Summer is here... and the bush is alive!

Hi there everyone!

It seems as if the bush has transformed overnight. The long-awaited rains have brought upon new life and a new energy in the bush as everything has suddenly come to life! The dust has settled. The dry grass and leafless trees are a thing of the past. Previously burnt areas are now sprouting fresh, nutritious new-growth grass which attracts a variety of grazers and thus predators as well...

The Wild Dogs drinking

What a sight!

Despite all the amazing sightings we had the first two weeks of the FGASA level 1 course, the last couple of days have been even better! The density of game is increasing now that the conditions are becoming favorable for all life - big and small. So favorable that we had the absolute delight of seeing one of the most endangered mammals in Africa... Wild Dogs! We had not only one, but two spectacular sightings of these wonderful canines. The first was as the family of dogs started to get active after their afternoon siesta. They stretched, scratched and then decided to drink water from a rock pool which provided for the most beautiful setting. The following day we sat with them for at least half an hour studying their behaviour and habits. There were around twelve dogs including four pups which are very quickly starting to grow in size! We had a good laugh as they rolled and yapped just like a domestic dog, even biting off bits of grass with their tails continuously wagging. It was breathtaking!

Our students have also started driving the game-viewer in preparation for the final assessment. We are making good progress and the understanding of nature is becoming all the more clear. Everyone can now give an excellent pre-departure brief and entertain guests with many interesting facts about not only mammals, but the smaller things like termites, trees, birds and much more! Very soon it will be time for them to work and gain valuable experience at the lodge in various departments as well as to 'shadow' the field guides to see how everything works together in the tourism industry. Exciting!

The young male leopard

Male lion and his meal

Another unforgettable scene took place yesterday as we ventured in to the south of the reserve. Ashlee (one of our students and an excellent spotter) somehow spotted a leopard next to the road. He is a well known, recently independent male leopard around two years old. Little did we know this was only the beginning as, a few minutes later, we came across an impressive, magnificent male lion! He had made a buffalo kill the previous night and we were fortunate enough to see him feeding on his well-deserved meal! The buffalo must be at least three times heavier but he manoeuvered it as if he was flipping a pancake. To see this power was an eye-opener for us all... As we sat and observed the lion feeding, a couple of Hooded Vultures arrived at the scene to scavenge on possible scraps left behind. The lion was not too impressed with this, of course, as he frequently chased the large raptors away. No words can describe that overwhelming feeling whilst looking at something like this. Amazing!

It never ceases to surprise me how much mother nature has up her sleeve. Every single day is a story waiting to be told. Let's see what happens next!

The ANT Blog

Hooded Vulture on the left, with two White-backed Vultures in the background

Magnificent White-backed Vulture in flight

That power...

Smile!

More Buffalo

A Chin-spot Batis in her nest

That expression! (and look at the Buffalo's tongue)

The two-month FGASA level one course starts with a bang!

Hi there everyone!

The full-time FGASA level one course has begun and what a super start it has been! We have another excellent group of bush-lovers and we are already starting to build the bigger picture that is nature...

Everyone settled in very quickly here at Nkombe Camp, as you are surrounded by nothing but true wilderness. No man-made sounds, no artificial lights in the surrounding environment... only spectacular African bushveld. We all sat around the mesmerizing fire and got to know each other followed by Mandla's signature potjie (stew) to make everyone feel right at home ;)

Day one was brought to life by the most amazing sunrise and a concert of melodious bird calls (most of which our students can now identify). We went for a relaxing game drive to introduce everyone to the incredible area we are so privileged to be a part of - the greater Kruger National Park!

Walking in the bush...

The first morning walk was an absolute delight! We spent most of our time identifying new tracks, trees and birds and then soon the intense alarm call of a tree squirrel!

We immediately followed up to see what all the chattering was about when all of a sudden we found the culprit... a gorgeous female leopard walking (oh so elegantly) on the opposite bank of a dry river bed. This incredible sighting was brief but unforgettable for us all!

The new-born elephant!

