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- THAF Update - Community Focus
- Photography Reflections - Photography Focus
- Research Update - Research Focus
I am delighted to contribute to the latest issue of our monthly newsletter from Dumela Lodge. We are halfway through this year, after the drought and just the beginning of the dry winter season. Nature is changing day by day, animals becoming much more active, especially impalas ‘barking’ and chasing each other constantly as this time is their breeding season. Game drives can be really chilly (fresh – as one of our volunteer would say) especially in the mornings. Celebrating our first anniversary in the Greater Kruger area makes us very proud: so many hands that helped to accomplish all our achievements and adventures; we opened our new shop in the lodge, where you can buy souvenirs made by the local community and so much more. If you are interested in keeping up to date with the latest news, you can subscribe by mailing: warthogpost@africanimpact.com
Cover photo: 11th May 2016, Elephants drinking from the pool at Africa on Foot Camp | Lilla Szanto
My desire to travel has always been there. Ever since I was little I wanted to go places, see new things and meet different people. I’ve chosen the photography The project after much consideration and I’m very happy I finally came to this decision. It’s been such a pleasure to be here and be part of this project. South Africa has always been a magical place for me. And it is true – it is magical. There are times I just think to myself what a wonderful opportunity this is for me to explore a bit of the world. I am very grateful for having this incredible experience! The people I met during my time here are amazing. They made my trip to South Africa so enjoyable. I’ve always been interested in different languages which makes it so much fun to communicate with each other. I get to laugh all day, everyday! The volunteers as well as the staff are super nice. And then you have the local people … these people are just amazing. They are always laughing and so lovable. I am incredibly happy here, mainly because of them.
The diversity of nature in South Africa’s reserves is huge. You will be spoilt on your very first drive. These beautiful animals you get to see … to me, it feels like a whole new world. Every time we leave for Klaserie I get so excited and my stomach flips! When I got here, my favourite animal was the giraffe. Now, I can’t even choose … The guides who introduced me to this wonderful place and taught me a million things about it were incredible. I have so much respect for them.
I really enjoyed the trips I did over the weekends organised by African Impact! You get to see South Africa a little bit more, in a very different but beautiful way. The first weekend I went to Kruger Park, which was unbelievable. It’s something you definitely have to experience if you come here. Later, in my second weekend, I did the boat trip and the cultural village show. It was very nice to get to know the local culture and have the beautiful sights of the African landscapes. And finally my last weekend in Dumela Lodge, I did the Panorama Route. Looking at such beautiful views makes you want to stay here forever ‌
Mantids are masters of camouflage - different species either mimic flowers, leaves or barks to escape detection as they remain motionless to ambush prey. Some species will even sway like leaves to make their camouflage more convincing.
Last but definitely not least, I am going to write about the photography course Tim gives us throughout our stay here. I was surprised by how much I was able to broaden my horizons in the capabilities of the photographic art. Tim, our photography guru, taught me to step out of my comfort zone and use different techniques to better express myself with my pictures. I got to know Lightroom, which is an editing software. It took me to places I had never been before. And with all these pictures I get to carry some beautiful memories with me for life. My stay in the Dumela Lodge was extraordinary. Doing a photography project in South Africa was definitely one of the best things I have done so far. I enjoyed it so much!
Here at African Impact we have our own Scottish beauty Lorna, she is a woman of strength, humility and care. As our community and project manager she is always busy in one way or another but will always make time for anyone that needs to talk. She loves to make use of mind maps as she develops new projects and brainstorms ways to make the projects come to life. She uses her incredible talent for retaining information, which got her into the top 5% of girls’ computer programming in Scottish schools, to make sure everything at the lodge goes smoothly. And just like the black rhinos that she loves she pushes through any challenge to emerge with a smile and joke to brighten the day.
One of the major community projects at our Greater Kruger location are the after school homework assistance classes at the Seganyane primary school in Acornhoek, Green Valley. This week I had the great pleasure to talk with four grade four learners about their experiences at the after school classes. When I took them aside to talk to them they were still a bit out of breath because of the warming up they just attended. Every class always starts with a warm up during which the learners can relieve the built-up energy of being in class for a long day before they attend the afterschool lesson. This week the warm up was a game called “North East South West”. The learners all start in a big group and have to listen to the commands of the person leading the game. On the ground are marks for where each direction is, last one to arrive at the right direction is out of the game. But that’s not all, the one in command could also shout out any big five animals after which the learners have to respond by performing the action that belong to this animal; same principle, last one to perform the right action is out.
