- From the editors desk - Last Month’s Top Shot Winner - Facebook Cover Shot Winner - Volunteer Encounter
- THAF Update - Community Focus
- Photography Reflections - Photography Focus
- Research Update - Research Focus
With a grateful heart l share my feelings with you all, as this is my last editorial post. I am sad to leave but l have to face my new endeavors. You all have been so good to me and l would like to say thank you for everything. Read about our community projects that have made a difference in the local community.
We have a fantastic article from our THAF intern giving us an insight on who they are and what they do, it wouldn’t be enough without mentioning the research team and the amazing work they have been doing, read about their baboon spider encounter with Kinyonga. The rangers team have been more amazing this month for they started the inaugural “ Giraffe Mark and Recapture” A big thank you to all our contributors for their amazing content! Keep yourself updated with the latest news, subscribe by mailing: warthogpost@africanimpact.com
Covershot: Klaserie Elephants shower time, Bongani Siziba, Zimbabwe
I A observed frequently
Since the age of six I’ve always wanted to work with animals. As a kid it was because they were cute and I mean who doesn’t like the idea of working with puppies everyday? But as I got older it became more than that. I wanted to understand them more and how they have adapted to survive and hunt. That’s when the desire to work in Africa began. I wanted to see animals in their natural habitat and have a job where each day would be different from the next. My initial idea (thanks to a show called Wild at Heart) was to become a vet and move out to work on a game reserve or conservation park. However due to subject choices and grades at school that dream sadly couldn’t come true. However I didn’t give up. I searched for different jobs that were out there involving wild animals, and I guess you could call it fate because I realised I didn’t really want to become a vet. I wanted to become a zoologist and study animal behaviour. That’s where African impact came in; my school kept going on about finding some sort of work experience, as it will help you out later on in life. I didn’t want to get experience at a vet clinic or a zoo. So I decided to do a conservation-volunteering project. 00
I’ve just come to the end of my second week of volunteering and it has been the most amazing experience ever. Within the first week here I had already learned so much about all kinds of animal species.
I knew how to distinguish between males and females and how the animals within a herd, pride, journey etc. work and interact together. I learned what different animal tracks looked like and how much work goes in to researching the animals. The game drives were a lot of fun and every single one was different to the one before. There was always a different variety of animals and different sightings of them. I’ve been lucky enough to see six leopards in the time that I’ve spent here which is so incredible (They are now my favourite animal).
There is never a dull moment here. We’re always either on game drives recording data, doing conservation work or working hard to try and get the water hole finally finished. I’ve met so many amazing people that think and feel in such a similar way to me and I hope that I keep them as life long friends. This trip has helped to further my desire to pursue this as my future career and it has made me want to work so hard to get there. Being here has made me feel like I am actually making a difference in the world and it makes me want to go home and teach everyone I know about conservation,
The impala is one of the most common and most graceful of all Africa’s antelopes. A slender, agile creature, it can clear formidable obstacles and run at speeds faster than 60km/h. They are fleet runners who can leap up to 10m in length and 3m in height. They use their tremendous speed and agility to avoid predation, and seemingly for pure enjoyment.
Males are known as rams, while females are referred to as ewes and have no horns. The male’s horns can take many years to reach full length, which is why young animals are unlikely to establish a dominant position and breeding territory. Male impalas produce a scent from a gland on their foreheads to advertise their status to rivals. When he loses his rank, a male produces less scent.
I am a Canadian girl with a heart for Africa. Wanting to make a difference while pursuing my passion for everything bush related, I recently joined the African Impact guiding team in January of this year and haven’t looked back since. At 38 years of age, I am pursuing my dream!
I live by a simple mantra – never limit your challenges but rather challenge your limits. That being said, I decided it would be a good time to start a new project, one involving the iconic giraffe (which has now superseded the zebra as my new favourite African animal). Every day I look forward to teaching our volunteers as much as learning from them, every day is a new adventure!
Homework assistance for Grade 4 and 5 for this month was full of excitement and so much fun for the kids while learning. Lessons covered were Listening and Reading where the stories came in a form of comprehension tests.
