On Marks open Vehicle:
21 September 2013
What a busy month it has been!!!
Route : Napi - Boulders - Napi - Nkambeni camp
General animal sightings were poor this afternoon due to the bad weather we experienced. (Cold very very cold.)
Highlights of this afternoons drive was a herd of tsesabee just before shitlhave dam.
Just before napi boulder entrance we got 3 female and 1 male sable antelope.
On our return towards camp a female leopard walked out in front of us and crossed over the road.
Guest got good photos of her.
22 September 2013
Route: Napi - Eloff - Doispan - Albaseni – Nkambeni Camp
General animals seen:
Kudu, common duiker, impala, zebra, chackma baboon, vervet monkey, warthog, rhino and elephant.
Great sightings of buffalo bulls right next to the open vehicle as we left skakuza golf course.
After turning around at 3 different lion sightings because of heavy traffic and long queues of cars we found 2 lioness lying in the river bed approximate 300m from alpha exit.
Not much else to report as the weather is extremely cold and has had an impact on the animal sightings throughout the day.
23 September 2013
Dean enters the park today!
On Deans open vehicle:
We left Nkambeni safari camp at 15h30, and almost immediately got the call about Lions on Napi Boulders, we made our way in that direction getting only some kudu on Napi Road.
After spending about an hour on the lion sighting and also getting a chance to see rhino and elephant crossing the road while on the same sighting, we made our way back along Napi Road getting more kudu, giraffe and vervet monkeys together with two large herds of buffalo on the camp road.
24 September 2013
Today we left Nkambeni at 06h00 and made our way up the Numbi Gate tar getting good sightings of buffalo, we turned onto Napi Road and got more good sightings of buffalo, elephant, kudu, impala, giraffe and wildebeest before going down the H3 and back again to Skukuza for a break.
Rhino sightings were also enjoyed through the day.
After the break, it was back to the H3 down to Voortrekker road getting more sightings of impala, buffalo and elephant. We turned onto the Voortrekker road and got nine lions lying about 10.6 km's up the road. After spending about half an hour with them, we decided to
move on, getting more sightings of elephant and a martial Eagle before stopping at the camp of Pretoriuskop for lunch.
After lunch we drove around Faye Loop getting two buffalo Daga Boys, before moving onto camp for guests to have a rest as it was in the region of 37 degrees.
Marks Open Vehicle:
Route: Napi - Tshokwane tar - Satara - S100 - Satara
General animals seen today include:
Giraffe, waterbuck, zebra, kudu, warthog, impala, elephant herds, crocodile, hippos, vervet monkeys, chackma baboons, blue wildebeest and nyala's.
On our trip we came across a lioness trying to catch a warthog 7km before the baobab access road.
A leopard lying in a Tree 5kms past the baobab access road.
A "flight" hehehe of ostriches 11kms from satara.
Guests are happy with what they have seen and tomorrow is a morning walk and then on our way to the rehab centre.
25 September 2013
Today was one of those days you would like to have every day.
We left camp at 06h00, It was not long before we got a sighting of a female rhino and calf, we turned onto Faye loop and immediately ran into about five hundred buffalo stretched out over the next two kilometres.
After enjoying a great sighting, and busy contemplating which road to take to the next stop, we received a call of four leopards on Napi Road about 2.2 kilometres from the Voortrekker junction, we made our way in that direction a little faster than normal and came upon the sighting. Many open vehicles were there, but after a while all started to leave.
Some rhino's had also come into the picture and for the next hour and a half we enjoyed a wonderful sighting that is not enjoyed every day.
We carried on getting more rhino, buffalo and elephant.
We got a call of a female lion on Napi Road as we got to her location she was near a tree watching a leopard eating a warthog. She was nursing a wound on the mouth and paw, which had possibly come from the fight with the leopard.
After another good sighting, we made our way on getting numerous good sightings along the way.
We made our way into Skukuza only at about 10h00, and after enjoying a well deserved break made our way out onto the Tshokwane tar, over the high water bridge and back on Elloff street to Skukuza.
Animals seen were giraffe, impala, baboon, bushbuck, lion, hippo, crocodile, elephant and buffalo.
We made our way back to Nkambeni Tented Camp along Napi Road getting more sightings of elephant, buffalo and another sighting of our leopard from the morning.
Guests had a break this afternoon, and left at 16h30 for their sunset / night drive.
26 September 2013
We left Nkambeni Tented camp and drove up the Numbi gate tar, getting elephant and buffalo.
We then turned onto Napi Road and came across the two leopard cubs from the day before playing under the tree with an impala carcass. No photos could be taken as it was in the long grass.
