|
Blogs
& News
from the African
Bush |
|
|
| Sep
2011 Blog 2 - Vehicle
Voodoo
|
| Well
I haven’t written a blog
in some time. The past
month has been rather
draining and it feels like
ground hogs day in
paradise. It was the month
of Land Rovers and we have
poured every last cent
that we had into these
bloody Landies. How we
could be so obsessed with
these things I can’t tell
you. We finally managed to
get, ‘Beelzebub,’ back
from the mechanics after 2
long years. ...read
more |
|
|
←To the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Sep 2011 Blog
1
-
Update from
Craig regarding recent
events in Balule
|
|
Just thought I would write
to keep you all in the
loop on some of the
goings-on in and around
OWNR. There have been some
significant improvements
and happenings in the past
few months: 1. The rather
infamous “Tremisana Wedge”
as we like to call it, has
been addressed! ...read
more |
|
 Top of
page
|
|
←To the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
August 2011
|
Governors' Camp
Game Report, Masai
Mara
|
| Our
guests have enjoyed some
spectacular and very
unusual wildlife sightings
this month including huge
herds from the migration
crossing the Mara River, a
massive rock python
devouring a fully grown
male thomsons gazelle, a
serval cat up a tree and a
lioness giving birth!
...read
more> |
|
Top of
page
|
|
Aug/Sep 2011
Blog
-
Operation Wet Spot!
|
|
It has been a while since
we all had a shower! We
stink and civilians run
for cover when we go into
town. I think Francois
managed to kill a few
birds by lifting his arm
and waving – birds fell
from the sky, leaves fell
off the trees. Even Tim’s
great big bushy beard lost
pigmentation! As I am sure
most of you that have been
to camp will know……our
ancient water trailer
broke and is no longer in
service and the little
fibreglass one that we got
as a gift is only 650
litres...read
more> |
|
Top of
page
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
July 2011
Blog 4
-
Save The Elephants
Partnership!
|
| Transfrontier
(Afreco's partners) has a
formal relationship with
Save the Elephants (StE),
situated in the Timbavati
region of the Greater
Kruger National Park. We
work closely with Dr.
Michelle Henley and her
team of researchers on a
daily basis to assist them
with the photographic
finger-printing of
elephants in the field as
well as monitoring the 36
elephants that have been
fitted with satellite
collars in an effort to
monitor their movements
and habitat preferences...read
more> |
|
Top of
page
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
July 2011
Blog 3
-
Bush-whacked in
Balule & Cheetah
News
|
| I
am writing to you from
Paradise Camp for the
first time since our old
generator snuffled off its
mortal coil! The sound of
our happy new Yamaha
generator drowns out much
of the bush sounds as well
as my rantings as I try to
spell words that have more
than three letters in
them! The tem has just
left to embark on the
monthly bore-hole
monitoring and there is
promise of some exciting
elephant data en route. We
bumped into a large herd
of 35 animals last night
at camp and managed to see
one of our collared
friends amongst them - we
think it was Erwin the
young bull! We hope that
the team will be able to
pick them up again!...read
more |
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
July
2011 Blog 2
–
Just another
happy volunteer!
|
| Are
you ready to experience
“wild” Africa? If so,
you’ve come to the right
place. The crew at
Transfrontier Africa’s
Paradise Camp are the
perfect people to guide
you through a once in a
lifetime (or maybe twice
in a lifetime if you’re
lucky) opportunity. I’ve
only returned from my
visit just over a week ago
and though my time at camp
was short, I stayed 3
nights; I’m trying to
figure out how to get back
there again and to stay
longer...read
more |
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
July 2011
Blog
-
Volunteer
Robin tells us about
the project...
|
|
My
time at paradise camp
and working with
Transfrontier Africa. I
came to Paradise Camp
with rough idea on what
to expect, though it was
a nice change when I
arrived and had my
luggage brought via
tractor. I was greeted
at the airport by Stefan
and three other new
volunteers. We made our
way to Paradise Camp
which is situated within
the Balule National Park
part of the Greater
Kruger National Park and
met rest of the team,
Francois, Tim and head
of it all, Warden Craig
Spencer...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
July 2011
Blog - Long awaited
catch-up
|
|
It
has been a while since I
wrote a blog and there
is so much to tell you
that I do not know where
to start. Perhaps I will
start with the news that
Goosie, our resident
mongoose, seems to have
run off with a wild
horde of the same
species. My
rugged-ranger image is
ruined after chasing
around the camp trying
to call her with my
high-pitched
"Goooooosie, Gooosie,
Gooosie"..... Well, she
is missed by us all and
we wish her well with
her new family....read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
February
2011 Blog -
Transfrontier Africa
helps Elephant
research in the APNR
|
|
On
the 3rd of
February 2011, the
Transfrontier Africa
team assisted the
scientists from
Save the Elephants,
based in the
APNR (Associated Private
Nature Reserves), in the
collaring of elephants
to further research in
the
Greater Kruger
National Park.