The kids had to answer questions, giving the sequence of events in the story. Other lessons covered identifying different forms of text like a news paper article, a passage from a text book with a graph/ chart etc. They then had to summarise the points for role playing. Reading viewing, all kids were given a text from a text book where they had to firstly predict the story judging from the visuals or title before they could open and read the book. Basically when all the kids are done reading each they had to summarise the story and explain the main message. They did it in form of writing then after stood in front of the class and explained the story. Total hours spent for both grades was 18 hours with a total attendance of 291 Learners.
Conservation Education Grade 6 and 7 is always so much fun as we are trying to instil the knowledge and encourage them to love and appreciate nature and their surroundings.
The Cape Glossy Starling is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 to 6 eggs and they are coloured blue. The bird builds its nest within a tree cavity just a few meters above the ground. The hole in the tree is normally reused in the next nesting season. It is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees. It is an urban dweller as well, being at home in parks, gardens and in old vacated buildings,his bird forages for food on the ground usually seen hunting for food within the tree foliage The bird also drinks nectar from flowers high up in the tree canopy.
Lessons covered Reptiles and amphibians; identifying these animals: life cycles, their differences and similarities, endangered species, and lastly a lesson on birds. We spent a total of 12 hours with a total attendance 137 learners for this month. Eco villages This month we assisted in maintaining the Eco villages at Hloaia Primary School, where we built a compost maker, watered and planted over 105 seedlings of spinach and at Seganyane primary school we planted a total of 200 beetroot seedlings that will help in feeding the learners at the school. We spent a total of 11 hours on these tasks. Big thank you to all the volunteers, research, photography and our very own Community volunteers, we would achieve nothing without you and we hope you gained so much knowledge and had an exceptional experience. You have made an impact you should be proud of!
The Happy Africa Foundation, or more commonly known as THAF, has been working alongside African Impact since 2008 when the foundation was first established. THAF was set up in order to help manage the generous donations that African Impact volunteers wanted to give in order to help the projects they spent so much time working with. THAF started in Livingstone and due to the growing initiatives from African Impact projects, expanded into other projects throughout Africa. The Black-Backed Jackal is somewhat like a medium-sized mongrel dog. The top of the back and neck are black, heavily mottled with silvery white patches. The legs, flank and head are a reddish buff colour to rich chestnut red, separated from the mottled back by a black line. The bushy tail is the same colour as the flanks near the base and then darkens towards the black tip. The ears are large, triangular and have rounded tips with a reddish colour on the backs. The muzzle is narrow and pointed. There are five toes of the forefeet and four on the hind; however, four toes on each foot mark in the spoor. Total length is 96-130 cm (males) and 80-125 cm (females).
The charity is proud to have financed the building of clinics, crèches and school classrooms, provided communities with education and skills training and helped beneficiaries improve their wellbeing and quality of life through improved nutrition and the provision of muchneeded health equipment. History of THAF The Happy Africa Foundation, or more commonly known as THAF, has been working alongside African Impact since 2008 when the foundation was first established. THAF was set up in order to help manage the generous donations that African Impact volunteers wanted to give in order to help the projects they spent so much time working with. THAF started in Livingstone and due to the growing initiatives from African Impact projects, expanded into other projects throughout Africa.
THAF’s Goals The Happy Africa Foundation works to implement longterm, positive change in the lives of individuals, families and communities in Africa. THAF works towards three major aspects of development, these are; education, empowerment and enrichment. THAF strives to reach as many communities as possible in order to make as much of a difference as possible, but in order to fully address the needs of each community we choose to work with small communities in order to develop stronger and more fulfilling relationships.
What is a THAF intern? There are THAF interns based at all locations, such as Zanzibar, Cape Town and of course the Greater Kruger Area. We are out on location in order to learn and develop our projects as best as we can in order to continue moving towards THAF’s goal of sustainable develop of each location. As the Greater Kruger area intern I am here to help raise the important funds for our community projects in order to help the communities in the Green Valley area. The previous THAF intern, Yorick, was successful in beginning all the different aspects of the community projects with our community liaison, Trico, and community manager, Lorna, such as conservation education and reading club with the Segyane school in the local area.