The elephants decided to welcome the students to the bush as they decided to stick around camp for a couple of days. This made for great game viewing from the front of our tents as we observed these magnificent creatures feeding and even sleeping in the heat of the day whilst standing under the surrounding Jackalberry trees.

 

We even had the pleasure of seeing the cutest, clumsy elephant calf... only hours old. The youngster could hardly walk as mom gently nudged the baby with her trunk to cross a riverbed. What a sight!

The three lionesses

On one particular evening we heard the bone-chilling moans of Africa's largest cat... lions! Even though we know these calls can carry for over seven kilometres, we definitely knew this was close, very close. It turns out they were less than five-hundred metres from camp!

We had a wonderful, private sighting of three impressive lionesses as they laid in the soft sand of a dry river bed. They seem to be lactating which means we might have the opportunity to see the cubs in the nearby future! This was yet again another spectacular sighting...

The leopard cub explores new terrain

As if spending more than seven hours a day out in the field learning about nature is not enough to get you excited... nature surprised us again with another marvelous sighting.

One of our students (amazingly) spotted a small, spotted tail hanging from a Weeping Boer-Bean tree. As we drove closer to investigate, we found that it was a young leopard cub feeding on a Nyala kill! We couldn't believe our eyes as we watched the scene unfold. But where was the mother? We spent quite a bit of time observing the adorable cub as she continued feeding... until she dropped her meal to the ground. She briefly looked at us before clumsily heading down the tree to reclaim her food after which the cub disappeared into the distance. We thought we had lost her when we found the mother lying in a tall stand of Red Grass. The leopards were amazing to see and it was such a rare and incredible experience which will stay with us forever...

This course is truly amazing as we have the privilege to see the transformation of the bush. Everything is now coming to life as the first rains have arrived and rejuvenated the earth! The tortoises are back, as well as most of the insects and reptiles. The evenings are beginning to gain character with the continuous calls made by surrounding frogs. The trees are starting to flower and regain their brilliant canopies. It is amazing to witness!

If all of this can happen in just over ten days... then I can't wait to see what the next couple of weeks have in store for us!

The ANT Blog
(A special thank you to Henrico Muller for all of these beautiful photographs!)

"Sundowners" in the bush

That stare...

 

An incredible close-up of a lioness



An approaching storm...

Just a fraction of a massive buffalo herd!

 

More of the leopard cub...

Walking in the Wilds

The Country Club Johannesburg (CCJ) Woodmead Estate has some enthusiastic members who have been determined to restore a small portion of the estate to 'pristine' condition. 

A short environmental walk in the area between the entrance gate and parking area was officially opened to its members a fortnight ago, with the objective of allowing the members to appreciate this natural beauty on their doorstep.

A dedicated team, headed up by Dave Robertson and Fayne Connelly, has been working hard over the last few months to remove alien invasive species, label the indigenous tree species, map and signpost the trail.

Dombeya Rocks - a beautiful granite outcrop on Wilds East

ANT was asked to provide FGASA-accredited guides for their inaugural Spring Walk. Twenty five members were divided into four groups which headed out bright and early to enjoy this little gem in the middle of suburbia, led by ANT guides.

We did the shorter option and enjoyed a lovely two and a half hour walk in 'the Wilds', as the two areas adjacent to the road have been named. 

Wilds East is extremely dense, with a large variety of trees, grasses and bulbs amongst the amazing granite rock outcrops. Wilds West has had a number of aliens removed - mostly Blue Gums and wattles - and the grassland is slowly recovering. It hosts a variety of Protea, Aloes and numerous bulb species.


Common Hook Thorn in full bloom - Acacia caffra

The CCJ Environment Committee has identified about a hundred and eighty bird species and at least thirty tree species in this small area...with some of the tree species being less than common, such as the Thorn Pear and Bushveld Koobooberry.

The Common Hook-thorn (Acacia caffra) and Wild Pear (Dombeya rotundifolia) were in full bloom, filling the blue sky with cream flowers. 

