On Safari With Curtis From 6 September 2014

6 September 2014

The first day of a new tour and, after picking up all our new guests from Nelspruit, it wasn't long before we saw our first animal. A troupe of baboons sitting by the side of the road. We made our way to the Kruger national park and Nkambeni tented safari lodge, our home for the next few nights. On the camp road we found a lone female giraffe as well a couple of kudu hiding behind the bushes.

Once at the lodge we checked in, unpacked and relaxed until it was time for every ones first safari.

A gentle start  with a sunset drive where you get the chance to watch a beautiful African sunset maybe with a glass of Amarula before using a spot light to try and find some of the more elusive night time animals. This evening White Rhino, Buffalo, Zebra, and Impala were spotted, but the highlight was the sighting of African wild dog and several puppies up on the rocks.

7 September 2014

The first activity of today was the bushwalks, which gave all the guests a chance to experience the African bush up close. A chance to learn about some of the smaller aspects of the bush which often get looked over in favor of the larger animals.

However this morning the guests were lucky enough to witness both big and small. As well as learning about the spoor and scat of the animals, learning about conservation and the effect of fire within Kruger and learning about a few of the different species of trees and plants and insects that are present in South Africa they also came across a large male elephant, getting within 30 meters of him before moving away. They also found a large herd of buffalo in the riverbed and were able to spend quite a bit of time watching them before returning to the lodge for a well-earned rest and much needed breakfast.

After that well earned rest and breakfast back to work as we set out on a drive, heading along numbi we soon found zebra, buffalo and a couple of large male warthogs. We then turned on to Napi where we found plenty of kudu, zebra and impala until we got to transport. The road down to transport was very busy with warthog, zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck and at the dam we found a herd of about twenty waterbucks having a drink with a family of hippos relaxing in the water and a large crocodile sunbathing on the other side of the dam as well as numerous water birds including the white-faced duck, Egyptian goose, egrets and jacanas to name a few.

We decided to take a trip down watergat and found two male lions stretched out in the grass, unfortunately they had no inclination for photography today and apart from a couple of legs and a belly they didn't show much at all. We also saw a couple of steenbok as well as klipspringer on the road. We made our way to Skukuza for a late lunch and then set off once again.

After a tip off we headed down river road where we found plenty of elephants, baboons and bushbuck, but we weren't looking for them. We were looking for a pride of lions which had been spotted and we found them. Again, due to the heat, these lions were in no mood to show themselves and again we just got legs, bellies and the occasional tail flick. Time was running out but we still had enough time to return to the original lion sighting to see if there was any movement. Unfortunately not!!! so we left feeling a bit disappointed. However this soon evaporated as we came across an animal which you don't see very often. We found a civet out in the open searching for food, we got a good look before he disappeared into the bush and then a couple of further looks before he disappeared..

Back on Napi we came across the young hyena pup by his den looking a bit sorry for himself, not helped by the fact someone had decided to throw a piece of apple to him!!! By this time it was getting late and as the sun set we turned onto camp road where we found our way blocked by a herd of buffalo. A nice end to a very good day!!!

More coming soon!!

On Safari With Karen From 3 September 2014

3 September 2014

This morning some of us left on a bushwalk. They saw some zebra, impala, but most of all lots of poo. During breakfast a couple of giraffes walked by and the hippos were noisily playing in the dam.

In the afternoon it was time for another game drive. This time we decided to take a little bit more time so we could have a late lunch in the park. We started on Numbi tar in the direction of Napi while seeing some zebras, reedbucks and impalas. There were three reedbucks on our right chasing a fourth across the road in a stampede that even shocked the zebras who looked up from grazing and looked disdainfully at the reedbucks. The impalas on the other hand couldn't care less and continued feeding.

A pair of long crested eagles circled overhead when we turned onto Napi. Here a warthog got scared and ran away, swiftly followed by the rest of his family. And we encountered three lovely kudu bulls. Along the way we were treated to an awesome white rhino sighting of him crossing the road and posing for us for pictures, multiple elephant bulls as well as a herd of mothers and youngsters. One of the elephants in the herd was so wide and with lumps on either side of her we were pretty certain she was pregnant with a calf. And that wasn't all as we also saw three rare and very endangered ground hornbills, a steenbok, another white rhino, yellow-billed hornbills, wildebeest, lots more zebras and some waterbuck bulls before stopping at Skukuza for our late lunch break.

We then continued on the road to Kruger Gate and Doispane towards Watergat. A juvenile bateleur was resting in a tree with some elephants in the background. Watergat was the place to be today for giraffes as we saw plenty. With a truck full of girls and only one guy, it was a proper squeak moment of the day when a tiny baby giraffe came from behind a bush walking towards what we thought was its mum. However, after standing still they both went in different directions. As the baby was way too little to be on its own we were hoping the mum was hiding in between the trees at the back as the one in front of us had only eyes for some green leaves.

Down Napi again on our way back to camp we kept on seeing more giraffes and large herds of impalas. But our lucky break was a sighting of a leopard on top of some rocks. He was lying all relaxed looking at the cars, the cameras and the people. We saw him coming down to the sun, and probably deciding it was too hot in the sun as he turned around and jumped back on the rocks almost instantly. He washed himself and flopped down for a nap as we were leaving. We were very lucky, seeing three different leopards in three days!!