This is the third
consecutive year our
team has contributed to
this research and this
year we managed to
replace broken collars
on two bull elephants
and captured important
morphometric data at the
same time...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
January 2011
Blog - New Year
update - Blog 2
|
|
The
past few days have left
us drenched in despair.
We’ve all been wearing
winter clothing and as a
result haven’t done an
animal survey in at
least 3 days. We listen
to the game drives and
get the impression that
there aren’t any animals
walking within Balule.
Things here truly are
awfully quiet...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
January 2011
Blog - New Year
update
|
|
Paradise
camp is awesome!
We
have a great routine
here. Every night,
(when the weather
allows for it,) we
make a huge fire chat
about our day, and
have dinner. Well to
be quite honest, Bwana
Craig has been down at
Metsi, doing the
reports and the
weather hasn’t cleared
long enough to make a
fire...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
September
2010 Blog - John
updates us...
|
|
The
thermometer is rising!
It has been a while
since I reported on all
the happenings from the
bush. Our website was
stolen by a hairy palmed
computer geek thus I
have been unable to post
my incoherent ramblings
for some time - but we
are back, alive and well
in cyberspace and there
is much to tell...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
September
2010 blog - Craig
Spencer updates us...
|
|
Our
position as Ecological
Managers of this section
of the Greater Kruger
National Park was
secured for another year
following the annual
general meeting in
August. As if we do not
have enough work to
do….we have now taken
over the entire
management burden of the
Olifants West Section.
This includes the
administration function,
infrastructure and staff
management as well as
the security and
anti-poaching. This has
placed a massive burden
on our resources and
poor old John will never
get that elusive
girlfriend at this rate!...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
July
2010 Blog
-
David & Goliath
|
|
I
am most pleased to say
that we have been
blessed by multitudes of
elephants here in
Balule as of late. Pop
down to the shop to buy
ciggies- there are
elephants. Taking a
morning pee in the
garden; as you yawn and
wipe out your eyes-
there are elephants.
Take a nice afternoon
stroll down a riverbed-
there are elephants.
There are truly
elephants everywhere...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
June 2010
Blog
-
Warden's
report
|
|
Herewith
the latest quarterly
report from your
management team. This
report covers the time
period from 31st
March 2010, until 24th
June 2010. Our Olifants
West is still looking
good and we can thank
the late and rather
extended rainfall that
we enjoyed this year. We
are still supporting an
impressive grass biomass
and the resultant herds
of bulk grazers such as
buffalo and white rhino...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
May
2010 Blog
-
Zebra Rescue
|
|
The
bush is going yellow and
the water is beginning
to dry up, but the
Olifants River
still flows strong. I
love the transformation
of the bush from lush
jungle to arid desert.
As always we never know
what challenges the day
will hold for us.
Yesterday one of the
rangers spotted a female
zebra with a snare
around her neck and we
spent the entire day
crashing through the
bush trying to keep
sight of her till the
vet arrived...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
|
Top of
page
|
|
April
2010 Blog
-
Catch-up and
Eva The Camp Mongoose
|
|
Finally
a computer that works.
We have been out of
action since that
fateful night Eva the
Mongoose decided to pee
on the last working
computer. There was
sparks, and smoke and
the smell of burnt
mongoose urine and fur
stung our nostrils. Now
I am typing on a
computer that was around
in the era of Cro-Magnon
man, but it works...read
more
|
|
←Back to the
Balule Conservation
Project main page
|
| February
2010:
Sean
Pattrick launches his
new wildlife
photography website |
|
 |
| Our
Wildlife
Photography course
instructor and safari
guide expert,
Sean Pattrick,
launches his new website!
Please take a look at the
site and see why you
should join us on one of
our
great photographic
workshops in the
Kruger National Park area
and also in Botswana and
Namibia! |
|
Top of
page
|
|
| February
2010:
Sean
Pattrick's new book
'Game Ranger in your
Back back available
for sale |
|
|
| Game
Ranger in your Backpack
(Co Author and Photographs
by Sean
Pattrick)
Game
Ranger in your
Backpack is not a
conventional field
guide in the sense
that it will not
provide reams of
dreary detail on how
to identify a
particular plant or
bird (although it does
offer useful pointers
of features to look
out for). Rather, this
book is intended to
substitute the
presence of a personal
guide or 'game ranger'
during visits to the
Lowveld region of
South Africa. Perfect
for all of
Afreco's wildlife
courses and
adventures to the
bush and an
essential for the
safari
guide training
or game
ranger
training
(as they are
known) courses
It
makes the practical,
interpretative
information on the
most commonly
encountered species in
the Lowveld,
accessible at a glance
and eliminates the
need to have several
different books piled
on the seat beside
you. Game Ranger in
your Backpack is a
compact companion that
not only offers
interesting
information on
wildlife topics
including mammals,
birds, reptiles and
amphibians,
invertebrates, trees,
grasses, flowers and
tracks but it is also
visually
interpretative,
offering hundreds of
images to assist with
the deciphering of
animal behaviour or
the recognition of
common species.
|
 |
|
It can
be purchased from
these South African
websites :
|
|
Top of
page
|
| July
2009, Balule
Camp (Balule
Conservation Project) |
|
Update From Craig
Spencer - Camp Manager
and Project
co-ordinator |
 |
|
Another
month has passed in
our beautiful Balule
and things are
exciting as ever. The
lions seem to have
quite an appetite with
the peaceful night
sounds shattered by
the apocalyptic roars
and growls of lions
feeding and squabbling
with each other. Just
yesterday we settled
down to watch one of
our two DVDs for the
17th time
when we heard the
zebras alarm call from
across the plain. We
all knew what Dr.
Jones was going to do
next anyway so we went
to investigate and
stumbled upon 19 lions
partaking in a magic
trick which involved
making a zebra
disappear. The two
massive males were the
chief magicians who
were supported by a
cast consisting of
females and an
assortment of very
cute cubs
They
have been making a lot
of kills recently and
I don’t know if it’s
my imagination but I
can swear the impala
and zebra seem just
that little bit more
nervous these days.
Their eyes seem big as
saucers and they all
seem to be suffering
from Post-traumatic
stress disorder. A
huge herd of Buffalo
(157!) has also been
seen in Balule
recently, making it an
exciting place to
be.
The mongoose
is fit and well (and
smells vaguely like
pee) and continues to
traumatize me at this
very moment while I
try to write this
blog. I take no
responsibility for any
spelling mistakes.
It’s Eva who is
running all over my
keyboard. She has also
destroyed the Fox’s
DVD player and about
as many cigarettes as
British American
Tobacco’s annual
output.
|
|
|
|
We have
finally defeated the
Alien Scourge in the
form of the
Jointed-Cacti which
have invaded Balule.
They are a serious
threat to the
biodiversity of the
region but with the
help of our last group
of volunteers Skyler
Chick and the Dolgin
duo we have managed to
eradicate them all.
Our old friend the
prickly-pear still
rears its ugly head
now and then but we
are confident that the
next group of
volunteers will take
up the fight to
protect planet earth
from the alien
menace.
A milestone
seems to have been
reached this month.
Boris the Badger
hasn’t been back for a
month and we are
hesitant to say but we
think we may finally
have beaten him. We
have bolted up
everything in the
kitchen to the extent
that it is about as
secure as Fort Knox.
We think Boris just
finds it too much
effort these days and
has moved on to an
easier target like the
Lodge down at the
river.
Sekorocoro
has lived-up to her
name recently by
leaving me stranded on
the dark side of the
moon twice this week.
I had to walk back to
camp past an
assortment of ominous
looking elephants. The
second time I was
strolling back to camp
whistling a happy tune
when I turned the bend
to find a rather
sizeable male buffalo
grazing 5 metres away
from me. I stopped
dead in my tracks as
he raised his
gargantuan head and
looked straight at me.
Luckily their eyesight
is inherently bad so I
just backed away
slowly with my heart
beating in my
ears.
My elephant
and woody trees are
progressing nicely as
I have finally
captured all the data.
We are currently
analyzing it and are
excited by it
potential
implications. More on
that later.
Till next
time....
|
|
Top of
page
|
| 23rd
May 2008:
Baby Rhino
found by our Students |
 |
On the 23rd May
2008 some of our
students on the
Safari
Guide Training
Course
(Game Ranger Training as
it often referred to)
had quite an adventure
on the
Karongwe
Game Reserve,
close to Karongwe
camp...
One of the student group
was walking across the
river from camp and
found a Rhino with a
newly born calf
(estimated 3 days old).
Later when the
group walked in the area
they tracked the rhino
and found the tell tale
scuff marks of a fight
or struggle, they
tracked the rhino later
hearing animals alarm
calling ahead ... they
approached and saw
something (possibly
leopard or a
|
|
hyena) moving
off ... they moved
forward to find a Rhino
close by behind a
termite mound, then one
of the students spotted
the rhino baby lying
flat in the grass meters
from where they stood.
|
|
The instructor
immediately moved the
group away from danger
but was concerned as the
bay appeared to be dead
or dying. One of the
students said they had
seen it's eye blinking
... so the instructor
called the Warden, he
arrived sometime later
to find a very weak and
injured baby rhino in
the grass. It's ears
were torn off at the
base and the animal was
already smelling bad.
