Klaserie Chronicle 27

1 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

March 2014 no. 27

Kroniek/Chronicle

Intriguing masters of camouflage and stealth

What is Koevoet?

At grass root level

Clowning around

in Acornhoek

inside| photo Allison Sharp

Help from above ...5 | Pearly: a special owl ...6 | Eight-legged awesomeness ...8 | A beautiful mite ...10 | The end of an era ... 14 | On the ball ... 20 | At grass root level ... 24 | What a place to call home ... 31 Page kindly sponsored by Mike Anderson

2 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Inside

Corné’s

Keyboard It is hard to believe, but we are already working on the March edition of the KC. It is always fascinating how the first three months of the year just seem to fly by. We’ve hardly made our new year’s resolutions and before we know it, it’s February, the month of love and all things beautiful.

I’m a true romantic at heart and embrace any opportunity to celebrate my love for people, places and things near and dear to me.

Thus it has not been surprising that I’ve repeatedly fallen head over heels in love with the magnificent environment that surrounds me. From the enchanting sunsets over the mountain, to spectacular waterfalls; the unspoilt wilderness of the Hoedspruit area has not only taken my breath away repeatedly but has also stolen my heart. Thus the month of love just serves as a reminder to stop and appreciate the beauty of the pristine wilderness that surrounds us.

Tying in with the theme of love, CET and South African Medical Expeditions (SAME) were privileged to collaborate with Clowns without Borders South Africa (CWBSA) for their Mpumalanga roll-out in the Acornhoek area. The CWBSA team helped CET and SAME spread love and laughter in the Acornhoek area with their very entertaining performance tour. This artist-led humanitarian organisation is dedicated to improving the psycho-social condition of children and communities in areas of crisis through laughter and play.

The team had everyone in fits of laughter and their comical performance proved that laughter is most definitely the best medicine.

I think one can only look forward to great things in 2014 when the year has started off with such love and laughter. CET already has various projects lined up for the year and we are excited to continue making a positive impact on many children’s lives.

This edition of the KC is once again jam-packed with a variety of interesting nature-related articles thanks to our wonderful contributors. I am confident that not only our love for nature and all things beautiful will continue to grow, but also the change we strive to make in the community... all thanks to you.

Corné

The Klaserie Chronicle is published quarterly and distributed to KPNR owners, as well as CET donors, partners and Chronicle advertisers. If you would like to send a contribution, please forward to admin@ecochildren.co.za or fax 086 628 8733

Leopard 1, warthog 0 ............................................................................... 3 KPNR newbie, Philip Oosthuizen ......................................................... 4 New environmental monitors ............................................................... 4 Lucky Lady ................................................................................................ 4 Help from above ....................................................................................... 5 Pearly: a special owl ................................................................................ 6 What is koevoet? ...................................................................................... 7 Eight legged awesomeness ................................................................... 8 Alive and magnificent ............................................................................. 10 A beautiful mite ....................................................................................... 10 White-browed robin chat ........................................................................ 11 Intriguing masters of camouflage and stealth ................................... 12 Old timer remembers: The end of an era............................................... 14 Clowning around in Acornhoek ......................................................... 15 The fascinating reproduction of snakes .............................................. 16 Adult eco-education ............................................................................... 18 On the ball ................................................................................................ 20 KPNR to help renovate Matikinya classrooms ................................... 21 Sightings .................................................................................................. 22 At grass root level .................................................................................. 24 Greenhouses at eco villages ................................................................. 26 Grassland protection ............................................................................. 26 Fruit and veg monsters and superheroes ........................................... 27 Alien invasion ......................................................................................... 28 Thank you to our bursary sponsors ..................................................... 30 What a place to call home ...................................................................... 31 373 school uniforms = 373 smiles ....................................................... 32

Sightings ... 22 and 23

Klaserie Chronicle /Kroniek Team Editor: Corné Havenga Sub-editor: Catharina Robbertze Advertising and articles: Laura Craig Layout and design: Lynette Strauss

Contributors Corné Havenga,Esté Gerber, Colin Rowles, Jessica Rowles, Peter Lawson, Ivan Gillatt, Ian Sharp, Allison Sharp, Donald Strydom, Judy Meeser, Nick White, Philip Oosthuizen, Gay Wabeke, Nicole Weprin, Dr Hanneline SmitRobinson, Johnathan Leeming, Barry Visser.

Photographs Colin Rowles, Jessica Rowles, Donald Strydom, Este Gerber, Navarre de Villiers, Jacques de Villiers, Nicole Weprin, Ivan Gillatt, Ian Sharp, Allison Sharp, Pieter Steenkamp, Jes Baker, Leon Marais, Donald Pearce, Des Jacobs, Johnathan Leeming, Barry Visser, Judy Meeser, Philip Oosthuizen, Lynette Strauss, Fred Ruest.

3 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Leopard 1, Warthog 0

By Nick White Photos by Jes Baker

L

eopard sightings have been on the rise over the last couple of years but nothing could prepare us for what we experienced on 9 November in Dover in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

On a morning game drive, our tracker and driver, Ronald Moropane spotted a large male leopard lying on a warthog den, a mere 20 metres inside the south western Dover boundary.

Driving through the veld from the boundary road, we got within five metres of the leopard, who was completely unperturbed by our presence.

Unsurprisingly, a significant amount of time was spent admiring the cat with the morning sun on its back. Condensed milk coffee in hand, it was the perfect way to start a day in the bush.In driving to the opposite side of the warthog den, in order to gain a different view of the leopard, it stood up and walked towards us.

Up until this point, we hadn’t realised the leopard was lying on a warthog den and was in fact walking towards the entrance.

The Land Rover engine had alerted a warthog sow inside the den (which we had not yet seen or heard) and as soon as the unsuspecting warthog was close enough to the surface, the leopard dived into the den and wrestled it out.

The only downside of

the experience was the appearance of a warthog piglet emerging from the den, only to witness its mother’s final breaths – a stark reminder of how unforgiving and brutal nature can be.

The piglet was way too young to survive without the life-sustaining nurturing of its mother and one can only speculate its fate after we left. In complete disbelief as to what we had encountered over the hour spent with the leopard, we returned to the kill site that evening on our daily sundowner game drive.

As if the leopard kill seven hours earlier wasn’t enough, we encountered the male again, this time mating with his partner.

Equally memorable was the reminiscing later that night, around the leadwood fire in the camp boma with special friends that shared this once in a lifetime experience.

What a privilege!

The live events of the kill and mating can be viewed on YouTube by searching for: “Leopard kill Dover farm”.

4 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

KPNR NEWBIE Philip Oosthuizen

By Philip Oosthuizen

A

lmost literally originating from across the fence of the Klaserie, I felt a warm welcome on my arrival in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) and became part of the team in no time at all.

I was born and bred in the bushveld and started riding shotgun with my dad in the Land Cruiser since the day I could see over the dashboard, learning valuable lessons from him.

My passion for nature and all things related grew and grew as I got older, including knowledge gained of the conservation aspect of Mother Nature.

From having a background in nature, my many hobbies and interests are bush related, like fishing, hunting, 4x4 driving and machinery work.

This passion led to my decision to study nature conservation. I finished my second year in 2013 at the Centurion Academy in Pretoria. This year is my final and practical year in order to obtain my National Diploma in nature management and I am very fortunate to be able to do it in the KPNR. Hopefully during my time in the Klaserie I can be a great help and contribute in many ways to the care and protection of our natural fauna and flora. I would like to express my gratitude towards the warden, Mr Colin Rowles and the Klaserie team for accommodating me during the completion of my studies.

I look forward to meeting everyone in the reserve, as well as gaining valuable knowledge and friendships along the way.

CET staff Winky Mokgope and Rhulani Mathonsi with the newly appointed environmental monitors, Kulani Mabaso and Queen Manyike.

New environmental monitors for CET

C

hildren’s Eco Training (CET) would like to welcome two newly appointed environmental monitors, Kulani Mabaso and Queen Manyike to the CET team.

The environmental monitors are appointed by the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Non-Profit Company. The main aim of these monitors are to provide additional support to host institutions like CET to attain their respective core mandates, supportive of improved biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation, thereby

contributing to improved livelihoods and resilient economic development.

Kulani and Queen will be based at the CET Eco Villages where they will be facilitating the CET environmental education programme at adopted schools, Seganyane and Matikinya Primary. CET is currently looking at adopting a third school as part of the Eco Village programme, sponsored by MAD CHARITY™.

We wish Kulani and Queen the best of luck and know they will add great value to the programme.

Lucky Lady

T

his lucky lady was saved from certain death by Donald Strydom of the Khamai Reptile Park, Hoedspruit.Donald explained: “Travelling back from Namibia, I came across four kids selling a large female chameleon next to the road and took these photos. A very sad situation indeed, so I gave them a lecture about conservation and instead of selling her to me, I persuaded them to let me take the chameleon

and release her back into the wild.”She certainly is one lucky lady who is happy to be back in her natural habitat.