My name is Reginald Shipawambane, l was born and bred in Acornhoek and I help make Dumela lodge beautiful! l enjoy doing my work for it gives me new challenges everyday and this makes me think of more ideas to make the lodge beautiful. Soccer is my favourite sport, and Elephants have found a home in my heart; working with wonderful and enthusiastic people around me gives me the courage to keep going and enjoy what l do best, gardening.
“Good gardening is very simple, really. You just have to think like a plant! l say a good garden is like a book – you can enjoy it over and over again!”
We’ve had some frankly amazing sightings We can show how the Hippo recently - pangolin, wild doghas pups, the big 5 an affectionate, not just aggresive within an hour, and it’s hard to put into words side, we can show the industrious the range of feelings we go through leading up dung beetle working away (the flies to and encountering these beautiful creatures here, incidentally, point like an in the wild. First arrow towards thethere’s subjectthe – I anticipation – often atrained call will come through on the radio as the them myself), or a lonely guides on the reserves impala with a long way towork go. together to make sure their guests have the best experience out Wedrive. can also confusion on Willcreate we make it in time? How long will within theto image make the aviewer we have wait?to(normally limit is set on how look deeper, like a crocodile’s eye many game viewers can be at a sighting, to seen through mouth, minimise anyanother distresscroc’s to the wildlife). Then getting the audience to engage there’s your first glimpse, andwith it’s difficult not to a photo, get them thinking. fire off as many shots as possible, just in case the animal gets spooked and runs off into the Bringing two elements together, bush. we can make a suggestion – here that African Impact works with Once settles (relatively speaking) snakesthe – soheart you can see that even though, when the technique starts to kick in. with few is variables, a photograph becomes andcoming more from? Can I get down Where is more the light complicated. to eye level? What are my camera settings? Is
my shutter speed / aperture / ISO going to help This, for me, is part of myone sensational shot? or hinder in getting that
fascination with photography - the control we can have over what we This is why here at Greater Kruger, I try to want to communicate, by simple pass on the knowledge inclusion or omission. It’s I’ve alsolearnt over the years to demystify photography, to in keep it fun and where we have a responsibility, creative, rather than working out not only what we say, but how we mathematical calculations looking at histograms. Just say it. There isand no way we can get what do these terms mean? For example, do that perfect image, that puts an idea in another’s headneed with to noknow confusion our volunteers that it’s called the whatsoever. StrivingOr towards that law of reciprocity? do they need to know, in perfection, however, what keeps plain English, what itis means and how to get the the photographer back. best results fromcoming their camera?
Spotted hyenas are famed scavengers Use what’s offer. of and often dine on on the leftovers Natural lighting is these always other predators. But hardy going to be way better thanthat will beasts are also skilled hunters anything man can or antelope. take down wildebeest
manufacture, so use it! The
Inhours an increasingly just afteroverpopulated dawn and just Africa, hyenas and humans come into before sunset (the golden frequent contact. In fact, the hours) give light with a Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania actually beautiful, rosy quality (which leave their dead to be consumed by is why most romantic shots hyenas.
are set at sunset). ‘Bad’ lighting cantruly work The spotted hyena anin your favour. Atmospheric opportunistic feeder; it selects the conditions can attractive lead to moody easiest and most food it may ignore carrion and bones if there shots,fresh so maximize any is,definition for example, an abundance of in overcast clouds vulnerable wildebeest calves. It to make sure it doesn’t look consumes animals of various types painted out. and sizes (including domestic stock Rim-lighting (a technique used and even other hyenas), carrion, in studio lighting setups using bones, vegetable matter and other a designated ‘hair light’ for animals' droppings. models) and silhouetting can have a veryjaws dramatic effect. tract The powerful and digestive Just because you can’t get into of the hyena allow it to process and obtain nutrients fromdoesn’t skin and bones. the right position The onlyyou parts of preytry not fully mean should for the digested are hair, horns hooves; shot. Remember – letand nature these are regurgitated in the form of inspire you! pellets.