It’s easy to understand why the learners I spoke with were still out of breath! Nevertheless every single one of them absolutely loved participating in the game. “It’s great that someone takes time to play with us” says Virginia, a nine year old girl who speaks English surprisingly well for a grade four learner. Especially if you take into consideration that grade four is the first grade in which everything is taught in English - up until then everything is taught in their own language, Tsonga. Virginia says that the after school classes make her feel special. And that she wishes that more time was spent learning English during her regular school hours. For someone of her age Virginia is surprisingly keen to study and do homework. However at home there is no one who can help her with her homework, even though Virginia lives with both her father and her mother something that is quite unusual in this region. When Virginia grows up she wants to become a doctor. On the question why she wants to become a doctor she answers that she wants to help other people and make them feel special just like she feels special by attending the after school classes.
“I also wants to become a doctor” says Confidence. She and Virginia have been best friends for as long as they can remember. “We grow up together” says Confidence - later on she explains that she and Virginia are neighbours and that they live about an hour on foot away from their school. “So we spend a lot of time together” tells Virginia with a big smile on her face. They even do their homework together, every afternoon they study for about twenty minutes at Virginia’s house working together. Confidence’s favourite subject at school is Natural Science, therefore she hopes that we will start helping out with that course soon as well.
For now our main focus is on English homework assistance. Currently the level of English is not sufficient enough to start homework assistance in other courses.
Then there are the two boys, best friends as well. “Yes, because it is so much fun” replies Khutso, nine years old, on the question if he likes the afterschool classes. His favourite subject is Natural Science, “because it’s so easy”. Khutso shares that the after school classes have made Natural Science even easier, because as he says it, he can now understand more of what the teacher is saying. Khutso claims to only spend 3 minutes a day on homework, but that’s mainly because he doesn’t really know how to do homework he later on admits.
The same applies to his best friend Kamogelo. Although luckily for Kamogelo he gets some help now and then from his older brother and sister. He loves to learn and that is why he likes the after school classes so much he says. Kamogelo’s favourite subject is Maths. “Whenever I listen to Maths being taught it makes me happy”. Furthermore he says that he thinks that the after school classes will help him by achieving his dream of becoming a police officer. He seems clearly aware of the fact that a certain level of English comprehension is required for police officers. When I ask for his motivation to become a police officer he responds: “because I want to make Acornhoek a safer place”. Speaking with these four wonderful learners reminds me of the importance of the after school classes. We are here to assist the learners in achieving their dreams and help them to be prepared for high school. But of course we can’t do this on our own, we depend on volunteers and donations. Interested in how you can help out? Check: www.happyafricafoundation.org/proje ct-detailed.html?pcode=41
Foxtail is aptly named for its fluffy spikes that resemble small animal tails. Each spikelet is dressed with wavy, purple bristles that make the inflorescences stand out amongst the grass plant’s dense green leaves. Like other climax grass, foxtail buffalo grass has a very high grazing value in spite of its propensity to grow in more arid areas (where it may also act as a sub-climax grass). It grows in well-drained soils and in fertile hotspots like the sides of termite mounds.
understanding of the topic which we measure through questions and tests. It is also important that the students relate to the topic and what possible impact they have on water pollution in their daily life and ways to limit their negative impact.
Shoot in RAW. If possible, set your camera to capture images in camera RAW format. RAW image files are basically unprocessed, one might say uncooked, straight from your camera’s image sensor. They contain a massive amount of pixel information when compared to JPEG and take up a lot more memory card space. However, this additional information allows more latitude for adjustments in postprocessing.
There is nothing more satisfying than waking up in the morning and knowing that by the end of the day I’m going to make a difference and impact in someone’s life - that is amazing. This enthusiasm is magnified when driving through the scenic two provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga with the backdrop of the scenic beauty of the Drakensberg Mountains. So much has been achieved this month: from helping our partners Eco Children with their Eco Village maintenance to Homework Assistance and Conservation Education lesson delivery. All of this would not be possible without the hard work from the staff and volunteers involved.
