Nhongo Safaris Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

International luxury timepiece brand, Hublot, to unveil Black and White Rhino Support timepiece in South Africa at launch of partnership with cricketer Kevin Pietersen, and Care For Wild

Johannesburg, 30 August 2019

Global timepiece brand, Hublot, is currently in South Africa to launch a partnership with ex-cricketer Kevin Pietersen’s Save Our Rhinos Africa and India (SORAI), and South Africa’s Care For Wild, in a new drive towards the raising of awareness and funds for rhino protection.

The brand will be unveiling a special Black and While Rhino Support timepiece in support of the initiative. The watch is valued at R500 000 a piece, with the proceeds (Nhongo Team – do you know how the proceeds will be channelled for rhinos?).

The partnership was entered into with the aim of growing global awareness and funds for the protection of rhinos, which are facing extinction. Africa’s black and white rhino, and India’s Sumatran, Javan and India rhino, are critically in danger of extinction due to excessive poaching for their horns, making the partnership an invaluable collaboration.

Preferred tour operator for Care For Wild, Nhongo Safaris, has had a long-standing relationship with Care For Wild, and is the preferred safari tour operator on the property, with all safaris to Care For Wild operating through Nhongo Safaris. “We are proud to be a part of this initiative with Care For Wild, SORAI and Hublot; having such globally-recognised brands take to the trenches to help save our rhinos is such a progressive step in saving these incredible animals, which are in danger of extinction,” says XXX, designation from Nhongo Safaris.

Pietersen built SORAI because of his passion for rhino conservation, with the aim being to rescue abandoned, injured, and orphaned rhinos in an effort to rehabilitate them, with Pietersen’s initiative aiming for “the ongoing preservation and protection of Rhino’s in Africa and India and the ongoing education, awareness and public support of this issue globally”.

CEO of Hublot, Ricardo Guadalupe, is currently in South Africa to launch the partnership with Pietersen and Care For Wild.

ENDS

About Nhongo Safaris

Nhongo Safaris offers a range of safaris into the Kruger National Park, Zimbabwe and Botswana, giving guests a true taste of Africa and its incredible wildlife. A broad selection of exciting travel experiences and adventures – from luxury safaris, to budget safaris – give travellers with any budget the opportunity to see the Big Five, and experience the beauty of Africa’s landscape.

What makes Nhongo Safaris different is its incredible team, which is people-centric and always looking for ways to make guests experiences unforgettable.

For more information on Nhongo Safaris, visit www.nhongosafaris.com or contact marketing@nhongosafaris.com

"Dunlop" the Tyre Biting Leopard in the Kruger National Park

Giraffes Fighting For Dominance

Please be careful as content shows death in the video

Hi Again Everybody,

What we have here in the video clip is two male giraffes fighting for dominance.

This is what happens when you get one old giraffe, and one younger giraffe where the younger of the two giraffes feels he needs to fight the older to get control of the females and then he is able to sow his seeds thereby been able to advance his bloodline. The video above shows you just how vicious it can become, with the actual noice of the horns hitting bones, and actually braking some of them. everybody visualises a giraffe to be a placid animal, that just forages on trees, and mates with females. It is not until you see something a viscous as the above that you get to know that giraffes can be come so violent in the defence of their females. Unfortunately the younger of the two giraffes dies in this video, as the blows to his body are all on target, and hurt hime immensely, that he just cannot continue, and falls to the ground dead. Nature is sometimes a ver brutal thing, but this is one of the ways, where the saying that the "Strongest Shall Survive". It is not uncommon the see giraffes fighting while on one of our Kruger Park Safaris, however seen them fight to the death is not a very common sight. 

For more information on our safaris, please visit www.nhongosafaris.co.za  

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 vehicles are purpose built, for carrying nine passengers and are open to  give the guest the best viewing experience while also been able to take some great photos while traveling around the parks. The vehicles are safe, been purposely built for the job of game viewing, and most operators keep them in very good condition.

For me, there is nothing better than having a client get on their open safari vehicle for the first time, and compliment the guide on the condition and neatness of the vehicle. The first impression always sticks in the guests mind, and this part of the business i must admit a huge number of operators miss by miles. If you want to be one of thew go to operators, then your operation needs to not only look the part, but the looks need to turn into action very quickly.

We hope that other operators wanting to be part of uplifting the image of their businesses and the greater tourism offering on the whole in South Africa, maybe need to take heed. A bit of a thought provoking post for the day.

For more info on our safaris, please visit www.nhongosafaris.co.za

Pride of lions in vicinity of Phalaborwa is not a known pride from KNP

As many have no doubt heard over the last couple of days the story regarding the breaking out of a pride of 14 lions from the Phalaborwa region in the north of the Kruger National Park.
It has been well known for quite a time that the Foskor Mine road has lions on it, just like many other animals such as leopard, elephant and kudus are seen regularly. A lot of people voiced their opinion on the fate of these lions, but over the last couple of days, the "Kruger National Park Management", went ahead and verified that these lions are not theirs, and that they come from somewhere else.