We can show how the Hippo has an affectionate, not just aggresive side, we can show the industrious dung beetle working away (the flies here, incidentally, point like an arrow towards the subject – I trained them myself), or a lonely impala with a long way to go. We can also create confusion within the image to make the viewer look deeper, like a crocodile’s eye seen through another croc’s mouth, getting the audience to engage with a photo, get them thinking.
Bringing two elements together, we can make a suggestion – here that African Impact works with snakes – so you can see that even with few variables, a photograph becomes more and more complicated. This, for me, is part of my 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.
That’s the technical side covered then, but exactly how do you teach creativity? The simple answer is – you don’t. You put a lot of people in a room together, get them to look at all of the photos submitted, and hopefully they will be inspired by others’ work. We, as humans, are extremely visual creatures, and seeing how someone else looks at a subject will often give you insight into not only different ways to see, but also their personality! Many favour black and white over colour, for example. Some prefer a standard crop or more contrast within their images, and this is another very important part of the process – post production.
I’ve discussed previously the pitfalls and benefits of the editing suite (or post production), and some would disagree with me. That’s fine, but no-one is going to tell me what to do with my photographs (unless they’re paying!) Another photographic value we try and instil here is that these are your photographs, your rules, your decision as to what happens to the image. You don’t like my image? Don’t look at it then! It’s worth noting here that before the advent of digital technology, no photographer was able to look at their photos without first processing the negative, then to exhibit them, they needed to be processed and printed. What type of paper and chemicals you used could greatly affect the image. Guess what? That’s photographic manipulation too.
Use what’s on offer.
Natural lighting is always going to be way better than anything man can manufacture, Bush babies so use it! The hours just after dawn and just before (thechildlike goldencry that Namedsunset after their hours) give light with aterritory and they use to demarcate beautiful, rosywith quality (which communicate family members. is why most romantic shots Although common, they are are set at fairly sunset). not easily seen due to their ‘Bad’ lighting can work in your nocturnal behavior. At night, you favour. Atmospheric see the eyes jumping from one tree conditions can lead to moody to another. shots, so maximize any definition clouds When you in getovercast a good look at them to make sure it doesn’t look you will see that they have a silver painted out.brown colored coat grey to dark Rim-lighting (a technique used with a small head. in studio lighting setups using bush baby‘hair obviously has very aThe designated light’ for distinctive, forward facing models) and silhouettingeyes can that are enormous. Its eyes are so large have a very dramatic effect. in relation to its head that they Just because you can’t get into cannot move them in their sockets. the right position doesn’t If they want to shift their gaze, they mean you should try forhead. the But have to turn their whole shot. Remember – let nature they are able to look directly inspire you!over their shoulders. backwards
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. A marvel of evolution, the cheetah's slender, long-legged body is built for speed. They can be distinguished from other big cats by their smaller size, spotted coats, small heads and ears and distinctive "tear stripes" that stretch from the corner of the eye to the side of the nose. In 1900, there were over 100,000 cheetahs across their historic range. Today, an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 cheetahs remain in the wild in Africa. In Iran, there are around 200 cheetahs living in small isolated populations.
Found mostly in open and partially open savannah, cheetahs rely on tall grasses for camouflage when hunting. Only half of the chases, which last from 20 - 60 seconds, are successful. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs cannot roar. However, they can purr on both inhale and exhale, like domestic cats!
Now that we have technical ability and creative thinking, what’s left? Our subject . matter. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know your subject. Think of it like a human portrait – if you have no clue as to what they like, dislike, what their interests are, chances are you’ll not take a great photo. It’s the same with animals and their behaviour. Knowledge will not guarantee you a great photo, but it sure as hell helps you to interpret their movements and habits. This, in turn, will allow you to get that one shot you’ve been looking for. For example, larger birds often defecate before flying off, elephants will repeatedly flap their ears and the hippopotamus will usually perform some underwater aerobics as the sun sets as they prepare to move off into the cool night. This is why, alongside the photo, research and community staff, our guides are a fundamental part of the learning and practical process – they enable the team to come together as a whole (not to mention, keep us safe out in the bush!) Their depth of knowledge cannot be understated in enabling us to get that perfect shot or collect the data needed to pass on to our partners. So here’s to the unsung heroes of the drive – Angele, Jason, Jolandie and Katie – without them it’s (sometimes literally) just a shot in the dark!