Close to the end of our lessons we also want to ensure the students have some light relief and enjoy a creative activity, something which they do not have much time for in their busy academic curriculum. Therefore the students created posters on the topic of water conservation and ways in which each individual can save water.
Our Conservation Education lessons with the grade 6 and 7 learners this month have looked in detail into diseases that can be caused by water pollution and what can actually be done to eradicate these diseases. This is very relevant and potentially life saving knowledge so it’s very important to ensure a true
At Homework Assistance we work with Grade 4 and Grade 5 focussing on English comprehension through reading, writing and speaking. This is an essential skill for further education and employment. In order to get to grips with the basics we have been concentrating on essential grammer skills such as tenses and adjectives.
We tested understanding of past, present and future tenses with examples and exercises. This helps us to see what strengths and weaknesses the students have and identifies which individuals require more attention. Although grammer is not the most exciting activity it is a valuable skill for students to learn in order to express themselves clearly while speaking and writing in English. After our lesson we concentrated on the homework assignments set by class teachers. We positively encourage students during these sessions as many do not complete homework assignments due to difficulty in understanding and a lack of support and motivation from home. We are creating a forum for children to feel comfortable to ask questions and complete their homework as a supplementary educational tool.
Again another great month on Community Projects – it’s amazing to witness how much the students have flourished over the last few months and we’re looking forward to seeing their progress next month! A special thanks to our partners Eco Children and our volunteers who made their impact helping out with lesson plans and making every moment in community filled with fun for the learners.
The name ‘warthog’ comes from this swine’s obvious facial warts, which are made up of thick skin and cartilage. Females have a single pair of warts just below the eyes while males have an additional pair just above the tusks. The warts on boars are much larger and this, as well as the additional pair on the cheeks, helps to protect their faces and eyes from opponents’ tusks during their times of combat. Warthogs are mostly hairless but what hair they do have serves vital functions. The mane of long, rough hair along the back is erected (called pilo-erection) when they are stressed. This probably serves to make the small animal look more intimidating to opponents or predators. The pronounced cheek whiskers, particularly present in juveniles, are a clever form of mimicry. The white hair imitates the adults’ fearsome tusks while they are still developing in the youngsters and serves to deter would-be predators even though the piglets are essentially defenseless.
What is Photography? The online version of the Oxford English Dictionary describes We can show how the Hippo has photography or practice an affectionate,‘as notthe justart aggresive side, we can show the industrious of taking and processing dung beetle working away (the flies photographs’. The word here, incidentally,originated point like an "photography" from the arrow subject – I and Greektowards φωτός the (phōtos) ’light’ trained myself), or a lonely by γραφήthem (graphé) representation impala with a long way to go. means of ‘lines’ or ‘drawing’, together meaning "drawing with We can also create confusion light". within the image make the viewer But these wordstoare only dry look deeper, like a crocodile’s eye definitions. To me, photography seen through another croc’s mouth, cannot be defined in basic terms getting the audience to engage with so I asked myself what a photo, get them thinking. photography means to me. Bringing two elements together, I have always liked art and I was we can make a suggestion – here always keen to create or build that African Impact works with something. I remember snakes – so you can see that even when a child my parents with fewI was variables, a and photograph asked me if I wanted a mobile becomes more and more phone and I said no, I would complicated. rather have a camera. So everything This, for me,started is part very of myearly. I fascination with photography - the control we can have over what we want to communicate, by simple inclusion or omission. It’s also where we have a responsibility, in not only what we say, but how we say it. There is no way we can get that perfect image, that puts an idea in another’s head with no confusion whatsoever. Striving towards that perfection, however, is what keeps the photographer coming back.
always had my camera with me to capture moments and memories, so at a young age it became clear that photography had become my first hobby. Honestly, I did not really consider it as a profession. I was only 19 years old when I decided to leave my home country, to travel and experience the world, wanting to explore the beauty that was out there. It began with small trips around Europe and almost a year in the States before eventually arriving in London. Not long after moving to one of the craziest cities in the world, I met a professional photographer while I was shopping. It was really funny; he tried to sell me some broadband and TV packages, but we ended up in a long conversation and he offered me a position as a photography assistant in weddings and events. I was really shocked,
But it felt like it was meant to be, so I took the offer in my stride. We started to work together a while later and to be honest with you, during the first couple of months all I did was just hold lights, charge batteries and all those ‘minor’ roles. But I enjoyed it. As time passed, I gained enough knowledge and confidence to be given the role of a second shooter. I bought my very first DSLR camera and a few bits of other gear and, later, I was working my own functions – all pretty much within a year! So yes, photography became a major part of my life and I quickly realized it was my main passion.