Nobody can really say, just where they have come from, but when one goes down to "Olifants River Safaris", and you spend a bit of time there doing some of their activities, one can hear the roar of lions in the area, and yes we know the Balule Game Reserve is on the opposite side, however this occurs in a completely different direction. The lodge is visited frequently by elephant, and has resident hippo in the area as well as leopard.

I think that a time has come to just leave these lions to live their life, as they have not worried anybody for years. It does not help the situation to now go and euthanise or move the pride, as the road and surrounding area falls into their "Home Range". People need to understand, that if we can live with elephant and other animals walking down the main road in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe, then having Lions, Elephant, Leopard and whatever other animals roam onto the Foskor Mine Road, need to be left alone. There is now an operation afoot to capture these lions, and to move them somewhere outside the KNP and are to be monitored. For piets sake, can nobody leave their dirty hands off the wildlife in the area, and let them be. It makes one quite sick and tired, when man makes a decision and it is 99% wrong in the first place. Just sickening stuff.

Below is the "Press release", by SAN Parks on the "Phalaborwa Pride Of Lions".

South African National Parks stated this morning that the widely reported pride of lions seen recently in the mining area outside Phalaborwa is not a known pride from the Kruger National Park (KNP) or the adjacent private nature reserves. It has been reported that this pride has been residing for more than a year within the Foskor, Phalaborwa Mining Company and direct adjacent areas, moving along the Selati river system. This area outside but adjacent to the KNP also contains elephant, buffalo and other wildlife.

The pride might have established in this area, due to the current availability of prey in these areas, and due to a lack of competition from other lion prides. The lion population within the Greater Kruger is very healthy, growing, and suitable habitats occupied. It would, therefore, be unwise to relocate a lion pride in the territory of an existing pride. The disease status of animals is also a consideration when looking at possible release areas.

KNP GM: Conservation Dr Marisa Coetzee said in a meeting between various parties it was agreed that a capture operation to be coordinated by Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) will be carried out as per the approved protocols. LEDET is the responsible authority on this matter. “The plan is to capture the pride and move them to a suitable area outside of the KNP and private reserves, where after they will be closely monitored by LEDET.”

Issued by:

South African National Parks (SANParks) Corporate Communications

For more info on our safaris, please visit www.nhongosafaris.co.za

Photos By Amanda

Hi There Everybody,

Thought for today, i would just share what i think to be some excellent photos taken by one of our guides Amanda, while on safari in the Kruger National Park. The safari took her for the first night at the camp of Pretoriuskop, a camp known  for is great sighting of leopard. after a successful day, it was off to the camp of Nkambeni. A tented private camp that we have used for nearly ten years with great food for the clients to enjoy. The following night, Amanda was scheduled to stay at the southern most camp of Berg En Dal. Known as one of the more modern camps in the Kruger Park.
When choosing a safari, one needs to take into account, the density of animals in the park, this is where the "Kruger National Park" has the highest densities of animals found in any National Park, thereby making it a lot easier for the visitor to either find or see the animal looked for, as there are good numbers of each species found in the park.

For more info on our safaris, please visit www.nhongosafaris.co.za

 

"Lux Magazine" "Global Excellence Award"

While we are on the subject of "Awards", we got a shock last week, as we were told that we had won an award from "Lux Magazine"and their "Global Excellence Awards". Nhongo Safaris was crowned the "Best Traditional Safari Tour Operator - South Africa" for the 2018. We see at the same time, we have been selected under in the same competition, just under a different category which is the "Family and Visitor Attraction Award Category", where we have been crowned as the "Best Open Safari Vehicle Operator - South Africa". We have never been a company that has placed a large enfaces on awards, but as the company gets older, and the industry gets larger, with more players, it is a good thing to be recognised for your contribution towards tourism, and the impact the the company has had on so many visiting tourists lives. As I posted in the post yesterday, We now truly know that "Our Journeys Do Change Lives".

For more info on our safaris, please visit www.nhongosafaris.co.za

Wild animals electrocuted in freak accident

South African National Parks (SANParks) today confirmed that an elephant, giraffe and a vulture were electrocuted in the Kruger National Park (KNP).  The incident took place at Shingwedzi Section in the north of the KNP. The animals were electrocuted after an Eskom Power line collapsed on Tuesday night and the Section Ranger was notified on Wednesday morning 8 May 2019 and immediately notified Eskom who have despatched a team to attend to the scene.

Power has been switched off to enable Rangers to remove tusks for safe keeping and the generator will supply power to the camp until the area has been attended to by both SANParks and Eskom technicians. Voting in the area will not be affected as power is available and visitors and staff are exercising their democratic right.    

An investigation will be established to find the cause of the collapse and an update will be issued in due course. 

Selective Dehorning of Rhino by SANParks

Below is part of the media release by the South African National Parks Board in relation to the steps that are now going to be taken in order to curb poaching of female rhino's that have calves with them or are preparing for birth of a calf. Sometimes drastic measures need to be taken, in order to try and save these animals that are edging ever closer to instinction if nothing is done to curb this practice now. We are currently in a war situation as it is , with all the incursions taking place into the Kruger National Park by poaching groups. So we have to be even more vigilant, and have no mercy on these people when they are caught poaching or even making their way to a poaching area. 