Where do l begin? Maybe let me start by introducing myself, but l hope by now most of you have familiarized yourselves with me but for those who haven’t its not a big deal, l am called Bongani Siziba and Zimbabwe is my homeland. l have been the Photography assistance here at African impact for the past three months. Growing up l have always known that anytime you see a snake crush its head before it gets to you. Yes l know most of you are surprised with this but it is what it is in my African culture snakes are just but dangerous animals that should not be spared no matter what, so kill it before it does. Ask me now l will say NO. Why? Because l have had the opportunity of my life at African Impact learning about animals and nature around us. Most of you would expect me to write about Photography but sorry fellas not today, its about my sightings, least l forget l want to share something l am not ashamed to say. Besides seeing most of the animals in books and television, African Impact was the first to give me the opportunity of sight seeing Lions, Elephants, Hyena, Wild dogs, Buffalos and even Zebras for the first time in my life and l am so grateful for these amazing sightings.
Most birds typically cruise at speeds in the 20-30 mile per hour range, but during chases or altercations they can reach 60 miles per hour. To freeze that action, you need a very good tracking technique and a very fast shutter speed – the faster you can get, the better! How fast? I recommend a shutter speed of at least 1/1600th of a second, with 1/4000th of a second being the most you would need to freeze any action. How does a photographer achieve those shutter speeds? The answer is quite simple; raise the ISO. Very early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the sun is starting to set, I recommend a minimum ISO of 1600. When the light starts to get brighter, I generally drop down to ISO 800. I rarely drop below that so I can comfortably maintain a fast shutter speed. With a shutter speed of 1/1600 – 1/4000 of a second, I can prevent motion blur, fixing one of the most common mistakes photographers make. Another common misstep I see photographers making is photographing at the wrong time of day and in the wrong direction. Get out there early and stay late! Half an hour before sunrise and after sunset until about an hour after sunrise and before sunset is just magical.
So what mode should an aspiring bird in flight photographer use? Manual mode, of course! Because background conditions can change when a bird is flying, manual mode is the only option that will not get fooled by them. I set the ISO to 800 and choose an f/stop from f/5.6 – f/8. I photograph a white or silver car in the lot or even a white sign that is in the zone to check my exposure. I look at my histogram and adjust the shutter speed until I move the histogram as far to the right as I can without any part of it touching the right edge. Your highlight alert should be turned on, as this will help you see that you have no blown highlights when you review your image. If my shutter speed is below 1/1600th of a second, I will adjust my ISO up until I achieve that speed for flying birds. Since most birds in the field have some white on them, now you can go out into the field and, as long as you keep them in your zone with the sun at your back, you will have the correct exposure even if they fly against a totally different background.
Apart from just photography there are things that nature and wildlife photography has taught me, to appreciate the little things in life, people here have also taught me the importance of deeply investing time into different spaces around your feet. This has made me grow not only as a photographer but as a person too and I have grown to appreciate and love nature around me and have a different perspective on how l view the world around me.
My sincere gratitude goes to Tim Feherty Photography Manager here at African Impact Conservation Projects. l am so grateful words only can not express my feelings. They say you will never know about certain things until someone else comes along to teach you. I have taken a lot l hope you still have more to give out. To all the staff and Volunteers at African Impact Dumela Lodge who made my stay great l leave my heart with you.
This month has been an extremely exciting one in terms of the Klaserie lion activity that we monitor. The Mapoza Males, KM9 and KM10, have been observed frequently in the area.
They are both magnificent and beautiful young male lions. KM9 is the older of the two, with a larger mane. However, KM10 is just as stunning due to his large stature. We have recorded multiple instances of scent marking from both of the males, providing evidence that they are attempting to assert their territory in the area. We have also noticed improvement in the males’ habituation through our reaction to non-wild elements data. When we first recorded the males on sightings, they moved away from the vehicles. However, they have now become much more relaxed, recording at a 1 (looks at vehicle) or even 0 (no reaction). This has improved especially for the younger male, KM10, as he was the most skittish of the two. We have also completed mane assessments on both males, which will allow us to track the growth in their manes and the association with changes in dominance in the area over time. The new males have also been observed interacting with the Breakaway Females, KF1 and KF2. In the recorded data, KF1 appears to be the most accommodating to the Mapozas’ presence, as we have observed her with both males. The first occasion that we were able to record them together was on a buffalo kill.