We continued on getting good sightings of rhino.
We then made our way to Napi Boulders and got elephant and wildebeest before going to the camp of Pretoriuskop for a break, after which we made our way out of the park and onto Nelspruit were we changed over vehicles and made our way back to Johannesburg.
Guests feedback was that they had a good time, got loads of photos and saw a lot of animals.
Verity and Dean Cherry had an African dream in 1999 and started Nhongo Safaris® to eliminate the logistical challenges of international visitors on safari. We provide a once in a lifetime experience for wildlife enthusiast that demand quality overnight safaris in South Africa and most particularly the Kruger National Park. We want to enrich our visitors’ experience by providing Luxury Safari Packages or African Safari Holidays and maintain our position as leader in Kruger Park Safaris.
Featured post
Some of Nhongo Safaris Fleet of Open Safari Vehicles
The photo shows some of our fleet of Open Safari Vehicles used while on safari in the Kruger National and Hwange National Parks. These ve...
Friday, 27 September 2013
Technology To Help Fight Rhino Poaching In Kruger National Park
South African National Parks (SANParks) has enlisted the help of technology research agency the CSIR to fight rhino and perlemoen poachers, it was announced on Sunday.
The Kruger National Park would be the initial focus of their five-year strategic technology partnership, CSIR spokesman Tendani Tsedu said in a statement.
The country’s parks faced a battle and needed to respond deftly and with best means they had, said SANParks special projects commanding officer Johan Jooste.
“We are therefore taking a long-term strategic view on increasing the effectiveness of environmental asset protection interventions at our parks throughout the country,” he said.
CSIR programme manager Charl Petzer said it would help SANParks with technology evaluation and testing to identify the best technologies to use for sensing, detecting, mobility and so forth.
He said technologies to detect human movement across border zones and to detect the location of shooters within seconds were already being evaluated.
Better sensor technologies were also being looked at to add to surveillance capabilities at poaching hot spots.
By:
South African Press Association
The Kruger National Park would be the initial focus of their five-year strategic technology partnership, CSIR spokesman Tendani Tsedu said in a statement.
The country’s parks faced a battle and needed to respond deftly and with best means they had, said SANParks special projects commanding officer Johan Jooste.
“We are therefore taking a long-term strategic view on increasing the effectiveness of environmental asset protection interventions at our parks throughout the country,” he said.
CSIR programme manager Charl Petzer said it would help SANParks with technology evaluation and testing to identify the best technologies to use for sensing, detecting, mobility and so forth.
He said technologies to detect human movement across border zones and to detect the location of shooters within seconds were already being evaluated.
Better sensor technologies were also being looked at to add to surveillance capabilities at poaching hot spots.
By:
South African Press Association
Thursday, 26 September 2013
African Hotels Take Stand Against Poaching
Nairobi - Whilst nobody will say so publicly, for fear of repercussions, the suspicion is that ground rhino horn is leaving Africa in diplomatic bags, delegates heard at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Poaching was declared at the forum to be the greatest threat to Africa's tourism industry and branded poachers as Africa's Public Enemy number one.
"Poaching is a global problem needing a global solution, Lazaro Nyalandu, Tanzania's deputy minister for natural resources and tourism said in an address at conference.
It is estimated that Tanzania has an elephant population of 100 000 today, but this is cut by 30 a day by poachers.
"They are so sophisticated that we need a military response," said Nyalandu.
"If their activities are not stamped out, we will have lost all our elephants in 10-15 years."
Nyalandu wants to see Tanzania's neighbours taking a stand too, pressurising the countries where the poachers' clients live to stamp out the trade.
The value of ivory and rhino horn continues to rise rapidly, as does the demand for "wildlife products".
Across Africa, one elephant is being killed every 15 minutes for its tusks. This continued illegal trade will lead to the species' extinction by 2025.
The hotel and tourism industry's concern goes well beyond statements.
Five percent of all AHIF revenues are being given to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, (DSWT), which looks after orphaned baby elephants and rhinos.
"Wildlife is the reason why tourists come to Africa," said Nyalandu.
As each herd is decimated, so too is the potential employment of thousands of people, most of whom are on low incomes. Poaching is not just about killing animals; it's about destroying livelihoods."
Poaching in Africa is happening on an industrial scale according to Nick van Marken, head of Deloitte's international travel, hospitality and leisure practice.
"Poachers are using automatic weapons to slaughter entire herds. They then hack off the tusks and horns. Rhino horn is ground down in Africa and then smuggled out," he said.
"Wildlife is part of Africa's natural infrastructure - remove it, and one of the primary reasons for visiting the continent will disappear."
