All good things...

...must come to an end...eventually!

Another successful day in the lowveld as we enjoy a 'game drive selfie'!

Our 2015 part-time Nature Enthusiast Course is drawing to a close with the assessment weekend coming up in two days' time. This is always the toughest challenge but, as we reflect back on what has been an incredible year, we are grateful for the things we've learned and the lifelong friendships that have been made!

Each year at graduation we have students who tell us that they wish they could capture and 'bottle' the essence of the course so that they can somehow explain to and share with others how wonderful and how life-changing this course has been for them.

Perhaps you are one of our graduANTs, nodding in agreement as you read this!

The best we can do, for those who are yet to experience the magic, is to take you on a visual stroll through time as we present our 'Nature Enthusiast Course class of 2015' in pictures - enjoy!

The ANT Blog

The year starts off in our lecture venue - Henley Business School - with an orientation
evening - here Nicky is talking about why and what we recycle

Andre shows Mariana what to look for when examining a leaf at our introductory tree practical

Chris and Sara look closely at features like the leaf margin and venation

Arlene makes expert use of her loupe to see if there are any secretory cavities

Even the smallest students are treated with care - here Lorraine shows them a special leaf

Annie shows Dave an infloresence - the key to identifying grasses

Salim uses his loupe to great effect as he admires the Red Grass spikelet



Dave and Jenny make use of the outdoor classroom to teach a few grass id basics

Meet some of our mentors - Carla is the rose between the thorns here
- sorry Stephan and Dave junior!

Camping is completely new to some of our students, but they soon grow to love it!

The pool is an attractive feature during summer...but this year has been
an unusually rainy one, so it's been somewhat under-utilised!

The most effective way to learn how to identify grasses is by using display samples

One of the field work groups has a practical session with our resident expert, Lorraine

Rod oversees Deepak as he works out which grass is which

Andrew Hankey - the tree expert -  is one of our favourite lecturers who liberally
shares his knowledge with us on weekend practicals




Deepak holds his leaf up to the light to see if there are any bacterial nodules

Chris enjoys putting his newfound skills to use

What bushveld experience is complete without a good old South African braai?!



Welcome to our piece of paradise in the lowveld - your home-away-from-home ...
...Nkombe Camp! We trust that your week here will leave you with many happy memories!



Our friendly photographer, Justin van Doorene,
goes to great lengths to capture that perfect image!



...and here you have a bird's eye view of our social centre



Rowan gave Justin a run for his money whilst trying to capture
a dragonfly in flight over this pond



One of our favourite drainage line crossings onto an open area



During summer, we have the added challenge of water crossings!

One of the groups after their bush interpretation weekend

It's such a treat to walk in the bush! Here Freddy discusses the finer points of tracking

The first group were fortunate enough to have seen Wild Dogs on foot - what a triumph!

One of our favourite parts of the day involves reading the 'bushveld newspaper'

Chanyn explains to Lee and Mariana how you can tell which direction the elephant is going

Everyone cranes their necks to see the three rhinos
that are just on the other side of that bush...exciting!

Before each walk, the students get a chance to give the pre-trail brief

Our trails guides explain the rapid digestion of elephants



Conrad watches Keegan and Lee as they dig in a dry riverbed for water

After just having watched a crash of rhinos coming down to drink at the waterhole,
we had an opportunity to look at their tracks and signs



This occasion was very special - we heard a female kudu making regular, loud, alarm calls and we noticed the group all staring in the same direction...but as much as we looked, we could not see what she was warning them about...until a yellow blur dashed across the road in front of us and into the riverbed - it was a leopard - what an amazing sighting and all the more special to see the textbook come alive!

The following animal pictures have been captured by one of our students - Mariana Arnoldi - thank you very much for sharing them with us all - enjoy!



Is this a male or female warthog...and how can you tell?




Knowing the scarcity of these animals makes it
even more of a thrill to see them!

