Trails Guide Course 2014

Hi there everyone!

It's that time of the year where nothing can be better than walking every morning and afternoon in the almighty African bush... and that is exactly what we have been doing these past few weeks! Our one month Trails Guide Course has kicked off with another big bang and yes, it's just getting better and better. 

Our students have seen the Big Five on foot! To say that you have experienced this is already absolutely incredible. We have been extremely fortunate with our encounters and sightings so far and have learnt so much in such a short period of time. You can only realise how mighty an elephant is or how intimidating a buffalo bull is when you are on your feet in the middle of their world! To say the least, everyone has a new found respect for these wonderful creatures... big and small. 

It is an amazing feeling to become tuned into your surroundings and that is exactly what you need to do as a trails guide. You need to make use of sight, smell, hearing as well as feeling to interpret what is happening around you. As the course is progressing, we have all become more and more in tune with nature and can look at it with new eyes. 



Giraffe photo bomb!

We can now hear the crack of a branch, smell the scent of an elephant bull in musth, see the freshness of a "dugga boy" track and so much more. We have also learnt how to approach these animals without them being aware of any disturbance whatsoever by reading the wind direction, keeping the sun behind us and always using sufficient bush cover. The perfect balance between caution and curiosity is applied to each approach which is vital to learn and be safe in the bush.

The most memorable encounter so far was a female leopard. We were walking across an open area when we hear bushbuck calling nearby. We approached a drainage line where we then heard the alarm calls of baboon as well as Vervet monkeys. We carefully crossed the dry river bed and came across leopard tracks. After a few metres we then saw fresh scat which belonged to the female leopard which we spotted as soon as we lifted our heads, walking down the road!

Frederik, Mike R, Marte-Lize, Silvia, Michael, Paul W, Paul G, Chanyn, Conrad, Matthew

We slowly followed and for about a minute or so we could say we stalked a leopard. She then moved off into the bush after which we all looked at each other and said, "Did that just happen?"

This and countless other encounters have made for priceless experience. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

The ANT Blog

Nature Enthusiast Course Practical

Hi there everyone!

The first group of students set off on a game drive

Our practical session for our Nature Enthusiast Course here at Nkombe Camp has already come to an end... and what an eventful and exhilarating two weeks it was for our students!

My words cannot nearly explain the incredible things these students experienced but to give you an idea, in the first twenty-four hours of their stay they had managed to witness lions mating as well as a leopard sighting that will go down in history as one of the best ever!



This photo of the leopard was taken by Lizel Bester

A male leopard had made a warthog kill and dragged it into a Common Cluster Fig (Ficus sycomorus). This tree is conveniently placed beside a massive granite bolder in a dry river bed. For years we have been fantasizing about viewing a leopard on this particular rock and what a treat and privilege it was to view this magnificent creature (close-up!) lying on the rock grooming after a bite or two of his well-deserved meal. We all knew this was a "once in a lifetime" experience and that we most probably won't easily get the chance to see it again. This place is truly amazing and never fails to disappoint...
After settling in with a welcoming "sundowner" in the middle of the African bush, the students returned to camp to a fire and some good, hearty food! We had morning and afternoon walks and drives learning about the spectacular mammals we get to see as well as the "behind the scenes" aspects of nature which put the puzzle together to form this paradise. From birding and tracking to medicinal uses of trees and the identification of new grasses... these students got a well earned dose of what nature has to offer! :)

We often get elephants passing through the camp!

Another highlight was the surprise bush breakfast under a massive Jackleberry tree... need I say more?? The rare sightings did however not end with the male leopard and its kill as the students saw honey badgers... twice! This and many more memorable encounters such as walking amongst baboons in the river bed as well as ground hornbills and a usual visit by elephants in camp! "Never a dull moment" seems to be the appropriate phrase no matter which course or what time of the year...

The icing on top of the cake was when they saw a leopard hunt and kill a duiker which shortly after was stolen by a hyena! How many people can say they have seen this rare and incredible sighting? An event which lasted only a few minutes but will stay in everyone's hearts forever...

As if all of this is not enough to get the heart-rate pumping, there was one thing left to see... the NEC students saw lions on a buffalo kill at night! Now this is something that a person can't put into words. To see the king of the jungle in killing mode at its best is purely a spectacular experience! 

Every night was spent reminiscing about the most breath-taking experiences which each day brings here at Nkombe Camp.

The ANT Blog

And so our first FGASA level one course comes to an end...

Hi there everyone!

Two months of hard work, dedication, endless unforgettable memories and incredible moments have come to an end... yet this is just the beginning for all our graduANTs! I am thus pleased to announce that ALL of our students passed their theory examinations as well as the practical assessments! Congratulations to Frederik, Elzaan, Matthew, Rianne, Dionne, Morgan, Ralph, Jamie and Carmi!

The past few weeks have been better than ever as the infamous sleep-out took place on 'Klipspringer Koppie'!

This was truly one of the most memorable events of the entire course... Sleeping in the middle of the bush amongst lions and leopards under the astonishing milky way is literally indescribable. The students witnessed the most incredible sunset whilst sitting on the impressive granite rocks looking over thousands and thousands of kilometres of African bushveld. We had a traditional 'boerewors braai' and sat together around the fire feeling amazed and stunned by our surroundings before sleeping in our sleeping bags with the world exposed as we laid flat on our backs.

A pair of students were on night-watch every two hours to keep the fire going and to make sure we had no surprise visitors lurking around us in the night. Overall, this unbelievable experience will be engraved in everyone's hearts forever.

The last few days of assessments were not in any way tedious with our friends the 'dagga boys' making a visit to our camp the one morning. After some scrumptious French toast, we then heard a game viewer nearby and as we stood up to see what was happening, we saw a female leopard passing camp just twenty metres away! 

As if all of this is not enough we were once again joined by another breeding herd of elephant. They went about their normal routine as we stood between our tents and observed the beauty of elephants being elephants. It will never get old!

All that was left was to ace the exam and assessment... and that is exactly what the students did! As they went for their last, celebratory game drive, the evening took a turn for the unexpected.

Our instructor, Servaas, stopped the vehicle in the middle of the bush and asked everyone to follow him. He then led the students to a bush boma lit with a massive bonfire with lanterns hanging from the surrounding dead trees. We then shouted, "Congratulations!" and the shock on the students' faces were absolutely priceless as they realised this was all for them :)

They enjoyed a classic 'Bush Braai' and reminisced about the highlights of the past two months (which are many!). They also each received individual awards and their ANT certificates to take home and to be proud of.

This was most definitely the perfect way to end an incredible journey and a life-changing experience for everyone involved.

We wish our students farewell and the best of luck in pursuing your career as the ultimate field guide!

We hope to see you again soon and that you will treasure the past couple of months forever.

Top: Elzaan, Dionne, Ralph, Herman, Carmi, Matthew
Bottom: Jamie, Morgan, Rianne, Frederik

Stay tuned for the next blog as our Nature Enthusiast students are arriving at Nkombe Camp next week Saturday!

The ANT Blog

The FGASA level one course... from the eyes of an ANT student!

Hi there everyone

Today's blog is written by one of our students to give you a whole new perspective of what's been happening these last few days and, same as always - it's exhilarating...

In the words of Carmi Zeelie:

Waking up before dusk with the sounds of the African bush still whispering at your ear as a lion roars in the distance and the morning chorus begins to start the day... just another day in the African bush (a saying, that we as Nkombe camp students like to use).

We went out on drive as a daily routine, not knowing about the surprise awaiting us on the open savannah.

A rare and beautiful sighting of the most gracious, elegant cat in the world and one of Southern Africa's flagship species, a sighting of the cheetah, engraved into our memories forever.
 

On our way back we could reflect on the previous night where we came across a young Spotted Hyena, peacefully lying next to the road, just listening as his family called far off in the distance. 

We spent more than twenty minutes observing this animal. You could see how intently he was listening and occasionally lifting his large head and smelling the air for a possible kill that he could scavenge from a leopard or even a lion.

Days go by fast now, and the time has come where we all have to prepare for our exams... but practical knowledge still proves to be the best. 

On foot, encounters of mating lions and the smallest carnivores (dwarf mongoose) turns out to be a great start to our day. We get taught that whilst out in the bush on foot or in a game viewer, patience will get rewarded.

We tracked a female leopard for almost two hours but we were unsuccessful and just as all of us thought this lesson of patience is an old wive's tale, we spotted a Lesser Bushbaby.  Words cannot explain how we felt. Seeing such a small and beautiful creature in its natural environment we all could honestly say that patience does indeed get rewarded even if it's done in a complete different way than expected.
 

After a good night's sleep we could get up, ready for a day of revision, but as it goes in Africa, plans will almost always get turned upside down.  As you want to go and sit with your books as a good ANT student should, you hear a lion's roar close by and we all jumped on the vehicle... with me sitting tracker we drove off in search of our friend and we found him or should I say them! The three Sand River males, just lying out in the sun looking lazy yet majestic.

We spent a few minutes with them and then it happened... the one male began to moan like a kitten and in contrast to that he opened his powerful jaw and roared, barely three meters away from my feet. Stunned by third breath-taking sight, we couldn't help but to laugh as the lion finished and looked at us with a face asking "are you happy now?".

All in all, meditating around our camp fire on what we learnt through these past six weeks, I can say good night, and thanks for another exhilarating and thrilling day in the African bush where friendships are built under the setting African sun.

The ANT Blog

It just gets better!

Hi there everyone!

It's been incredibly busy here at Nkombe camp these past few days with lions, hyenas, leopards, elephant and even buffalo passing through the camp! I must say, we have been extremely fortunate with everything we have been experiencing since the course started and it truly keeps getting better...

The students have also had the privilege of witnessing some incredible things while shadowing the field guides such as mating buffalo, lions, leopards, a pride of lions known as the Southern Pride as well as lion and leopard kills. We have finished most of the modules and tests and now it is time to revise on everything we have learnt these past six weeks.

It is really amazing to see how far the students have come in terms of their bush knowledge but also in their personal development. The hard work and the priceless experience has built some incredible character and has brought enrichment to everyone's lives!

We can now also add the African Civet as well as cheetah to our list! We have been seeing plenty of civet tracks as well as a civetry (civet midden) or two on our walks and finally got to see one on a night drive which made us all very happy.

A male cheetah has moved into the area and we also had the lucky chance to see this scarce, beautiful cat while out on drive. Another remarkable experience was when we were surrounded by a massive herd of buffalo around three-hundred strong... we sat with them for around half an hour observing their behavior and taking it all in :).

The most mesmerizing and fascinating experience yet was when a breeding herd of elephant woke us up just before sunrise and decided to stick around camp... and boy, did they make good company! We sat outside of our tents and watched these majestic animals with the backdrop of the African sunrise. How incredible! They were not bothered whatsoever by our presence and carried on with their normal behavior. It was as if we weren't even there. There were many females with younger and older calves as well as a couple of bulls, of which one was in musth! He walked between the tents and walked straight towards us before heading off to chase away the younger bulls. To see the behavior of a breeding herd of elephant on the ground is such a humbling and wonderful experience. Unforgettable!

 As if all of this is not enough, we heard the most chilling and frightening sounds last night coming from a clan of Spotted Hyena less than five-hundred meters away! The scene was told by the moaning of a lioness and the daunting laughs and cackling of the hyenas followed by a couple of shrills and whoops. We could not believe what we were hearing and soon the next day we found out that the hyenas were hassling an injured, lone lioness. The lioness survived and is now back with the rest of the pride which is great news!

We are considering calling our camp "Dugga Camp" as we are frequently visited by an old buffalo bull every now and again. He is an exception to the rule though, being quite relaxed and seemingly social as he enjoys sticking around...

It's so to say two weeks left for our future field guides and nature enthusiasts. We can't wait to see what happens next...

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The ANT Blog

And we are half way...

Hi there everyone!

Can you believe that we are already more than half way through the FGASA level 1 course?? It has been another hectic yet incredible couple of weeks here at Nkombe camp and the excitement is building as the assessments and exams are approaching.

We have been on intriguing and interesting bush walks which are rapidly helping the students to get the "real feel" of nature and to see things from a different perspective. The students have also been driving the game-viewer to get used to the feel of a real bush vehicle! They have also started preparing for their practical assessment drive and doing their pre-drive briefs. Everything is coming together in the preparation of becoming the ultimate field guide :)

The students also took a well deserved break as we went to Perry's Bridge in Hazyview to enjoy some pizza and restock on everything we need. It was definitely a great time to relax and do some bonding...

Let's not forget about the leopard and lion sightings as well as a genet near camp and many elephants and buffalo! A massive troop of baboons have been heard daily near camp with the sounds of screeching and barking.  We even  found leopard tracks in between the tents which caused a lot of excitement in camp yesterday.

To top it all off, the students have started their lodge placements! For +/- two weeks they will be gaining some valuable experience in various departments such as maintenance, kitchen, laundry, workshop as well as the privilege of shadowing the experienced guides. We also got involved in some exhilarating conservation management as we assisted in a bush fire used to removed moribund.

It is definitely something the students will never forget! Truly a smokin' experience ;)

The sunrises and sunsets are also worth a mention as they have been incredibly beautiful and they never seem to get old. This is an amazing time of year in the bush as everything is constantly changing and never fails to disappoint!

We hope you have a wonderful week from all of us here at Nkombe camp!


P.S. We had the absolute privilege of witnessing a stealthy male leopard feeding on an impala today.

The kill was hoisted up into a tall Brown Ivory and it was an amazing experience to see this scene unfolding...After a good couple of chunks, he moved further up the tree (almost above our heads!) and started to groom himself.

What a day! I don't know if we will ever witness something like that again but it was breath-taking :)


 The ANT Blog

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