'Tree'mendous fun facts: Earth Day 2016 - The importance of trees

The entire theme of Earth day 2016 revolves around the importance of trees. Most of the time we take trees for granted, and never quite realize the importance of trees in our lives.

Here are some valuable and important facts about trees:

1. Trees Produce Oxygen – we can simply not live if there were no trees
2. Trees play an essential role in environmental sustainability.
3. It helps with the fight of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air.
4. They prevent erosion and clean the water.
5. Trees provide home to surrounding habitat, not to mention the nutritional value their fruits have to offer.

Some more facts...a little bit more on a lighter note.

6. It can be used as cover when being chased by a lion or elephant – usually lions do not climb trees. When out walking in big five game areas, the chances are good that you might run into one of the big 5. If you are surrounded by trees, then the best option would be to look for the closest tree and seek hiding. You might have some trouble when encountering a leopard.

7. When sleeping in the wilderness, there is no better roof for the night, than to sleep under a tree.

8. It serves as camouflage when faced with an elephant on foot – situational awareness is key during on foot guiding. Trees can become an important cover when faced with dangerous game.

9. An elephant keeps busy by pushing over some trees. According to the EcoLibrary “many ecologists believe that by frequently pushing over trees, elephants help keep savannas as open habitats, so that they do not grow up into more dense woodlands”

10. It creates shade for the lazy cat specie, the shade of a tree becomes a relieve during hot summer days

11. Trees make for beautiful photos

We must take it upon ourselves to look after our planet. Preserve the earth and we all will secure a green future for ourselves and our children. Let’s all celebrate Earth Day. Not only on 22 April, but every single day of our lives

Happy Earth day 2016!

10 fascinating facts about an elephant's trunk

1. There are over 40,000 muscles in an elephant’s trunk housing over 150,000 separate muscle fascicles (fibres that allow the muscle to move in various directions).  Humans have only 639 muscles in their entire body!

2. The trunk alone can lift close to 400kgs, yet is delicate enough to pick up a single piece of straw.

3. The trunk can hold over 20 litres of water which is why, despite their enormous water requirements (approx. 120 litres per day), elephants generally do not linger whilst drinking.

4. Elephants are able to use their trunk like a snorkel, easily crossing deep water totally submerged except for their trunk breaking the surface.

5. The trunk contains 5 times more smell receptors than humans, and twice as many as a bloodhound.  This enables them to smell water from miles away.

6. Such is their olfactory power that projects are training elephants to aid in clearing minefields in areas of Mozambique.

7. When faced with a particularly interesting smell (such a cow’s urine) an elephant will touch its trunk to the source of the odour and physically place it in the organ of Jacobson in its mouth for further analysis.

8. Elephants show a preference to one side of the trunk than the other, thus seeming right or left-handed.  This is most obvious during the wet summer months when one side of the trunk becomes stained green from repeatedly plucking grasses.

9. The tip of the trunk contains a layer of cells known as ‘Pacinian Corpuscles’ that are specialised in sensing vibrations.  This may be one of the mechanisms enabling elephants to communicate over such long distances using low frequency rumbles.

10. These low sounds are made possible as the trunk acts like a 2m long resonating chamber!

Blog and photos by Ben Coley

Tracking - an unforgettable experience

If you ever thought of joining a Tracking course, then this testimonial will surely persuade you to sign up! Terry Black joined EcoTraining on a recent Tracking course and sent us the most rewarding feedback:

"I very much enjoyed my time in Makuleke, I'd been travelling through East Africa for two months before arriving in South Africa, but I think my time with EcoTraining was probably the highlight of the whole trip - and you can tell Alex that I think Norman was a very important part in making that the case.

We identified and looked at nearly 100 different species over the two weeks, and many more signs if you include spoor/scenting etc, and despite this vast amount of information coming right at us, it was absorbed very easily thanks to the perfect pace of the instruction and the fact that we were having fun every minute of the day.

Norman was an exemplary instructor. I honestly couldn't praise him highly enough. I have no criticism or suggestions whatsoever. He was very keen to ensure we were learning what we wanted to learn, asking early on if we had any other interests in addition to the tracks (medicinal use of trees, bird calls etc), and he was very conscious to make sure that everyone was OK all the time; asking 'Everyone still, OK?', whenever on a long drive or walk. I felt safe, valued and important at every step. His tone, pace, (and patience!) made the learning experience easy and fun, but it was his unbridled enthusiasm that was absolutely infectious. His charisma and love for the bush was plain to see and made the whole two weeks an unforgettable experience. I'm enjoying his 'after-care' as well (emailing me pictures of tracks to identify) and I hope I will see him again next time I'm in South Africa, I felt like I made a good friend.