Pythons vary widely in terms of coloration and size of the different species.
Depending on their local habitats and need for camouflage, coloring can range from elaborately patterned scales (such as those on the Burmese python, the ball python and many other species) to solid brown (leiopythons) to bright green (the green tree python), but scientists note some more subtle physical commonalities. “Pythons that feed on coldblooded prey do not have the labial pits. Regardless of length, pythons are bulky for their size. They have triangular-shaped heads and sharp, backwardcurving teeth that they use to grab prey.
KF1 was also observed mating with one of the Mapoza males. We have not observed KF2 with the males as much. Historically, the majority of our sightings of KF1 and KF2 have included the two females together. However, KF2 has been much more distant since the Mapoza males moved in, and the females have not been together for most sightings this month. We are hoping that we will begin to observe all four individuals on sightings together, as this allows for fascinating pride dynamics data! The researchers have also seen some new faces this month. Two females and a sub-adult male were spotted briefly during a night drive. Information provided stated that it may be a faction of the old Senalala pride.
The ostrich or common ostrich is either one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa. When threatened ostriches run although their powerful, long legs can be formidable weapons, capable of killing a human or a potential predator like a lion with a forward kick.
The male appeared to have an injured right hind leg and was limping. The lions showed minimal reaction on the non-wild elements data, which tells us that they are very used to the vehicles around them. Individuals from the old Ross pride also ventured into the Klaserie area. Two of the females were seen very briefly before disappearing into the thick bushes where they could not be followed. KM4 was part of this group. He is still a young male but his mane was noticeably thicker and longer than our last sighting of him. He was also seen with an injured hind leg (even worse than the new sub-adult male). It will be interesting to see whether the Mapoza males stay in the area and continue to form their territory there, how they interact with the Ross Breakaway females as well as any other inter or intra-pride interactions with other prides moving through!
Born in Kwazulu Natal, l started working for African Impact in 2013 in Thanda African Impact where l started as a trainee in house-keeping and in the kitchen. I didn't have much knowledge about cooking then but the passion and the training l got has taken me this far and l can safely introduce myself now as Sbonokuhle Ndwandwe Head Chef at African Impact Conservation Project at Dumela lodge. Working with great people here has made my stay so easier from the kitchen staff to management my passion is growing because of the love they share and l prepare my meals with love and smiles each day. Thank you for making me realize my talent , l call it a therapy for me now!
Winter is starting to fade away at Dumela Lodge. Temperatures are getting warmer and our research departure times have gotten earlier as per the sunrise. As we finish with winter and head into spring, the work on the research project has continued to thrive and bring us plentiful data. This month, we assisted Kinyonga Reptile Centre with a baboon spider survey in the Hoedspruit Area. Kinyonga runs the Golden Brown Baboon Spider Conservation Project to assist in researching and protecting this species. The Golden Brown Baboon Spider, Augacephalus breyeri, is a species of tarantula that only exists within a 100-200km radius of Hoedspruit.
Despite their reputation, this is a very docile and beautiful animal. They are protected by law but continue to be threatened by development and habitat loss. The spiders live in holes in the ground that they dig themselves. However, building sites and habitat destruction continues to disturb or destroy these holes. This month, we assisted Kinyonga at a local game farm where a Golden Brown Baboon Spider hotspot had recently been disturbed by construction. We located and recorded almost 200 baboon spider holes to assist with the research and conservation programme! This is the largest concentration of baboon spider holes that Donald Strydom (Kinyonga’s founder and leading herpetologist) has ever seen!! While we were doing the baboon spider survey we also had the opportunity to release two snakes back into the wild that had been relocated from local areas where they were under threat - a Black Mamba and an African Rock Python.