Further down the road we saw some more warthogs, twice a red crested korhaan, more bull elephants, zebras, giraffes, a hoopoe, a grey duiker dashing out of sight, a small group of kudu females (as we had seen only bulls so far today, this was quite special), and had another great sighting of a white rhino, were stopped by a buffalo herd that was slowly crossing the road and just before the camp gates also saw some buffalo bulls. It was a long but great day!

4 September 2014

We had time for a short dash this morning before our transfer to Jo'burg left, so we loaded up the car early after breakfast and set off. On Camp road we stopped for a giraffe that came out of the bushes and decided to cross the road right in front of us, not even looking left or right. Just when he already was across it seemed he noticed a car was parked there with people taking pictures.

Further on Camp road we saw some kudus and a small group of daggaboys that was just getting up. They stretched and jawed and when they started their early morning bowel movements we decided to take off. We just had our breakfast...

On Numbi tar we saw zebras and impalas before finding a Kruger-style road block in the form of a buffalo herd crossing. As it was still early morning most buffalos just slowly walked across not paying much attention to their surroundings. One of the bulls however challenged another and a push and shove match broke out just in front of us. One slipped on the tar and therefore lost the match. The winner instantly went around the other males with his nose in the air boasting that he had won the fight, challenging others, but none took his bait. The one who lost however started pushing some other bulls around to redeem himself.

It was actually a double roadblock as in the background elephants were crossing too. By the time we were past the buffalos most of the elephants were already crossed, but here as well some of the bulls were in the mood for a fight. One bull in must was trying to bully his way through the ranking as the girls were not impressed. By the time it had all calmed down the girls had long gone and all that was left was a juicy tree the bulls started eating from.

Pressing for time we took a little loop around Pretoriuskop where we saw zebras crossing. Back on Numbi tar we noticed a large smear of blood on the road. It had a puddle that was still wet and some pieces of skin of what most likely was an impala. Judging by the drag marks on the road towards the bush, this was probably done by either a cheetah or a leopard. The impala definitely dead had lost the last bit of poo that was inside of him as he was dragged away. As we had passed this site in the last 45min, this was definitely recent (and unfortunately we just missed it). So we searched the trees and bushes nearby for movement and listened for any sound, but no such luck. All we got was a lot of blood that told the story.

We also took a quick look at the wild dog den, where we had been visiting the previous days. However the dogs weren't on our side of luck this time as we saw one adult walking and then lying down behind a rock. Judging by the amount of ears more were lying down there, but they were mostly out of sight. So we took our drive back to Numbi Gate and down to Nelspruit where we said goodbye to Michelle and Byron as well as Eunice, Connie, Ji and Egosa. Hope you all enjoyed the tour at least as much as I did! Thanks for joining us and have fun on the rest if your travels!!

Safari Special

REMARKS BY HON EDNA MOLEWA, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

RHINO POACHING DEBATE
02 SEPTEMBER 2014


Honourable members, since perhaps the dawn of time, the rhino, ubejane, tsukudu, renoster has been emblematic of Africa. Of us as a continent, and of us as a people. 

This animal, with its magnificent features - remind us of our ancestral past, and our prehistoric origins, from another place in time. In this month of September, we celebrate our great heritage as South Africans
and as Africans…and our human connection with nature.

The fight to save the rhino goes way beyond the protection of a species. It is inextricably tied to our South African heritage. There are those who would ask why, with all the challenges we face as a country to build a better life for all: do we place the conservation of animals at the center of national debate.

The answer is a simple one. It is because protection of our natural resources lies at the heart of what makes us South Africans: our love for this beautiful land. Which is why we will not be complacent as our
national security is breached, and criminals decimate our wildlife, among the most abundant in the world.

South Africa has always been, and remains, the home of the rhino. Despite the onslaught of human encroachment over the centuries, and man’s often-cruel pursuit of these animals, they have endured. And here, in the southernmost tip of Africa, they are home. Eighty-two percent of Africa’s rhino can be found in South Africa. Ninety three percent of white rhino and 39% of black rhino are here.

And yet barely a century ago they faced extinction. Not just in Africa, but globally. It is because of the conservation efforts of South Africa that the majority of Africa’s rhino may today be found in the Kruger
National Park – a name so famous globally and associated with the legendary Big Five that it is simply called ‘Kruger’.

But our sterling track record is under threat. Rhino are being poached in ever increasing numbers.

It is no ordinary crime – but part of a greater, highly organized, well-funded illicit wildlife trade. Those behind rhino poaching are often linked to transnational crime syndicates operating not on the margins of society, but within it, counting within their ranks those who have the inside knowledge, the know-how and the financial means to bring the rhino once again to the brink of extinction.

As signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – also known as CITES; we have long placed sustainable utilization at the cornerstone of our conservation policies. South Africa remains committed to rooting out the illegal trade in specimens of wild animals and plants: which threatens their survival.

Honorable Members of the house, we are holding this debate today because we as the government believe that the solution to the illicit wildlife trade, and in particular, rhino poaching, cannot lie in one
area alone.