He said it is time for the tourism industry to step up and speak out.
"Africa is so huge and the borders are so long that it's incredibly difficult to police," said Andrew McLachlan, VP Africa & Indian Ocean Islands, Carlson Rezidor
Poaching was declared at the forum to be the greatest threat to Africa's tourism industry and branded poachers as Africa's Public Enemy number one.
"Poaching is a global problem needing a global solution, Lazaro Nyalandu, Tanzania's deputy minister for natural resources and tourism said in an address at conference.
It is estimated that Tanzania has an elephant population of 100 000 today, but this is cut by 30 a day by poachers.
"They are so sophisticated that we need a military response," said Nyalandu.
"If their activities are not stamped out, we will have lost all our elephants in 10-15 years."
Nyalandu wants to see Tanzania's neighbours taking a stand too, pressurising the countries where the poachers' clients live to stamp out the trade.
The value of ivory and rhino horn continues to rise rapidly, as does the demand for "wildlife products".
Across Africa, one elephant is being killed every 15 minutes for its tusks. This continued illegal trade will lead to the species' extinction by 2025.
The hotel and tourism industry's concern goes well beyond statements.
Five percent of all AHIF revenues are being given to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, (DSWT), which looks after orphaned baby elephants and rhinos.
"Wildlife is the reason why tourists come to Africa," said Nyalandu.
As each herd is decimated, so too is the potential employment of thousands of people, most of whom are on low incomes. Poaching is not just about killing animals; it's about destroying livelihoods."
Poaching in Africa is happening on an industrial scale according to Nick van Marken, head of Deloitte's international travel, hospitality and leisure practice.
"Poachers are using automatic weapons to slaughter entire herds. They then hack off the tusks and horns. Rhino horn is ground down in Africa and then smuggled out," he said.
"Wildlife is part of Africa's natural infrastructure - remove it, and one of the primary reasons for visiting the continent will disappear."
He said it is time for the tourism industry to step up and speak out.
"Africa is so huge and the borders are so long that it's incredibly difficult to police," said Andrew McLachlan, VP Africa & Indian Ocean Islands, Carlson Rezidor
Ivory, Rhino Horns Financing Al-Shabaab
Islamic extremists Al-Shabaab receive a large amount of money through ivory and rhino horn smuggling, Beeld reported on Wednesday.
This is according to the international Environmental Investigation Agency.
"Up to 40 percent of Al Shabaab's money comes from ivory-users and buyers," the EIA said.
While the global focus centred mainly on poachers, it was iv...ory consumers, who used ivory for either ornamental or medicinal purposes, that financed the group.
An investigation done on behalf of the EIA in 2011 by Nir Kalron, founder of Maisha Consulting, and Andrea Crosta, executive director of the non-governmental organisation Elephant Action League, found that Al Shabaab was part of an international ivory smuggling network.
The group was also involved in the smuggling of rhino horn that enabled them to buy explosives, bullets and weapons.
The investigation brought to light the fact that Al Shabaab had earned between R2 million and R6 million per month in 2011 through illegal ivory sales.
In 2012, the estimated retail price of black market ivory was about R18,000 per kilogram.
By:
South African Press Association
This is according to the international Environmental Investigation Agency.
"Up to 40 percent of Al Shabaab's money comes from ivory-users and buyers," the EIA said.
While the global focus centred mainly on poachers, it was iv...ory consumers, who used ivory for either ornamental or medicinal purposes, that financed the group.
An investigation done on behalf of the EIA in 2011 by Nir Kalron, founder of Maisha Consulting, and Andrea Crosta, executive director of the non-governmental organisation Elephant Action League, found that Al Shabaab was part of an international ivory smuggling network.
The group was also involved in the smuggling of rhino horn that enabled them to buy explosives, bullets and weapons.
The investigation brought to light the fact that Al Shabaab had earned between R2 million and R6 million per month in 2011 through illegal ivory sales.
In 2012, the estimated retail price of black market ivory was about R18,000 per kilogram.
By:
South African Press Association
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Monday, 23 September 2013
Rhino Poaching
#PoachersUpdate: 20/09 (Houtboschrand). Whilst conducting a follow-up this morning after last night's contact with 3 poachers, Rangers made contact with 4 suspected poachers coming into the park. During the contact, two of the suspects were fatally wounded and the other two arrested. A .458 hunting rifle, ammo and poaching equipment were recovered.
World Rhino Day March
Visit our Facebook page to view a little boy receive a standing ovation for his speech on Rhino Poaching https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nhongo-Safaris/43657075115?ref=hl#!/pages/Nhongo-Safaris/43657075115
Photos by: South African National Parks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)