Volume 21

Volume - 21

The Silent Giant of the Kwando

And after the thunder of guns...

Fishing for Steenbra Fighting a steam train in Namibia

Can Green hunting save our Rhinos?

How hunting helps preserve Rhinos

HUNTING I FISHING I ADVENTURES I CONSERVATION I DESTINATIONS

Engine 800cc Alteco Chery Efi 12 valve DOHC Gears 5sp Manual with reverse and crawl gear 4x4 Manual selection 2WD/4WD Lockers Diff locks front, rear and center Brakes Hydraulic discs front and rear Suspension Independent front and rear Weight 530kg dry Fuel 7.3l/ 100km Clearance 285mm Oa size 3130x1640x1530 Towbar Standard Tyres Front 26*9-14 Rear 26*11-14

Contact Ben 083 274 7390

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2 Cyl DiD 442cc Lombardini diesel 20Nm@1800rpm Front wheel drive CVT Auto Transmission Independent suspension Roto moulded monocoque high strength polythylene body Minimalist, two simple washable seats, sliding windows GVM 394kg Fuel consumption 3.22l/ 100km

ed v o pr

www.toyscom.co.za

340cc 4 Stroke OHC Lombardini petrol Automatic CVT with reverse Front and rear off-road tyres Roto moulded monocoque high strength polyethylene body Two padded seats with sidebars and head restraints GVM 220kg Fuel consumption 3.92l/ 100km

Reinhard 071 641 6986

Bradley Matthysen: 071 603 2677 Redge Grant: 082 378 0539 Orders: 071 493 0020 800 Wekker Street, Moreleta Park, Pretoria East redge@archersedge.co.za www.archersedge.co.za

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Open: Mon - Fri: 09:00 - 17:30 Sat: 09:00 - 15:00

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Editors Letter Events Recipe: Tuna with a mango salsa

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Featured species

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Bat-Eared Fox Honeycomb Moray Eel Saddle-billed Stork Long-tail cassia

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Hunting

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The Silent Giant Kwando A Bow by any other Name

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FIshing

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Jerkbait Fishing 101 Fishing for steenbra in Namibia

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Adventures

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The bigger picture 3 Dogs & warm beer

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cONSERVATION

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Can Green hunting save our Rhinos?

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dESTINATIONS

Regulars

Contents

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Travel & Stay

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Editors Letter

The last couple of days was filled with controversy surrounding the black rhino sold at the Dallas Safari Club’s auction. The aimed at raising $1000 000 for conservation but the rhino sold for $350 000. This is a sensitive issue and the individual who bought the hunt is currently under protection from the CIA with many activist threatening to kill him.

I would like to know your thoughts on this matter and invite you to share it with me.

January also had some ups with rangers at the Kruger killing and arresting quite a few poachers and Sanparks exposing and arresting one of their employees for illegal hunting. I also had great feedback from people who visited our national parks on how proactive rhino anti-poaching has become.

This edition is packed full of great reads and amazing products on offer. Join Louis Kleynhans as he shares the truth behind being a travelling journalist and for the lucky ones who’ll be visiting Namibia in the near future can learn to effectively target Steenbra.

Perhaps you would like to take up a new form of hunting? On page 16 Engee shares his take after putting a crossbow through a field test.

Enjoy nature and this edition.

I go fishing not to find myself , but to loose myself.

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Johan Viljoen

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Mojet 300 Winchester MH ARMS breek rekords met hul Mojet 300 Winchester short magnum (wsm). Die WSM is van die nuwe generasie Kalibers wat besig is om n groot persentasie van die mark segment in te neem. Weens die moderne dop ontwerp verleen ike akkuraatheid.

Soos baie jagters wat self herlaai reeds ervaar, is die beskikbaarheid van doppe en punte vir sommige kalibers soms n probleem maar weens die 30 kaliber wat ‘n algemene en gewilde kaliber is vind ons nie die probleem nie.

Mojet 300 WSM kan volgens kliënte se persoonlike behoeftes gebou word, hoewel meeste van ons gurasie maak dit moontlik om vanaf 155 grein punte tot 210 grein punte akkuraat te skiet.

Wat meer wil jy he? ‘n Geweer wat geskik is vir kort sowel as lang afstand jag. Ons resultate van gurasies spog met afstande van 1 000 meter. Let wel ammunisie speel ‘n baie belangrike rol. Besoek gerus ons web tuiste vir fotos van kliente se groepeering.

Die 300 WSM kan op verskeie kolwe gebou word afhangende van jou tipe jag omstandighede.

Alle meganismes is CNC vervaardig en waarborg ons akkuraatheid van ons gewere. Rond jou geweer af met n alluminium cnc gemajieneerde knaldemper en jy het ‘n erf stuk sowel as ‘n geweer wat ‘n “all rounder” is.

Kantoor ure Maandae tot Vrydae 8 tot 5 nm Besoeke slegs op afspraak asb Weens swak opvangs sms gerus.

Saterdae sal gesluit wees en slegs op afspraak versoeke 6 www.africanadventures.co.za toegestaan word.Vol 21 2014

076 302 3625 www.mharms.co.za

hunting

The Silent Giant of the Kwando

Jofie Lamprecht

“And after the thunder of guns, I saw the deadly giant beast humbled and heaped whilst solemn faces stared out from under the shadow of wide-brimmed hats.”

- Unknown Author On day 18 of a three-week hunt, hazy smoke floated across the river from Zambia as we drove the two-track road in the Kwando Conservancy of Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. The big tom leopard had not returned, and our hopes, as well as our rear ends, had been wellworn by the antics of that astute feline. Still, we had taken a huge hippo and a widebossed buffalo, and still we were after the pinnacle of African hunting.

The red sun, well above the horizon, blazed down as we stopped to relieve ourselves and for Karl to puff on a cigarette. On his seventh safari with me, Karl, 75 years old despite his pitch-black hair, stood and gazed around him, mesmerized once again by Africa. “What a beautiful place,” he said in his slow, steady voice. Below us rushed the swollen waters of the Kwando, at a 24-year high.

The cigarette extinguished, we resumed our patrol, keeping a careful eye on the ground ahead. It had been a long, hard hunt already, and our hopes were looking more and more like a dream. Normally at this time of year one might see three hundred elephants before breakfast, but now there was water everywhere and no need for them to gather at the river. We cut tracks daily, but not in the usual numbers or variety of sizes, and everyone in our hunting party was secretly beginning to suspect that, failing a miracle, this safari would end without its primary trophy. But the vigil continued, always looking for those huge round indentations that accelerated our pulses. An hour and a half later, traveling

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hunting from north to south, we arrived at our boundary, where hunting concession abuts Mundumu national park. All fell silent as the vehicle came to a halt. Before us, miraculously, was the trail of an elephant bull that had exited the park and swung onto our road. He had a good track - not huge, but worth following. Everyone gathered their gear. We left the Land Cruiser and set off at a brisk pace to see about this bull. The temperature began to climb higher, with the air thick with humidity and the smoke of bushfires. The track left the road, fortunately to the north, into the hunting area and away from the park. The bull’s hind feet left impressions twenty-three inches in diameter. He was easy to follow, but for us walking in the soft ground was laborious.

Several miles later, my tracker’s pointing finger brought the team to a halt. Feeding in the distance was the maker of the indentations that we’d been following. His wide, sunken temples, thick trunk and overall condition indicated an old bull. I’d been taught to take only the oldest of tuskers, the post-productive males who have already left behind their genes for my sons to hunt. And then Humphrey, the tracker, gently slapped his thigh and grabbed it with both hands, confirming my initial thought: thick ivory - very thick. The bull’s stubby right tusk stood out only about two feet. Its blunt, worn tip, stained black with the sap of untold felled trees, confirmed his age. “Karl, that’s your bull!” I whispered in excitement.

We re-checked our rifles and laid down any unnecessary gear and advanced on the colossus before us.

A few tall trees dotted this otherwise open area.

The burned and black grass crackled beneath our feet as we took the wind in our faces and the sun on our backs. Everyone was breathing noticeably faster, even at our reduced pace, as we single-filed in behind an enormous termite mound, the only thing between the elephant and us. As we peered around it, a creaking, cracking noise arose. The bull had his forehead against an enormous knob-thorn tree and was rhythmically rocking it back and forth. The ancient tree crashed to the ground with a deafening sound and an impact we felt through the soles of our shoes.

With evident satisfaction, the bull delicately began to pick blossoms from the fallen 8

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hunting branches, with his right side toward us and the thick, short tusk protruding proudly. No shot here, with the fallen tree now in the way - we needed the other side of the termite mound. The rich smell of the uprooted soil mixed with the musky tang of elephant in our nostrils as we carefully changed positions to look for a clear shot.

Seemingly at arm’s length, the statuesque creature fed intently. Karl was now propped against a tree, at the ready, with me on the other side of the trunk trying to keep him calm.

Then the bull pivoted and showed us his left side. That yellow-brown tusk made us all go wide-eyed and dry-mouthed. At least four feet of thick, worn ivory jutted from his lip.

It became eerily quiet. The years of preparation for this moment took over and a deep calm settled over me. My mentor’s instructions, the books and stories all fell into place. We would take the safer shoulder shot for Karl’s - and my - first elephant. The first shot played out in slow motion. I could smell the powder burn, but there was no sound. And then the bull crashed to earth just 20 paces away.

The dust settled. Handshakes all around. As a low, dull ringing of several shots echoed in the base of my skull, the enormity of what lay before us became apparent. In the hunter’s reflection, we looked upon the prize that lay before us with utmost joy and distinct remorse.

Some years have passed since this day, and each time I see Karl - at a hunting show, a dinner, my wedding in Texas, or in the hunting fields of Africa - we share a quiet moment

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hunting as we greet. Through this elephant, we have a lifelong bond. That ivory, by the fireplace in Karl’s home, fills the room with many memories. The tusks each had a diameter exceeding 18 inches. The bull’s left tusk, 6’2” long, weighed 75 pounds. The right tusk, 4’6” long and 55 pounds. This is Karl’s prize trophy, the lifelong dream that holds the place of honour and the first story told when new guests arrive.

Karl Pedroni and Tom Aitchison have booked safaris with Jofie and Monica for 2010, 2011 and 2012 and are planning future safaris. Tom and Karl have walked a long road with Jofie on eight safaris so for, and for all of the Big Five in the wild places of Africa. There are many stories.

About my mentors: I have had the distinct pleasure of spending time with some of the most famous elephant hunters of modern hunting, all but one calling Namibia home. Volker Grellmann, the “grandfather” of hunting in Namibia. Kai-Uwe Denker, the 100 pound title holder, and most dedicated hard working ethical hunter I will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Koos Pienaar, the quiet and reserved hunter, hard working, with a masterful silent knowledge of tracking and intimate knowledge of the quiet places of Africa. Ryan Wienand of Tanzania, for giving me my first taste that is becoming a lifelong passion. And last, but not least, my father, Joof Lamprecht – sharing tales of ivory hunting in Angola and Namibia were my bed time stories as a child. Thanks to you all.

hunting hunting

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Featured species

Bat-E

a re d F o x

Otocyon megalotis

www.theanimalfiles.com

Main Characteristics Bat-Eared Foxes have a body length between 46 and 66 cms , a tail length between 23 and 34 cms and they weigh between 2 and 4.5 kgs.

As their name suggests they have huge, wide ears that can be up to 12 cms in length. Their face is small and they have a short, pointed muzzle. Their coat is tawny to grey in colour with dark legs, ears, muzzle and mask around their eyes.

Up to 80% of their diet consists of insects and their teeth have adapted to suit this lifestyle.

Their teeth are small and they have up to 8 extra molars to grind the hard casings of the insects which they eat. This brings their total number of teeth to 48, which is more than any other non-marsupial mammal.

Bat-Eared Foxes are mainly nocturnal but sometimes they are diurnal. This varies depending on their location and the season.

Habitat Bat-Eared Foxes are found in the grasslands and savannahs of east and southern Africa.

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Featured Featuredspecies species They live in pairs or small family groups and they inhabit dens that have several entrances, chambers and several meters of tunnels.

The population in east Africa have home ranges of 0.25 - 1.5 kms² that they mark with urine. In southern Africa home ranges extensively overlap and they are not marked.

Diet Bat-Eared Foxes mainly feed upon insects, such as termites and grasshoppers, but they also eat birds, eggs, rodents and lizards.

Breeding Bat-Eared Foxes breed between September and November and both parents take part in rearing their young. After a gestation period of 60 - 70 days, 2 - 5 young are born in a den.

At 9 days old they open their eyes and when they reach 17 days old they begin to venture from the den.

At 1 month old weaning begins but they may continue to suckle from their mother until they are 3 - 4 months old.

By the time they are 5 - 6 months old the youngsters are fully grown and they reach sexual maturity at 9 months old.

When they reach maturity most of the young foxes leave but some females remain with their natal group.

Predators Predators of Bat-Eared Foxes include humans, jackals and birds of prey.

Subspecies Subspecies of Bat-Eared Foxes include: Otocyon megalotis megalotis, Otocyon megalotis virgatus, Otocyon megalotis canescens Interesting Facts The Bat-Eared Fox is the only species in the genus Otocyon.

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hunting

A Bow by any other Name Engee Potgieter A lot has been said and asked in regards to crossbows, their effectiveness and ultimately their place in archery and bowhunting in South Africa. Crossbows are viewed with the same amount of doubt and speculation today as the modern compound was a little more than a dozen years ago. The biggest problem, if I may call it that, is a general lack of knowledge on the subject. I get the feeling that all Crossbows, in all shapes, brands and sizes are lobbed into one box and labelled as speculate weapons that are not worth a second glance. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Over the past few months I have spent a considerable amount of time testing and hunting with a crossbow in order to see what they are capable of and whether there are any legitimate reasons not to use them. I had chosen to use an Excalibur Equinox crossbow in 225 pounds draw weight and with a 16 ½” power stroke and IBO of 350fps.

The entire Excalibur range of crossbows feature recurve limbs as opposed to the most other crossbow manufactures that use compound configurations. The reason for this is its superior accuracy according to Bill Troubridge, owner and founder of Excalibur. I can absolutely substantiate this; I could easily shoot 3inch groupings out to 40 yards from the prone position with broadhead tipped bolts and groupings smaller than a licence disk offhand. I have no doubt that in the hands of a more competent crossbow shooter the Excalibur could easily shoot those size groupings at 60yards. Over the years I have had the opportunity to shoot a few different brands of crossbows, from Horton’s to Ten Points and can honestly say that the Excalibur is head and shoulders above the rest, not only in regards to accuracy but also when considering how well the Excalibur is put together, how it handles and the devastating power it unleashes when launching an arrow. In the 16

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hunting time I used the Equinox I used three different arrows to see which combination would be best suited in regards to hunting accuracy and energy/penetration. One of the questions often asked is why crossbows have such high poundage as opposed to compound bows, the reason is that a crossbow needs to rely on more power/ poundage in order to compensate for the shorter power stroke on the arrow or bolt as it referred to. (A bows power stroke is the distance along which the arrow is pushed by the string, it starts at full draw and ends at brace height) For example, a bow with a 29” draw length and 7” brace height has a power stroke of 22” (29”draw – 7”brace = 22” power stroke), a good 8 ½” longer than with the Equinox. Now a compound bows power stroke does not have that much relevance these days as we have super fast and efficient bows, but when choosing a crossbow it becomes crucial as the longer the power stroke, the more efficient the crossbow will be, therefore you will often see manufacturers list each particular models power stroke together with its poundage, physical weight and IBO speed.

All tests were conducted with the same 20” Excalibur (Easton) Firebolts, Muzzy broadheads and fletched with 3 x 3” Fusion Vanes, arrow speed was obtained by the averaged result of three shots through a Beta Chrony at five paces.

• The first and lightest of the arrows came in at an average of 382gr and gave a speed of 326 feet per second which gives you about 90.16 pounds of kinetic energy.

• The second arrow came in at 433gr and gave an average of 313 feet per second which translates into 94.21 pounds of kinetic energy.

• The last and heaviest arrow, which is also my first choice

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hunting with the Equinox weighed an average of 554g and gave an average speed of 297 feet per second which gives an impressive 108.53 pounds of kinetic energy.

Now although these figures speak for themselves I must note that the heavier arrow is obviously the better choice, not only does a heavier arrow exponentially improve penetration but it also goes a long way in making the crossbow quieter, which is the only negative thing that I could find about the Equinox and all crossbows in general. They are loud. It is a small price to pay when considering that you have a weapon that can be used by each and every person in the family or hunting camp, a weapon that has the power and energy to constantly take even the biggest antelope in South Africa. It also needs to be said that Bill Troubridge has recently taken an Elephant bull with a single arrow using a 225# Excalibur crossbow, proving that when it comes to efficiency, the Excalibur range has more than enough power to down the biggest of land mammals, something few compound manufacturers can claim. This also brings me to a point I often refer to when discussing the hunting of any and all animals, regardless of the equipment, in order to ensure that you bring down your quarry quickly and cleanly you will need to make sure of shot placement, perfect shot placement trumps all other factors. It does not matter what bow, broadhead or arrow you are using.

I had the opportunity to test the Equinox on a number of different game animals in a host of different situations and distances and can honestly report that if you do your part as the hunter/shooter,

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that the crossbow will not let you down. Here are a few examples: the very first animal I had taken was a medium sized Warthog boar standing quartering away at 29 yards, I was using the 433g bolt and the shot entered about four inches behind the crease on the near shoulder, it exited right on the point of the far shoulder, breaking it before passing through. I found the arrow a couple of paces beyond where the pig had stood; the boar went less than 50 yards. Wanting to see in the field, what the penetrating capability of the Equinox was after my speed tests I sighted the crossbow in with the heavier 554gr arrows tipped with a two blade 200gr Muzzy Phantom, I waited until I got a sharp quartering towards, almost frontal shot on an Impala ewe at 31yards and placed the crosshairs right on the point of the shoulder. The shot broke cleanly and I saw the arrow kick up dust behind the ewe before she even moved, the arrow clipped the front shoulder, broke the spine and exited behind the far shoulder, dropping the Impala on the spot. I had also gotten a complete pass through on a perfectly broadside Blue Wildebeest cow at 46yards with a shot right on the shoulder using the 554gr bolts. I had so much confidence in the Excalibur’s capability to put arrow after arrow on the right spot that I even took it with me to hunt Guinea fowl, taking a bird squarely in the chest at 55yards.

One of the biggest factors that has me supporting crossbow hunting is that it enables a great number of people to also enjoy bow hunting, from the physically challenged to woman and children that simply do not have the strength to draw and shoot bows accurately enough to ensure an ethical kill. A crossbow is also a fantastic weapon to keep in the hunting camp permanently should any of the visiting clients experience any problems with their regular equipment on a hunt. There are endless options when choosing a crossbow and although there are “good” and “bad” brands, the crossbow as a whole has really come a long way since they first appeared on the scene. A friend once said that we need more hunters, not less and that is something I wholeheartedly agree with. With all the anti hunting organisations that are popping up like mushrooms we need more support for hunting, not less. As I have said above, in the hands of a competent and ethical hunter a crossbow promises to be just as lethal a weapon as any bow, compound or traditional and they certainly deserve their place in bow hunting society.

Be sure to visit the following websites for a whole host of articles, reviews and answers on crossbow hunting: www.crossbownation.com and www.excaliburcrossbow.com

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fishing

Jerkbait Fishing 101 Shannon Munn For the sake of this article I will only talk about hardbaits, soft plastic jerkbaits need an article all for themselves which I will do later.

A Jerkbait is essentially a long thin crankbait, but this is where most people make a mistake with them, they try to fish it like a crankbait. A Crankbait relies heavily on its natural side to side motion to induce fish strikes, whereas a Jerkbaits fish catching ability is a combination of lure design and a much larger portion of angler input. This is not to say that just throwing it out there and reeling it in will not catch fish, it will occasionally but not to the lures full ability.

The Retrieve A Jerkbait retrieve takes some getting used to, but once you’ve got it mastered you will be able to fine tune your retrieves for different models and conditions. As its name states a Jerkbait is “jerked” to impart action on the lure. A good retrieve to start with would be to use a “Jerk, Jerk, Pause” method.

Cast your lure out, make one or two turns of the handle to get it down slightly and then…. Are you paying attention…? Point the rod tip slightly towards the lure to put slack into the line and then snap the rod back and immediately move it forward again and snap it back, by now you will have a lot of slack line so you reel up the slack but not to the point of moving the lure and repeat the process. The time when you are reeling in the slack line is the pause time.

The snap can vary from a subtle twitch to a hard jerk that actually causes the line to make a snapping sound, let the fish tell you what they want The slack in the line before you snap the rod is very important, if there is no slack in the line the lure will just dart forward. With slack in the line the lure will dart forward and then veer off to the side, each time you snap the lure, the lure will veer off to the opposite side. It is this side to side action that catches the fish.

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That is the basic retrieve; once you have the hang of it you can then expand your retrieves by doing the following: Jerk, Jerk, Jerk, Pause, repeat.

Or Jerk, Jerk, Jerk, Pause, Jerk, Jerk, Pause, repeat.

Or Jerk, Jerk, Pause, Jerk, Pause, repeat.

With a floating version you can also slowly retrieve the lure on the surface leaving a nice wake behind it, this is often referred to as waking a bait.

You may ask what difference would an extra jerk do or the 3 – 2 jerk do, but I have definitely found that on certain days they like one retrieve better than the others. Let the fish tell you what they want on a day.

Rod Position You will need to hold your rod pointing down towards the water, learn to use your wrist to impart the action on your lure as using your whole arm will wear you out in a few minutes Seasons Although Jerkbaits are excellent late winter early spring baits they work all year round, you just need to change speed and aggression of the retrieve or model.

When the water is cold and the fish sluggish a fairly soft jerk with long pauses works well. When the water is warmer a more aggressive jerk with a shorter pause works better, but you will still need to experiment on the day depending on prevailing weather conditions.

Cold water also requires a suspending model whereas with warm water a suspending or floating version will work.

Where to fish the Jerkbait?

Jerkbaits generally only dive to about 5ft so people tend to only fish them in shallow water, but a Jerkbait has an incredible ability to pull fish up from deep water.

I have personally caught fish in 30ft of water using a lure that only dived to 5ft.

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fishing Try a jerkbait in the following areas: Weedlines – this is an obvious shallow water area Rocky cliffs and submerged trees – fish will often suspend near or around these areas. A jerkbait worked parallel to a cliff will pull these fish up to the lure.

Which Jerkbait This might get some people muttering, but I have fished with all of the following lures extensively, so these are my favourites in order of most favourite to least favourite.

1. Strike King Wild Shiner – Designed by KVD – in Suspending and floating 2. Storm Thunder Stick – 5” Shallow version 3. Rapala X-Rap 12cm 4. Rapala X-Rap 10cm (or is it 9cm) I only use this one when just trying to get a limit The Lucky Craft Jerkbaits are apparently brilliant as well but I can’t comment as I have never fished them.

My Favourite colour is without a doubt a Silver Black back with Baby Bass coming in second and silver with light green back for really clean water.

I am not a fan of bleeding bait hooks except for 2 types of lures, Jerkbaits and Topwater.

Water Clarity Stained to clear.

Tackle Spinning or Baitcasting.

I like 10lb line, but heavier line up to 17lb can be used.

Rod – I like a medium strength 7ft with fast action.

Conclusion Jerkbaits offer you an incredibly versatile tool that can often catch fish when other lures won’t and aside from this they normally catch much better than average fish as well. Go forth and Jerk!

AA

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fishing

Fishing for steenbra in Namibia Simen Andersen With the length and diversity of the Namibian coastline it is an essential to be able to read the water� so to speak. A lot of anglers make the mistake to do long and deep casts, when looking for Steenbra. The where to cast here is more of importance than the how far do you cast. Steenbra is at times caught just behind the first wavemeaning not more that 10m from the beach.

When fishing in gulley’s the best time is 2 hours before and after high tide. The water is then deeper and the wave action more to loosen food from the surrounding areas and wash this into these gullies. As the water will have less action in these gullies it is an ideal place for these fish to search for food.

Wading onto a sandbank at low tide will enable you to fish most of the time during the day, as to such a time you have to move to a gulley. The gulley is then between the beach and the sand bank on which you were standing. Now you are casting towards the sand bank.

Where there is a small drawback formed with a wave, which in turn forms a shallow bank is one of the favourite places for a Steenbra to feed.

When you encounter a sandbank which is in the process of being washed away you must know this an excellent place to fish, because as the water and wave action wash away the sand, it exposes crabs, white mussel, etc. All in all great food for a Steenbra.

Sandbanks, either in front or the back are places where they are to be found. The place I would consider the most frequented by this fish will definitely be in gully’s, regardless of this gully running parallel to the beach or going straight out to sea.

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fishing Other ideal will be the drop-off either to the right or left of sand banks. A rocky area where there is black mussel present is also one of their favourite feeding places.

Large schools of these fish congregate at certain times and areas during the year, but most of times you will have to do your bit to get one of these “steam trains” on the hook. There are places when doing your first cast, that the smaller Steenbra will actually be a nuisance.

Best advice here is to move either to the left or right of this area and see if you don’t find any larger ones there, or either move away from the place all together.

Method When fishing for these “steam trains” fish as light as possible, meaning not tackle wise but with a very slack mainline. Just enough to have a bit of pressure on the rod tip. A large

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fishing Steenbra does not like to feel any resistance on the bait as it usually just picks up the bait and takes off. Other times your line just goes slack all of a sudden DO NOT tighten the line, leave at as it is, the bait was picked up and the resistance of the sinker was felt, it will now leave it for a short time and then come back at it at speed.

Also your drag must be set close to zero, REMEMBER your goal is to first get the fish on the hook before you get it onto the beach. With the speed these old timers pick up the bait, you will either be too late, to loosen the drag, or he will open your hook, or break the line.

Your drag must be so loose that you should not be able to lift your rod (pullback) without the line playing out.

Once you feel the fish running you can then set the hook and tighten the drag. Again do not rush the fight by having a too tight drag. Steenbra’s are usually clean fighters, but very, very, potent fighters. It is not uncommon for these fish to fight themselves “belly up”. They will use wave action, sea streams, side washes all to their advantage. They are very strong swimmers and when they put their body’s broadside into a wave, they create massive resistance. A too tight a drag can make you lose a fish in no time. BEWARE- they tend to keep a bit of energy stashed to give it a last go right in front of your feet in the shallow water, be very careful of this, as this is the place where the hook gets pulled often.

Tackle and equipment Here I don’t want to get into brand names, as each angler has his preference. Any normal medium action rod combined with reel of your choice that you Line dia .35 to .45mm. A leader line of .6mm will do, as in most cases you will find the fish in sandy stretches of beach. Hooks ranging from a 5/0 to 6/0 short shank. With the hooks I suggest a good quality hook which does not bend or open easily. I would advise to use Fluorocarbon on the hook snood as these are skittish feeders. (.6 to .8mm).

Two types of traces are mostly used The first being the fixed trace-where the hook snood and the sinker line come tied together on a single swivel. The hook snoot being 350mm/400mm. The sinker line in both cases being 100mm longer.

Used more in a rocky bottom where, if the sinker should get stuck,

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it can get pulled loose by the fish.

The second being the running trace - this where the hook snoot is tied directly on the mainline and the sinker line has its own free running swivel. Hook snood 350mm / 400mm.

The sinker line in this case to be 100mm shorter in both cases. Used where the fish are very skittish to pick up the bait, and to minimize the actual drag made by sinker.

Bait The two main types of bait used while fishing for Steenbra are: White mussel and octopus.

However catches are also made with pilchard (inside out) and with sand crabs.( Inside out refers to where you will turn the pilchard over so the meat is on the outside. Used in this way to create a longer slender bait.)

NOTE Never make your bait more than double the size (dia.) than the bend in your hook. However the length of the bait should be 3 X the length of the hook. (Inside out pilchard.)

White mussel: Generously use white mussel to make an elongated ball on the hook(s). Don’t be afraid to cover the hook in total, as white mussel is very soft and the hook will easily push through the bait once the fish bites. Use very thin cotton to secure the bait onto the hook.

A fresh octopus leg is deadly when it is applied for bait. Don’t waste time once the octopus has turned pink, rather try different bait. Cut the leg to the length of approx 12cm and 1.0 to 1.5 cm in diameter. Strip the skin and suckers off so that you are left with the white meat.

This section will be used to wrap around the base of the bait you will form with a thinner piece of leg.

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fishing Pilchard (inside out) Use sections of a pilchard and tie them onto the hook with the meat to the outside. (Half the pilchard cut open in length and tied inside out all the way up the hook snood.)

Sand crab Tie on with elastic bands or cotton or just hook on. (Through the main pincher protruding through the side or through the back protruding.

Catching steenbras is as challenging as rewarding. Remember to stick to your bag limits.

Tight Lines !

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Featured species

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Featured species

Honeycomb Moray Eel Muraenidae

Compiled by Divan Strydom

Main Characteristics Eels have a dorsal fin which almost runs their entire body length, from the head to the caudal and anal fins. They have a snake like appearance due to the absence of pectoral and pelvic fins. The Honeycomb moray eel is easily identified by its beautiful black and white honeycomb pattern. Juveniles have a yellow tinge to their heads that fades with age and larger black markings that get smaller as the eel grows.

The head of the moray eel is large with small eyes located quite far forward, and a wide mouth with large teeth for tearing flesh rather than grinding or holding in place. They have a secondary set or toothed jaws in their throat called pharyngeal jaws, which are thrust forward to grab and drag prey down through their digestive system. They are the only known creature to use pharyngeal jaws to grab and hold prey.

Distribution and Habitat They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters, particularly in relatively shallow water among reefs and rocks, as well as in estuarine areas.

Diet Moray eels are carnivores and their diet consists mainly of other fish or cephalopods,

cont. on pg 34

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events

Not to be missed KwaZulu-Natal

GAUTENG Lovers Rock Annual Vintage and Classic Car Show 2 February Magaliesberg www.loversrock.co.za Halfway Toyota 4x4 Driver Training and Outings day 1 February - 4Ways 2 February - Honeydew Ryan Otto - 073 845 2003 Beeld Vakansieskou 14 - 16 February Midrand www.beeldskou.co.za 4x4 adventure club treasure hunt 16 February Base 4 Doornrandjies An-Mari Tolmay - 079 065 2795

Limpopo Berry Festival 15 - 16 February Haenertsburg Linda - 082 575 5738

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Battlefields 4-in-1 8 February Newcastle At Swanepoel - 072 229 1662 Dusi Canoe Marathon 13 - 15 February Pietermaritzburg 033 394 9994 Halfway Toyota 4x4 Driver Training and Outings day 18 February Scottburgh Ryan Otto - 073 845 2003

Freestate Reitz Bieliemielie fees 13 - 16 February Reitz 058 563 2307 Clarens Craft & Beer Festival 21 - 22 February Clarens www.clarenscraftbeerfest.com

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events WESTERN CAPE

Eastern Cape

Ultimate X 1 February V&A Waterfront 083 655 3176

The Herald Cycle Tour 31 January - 2 February Addo Shane - 082 594 0771

Hands-on Harvest 1 February - 31 March Robertson Robertson Wine Valley - 023 626 3167

Discovery Surfers Challenge 22 February Gonubie www.surferschallenge.co.za

Ride the Rock MTB 7 - 9 February Cederberg www.cederbergevents.co.za

Big Blues Music Festival 28 February - 1 March Kleinemond www.bigbluesmusicfestival.co.za

Bright Site Charity Event 22 February Applethwaite Dam 082 412 3007

MPUMALANGA Mpumalanga wineshow 14 - 15 March Nelspruit/Witrivier 011 482 5936 Innibos kunstefees 2 - 5 July Nelspruit 013 741 5294

Northern Cape Kalahari Desert Festival 20 - 22 March Askham The South African San Institute-SASI on 053 832 2156 Tankwa Arid Birding Bonanza 12 April Tankwa Karoo National Park Jenny - 021 559 7636 If you would like to publish your event here, please send details of event to: info@africanadventures.co.za

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Featured species as well as molluscs and crustaceans. They hunt mostly at night and primarily make use of their excellent sense of smell to locate injured or dead prey. They also hide in crevices waiting for prey passing by and then they launch themselves from the burrow and clasp the prey with their powerful jaws.

Reproduction Courtship among compatible morays begins when water temperatures reach its highest, and they begin sexual posturing through widely gaping their jaws. Then the morays will wrap each others’ long slender bodies together, either as a couple or 2 males and a female.

They simultaneously release sperm and eggs in the act of fertilisation.

On hatching, the eggs take the form of leptocephalus larvae, a thin leaf-shaped objects, that float in the open ocean for around 8 months. They then swim down as elvers to begin life on the reef. Honeycomb moray eel can live up to 30 years.

Predators Honeycomb moray eels have very few predators and is the reason why they live in burrows or crevices in the reef from which swift flight maybe difficult. Their main predators are large groupers, barracudas and humans.

Subspecies There are more than 100 species of moray eel, including the giant moray eel (Gymnothorax javanicus), zebra morays (Gymnomuraena zebra), snowflake morays (Echidna nebulosa), and white eyed moray (Siderea thyrsoidea), Fimbriated moray (Gymnothorax fimbriatus) and the Ribbon eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita).

AA .

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hunting hunting

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The bigger picture

Louis Kleynhans I’m going to start working with African Adventures on a Photography project. I have been a Freelance Photojournalist for 25 years and there isn’t much I haven’t seen or done. I don’t want to bore you to death with me, we can get to know each other as we go along. I have written a piece on how I travel. People always think we have the greatest job in the world, and they would be right, but it’s extremely tough as you will see.

As a Photo Journalist I get to travel a lot. Unfortunately I don’t always have the luxury to travel in my own vehicle. I have to fly to a lot of my destinations and although it sounds like fun it’s a real nightmare for me. I’m not scared of flying, the amount of equipment that I have to take with me on a trip is the scary bit. My camera bag alone weights 34kg.

Then I add my laptop and my tripod on top of that. As you can imagine there is no way I’m checking my cameras in as luggage, it all has to go on board as hand luggage. It is always a delicate balance when I check in. I keep my camera bag on me to make sure they don’t check it in. My luggage is always over weight and here is where the fun and games start. I always travel with a big portable studio with me. It includes a portable studio light, two soft boxes, an Octa box of 90cm and the most important is the Beauty Dish with its grid that is a diameter of 87cm in diameter. Remote triggers for my lights, rechargeable batteries with all their chargers and various small things that I will need for my shoot. You have noticed no clothing this far. I only pack what I can get in. My gear is more important. I can always buy clothes from vendors under a tree in the middle of nowhere.

You won’t believe how many times I get called to explain what I have in my bag. Most of the time they think it’s a bomb and they are always worried about my trigger wires. Usually we just open the bag go through the stuff until they are happy...

At last, time for boarding. Here I have to be careful when I get on the plane. If I’m first the over keen hostesses always wants to help me with my camera bag that weights more than they do. I try to be in the middle of the group and I know exactly how to fit my camera bag into the overhead compartment pretending it weighs nothing. Now only can I start to enjoy my flight.

I always have accommodation booked for the first night just to help with the chaos at airports and the safety aspect. From the second day I’m on my own. I can hire a car, but where 36

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I usually go there is no roads or the roads is so bad that you don’t want to drive there. I use local transport for most of my traveling and you will be amazed at where you can get with the local transport system.

Mini buses are usually my first choice as they will get me to a town. All over the world mini buses has a system similar to ours, you have to go to a bus rank and from there they set of in all directions. It can be tricky sometimes to get on the right bus. When I get to the mini bus I ask the driver what the ticket cost and then I pay for 3 seats so that I can have all my equipment with me on the seat. It gets difficult some time when the people wants to move my bags to have a seat. You know how they can squeeze 20 people into a 16 seater and they see the empty seats next to me. These trips vary in dangers from county to country, East Africa is most probability the worst in Africa, whereas most west African countries you will have an enjoyable trip.

In the next town I have to start looking for my next ride to my destination. Usually there is a pick up that goes to where I want to go, but you are never guaranteed. I have been on the back of bicycles, motorbikes, horses, donkeys, Ox cart, canoe, rafts and you can just keep on naming it.

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Boats that leak so much water that 2 people can’t bail the water fast enough. Some days you wonder if you ever going to survive the trip, then you just have to remind yourself that the local people does this every day of their lives.

We haven’t even started with what we eat where we sleep. That is another article on its own. The only thing I will say is that at a taxi rank you will always get good food, not what you are use to but you will survive.

Food is always a problem on field assignments. I have worked with people that organise a buffet on the shoot.

While it’s wonderful to eat good food it just doesn’t fit into my budget. As South Africans our immediate mind set is to take all the food with us on an assignment. But as I have already explained weight is a big problem in my life when I travel. I don’t have the space for food. Sometimes I would manage to pack in a piece of Biltong.

Food is not a real problem in big towns, you have a choice of restaurants and usually they are in walking distance from my hotel. I always try not to eat in my hotel and rather mix with the local people. It helps if I can build up a relationship with them as I’m going to need their help with my assignments.

You will also find the best quality of food where the local people eat and not just mass produced food for the tourist trade. Local cuisine is very regional and I always try to find out what the region is known for. In a country like Tanzania you can go from the most amazing food to the most boring, depending where you are. A lot of people go to Zanzibar and try not to spend a night in

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Stone Town, they always rush out to the beaches. Very few people know that Stone town has a food market in the evening on the beach. Forodhani Night Food Market is world famous for the best place to buy freshly prepared seafood.

The fun and games start when you have to get on the bus and there wasn’t time for breakfast. You can always buy fresh food at a taxi rank, bus stop, ferry terminal, train terminal or any place where public transport departs from. You will be amazed at the choices that you have. One of my favourites is a sandwich with 2 thick slices, egg, polony and cheese. You will also always get some form of freshly baked scones. The ultimate will always be Makoena’s – pronounced Makwenja- This is a form of Vetkoek in small bread that the people make. Makoena’s is very addictive and will be bad news for your diet as I have seen on numerous occasions with groups that were with me.

There is a few things that I off course won’t try to eat. I don’t eat fish as a rule and if something is not fresh I will also steer clear of it. In India is saw that some stews gets made over years. They just add new ingredients every day. They never empty the pot or wash it.

Just imagine how sick you will get from this stew. The funny thing is that the local people eat it every day of their lives and it’s perfect for them.

When you travel on public transport they will always stop for lunch and there will be some restaurant under a tree that will have a fresh meal. It can weary from some kind of goat or chicken stew with pap or beans and sometimes you will get sosaties or grilled chicken.

Another thing that you can always bargain on is that you will get bread, fresh fruit and soft drinks where ever you go. Coke is the soft drink that I come across the most. There is area’s like Asia where they prefer Pepsi.

Water has changed a huge amount in the last couple of years. You will get bottled water, nearly everywhere in the world. It’s so easy now a days. In the old days we had to boil the water and then let it cool down, it was a big thing. There is a few tricks that you have to watch out for water. You need to make sure of the source of the ice if the water is kept cool by ice. This ice can and will most probably be made with local water. While your water is in a bottle there can still be some problems. If your bottle gets some of the ice water under the screw top and you open it to drink the water your lips is going to come in contact with the ice water and you never know what’s in that water. I always wipe my bottle top after I have unscrewed the top.

The big con comes in where they have picked up empty bottles and just filled at a tap and want to sell it to you as bottled water. You have to check the seal properly, superglue is very cheap and a few drops will fool you easy. I don’t mind drinking water from the tap in most countries, but you have to be careful. You might spend your holiday in a hospital.

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As a rule I don’t have a lot of problems with food on a trip, except in India.

You might not always know what you eat, is it beef, sheep, goat, donkey, camel or horse meat? There is no problem if it tastes good, like we all have found out with the horse meat scandal.

Accommodation can be one of the most difficult things to plan ahead on an assignment.

Fortunately there are wonderful resources available today. Most probably the most important is a guide book or as I fondly call it “The Travellers Bible”. There are many of them on the market, I prefer Bradt in Africa and Lonely Planet in Asia. With technology growing at the alarming rate it has made our lives a bit easier. You can now download these guides for your laptop, smart phone or tablet and we don’t have to schlep the heavy books around anymore. The next big thing for us is Internet connectivity, all these guides has websites with discussion forums on them if you don’t want to buy a guide. These are usually up to date, but I don’t care where the best party in Laos is and that can be the problem with these forums.

Wikipedia has started a site called Wikitravel. I know a lot of you is going to say Wikipedia is not the most reliable source, but Wikitravel is written by the travellers that are there and you can add something if you don’t agree with the author. Wikitravel is usually the first place I go to get a feel for a place when I have a new assignment. There is a lot of info as I get the hotel websites and e-mail address to familiarize myself with the current prices and facilities. No preparation will be complete without spending some time on Mapcarta and Google Earth.

I always try to have some kind of accommodation arranged when I arrive in a place. Just to make sure I know where to direct the taxi driver and I know I have a bed to sleep in. I have found that you waste a lot of time looking for places when you are tired and the taxi drivers take advantage of you at that moment and you might end up in a hotel all by yourself and you think you found a bargain, only to find out the next morning that the hotel is a Brothel and you have to leave before they open for business. This is not the best experience to have when you are traveling.

As a rule I don’t stay in luxury accommodation for a few reasons. I want to be able to take photographs of the local people and I have found that they think you are a rich tourist

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when you stay in the luxury accommodation and they don’t like that a lot if they are struggling to survive. I don’t really go by rating of hotels a 3Star in South Africa and a 3 Star in rural Africa or Asia is not the same thing, you can’t even think to compare the two. I just want a place that is easy for me to work from, and the people is friendly.

I have slept in a few unusual places in my life, ranging from police-prison cells, trains, busses, cars, boats, hammock, my faithful tent, floor of a hut ect.

The list is just too long to mention. A good tip is that when you have nowhere to go in a place it’s better to look for a missionary than the police station. Police is now a days very alert and they don’t want strangers in their police stations, especially a stranger with a lot of luggage. Whereas missionaries will be always welcoming.

Some will try to safe your soul and that is not the worst price you can pay for a bed and a roof over your head. www.louisjk.com 083 564 0814 louis@louisphoto.co.za

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www.4x4outdoorshow.co.za

Come experience South Africa’s first REAL Show!!

5 & 6 April 2014 at our very own Voortrekker Monument PRETORIA American Style Monster Truck Show by Performance Dynamics together with the Le Riche Bro’s off road bike team for special effects, sponsored

by WOA, 14:00pm - 14:30pm each day! Before and after the show...YOU can drive in the Monster Trucks!! * We are building a 4x4 track at the venue, so you can enjoy a 4x4 Off road drive with Andrè De Villiers from Safari 4x4 Roetes!! * Meet Johan Bardenhorst from Voetspore and much more!

What’s going to be at The South African 4x4 Outdoor Show?

Latest 4x4 vehicles

Off road Caravans & Trailers

4x4 Accessories & Conversions

Hunting Gear & Destinations

Fishing Gear

Weapons

Camping equipment

Bow Range

Knives

Venue address: Beer Garden & Food stands... and loads more!

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Contact Alan for info: 082 344 0238

Featured species The saddle-billed stork is a docile bird that inhabit many sub-Saharan African countries They are remarkable not only for their remarkable height, but also for their bright red beaks. It is uncommon to spot saddle-billed storks in big flocks, but are often found in pairs.

Main Characteristics Saddle-billed storks are the tallest storks on the African continent. These striking birds stand around 1.7m tall, with an impressive wingspans of around 3m. Their red bills features a thick black belt with a bright yellow lappet or “saddle� on the upper portions of the bill. Their overall coloration is black and white. in both male and female. Gender can be identified by the colour of the eye and body size. Females have yellow eyes and are usually smaller with males have black eyes.

Habitat Saddle-billed storks are non migratory birds that prefer open grasslands and are often found near wetlands. They usually roost not far from perennial water sources. Favourite nesting spots includes swamps and edges of lakes and rivers.

Diet They hunt by stealthily wading in still waters and use their long, sharp bills to attack prey species. Apart from fish, saddle-billed storks also regularly prey on tiny mammals, birds, bugs, reptiles, amphibians, shrimp and crabs.

Vocalization Saddle-billed storks are quiet creatures, with vocal boxes that are entirely free of muscles. To make up for this lack

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adventures Featured species of vocalization, these skilled flying birds send messages by clattering their beaks instead.

Reproduction Saddle-billed storks build large, deep stick nests in trees. During reproduction, female saddle-billed storks generally lay two to three eggs, which take just over a month to hatch.

Male and females of the species are monogamous, and work as teams to set up nests and incubate the eggs. Both the male and female parents are responsible for feeding duties of the chicks. At just over 3 months, chicks leave the nest and fend for themselves.

Interesting Facts Saddle-billed storks are classified as endangered in South Africa with only as few as 30 breeding pairs in the greater Kruger area.

They form part of the Big 6 Birds which also includes the Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle, Lappetfaced Vulture, Pel’s Fishing Owl and Southern Ground Hornbill.

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3 Dogs warm beer

&

Mushroom from www.hilux4x4.co.za

So, the continuation of this topic was extended by one day, which meant we left on a Sunday. The roads were quiet, and the drive to Lobatse uneventful. The wait at the border was nice and short, the same cannot be said for the wait at the ATM in Lobatse, to stock up on the now stronger Pula. It seems month end Sundays are spent refilling empty wallets after Saturdays over-indulgence... the bloke in front of me certainly smelt like he had indulged in the amber fluid of eternal cleverness all night on Saturday.

It was hot... very hot. Apparently October in Bots is “suicide month”, and perhaps entering at the end of October and expecting cooler weather was either cheeky, or downright stupid. We cruised up to Kang, wishing I had sorted the aircon out, where we filled up with cheap petrol (R 9 something to the liter !! ), and for the first time ever, got fleeced into buying wet firewood. In a country that hasn’t had rain for months they must have searched hard to find wet wood. Then off to Kalahari Rest.. with plenty of livestock on and alongside the road...

Kalahari Rest turned out to be a very nice place and we opted for a chalet as we were quite knackered. The prices were reasonable,

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adventures and included aircon and electricity. This would be the first dog encounter. We like animals, and for whatever reason, they seemed to find us in the strangest places.

This pooch made an arrival in the dark, after we had been listening to the hyenas calling. Needless to say it was the fastest bloody move Nats and I had made all day when the pooch ran out off the dark, around the corner and onto the porch. Once my sphincter had returned to normal tension the dog and I had some playtime.

We woke up early, had coffee and said cheers to the dog. Fired up the bongi and headed north to Buitepos on the Namibian Border. Another hot day, and the beginning of my long list of excuses as to why we shouldn’t have the aircon fixed. This was a daily debate, which was never resolved even 22 days later: ”Imagine how hot it would be when we stepped outside the aircon car at the border love?”

We passed through with no problems, and headed to the metropolis of Gobabis. We camped at “Die Dam” campsite. Nice campsite, with clean, but small ablutions. The peace and serenity of the campsite was slightly marred by three blokes, obviously on an extended lunch break, blasting what sounded like a collaboration of Steve Hofmeyer mixed with heavy techno out of a little Opel, whilst practicing the age old sport of pap gooi on the other side of the dam. Perhaps they had hearing problems, or it might have been the brandy, but it was quite entertaining watching them trying to drunkenly catch ducks.

Eventually Pa came and rounded them up for bath time and supper in his Hilux bakkie.

Again we were visited by the local dog - who we nicknamed Schnitzelhund, being German/Namibian after all.

After a good night’s sleep, and an interesting morning packing up. It would seem the avid pap gooiers from the day before had mentally scarred the geese, who decided to stage a mutiny at the bottom of our tent ladder, to revenge the previous days wrongdoings.

Once over their PTS issues we were on our way up the C30 to the Waterberg Plateu park. As usual, the Namibian roads are fantastic.

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adventures Just before Hochfeld, we saw a small dam with something on/in it. On closer inspection we were stumped to see that it was full of flamingo’s! Sorry, no pics, too far away and I have size issues (with my camera lens that is).

We arrived at the campsite, time for moan session #1: NWR (Namibian wildlife reservations or otherwise not working really). Dialogue as follows: “No ice in the shop, but you can go fetch some up at the restaurant, we don’t have a freezer”. I asked him if one of the 300 NWR blokes racing around in open back vehicles, exceeding the speed limit, to please bring one bag down for me?”eish, click, eish....”. I eventually fetched it myself. It was here that I heard a phrase that pretty much describes the lack of urgency or care “cause after all, we are ripping you tourists a whole new ring piece in camping fees”. On collection of my bag of small ice cubes I was told “ the freezer is broken, but don’t worry, they are coming to fix it shortly..... next week ! ”Africa time, you gotta love it.

That evening, without meeting a dog, we were entertained by a group of hippie overlanders from Europe somewhere, doing some strange dancing in a circle to Johnny Clegg tracks blasting out a little CD player. The lip syncing was interesting, cause not only do they not know the words, some of them didn’t even speak English, let alone isiZulu. Then the John Lennon wannabe pulled out his six string guitar, and they proceeded to sing Kumbayaaa and other campsite hits around the fire. At least the lad could play the guitar, which was a damn sight better than their dancing and singing. I was quite happy to be on the road to Etosha the next day, but I couldn’t get that damn Johnny Cleg track out my head “Osiyeza, osiyeza.” - anyway, onwards and upwards through Otjiwarongo and Outjo to Okaukuejo. On the road we met an Eland calf who honestly thought he was a cow.

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adventures And finally the entrance gate...

After another frustrating NWR encounter at the gate we headed into the park. The campsite is okay, it has less shade than Nagasaki after the delivery of the “bomb�, but a great swimming pool, and a decent shop which had ice and other items. We headed out on a game drive and found this old bugger, nursing a giraffe that died of old age, seeing out his last days as an old male lion with no teeth.

On the way back to the camp, this dog (not the type I would be keen to play with) awoke from his culvert to go and scrounge around for dead things.

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Cassia abbreviata

www.plantzafrica.com

The long-tail cassia is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens where it will attract attention with both its beautiful deep yellow, sweetly scented flowers and its long seed pods.

Description Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree up to 7 m high. Its slender to medium-broad trunk is covered in bark that ranges from dark brown to grey and black. In old trees the bark is often deeply furrowed.

Bark The leaves, which appear lightly drooping, are compound (one leaf made up of smaller leaflets), bright green when young and fade to a darker green when older.

The flowers, which can be seen from August to October, are deep yellow and appear clustered at the ends of the branches. They are sweetly scented. The pods appear soon after the flowers, are up to 80 mm long and cylindrical in shape. They ripen from a light green to a dark brown. The pods may take up to a year to ripen.