Composition The art of composition is another essential part of photography. How the elements in the photo are arranged and where the subjects fall within them is on of immense Use what’s offer. importance. There are many Natural lighting is always aspects to composition, so let us going to be away better than focus on just few here. Though anything man can beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, some photos manufacture, so useare it! seen The as beautiful by more people than hours just after dawn and just other photos. before sunset (the golden Rule of Thirds: Draw 4 sets of lines hours) give light a image across the photo sowith that the is divided into 9 equally sized beautiful, rosy quality (which Notice where the lines isrectangles. why most romantic shots intersect, and when taking a photo, are set at sunset). trying placing your subject at one of ‘Bad’ can work in your these lighting intersecting points. favour. CenteringAtmospheric the subject: This technique is used by most conditions canpeople lead naturally. to moody Simply put your subject in the shots, so maximize any center of the frame. Try to take definition in overcast clouds several variations of the same to make sure it doesn’t subject using centering and look the rule of thirds. out. The eye of the viewer of a painted photo tends to(a follow certain paths Rim-lighting technique used while looking at the image. The in studio lighting setups using eyes tend to come in and to exit aalong designated ‘hair light’ certain pathways. Findfor some models) and silhouetting can photos you really enjoy and notice whereaand how your eyeseffect. travel have very dramatic through the frame. Just because you can’t get into Attracting or distracting the eye: the right position doesn’t Remember to focus on elements mean you the should the that attract eye totry thefor subject, and try to exclude those shot. Remember – letthat nature distract the eye from the main inspire you! subject.
The Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is one of the four species (ranging from Africa to India to Australia) in the large-bodied Ardeotis genus. In fact, the male Kori Bustard may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. The Kori Bustard is cryptically coloured, being mostly grey and brown, finely patterned with black and white coloring. The upper parts and neck are a vermiculated black and greyish-buff colour. The ventral plumage is more boldly colored, with white, black and buff. The crest on its head is blackish in coloration, with less black on the female's crest. There is a white-eye stripe above the eye. The chin, throat and neck are whitish with thin, fine black barring. Kori Bustards spend most of their time on the ground, with up to 70% of their time being on foot, although they can forage occasionally in low bushes and trees.
To me photography is an art of obsession. It’s about finding extraordinary images in an ordinary place. No place is boring to me. I’ve always found it hard to put my feelings into words, but when I hold my camera and when I take photographs, everything changes. I know no fear. I feel good. I feel free. I can shut the outside world out. I am able to express myself. I can get lost. I can break the rules. I can let my imagination fly.
I feel that photography ‘saved’ my life. I was pretty wild and confused about it. But I am really lucky that I have found my real passion. I wish the same for everybody.
Life is all about ups and downs. The world can be such a rush. Losing people, feelings and loyalty. Dealing with changes, we get hurt, we feel happiness like witnessing celebrations, weddings, newborn babies or just a random afternoon with friends and families. Freezing all these moments - even if it is happy or sad – you will always find the humanity of the moment. And the best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even though people in it do. My favorite type of photography is definitely black and white. It has so much power. Sometimes, colour can be distracting and can complicate an image. It can be
Inspired by her father who Inspired by her father who worked with kids teaching them worked with kids teaching them about the importance of wildlife, about the importance of wildlife, Taylor has been involved in Taylor has involved in animal andbeen ecosystem animal and ecosystem conservation since high school. conservation since school.a This brought her tohigh University, This brought her to University, a BSc in Biology, and then to BSc in Biology, and to African Impact as a then volunteer African Impact as a volunteer and now staff. and now staff. “It was important for me to give “It was mesotomuch.” give back – Iimportant had been for given back – I had been given so much.” After her last volunteer drive After her last volunteer drive she went out to enjoy the she went outthere to enjoy the sunset, and stood sunset, and there stood elephants (one her favourites). It elephants (one hersaying favourite). was like they were thankIt was like they were saying thank you – a sign that she was meant you – a sign that she was meant to come back. to come back. Of volunteering she says: “It Of volunteering she says, “It expands the way you look at the expands way world andthe life. Youyou canlook giveatsothe world and life. You can give so much more, share it back home, much more, share it back home, and give these animals a voice.” and give these animals a voice.”