Norman Chauke in action

Walking in the wild outdoors

The other EcoTraining instructors were all absolutely relaxed in their approach and professional in their execution. I would like to make special mention of Alan, who brought another dimension of expertise and experience to the course - it isn't just the stuff on the 'tracking syllabus' which informed my time in the bush, but every anecdote and story of the flora and fauna, history, culture, geology, ecosystems and daily life, and I owe Alan a great deal for enriching the experience.

Elephant encounter a few meters away

I felt honoured to have met Alex when he came to visit the first few days. I had very high expectations from the Tracker Academy and EcoTraining, and I am very pleased to say they were all highly surpassed. The work of the Tracker Academy is fantastic, Norman is an incredible ambassador for both The Tracking Academy and EcoTraining. I will be telling everyone I know about the course. I can't thank you enough."

The next 14 day Tracking course starts 10 August in the magical Botswana. Contact us at enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for to book your spot today!

Achievement unlocked - 13 000 hours on the clock

It was a bit unusual to be starting a walk that early in the afternoon but if we wanted to get to Makwadzi/Limpopo Lookout by sunset we would have to leave early and without lunch. The group walking with me wanted a walk as it would be their final walk for the course, as it was the second to last day. The 10 of us gathered on the outer firebreak for what they were expecting to be a very thorough pre-walk brief before departure.

They quickly realized this walk was going to be different when all I told them was I would not be doing much interpretation on the walk. We had all learnt a lot in the month of walking and now we were going to use this walk as a REFLECTION on all we had achieved and experienced in the last month. Quintin, my new back-up and I cycled our rounds before loading up.  With a final walk “where you want, make as much noise as you like and run like hell if something comes for us” we set off for Lala Palm Windmill and the floodplain along the Limpopo.

From the first step out of camp I just felt like something was different or going to be different about this walk.  I saw everything in great detail, I heard everything with sharp clarity and knew the students walking behind me were experiencing the same.  Unlike other walks on the course I did not stop for much but just pointed out things that were of importance.  Yellow-billed Oxpeckers calling from ahead – knowing there were buffalo around, Grey Go-away-bird shouting from the Mashatu Trees to the north – knowing they were shouting at a resident Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Yellow-billed Hornbill cackling away from the basalt ridge next to us telling us there were Dwarf Mongoose there, were all things I knew the students behind me were picking up. Circling the windmill to the north, from the downwind side Quintin whispered from behind “elephant”. He had spotted a lone bull in the long grass to the east of us.  It was a young bull so our immediate reaction was to look for the rest of the herd.  Nope, just a young bull on his own enjoying his solitude.

We left him and continued crossing the floodplain to the north of LP Windmill heading towards Hulukulu Pan in the Fever Tree forest. The slight breeze was into our faces as we walked but the sun was getting low into our eyes.  I kept the pace constant macking Hulukulu in a good time.  Here we took a break and did some birding.  Tamborine Dove came down to drink while a noisy Gorgeous Bush-Shrike called from the thick forest.  An African Crowned-Eagle circled above while calling and four Bomhs Spinetails did a flyby.

It was amazing how the water had dropped in the pan in the month we had been visiting the pan.  It would not be long before it was completely empty. However this did not stop the birds from enjoying the remaining water and it did not take long to clock up a quick 40 species. We unfortunately could not spend too long there as we knew we had away to go yet so we continued west inside the forest heading towards Sandpit.

I had the feeling I was being watched so stopped and slowly looked around.  Not 15m ahead of us were 4 Warthogs staring at us through the long grass.  The standoff lasted a couple of minutes until some movement behind me set them off at high speed.  The sow ducked between two low bushed and did not appear the opposite side.  Next thing this bush started swaying from side to side with the sow coming out backwards with a snare around her neck. She was panicking trying to get away but just getting the snare tighter round her neck.  We dropped kit and charged in to free her but is was very difficult getting at her without being tusked by her.

Eventually she started slowing down which enabled us to get onto her and hold her head and tusks while trying to cut the thin cable snare. The snare had cut off her oxygen which caused her to pass out which in turn got me working a lot quicker on cutting the cable. The cable cut and off her we moved back waiting for her to up and move off.  She eventually took a gasp of air, then another and slowly stated to breathe again. Her head lifted and she wobbled around a bit but eventually found her feet and sped off into the bush.