Not much water around, yet this Green-backed Heron!



Fork-tailed Drongo - look out for that wine-red eye!

Female buffalo just chewing the cud



We thought this was a funny place for the oxpecker to sit!



This hornbill waited for our crumbs to drop at the coffee stop

 

This guy's stomach was so distended we think he may well have eaten an entire buffalo by himself!

We end off with a cute shot of this mother and baby Waterbuck - what an amazing experience!

What a week to be on foot...

Hi there everyone!

We had an extremely special week filled with unforgettable sightings of big game as well as invaluable experience and knowledge gained…

Walking in the bush is such a treat!

To experience the African bush on foot is truly a wonderful privilege. One uses all of one's senses to become a part of the wilderness. To view the Big Five on foot is a whole different experience than from a vehicle and, even though you can’t get as close to the animals on foot, I feel it is still a much better, priceless experience.

Our trails guides were lucky enough to experience this as they had all these brilliant animals on foot… in only one week!

On one particular day we were walking in the south of the reserve, which is an extremely beautiful area to be in on foot. We came across some buffalo, which we soon realised was a breeding herd. We planned the approach and halfway in we spotted some ears flicking around in the grass. We almost couldn’t believe our eyes as six lionesses were lying camouflaged in the tall grass not too far from the buffalo! We then did a successful (and unforgettable) approach on the lions as well as the buffalo before extracting out of the area. After walking a couple of minutes we then again found some buffalo in the distance. We planned another approach when, to our surprise, we noticed the lionesses to our left following the breeding herd! This was an unbelievable sighting as we got to see these animals in their environment carrying on with their natural behaviour - amazing!



We heard stories about other people's experiences with rhino middens

Another incredible walk took place as we approached a couple of elephant bulls very close to where our camp is. We approached and had a beautiful look at these magnificent animals as they continued feeding along the drainage line. As we extracted back to where we had come from, we heard a horrifying sound coming from a very short distance to our right. No-one knew what had made this frightening sound until we saw a leopard explode from the bushes only metres away from us! The female cat had dashed away from us into the drainage line and we actually had a surprisingly good visual of her as she walked on the other side of the dry riverbed. Something none of us will forget!

As if the above is not enough, we had what we called an 'Elephant Friday'…It all started on Thursday evening as the camp was woken up in the middle of the night by the majestic rumbling sound of elephants, followed by numerous trumpeting calls. All of this took place literally in our camp. This was the followed by the whooping and cackling of a hyaena clan in camp, as well as the moaning of a male lion coalition. It was one of those evenings where all the activity was at Nkombe Camp and it was definitely the place to be!

The next morning we set out for our walk, expecting some elephant encounters…and that is exactly what we got! We had encounter after encounter as the reserve seemed to be booming with elephants. We then experienced something extremely special and it must go down as my favourite sighting of all time… 

Watching the elephants going about their business

We approached a breeding herd of elephant that were far in the distance. We had elevation on our side, as well as a big termite mound on which we stood and viewed the animals.

We were lucky to see so many elephants!

We watched them from across a relatively open area, whereupon they decided to approach us. We stood our ground, knowing that we had the perfect extraction point, as well as being secure in the fact that it was the elephants choosing to approach us. We watched in admiration as the matriarch lead the rest of the group towards us. They eventually walked past us only twenty metres away and continued feeding on the go. It was such a spectacular sighting!

These are only a couple of examples of what the week had in store for us and what a fANTastic week it was! Unforgettable moments and, as always, so much to be learnt!

The ANT Blog

Ps. A big thank you to Craig Fitt for all the photos!



The group enjoys a moment to reflect on their amazing time in the bush!

 

The best sighting EVER...

Hi there everyone!

I’m not sure where to begin as this past week or so has been so eventful and has been filled with endless unforgettable, unbelievable sightings…

First of all, we have received some unexpected and much needed rain and this has brought forth a wide variety of life in the area (even more than usual!). The bush has started to turn a refreshing shade of green, with new shoots emerging on the recently burnt areas. This has made for fantastic scenery, coupled with the stunning animals which have been showing off for us these past few days.

Every day here in the middle of the African bush is a special one as each day brings new, unpredictable sightings along with more knowledge...which leads to a better understanding of how nature works. 

One day in particular stood out far above the rest and it started out like every other day. We woke up to an overcast morning and decided to go out for a game drive to see what the bush had to offer. It turned out to be more than anyone would ever have expected…

 

A young Buffalo calf

The first incredible sighting was one of an enormous herd of buffalo. We switched off the vehicle and watched in amazement as we became surrounded by these amusing bovids. We were lucky enough to see all sorts of behaviour from youngsters suckling to impressive bulls head-butting one another and even saw how one male actually mounted another in order to show his dominance! At times we had no clue where to look, as all this entertaining activity was taking place around us. I personally love viewing buffalo as they each  have their own facial expressions which ensure there is never a dull moment…

The gorgeous male leopard

We then came across a scene in which a very young male leopard had stored an impala kill in a massive Jackalberry tree. He had been feeding on this along with his mother for the past two days and he was panting from gorging himself on his well-deserved meal.

We found him lying comfortably with his limbs hanging either side of a large branch with his kill not too far away on a lower branch. This was an absolute treat as we could view the gorgeous cat only metres away from us without any obstructions. We then realised that his mother was lying in a patch of dense vegetation in close proximity to the tree, which was even more of a bonus. Scanning the surroundings of the open area, we saw a couple of old buffalo bulls which were also very close to the leopard. They showed interest for a moment or so then remained unfazed with the predators nearby and carried on with their normal behaviour.

After a couple of minutes, something appeared in the far distance across the plains…a lion! We could not believe our eyes, as we looked through our binoculars to see a dishevelled and hungry-looking male lion which appeared out of nowhere. We decided to drive closer to inspect the scruffy cat as he sat staring into the distance towards the leopard kill. We stopped near the lion, expecting him to remain lazy and lethargic, as most lions do during the day...until the wind direction changed and he got a whiff of a much needed meal! He immediately got up and walked past and behind our vehicle (as if deliberately using it as cover) and made his way across the open area towards the leopards.


The lion stealing the kill

His eyes remained focused on the lifeless impala and he started to gain speed and run to the tree, without even glancing in the direction of some very angry and alert buffalo nearby. 

We were absolutely stunned by the scene unfolding before our eyes and somehow it was all happening so quickly…Before we knew it, the mother leopard had scattered out from behind the bushes and disappeared in a flash. The young male shot higher up the tree and found himself balancing amoung the flimsy, thin branches, left only to watch dumbfounded as the lion clumsily climbed the tree to steal his kill. The lion struggled to keep his balance and quickly returned to the ground with the remains of the impala. He then proceeded to consume the rest of the kill, biting and chewing through the carcass in minutes, whilst the leopard remained helpless in the safety of the Jackalberry. The sighting of a lifetime!

 

A magical moment...

We were convinced we had seen it all and thus didn’t expect to have another unbelievable sighting but, once again, we were proven wrong… After some classic sundowners in the bush, we were on our way back to camp when one of the students spotted some eyes reflecting in the distance. We assumed it was Impala, as usual, until we approached closer...to find that it was actually a leopard!

When we got close enough, we were delighted to see that it was in fact a mother leopard as well as her cub. We could not believe our luck as we followed these two leopards and watched the playful cub wander about and interact with her mother. It was a unique sighting and we spent quite a bit of time with them, enjoying observing their natural behaviour. The leopards eventually came to a water-hole where they had a drink before moving off into the night.  It was such a memorable experience! 

Life's tough in Africa!