What perfect hard is to the focus on the subject photograph? The simpleBut answer because of the colour. when it is, there’s simple comes tono black andanswer. white Or more correctly there is no perfect photography, the subject is much photograph. Youon. could start, I white easier to focus Black and suppose, by getting a perfect of the images reveal the starkness range of tone throughout shadow contrasting withthe light, and image, but by drawing a line with a for me this is the most interesting perfect gradient from pure black aspect of an image. to pure white would give you that ‘perfect’ range of tone, yet rather After working 3 years in London dull to look at. Perfection lies in in hospitality and as a freelance the likes of science, which plays a photographer, I realized that days part in photography, but an image is so much more. For me, a great image communicates an idea which then provokes a response from the viewer. This doesn’t have to be complicated – a photograph of a baby elephant, for example, always elicits an “Awwwwwww” response from many, which means the photograph is doing its job. I can think of many examples of war photography which,
just became ordinary and grey. Of course event and all through thephotography reportage of human those long hours in the restaurant suffering, also bring a response paid mythe bills, but I needed from audience, be it positive or negative. something else: a new challenge. I spent so many hours surfing the A key element in some all visual internet looking for communication, be it graphic getaways and something related design, photography, oil painting with photography, I found African or expressive dance, is simplicity. Impact’s website and something Presenting with as little just hit me: I an hadidea to come here. ‘noise’ as possible between the I came as a volunteer and ended author and the audience. Most up coming back as the current people, after reading a book, then watching the film version, will prefer the book. This is because originally, the communication was between the author and the reader. With the film, it now also goes through the screenwriter, the director, the performers, the cinematographers and more, and the idea becomes a shadow of its former self. It can be a great piece in its own right, but the original idea has been tainted.
One of the clearest forms of communication we have, we see every day. On signposts, in computer programs, on the road, in schools. It transcends language and is instantly recognizable, even by some animals. It is the arrow, or one of its many variants. It is a simple indicator, pointing a single photography assistant. Learning direction, communicating its idea about photography, so perfectly that it wildlife, cannot be animals, conservation culture, misunderstood. Thisand is the kind of simplicity look for in from all getting knowwe new people photography. around the world, making friendships and sharing all of our And don’t be mistaken this is successes as we work as a –team doesn’t have to be a complicated a priceless experience. Everyday is – in fact, in the idea joyidea here. I think coming to itself, Africathe simpler the better, and the was one of the best decisionseasier I it isever to communicate. In these two have made in my life, and I'm shots of the lilac breasted roller, looking forward to next chapter of first shows the beautiful bird ourthe adventure. in flight, against the sky. It simply says “This bird is beautiful”. In the second, we bring another element into the photograph. Bird, sky, and now telegraph lines. It shows the bird perched and alert, but can also suggest the bird is trapped by manmade structures, or overcoming man’s encroachment on its territory by making the best of a bad situation. Both convoluted ideas, sure, but open to (mis-) interpretation.
The days are shorter yet the slow flight of the African Monarch Butterfly lingers into autumn. Also known as the milkweed butterfly, due to its feeding habit as a larva, this species is widespread throughout Africa and Asia. Easily recognized by its brightly coloured orange wings, black wing tips, and creamy white spots, which combined, are known as aposematic colouration. This serves to warn vertebrate predators that this graceful flyer is in fact distasteful and even toxic if ingested. For this reason, these butterflies are models for many non-distasteful species. After all, mimicry is the greatest form of flattery.
