LionLover’s South Africa Adventure

Just a quick update with a couple more amazing sightings we have had. A couple of nights ago we went to the hyena den to check on them and were greeted by three extremely playful 4 month old hyenas and a sub adult.

They were very inquisitive and came bounding up to the vehicle to give the tyres a quick chew before running back to have a quick play session. I have completely fallen in love with them; they are beyond cute and just so much fun to watch.

We have had a hippo move in to Spectro Dam, which is the closest dam to us, so that is pretty cool. Hopefully he will hang around for the rest of my stay here.

Last nights evening drive was awesome. We headed out and came across a breeding herd of ellies in the riverbed. The young bulls were being very playful approaching the vehicle and sniffing the air around us. We followed on from that with a sighting on Nyeleti the cheetah and her two 8 months old cubs. They were relaxing in some pretty thick bush, and totally at ease with us.

But we topped off the night with the most brilliant viewing of a honey badger. It was extremely relaxed just wondering in front and at the side of the vehicle for quite a few minutes. Definitely one of the highlights so far.

We unfortunately didn’t get a sighting of Tilo the leopard and her cubs the other night. We found her new den site and according to the telemetry we were literally within 10 metres of her but she just didn’t want to put in an appearance. It was frustrating being so close to her but not being able to see her, but we couldn’t risk driving around too much as she has charged vehicles in the past when protecting cubs.

Well I have already been in the bush a week and soooo much has happened! I’m based at Karongwe Game Reserve, living in an old farmhouse in the south of the reserve. It is a beautiful area, from our veranda we look out on to the Drakensburg Mountain range. Totally stunning.

The other volunteers are great, a real mix of ages and nationalities and we all seem to get on really well. Seems like I am going to make some really good friends here.

Anyway on to what I have seen and done….We didn’t get to the reserve until late last Friday night so didn’t really see or do much except for a few drinks around the fire to get to know one another.

The next morning we went on our first bush walk. Lo, the camp manager was teaching us how to recognise tracks from different animals and to identify different dungs. We were walking down one of the roads when a white rhino suddenly appeared about 10 metres in front of us. We are all totally in awe as she slowly meandered across the road without giving us a second glace. A great start to my bush experience!

We have been doing lots of different lectures about the animals, conservation, game reserve management, the research and vehicle maintanence. It has been a lot to take in, but luckily I passed all the exams first time yesterday morning. So now I am fully trained to carry out the research. Telemetry can be quite tricky, it is sometimes hard to work out where the beeps off the collar are coming from, but we’re all looking forward to practising more and perfecting the art.

We have already seen so much game in and around the reserve. On my first night drive we came across a bull elephant feeding and he eventually ended up about 6 metres away from us. We could hear him breathing and chewing and feel his breath, it was breath taking. But definitely the highlight of that drive was driving down the road to find two three month old lion cubs playing smack bang straight in front of us. Their other sibling soon joined them and they had a good play session until they slightly panicked and ran off calling for mum. We eventually ended up seeing the whole pride, six in total, including the stunning black maned male called Zero.

I have had another amazing encounter with Zero as well. The next night we came across him lying down by some bushes. Suddenly he stood up, walked right next to the vehicle and begain to roar. The sound pulsated right through my whole body, and there is no words to describe how that feels. Especially when one of the females, joined in as well.

I’ve also had some great sightings of buffalo, with them getting within about a metre of the vehicle intensely staring at each and everyone of us. Seeing my first cheetah has also been a highlight. It was a young female called Ketsweri and she is still slightly skittish so it was great to see her walking down the edge of the reserve.

We have regular visits at the camp by the local hyenas. They are so inquisitive and love to play in the little puddles in front of the veranda. I have seen lots of general game including several baby giraffe and an awesome sighting of impala yesterday when a young ram jumped over the bonnet of our truck! Fantastic. A male warthog was digging up our garden earlier today as well.

We have also visited the local reptile park this week where I held a python, spider and scorpion, and got to see black mambas killing and eating some mice. It was a lot of fun!

With the training week now over the real work starts tomorrow. I am on leopard focus which will include trying to locate Tilo, a female who has new born cubs that have yet to be seen. I’m so excited and desperately hoping she will show off her cubs for the first time in front of us!

Anyway I am having an absolute blast out here and am so excited to start the proper work from tomorrow. I am sure I will witness even more amazing and wonderful things. I really am going to struggle to upload photos as the internet is slow and time is money. I am writing this from camp, so maybe when I go in to town the internet will be a little quicker.

Well my time in Johannesburg has come to an end, and it has been a great introduction to South Africa.

After a long and turbulent flight from Heathrow and a hefty excess baggage fine, I landed on Tuesday morning and was greeted by my friend Janine who has so kindly allowed me to stay with her and her family.

I spent most of Tuesday afternoon shopping for last minute things – beanie, scarf, gloves etc, all much cheaper than in the UK and then it was early to bed to crash out.

Wednesday was a chilled today, Janine gave me a little tour of the area of Johannesburg she lives in called Randburg. The city really could belong in any first world country; everything you need is easily available. A stark contrast to my experiences in Zimbabwe a year ago.

She also showed me one of the local townships or a ‘squatter camp’ as they are locally known. Apparently some people are wary about driving through this area, but for me there was a real vibe about the place, everyone milling around doing their own thing and trying to make the most of what little they have. Driving down the road it almost felt like being back in rural Zimbabwe, and for me there was a real charm about the place. Although I would probably have felt much different if we had been driving through it at night.

Tuesday evening I enjoyed a night out with Janine’s daughter and her friends and experienced sushi for the first time! It was surprisingly nice and I would definitely not rule out eating it again.

Today we visited the Rhino and Lion Park, which is just outside of the main city. It’s the next best thing to being in the real bush and it was a great day. Driving along the dusty roads, keeping alert looking for animals is exactly what I came here for. It really got me excited about heading in to the bush tomorrow.

We saw so many animals today – springbok, blesbok, impala, waterbuck, black wildebeest, blue wildebeest, buffalo, red hartebeest, sable, zebra, rhino, hippo, cheetah, wild dog, bushy tailed mongoose, warthogs (so cute) and even some white lion. We watched some really interesting dominance displays by the buffs, which was amazing.

Unfortunately for me there was also a very healthy population of ostrich in the reserve, an animal that is far from being close to my heart!

We also took a look around the animal crèche and got the chance to see lion cubs, a leopard cub, tiger cubs and the cutest caracal kittens.

It was a really good day and a great introduction to South Africa. I would include some photos in this blog, but unfortunately my cable to connect my camera to my laptop has decided it doesn’t want to work. I’ll try and make a plan and get some up on the next one.

Tomorrow I head in to the bush for real and I am so excited. Johannesburg has been great but the bush it what I came here for. I will be meeting my fellow volunteers in the morning and then we will be transferred by bus to our designated reserves. I can’t describe the feeling that I get when I am in that environment, but it’s along the lines of complete euphoria.

I am sure it’s going to be an interesting, tiring, amazing and fascinating ten weeks and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty and get started.

The African bush here I come!!

Sleeping bag…packed, mozzie net…packed, tickets and passport…packed. I think I’m all ready to go!

In 48 hours time I will have started my journey to South Africa. I have been waiting for this day for so long and I can’t believe that it is now almost here.

I don’t think there is a level of excitement to describe how I feel right now - I am high on the spirit of Africa. Of course there are nerves and apprehension mixed in with the excitement, and they are growing as the day draws ever closer. But I know once I’m there they will soon be forgotten.

The thought of taking my first breath of African air, feeling the dust settle on my skin and loosing myself in the world of the African bush just makes me feel so alive, and any thoughts of being a little scared evaporate in to the air.

Knowing I will be observing new and different things each day is so exhilarating. From an impala or a kudu leaping across my path, or watching the antics of a troop of cheeky baboons, to an elephant taking a drink or a hyena feeding.

And the first night in the bush is guaranteed to be special. Hearing the voices of the wilderness calling to one another as I lie in bed, knowing there is so much life cocooning me, and the anticipation of wanting to discover it all.

I will be sure to appreciate everything for the beauty that it is, from the tiniest ants going about their busy lives to the splendour of lions hunting their prey. Nothing will be taken for granted.

Knowing each day I will be able to witness the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in the world, and share it with people who truly appreciate the wondrous continent of Africa as much as I do.

I’m under no illusion that it is all going to be plain sailing and simple, I know it’s not. I know from previous experience that the research work is going to be frustrating and tiring and living in the bush is sometimes not going to be easy. But for all the harder times, I am sure there will be many more incredible moments that I will be part of.

The dream really is becoming a reality…

Well there is now less than five weeks now until I leave for South Africa and the time is flying by!

I’m in the process of getting everything I need and reading up and studying as much as I can about the bush and the flora and fauna that I will be encountering whilst out there.  There are some great books with so much information out there, and it is a lot to take in but it will all be worth it. I’m currently reading The Safari Companion by Richard Estes and have already learnt so much.

The excitement it building day by day and and so is the pile of things I need to fit in to my rucksack! Goodness knows how I’m going to fit in everything I need.