Solving the problem also isn’t the government’s task alone: but will ultimately rest on the strength of collaborative partnerships between government, the private sector and the NGO sector: all the while mindful that the decision whether or not to engage in such practices heavily depend on the motives and consciences of individuals – be they socio-economic hardship, or sheer greed.

The South African government, under the stewardship of the Department of Environmental Affairs, has adopted the integrated strategic management of rhinoceros’ – a raft of measures that, working in tandem - will be brought to bear to fight this scourge.

To ensure the long-term survival of this great African animal necessitates that we long abandon a wait-and-see approach.

Time is not on our side…the rhino simply does not have the time.

Honourable members, a strategy, as adopted by Cabinet, is characterized by a balance between proactive anti-poaching measures, the implementation of innovative new measures to bolster rhino numbers, and the vigorous pursuit of interventions for long-term sustainability.

Compulsory interventions we as the government have been doing all along include existing and pro-active anti-poaching initiatives, bolstered by improved, actionable intelligence as well as the introduction of responsive legislation and policy amendments.

Another intervention the South African government has used in the past with immense success, and continues to employ – is strategic translocation. Moving rhino to low risk areas –leading to the creation
of new rhino strongholds in areas where the animals are safe and protected, has been scientifically proven to result in increased populations. It is important to note that these translocations will take
place to other parks, reserves as well as to private and community land.

But we know that meeting the challenge posed by a fluid and rapidly evolving criminal enterprise requires innovation: new approaches that can effectively disrupt the syndicates behind the illicit rhino horn
trade. Which is why, as of the 1st of September, we have established a National Rhino Operations Center in the Kruger National Park to centralize and strengthen co-ordination of anti-poaching operations and activities, under the leadership of the South African Police Services. It should also be mentioned that this joint management strategy also rests heavily on collaboration with neighboring countries or so-called
range states; as well as end-user countries.

To this end, MOUs have been concluded with:
a. the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,
b. The People’s Republic of China, and
c. The Government of Mozambique
Similar such cooperation are being finalized with the governments of Cambodia, Lao’s People Democratic Republic, further: and being discussed with Thailand, Tanzania and Botswana. These MoUs include various areas of cooperation with among other things, a focus on biodiversity management, and conservation.

Because we know, and we have learned, that increased militarization alone will not work. It has to be matched by proactive strategies targeted at end-user countries: including but not limited to demand reduction through awareness campaigns.

But so long as there is reason, be it greed or indigence – for someone to go out and shoot a rhino and saw off its horn: we will consider community relationships as the very foundation of our strategies.
It is, after all, from these communities that the poachers come. It is also from these communities – many of them under-developed and neglected, that the natural instinct to protect these animals may be
superseded by concerns for money because they are simply too poor. The ownership and management of our country’s wildlife was for centuries, in the hands of the few. Generations of South African children were born and grew up alongside many of the country’s wildlife reserves.. without ever being allowed past the gate.

It is under this government that the dream of many from these communities, to have a stake in the management and ownership of these animals - has been realized. To ensure the long-term, sustainable utilization of wildlife of which we speak, it is key that we involve communities every step of the way. Not just by creating an enabling environment that facilitates rhino ownership and management for disadvantaged communities. But also through creating economic alternatives to poaching within these communities.  Honorable Members, the lure of the poacher is a strong one…especially if you believe your future to be bleak and your prospects to be non-existent. But it is a road we are determined to dissuade them from taking. And it starts with the young. The seeds of national pride in our rhino and its protection are most fertile in the minds of the youth. The values of pride, responsibility, and duty to protect – once successfully instilled in them, never leave. But we cannot promise them words alone. It is our responsibility to redirect the energies of the young towards useful, income generating projects that mean they remain far from the poacher’s snare.

Our very first impressions of the recently convened public hearings into rhino poaching tell us that if offered alternatives, communities are inclined towards upliftment and conservation – not crime.
We are a country committed to sustainable utilization of natural resources. Which is why Cabinet has also authorized my department to explore the feasibility of a legal trade in rhino horn products. The application of economic fundamentals to issues around a proposed legal trade, also known as rhinonomics: is among the terms of reference of a Panel of Experts appointed to look into this issue ahead of the CITES
Conference of Parties in 2016. The Cabinet Inter-Ministerial Committee and the Panel of Experts are
considering all options: and have made no decision. Today, as we have repeatedly done, we are calling on stakeholders and interested parties to register to participate in the processes of the panel. Honorable Members, South Africans, we have borne the brunt of this scourge, the bitter fruit of our successful conservation record. But we remain confident that our efforts in implementing the integrated strategic approach will build on the successes of the past, and not undermine them.  The challenges will not remain static, which is why our approach is strategic, targeted, and innovative.

The fight to save the rhino is inextricably linked to who we are as a country: a country with a proud heritage that we celebrate throughout the month of September. A country wherein each of us knows that what distinguishes us from the beasts is our compassion, our mercy, and our recognition that we are one with nature. We owe it to our rhino, and to ourselves, to succeed.

For queries, contact:
Albi Modise - 083 490 2871

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS