Another incredible week at Nkombe camp!

Hi there everyone!

Time is flying here at Nkombe camp and the course is well on its way as everyone is settled in and enjoying every second.

We have had plenty four-legged visitors in camp these past few days including three male buffalo ('dagga boys'), elephants, hyenas as well as a male and female leopard in the area. Needless to say, it's been busy!

Easter weekend was filled with bird watching as we covered the Birds module and identified quite a large number of species as well as their calls.

The highlight of the weekend has to be waking up at sunrise listening to the dawn-chorus. It is truly a magical experience to wake up with the bush and experience the explosion of life as the day begins.


The luck of the students hasn't changed as we have still been seeing more of the Big Five every day!

Our sightings these past few days include lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and so much more. The 'little things' are also more intriguing than ever with loads of interesting amphibians, reptiles and arthropods along the way! The bigger picture is becoming clearer and clearer every day :)

On top of all the action, our students went for their first bush walk!

It is definitely an incredible new adventure as the bush on foot seems to open up a whole new world as you see the finer things missed by sitting on a vehicle seat.

From observing a variety of tracks and signs such as rubbing posts, dung, nests, etc. to interpreting frog tracks...it was truly an eye-opener to what goes on 'under the radar'.

We had the opportunity to engage all our senses and experience the African bush as it's meant to be. Amazing!


I must say, I can't wait to see what this week has in store for us as there is NEVER a dull moment at Nkombe camp!

The ANT Blog

FGASA level 1 begins!

Hi there everyone!

The time has finally come and our FGASA level 1 course has begun. Our students have arrived at Nkombe camp in the Sabi Sands and are excited to learn and discover the wonders of nature... As soon as they got to camp, they were welcomed by a herd of elephant which made them feel right at home :)

After the orientation, we had Mandla's lovely chicken "potjie"and spent some time getting to know one another around the fire. We have another great group of people and we are looking forward to opening new doors for great things to come.

The students have already completed first aid and taxonomy and are now busy with botany. The pieces of nature's puzzle are slowly but surely coming together and the students are enjoying every second.

We have been extremely fortunate on our morning and afternoon/evening game drives in terms of incredible mammal and bird sightings.  It has been less than a week and we have seen leopard almost every day as well as a group of lions this morning. That's not to mention the beautiful elephant sightings as well as dwarf mongoose, zebra, giraffe, bushbabies and so many more!

Today we went for our usual morning game drive in the hopes of learning quite a few grasses and believe it or not, we got to see three male lions with two females and on the same road... another leopard! This is definitely the place to be if you haven't seen leopard in the wild. After having some coffee and tea in the middle of the African bushveld (which is always an incredible experience!) we returned to camp to have some well earned flap-jacks. Not a bad start to a Sunday right?

The bush is still lush and full of life after the rainy season which is perfect for the students to learn grasses, trees and even insects which have been plentiful these past few days. To experience the changing of seasons is also a privilege and great for learning!

Now that the course is in full swing, things are getting more and more interesting and one thing is for sure... this is only the beginning and there is loads more to come!

Stay tuned to see what happens next!

The ANT Blog

Wildlife Photography Course 14-16 February

Hi there everyone!

Welcome to the new and exciting Africa Nature Training blog... You can now keep up to date with all the action on our courses and share in the wildlife experience!

The Wildlife Photography Course took place this weekend and it was truly eventful. From leopard sightings to exhilarating elephant encounters, it was a weekend not to be forgotten.

The students arrived in the Sabi Sand Reserve on Friday to a very wet camp. As everyone got settled in, the weather had cleared just in time for a great afternoon game drive.

We had incredible sightings of the famous mammals such as elephants, buffalo and lion, but the rutting impala, photogenic hornbills and dazzling zebra caused much more entertaining opportunities for our photographers.

The most surprising experience was photographing mushrooms in elephant dung, believe it or not!

The students got down and dirty to get 'the' shot when, moments later, someone spotted a passing leopard about two hundred metres behind us crossing a dry riverbed! We all hopped on the vehicle in pursuit of the leopard.

We had a brief sighting before she decided to make herself invisible, as leopards do best.

We had the odd shower or two while on drive but nothing that these photographers weren't prepared for. The smell of fallen marulas filled the air, followed by a whiff of elephant dung now and again :).

Another highlight has to be an old elephant bull - we admired the animal feeding on a knob thorn after eating some dusted-off grass. He was extremely relaxed and it was a privilege to witness the natural behavior of this elephant.

He then slowly approached the vehicle and passed behind us which was also a magnificent moment!

The nights were magical around the fire with Mandla's famous food such as his chicken potjie, beer bread and delicious potato salad.

The infamous call of the Scops owl and Fiery-necked nightjar with the moonlit skies left us feeling mesmerized by everything nature has to offer. We were visited by a genet, hyaena and even an elephant near camp.

To top it all off, we also heard something being hunted near camp, which we presume was a leopard kill less than five hundred metres away.

We treated our photographers on the last morning to a 'bush brunch' which was a wonderful experience.

We stopped at an open area and unpacked the tea and coffee with some croissants and muffins and the rest was pure bliss. We got some great shots and even more unforgettable memories. What an amazing weekend!

Wow, a lot for one weekend right? Keep up to date with our next wildlife experience soon...

Have a lovely week everyone!

The ANT Blog
 

 
 
 

 

Welcome to Africa Nature Training's blog!

Hi there!

Welcome to our all new and exciting ANT blog...

All the action will be posted right here! We have decided to involve you in our incredible nature adventures and stories which usually unfold on our practical courses. This blog will thus be most active during the practical sessions in the Sabi Sand Reserve and at other related venues.

So, get ready for the spectacular events that nature has in store for us...

Read it, share it, experience it!

Have a great day!
The ANT team