After this we had another fantastic sighting of a male cheetah as well as at least fifty Marabou storks, African Fish eagles and many more! We have been extremely lucky and never take anything for granted…Today the students start with lodge placements at one of the prestigious lodges in the area where they will get the full experience of how a lodge environment works. Exciting!

Stay tuned to see what happens next…

The ANT Blog

Another fantastic sighting of two lions doing what they do best!

The King of the Jungle stares intently into the distance...

A Spotted Hyaena near the Leopard kill

 

Unforgettable memories made!

Hi there everyone!

As you can imagine, a lot of incredible things have happened in the course of the last ten days or so… Every day the pieces of nature’s puzzle get put together to form a bigger picture and, as the time passes by, we are able to see and understand more and more about the African bushveld. This is, of course, accompanied by unforgettable sightings which are always a pleasure to witness!

A Blue Wildebeest calf suckling 

The bush is extremely dry this year, but this has had no ill effect on the high density of thrilling animals surrounding our camp. These conditions have also brought some unusual birds into the area such as Namaqua Doves and Wood Sandpipers, which we have never seen here before! We have also had some great raptor sightings, the most exciting of which were the African Hawk-Eagle and Martial Eagle.

The game viewing is also at an all-time high - we have been visited in camp by Giraffe, Elephants, Buffalo and elusive Spotted Hyaenas this past week alone!

There is truly never a dull moment at Nkombe camp, as we are often interrupted by the chattering alarm calls of Tree Squirrels, the barking of Bushbuck and the nervous distress calls of the Vervet monkey whilst going about our daily activities.

The walking has been absolutely amazing as we have been studying different tracks and signs from small birds to impressive lion tracks. Bird watching is also at its best when on foot, as we often find ourselves only fifty metres from camp with so much to look at!

We had a couple of exciting encounters on foot as well. It is a whole new experience to view animals on their level in their environment as opposed to from the game-viewer. We had fantastic encounters with a couple of Buffalo bulls as we watched them from a distance scratching themselves on trees and continuing with their natural behaviour. We also had an exciting Elephant encounter as we watched a mighty male feeding on nearby vegetation after which we followed fresh lion tracks!

The beautiful cheetah!

We added an all-new, elegant creature to our 'exsighting' list as we found a beautiful Cheetah lying in the shade in the heat of the day. This was a first for many and still spectacular for the rest, as we don't often get to see these charming cats. 

 

We were lucky enough to find a fresh impala kill hoisted up in a tree one morning. The Leopard responsible for this was nowhere to be found. After scanning the area for a few minutes, we moved on, but decided to revisit the site later that day. On our return that afternoon, we suddenly heard the thumping sounds of massive Hyaena paws crashing through the bush, literally scraping past our vehicle. We decided to stay put at the site of the kill and just observe these misunderstood creatures with the hope that the Leopard would come back to her trophy...

After about half an hour of waiting, we were just about to move on when Gus spotted her hiding on top of a termite mound not too far away from where the vehicle was parked moments ago. She shot up the enormous Marula and continued feeding on her meal, with Hyaenas’ mouths watering below as they waited for scraps to drop. The carcass started to slip due to her feeding and ,despite all her manoeuvring around the tree, she could not keep the kill from falling. As soon as the carcass hit the ground, she knew it was over and that the Hyaenas outnumbered her.

We then spent the rest of the time observing these creatures’ powerful jaws crushing through bones and hooves until there was almost nothing left but the horns of a once living impala ram. One of the most amazing sightings ever, just proving that patience is everything!

A curious elephant decides to investigate our vehicle

The Elephant sightings that we have been experiencing  are personally at the top of my list! We have seen every form and size of Elephant from the cutest baby trying to manoeuvre its clumsy trunk to the most striking and impressive bulls. The students sitting right at the front (on the tracker seat) have had a few unforgettable moments as a few of the Elephants approached the vehicle curiously from the front. These memories will stay with all of us forever…

The coalition of male lions

As if all of the above is not enough, we had an intimate sighting of two new male Lions in the area.