5 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

A

Help from bove

By Colin Rowles

T

owards the end of November last year I received a call advising that an injured rhino calf had been observed together with an adult cow.

The caller was of the opinion that the unfortunate calf had fallen victim to a poacher’s snare, which had become embedded deep in its hind leg.

I made a few phone calls, firstly to the provincial authorities to obtain a capture permit and then to my trustworthy colleagues – veterinarian, Dr Pete Rodgers and helicopter pilot, Benny Osmers. Within an hour or so we flew into the area where the cow and calf had been seen the previous day.

We located a number of rhino in the area as we zigzagged across the vast landscape. Then on a sharp turn, Pete’s voice crackled in the headset as he pointed towards a densely wooded drainage line. We circled and in the dappled shadows stood a rhino cow with her calf.

Most rhino take flight when a helicopter approaches, with the cows trundling along behind their calves.

This pair stood unusually still and it soon became apparent why. A red band was visible around the calf’s right rear leg indicating the injury caused by the steel wire snare.

A few radio calls were made to the ground team to provide location information, following which the two

rhino were darted from the wheeling helicopter. Soon thereafter the drug took effect and the two lay immobilised a short distance from each other.

Pete and his team got to work on removing the snare and treating the horrific injury that it had caused.

After administering a massive dose of long acting antibiotic to the calf we turned our attention to the cow, who was duly ear notched, micro chipped and DNA sampled.

After having done all that was possible to ensure the calf’s recovery, the antidotes were administered and we sat in silence as the pair regained consciousness, staggered to their feet and quietly moved off.

As the dense vegetation closed in behind them, I couldn’t help but spare a thought for the calf’s future, given the senseless slaughter of rhinos that is currently ravaging our country.

6 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Pearly

A special owl

By Peter Lawson

T

he Pearl-spotted Owlet is well known in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve and well worth writing about. This special little chap is the second smallest of all southern African owls, weighing in at less than 100 g. Pearly, as this little owl is commonly known amongst birdwatchers, may be small but he is bold and fierce and has a delightful character.

When you see him he will stare you out with huge yellow eyes and large black pupils. He has a fierce look about him, doesn’t blink and will remain in that pose without moving.

Most owls close their eyes when you look at them, but not brave little Pearly.

Pearly is one of only two owls active in daylight.

The other is Marsh Owl, but both are only partially diurnal. In daylight they are active early morning and shortly before dusk.

When discovered by other birds, Pearly is mobbed excessively by a myriad of small birds of many species, but if you watch him closely he does not seem to give a ‘hoot’. In fact, on occasion he catches one of the mobsters for breakfast.

This brings me to a conservation issue.

Birders love using bird recordings to call birds but many have no idea, or maybe are not concerned, about the damage this

can do. I have seen birders constantly playing the well known call of Pearly to see and identify the myriad of small birds attracted to the call and setting about their mobbing activity. This is great fun for birders but does a great amount of harm. Apart from the harassment of Pearly, there are so many bird species drawn to the fray that are either invading others’ territories or, worse still, have left their nests open to predation. Often a second owl will be called in too which causes dispute and a battle – to the amusement of the culprit playing the call.

Untold damage can be done by playing bird calls and in some conservation minded countries such as Australia this practice is totally banned, and so it should be.

No doubt everyone in the KPNR is familiar with Pearly’s call, usually sounded early morning and at dusk. It is a loud whistling ‘peu-pey-peu…’ reaching to a

crescendo as it increases in pitch, then followed by a descending series of louder ‘teeu,teeu,teeu...’ before gradually fading away. On occasions Pearly’s lady love sings a higher-pitched duet with him. She has another call when nesting takes place but this one is not well known. While on the nest, food is brought to her by her faithful husband and she utters a whispered ‘chie-wie’ to thank him. Very touching.

When Pearly sits out in the open and stares straight ahead he is vulnerable from behind if a predator creeps up on him. He is a clever little chap though and has false eyes at the back of his head which puts off the would-be assassin when he feels he is being stared at – a most important adaptation due to his conspicuousness by day.

Like many birds in the KPNR, Mrs Pearly uses a hole in a tree as her maternity ward. Very often she takes over the nest of a Bearded Woodpecker and will lay two to four round white eggs in spring. The eggs take almost a month to hatch and the chicks remain in the nest for a full month.

Once they leave the nest they are dependent on mom and dad for another full month but remain hidden in dense vegetation. They solicit food from their adoring parents by uttering a sparrow-like chirp.

When next you see a Pearlspotted Owlet in the KPNR remember, he is special and his name is Pearly.

7 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

By Barry Visser

What is Koevoet?

K

oevoet is a nose with paws – literally.

He’s a Bloodhound x Doberman, some say ¾ Bloodhound, ¼ Doberman.

Classed as an F3, he was bred in Parys, Free State sent for training at Green Dogs Conservation in Lephalale (Alldays) and is currently working and training as part of our rhino anti-poaching team. His job description: track down poachers and show us where they are hiding – teamwork is what it is all about.

This dog is uniquely designed with a long neck and strong shoulders to keep that nose on the ground while tracking for many kilometres. Although smaller than a true Bloodhound, Koevoet has all of its characteristics. He is red in colour with a black back (saddle).

He is a sniffing machine with 4x4 lowrange, white marks on his chest, long ears and a wrinkled face. Being a Bloodhound, he is born with a highly sensory nose, perfect for his area of operation.

The body must follow Mother Nature’s olfactory miracle, so walking and running on a daily basis is essential in order to keep both dog and handler fit.

Tracking dogs can travel for long distances and many hours, as long as both dog and handler hydrate along the way.

A usual day consists of early morning tracking exercises, followed by a 5km run.

Koevoet is rested during the heat of the day and more tracking exercises are tackled when it’s cooler, later in the afternoon.

Philip Oosthuizen, a student on the reserve, helps me with Koevoet’s tracking training and many times our jaws drop in amazement at how quick and accurate he is in finding the target - Mr Oosthuizen himself. I on the other hand, or rather at the

T

other end of the leash, must just hold on and try to read and understand Koevoet’s body language while he’s doing his work.

We are still at the beginning of this experiment and there are still lots of training to be done, but we’ll get there, and I’m confident Koevoet will help us fight these people who are trying to deplete our natural resources.

Maybe one day while you’re out on a game drive we will meet you while we’re working in the bush. You are welcome to greet Koevoet, as he does not bite or bark.

He’s a very sound dog who is happy with himself. He will probably sniff you all over and then move off.

However, if we find you in the bush doing something you shouldn’t, that will be a very different matter altogether.

The well trained anti-poaching team

working with us will act accordingly and see to it that any transgressors are brought in front of a court of law where justice will be served.

86 rhino poached in January

he total number of rhino poached in South Africa since the beginning of 2014 increased to 86 as at the end of January.

A total of 21 poachers have been arrested in the past month. The highest number of rhino poached – 63 – were in the Kruger

National Park. Since New Year, eight rhino have been poached in KwaZuluNatal, six in Limpopo, four in the Free State, three in Mpumalanga and two in

North West. Last year, poachers killed 1004 rhinos, almost twice the 668 that were killed in 2012.

People are encouraged to report information regarding rhino poaching and related tip-offs to the anonymous tipoff lines 0800 205 005 or 08600 10111.

8

8 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

-Legged awesomeness

Story and photos by Jonathan Leeming

T

he world around us is filled with a huge diversity of animals and plants, which truly demonstrates how ingenious nature can be.

Despite the harshest environments, animals and plants have adapted and found a way to survive in seemingly uninhabitable places.

Venom is just one such adaptation which has evolved in some animals. Not only used to catch and immobilise prey, it is also used to defend themselves against threats.

From a human point of view, many people consider all venomous creatures a threat, regardless of how venomous it actually is, and finding such a creature causes anxiety, fear and a desire to kill it.

Despite our wild and vivid imaginations, animals rarely pose a serious health threat and should not be killed on sight. More species of spider, scorpion, snake, bee and wasp are non-venomous to humans than those that are.

There are times, however, when nature and humans clash through random and unexpected encounters.

While these encounters are rarely life threatening, in some cases they can be serious, requiring urgent medical attention.

The trick to managing these situations is to understand and appreciate the seriousness of a situation and act accordingly.

Deciphering fact from fiction can be tricky in today’s information age.

Ask the average person about their perceptions of spiders, scorpions, bees and wasps and you’ll probably get a very negative answer.

When it comes to spiders and scorpions, the internet is definitely not a good source of factual information.

From an early age we are taught to be afraid of spiders and scorpions as they will bite or sting us. This fear is further reinforced by sensationalist magazine

and newspaper articles reporting so-called “facts” in morbid and graphic detail.

This misinformation is often spread via hoax emails that elevate venomous creatures to an almost mythical status through outrageous claims.

Similarly, we are constantly bombarded by marketing information persuading us to buy insecticides, repellent sprays and hi-tech ultrasonic devices that promise to save us from these creatures.

We have been brainwashed into living in fear of spiders and scorpions, but should we be afraid of them in reality?

9 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Facts about spiders and scorpions

Spiders and scorpions have fascinated mankind for thousands of years. During this time a large amount of myths and old wives’ tales have become wedged in the minds of the uninformed.

Spiders

J

onathan Leeming is the author of Scorpions of southern Africa and a First Aid Guide to Spider Bites and Scorpion Stings.

He offers a venomous animal risk management solution to corporate clients, and first aid training across Africa.

He is also guest lecturer for the University of Pretoria for the Diploma on Tropical Health and Diseases.

Jonathan is running a series of first aid courses at the Khamai Reptile Park in Hoedspruit. For more information on medically important spiders and these aid courses please visit www. scorpions.co.za.

Out of over 2500 named species of spiders in South Africa only 20 are considered medically important. The average spider can do no harm to humans. Contrary to many badly written magazine and newspaper articles, there have been no verified deaths directly related to a spider bite in South Africa.

Spider venom and scorpion venom is a limited resource that is never wasted.

These creatures often put on a threatening display and dry bites and stings are often just a warning, resulting in little or no symptoms.

The Violin Spider has an

almost mythical reputation.

Most people cannot identify this spider correctly, which leads to the idea that most spiders living in houses are Violin Spiders.

Due to ignorance, the misdiagnosis of Violin Spider bites is rife; leading the general public to believe that bites from these spiders are a common occurrence.

Other popular incorrect beliefs are that Back Button Spiders have a red hourglass marking on the abdomen and Daddy Long-Legs Spiders are the most venomous spider in the world – neither is true.

Scorpions Scorpions are hugely important in the natural scheme of things, not only as predators, but also as prey. The venomosity of a scorpion can easily be determined by its appearance. Contrary to popular belief, red scorpions are not more venomous than black scorpions. Size has nothing to do with the strength of the scorpion venom. Large scorpions have more venom at their disposal, the more venom that is injected into a patient, the more serious the symptoms. Therefore it stands to reason that all of our

medically important scorpions are large species. Some scorpions are labelled problem species as they are often implicated in stings in humans. This interaction can be attributed to human activity and the scorpion’s lifestyle and behaviour.

Spiders and scorpions do not bite and sting us without reason.

While we have been led to believe that venomous creatures should be feared, the reality is that they are nothing to be afraid of, nor persecuted or even reviled. They are not out to get us. They are simply part of the natural scheme of things and play an important role in the environment.

In further articles I will be delving into the facts regarding spider bites and scorpion stings, covering myths and email hoaxes and the scorpion venomosity rule of thumb.

10 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Alive and magnificent Story and photo

by Nicole Weprin

O

ur three and a half hour nest observation was coming to a close and we had both decided it was time to get out of the vehicle and stretch our cramped legs.

I climbed out on my side and began organising my camera and other equipment in preparation for the drive back to the Klaserie headquarters. Cassie Carstens, also a member Ground Hornbill Project team, was doing the same on his side when he turned around, froze, and whispered: “Nicole, grab your camera, quick.”

Without hesitation I did just that and walked slowly around the front of the vehicle to see what had captured his attention. There, no more than 60m away, calmly stood a beautiful male cheetah!

Not far behind him lounged his brother. Neither seemed too concerned by our presence. Slowly the first male started walking, gradually making his way behind and past our vehicle.

Eventually his brother got up to follow and we noticed he was favouring his right hind leg. He seemed to need rest more often, and every time he stopped to catch his breath his brother would pause and patiently wait until

A beautiful mite Story by Peter Lawson, photo by Esté Gerber

T

he started moving again.

We just watched, silent and awed, as they made their way across the field toward the setting sun.

The first male reached a downed tree and hopped up to scan his surroundings, small insects illuminated by the orange sun on the horizon drifted around his alert form.

After a few minutes of observation he jumped back down, rubbed his face on one

of the extended branches then marked the log as final proof that he had been there – alive and magnificent.

Nicole Weprin is an avian ecologist from the state of Colorado in the United States. She’s been helping the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project for a few months in their efforts to increase and understand the South African population of the Southern Ground Hornbill.

here are many species of mites in the class Arachnida, which means they are relatives of spiders and scorpions.

The beautiful little Red Velvet Mite has its home in sandy soils, usually deserts and semi-deserts, but they do extend into the Limpopo Province. They are seldom seen, but emerge in large numbers from their underground homes after heavy or excessive rain.

Although small in size, approximately 5-10mm, they are the largest of the many species of mites in the genus Dinothrombium and are completely harmless to us humans. In fact, they are beneficial to us as they prey on other invertebrates and are particularly fond of insect eggs, unlike the majority of mites which are skin parasites.

There is no visible division of their bodies into two parts

as there is in the bodies of spiders. That is the main difference in appearance of spiders and mites, but a similarity is that they both have four pairs of manyjointed legs with claws at the tips, and a pair of chelicerae, which in spiders are the poison fangs. You will also note that on each side of the chelicerae are two short limbs called pedipalps.

These are not pincers as in scorpions but carry many sensory hairs.

Red velvet mites are bright red and look like minute velvet cushions.

When handling them gently you will realise they have exactly the same texture of velvet but whatever you do, make sure you make them feel most welcome.

If you come across them where you live or work in the KPNR please do not destroy them. They are uniquely beautiful and a great addition to the varied wildlife in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

11 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

White-browed Robin-Chat

a unique songster

Story by Peter Lawson, photo by Navarre de Villiers

T

he White-browed Robin-Chat is a beautiful and confiding bird previously known as Heuglin’s Robin because the first specimen was collected in 1866 for a museum by Baron von Heuglin. The best place to find them in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve is around homesteads and human habitation, particularly if there are plenty of shady shrubs and bushes to take cover in if danger threatens. In such places you can find them hopping about on the ground at any time of day and they quickly adapt to the presence of people.It is a beautiful bird, with orange throat and chest and the same colour showing on the tail when it fans it in display. Its wings are blue-grey and the head is black with a prominent white eyebrow extending to the neck region.

There is more to this lovely confiding bird than colour though, because it is a wonderful and unique songster, particularly in the early morning, often shortly before sunrise. In fact, it is so reliable that should one take up residence in shrubbery outside your bedroom window you can use it as your alarm clock – I do!The song of this lovely robin is a series of crescendos, starting off quietly and peaking very loudly.

The volume increases as the song is repeated until, at the top of the crescendo it is scarcely believable that a bird of this size could produce such a volume of sound. Try watching it as it sings and you will note that at its loudest, the bird’s whole body seems to be pumping out the song – the tail jerks, the wings flutter and the air-sacs in the neck are visibly inflated. Often there is a change of pitch, sounding as if our robin is changing gear

in mid-song. If there are two birds present during this early morning song, the second arrival is likely to be the songster’s girlfriend. If she enjoys his singing, she joins in at the peak of the crescendo by singing ‘tleee tleee tleee’ in a decrescendo between the last two or three motifs sung for her by her charming boyfriend.

This is unique in that it is the only known example of synchronised singing in the Robin-Chat family.

White-browed Robin-Chats are territorial and each pair will have their own territory with boundaries between 50 to 150 m apart, depending on how vegetated the area is. The loud and lovely song

is used in courtship but primarily for territorial advertisement – telling others to keep out or ‘trespassers will be prosecuted’. Territorial disputes do take place on occasions and they can be very physical if the intruder is persistent.

They have been known to grapple in midair and fall to the ground where they continue the battle until exhausted. I have seen two exhausted birds lying side by side on the ground with the victor singing softly while lying next to his opponent, truly touching to witness.

When breeding takes place the parent birds are very protective and watch carefully over the youngsters once they leave the nest.

The chicks flutter rather than fly and scramble to hide in thickets, often squatting on the ground under cover. They flutter up to low perches when their parents arrive with food. Should danger threaten, the adult birds will utter persistent rattle notes and mimic the alarm notes of other local bird species. They are special parents that will boldly mob the intruder and all of these characteristics make them truly special birds.

12 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Intriguing masters of camouflage and stealth Story by Ian Sharp, photos by Allison Sharp

W

e have all at sometime managed to find a chameleon hiding in a bush – a great accomplishment as this master of camouflage is difficult to spot. Unfortunately on numerous occasions they are spotted crossing a road where the chances of being flattened by a vehicle is high. Even in the Kruger National Park where vehicles are supposed to travel at slow speeds, a number of DOR’s (dead on road) are seen.

The best chance of seeing a chameleon is probably with a spotlight on a night drive or with a torch in the garden, as chameleons at rest are pale-coloured and contrast with the dark surroundings.

It is estimated that there are between 150 -160 species of chameleon in the world, of which more than half occur in Madagascar. This island has the wonderful distinction of having two of the largest (±70 cm) and one of the smallest species of chameleon (3cm) amongst their bounty.

In southern Africa there

Wolkberg Dwarf Chameleon

are 19 recognised species of chameleon belonging to three different genera.

In our area only two species of chameleon are found. The Common Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis is

widespread and occurs throughout the region. The Wolkberg Dwarf Chameleon Bradypodion transvaalensis however, is restricted to the escarpment zone and not easily seen. When approached, they flatten their bodies against a branch and scoot around to the back to conceal themselves.

Flap-necked Chameleon

Stealthy hunters Chameleons have unique morphological characteristics that make them proficient hunters. These include eyes that can move individually through an arc of 180° on either side of the head and a brain that can view the two different images at the same time; and a telescopic tongue that has a suction tip and can be extended rapidly to a length equal to that of the body to ensnare prey. Chameleons feed mainly on grasshoppers and beetles, using their prehensile tongue to capture prey. Accuracy is not one of their strong points and it may take a number of attempts to hit the target.

Many have prehensile tails and even though they are members of the lizard family do not shed their tails and do not have the ability to re-grow a damaged tail.

The claw-shaped feet are due to the fusion of digits in a ratio of 2:3. On the front feet the two outer and three inner are fused while the reverse is found with the hind feet. The skin is another remarkable adaptation in that specialised cells below the epidermis can vary pigment colouring, allowing the chameleon to change colour.

13 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Reproduction Two different methods of reproduction occur with chameleons.

Some species are oviparous (lay eggs) and others are viviparous (birth live babies).

The Common Flapnecked Chameleon female lays between 2060 eggs in a burrow that she digs for this purpose.

Incubation is about 10 months and the newly born hatchlings dig their way out of the burrow.

Immediately they have to fend for themselves as there is no form of parental care.

The Wolkberg Dwarf Chameleon female retains the fertilised eggs in her body for several months and will only deposit the eggs on surrounding vegetation when they are due to hatch.

She may have several clutches of 5-15 eggs in a single year.

Chameleons have a number of natural enemies including birds, snakes and domestic cats in urban areas.

Newly hatched young are also preyed upon by spiders.

When molested or threatened they inflate their lungs to enlarge the body.

The throat is distended, showing bright orange colouration and the mouth is opened exposing the red interior to produce an impressive pose with great effect.

It is probably this action that has brought about the fear of these creatures in many African communities.

Chammy’s story Some years ago our family had a unique experience with a chameleon. A friend had found a DOR female along a road and she had been gravid. The impact of the vehicle had expunged the clutch of eggs she was carrying. Initially 43 eggs were collected but most had rotted or been eaten by a variety of organisms. Only five eggs could be saved and we attempted to breed them to full term.

On advice from reptile experts, soil had to be sterilised in a hot oven and the eggs placed half buried in the soil. Moisture in the soil was important and it had to be dampened every day to ensure the eggs did not dehydrate.

With time we lost some of the remaining eggs. When the second last egg shrivelled and on inspection only contained egg yolk there was not much hope. A few days later the last egg showed signs of shrivelling. A light squeeze to the bottom end of the egg caused fluid to seep out and a crack in the shell was noted. Carefully it was opened and a fully formed chameleon popped out. Ten months of dedication had been rewarded.

The hatchling was white and the breathing shallow. Once removed from the egg it changed to green but still remained curled-up. Some moist cotton wool was used to wipe it clean and one by one the little legs were extended

and Chammy was up and running!

To cut a long story short, Chammy was given a variety of small insects to hone his hunting skills and once he was seen catching his first prey we knew he would survive. He was kept in a cage and grew to adult size but not without a further scare.

Chameleons are reliant on direct sunlight for maintenance of calcium in their bones. Chammy was generally kept on the veranda and did not get sufficient time in the sun. He developed rickets with long bones starting to show deformity.

Corrective action had to be taken and he responded well and grew strong once again. Chammy became restless in the cage and we thought he had reached maturity and was troubled by hormones.

Friends picked up a female and she was put in the cage with Chammy. He raced to her, grabbed hold and all the pent-up frustrations were released. After that she ignored his advances and was aggressive towards him.

We felt that Chammy was ready to go free and be a fully fledged chameleon.

He was released at Tanda Tula Lodge and as he scampered up the tree the family could not hold back the tears. Chammy the chameleon had taught us so much over the months and left memories to be cherished.

Habitat transformation is probably the most pertinent threat to the survival of all chameleon species. They require natural vegetation to freely hunt and reproduce.

The use of insecticides and planting of exotic plants has contributed to their disappearance in suburban gardens. Keeping chameleons captive does not help their cause. As with Chammy they need sunlight and access to water droplets on vegetation to drink. Furthermore, captivity also curtails reproduction.

If you see a chameleon crossings the road or in any position of danger, stop and give the guy a hand to a safer locality even if he appears to be ungrateful!

Above: Chammy Left: Chammy soon after hatching.

Right: Telescopic tongue at full stretch.

By Ivan Gillatt

An Old Timer Remembers

The End of an Era

retired to Nelspruit and his partner, Ernest Whittingstall had taken over looking after y grandfather, GJ Crookes had things for the family. We called in at acquired the farm Northampton in Acornhoek to pay our respects to Ernest partnership with his brother John and his wife Ivy. We enjoyed a most (JJ) in the late 1930’s. They so enjoyed welcome cup of tea with them and then travelled on to Dover camp, arriving just their first trip in 1938 that they proceeded to buy further farms – GJ acquiring Dover, after sunset. GV and the others had arrived Northumberland, London and Dundee all to mid-afternoon and we quickly unpacked the north of Northampton. By this stage GJ and settled in. GV’s son Donald, my cousin, had sold his share in Northampton to JJ. was also in the party making six in camp.

Next morning we were up and about These farms had only been surveyed en block so the actual position of each farm early, taking a drive down river when boundary was not known. GJ died suddenly we came across three elephant on the at the end of June 1948 at the age of 78. In opposite bank. I was fortunate to get some his will, he left the farm Northumberland footage of them which was quite exciting.

Remember that in those days it was still to his two sons Vernon and Charles, his son-in-law Freddie Gillatt (my father) and quite an event to meet up with elephant. his cousin Edwin Crookes in undivided While we were in camp Ernest came share. You will remember that it was Edwin down and spent two nights with us. The one morning we drove out towards what was who had introduced GJ to the Klaserie area and he was also close to GJ. Vernon known as the look-out. We got out there and came across fresh lion spoor. Ernest loved also inherited the farms London and to walk in the bush, especially when there Dundee, and Charles inherited Dover.

The eldest son, uncle Vernon (GV) felt was something around. So Ernest, Charles and I decided to follow the spoor and see if that it would be fitting for those who had we could find the lion. Ernest always carried inherited Northumberland to get together at Dover camp in August 1949. They his trusted 375 H&H, I had a new 350 Rigby all agreed and so it was that a trip was and Charles also had a rifle with him. Those arranged. The day dawned and packing of you who knew Charles will remember the van was soon under way. We left that he had a gammy left ankle which was Renishaw mid-morning and made good controlled by an elastic band which kept it time up to Nottingham Road where we from flopping about. It was the result of a war were flagged down at Nichol’s garage. wound but he did not let it interfere with his We were told that we had left our walking and he was able to keep up with us. bedding at home and a car was on its The walk following the spoor took us way to hand it over. We had a cup of tea through some vegetation often favoured and then drove back to meet the rescue by lions and this kept the adrenaline going. car which we met near Balgowan.

Whenever we were nearing a big ant heap A few hours had been lost and we realised Ernest showed us how to keep under cover that we would not make Ermelo for dinner. and use the wind direction favourably so We did however, manage to get to Volksrust as to round the ant heap to the sunny side in time for dinner and overnighted there. as that was the side favoured by lion to sun We were up and away early the next themselves in the morning. It was a fairly cool morning to find the countryside under morning and we had no luck in finding the a heavy blanket of white frost. The mist lion. It was quite an experience being with froze on the windscreen and of course the Ernest, a skilled and knowledgeable old hunter wipers were worse than useless so I had and to see how he went about things. In his to drive with my head out of the driver’s hunting days he had shot many a lion this way. window - and was that perishing cold! All We tracked the spoor until mid-morning when went well and we made Ermelo for breakfast Ernest said it was time to abandon the walk where we met GV. His party moved on as it was apparent that the lions were on the before us and we followed a little later. move and were not going to rest that day. We Down on the Klaserie farms there had were able to meet up with the vehicle we had Male boomslang also been a change. Pump Willis had arranged to take us back to camp and so were

M

Photo by Simon Roberts

14 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

spared the long trudge back. It was a most interesting and enjoyable morning.

Sunset seemed to come early and I had not been able to get to water during the day, so after dark I decided to brave the leopard that we heard coughing down by the river, for a refreshing dip. I lit the pressure lamp, called to my old faithful Dabula Mbhele to bring his assegai, collected my rifle and went down to the river where it was good to cool off in the fresh water. I managed to bathe with no additional excitement and returned to camp to a well-earned supper.

Knowing what I know now, I don’t think that I would repeat that type of thing today.

Next morning GV asked me to try and shoot an impala for Ernest to take home with him. Charles and I drove out towards the southern boundary but the wind was against me and the impala we saw ran off.

I then took a walk over a low ridge and there they were. I managed to bag a nice ram, so with mission accomplished we drove back to camp.

It was my first antelope with my new rifle, although I had also managed to shoot a warthog for camp, that being my total scoop for this Dover trip.

Freddie had not been well during this trip to Dover and was not able to go out much, so he decided that we should pack up for home. Sadly after only ten days we repacked and left. We waited for the others to get back for breakfast, reluctantly said our good byes and travelled through to Volksrust to overnight, arriving home the following afternoon.

I am sure that GV’s initiative in arranging this trip to Dover was appreciated by all of us as we celebrated GJ’s love of the bush in a way that GJ, that grand old man, cousin, father and grandfather would have approved - we certainly felt that way.

15 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Story by Corné Havenga, photos by Esté Gerber

C

g n i n Clow

hildren’s Eco Training (CET) and South African Medical Expeditions (SAME) recently partnered with Clowns Without Borders South Africa (CWBSA) when they visited several schools in the Acornhoek area as part of their Injabulo performance tour. CWBSA is an artist led humanitarian organisation, dedicated to improving the psycho-social condition of children and communities in areas of crisis through laughter and play.

The aim of the performance tour is to raise awareness of important issues facing communities by relating to the experience of those affected. Performances are offered in neutral locations such as public schools to reduce stigmatisation of children who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence.

The CWBSA transformed the schools’ playgrounds into open air circus shows. The clowns had the children in absolute awe and created an atmosphere filled with joy, happiness and hope.

The children were transported to a magical world and while serious issues were addressed there were smiles all round. The CWBSA group placed great emphasis on malaria and stressed how symptoms must not be ignored but addressed immediately.

The message was simple yet very relevant to the significant increase in malaria deaths in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo area.

CET would like to thank the CWBSA team for their entertaining and educational performance. Your clowning around has brought great joy to all the children in the community and provided many with much-needed stress relief. Laughter is indeed the best medicine.

around in Acornhoek

16 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Green mamba laying eggs

The Fascinating Reproduction of Snakes Story and photos by Donald Strydom

Growth and size Snakes grow according to where and how they live – temperature, food intake, stress and their environment all play a role in how quickly they mature. It is therefore extremely difficult to determine the age of a snake by just looking at its size. A female snake is generally larger than the males as she can carry anything from ten to 100 eggs at a time when gravid (pregnant).

The mating process A sexually mature female snake will lay down a scent trail for potential males to follow during the mating season. Sometimes two males along the same scent trail meet and will combat by trying to overpower each other. With most snakes, especially the long agile species, this is done by trying to push each other flat onto the ground using pure body strength and without biting each other. People often mistake the combat ritual of two male snakes with that of a mating pair. The difference between the two actions is that combating males will entwine their bodies and push against each other’s heads, often lifting their bodies up into the air together with lots of head movement. With a mating pair, on the other hand, one would also see two entwined bodies but with more tail activity rather than head pushing. Sometimes the male may gently bite onto the female’s neck in order to hang on while he mates.

A male snake has a pair of functional hemipenes (bi-lobed reproductive organ) tucked away in the tail, of which he only uses one at a time when mating – the second hemipenis is a spare in case the other is damaged during mating. These hemipenes are rimmed with cartilaginous barbs designed to

Green mamba hatching

17 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27 securely lodge themselves into the female.

Once secured, the female moves through the bush carrying on with her day to day activities, climbing up trees and slithering down holes, dragging the poor male in reverse by one of his reproductive organs.

Because of this behaviour the barbs are very important to help keep the male joined to the female long enough for him to inseminate.

This is where a spare hemipenis becomes useful as it enables him to continue mating using the spare organ while the other heals.

Fertilisation It’s interesting that the female snake is merely inseminated during the mating process and not immediately fertilised as such. During mating the female receives the male sperm and stores them until needed. The female snake can also partly use sperm or reject the sperm completely, she has full choice of whether to have babies or not. This is of course determined by environmental conditions in that she will only become gravid if conditions are perfect for egg incubation and baby snakes. It’s possible for some snakes to store sperm in this manner for up to seven years at a time.

compete with each other for places to stay and food.

It is predicted that less than ten percent of snake babies reach adulthood and breed themselves.

snakes are fully fed at birth by absorbing the nutritional yolk of their egg. This can keep them going for at least three to four months while they find their own food.

Food

Luckily snakes generally have a lot of babies as they themselves fall prey to many predators. Almost any meat eating animal will eat a baby snake, including spiders and scorpions.

Some large insects as well as ants, birds and even other snakes will also eat the babies as they move about.

Snakes hatch at the optimum time of the year when there is an abundance of food to eat, like new born lizards and frogs and lots of insect larvae and bird eggs. Young

Enemies

African python hatching

The eggs It takes approximately 60 to 100 days for the eggs to develop and about the same time for them to incubate. Some snakes give birth to fully developed babies (ovoviviparous) born from the mother’s body rather than from an external egg. Most snakes lay eggs much like birds do, having babies hatch from an external egg (oviparous).

The egg shell is soft and leathery and must be kept moist throughout the incubation period. Baby snakes are born with an egg tooth, a blade like appendage that extends from the tip of the nose, used to cut the egg shell when hatching.

Black mamba hatching

The babies Baby snakes, unlike birds, are born fully developed with venomous snakes perfectly equipped with fangs and venom. In fact, the venoms of many species are more concentrated in babies and can deliver a lethal bite at times. Baby snakes fend for themselves. There is no parental behaviour amongst snakes. The babies do not live together and move away from each other instinctively at birth so as to not have to

CET says thank you for ongoing support to ...

• Heather Frankiskos and the matric students of St. Stithians College – stationery • Corinne & Keagan Steyn, Fleur de Lys Game Farm – Donation of shoes • Rob and Margie Ballentine – Assistance and transport of donations • Lizelle Louw of Brush Strokes – donation of paint

• Anonymous donor for donation towards the Klaserie Chronicle • All donors who supported our 2013 Kit-a-Kid campaign • Rynfield Primary- clothes and books • Elodie Janovsky- books and magazines • Appelblaar padstal-discount

Advert kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

received on seedlings • Clowns Without Borders South Africa- Performance tour • Gay Wabeke- Adult Eco Training • Anonymous donor – Gifts and stationery • Anne Spencer- Environmental magazines, books and posters

18 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Adult eco education kicks off Story by Gay Wabeke, photos by Esté Gerber

C

hildren’s Eco Training (CET) recently hosted its very first Adult Eco Training course for the staff of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR). The course took place at KPNR headquarters, was facilitated by Gay Wabeke, environmental education consultant for CET, and translated verbally from English to Shangaan by Queen Manyike.

Sipho Mokoena (HQ), Johannes Mkansi (Seekoeigat, Haywood), Given Malandula (Bateleurs Nest), Sydney Mkhabela and Vusi Mathebula (both from Xanatseni Camp) as well as Sipho Mathebula (Camp George) were the first six participants in the Adult Eco Training Course and all of them enjoyed it thoroughly.

Day 1: importance of education

The first day commenced with talks on why game and nature reserves are important, a short history of the KPNR and the importance of environmental education.

In the “design your own nature reserve” game participants equipped with a 3m piece of danger tape, knowledge and an imagination came up with some ingenious ideas as to what a nature reserve requires and why they designed it. My personal favourite was the straight 3m piece of tape in front of a knob thorn tree that marked the southern border of Klaserie. When asked why there were no other fences the response was: “There are no fences between here and Mozambique, it’s all protected wildlife areas between here and there.” A well thought out response I think, and very clever indeed. Another of the imaginary reserves incorporated a garden tap for water, grass and trees as it was determined that’s what animals require to survive. The day ended with a written multiple choice test on the day’s work. An excellent pass rate was achieved for day one. It was all smiles as participants headed home tired but happy and excited for the day to follow.

Day 2: Animals

Day 2 comprised various talks and games about the five senses and how important they are to both humans and wildlife for safety and survival in the bush. Other topics covered were animal reproductive systems, animal behaviour in the bush and how people should behave in the bush. Great fun and some good laughs were had during the blindfolded Noah’s ark (a game about animal reproductive systems) and nature trust walk games. Due to the day focusing a great deal

on animals, a lot was learned and experiences shared.

Top marks were once again achieved for the test on the day’s course work and there we smiles all round.

Day 3: Science!

Everyone found the minerals section of the geology talks interesting.

Who would have ever thought that so many things we use in our daily lives contain minerals from various rocks and so many things are manufactured from the three minerals (feldspar, mica and quartz) in a piece of granite.

Emphasis was placed on the importance of recycling, as the more we recycle, the less mining has to occur in our country and the less damage to the bush.

Day 3 was challenging, with lots of new words and concepts to learn. But with the help of hands-on experiments about soil, a close look at some of the common minerals we find in our area and their uses, and a trip to an erosion site across the river from HQ, it wasn’t as difficult as it first seemed. A trip to the

erosion site, followed by a little wander in the bush was appreciated by all after an action packed day of learning. Upon returning, some good laughs and great fun were had during the pre-test true and false game.

