UPDATE ON WYNTIR!!!

Hey everyone!

Little Wyntir is doing so well! She is drinking well and is enjoying being social with the volunteers and staff. She gets a bit grumpy at times when we clean her wounds but who wouldnt? She is otherwise doing very well. Loving her milk but I think the electrolyte water still has to grow on her a bit haha...

I am posting 3 pictures on the progress of Wyntir's wounds... will post some more tomorrow! The first picture was taken on 28/06/2014, the seconds picture was on 30/06/2014 and the last picture was taken today 07/07/2014!

You can see that the wounds are healing nicely and the wound of where the ear is completely off is now about half the size of what it originally was...

Once again thank you for all your support and love!

Poaching Update

#RhinoPoachingUpdate: The number of rhino poached since the beginning of 2014 has increased to 558, with 157 people being arrested for rhino poaching. 

The Kruger National Park continues to bear the brunt of rhino poaching in South Africa.... Since January 2014, 351 rhino have been poached in the Park.
The number of rhino poached in Limpopo this year has risen to 80, while 48 rhino have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal, 37 in North West and 24 in Mpumalanga.

South Africans and members of the international community are encouraged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

For media queries, contact:
Albi Modise on 083 490 2871

Issued by:
The Department of Environmental Affairs.

South African Nationals Parks Applauds Court Sentence

South African Nationals Parks (SANParks) today welcomed the sentencing of two Mozambican Nationals to 16 years in prison for poaching and related offences. They were sentenced in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court.

Ephraim Bila and Ndombama Salvatore Nkuna were arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in April 2013 by SANParks Rangers after they had killed and dehorned a white rhino. They were sentenced to 10 years for killing the rhino, four years for trespassing and carrying out a restricted activity in a restricted area, and six years for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The 10- and four-year sentences would run concurrently.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of SANParks, Abe Sibiya commended the courts for imposing the lengthy jail terms. “We are happy that the courts have rewarded the hard work done by the Rangers, our Environmental Crime Investigative Unit and the South African Police. This sentence will certainly make potential poachers think twice, before crossing the fence to plunder our natural heritage. The sentencing will also help to lift the morale of all men and women in uniform who are in the trenches fighting this scourge of rhino poaching” said Sibiya.

The KNP has lost 351 animals to poaching this year and 60 people were arrested in connection with some of the cases. Sibiya went on to say SANParks is not prepared to give up the fight to save the rhino species.

“We are resolute in our determination to win this war that is being waged by greedy individuals, these assets belong to the South African people and we are prepared to ensure their future existence as mandated ” concluded Sibiya.

Issued by:
South African National Parks Corporate Communications

On Safari With Karen From 4 July 2014

4 July 2014

After a pick-up in Nelspruit we drove the scenic route to Numbi Gate. We would spend the night at Nkambeni Safari Camp, where we first of all went to check-in and have some lunch. On the dirt road into camp we already saw some impalas, our first animals.

Then we set off for our afternoon game drive. Camp road had gotten a bit busier with impalas, a warthog and some kudus that were very well in hiding.

They had started burning on the side of the tar road so we passed some warm flames and then a reedbuck was standing in the middle of the burned bit. It looked a bit lost, as if it lost more than just its cover in the fire.

We turned onto Fayi Loop where just around the corner two young elephants were just crossing the road. They showed us their butts as they kept walking in front of us before turning off the road. Within seconds those big grey animals had disappeared in the bush.

We saw waterbucks, more kudus and lots of birds before we hit a roadblock. A herd of buffalos had decided their siesta was on the road and no matter how close we were, it wasn't over yet. We waited for quite some time taking pictures of the buffalos getting up, one of them being grey which stood out. We heard the fire crackling in the background but nothing was speeding them up today. When we were finally cleared to pass, we continued on our way. We then came across a wonderful and pretty unique sighting of an African rock python. He was lying on the side of the road, probably warming up in the sun. His body length was about 5 meters and he was evenly fat so he didn't just eat something. He lingered for a bit before slithering away into his hiding place. Just a little dried grass cover and his entire body was very well hidden!

To escape the fire we crossed the tar. On the crossing we had a troop of baboons pass us. Around Shabeni we found kudus and more impalas. We drove down Albassini to have a look at Mestel Dam. We spotted a pied kingfisher hovering, a fish eagle in a tree and hippos that were bobbing their heads up and down.

Down the road however we spotted a white rhino. He was on the side of the road but got scared by our vehicle and jumped back into the bush. He did however come back out behind us to show us how rhinos mark their territory! He then continued in our opposite direction before disappearing into the bush.

On our last stretch of today before being back in camp we also came across some zebras and some dagga boys on camp road.

 

5 July 2014

This morning we got up early to watch the sunrise from the loop around Manung koppies. The area around it was still burning at some places. We did see two female giraffes each with a young one. One female crossed the road, but the other was quite hesitant. Especially since more and more cars showed up, it decided to go back into the bush and not cross. We then moved on and had, in addition to a beautiful sunrise, multiple sightings of buffalos around Manung and Pretoriuskop Koppies, before turning onto Napi.

We stopped at Shithave Dam to watch a hippo come up to breath multiple times. There also was a crocodile that put himself on a rock already waiting for the sun to warm him up.

Down Napi we drove, all the way to Transport Dam. In addition to the previous sightings we found a kudu bull with some massive horns and vervet monkeys that just woke up and started playing in the early morning.

Then it was time to turn around to go back to Nelspruit as Siri and Alex were due back in Johannesburg today. Here they would transfer to Botswana where they would volunteer on a conservation project. I wish them all the best, and maybe we will see them back one day. Thanks very much for joining us!