High-fives all round, a sweep for more snares and we were off again heading for our destination. We path took us to a dried up pan, through a small drainage line into a very large clearing amongst the Fever Trees.  Once again my trusty back-up spotted elephant a mile off, this time a breeding herd heading our way. I veered off into the thornveld to the south of us and continued on, boxing them by a good 200m.

Sandpad came and went before we walked round the final ridge and Makwadzi Pan opened up ahead off us. Crocodiles lined the shores as did African Openbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Spurwinged and Egyptian Goose. Smaller Three-banded Plovers, Water Thick-knee and over wintering Common Greenshank paraded the shallows while a pod of hippo guarded the deep water.

Makwadzi Pan in the late afternoon is something to behold and I think this afternoon it was even better. The group were quiet, which told me they were thinking about the month and just enjoying the last time at Makwadzi Pan. Leaving Makwadzi Pan I headed North straight towards the Lipmpopo wanting to walk the last kilometer or so in the river while watching the sun go down.

Watching the sunset in the Limpopo, while walking upstream, is definitely something special. The fact that this was some student’s last walk and my 13000 hour walk just made it all the more special. All to soon we were at the pick-up where there was a lively game of volleyball on the go.  What a great way to end a course and clock your 13000 hours.

Thank you everybody for an amazing course and for being part of this special occasion for me.

Some inspiring comment from the Trails guide students and colleagues:

"From an elephant in the floodplains to saving a warthog in a snare to one of the best walks I had on my course…… And some “mint”  condition birding really really “very lekker”. I feel honored in being a part of it! Congratulations and I hope to be there for 14 000." Quintin Koekemoer

"Bwana Bruce

You are somebody I aspire to be in our world of trails guiding.  You have set and will continue to set standards that all will respect in the future. Many more happy safe hours in the Gangeni…….3 000hrs WENA!!!" Jacques (Head guide The Outpost)

"Bruce

Great to share another milestone with you and Dee". Sean (Patrick)

"13 000hrs! Amazing feat Bruce. So proud to be a part of it.  What a walk! Thanks for all the training." Paul Lyons

"Congrats Bruce!

13 000 hours incredible accomplishment, I’m glad I got to be here and share it with you. Not everyday you are a part of something so incredible in someone’s life.  Hopefully many more to come!"

"Congrats Spotted Ground-Thrush! I shall give your regards to the Queen and tell her about your 13000 hours.!" Tim Flavell

"Oom Bruce

Baie dankie vir “n ongelooflike tyd hier in Makuleke, did was ‘n ongelooflikke eer om saam met oom te kon stap en leer van oom af! I enjoyed everything from the ARH, to the assessment walks and so much more! The lessons learnt of life and the knowledge gained from the bush have been extremely valuable to me! Baie, Baie Dankie, en veels geluk met die 13000 ure! Ongelooflik! Sterkte en groete, ek is seker ek sal weer vi room sien, en hoop ook so!" Reinhardt Visser

"Hey Bruce

Thank you for your great wisdom and fun spirit, this final camp has really been the greats of the greats.   Congratulations on your 13 000 hrs!" Myke with a Y

"Bruce---

I feel truly lucky to have done this trails course with you.  It’s easy to see why you are such a legend in this industry.  I learned a lot and laughed even more.  Congratulations on 13000 hours. An incredible accomplishment full of incredible memories and encounters in the bush I’m sure, as well as scratches, scrapes and ticks!  Hope to cross paths once again someday! Til then, best of luck and on to 14000!" Mujon Baghai

"Meeting you was the best dangerous game encounter there was. Its been a pleasure to go on walks with you and learn from you. Congratulations on your 13 000 hours! I will see you in Feb." Sirah Shaikh

"Awesome walk Bruce! Good luck with the next 13,000 and keep that chin above the bar.  Thanks for everything." Shelley

"Congrats Bruce! Very well done! Thanks so much for everything and really awesome to meet you." Elizabeth Bruce

"From 1 bat to another, what a great achievement. So honored to have been part of the walk. Here I thought Ironman took a lot, well done! Kudos Brother." Gary Ray

"Yess Oom Bruce

Baie dankie vir al swat oom vir ons, en meer specific vir my als gedoen het, dit beteken baie vir my, did nie altyd wat mens “n 2de of (haha) “n 3rde kans kry nie. Dit was vir my “n groot vooreg gewees om tyd saam met sulke kwaai awesome instructors te deel." Phillip Snyman  # BMW GS

"It’s unbelievable to think that I get to write this on your 13000 hour milestone as a colleague here in Makuleke.  Thanks for the inspiration back in 2012 on a Wilderness Trails Skills Course and continued mentorship.  To many more!"  Andreas Fox