The day’s test, although a little gruelling, once again attained a high standard.

Day 4: Plants

Day 4 was all about plants, and covered a variety of topics: what a plant is, how plants make food (photosynthesis), over and under-utilisation of the veld, trampling of the veld, the difference between grazers, browsers and mixed feeders and finally, the importance of plants in nature and why we need to protect them. Games were played and experiments conducted to illustrate the topics. The last activity required participants to make a poster in which they had artistic freedom to anything they had learned during the day, so as to create awareness and an interest in plants in the other staff members of KPNR. These posters are displayed alongside other posters made during the course at the Reserve shop at HQ. Once again the test at the end of the day achieved a high standard from all participants.

Day 5: Water

On the final day of the course there was an air of excitement but also of sadness as it drew to a close. Everyone had worked hard and learned lots of new and exciting things and was hoping to continue to quench their thirst for knowledge of the bush they live in and dearly love.

Day 5 focused on the importance of water.

page kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

19 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

The syllabus was divided into two sections: firstly the use of water for humans and secondly for wildlife. Various topics were discussed, including where our water comes from, how important it is to us, water pollution and the importance of being water wise, how animals use and conserve it, and how aquatic invertebrates teach us about river health. It was a fun-filled day with lots of activities and experiments to illustrate all the concepts.

Once more a high academic level was attained in the daily test. CET is proud to announce that all the staff on course successfully passed Adult Eco Training 1. We wish to congratulate all participants and hope to meet again. May you all go forth and carry the messages you have learned to promote conservation of our beautiful home in the bush to all.

Comments from the six staff members who attended the course I would like to thank Mr Colin Rowles for letting me attend the environmental education course. It is the base of what I do on the Reserve. Thank you to the instructor who taught me. It is the course I have enjoyed the most.

Sipho Mokoena, Klaserie HQ

I learned lots of new things that I didn’t know. I learned why I am on Klaserie and how I can help to save the animals and plants. Everything I learned on the course makes me feel good about myself and makes me appreciate nature and the things I do. I was never knowledgeable enough to teach other people but now I know more and feel confident to teach them. I want to thank my teacher from the bottom of my heart for teaching me so much.

I would also like to thank Deon Huysamer and Neville and Wendy Ayliffe for letting me go on the course.

Sipho Mathebula, Camp George

I enjoyed learning about plants, stones, soil and animals. Now I know more about nature. Thank you.

Johannes Mkansi, Seekoeigat, Haywood

I would like to thank my boss, Mr Chris Rossouw for giving me the opportunity to come on the course and learn more about nature. I enjoyed all the days of the course.

Gay is the most wonderful teacher I have ever seen. I am very excited about the course. Thank you so much.

Sydney Mkhabela, Xanatseni Camp

I really enjoyed the programme. It was fun and I learned lots about nature.

I found it very interesting, I now know lots more about all the things we learned.

Given Malandula, Bateleur’s Nest

Thanks Mr Rossouw for giving me the chance to come and learn more about nature. Thank you.

Vusi Mathebula, Xanatseni Camp

20 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

On the ball Story by Peter Lawson, photos by Leon Marais and Donald Pearce

G

ood rains bring out the dung beetles and they are a fascinating sight as they go about their business of rolling balls of animal dung along the Lowveld’s roads. But there is a lot more to this odd behaviour than most of us realise.

There are hundreds of species of dung beetles of various sizes and colours, and not all of them roll dung. Many merely burrow into rhino middens or piles of elephant dung.

The one that usually attracts attention is a large species of Scarabaeus, closely related to the famous sacred scarab of Egypt. It is a perfectly designed little critter, specifically for its purpose in life of cleaning the veld and fertilising soil.

Its antennae are fan-shaped and are used to “sniff the breeze” in order to locate a desired pile of poo. When burrowing into dung it neatly tucks the antennae into a groove so as to keep its “nose” clean. Another ingenious adaptation is the shortened forelegs, which lack a middle joint. This makes packing dung into neat balls much easier than having long arms

that get in the way.

As you would have noticed, the ball of dung is rolled backwards. To do this, the beetle’s hind legs are long and powerful. Rolling the ball is a clever way of removing it from competition from other beetles, though this does not always work.

Like us, dung beetles live in heavily populated areas and are sometimes subjected to having their transport hijacked. If you see two beetles on a single ball, they are not male and female. Rather, the second guy riding on the ball is biding his time to steal it from the rightful owner.

The whole idea of the ball is to make transport of a healthy food supply simple, though this does not seem to be the case when it is travelling uphill.

The beetles make different

balls for different occasions. The male makes a “nuptial ball” and the female lovingly travels behind. When a suitably quiet spot is found in soft soil, he digs a hole and after he has buried the ball his betrothed follows him down into the hole.

This is where the “honeymoon” takes place and they mate. Like us, they believe in satisfaction after action – when mating is over, they both settle down to eat the ball of dung, a process that may take several days.

Once the honeymoon is over, either the male or female prepares a “brood ball”.

This is much smoother and made from finer dung than the honeymoon ball. T his second ball is buried and Mom goes underground alone into the “maternity ward”, which has ample room for her to move around and over the ball. She carefully pats and smoothes the ball before depositing a single, large egg in a groove she has made in the side of it. She then repairs the groove before leaving the chamber and closing it behind her.

As would be expected, her husband does not make any attempt to assist with this extra work, but flies off happily on the search for poo to start another ball rolling.

21 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

KPNR to help renovate Matikinya classrooms Story by Corné Havenga, photos by Esté Gerber

T

he Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) has once again made a donation to fund a Children’s Eco Training (CET) project at one of CET’s adopted schools. After numerous sight inspections and meetings with the respective principals, CET identified the renovation of classrooms at Matikinya Primary school as a viable project.

The identified classrooms are in dire need of a total transformation, with all of them needing ceilings, floor restoration, window repairs and paint jobs.

CET believes creating an environment conducive to learning is imperative for teaching to be effective and quality learning to take place. Mood is very important in the school, the workplace and in daily life and it is therefore pertinent to understand how colour and the surrounding environment affects mood.

Studies show that monotone environments may induce anxiety and lead to irritability and an inability to concentrate.

It has been suggested that the proper use of colour in schools can convert an atmosphere that is depressing and boring into one that is pleasing, exciting and stimulating – promoting positive feelings about school.

CET will tailor the learning environment to be attentive to individual children rather than following a course of mass instruction and promote the value of diversity.

Transforming the classrooms will create an environment that is not only conducive to learning, but will ensure effective teaching and learning takes place.

The main objective of the project is that learners will thrive in environments where they feel safe, nurtured and respected.

All learners, even those with learning difficulties and extraordinary personal challenges, can do well when they are physically comfortable, mentally motivated and emotionally supported.

We hope that by transforming these classrooms we will be able to create an environment that encourages creativity and innovation.

Hannes Steenkamp

22 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

sightings

Des Jacobs

Des Jacobs

Des Jacobs

Lynette Strauss

Pieter Steenkamp page kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

Des Jacobs

23 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Twig snake, also known as vine snake or bird snake

Fred Ruest: White buffalo calf

Above and below: Philip Oosthuizen Pied kingfisher

Maribu

s Lynette Straus

Philip Oosthuizen

page kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

24 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

At grass root level

The bush looks spectacular after good soaking rains, thick and green with plenty for the game to eat. At the risk of being a kill-joy though, it must be said that it takes a trained eye to assess just how suitable the grazing is for the game.

Story by Judy Meeser, photos by Judy Meeser and Allison Sharp

P

lant communities in the bush are continuously changing. By monitoring the changes in species composition we can gauge the condition of the veld as it responds to external influences like animal densities, droughts and soil disturbance.

The grazing value of an area is directly correlated to the stage in the succession of different plant communities and the presence of various species of grasses can indicate the general health of the veld.

Pioneer communities consist of annual grasses and forbs.

Annual grasses have a short growth cycle and propagate themselves by seed production.

Very little energy is made available for leaf production and so there is not much for animals to eat.

Pioneer plant communities have a low grazing value but they form an important stage in plant succession and improve the conditions for the following plant community to colonise the area.

The pioneer community protects the soil from extremes in temperature, wind and erosion so that over time the soils improve and are able to sustain plants and grasses that have better leaf production and therefore better grazing value.

At any one time the bush has an assortment of different species of grasses.

Some are pioneers, some are climax grasses and everything in between.

Veld assessments conducted at the same time every year and following a set transect line will reveal an increase in some species and a decrease in others.

Grasses are rated and categorised according to their response to different grazing regimes – this is called the ecological status.

The three broad categories of grasses are:

Decreasers: A species that dominates good veld but decreases under mismanagement.

Increaser 1: A species that increases with under-grazing and highly selective utilisation.

Increaser 2: A species that increases with overgrazing.

Grass species with a wide geographic distribution will have a variable ecological status, so that a grass that is a decreaser and an indicator of good veld condition in KwaZulu-Natal may not be in the Lowveld.