I fell in love with Africa in 2013 when I travelled all around Namibia for summer holidays. When I left, a piece of my heart remained there, so when I discovered this photography project in South Africa I was so excited, I booked it immediately, and after three weeks I was there! It was perfect because I could nurture my passion for photography in an amazing place. It was my first photography course and beginning in such a wonderful setting it was just perfect. You can apply all the technical stuff that you learn during theoretical lessons by just going out of the door where the animals, colour and landscape are just waiting for you! Can you imagine to practice and better yourself with lions as models for your shoots? As photographers we do lots of things while we are here: we go on game drive in two private reserves, Buffaloland and Klaserie, to see the Big Five and to take pictures of them; we go to the local eco-villages in a school for community work and we have a lot of photography lessons! But the most exciting experience we had was at the Reptile Centre; we saw spiders, snakes, crocodiles, chameleon and lizards.
When we arrived there, the first animal we saw was a female baboon spider. The guide put the spider on a tree trunk to let us take pictures of her, while he told us some information about this species. Then he asked if someone wanted to hold her. My first reaction was absolutely not to do it, because I didn’t like spiders very much, but then someone in my group did it and I thought it was a good opportunity to get over my fear and I tried. I was very scared at the beginning and then I was so surprised when she started to walk on my hands in a very gentle way. It was absolutely amazing! She seems very relaxed and after a while, I was relaxed too. I still don’t love spiders but I have started to appreciate them more.
After this the guide showed us two Cobras! They were pretty close and we could admire them and take very nice photos. The way they move and look at us made me shiver, everything in their body is lethal. We also got to touch a chameleon and dragon lizards, a very nice experience.
I used to be terrified of snakes and a little of spiders, but after this wonderful experience I’m less scared because now I know more about them, and through knowledge have conquered (in part at least!) my fear.
And then, it was time for the Python! The guide explained some details about it and then he asked if someone wanted to hold it. I was terrified, snakes are/were my deepest fear, and I wanted to deal with it. So I took it; I was so nervous that I felt the rumble of my heartbeat in my head and my head was spinning, and when the snake moved his head close to my neck I thought I would faint! After a little time though, I started to relax a little and I started to feel the snake and to enjoy it: the indescribable texture of his skin, his powerful and perfect muscles, his precise movement and his singular temperature. I didn’t think I would ever say this, but I look forward to my next experience with snakes!
Lions are the largest African carnivores. They are also the only social cats in the bushveld. By cooperating in prides, lions are able to kill bigger animals or improve the chance of a successful kill where there is little cover. They are also able to improve the survival of their young through cooperation. Lions have protractile claws. The claws can be pushed out by muscle contractions when the lion has need to fight or hunt but they relax back into a protective sheath when the cat moves around. There is a small dewclaw on a lion’s wrist which is used when pouncing on prey to secure it.
Meet Yorick, Dumela’s own Happy Africa Foundation Intern. While from the Netherlands, Yorick has spent most of the last year away from home, living in South Korea for six months before joining THAF in South Africa. Through his studies in International Business and Management he has discovered that he would love to work for an NGO someday, which is what attracted him to this internship. During his time with THAF he will work to fund and create business ideas that can help further develop our community projects, with his main goal being to get the local people involved as much as possible. Standing at 1.94 meters tall, it is no surprise that he was a successful volleyball player at home and also enjoys sailing. He is also a great person to ask about world news, as he checks up on it every day!
For the research program, this month has been a whirlwind of new discoveries which have made the research team very excited for the coming months and for the developments to follow. We have had many amazing interactions with our Big 5 but also have had many indescribable experiences with some of the lesser known, but equally loved species we research. From witnessing impalas rutting to giraffes sparring it is never a dull day in the African Lowveld! One of our new discoveries has been in our lion pride dynamics. In April, we stumbled upon a new pride of lions, known as the Giraffe pride, which previously we had no recorded data for. The Giraffe pride is no ordinary pride though, for presence of white lions makes them a rare and beautiful sight. White lion simply means they have a recessive trait which causes them to become leucistic or very light in color. Not only have we now collected dynamics and behavioral data on 2 the Giraffe pride females, whom we have coded as KF11 and KF12, we recorded mating behavior with the
white lion (KF11) and the old Trilogy boy, KM2! This was a very exciting find for the team as we documented the mating and will keep tabs on the female to determine whether she is indeed pregnant and whether we can expect new cubs in about 3.5 months. Another very interesting discovery was locating a new male in the area. Since the Trilogy boys have not been seen in their old territory recently we were waiting on bated breath for some new blood to make their way in and it looks like we have finally found one who has sauntered in. This new male, who looks to be an old boy at that, came in and immediately shook things up with a buffalo kill which he proceeded to defend from the likes of hyenas, jackals, and the Breakaway females. Now that there is a new male around we are very excited to see what shakeups are in store with regards to pride interactions and dynamics, and whether there continues to be more nomadic males entering the territory in search of females and territories.