"Dear Bruce

I would just like to say thank you for everything you have taught me.  You are such an incredible man and you have achieved so much greatness in life.  You are definitely leaving a major positive mark on nature and people. May you continue to preserve the world and teach people how to appreciate the bush and animals and be forever happy.  Kind regards.    Sarah Brown

Congratulations Bruce.  It’s not everyday you get to walk with someone that hits 13,000 hours in the bush.  That is unless you’re a Makuleke back-up, so I’d like to say a big thank you for letting me be a part of it." Ollie

"Bruce! Congratulations! It has been an honor to be here and to have walked with you.  Thank you for the opportunity, knowledge and fun! Kudos."  Tanith

"Legs!!  It has been a lot of fun walking the game paths of Makuleke with you, especially looking at all the birds and ignoring the stampeding buffalo.  I’ve learnt a lot and am sure 13,000hrs have taught you a lot too.  Keep up the good work. Very best>"  Jake

"Thanks for the opportunity to be here.  Can’t ask for a better role model in life.  Well done on the 13,000hrs. Hope there is a lot more! Can’t wait to learn more form you and hopefully get fit with you.  Thanks for everything so far, looking forward. #Death before Thanks Giving#  (It’s a horrible  workout)." Renoux

"Congrats Bruce!! Inspirational to all guides, thanks for setting us off in the right direction and imparting your wisdom and experience with us! To many more hours!  I’ll be your back-up one day!" Michael Kirby 

Safari Guide Walkabout in the Makuleke Consession

As part of the EcoTraining courses the students go out on regular activities in the reserves. As a result of these activities they have numerous exciting encounters. Rhodes Bezuidenhout shares his experience.

"With our light lunch a thing of the past, the Group, armed with notebooks and the all-important sundowner cooler box, made their way to the car park to embus on the vehicle for the afternoon activity. The objective of the afternoon being to walk the Hlangaluwe Pan area, revising details of the characteristics of the trees and tracks that we had already covered thus far on the course and to introduce new examples as we came across them, while also obviously looking to enjoy a beautiful area of the Concession! Little did we realise that the planned revision would ultimately take a back seat on this walk!!

Driving down Middle Road the floodplains of the Limpopo River were indeed alive with plains game and birds. Buffalo, Kudu and Zebra were in abundance while Impala lambs were becoming more visible after joining the herds and forming their protective nurseries.

Young Impala on Middle Road, Makuleke Consession.
Photo: Gert Letterman

Birdlife, at this time of the year, is indeed abundant in the area with the majority of the avian migrants already having arrived for the summer. The characteristic shrill cry of the Woodlands Kingfisher reverberated over the growl of the diesel engine to confirm his own arrival while Violet Backed Starlings and European Bee Eaters kept us company as we headed for the Hlangaluwe Pan

Reaching our jump-off point, we parked next to a fallen young Baobab, conducted the safety brief then walked northwards over the small crest to link up with the paths that would ultimately lead us to the Pan. We stopped to review the characteristics of the Acacia Knob Thorn and the Apple Leaf trees on our way to the small ridge that overlooks Palm Vlei just to the west of Hlangaluwe. The view from this vantage point is always inspiring with the Fever Tree forest to the left and the Hlangaluwe kopje to the right on the far bank of the pan. All appeared quiet as we made our way eastwards past the large Baobabs to come in behind the ridge overlooking the pan.

The group look to identify tracks whilte Tahina can be seen in the background monitoring the Elephant Bull emerging from the Fever Tree Forest. Photo: Gert Letterman

We stopped to identify some tracks on the way but while doing so Tahina, my back-up guide for the walk, indicated an Elephant Bull emerging from the Fever Tree Forest into Palm Vlei, the area that we had just been viewing from the ridge. As the Group gathered together to watch, the Bull made his way slowly out of the forest and into the Lala Palm thickets.

Bearing in mind the time of day, the Bull was undoubtedly heading to the pan to drink, presenting us with a great opportunity for a wonderful encounter.

Tahina and I quickly moved the Group to the top of the ridge overlooking the pan which had a commanding view of the area. Leaving Tahina with the Group, I descended to the raised bank of the pan looking for the best possible position and while doing so, observed a second Bull emerge from the Fever Trees!

Indeed, by the time I had found a suitable site and signalled for the Group to join me, I counted 5 Elephant now making their way towards us and the pan across Palm Vlei.

