From the editors desk Last Month’s Top Shot Winner Facebook Cover Shot Winner Volunteer Encounters Ranger’s Report
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Community Focus
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Photography Reflections Photography Focus
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Research Update Research Focus
Excited and buzzing were both words used to describe the reactions most people had when coming back from game drives the past four weeks. It’s been a hectic and hugely rewarding time to be volunteering and working at Dumela, with an abundance of five-star leopard and lion sightings. Big cats are definitely the star at the moment! Everyone knows to keep expectations grounded and how rare and privileged such a sighting can be, but nature and Mother Africa have recently lined up a plethora of fantastic opportunities for everyone… but with the enjoyment comes the work! Researchers and photographers alike have had their work cut out for them in using their knowledge and skills to do what they do best and everyone delivered with flying colours. We know our luck will eventually slow down, or stutter to a halt, so it’s great to see everyone make the most out of these moments – getting the work done whilst making life long memories.
Subscribe by mailing: warthogpost@africanimpact.com to keep yourself updated with the latest news! Cover shot: Shadowed Buffalo – Samuel Cox, Second Photographer, England
My name is Roel Verstegen. I am an Applied Biology student from the Netherlands who has a passion for research and wildlife. In December 2016 I applied for the big predator Internship for African Impact. A couple of months later, in March 2017 I stepped in the airplane towards South Africa. This was the first time I went travelling on my own for 12 weeks and my very first time going to Africa. 12 weeks looks like a long time, but it’s nothing when you stay here at Dumela Lodge. It felt as if I was only here for 2 weeks. What an amazing time I had in Dumela Lodge. Since the first week this place felt like home. The main reason for this was the passionate and talented staff members working in this place. They had such a massive contribution in my development as an intern researcher. They taught me so many different things, such as there is more to see then only the Big 5. Every animal big or small has its own magical element. The animals people get less excited for, such as an impala, can be amazing to watch. I remember a game drive where a group of impala were jumping over the road, and it just looked like a show. It was amazing to watch. The staff members not only taught me wildlife and conservation related topics but also changed my views in life. The biggest thing I have learned is that you have to enjoy and embrace the little things in life. In the end this will make you a happier person.
Boring into stems as larvae, these pests eventually transform into the metallic green-blue beauties seen on various bushveld flowers. This brightly coloured Longhorn Beetle is one of many diurnal species found in South Africa. Thought to resemble the iridescent sheen of flower petals, the adults feed on pollen and nectar in the safety of their botanical hosts.
Also, the subject of my internship was a huge highlight, the group dynamics of the Painted Wolves (or Wild Dog) in Klaserie Game Reserve. The first couple of weeks were pretty intense for me, because my background as a researcher in the Netherlands is different than the conservation research project I undertook at Dumela Lodge. After these weeks I got to grips on my subject. Everything was pointing in the good direction. I understood the way of thinking for making a conservation management project. I was even lucky enough to see these magnificent animals myself. I remember the first time I saw the Painted Wolf. So much excitement and so many emotions. Especially when I saw a pack of 9 Painted Wolves greeting each other 2 meters in front of the car. Another incredible sighting was when we followed the Painted Wolves into thicker bush where they stopped at their fresh Impala kill and started to eat. That was my favourite sighting I had in all the 12 weeks I stayed in Dumela Lodge. We got to witness almost all of the different Painted Wolf behaviours in 1 sighting. In one word - AMAZING.
In the end I hope my report will contribute to the conservation management of the Painted Wolf.
Pied Kingfisher
This kingfisher feeds mainly on fish, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae. It usually hunts by hovering over the water to detect prey and diving vertically bill-first to capture fish. When not foraging, it has a straight rapid flight and has been observed flying at nearly 50 km/h.
Polarising Filter This filter is often placed in front of the camera lens in photography in order to darken skies, manage reflections, or suppress glare from the surface of lakes or the sea. For modern cameras, a circular polariser is typically used; this comprises firstly a linear polarizer which performs the artistic function just described, followed by a quarter-wave plate which further transforms the nowlinearly polarized light into circularly-polarised light before entering the camera.