South African National Parks (SANParks) and conservation partners in the Greater Kruger Region are collaboratively implementing a range of interventions as part of an integrated wildlife management approach to counter the effects of rhino poaching. As part of several initiatives, certain entities have embarked on strategic dehorning of selected rhinos in the Greater Kruger Protected Area landscape.

KNP will implement a range of integrated management actions to minimise the impact of rhino poaching on the population numbers, including the selective dehorning of rhino cows in certain areas in the southern part. This management tool goes hand-in-hand with strengthening security measures, information sharing on incursions and intelligence as well as continuous collaboration with law enforcement agencies. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), is being briefed extensively on the current situation in order to deliver stiff sentences to those found in possession of ammunition, high calibre rifles and trespassing in a protected area with the intention to commit a crime.

It has been established that the loss of a cow has multiple effects since it also includes the loss of a dependent calf and future calves. The multiple effects are part of various factors that affect population growth of white rhinos apart from the immediate disruptive effect of poaching. The cows are extremely important for the overall population performance and need to be protected by introducing stiffer sentences in incidents where they have been poached for their horn and a calf is left destitute.

Nice Leopard Photos taken by Amanda

Some loverly photos taken on the last safari by Amanda, one of the Nhongo Safaris guides, that has just got the knowledge of where the leopards are, and with her great camera, gets some really loverly photos.

It is something that can be seen while on a kruger safari, however photos like this are not got everyday, as the movement of animals and the climatic conditions has a lot to do with great game viewing. 

It is a well known fact, but one that needs to be said that the months of May, June, July, August, September and October are some of the best game viewing months that we have in South Africa to view our wildlife.

If one is looking at coming on a safari, it is generally a good thing to start planning your safari well in advance, as most of us safari operators get booked up really well in advance, and if one is looking at combining the Kruger National Park with a private lodge, or even another country in Southern Africa, it would be good to start looking and planning, together with booking down your safari as long as a year in advance. At the current state of affairs, Nhongo Safaris is already 40% booked out for next year, and we are currently only in May 2019. So as one can see, booking a good safari takes time, and needs to be done long in advance. We already have past clients, that have been booked on a safari in 2021, and it is not one or two people we are talking about, but the numbers grow every day.

So if you are looking at conducting a South African Safari or even if time does not allow you, a Kruger Park Safari, please book it with time to spare, as we do not want to disappoint clients by not been able to take them on what could be a "safari Of A Lifetime". 

On Safari With Amanda From 4 November 2016

4 November 2016

Today I collected 4 new guests from Kruger airport, Emanuel and his wife along with their nephew and his wife.

We arrived at a very hot Kruger and checked into nkambeni camp. 

My guests were on a sundowner where they spotted elephants, zebras and lovely impalas. 

Early to bed after supper after a long day for my guests. 

5 November 2016

Today temperatures were expected to reach a high of 36° so set off early after breakfast towards skukuza. 

A magnificent herd of Elephants literally surround our car and came so close it was breathtaking. A dazzle of zebras and further along we waited patiently for 3 rhinos to cross the road a few meters ahead of us.

Things were hotting up as we took a turn onto napi boulders, always beautiful to look at this amazing rock formation. Looking in the shady parts of the rock we spotted 2 lionesses on closer inspection hidden deeper behind them were at least 3 others resting from the scorching African sun!

After spending some time with the lions we headed for a coffee break.

Stopping at a waterhole we saw a huge kudu bull coming to drink we watched and then drove slowly towards a little koppie where a leopard and her cub are sometimes found, we located the cave and sat for a while and after 5 mins she made her appearance, beautiful! 

A quick lunch and we headed back to camp as my guests wanted to do another sunset drive... luckily for them they found another leopard and 2 big male lions!

A great day had by all as we relax and catch up on the days events!

On safari With Amanda From 6 October 2016

6 October 2016

After a very successful full day yesterday we decided to take it easy and do a morning and afternoon drive.

A little bit chilly, but, with temperature set to reach 36° you could feel the warmth in the air.

Along the road we came across a herd of zebras with the smallest foal I'd ever seen it was totally adorable, sticking very close to its mum. We watched for a while moving off onto one of the dirt roads. Lovely giraffes, Donnas favorite, and nice elephants. 

After lunch and a siesta we headed to mestle dam and saw lovely fish eagles and hippos. A very scenic drive, Donna happy to chat and take in the amazing scenery.

7 October 2016

Our last drive this morning and it was a stunningly warm morning. 

On one of the roads we watched a small herd of Elephants cross, the baby running quickly after its mum! It's just nice to sit and watch these beautiful animals. Further down we saw a mother rhino and it's calf and behind them in the distance a herd of sable antelope.  

Lots of birds on our trip.... bateleur eagles, lilac breasted rollers, tawny eagles, blue waxbill and glossy starlings amongst others.

I dropped Lesley and Donna off for their panorama tour after a lovely time in the best place on earth.