With the Elephants appearing in no hurry to get to the water at this stage, I took the opportunity to quietly brief the Group on keeping movement and noise to a minimum as, if the Elephants came down to drink where I thought they would, it was likely that would be no more than 30 metres from us across the water! I requested everybody to sit down at the edge of the elevated bank taking up comfortable positions, flashes of cameras off and to be patient as things developed.

The group seated on the bank waiting for the Bulls to reach the water. Photo: Gert Letterman

I was glad to see Tahina taking up a position on the far end of the Group to give both of us a clear view of the area!

Finally the first Bull slowly made his down through the plains grassland to the water opposite us, very close, the Group very quiet!!

With further Elephant emerging from the Fever Trees to our left, very soon we had three Bulls at the water’s edge dipping their trunks into the water! Cameras then whirred and clicked seemingly so loud in the silence of the late afternoon that I thought the noise would disturb the Bulls! The faces of the Group were indeed a picture watching in some amazement as the Elephants sucked up the water into their trunks then hosed it into their mouths.

The first Bull makes his way down to the water's edge. Photo: Hans-Jurgens Keck

The Bulls commence to drink, an amazing sight, so close! Photo: Hans-Jurgen Keck

A big Bull then joined the trio at the water, jostling his way in between them as to show his dominance before he too commenced drinking. In no time at all we had all eight Elephant drinking in front of us, so close you could hear the breaths being taken by the animals between slurps of water!

Two of the Bulls then decided to have a test of strength and played out a mock battle, forehead to forehead, trunks wrapped around heads and tusks rasping together as they engaged and pushed against each other! Soon a second duo were also duelling, one standing in the water! Very special!!

Two sets of Bulls in mock fights! Photo: Hans-Jurgens Keck

We were indeed very privileged to be able to witness this very important daily ritual of watering at such close, but safe, quarters. The problem was that more and more Elephant were now seen to be emerging from the Fever Trees including cows and calves! A breeding herd!

By this time, we had spent a good 20 minutes with the Elephants at the pan and with the sun now threatening the horizon and the new arrivals beckoning, it was definitely time not to overstay our welcome! I managed to send a silent message to the Group to pay attention, then signalling Tahina at the far end to slowly rise and back out down a path away from the bank. As she managed to do so without disturbing the Elephant at the water, I signalled for the next person to do the same and to join her, repeating the process one by one to minimize movement and noise.

Kurt, on the right, makes his way out of the sighting, with me following close behind, the Bulls being left undisturbed in the background. Photo: Gert Letterman

The extraction went off without a hitch and as the last out, I glanced back to ensure that the Elephant were still comfortably engaged at the water’s edge noticing that their numbers were increasing all the time in the fading light! Definitely the right decision to leave!!

Reforming silently, I led the Group back up the ridge to our original entry point and then over the crest, where everybody quietly but animatedly exchanged individual experiences!

With so many Elephant now in the area, but not in view behind the ridge, I wanted to ensure our path back to the vehicle was clear and as such needed to see the status of the herd. Heading west until reaching the edge of the ridge, I took the Group up to the crest once more for a final view with the advantage of height .Palm Vlei was indeed alive with Elephant, most were still heading down to the water but with some drifting towards us threatening our route to the vehicle. I gave the Group a limited time on this sighting before deciding to take a direct route back to the road then following that back to the vehicle to avoid any encounter in the thick Mopane trees between the pan and the road.

The group makes its way down the ridge back to the vehicle as the light fades. Photo: Gert Letterman

In the fast diminishing light, we reached the vehicle with no problems and drove a short distance to the Palm Vlei look-out for sundowners.

While breaking open the cooler box and distributing drinks into satisfied hands, most of the elephant had by this time reached the water at the pan, now out of our sight to the east, with only a small herd to our front. Buffalo and Zebra were also visible to our right in the Lala Palm thickets.

Well-deserved sundowners after a memorable encounter, not to be forgotten! Photo: Hans-Jurgen Keck

An amazing afternoon spent in a beautiful area, a real privilege to have been part of a great sighting."

 

Rhodes Bezuidenhout

Instructor

EcoTraining, Makuleke Concession

Kruger National Park  

A day full of surprises at Mashatu

Mashatu Game Reserve is home to the Mapungubwe rock, also known as Leeukop. It is believed that local Botswana chiefs were buried on this rock and that they are related to Botswana’s President. No one is allowed to climb this rock unless you ask permission from the President.

Okwa (Assistant instructor at Mashatu camp) “We were on our way to collect the students who was about to start the Safari Guide course at our Mashatu camp, when we witnessed a leopard on the road close to Mapungubwe rock also known as Leeukop rock.  This was only the beginning of sighting about to follow.