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Featured species Distribution and habitat The long-tail cassia is found naturally in low altitude arid bushveld, open woodland and at times on riverbanks. Where natural distribution is concerned it is widespread in Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga and Swaziland, in East Africa and up to Somalia.

Derivation of name and historical aspects The species name abbreviata means shortened, and the subspecies beareana was named after Dr O’Sullivan Beare from the London Pharmaceutical Society who apparently found that a root extract from this plant could be used to cure blackwater fever. There are about 30 Cassia species worldwide, but this is the only one found naturally in South Africa, although others are cultivated as garden plants.

Ecology This tree is popular with both animals and humans. Various birds from our indigenous parrot species to the Go-away Bird eat the fruit pulp and seeds. Animals such as nyala, giraffe and kudu browse the leaves. Elephants are also said to eat the leaves and the young branches of the tree.

Uses and cultural aspects Various parts of the tree are used in traditional medicine for treating everything from blackwater fever, headache, toothache and stomachache to using it as a natural abortion agent.

An infusion is made from the root and drunk as an aphrodisiac.

The seed is known to be used as a tonic. The root is used for the treatment of toothache. And for the treatment of headaches, the smoke from smouldering twigs can be inhaled to bring relief.

In addition the tree is also seen as a very useful ornamental subject in gardens.

Growing Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana This deciduous tree with its beautiful ornamental flowers, is drought resistant, but frost tender. It requires little water and should be planted in full sun.

The long-tail cassia is relatively slow growing but grows easily from seed. After harvesting the seed, place it in warm water and leave it to soak overnight before sowing it the next day.

It is important to protect young plants from frost and do not overwater the tree in winter, as it will not flower as prolifically in springtime.

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Conservation

Can Green hunting save our Rhinos?

Novia Yip

Over the years poachers have dehorned thousands of rhinos in multiple countries, national parks, and sanctuaries for wild animals, critically endangering Africa’s Black rhinos. In certain Asian countries, mainly Vietnam and China, rhino horns are in demand due to a false belief that their keratin horns are able to cure cancer, when in actuality, it is made of the same constituent that makes human fingernails.

Though the killing of wild animals for food used to be a part of routine life, hunting remains a matter of controversy nowadays, mostly because hunting is frequently regarded as a recreational activity and not a human need.

Not long ago, the US based Dallas Safari Club announced that they would be auctioning off a permit to hunt an endangered Black rhino. The auction, that will take place in January, will permit one hunter the opportunity to hunt a Black rhino in Namibia, and import the trophy to the United States.

The Dallas Safari Club claims that all proceeds from the auction of the permit will go back into rhino conservation in Namibia, and they expect the permit to sell at a price between 250,000 and 1 million US Dollars. According to the Club’s Executive Director, Ben Carter, ‘This fundraiser is the first of its kind for an endangered species’. He also said, ‘It’s going to

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Conservation generate a sum of money large enough to be enormously meaningful in Namibia’s fight to ensure the future of its Black rhino populations.’

The Club plans to donate the profit made on the sale of the permit to Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism rhino program, which protects Black rhino (Dicerosbicornisbicornis) and Southern white rhino (Ceratotheriumsimumsimum). In total, Namibia has 1750 Black rhinos and 469 White rhinos. Activities of the program include translocations, community conservation programs, anti-poaching and monitoring, and wildlife-based tourism development. The program’s funding partners include the Opel Zoo, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The USFWS says, science supports the idea that limited culls of older males can benefit a local population, and according to Carter, only an old, post-breeding rhino will be the target of the permit. However, the Dallas Safari Club has yet to confirm how exactly the sum of money raised for Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism rhino program will be used.

Despite the fact that Black rhino is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, CITES has granted Namibia an export quota of up to five Black rhinos to be killed by hunters each year. Normally, endangered species are not allowed to enter the United States as trophies; however, an exception was made in 2009, the first exception to the law.

David K. Reinke, president and CEO of a laserjet printer parts wholesaler called Liberty Parts Team and a big donor to Republican political candidates, shot his first Black rhino in Namibia in 2009. According to a 2010 report from Business Week, he paid a total of $215,000 for the hunt. This appears to include a $175,000 contribution to the Namibian government’s Game Products Trust Fund, which helps to support wildlife conservation and management efforts. Since then, Reinke has rallied support from organisations including the Conservation Force to import his trophy’s horn into the United States. In March of this year, the USFWS granted Reinke the permit needed for importing the horn under the

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Conservation Endangered Species Act of 1980. According to Scientific American, ‘The Service granted this permit after an extensive review of Namibia’s black rhino conservation program, in recognition of the role that well-managed, limited sport hunting plays in contributing to the long-term survival and recovery of the black rhino in Namibia.’

If the hunting of rhinos, both legally and illegally, can never be stopped, are there any alternative solutions?

Earlier this year there was talk about South Africa legalizing trade in rhino horn. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa will propose the legalization of trade in rhino horn at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in 2016. This will only legalize a once-off trade in current rhino horn stockpiles, rather than a continuing industry. However, it has stirred up debate and has been a source of outrage internationally. Some conservationists support the idea of legalization of trading rhino horn, while some argue against it and suggest that any legal rhino horn market only supports the misconception that the keratinous body part has medicinal properties.

Apart from legalization, there seems to be a green alternative to hunting. Instead of hunting with bullets, hunters fire a dart containing a knockout drug, which is referred to as ‘green hunting’ or a ‘darting safari’. In 1998, the concept was first practised in elephants in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve alongside Kruger National Park.

The hunters’ circle and the public are getting to know more about green hunting and other animals, such as rhinos and lions, are now being ‘green hunted’.

However, the system is open to abuse as there are possibilities that reserves brand themselves as ‘green’, but repeatedly dart the same animal until it dies of a drug overdose.

Some conservationists hope that green hunting will totally replace lethal hunting one day, leaving trophy animals alive, however, in green hunting, hunters are not able to get a trophy, the ‘medal’ they desire. Is it a healthy alternative, or have we just pioneered another trend in hunting?

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Product Review

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Destinations

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Recipe Destinations

www.cookbook.co.za

Salmon is so good for you and one of the easiest and tastiest meals to prepare and the mango salsa really makes a huge difference. For those of you looking for a nice easy Valentines dinner that never fails to impress this is the one for you. There is also a tuna recipe with rosemary. Seared tuna with plum tomatoes. (2 people) What you need 2 tuna steaks (about 150-200g each) Olive oil Soy sauce Pepper Garlic

Salsa 1 large ripe mango 2 spring onions chopped ½ yellow pepper chopped finely 2 tablespoons lemon juice Palm of chopped coriander

The process Place all of the salsa ingredients into a bowl, mix, cover and set aside in the fridge while you prepare the salmon steaks. You can leave in the fridge for 2 hours or so if you are preparing ahead. Heat your grill pan to medium hot.

Brush both sides of the salmon with a mixture in equal parts of soy sauce and olive oil, then a good grind of pepper and a bit of garlic. Cook the salmon until nicely browned but still pink inside, should take between 2 and 3 minutes per side.

Pile the salsa on top of the salmon and sprinkle over a little more fresh chopped coriander, that’s it.. Tasty healthy salmon.

For a dessert, make the crème brulee, it’s a perfect sharing dessert.

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Travel & Stay

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