In contrast, if you cast your eyes down towards the ground, the bright red of the Blood Lily (Scadoxus puniceus) and the sparkling yellow of the Star Flower (Hypoxis) stood out among the generally brown grasses.

This Star Flower is erroneously
known as the African Potato

The caterpillar larvae of the Cherry Spot Moth (Diaphone eumela) were seen enjoying the abundance of bulbs. They seem to prefer to feed on plants from the Lily family.



Genet latrine, with a camera battery for size reference

We also found some Genet latrines hidden between the rocks. It was surprising and exciting to find evidence that they are thriving in this little haven surrounded by townhouse complexes and office parks!

After our fascinating walk we all enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast together in one of the CCJ boardrooms. It was a fantastic outing, which the CCJ aims to repeat on a quarterly basis using ANT guides.

It was a great example of symbiosis – a mutualistic relationship between ANT guides and CCJ members, combined with a rare opportunity to lead a walk right on our doorstep...



Talking of symbiosis, various mistletoe species including Erianthemum dregei (seen here)
and Viscum rotundifolium adorned the trees.

 

The area has four Searsia species: S. pallens (Ribbed Kuni Bush), S. lancea (Karee),
S. leptodictya (Mountain Karee) and S. pyroides (Firethorn Karee)



Funnel-web spider web adorned with Dombeya rotundifolia flowers.

With grateful thanks to Jenny Bell for this text and all these images!

The ANT Blog

Wildlife Photography Course - September 2014

Hi there everyone!

It has been another eventful and incredible week in the bush as we had the Wildlife Photography Course with Chris Martin this weekend. 

Chris Martin teaching us how to take the perfect shot...

The weather was not ideal for photography but this couldn't keep our photographers down as they gladly accepted the challenge!

The African bushveld is always beautiful. Endless opportunities to experiment with photography constantly present themselves... We photographed everything from the Burchell's Coucal and Impala to amazing breeding herds of the African Elephant and the ever so photogenic Giraffe... We even got to see a magnificent male cheetah which is more than a bonus! 

Up close and personal ;)

The overcast weather made for frequent Spotted Hyena sightings which is also special to see. We then did what photographers do best... We made ourselves comfortable at a stunning bird hide and waited to see what comes to visit, coupled with a good cup of coffee and tea! An impressive herd of Blue Wildebeest decided to join us for a drink which made for excellent photographic opportunities...

An elephant enjoying the "paparazzi"

One thing is for sure - there is NEVER a dull moment with photographers as any simple object or animal can quickly be turned into a snap-shot frenzy :) A lot was learnt in such a short space of time and now it's up to taking many more amazing photographs in the future!

The ANT Blog

Bird hide bliss!

A beautiful herd of Blue Wildebeest

The last chapter of the Correspondence Course Practical 2014

Hi there everyone!

First of all, ANT would like to congratulate all of our students on passing this year's Correspondence Course qualification... You are all incredible people and fANTastic field guides!

Week two has been even more thrilling than the first as our students put in everything they have in order to ace the FGASA level one exam and the practical assessment. All the hard work definitely paid off as each and every one of them passed beautifully! 

Fun in Africa!

The stories in-between all the studying are absolutely worth a mention... One day whilst studying under the cooling shade of the camp's Natal Mahogany we heard the rustling of leaves and as soon as we looked up we saw an object falling from the sky right in front of us. A striking Tawny Eagle was hovering above as he had dropped a half-eaten African Green Pigeon about ten meters from where we were sitting. What a sight! We waited for him to reclaim his meal but instead he sat in the tree before deciding to fly off. I can't say that anyone would mind their study time being interrupted by a spectacular scene like this!

The students had the opportunity of driving the game-viewer whilst preparing for the practical assessment, followed by an African "sundowner" to end off another busy yet beautiful day in the bushveld. The amount one can learn in such a short period of time is amazing and it is incredible to witness. Another highlight was when we decided to sit at a gorgeous bird hide and wait to see what comes for a drink. The first ones to come for a visit were kudu, followed by waterbuck and blue wilderbeest. Three impressive giraffe were next. This is always a special sight! Just as we thought it couldn't get better... A Side-striped Jackal decided to trot down to the water to quench its thirst. This is yet again a rare and awesome experience. 

The cutest leopard cub... with a full stomach!

The time had come for our students to be assessed and write the exam and afterwards go for a well-deserved game drive... we had no idea what was awaiting us! It all started with spending an hour and a half with a magnificent female leopard and her cub. This was a first for most of us and we could not believe our eyes as we saw the cute cub playing around in the riverbed below us. It is something we know we might not ever again have the privilege to witness... so we took it in and enjoyed every second! 

Buffalo and some more Buffalo!

Just as we thought it couldn't get better, we saw a beautiful herd of elephant as well as giraffe feeding on the Knob thorn trees. We then happened to find a gigantic herd of buffalo around seven-hundred strong! The best thing about buffalo is the fact that each one appears to have a different expression on their faces :) It was incredible! We then stopped to look at a Weeping Boer-bean which had just begun to flower when Kim (one of the students) calmly said "there's a cheetah under the tree"... We all suddenly realised we had stopped for a tree and got a cheetah instead! We then went on to see more buffalo, elephant as well as Ground Hornbills after which we had sundowners on a "koppie" overlooking the reserve. This must have been the best drive of our lives!

The Weeping Boer-bean and Cheetah!

Can you believe all of this in two weeks?? I can now say that everyone will look at the African bush with new eyes which will never stop learning and seeing all the unbelievable things that mother nature has to offer.

The ANT Blog

Tough life in Africa

A blog dedicated to the infamous Nkombe Camp...

Hi there everyone!

We would like to welcome you to the upgraded Nkombe Camp! This blog is dedicated to our infamous training camp situated in the Greater Kruger National Park.

So what makes this place so special?

Sunrise in wild Africa is something not many people get to see!

First of all, it is unfenced, unspoilt and unbelievably beautiful! This means that we frequently have an assortment of creatures visiting us throughout the days and nights. Breeding herds of elephant make good company as the sun rises above the Marula canopies in front of the camp. They regularly pass by, feeding around us in a relaxed way, some even venturing in between the tents!

The deep bellows made by buffalo herds moving through the area are common as well as the sound of old buffalo bulls grazing nearby. Bushbuck enjoy the surrounding vegetation and shady areas as well as Kudu which browse on the wide range of trees around camp. 



One of the wild and welcome visitors to Nkombe Camp strolling though!

As the sun sets at the end of another day in Africa, some other visitors venture into our camp...The Spotted Hyena is one of them. Its eerie, iconic calls make the nights around the fire all the more exciting and memorable. Their tracks are almost always seen the next morning in camp as they scan the area for potential left-overs or possibly some boots left outside to chew on! Leopards are frequently seen at Nkombe Camp as there are so many of them in the area. Some lucky students have even witnessed a leopard hunt a bushbuck right next to the kitchen (how incredible)! The most perfect genet tracks are seen on the fireplace/dinner table every morning, a bonus for tracks training of course! Lions even pop in now and again which causes absolute delight and exhilaration for all of us. Their inimitable calls are heard regularly which become our lullaby as we retire after an eventful day in the bush.

We even have a massive variety of birds as we are situated next to a beautiful dry river bed. This means we wake up to a melodious dawn chorus every morning and that we can do a great deal of bird-watching whilst having that first cup of coffee in the mornings. It's easy to see why the slogan of Nkombe camp is "never a dull moment..." This high density of life is why this place is so special and unique. 

Our living area has a homely atmosphere

Nkombe camp has character! The toilets and showers are outdoors...this means they are outside and have no roof. Who thought going to the toilet will bring you the full nature experience and even sometimes a game viewing experience?

We have our notorious bucket showers which are surrounded by canvas (for privacy) which will leave you feeling not only clean but rejuvenated as well!

Hot water is made in the 'donkey' which is a large water tank heated up by a fire. The showers have become famous features in our camp as you can do some bird watching while washing up ;).