The following morning we left camp for a walk. As we started walking we heard vervet monkeys alarming. We decided to use the game drive vehicle instead of walking so that we can investigate what caused the alarm. At first we did not come across anything, and then we decided to start walking again. Not even 5 minutes later we found fresh leopard tracks on the ground and followed the tracks for about an hour before it disappeared into thick bushes and had to give up on the search.

We then went onto a ridge where we saw some elephants and decided to approach them. Everything was in our favour, from the wind to the escape route. We came as close as 100m from the elephants and enjoyed the sighting of a breeding herd from a distance.

Thereafter we heard rock hyrax alarming on Mapungubwe ridge. It could have been either be an eagle or a predator, so we went investigating. As we walked around the corner one of the students noticed the tail of a leopard, approximately 70m from us. We backed away to a safe distance where the students could admire and take photos of this magnificent animal.

This was an amazing sighting for all of us. It was an eventful day filled with great encounters “.

Just another day in the Makuleke Camp

It is getting hot, summer is close

Woke in the wee hours to what sounded like an alarm, presumably someone had set their time a little wrong.  However it was nice to just lay in bed and start to hear the day walking up.

A chorus of hyena calls and whoops, then the faint call of a Three Banded Courser to the eventual frantic morning call of the francolins.

Baboons sound their morning exit ritual, and start their day.  Often dispersing early to come back later in the day and wander around camp.

Wake-up drums is now 5am, with duty team starting much earlier than that in the kitchen, so the nature sounds are then interspersed with the filling of a kettle, cupboards opening and closing, chatter, which is not quite as quiet as what the girls think J

It is already light, and I walk down to the deck to see the huge fireball just rising in the east – another hot day on the way.

It is still quiet in camp, just about everyone has left for morning activity and the ladies are yet to start work.   It is the best time of the day.

A cup of tea, drinks reconciliation and then to work.  The birds are all calling, flitting around.

I have an Ashy Flycatcher nesting in the hinge of the satellite dish – has done this for the past few years, however at the moment, I think he/she is just pretending, as he only comes every few days, perhaps checking that the spot is still all good.  But eventually I will see both of them flying around and then getting serious about having chicks.

I have only once seen a chick emerge and it was a frantic flight to find something safe, a branch on the cucumber bush outside the rear of the kitchen.  I didn’t see the chick again after that, so not sure if it survived or not.

An active weaver nest hangs from the Acacia tortilis above the pathway to the office and staff area, clearly assuming it is a safe spot from predators. 

Impala, Nyala all come and wander around camp – not disturbed by anyone.

The sun slowly creeps up, sunlight filtering through the trees, lighting up the camp

The quiet of the morning only lasts for a short time, with staff commencing their daily duties, radio chatter and eventual return of students for a well earned breakfast.

Afternoons usually bring in lots more impala, nyala, with the impala especially being relatively at ease with people walking around.

This day, I was working in the office and Steve (instructor) walked past and said ‘just so you know, there is a big bull ele down the end of camp’.

I asked if it was Dave and he wasn’t sure.  I then asked if he had one floppy ear and 1 tusk and he confirmed it was in fact ‘Dave’.

I took a stroll down to the study deck and Alan (instructor) was standing with 3 students on the pathway between the Study Deck and Tent 1.  Dave was feeding on bushes close to tent 8, but in the inner circle of camp.

Dave fed for a while and then squeezed himself through a gap and started ambling towards tent 1.

There is a tree that had been previously nudged by ele’s that is now continuing to grow at an angle and effectively hangs over the path.  Just high enough that we don’t hit our heads on, but clearly at a nice height and angle to be used as a great elephant scratching pole.

Dave walked towards it and placed his trunk over the tree trunk and started to rub it up and down, clearly enjoying it immensely.   From there, he then stepped over the lower part of the tree and started to roll backwards and forwards, to rub his underbelly.   Again, you could imagine how good that might have felt.

During this time, the students were still standing with Alan on the pathway.    Dave then started to again, squeeze himself between trees to come closer, but this was the point where Alan got everyone to slowly back-off, towards the study deck steps.    Dave then proceeded to amble to the deck, down the side, to his favourite branches to again start feeding.

Everyone was now up on the study deck, with great views of this giant of an elephant, peacefully feeding less than 2 metres from the study deck.

Eventually, he wandered off, feeding along the way, leaving a trail of broken branches over the pathway and left camp.  Max (new back-up) was left to tidy up the pathway.