The big cats stole the show this past month but we can’t overlook the great strides we have made in our elephant ID database. We have ID’ed over 60 individuals currently and our ID team has worked tirelessly to continue to identify and create new ID kits for all of the bulls and dominant members of the herds which pass through the traverse. The team and I cannot wait for the coming months as we sit with bated breath as more questions have arisen from our exciting discoveries. Now it’s on to the next phase: Will our new males stay in the territory? What will happen to the Trilogy boys’ old territory? And will our leopards prove to have more overlapping territory than we previously thought possible? Stay tuned for the next research update to find out!
Our other favourite rosetted big cat has made quite the splash as well. We have identified 3 new individuals in Klaserie which had previously not been seen. The newest addition to the leopard world and is a young cub belonging to FKL6. We now know she has 2 cubs, one male and one female. We can’t wait to have a visual of this young male next and to watch the development of both cubs. Our second leopard identified was a young sub-adult female never seen before who is now known as FKL5. The third leopard we identified was a male we have been searching for for some time as we’ve had tracks and vocalizations within his supposed territory to date. Having confirmation of his presence and photos to now create his ID kit was a wonderful step in our leopard project objective of identifying all individuals within the region in order to create more accurate home ranges and territories.
Don’t forget about the little guys!.
Many come to Africa to photograph the sensational animals – the lions, the elephants, the rhino. But while your game drive may be focused on these don’t forget that a fast moving impala is often and much more challenging subject!
The giraffe is the world’s tallest land mammal and has some curious adaptations to accommodate its lifestyle. Giraffe do lie down to rest at some point during the night but they generally only sleep curled up in five-minute installments as they are very vulnerable during these times. Because of their height advantage and good eyesight, many other animals will associate with giraffe and respond to early signs of danger given by these ‘lighthouses’. Giraffe are also very curious animals and will stare at predators lying in the grass or any other intruder, giving shorter animals (and even humans) a clue to the fact that there may be carnivores in an area. Giraffe are classic browsers, their long necks giving them access to the highest of foliage. They do, however, bend down to ground level in order to pick up bones or soil that chew to supplement calcium and phosphorus that is lacking in their diet. This is called osteophagia and geophagia respectively.
Accompanied by our lucky charms Sindi and Sbono, the researchers set out on their weekly trip to Klaserie, and arrived in camp to find an unexpected guest – a large elephant bull in camp behind our tents in the drainage line. We briefly watched him from a distance and then set out on our first drive for the day. We quickly arrived at our first sighting - a male lion resting near the carcass of a partially eaten buffalo he had killed that morning. This was a new male that we had not previously seen so we took as many photos as possible in order to create an ID kit for him. During the hour we spent observing him, we were lucky enough to see him resting, grooming and feeding on the kill. On the same drive we had 7
separate elephant sightings and just as it was getting dark, we saw 2 male impala rutting as it is the beginning of the rutting season. After eating expertly cooked burgers back in camp for dinner and getting dressed very warmly, we set off again for our night drive, heading straight back to the male lion. When we arrived (having been well warned of our proximity by the smell of the buffalo carcass) he was feeding and after a while lay down to rest in front of the carcass. Scanning the surrounding area for eyes in search of other predators who might be interested in the kill, we noticed a spotted hyena 20 meters behind the vehicle, and several side striped jackals circling as well. However, our lion seemed undisturbed by these potential competitors, and also by distant roars we could hear from other lions. It wasn’t until an elephant appeared 10 meters from him that he reacted, to our surprise, by shrinking away from the elephant and the kill. At one point, we briefly turned off our torches to stargaze, and when we turned them back on, we were startled to see another large elephant
directly behind our vehicle! Our lion retreated from this elephant as well, and then decided to lie down and rest.
The elephants eventually moved away, and a hyena approached the kill, but the lion immediately ran at it scaring it away with an impressive territorial display given its recent timidity towards the elephants. The lion then returned to rest but the night’s activities were not yet over – the two elephants we had previously seen began fighting with each other! The lion did react not to this at all and eventually we decided to head back to camp since it was close to midnight. Even there, however, we found a chameleon and could clearly hear nearby hyenas.
After a luxurious 4 and a half hours sleep, we were up again and back to the lion to see what had happened during the night. Whatever it was, it had tired our male out as he rested for nearly an hour as we observed him and the sunrise. We had barely left the sighting when we were alerted of another Ngala sighting – two female lions, which we were able to identify as KF1 and KF2. They too were resting, until they too were disturbed by the sudden appearance of elephants causing them to run 50 metres away
down the road, but we were able to find them again, continue the sighting and get some photos to update their ID kits. In total we spent 12 hours on drive, of which 4 hours were spent observing lions, meaning that we obtained a lot of data on behaviour, condition and group dynamics – a very productive and enjoyable day!
How long have you been with African Impact? I started exactly one year ago, when AI moved to this location. Do you have any kids? Yes I’ve got 2. One boy and one girl. What is your favorite animal? Leopard You’ve just been on your first game drive in Klaserie…How did you like it? I loved it very much, but unfortunately we did not see the leopard. I’d like to go again. What was the best moment and the scariest moment? My favorite part was when we were walking in the bush in the morning. It was amazing to hear the leopard calling. The scariest was when we had to go to sleep! Any hobbies? I like reading. books and magazines. Favorite type of music? Disco, both South African and English. Favorite type of food? Black forest cake. What is your main drive in everyday life? My main motivations are my kids. I want to work hard to provide everything I can for them. If you could make this world better, what it would be? I wish I could stop abuse. It is just horrible. “She is not so talkative, shy and quiet most of the time. She has a lovely smile and always nice to people. She also works very hard and tries her hardest all the time even though sometimes she is the only one who has her duty.” –Sindy-
Guiding as a profession is all about what you make of it. The days can be long and gruelling but the rewards far outweigh the cons. Being a guide is more then just guiding, especially with African Impact. Having guided guests from all over the world at some top notch lodges, I have to admit and I think my fellow guides would agree, guiding research and photography volunteers is a different ball game altogether. African Impact has created a dynamic work environment where we, as guides, are encouraged to learn, grow, and give a more hands on approach coupled with the most diverse schedule I’ve seen in my career so far. I remember my first day with African Impact which was a little over 3 months ago. I traveled with the volunteers to Senganyane school to help weed the Eco Children’s gardens. It was hot, back breaking labour that was soon overshadowed by the pride I felt at accomplishing such a worthwhile task alongside like-minded individuals. By that afternoon, I was in the Klaserie Game Reserve, recording sightings data with the researchers and Project Assistant who are all as passionate about the bush as I am!
focus might be bush walks with an emphasis on the smaller living things for our photographers. For our researchers & conservationists, there is tracking, bird counts, insect surveys & snare sweeps etc. Of course, guiding wouldn’t be guiding without game drives! Depending on our Project Managers goals for the week, game drives can encompass game counts, camera trap check ups, data entry, photography, etc. And if that’s not enough variety in the schedule, we often participate in bush clearing, rubbish removal and snare sweeps around our town, helping out at the reptile centre, plus seeing this country’s vast array of sights on weekend trips with our amazing volunteers!!!
With African Impact, our days are as varied as the African bush. They may begin working alongside the local community, within the various ECO Children Schools, while other days the
Working with volunteers has reignited my desire to educate as many people as possible who cross my path or step onto my game viewer. No matter what the subject matter, my goal remains the
Same: to make every volunteer as enthusiastic about it as I am!!! Ask anyone who knows me, you can never say enough about dung beetles and termite mounds which is why I love presentations and is another way African Impact has helped me to expand and share my knowledge base!!! Various personal projects have cropped up, and more will soon follow as I can’t seem to sit still long enough for moss to grow underfoot. The good thing about this is that everyone I work with has that same ethos yet none of them think it odd that I have amassed a collection of dung beetle exoskeletons nor that I have a variety of old animal skulls in my bathroom being bleached and reassembled as educational tools. This is my new home and my co-workers, my new family – I am where I belong.
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