They loaded it onto the
pick up and took it to a
nearby rehab centre, the
baby started to drink
and is now able to walk
again.
We all hope that it'll
be released back into
the Buffalo camp in the
Karongwe reserve until
it is old enough to fend
for itself, all going
well!
You can stay
at
Karongwe Camp
and experience the Karongwe Game Reserve
wildlife on the
following courses that
we offer: 28
Day Safari Guide
Training or
Ranger Training
(FGASA level 1) / 2
week EcoQuest (based
on Safari Guide
Training) / 4
Day Animal Tracks
a Tracking Course
Top of
page
|
| April 2008 -
Shiloweni - Male
Leopard |
| In
the first week of April,
Constant Hoogstad (
Reserve manager
Karongwe
Private Game Reserve)
received a call from
Gerrie Camacho from the
National Leopard forum
about a male leopard that
had just been brought in
and kept at Moholoholo
Rehabilitation Centre.
The leopard had
been a resident in a
densely populated
residential area. Due to
living so closely with
people he became
extremely relaxed and
easy with people around
him. Due to his relaxed
nature he became a
problem and officials
decided to remove him
from the area. He was
removed after residents
were concerned when they
spotted
|
 |
| him
around the houses.
Sightings around houses
became more frequent and
eventually it was decided
to remove him to avoid a
potentially dangerous
situation. |
 |
Desperate
to save such a beautiful
creature, Gerrie had taken
the leopard to Moholoholo
Rehabilitation Centre in
the hope that a suitable
home could be found for
him. After spending a week
there, an appropriate home
could not be found.
Although Karongwe already
has a resident leopard
population the decision
was made to bring the male
to Karongwe and give him a
chance of a new life.
On 12th April,
Dr. Peter Rodgers
(Pro-Vet Wildlife
Services) and Constant
Hoogstad (Reserve
Manager Karongwe Private
Game Reserve) went to
Moholoholo
rehabilitation Centre
and darted the leopard.
While the leopard was
under sedation a full
examination was done. It
was noticed that the
leopard has broken off
some of his teeth, but
it didn’t seem serious
at the
|
|
time and
no abscesses were seen.
He was fitted with a
satellite and VHF
collar, meaning that
both the National
Leopard forum and
Karongwe Wildlife
Research team could keep
track of his movements
and monitor his
behaviour.
He was
brought to Karongwe,
and sat with through
the night as he
recovered from the
drug used. At 3am he
was released in the
middle of the reserve.
The Karongwe Research
Team spent 12 hour
shifts with him
through the night to
monitor him. Shiloweni
has moved around in
the southern section
of the reserve,
exploring his new
home, and appeared to
be extremely happy
here. He made several
kills, and gave
rangers, guests and
researchers the
opportunity to view
him. He was extremely
relaxed after his
arrival, and was
content to go about
his business
regardless of his
admirers.
After a month
of roaming free on
Karongwe Shiloweni’s
kill frequency
decreased and he
started losing
condition. His
behavior also
indicated that
something was not
right. Management then
decided to sedate him
so Dr. Peter Rodgers
could examine him.
|
 |
After the
examination it was
noticed that he had
huge abscesses in his
upper canines. There
were two options left.
Option 1: Find a
dentist to help ,
Option 2: Put the
animal down. Now of
course a dentist was
needed and not any
dentist, we needed a
dentist that would be
willing to perform
oral surgery on a 60
kg male leopard.
Constant contacted Dr.Sonia
van der Mescht
from Tzaneen.
Dr. van der Mescht
grabbed the challenge
with both
hands and agreed to
perform the procedure
cost free. After
Management and owners of
Karongwe Game Reserve
decided to give the
leopard a chance and Dr.
van der Mescht took on
this huge challenge. The
problem was far worse
than we anticipated and
removing the canines was
not as easy as it would
be on a human.
|
 |
 |
|
Dr. van der
Mescht jumped right in
and it took
approximately 6 hours
to remove the canines.
The canines were
approximately 6 cm
into the jaw. The next
problem we were faced
with was what to do
next? Drs. Rodgers,
van der Mescht and
Karongwe Game
Management decided to
build the leopard a
whole new set of
canines making use of
dentistry implants.
The leopard is free of
pain.
The
leopard is currently in
a quarantine boma where
he is fed soft meat and
organs. The constructing
of this new set of
canines will take 2
months which should give
his bone enough time to
recover from the
previous surgery.
You can stay
at
Karongwe Camp
and experience the Karongwe Game Reserve
wildlife on the
following courses that
we offer: 28 Day Safari
Guide Training
or Ranger
Training
/
2
week EcoQuest (based
on Safari Guide
Training) /Animal
Tracks a Tracking
Courses
and many more - please
see the menu at the
top of the page.
|
|
|
Top of
page
|