Some easily recognisable grasses and what they indicate are:

A

Finger Grass

A. Finger Grass Digitaria eriantha

B

A highly palatable grass with a high leaf production. Occurs on damp soils. Sought out by impala and roan. This grass has a high grazing value and will decrease if overgrazing or under grazing takes place.

B. Spear Grass Heteropogon contortus This grass has a seed or awn that corkscrews into your socks and attaches to animal skins. Besides this unfortunate characteristic, it has a high grazing value and is a desirable species but its ecological status is variable.

C .Signal Grass Urochloa mosambicensis

Spear Grass

C

The inflorescence looks like the signals along railway lines. This is a palatable grass with a medium leaf production and has good grazing value. It is often found on overgrazed and trampled areas like at waterholes. This grass is sought after by hippo, rhino and impala. * Common names vary from area to area; hence I have included the scientific names. Don’t be intimidated by them.

Signal Grass

25 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27 J. Giant Crowfoot Dactylotenium giganteum

G. Blue Buffalo Grass Cenchrus ciliaris

D. Herringbone Grass Pogonarthria squarrosa

This wonderful grass forms thick swards of blue-green tufts with a high leaf production.

Blue buffalo grass grows on most soils in warm areas and has a faint smell of curry. It has a high grazing value and will decrease under mismanagement.

Although this grass is perennial it has a low leaf yield and is hard and unpalatable. It is an indicator of overgrazing when found in large numbers.

E. Natal Red Top Melinis repens An annual species often found on disturbed soils and on roadsides. It is fairly palatable and an important soil stabiliser. This is an Increaser 2 species that will increase with overgrazing and has a low grazing value.

H. Narrow –leaved Turpentine Grass Cymbopogon plurinodis

F. Stinking Grass Bothriochloa radicans

D

E

K. Guinea Grass Panicum maximum An extremely palatable species with a high leaf yield mostly growing in the shade and along rivers. The grazing value is high and this is a Decreaser species.

L. Saw-tooth love grass Eragrostis superba

An aromatic grass that smells and tastes of turpentine and is not palatable except when young. Has little grazing value and is an Increaser 1 indicating overgrazing.

Common on termite mounds, stony slopes and low lying areas where it forms thick stands.

This is an aromatic grass which is unpalatable and is an indicator of disturbed veld.

A highly palatable grass found under trees or along river banks. Good leaf production and hence has a good grazing value.

F

A palatable species with variable leaf production. It has an average grazing value but is valuable in stabilising bare soils.

M. Yellow Thatching Grass Hyperthelia dissoluta This grass is tall and gets woody later in the season. However when young it is relatively palatable. It is common along road sides and is an indicator of under grazing.

Grass in the savannah is always a mix of many species and so you will find a “good” grass growing alongside a “bad” grass. Species diversity is something we strive for and knowing what it indicates when a certain grass starts to dominate is a useful management tool.

K Herringbone Grass

Natal Red Top

G

L

Stinking Grass

H

J Guinea Grass

Saw-tooth Love Grass

Yellow Thatching Grass

Blue Buffalo Grass

Narrow-leaved Turpentine Grass

Giant Crowfoot

M

26 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Important

grasslands classified as protected areas

A

major milestone for the conservation of South Africa’s grasslands and wetlands was reached in January when the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Ms Pinky Phosa, declared five new protected areas in Mpumalanga.

South Africa’s grasslands are poorly represented in formal protected areas and this declaration will add over 73 000 hectares of important grassland habitat to the network of protected areas within the province.

The new protected areas are the Chrissiesmeer Protected Environment, the KwaMandlangampisi Protected Environment and Mabola Protected Environment (both near Wakkerstroom), the Tafelkop Nature Reserve and the Mndawe Trust Protected Environment near Lydenburg.

CEO of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), Jacque Modipane, commented: “The protection of these properties not only secures important areas of grassland biodiversity for future generations, but also enables landowners to work collectively to conserve their land, implement sustainable land use practices and to safeguard against land uses that could end up destroying the area.”

Greenhouses An Eco Village Project Story and photos by Esté Gerber

I

t is said that teaching children gardening gives them a natural head start in life. It is with this in mind that CET is implementing a trial greenhouse project as part of the Eco Village Programme at our adopted schools, Matikinya and Seganyane Primary Schools.

The eco kids at both schools have shown great interest and joy while working in their respective eco villages and we decided to further expand this project by teaching them to propagate their own seedlings.

Starting a new plant is a wonderful experience for a child.

First they experience

excitement as they watch something they planted themselves change and grow.

They come to feel pride in their work and enthusiastically monitor the plant’s progress.

Through nurturing a living thing, children have the opportunity to hone observational skills, learn how plants reproduce and gain knowledge on basic botany and plant processes.

We believe the greenhouse project will add great value to the children’s learning experience as well as add to the sustainability of the Eco Village Programme and look forward to see the results.

27 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Fruit and veg monsters and superheroes excite children Story by Gay Wabeke, photos by Esté Gerber

I

t was a challenge to make fruit and vegetables – something children usually don’t find very interesting – exciting in the December Holiday Workshop.

The topic and lesson structure was introduced at the start of the day with a short play and set a great tone for the rest of the day. Trainers dressed up as fruit and veggie monsters and superheroes and delighted the children who didn’t know fruit and vegetables could be so much fun.

The three age groups were each given their own themes. The 7 to 9 year olds learnt about Fruit and Veggie Superheroes; the 10 to 12 year olds went to Fruit and Veggie Monster School and the 13 to 16 year olds got to hang out with Fruit and Veggie Rock Stars. Each of these themes had various characters introducing different topics to the children.

The aim of the workshop was to differentiate between fruits and vegetables and teach the children exciting new things about the fruit and veggies they eat. This included labelling the parts of a fruit; stories of fruit and veggies that changed history; what barcodes mean; proteins and vitamins in fruit and veggies; and the uses of wild fruits and veggies to both people and animals.

Activities on the day included generating electricity by using lemons; a wild fruits identity relay and jumping fruit and veg dice. The children also had a great time with various art projects, some of which they could take home as presents for their families. These included superhero and monster masks; doorstops with fruit or veggies painted on them and seed tapes to take home and plant.

The day was ended with Santa Shoebox and Kit-a-Kid hand-outs which the children really enjoyed.

CET would like to thank all the volunteers and community for their continued support this past year. These holiday workshops will not be possible without this support and it is greatly appreciated.

Your R250 can change a life Buy a uniform - consisting of a shirt, shorts or a dress, a jersey, shoes and socks.

Contact Corné @ 082 713 8778 or corne@ecochildren.co.za

Advert kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

Alien

invasion

28 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Story and photos by Ian Sharp

T

he Klaserie River that gives its name to the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve bisects the reserve from south to north. As a perennial river it is of great importance to the ecological integrity of the area.

Having its source in the valleys of the Mariepskop mountain system, the river winds its way across the Lowveld savannah for some 35 kilometres to eventually join the Olifants River near Phalaborwa.

Unfortunately, lurking in the catchment areas there are a number of UFO’s just waiting for ideal conditions to launch an alien invasion on the Klaserie River system. UFO’s? Something from the sky? No, this attack will come from the soil in the form of Unwanted Floral Ornamentals!

Already the invasion has begun and many do not notice it as these aliens slowly creep into river systems like a thief on a dark night. By the time we realise there is a problem, eradication is no longer an option and these aliens can only be controlled over a matter of years. Slowly their numbers increase, competing easily with indigenous plants and systematically getting

Unfortunately, lurking in the catchment areas there are a number of UFO’s just waiting for ideal conditions to launch an alien invasion on the Klaserie River system.

footholds in the environment. Even drastic climatic events such as recent floods cannot rid the system of these aliens but only serve to spread them further downstream.

The sources of these aliens are varied.

Many stem from the areas of forestry, agriculture and the gardens of residences in areas adjoining the river. Seeds are deposited directly into the river basin or washed down by water runoff following rainstorms.

Some of the alien plant species found in the Klaserie River system are discussed here but the means of dealing with such ‘pests’ will not be addressed as this could be a whole article on its own. The alien species invading the river system can be divided into species that thrive in the moist conditions of the river basin and those that enjoy the arid nature of the adjacent woodland areas.

The Triffid Weed Chromolaena odorata is probably the most unwanted alien as is evident in the extensive problems in KwaZulu-Natal and the Tzaneen area. This species is already present in large numbers on farms in the upper catchment of the Klaserie River and will spread downstream as it is a prolific producer of wind-borne seeds.

The irrigated farmland areas along the Blyde River are also systematically being invaded.

Triffid Weed

Right: Biological control on Queen of the Night

Category Descriptions Under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 198 plant species have been identified as alien plants. These are divided into three categories with a Category 1 plant on your property considered a punishable offence.

Land users, land owners and the local government are responsible for combating the spread of alien plants.

Category 1: 122 species Prohibited plants that are not tolerated on land or water surfaces, in rural or urban areas. Propagation or planting of these plants is prohibited as their harmfulness outweighs any useful properties.