Solar panels adorn our el fresco bathrooms

The camp is now 'green' and runs completely by solar energy which is a new adjustment we have made in the last month or so. We try to keep it as natural as possible in order for you to get the true African experience.



Our classroom area is spacious and airy

We also have an all-new lecture tent which is large in size, making sure no one feels cramped while studying. This also includes a comfortable lounge as well as a wide variety of nature-related books to satisfy that hunger for extra bush knowledge!

Another highlight is our dinner table, in other words, the fireplace! What better way to end a day in front of a magical fire, underneath the Milky Way...

Our safari tents are fully furnished. You get your own personal tent (with the open savanna at your doorstep!) which includes comfortable beds as well as clean linen and a pillow. The tent includes a chest of drawers, hangers, a camp chair, laundry basket as well as crates to store all your personal items. This, in conjunction with loads of space, makes for comfortable living in the bush! Tents are cleaned and kept neat daily by Benny, one of our friendly staff.

The food! Guaranteed to be better than any other training camp. Fresh fruit and rusks are available all day including coffee/tea and drinking water. We offer a variety of soft drinks as well as beers/ciders and delicious red/white wine! Sherry is also a lovely option for our cold winter months to warm you up in the evenings...

As far as the menu is concerned, our goal is to make you feel right at home with hearty cooked meals made with fresh ingredients which will leave you feeling satisfied and ready for action! Fruit/plain yogurt, muesli as well as cereal is available early in the mornings before the first activity starts to get you started. As you arrive back from the walk/drive, brunch is served! This ranges from the traditional eggs, bacon, pork sausages and toast to scrumptious continental breakfasts including cream cheese and croissants...and much more! Mandla ("Masterchef") has a variety of specialities...Chicken 'potjie' or stew, pasta alfredo, curry and rice, beer bread is to name a few. Fresh green salads and vegetables as well as coleslaw, mielies, mash, potato salad, etc. complement the main dishes. We dare you not to take seconds ;) We occasionally serve delicious desert and chocolate is available for those with a sweet tooth...

Nkombe camp offers the ultimate African nature experience... we hope to welcome you here soon!

The ANT Blog




The fully furnished safari tents



Relaxing around the fire...

Shower Time!



One of our safari vehicles

Masthulele - The Quiet One

Map of central Kruger National Park

I’m the first to admit I’m not the bravest person around elephants but I don’t think I’m alone where that’s concerned. I do however have a fascination with the 'Big Tuskers' of the Kruger National Park: past and present.

As a frequent Kruger National Park visitor I have had the privilege of seeing and photographing some of Kruger’s Emerging Tuskers over the last few years.Whilst standing on the Letaba high level bridge on 1st April 2013 I noticed two large elephants drinking water in the river below. On closer inspection I realised that one of them had huge tusks.

I watched and photographed him for about an hour and was amazed to see how few people actually stopped and looked at this beautiful elephant.

Upon returning to Letaba Camp, I immediately headed for the Elephant Museum and asked the staff on duty about the elephant.  

Masthulele on the right with his Askari, drinking water in the Letaba River

image: Jenny Bell

They identified him as Masthulele meaning ‘the quiet one’.

He was named after Dr Ian Whyte, who recently retired after 37 years of service in Kruger. Masthulele was the name given to him by his staff.



I had the privilege of Meeting Dr Whyte at a birding event earlier this year and what a gentleman – I can see why his staff named him ‘the quiet one’.

Note: older bull elephants that break away from their herd often form the nucleus of bachelor herds with one or more younger males which are referred to as 'askari' (singular and plural). The origins of the word mean 'soldier'.

Masthulele’s tusks are almost symmetrical, with the left curving a little higher than the right. Apart from his magnificent tusks Masthulele is fairly easy to recognise by the thickened skin growth on his trunk. His ear right ear is clean and there is a tiny V notch in the centre of his left ear. He is found in the Letaba / Mopani areas of the central Kruger National Park.


Masthulele - you can see the skin thickening in the centre of his trunk & the tiny ear notch
image: Jenny Bell

Have you seen this gentle giant?


The ANT Blog - submitted by Jenny Bell