of a declaration by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, banning theimport of all white and black rhino specimens. "The South African government welcomes the announcement by the Vietnamese government that the prohibition on the export, import and trade of specimens of rhino will come into effect", she says. The prohibition follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of biodiversity conservation and protection by Molewa with theminister of agricultural and rural development of the Social Republic of Vietnam, Dr Cao Duc Phat. The MoU was signed in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 10, 2012.The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of biodiversity management, conservation and protection. Particularly aimed at curbing the scourge in rhino poaching, the MoU seeks topromote cooperation in law enforcement and compliance with the CITES and other relevant legislation and and conventionson the basis of equality and mutual benefit.Officials from both countries are currently working on a draft plan of action with short - and long - term activities which include activities to curb the illegal trade in rhino horn. In terms of the decision by the Government of Vietnam, signed on January 24,2013,products derived or made from white rhino, blackrhino and the African elephant - all listed in terms of the Appendices of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - may no longer be exported or traded. Live rhino and elephant and its products may, however, be imported for diplomatic purposes, scientific research, biodiversity conservation, zoo displays, exhibitions, non-profit circus performances, law enforcement or exchanged as specimens in terms of CITES management provisions. The decleration also states that specimens may be imported only for non-commercial purposes in accordance with the cooperative agreement between the CITES management authority of Vietnam and the CITES management authority of exporting countries, Specimens for which CITES import permits had already been granted would not be affected. Anyone caught violating the articles of the decision by Vietnamese government will be charged either with a criminal or administrtive offence subject to the nature and seriousness of the violation. " We believe that this latest development is important for South Africa will assist our law enforcement authorities to effectively deal with the current scourge of poaching" Molewa said.

SANParks Times newspaper March 2013   

Photos Of Giraffe Taken By Dean While On Safari