I must say, they were more energetic than our previous coalition, in that one managed to stand up and re-position himself only a metre or so away and then returned to being its lazy, lethargic self!

This was still an absolutely incredible sighting, as we were alone with the respectable cats and had the privilege of watching and inspecting them for half an hour or more. It was remarkable!

Sunrise at Nkombe Camp...

It has been an incredible journey so far to see these great students grow and learn every day. I personally (Chanyn) can’t wait to see what amazing field guides they will become…

To another day in Africa - cheers!

 

The ANT Blog

The cutest, smallest African carnivore - Dwarf Mongoose

A rare sighting of a juvenile Southern Ground Hornbill

A majestic Elephant bull crosses the open plains

A Red-billed Oxpecker in its element, scissoring its way through the hair on a Buffalo's back

The curiosity of a Giraffe

Those magnificent eyes!

The king of the jungle!

 

The wild and wonderful welcoming of the new FGASA level 1 students to Nkombe Camp!

Hi there everyone!

 

I am extremely happy to be blogging about 2015’s very first FGASA level one course! This week has been an exceptionally exciting one as our students arrived to the legendary Nkombe Camp filled with great enthusiasm and anticipation for what the next two months has to offer…

 

Staying true to its reputation, the wild and wonderful camp lived up to its expectations, with some interesting visitors that gave our new students an African warm welcome. The first evening was spent under the stars and around the fire getting to know each other. We definitely have another fantastic group this year. Coming from different sides of the world, we all have one thing in common… nature!

A couple of elephant bulls decided to make an appearance that evening as we heard them feeding on the favourable vegetation surrounding the camp. The night was filled with the thrilling sounds of elephants feeding, the alarm calls of the Side-striped Jackal as well as the bone-chilling whoops of the Spotted Hyena. Even the incessant disputing between a troop of baboons was heard very early in the morning. This alone was a wonderful welcome to the African bush for the students!

Dagga boy

We started bright and early the next day with yet another visitor in camp to greet our students. As we enjoyed our first cup of coffee, three old buffalo bulls decided to rest in a bed of Red grass only ten metres away from us. Relaxed, they went about their business as if we were not even there. They stayed in that same spot even after we had left camp for our bush walk. This again was another big bonus!

There is no better way to experience the bush than on foot as there is so much more to see, hear, smell and touch! We had a magical walk, taking in the remarkable surroundings with everything from the smallest tracks and listening to the melodies of the various bird calls to watching an impressive elephant bull crossing an open plain in front of us.

 

A coalition of three male lions

After coming back to camp we hopped on the vehicle and went for a short drive and then had the privilege of seeing a coalition of three male lions! They were as lazy as ever, lying in the shade of a Magic Guarri tree. They did, however, lift their heads every now and again as if they had just caught the scent of a fresh meal. This was because of a massive herd of buffalo less than half a kilometre away! We were hoping for some action, but the heat of the day proved too much for the lethargic lions to try and hunt an 800kg buffalo…

 

The female leopard in camp

After another amazing day in the bush and a couple of lectures, we relaxed around the fire as the sun started to set. The last thing we expected was to be visited yet again by a new magnificent creature which walked straight into camp…a gorgeous female leopard! The relaxed cat passed the students’ tents and we watched in awe as she walked calmly through our home. It caused absolute delight as well as an immediate adrenalin rush for all of us. She again visited us a couple of days later whilst relaxing in the road next to camp! How Lucky...