Category 2: 37 species Plants with a proven potential of becoming invasive but have certain beneficial properties that warrant their continued presence and are only allowed in demarcated areas e.g. woodlots.

Category 3: 39 species Plants with a proven potential of becoming invasive but are popular ornamentals or shade trees.

Not allowed to occur anywhere unless in existence before the new regulations and do not occur within 30m of the 1:50 year flood line.

29 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27 The better known Common Lantana Lantana camara is an old enemy dispersed by birds and supported by overgrazing practices – a legacy of cattle farming and now supported by the game industry.

Prime habitat is invaded by this species where sweet grasses growing in shaded areas are overwhelmed by its presence.

The Castor-oil Plant Ricinus communis, Large Cockleburr Xanthium strumarium and White-flowered Mexican Poppy Argemone ochroleuca all produce large amounts of seed as is evident by their numbers along the course of the Klaserie River.

Large Cockleburr

Mexican Poppy

Common Latana

Yellow Oleander Thevetia peruviana is thriving in the river system just south of the KPNR. The plant as a whole, but more specifically the seeds, is highly toxic. It is inclined to densify in large copses on the banks of the river.

Lastly, two further species invade the dry woodland areas along the banks of the river. The Sour Prickly Pear Opuntia stricta and Queen-ofthe-Night Cereus javanica are both members of the cactus family and prolifically produce seeds in fruits that are readily eaten and spread by baboons, monkeys and birds. They are found along the Klaserie River and in the adjoining savannah areas especially where it is more arid. Even though these species have effective biological control agents it will be necessary to resort to chemical methods to eradicate them from the Lowveld area.

Strangely enough the property of the local conservation authority office along the upper catchment of the river is heavily infested with these species!

Yellow Oleander

Sour Prickly Pear

Jacaranda Two species introduced as ornamental plants, the Jacaranda Jacaranda mimosifolia and the Common Seringa Melia azederach are commonly found along the upper Klaserie River system. The former is glorified in our capital city with a local radio station even proposing that this tree should be given indigenous status!

Surely its messy sticky flowers are enough to banish it from our natural environment. The latter carries poisonous berries that are prolifically produced each season and floats effortlessly downstream to invade new areas of pristine riverine vegetation.

Common Seringa

30 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

Thank you to our bursary sponsors Photos by Karen Randall

Cross Schools (SCS) they have grown up in front of our eyes and achieved here was great jubilation across the fantastic results in last year’s exams. country when the matric results were Mashudu claimed five distinctions released in January and Hoedspruit and an average of 82% and DK, one was no different. Two matriculants that distinction and an average of 69%. we at Children’s Eco Training (CET) CET, in partnership with the MAD are especially proud of are Mashudu CHARITY™, SCS and the girls’ parents Mutshaeni and Dikgetho (DK) Mametja. and guardians, supported them during Since being accepted onto a bursary their high school career by contributing programme in partnership with CET, financially, emotionally and academically. the MAD CHARITY™ and Southern All of the parties involved deserve to be congratulated and thanked and CET would like to take this opportunity to do just that.

• SCS has proved itself as a quality institution and their outstanding matric results in 2013 is a result of years of hard work from staff and learners alike.

• The MAD CHARITY™ has been making a difference in the lives of talented young South Africans for 10 years and their support of Mashudu and DK has been invaluable in their success.

Mashudu Mutshaeni Dikgetho (DK) Mametja • The parents and guardians

T

Cassandra Mnisi joins the MAD CHARITY™ Bursary programme Story by Corné Havenga, photo by Esté Gerber

C

assandra Mnisi is a charming and cheerful young lady and we are absolutely delighted to welcome her to the Bursary Programme. Her infectious laughter and incredible storytelling ability has already made her a very popular member of our bursary group in the Hoedspruit area. Cassandra is currently in grade 10 at Southern Cross Schools and she is extremely excited to form part of the MAD CHARITY™ bursary programme.

Cassandra is a dedicated student and applies herself wholeheartedly to all her activities.

She is passionate about drama and enjoys playing hockey. Her favourite subject is economics and she hopes to one day pursue a degree in commerce and become a successful businesswoman.

Cassie has definitely got a winning attitude and we wish her all the best for her upcoming school year.

The MAD CHARITY™ will be accepting new bursary applications for current grade 7 learners until 30 April.

Learners should come from a household with a gross income of less than R13 000 per month and achieve an academic average of 75%.

For more information contact Delia at delia@madcharity.org or at 011 442 0991.

of the girls do not always receive enough credit, but their support and examples are what laid the foundation for Mashudu and DK’s achievements thus far.

Both girls have made us exceptionally proud and their hard work should not be overlooked in this partnership.

Without their commitment and mature approach to life none of this would be possible.

Their hard work has paid off and we are confident that they are well on their way to achieve great things.

Mashudu is currently enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand where she will be pursuing a degree in chemical engineering while DK started a general B.Sc. degree at the University of Pretoria in January.

We wish them only success and happiness in their futures.

31 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

What a place to call home Story and photos by Jessica Rowles

B

eing the eldest daughter of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve’s (KPNR) warden, Colin Rowles, I have lived my whole life in the Klaserie and have been privileged to experience and be involved in numerous hands-on operations that happen behind the scenes.

In our day-to-day lives we often get so busy going about our business that we forget to stop and enjoy the beautiful environment in which we are so blessed to live. I was reminded of this when I recently accompanied my dad and one of the field rangers on a helicopter patrol of the Reserve.

We were up at sunrise and took off from Klaserie headquarters at 6am to begin our patrol as the sun slowly but surely tried to push its way through the heavy cloud cover.

We flew to the northwest corner of the reserve and began patrolling from there, further to the west and then southwest.

The cool morning air sent chills up the legs of even the toughest of men as we flew with no doors allowing the rotor winds to blow through the helicopter, wiping hair out

my pony tail into my face.

It’s one thing to marvel about the beauty of practically untouched bushveld, but it was another experience all together to see the Klaserie from the sky.

The veld is so rich and lush after the rain and the animals are thriving.

The landscape is painted in shades of green and dotted with pools of water from the recent rains. I was

amazed to see how well the land had recovered from the harshness of the 2012 floods, leaving only the broken dam walls and white sands of the broad Klaserie River as a reminder of that fateful day that influenced so many lives.

Whilst flying we were privileged to see a black rhino bull and cow with a small calf at foot, a white rhino cow and new born calf, as well as a number of Wildebeest herds, some of up to 10 animals, all which had newborn calves with them.

Nature is so willing to give and so quick to return to its full glory.

The smallest drop of water on dry land yields immeasurable results. Nature knows what it was created for and turns out its full beauty of life and prosperity to bring glory to the One who created it all.

Seeing the thriving animal populations, lushness of the veld and thick white clouds draped over the Drakensburg Mountains as the wind wiped my face I again realised how lucky I am to call a place like this my home.

32 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 27

373 School uniforms = 373 smiles

T

hanks to the Kit-a-Kid initiative almost 400 children started the current school year with anticipation and excitement as they could put on their very own, brand-new school uniform on the first day of school.

Kit-a-Kid handed over 373 school uniform vouchers to learners at Children’s Eco Training’s (CET) holiday workshops and adopted schools, Matikinya and Seganyane Primary at the end of 2013.

This initiative was born in 2009 when CET realised many of the children in their adopted schools did not own a school uniform. As children are not allowed to attend school without the correct uniform this is a major concern.

Kit-a-Kid collects funds through donations and fundraising to supply children at these schools with a complete school uniform. Not only does this enable them to attend school but the ultimate goal is to empower them by improving their self-confidence and selfworth by taking pride in both their appearance and their work.

How can you help CET?

Your contribution can change a life CET would like to thank those committed individuals, KPNR members, corporates, trusts, local businesses, lodges and anonymous friends who donated to this year’s Kit-a-Kid drive. By donating you have made a big difference in a child’s life.

The Kit-a-Kid project has donated 1 273 school uniforms to date. One child can be supplied with a full uniform consisting of a shirt, shorts or a dress, a jersey, shoes and socks for only R250. Should you wish to contribute please contact Corné Havenga at corne@ ecochildren.co.za for more information.

Children's Eco Training. Standard Bank, Cheque Account, Acc 013253611, Hatfield Branch, Code 01-15-45. Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ, PLEASE use your name as reference and send confirmation of payment to corne@ecochildren.co.za

... for only R250 You can make the first day of school memorable for the right reasons

irt, shorts or h s a f o g n ti - consis s and socks. e o h Buy a uniform s , y e rs a dress, a je Contact Corné @ 082 713 8778 or corne@ecochildren.co.za

Support the CET Golf Day The Klaserie Chronicle is published quarterly and distributed to KPNR owners, as well as CET donors, partners and Chronicle advertisers. For any contributions or queries please email admin@ecochildren.co.za or contact Laura on 082 713 7550. We would love to hear from you!

Date: 21 May 2014 Club: Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead

Page kindly sponsored by the Connan Family Trust