Excitement over, I headed back to my office, and within 15 minutes, our other friendly visitor, the Rock Monitor came walking by.  He is a constant in the camp and over the years has grown quite massive.   He often scares students as he enjoys it under the tents and just happens to come out as they are coming down stairs or on the pathways.  We did see 2 in camp for a while, obviously male and female, with the male doing lots of chasing in the nyala tree by the deck, but of late it seems to be just this big fellow.

Late afternoons, with the sun setting, the baboons start to plan their evenings rest, often with a lot of chatter and discipline.   A calmness creeps over camp as the last light fades, campfire is lit, solar lanterns throwing a gentle light over the set dinner tables and study deck.

I retreat to my deck and relax in the cooler air, and catch up on a couple of pages of my book until the drums talk for dinner.

Writer: Dee Lawson

Elephant Armageddon

 A Blog post by Ben Coley

"I fell asleep at a reasonable hour listening to the rhythmical songs of the fiery-necked nightjars and the distant booming call of a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl.  Somewhere far in the distance I heard a branch break as it succumbed to the devastating force of its elephantine assailant; but other than that, the bush’s gentle nocturnal lullaby was more than enough to send me into a deep sleep.

I woke with a start at about 11.30pm.  The moonlit night sky was no longer visible through my tent’s mesh:  cloud-cover I mused?  Perhaps it was a clap of thunder that had disturbed my slumber?  As I strained my sleep filled eyes, the moonlight suddenly started to appear once again… It was only then that I realised that it was the silhouette of an elephant bull that filled my window!  He then set about systematically removing large areas of bush from beside my tent with less than delicate aplomb.  The silent night provided perfect amplification for his activities and the cracks of the protesting branches sounded like gunshots going off next to my head!  More noise filtered through to my now more alert brain and I realised that our friendly behemoths from 2 days ago has decided to pay us another visit! 

My first thought was the water pipe outside my room.  It had recently been fixed and had yet to be buried beneath the soil.  Elephants have a penchant for fresh water and I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would snap the pipe like a matchstick to quench his considerable thirst.  Sure enough, minutes later I heard a pop and the gushing of water, followed by what can only be described as someone guzzling a drink through a massive straw!  Water is Africa’s most precious resource.  It is the life blood that supports the wealth of plant and animal life that we as bush-folk hold so dear and I knew that I had to stem the flow when the opportunity arose.  I clambered out of bed, armed only with my headtorch and watched the carnage through the mesh until the satiated colossus silently strode up my path and away from his destruction.  Thankfully, the mains tap was close to my tent so I was able to tip-toe my way 30m or so through the darkness and conserve our vital elixir.

The chaos continued throughout the night and sleep was hard to come by.  Normally elephants feed in an area and move on but perhaps EcoTraining’s famed hospitality was too enticing and our guests were still in the camp at 5.30am when I, and the somewhat shaken-up and bleary-eyed students emerged from our tents.  Ironically, only a few nights ago I was telling them that camp visitors are common, despite the fact that that they had been scarce of late!

We surveyed the devastation together, keeping a watchful eye on the 2 perpetrators as they continued to feed close-by, oblivious to the disturbance that they had caused.  One tree blocked our path to the fire place, another had narrowly missed the EcoTraining sign and yet another tree had been uprooted right next to tent 7.  Beatriz and Rosie were the unfortunate inhabitants as they told of their sleepless night!  The pathways were littered with foliage and branches where the table manners of our gargantuan visitors seemed to have deserted them.  We stepped carefully through the carnage, avoiding regular calling cards the size of bowling balls as we all recounted our own experiences of the chaotic night.  Finally the bulls moved on, satisfied that they had left their mark on Karongwe camp.  I couldn’t help but spare a thought for the remaining vegetation, wondering of their thoughts for their fallen comrades.

Considering their destructive capabilities, no structural damage had been sustained, and more importantly, with the exception of sleep deprivation, none of the camp guests had been harmed.  The elephants knew we were here; they would have been able to smell us and hear us shifting uncomfortably in our beds as they cut a swathe through our little oasis, but yet they continued about their nocturnal activities regardless.  It was an ultimate example of how man and beast can live together in harmony, and yet another memorable African experience for the Safari Guide course of August 2014!"