Elephant sightings in Klaserie have continued to be plentiful and we have been able to record a lot of elephant data as a result. We have been using our ID kits in the field to identify which herds and bulls we are observing on sighting. This allows us to track the movements of specific elephant groups and individuals. The previously identified ‘Herd 2� made reoccurring appearances throughout the week. We are also able to update our elephant ID database to contribute to the identification of elephants throughout Greater Kruger and the APNR with new photos from all elephant sightings. We have been extremely successful with our leopard research in Buffaloland in the last month. FBL1 and her cubs, CBL11 and CBL12, provided us with excellent data through their tracks, camera traps and visuals! A new camera trap station yielded excellent photos of all three relaxing in the drainage line. We also had visual of CBL11 on the fence line and both cubs and the female devouring an ostrich kill. Continued sightings and track recordings allow us to follow the movements and home range of this family group within Buffaloland. We also had camera trap photos of MBL1 using a new area on the fence line. These photos were clear enough to update his ID database and also provide data on the times he is active and using this movement corridor. We previously were unaware on which male was using this corridor so learning it is MBL1 has been an exciting development.
There are also new/ unknown individuals in the study area! We had a quick sighting of an unknown female and a separate sighting of a younger male. We still need to discern if these individuals are the unknown male and female that were been seen on camera traps earlier this year but require more ID photos to do this. We will continue to collect track data and follow the movements of these individuals to not only identify them but to understand their range, corridor movements and activity patterns.
Dragonflies are masters of flight. The body of the dragonfly is supported by two pairs of extremely powerful wings that help it float at the slightest breeze and can flap fast and hard enough to hover even against a strong head wind. They can move each of their four wings independently. In addition to flapping each wing up and down, they also can rotate their wings back and forward. The way the wings are constructed it helps the dragonfly fly and run a neat little air show on its own, capable of flight in all directions, up, down, left, right, forwards and even backwards.
FOR GIRAFFE T
The
Giraffe are gentle creatures by nature and one can often see them standing still with gaze fixed on the horizon. They glide across the African landscape, tall, iconic silhouettes against the rays of the setting sun. A favourite among the throngs of tourists who flock to the continent, it’s impossible to imagine a landscape without them, yet a new census has brought to light a harsh reality. Their numbers are plummeting and have been for the last decade, up to 40% in the last 15 years. In fact, giraffe are now considered to be the most endangered large land mammal on the planet. Thanks to GCF – The Giraffe Conservation Fund, research is underway to understand and save the species. They are the only NGO in the world that’s sole mandate is on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild. Some of GCF’s main objectives are identifying key threats to giraffe populations, conserving viable and existing giraffe habitats, and working alongside local, national and international partners on giraffe conservation efforts. African Impact has a similar ethos – to help conserve Africa’s wildlife, from the Big 5 to the little 5 and everything in between. And that’s exactly why we decided to stick our necks out for our giraffe!!! There was no better way to start our Giraffe Research Project, then on the very day new research made headlines around the world revealing that the genus contained at least four distinct species rather then what was once thought of as a single species.
On Friday, September 9th, we began our inaugural “Giraffe Mark & Recapture” game drive with a motley crew of 5, including “Ken” The our unofficial mascot. Fortune favoured us, as in the first 5 minutes of our drive, a handsome giraffe bull gave away the location of a very skittish and mobile female leopard. We were off to a great start!
Mark and recapture is an extremely important first step when trying to understand giraffe group dynamics as it entails identifying each individual giraffe by their coat pattern and ossicones, making note that each pelage is as unique to a giraffe as a thumb print is to a human. Therefore, our goal for the next 3 hours of our drive was to locate our quarry, collect data such as sex, age, location, etc. and photograph both sides of the animal… if the giraffe complied. In the end, we managed to collect data on a total of 23 individuals which was quite a benchmark for us!!!
In the coming weeks, the photographs will enable us to create our very first Giraffe ID Kit, for which I am very excited to be a part of. The long term goal is to monitor our current giraffe population by identifying individuals, monitoring their movements and determining social group dynamics (ie who hangs out with whom). Eventually, it is my hope to be able to compare group dynamics within an enclosed reserve vs an unfenced reserve. There is still much more to learn about these graceful animals. For now, awareness is the first step towards conservation.
Check out our newest submissions for this month on: africanimpactphotography.com