 

I find it astonishing how we can live in the middle of the African bush and experience so much that nature has to offer and yet we will never know it all or be able to predict what will happen next. We watched the most fantastic scene unfold whilst sitting under the shade of a dense canopy underneath a Natal Mahogany tree. A very opportunistic Common Scimitarbill had found a spider that looked particularly delicious right next to the kitchen. We watched as the bird destroyed the Golden Orb Web Spider’s home, ripping the web apart with its bill. This continued for a couple of minutes as we found ourselves silently cheering for the bird to catch the motionless spider as if we were watching a soccer match. And finally the bird scored a meal…to our absolute pleasure :)

A Spotted Hyaena closely following the two leopards

We had yet another unpredictable sighting as one of our students spotted something in the distance. It turned out to be a leopard in a tree very close to camp (pun intended!). We climbed on the game viewer to get a closer look and were surprised to find a Spotted Hyaena following not one, but two leopards! It turned out to be a mother and her cub which is almost full grown. The hyaena eventually lost interest and we had the pleasure of watching the two leopards playfully groom one another. It was one of the best sightings I have ever had. What made it even better was the fact that a massive elephant bull decided to walk behind our vehicle whilst all of this was going on. It was absolutely amazing!

Taking it all in :)

Besides seeing the Big Five in under a week, we have learnt and seen so much more than that. It is the smaller things that make us understand the way nature works and that is what our passion is. We are now handling trees and birds and already this has opened our eyes to a whole new world. It is truly amazing what one can learn in a week and to think, we have seven unbelievable and exciting weeks left! Who knows what will happen next…

 

The ANT Blog

The cutest young zebra!

Mother and son

Strengthening bonds



Gorgeous leopards




FGASA 1 group of 2015

Pangolins in Peril - World Pangolin Day 21st February

Photo courtesy of the African Pangolin Working Group  http://www.pangolin.org.za

Many people don't know what a pangolin is...and there are even fewer people who have ever been lucky enough to have seen one in the wild during their lifetime!

They are scale-covered mammals that are most active at night, feeding almost exclusively on certain species of ants and termites and have an endearing habit of carrying their babies around on their tails!

Temminck’s Ground Pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is one of four species of pangolins found in Africa and is the second largest (typically 7–12kg).

It is the most widespread of these species and the one that is likely to be seen in northern South Africa (also through most of East Africa, Southern Sudan and Chad).

Its preferred habitat is savanna and woodland, with an average territory of between six and fourteen square kilometres in which to find its main food source of ants and termites. Following a gestation period of 139 days, a single young youngster is born in June or July.

There are eight species of Pangolin worldwide: three in Asia, one in India and four in Africa.

Distribution of Smutsia temminckii

Pangolins are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of threatened species and their Global population is believed to be decreasing. It is estimated that the total population has decreased by at least twenty percent in the last thirty years. 

As of 2013, the estimated total density in the Kruger National Park is one individual every 8.4 square kilometres...but these numbers are hard to verify, given that pangolins are nocturnal and seldom seen.

The reasons for the drastic population decline are various and include poaching (for illegal bush meat trade, illegal use in traditional medicine, illegal exportation to Asian food markets), loss of habitat and encounters with electric game fences.

According to the IUCN Species Survival Commission, more than one million individuals are believed to have been taken from the wild in the past decade. 

Pangolins are considered a delicacy in Asia and are now the most illegally traded mammal in the world.
 

The name pangolin comes from the Malay word
penguling meaning something that rolls up.

I think we all know about the poaching and illegal wildlife trade, but the reason for pangolin losses that hit me hardest was when I read of the huge numbers that are killed when pangolins encounter electrified game fences. This is one of the notorious challenges in conservation practice that we have today.

When a pangolin comes into contact with an electrified fence, its immediate reaction is to curl up to defend itself against the initial shock...but, unfortunately, they remain curled around the live wire and are eventually electrocuted until they die - a truly nasty way to go!

The African Pangolin Working Group (which officially launched on 19th February 2015) is looking at various options to improve the design of electric fences to eliminate the killings. They request that you report any sightings and submit photos to them on the following link: http://www.pangolin.org.za/sighting.html.

We wish you happy searching...and, of course, would love to hear about any of your sightings - all photos are welcome! 

The ANT Blog
Written by Jenny Bell