 

EcoTraining Selati - Sable Breeding Camp Trip

The students at Selati were given the opportunity to visit the sable breeding farm in the far north of the reserve.  The diversity of the course offered by EcoTraining is such that students are exposed to not only fascinating facts about the bush, but also how conservation management fits into the equation.  Sable are one of the rarest antelope to be found in southern Africa and their value is such that entire reserves are able to exist through their sales and breeding.  Selati is one of those areas and the 33,000 hectares are fully funded, not by commercial lodges, but exclusively through the funds generated by Sable breeding project.

We were met by the farm manager Hannes, a former guide who started with almost no knowledge about breeding Sable, but after 7 years of hard work is now one of the pioneers into Sable breeding and is the man responsible for generating the funds that allow Selati to prosper.  Hannes’ enthusiasm and love of sable is evident and he gave the students a detailed lesson in how they are bred and generate the income through the programme, as well as insightful information about the behaviour of this stunning animal.  The students were fascinated by the process and Hannes was subjected to a barrage of questions about the various processes!

After a couple of hours, we stopped for a packed breakfast in the bush before heading back to camp.  On the way, we stopped off at the largest baobab tree on the Selati reserve and received a quick lesson on this magnificent tree.  Although not as big as some specimens, for many it was their first time to see the fabled behemoth and all delighted in the experience.  The road back to camp was peppered with elephant damage and much energy was expended as the students discovered the delights of working in an area that comes complete with its own set of landscape gardeners!  Quite why the elephants seem to revel in felling trees across roads was beyond us, but we all enjoyed a bit of physical labour after to get the blood pumping!

PROFESSIONAL FIELD GUIDE COURSE: Testimony that you’ll have the time of your life!

The time is NOW to make that jump into an adventure of epic proportions. EcoTraining’s professional field guide course will change your life and put you on a path sure to be more exciting than you can ever imagine.

The next one is about to start, in September, and for a limited period of time being offered at a special rate. Email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za and make sure that you are among the lucky ones!

Like Marc Lindsay Rea, who says he’s now living the dream, thanks in part to EcoTraining who has put him in a very privilege position indeed.

Here is his story, enjoy, and be prepared to book your place afterwards…

“When I was 11 my father went on a business trip to Phinda Private game reserve and returned home with a brochure of CC Africa. I was amazed by the images… From that day on I knew I wanted to work in the bush and become a ranger. 

So it was a natural choice for me to do a game ranging and lodge management diploma after school, which I passed with an overall distinction. During my diploma course I did two EcoTraining courses, at Selati and Makuleke. This was the first time I had actually spent a solid amount of time in the bush doing training. It was brilliant.

After my course and practical experiences at EcoTraining, I approached AndBeyond and passed their selection phase and relevant training and was offered a job at Madikwe Safari Lodge. Since starting my guiding career in early in 2006, I steadily climbed the ranks becoming a senior ranger, mentor, assistant head ranger and was then appointed as head ranger in October 2008.

For most of 2011 I spent my time working in Namibia at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. I also spent time working in Botswana at Nxabega and Sandibe lodge in the Okavango delta for AndBeyond.

In 2012 whilst working as a ranger and a specialist guide at Phinda Game Reserve I was nominated by my peers to compete in the Safari Guide of the year 2012. I made it into the top eight rangers in the country and in the finals I won two out of the six categories we were all being assessed on.

I have completed my FGASA Level 3 and have also got my Level 2 trackers qualification. In addition I’ve got a full trails guide walking qualification with hundreds of hours of walking experience and dangerous game encounters on foot. This is one of my favourite ways of experiencing the bush and encourage all my guests to come tracking big game on foot with me.

After the competition Africa Direct noticed me and my skills in the bush and offered me a position to become a private, specialist guide in their company. I now get to travel all over Africa with my guests and am at the pinnacle of my guiding career.

I thank and appreciate everybody and every company that has put in many long hours to help get me to the position I am at now. Thank you!

In addition to the bush I have a massive passion for wildlife photography. I have been placed first and third in two international competitions: Africa Geographic / Canon Field Guides Competition and Wildside Nikon All Africa Competition respectively.

I have travelled to a large number of countries around the globe but nothing compares to the excitement of travelling Africa. I am very serious birder and am called a twitcher by many of my friends. Because of my love for birding I have explored the remotest parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia looking for all the special rarities.

In 2009 I founded a small non-profit organisation with the help of my work colleagues and some guests to support the Matetsi Community along the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. We helped 150 people for 3 years supplying them with vegetable seeds, clothing, toiletries and fishing equipment to try make living a little easier over that difficult time in the country.

I have such a thirst for acquiring knowledge about wildlife and nature from around the world and I am lucky to have the privilege to guide guests through these exciting places.”

(Thanks for sharing Marc!)