I fastened my seat belt, grabbed my pencil and started reading my book. A few minutes later, the airplane directed to Nelspruit was preparing for landing. Belongings were collected, I was kindly welcomed and ready to go! The landscape was undeniably enchanting, it differed from any previous experience. However what deeply amazed me were the local villages, the undisturbed cows crossing the highway and the trucks filled with smiling children. Starting from these brief instants, I realized where I just arrived. I realized that, despite my interests towards Wildlife, I cannot ignore the people that have lived in these lands for generations.
Community represented a unique opportunity to learn, to teach, to share. I intended to teach something to the kids, deliver a message and in most cases I ended up learning from them. It became a bilateral lesson, a “multi-continental confrontation� that required patience but lead to real enjoyment on both sides. Dialogue was not taken for granted, it had to be earned and I admire the patience of the kids towards us: volunteers come and leave whereas they stay. They are aware of our privileges, privileges of temporary passengers and despite these divergences, they accept to work hand by hand.
What made you want to work in Africa? Ultimately all the experiences I had here as a volunteer made me want to come back.
What do you like most about your job? Meeting all the people from different backgrounds and having so many amazing experiences. What makes you smile here? Great animal sightings and interesting conversations!
Our methods were quite different from what they were used to. I did not intend to present myself as an irrevocable authority but rather as a friendly presence, the contents that I exposed covered fields and domains that were not usually taken into account. Well, I believe this new approach revealed many unexpected attitudes among the kids. A few started questioning, many listened carefully: curiosity began to rise. Thus, beyond our pedagogical objectives, I hope that we managed to grasp their attention, not by the volume of our voices but by personal interest. The uncontained dynamism I experienced in the classrooms was contagious. I was arriving exhausted by the early morning drive and as soon as I opened the door, I was feeling regenerated. Smiling faces are rare in Europe. Here, they are as common as Impalas. You might think it is irrelevant detail but it is not. School is not only a place to learn, it is a place to be. Thus, through our “modern” approach, the spirit of communion was favoured. I feel grateful for all the positive energy I received from these sessions. The wisdom of Mandela depicted education not only as a connecting bridge but as a basic need. Whereas I doubted it in the past, I now profoundly agree. The time spent in the community as an unprepared teacher changed me. Africa, I’ll come back.
Bite force is an important property of carnivore ecology, because they need to kill their prey as easily as possible, and the bite force is vital in this context. A leopard’s bite force in pounds per square inch is between 300 and 310 psi on average. It's bite force quotient which is an animals bite strength measured in newtons (metric unit for weight) divided by the animals body weight is 97 which is lower than that of a lion or an average domestic dog.
At African Impact, the work we conduct with animals is obviously fundamental to everything we do, but it’s all for naught if we forget about our two legged compatriots. We can put in all the hours we like, but if the future adults of Africa are not educated as to why conservation is so important, then we might as well bang our collective heads against a brick wall. Conservation as a whole helps not only the animal populations, but think about the revenue, jobs and economic stability that the tourist industry provides. People all over the world want to visit Africa, which is why not only is it important for us to help manage these ecosystems as the population increases, but to help the population itself, so they can be the caretakers for the land, benefit from it in a constructive and ethical way. It is their land, after all. All this is why we partner with local community organisations like Eco Children. We recently looked at what has been an amazingly successful partnership over the last two years, and the figures speak for themselves. Both staff and (mainly) volunteers have: - Aided in the construction of 2 brand new Eco Villages, - Helped out with Reading Club and Conservation Education in Local Primary Schools, - Contributed to projects such as Santa’s Shoebox, Juvenile and Adult Bush Schools, Holiday workshops and the Kit-A-Kid Program, - Documented all activities, to help Eco Children raise vital funds for new Eco Villages, Bursaries etc. - 2015 photographs supplied: 1871 - 2016 photographs supplied: 1231 - 2017 photographs supplied (so far): 316
Most recently, two events stand out:
Part of the over 370,000 beetles found in the Coleoptera order, the Fruit Chafer Beetle are also part of the Scarabaeidae family. Their flattened shieldshaped bodies help to differentiate them from other scarab beetles. Their ID can be quite a challenge as several fruit chafer species only have minute colour or marking differences. They are, however, easily located. The adult is diurnal, feeding on sweet plant material such as fruit and sap from stems, while the larvae live in decomposing organic matter found under the same fruit trees as the ones the adults call home.