My plans for the trip are slowly growing. After my initial ten weeks on the research project, I’m hoping to stay for another ten weeks on an internship. I have to submit an application five weeks in and see if they think I am suitable. Hopefully they will and I will be lucky enough to extend my dream of living and working in the bush. If all goes to plan, there are also a couple of other things that I have lined up for the end of the year and in to early 2009, including spending some time in Djuma game reserve in Sabi Sands, which would just be amazing. Finger crossed it all works out!

This week I have heard that a new leopard has been released on to the Karongwe Game Reserve where I will be spending five weeks on the research project. Apparently there was a chance that they would have to put him down as they couldn’t find a home for him, but Karongwe didn’t want that to happen so agreed to release him. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how he is doing when I get out there. I have never seen a leopard in the wild so this is something I am very excited about.

The countdown continues…….

I fell in love with Africa and all her beautiful flora, fauna and people when I first set foot on the continent in 2005.

The smell of the earth when it had been raining, the feel of the dust on my skin, the sound of the insect and bird orchestra reaching a crescendo, and the sight of the most beautiful sunrise and sunsets on earth. Everything about Africa got under my skin.

You can get a insight in to what Africa is like by looking at photos or watching documentaries on tv, but to truly understand it you need to breathe it, feel it….live it.

There is nothing more beautiful than watching a giraffe gracefully running through the grass, or a lion stalking it’s prey, or even a dung beetle hard at work. That is what I love about Africa - something is always happening. It may not be instantly obvious, but if you look hard enough you will always find something that will evoke your feelings whether it be excitment, amazement, sadness, joy or amusement.

Nothing can describe the feeling when a lion approaches and you can hear the deep rumbling of their chests as they breathe in life. The adrenalin pumps through your veins as they walk past, not giving you a second glance. Truly regal. Or when you are walking in the bush and out of nowhere an impala gracefully leaps across your path. And nothing can give you more of a fright than when a Mozambique Spitting Cobra rears up and gives you his best shot (which luckily is not on target).

I have been fortunate enough to have experienced all of these things, but this is only the tiniest amount compared to what is out there. I am by no means an expert on the flora and fauna of Africa, but I want to learn. I want to learn as much as people can possibly teach me and what Africa itself can teach me.

Africa had an effect on me which I can’t explain. Never have I felt more alive than when I was in the bush and since that first trip I have known that it is where I want to be.

I have ten more weeks to go until I return this wonderous land, but my heart is already there.

Here is some information about what I will be doing during my time in South Africa.

I will be flying out from London Heathrow to Johannesburg on the 7th July 2008.  Arriving in Johannesburg on the morning of the 8th, my friend Janine has kindly allowed me to stay with her in the city until my project starts on the 11th.

On the morning of the 11th I will return to Jburg airport to meet the other volunteers who I will be working alongside on the project. We will be split in to two groups and head off to the reserves we have been assigned to, either Karongwe Game Reserve or Venetia Limpopo Game Resrve. As I am doing a ten week project I will get the opportunity to spend time on both reserves.

The exedition aims are: 

• To determine the impact of reintroduced mammals on game reserves and to help with their management and conservation. Research of this kind will play an important part in the management of future conservation areas.
• To investigate the impact of predators on the prey species for more effective conservation and management of these valuable resources.
• To establish and monitor the density of large predators within the reserve.
• To record prey selection and kill frequencies and the impact on prey populations.
• To monitor movement patterns, territories and competition between predators on the reserve.
• To investigate the reserves prey populations, distribution and density and how this relates to the predators movements and territories.

So most of my work will involve being on the back of a truck for the majority of the day, tracking animals with triangulation and telementary and recording their behaviour. The animals that I will be regularly following include lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, spotted hyaena, brown hyaena and black backed jackal.

There could also be the chance to be involved with studying elephant identification and movement, and elephant impact studies on vegetation.

My first week will be a training week which will include conservation, reserve management, bird/mammal/reptile identification, tracking, tree identification, geology, ecology and basic first aid. I will have to sit exams at the end of the week before I will be allowed to continue with the research work.

I will also spend 6 days on a satellite camp in the mountains in either Mariepskop in the Drakensburg Mountains, or in the Lesheba Wilderness at the top of the Soutansberg Mountain range.

The aims of this part of the expedition are:

• To set up and run a biodiversity study, to compile a comprehensive species inventory of this highly important and fragile area, which is soon to become a national park.
• To encourage community involvement and skills exchange with local guides

I am very much looking forward to getting involved with the research, it is something which fascinates me and want to know more about after spending time in Borneo studying orangutans. I have a deep passion for Africa and hope this opportunity can lead on to other things so I can move out to the African bush permanently.

It’s where I belong…….