“In May, the 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in South Africa for a five day stay, visiting the touristic attractions of Mpumalanga before departing for Trinidad. During their brief visit they brought the baton to The Three Rondavels, a spectacular viewpoint on the Mpumalanga Panorama Route, giving the local community a surge of excitement and an opportunity to witness and experience a moment in history. Eco Children, one of African Impact’s partners which focuses on whole school development and hands-on environmental education, was there to attend the event with coordinators and a lucky group of children.
They were given Australian and South African flags and continued to wave them enthusiastically as the Baton arrived and Carlene, the Projects Coordinator for Eco Children, walked it down amongst the children. Every child got to touch and see the Baton, brimming with admiration and excitement, before it got taken down to the viewpoint itself where an interesting speech was made regarding the history of the location. It didn’t seem like a few minutes had passed from it arriving that the Baton was being quickly sped away, but as a lovely and enduring gesture the honour was given to a one of the small girls accompanying us to carefully guide it back to the car, posing for photos with nearly every step. Eventually she placed it with the utmost care back into its protective sheath before everyone up and departed in a whirlwind of mass movement.
Sitting for lunch afterwards, the kids seemed beside themselves with joy and appreciation. The coordinators had done a great job in informing them of the relevance of that day and their participation, so it seemed everyone was on cloud nine. It was a great experience for everyone involved and it’s fantastic to have children from local communities be a part of and witness moments like this – making them feel like a bigger and more fundamental piece in the world and hopefully giving them something to aspire to. This was an important moment for those children, and it was an honour to be involved with and support.”
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Samuel Cox, Second Photographer, African Impact
After seeing your umpteenth giraffe or even lion, it can be tricky to find new ways of photographing and representing your subject. A good trick is to force yourself to take seven photos of individual details; legs, patterns, manes, whiskers etc… This isn’t just a trick to force some creativity, but a good way to further appreciate your subject and more often than not gets you the types of images you wouldn’t normally think of trying to acquire.
We also had the privilege to simultaneously document both the informal opening of a new library and the handing out of solar light donations to the entire Primary School at Mahlati. Since English is a fundamental part of the children’s education, every encouragement is given to them to read and, more importantly, comprehend the language they will study in in the future. Essential throughout their studies though, is the element of fun.
Elephant Ears The African elephant has ears that average at least three time the size of the Asian elephant. The ears are used as signaling organs and are used to regulate body temperature.
They’re also a protective feature to ward off potential threats and each ear is unique and is used as a type of fingerprint for identification.
The bright colours in the beautifully decorated library, together with an upto-date projection system, make for a stimulating and educative environment for the children to learn in. They are also training local staff to help manage the library – self-sufficiency is key in everything EcoChildren do as you can see from their EcoVillage projects, although that is another article in itself! In conclusion, I’d like to refer back to Sam, who said it better than I ever could – “It was also another success for African Impact too, as aiding Eco Children by supplying photography coverage not only keeps all investors and volunteers informed and happy with the progress of the organization, but more importantly keeps the progression, hopes and dreams of those children forever ingrained in digital imagery for everyone to see.”
Like many wildlife photographers when choosing a lens, one of my main criteria is having the longest focal length possible. Many photographers’ first instinct is to get closer, to get more detail in our subject and to fill the frame with our latest sighting. But our desire to make them as prominent as possible means that we often only tell part of their story. By stepping back and looking at wildlife in the context of their environment we can often better depict their behaviour, personality and the vital role they often play in the ecosystem. Here are 5 reasons to put down the telephoto: 1. Tell a different story When we become focused on shooting closer to our subjects, we miss many of the stories that could be told. By challenging ourselves to take a different perspective and include more of the environment, we can better stretch our capabilities as story tellers. 2. Show social interactions One of the most captivating, dynamic and often misunderstood aspects of wildlife behaviour is how members of the same species interact. By stepping back to capture multiple animals together, social behaviours become a critical part of the narrative. 3. Explore how different species interact Every species plays a role in the ecosystem and by zooming out and showing the environment that they share, we can better depict the unique and fascinating interactions that happen between species that both compete and coexist.
Widespread throughout South Africa, the Citris Swallowtail Butterfly is hard to miss with its impressive 8 - 13cm wingspan. The first two larval instars of the Citrus Swallowtail mimic bird droppings that can often be overlooked. In the later stages, the larvae transform into enormous green caterpillars that mirror leaves with chew marks. If disturbed, they may rear up and display a bright, orange forked-like structure behind their head, alluding to their common name of “Orange Dogs�.
As the name suggests, these small 3cm frog, sport bright colouration with regional variations in pattern though underparts are generally bright pink or white and red on the inner surface of the legs. Known as flash colouration, the brightly coloured underparts are meant to startle a would-be predator and give the potential prey time to evade capture. For those just wanting to observe these minute frogs, they become particularly visible after rain when drawn by light or insects, and can often be seen clinging to reed stalks or twigs. Even with its bright colouration, this frog may be difficult to spot, yet its call is unmistakable. The males are responsible for the whistle-like “weep-weep” calls and the chorus of hundreds of these can be quite deafening.
4. Capture the environment as another character in the photo A perk of being a wildlife photographer is the privilege of being able to shoot in some incredible locations. These are often as vibrant and expressive as the animals that are our main focus. Depicting wildlife in an environment that is everchanging, captivating and a critical component in its survival, we are better able to convey a complete narrative of how wildlife depend on and interact with their environment. 5. “Get the shot” even when you can’t get close There are many reasons why we can’t get close enough for a tight shot of our subject – speed, terrain, safety or stress to the animal. Rather than abandoning the sighting, being adept at seeing a “wider” environmental shot (even at 500mm) allows you to do something creative in less than ideal conditions. Taking wide-angle photos of wildlife doesn’t mean avoiding the close-in shots we all love. It is simply an extra tool to tell compelling and unique stories. The most important thing is to prepare both your eyes and your kit for the possibility of the “wide” shot. Shoot with both eyes open, and look up from the viewfinder from time to time to check your surroundings. To make sure you’re ready to execute on a wide-angle shot quickly, carry a second camera with a wider lens, or be ready to use your phone as a wide-angle camera.
The
What made you want to be a guide? I wanted to be a part of conservation in the bush and this seemed like the perfect way to get into that. What do you like most about your job? There’s never a dull moment! Every drive is different and there’s always something interesting going on. And what makes you smile when in South Africa? Being able to see people experience Africa for the first time
I have been a keen photographer for most of my life, primarily landscapes and portraiture but recently became interested in wildlife photography. I went to several safari parks and bird reserves in the UK which was very enjoyable but it created a desire to do some real wildlife photography and showed me that I had a lot to learn as far as wildlife photography was concerned. Two objectives then improve my skills and shoot some real wildlife. After considerable research I came across African Impact which was offering a month long volunteer photography project in South Africa. The concept appealed to me immediately, so I made enquiries and subsequently signed up for the project. During our first week we spent considerable time practicing and learning the various techniques of wildlife photography with Tim and Sam, the two resident professional photographers. Then we went on our first game drive; wow, it is nothing like going to a safari park back in the UK, wonderful stuff, what an experience. As the days passed we were given various assignments, all designed to improve our wildlife skills, we then had to submit our photographs for critique, again designed to improve our understanding and skill in wildlife photography. After many game drives, some of which we slept out in the bush, another fabulous experience, my wildlife photography skills had significantly improved thanks to Tim and Sam who were just terrific, continually coaching us to greater proficiency. So also has my knowledge of African wildlife thanks to our fabulous guides who are so knowledgeable. We have also attended presentations on many aspects of wildlife conservation.
This is nothing like paying a lot of money and doing a week long African Safari where you are essentially a tourist looking in from the outside and taking photographs. Here we are involved, we are part of it; with the guides, getting to know them, tracking, learning, sitting around the camp fire, listening to stories and of course taking photographs. We are also contributing; many of our photographs go into a database that is available for other organisations to use to promote wildlife conservation. They are also used by the researchers at African Impact to aid them in their work. We also contribute in other ways such as road clearing in a game reserve; it’s great fun swinging a machete and a real sense of achievement when you can see the fruits of your labour. We are similarly contributing to African children’s learning, helping to teach them to read and explaining to them about African wildlife, another marvellous experience and nothing like school was for me. So just what am I doing? It’s not a holiday because we work long hours, some of it quite tiring work, and we have deadlines to meet. It’s certainly not work either. It’s a lifetime experience where you become involved, contribute, hopefully do some good, end up with thousands of amazing pictures and memories that will last forever.
The Brown-hooded kingfisher is common in the eastern half of southern Africa, mainly living in woodland habitats, as well as heavily wooded gardens and parks. It has a broad and varied diet, eating a wide variety of animals, rarely eating fish.
Shaggy Ink Cap.
During the last four weeks we have had many interesting lion sightings! As you know, data collection about these incredible animals is very important. That's why we spend as much time as possible studying their movements, their reaction to non-wild elements, their social interactions, and also their effects on the ecosystem. First of all let's talk about Klaserie, the reserve where we spend the most time amongst lions. The Ross Breakaways, KF1 and KF2, have been seen almost every week and have given us some great moments in their company. We had the chance to spend almost one hour with the two females and could be witnesses of their strong bond. They were playing together and grooming each other only 2 metres away from the car! That's why we can say they are very comfortable with our presence. Last week, during their trip to Klaserie, the photographers had a very unexpected sighting. Even though he had been chased out of the territory by KM9 and KM10 seven months ago and we thought he might be dead, KM2 or Scarface, made an impressive comeback alongside a new younger unknown male, who could possibly be one of his sons. We left for a Tracking Trip with Jason that same day and were following tracks of two lions, who could have been the same males seen that morning when suddenly we stopped 25 metres away from a lion! We could ID this young male as the presumed son of KM2. We had to walk back because KM2 could have been somewhere around. Some of us even had joy tears in our eyes. What a day!
Widespread and relatively large, this common fungus, also known as “lawyer’s wig” or “shaggy mane”, grows singly or closely grouped or clustered in open grassy areas. It is easily seen after good rainfall, fruiting summer to autumn. White, cylindrical and elongate when young, it becomes narrow and bell shaped as it matures. The white to light brown scales on the surface of the mushroom will eventually become shaggy and curl outwards while the gills will go from white to pink then black.
One month ago, on the 9th of May, our researchers had the chance to find 4 members of the Hercules Pride. It is quite rare to see them, and even more rare to observe such diverse behavior. Territorial, social and self grooming - collecting data on the sociality between the 4 lions was an amazing opportunity. Finally, we had a good surprise when two young males appeared near our car during a game drive. We couldn't identify these two new faces but we are looking forward to seeing them again to try to increase the number of lion's we’ve ID’ed in Klaserie!
Now on to Buffaloland, after approximately 8 weeks without a sighting of the four lions who claimed the property as their new territory, we finally had visual of the two lionesses during a night game drive! Even though we hadn’t seen them during that time, we knew that they were still in the reserve thanks to lots of tracks, camera trap photos, and also roaring that we could hear from the lodge! It was great to finally see them again!
Hippopotamus With their eyes, ears, and nostrils on the top of the head, hippos can hear, see, and breathe while most of their body is underwater. Their nostrils close, and they can hold their breath for five minutes or longer when submerged.
Now that it's both of our last week, and after 10 weeks for one (Ali) and 4 for the other (Claudia) we can only be thankful for every moment and sighting we had. Coming here was an amazing experience and we can definitely remove this dream from our bucket list. We will never forget what we did and learned here but even more the people we had the chance to meet, either volunteers who became our friends or guides who shared their passion about Africa with us. We will be waiting to come back to this extraordinary place. Once more, thanks for everything!
Life in the African Bush is always exciting and ever changing. Adapting to this change is one of the greatest challenges and triumphs for the species that call this place home, including our research volunteers! Working here in Greater Kruger we have to think on our feet and adapt quickly to the constantly surprising actions being displayed every day out on research drive. You always have to be prepared for everything the Wild can throw your way.
This month brought some very exciting curveballs to the research team. Our first bombshell came with our leopard research when our new male, whom we introduced to everyone in the last update, began following our resident female, FBL1! This first happened when our research team saw FBL1 on drive and then the next day had MBL5 following up on her tracks right behind her! But it didn’t stop there… a week later we captured FBL1 on one of our camera traps with MBL5 appearing almost to the tee 2 days later in the exact same spot! With these new developments the team is excited to see what unfolds in the coming weeks and whether our theory will be confirmed of potentially having FBL1 and MBL5 mating. We hope to continue to capture evidence to prove this is indeed the case and will have the possibility for cubs in the coming months. Leopard research never ceases to astonish you with how interesting the secret lives are of these elusive animals.
Shadows & Highlights The most common problem photographing subjects in such a warm climate is that they’re often found under shade. Smart for them, but annoying for us photographers as you end up with a dark animal and overly bright background. A good way to fight against this is to slightly under expose your image or “shoot for the edit” as it’s called. This way you can bring down the bright areas and raise the darker areas in Lightroom – bringing more balance to your image.
Tiny Bee Eater The little green bee-eater forages either alone or in small parties of 15 to 20 individuals. From a perch on a fence, low bush, or sometimes even on cattle, the little green bee-eater takes rapid flight after an insect, seizing its prey and returning to the perch, where it strikes the insect to kill it before devouring. As its name suggests, the little green bee-eater prefers to prey upon bees, but will also take other insects such as fruit flies and grasshoppers.
Our next bombshell came with the return of one of the old Trilogy Boys, KM2, or Scarface. KM2 hadn’t been seen since October of last year when he was chased out of the territory by the Mapoza males. Everyone had assumed he had run off, never to return, or that he had died considering his terrible condition the last time he was seen. But it turns out cats do have nine lives and Scarface lives! He reappeared with a young male who quite possibly could be his son. With his return the team waits with baited breath to see what develops next now that the Trilogy has returned to their old stomping ground. Since there has been a gap in the dominance in the area for some time we are interested to see whether KM2 and the young male he was seen with, now known as KM13, will begin to show dominance within the territory and take over the current no man’s land. We will be watching the area for signs of territorial behavior such as roaring displays and other scent marking like rubbing on bushes and spraying and scraping behaviors. Throughout all of our research projects we are constantly adapting our research as new information arises. This allows us to dig deeper into our environment and to understand the individuals we study to a greater degree. As winter is headed our way we look forward to the always exciting time of the predators as we begin our in depth leopard study in the area as well as expanding our lion research with new partners like LiMF (Lion Management Forum) who are looking at different management strategies within differing sizes of reserves. We look forward to constantly expanding our research and for the next curveball that comes our way.
The
Most people, when asked what makes a moment in the bush ‘magical’, will probably mention the ‘big sightings’ – a pride of lions at a kill, a herd of elephants surrounding the game viewer. Sightings and events that are big, dramatic and memorable. But for me, smaller moments, even fleeting ones, have a magic of their own. It is these little moments that make you realize how special being in the bush can be. As someone who enjoys watching birdlife, I find that even common bird species can be entertaining and fascinating to watch. But it is, of course, the special bird sightings that are the most memorable. For instance, once while sitting on top of a hill, after a long climb on a hot afternoon, and listening to the cicadas buzzing all around you as the sun slowly lowers in the sky. Suddenly, a tawny eagle swoops down from above, gliding low over the trees. The cicadas instantly fall silent, until the bird of prey has moved on. On another hot day, I was walking through the thickly-forested area on the edge of a dry riverbed in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. I look up at the gigantic sycamore figs around me, when a purple-crested turaco comes sailing through the branches, calling loudly. Something about the moment felt almost prehistoric to me, as though I had journeyed back in time to some long-lost age of the Earth.
My favourite bird sighting of the last year happened while I was doing my FGASA guide training at Batiki Camp, near Gravelotte. On an early morning walk, our group was fortunate enough to witness a flock of white-crested helmet shrikes collecting spider webs with the bushy feathers on their heads. These curious-looking birds are cooperative breeders, with the whole flock working together to The ensure their group’s survival. They collect the spider webs to use as construction material for their nests. Since beginning my work with African Impact in early April, I’ve had some beautiful, rare sightings of the Big Five, as well as many other iconic animals of the African bush. But I still appreciate the smaller sightings too. At dusk, you can see the Epauletted Fruit Bats that roost under Dumela Lodge’s thatched roof fly out in order to feed. Unlike insect-eating bats, these flying mammals lack sonar, and therefore they sometimes bump into obstacles while flying. However, witnessing dozens of them flit past you in the dim evening light is quite spectacular. While walking around the lodge’s perimeter, I had another special small sighting: a huge sun spider busy digging its hole. These arachnids (not true spiders – they don’t have any venom glands) are usually found in desert regions, but can be encountered in the Lowveld savannah as well. The little critter (quite huge for an arachnid, actually) was busy flinging soil around – possibly digging a new hole, or else giving an old home a good cleaning. Little encounters such as these are a reminder that the denizens of the natural world come in all shapes and sizes, and that they each have important roles to fulfil. Whether it is watching a masked weaver build its nest, listening to the frog chorus at the waterhole during the night or stumbling upon a rare flower during a bush walk, there are endless opportunities in nature.
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