Here - Kruger-2-Kalahari

Kruger PArk TimesFREE PUBLICATION • Volume 5 Issue 11 • April / May 2010 • krugerparktimes@mailbox.co.zaWhat does the futurehold for Kruger’slions?Black RhinoRescuedFrom StickySituationWhen TheElephantStole MyRadioInside: 50/50 back on air | why wetlands matter | buffalo attack rangers |Captures, Collars and Disease | Firestorms | lions kill poacherphoto: Jacques Goosen, Sanhu

2 • kruger park times • april / may 2010 • news snippetsHonoraryRangersHelp BoostSanparksPhoto: Tommy JaverfalkIn short ....Lions killsuspectLions killed an alleged poacher inthe Kruger National Park (KNP)on March 14, 2010. Rangers foundthe human skull six days later whilein search of the man who wasreported missing at the MkhuhluPolice Station by his two friends.The two men, who have subsequentlybeen arrested on suspicion ofpoaching, and the deceased enteredthe park on the night of March 12to set snares. The following nightthey checked on the snares whenthey bumped into hippo. The hippocharged and the men fled in differentdirections. Two suspects reachedhome and alerted the authoritieson March 17 about their missingcolleague.“On behalf of SANParks, we wishto express our sincere condolences tothe family for the loss of their lovedone”, said the KNP’s HOD: PublicRelations, Mr William Mabasa.He further went on to send astrong warning to both poachers andtourists to please understand thatthere are dangerous wild animalsroaming around in the park andtherefore should avoid walking orgetting out of vehicles anywhereinside the park other than in thedesignated areas.New RadarNetworklaunchedThe minister of water and environmentalaffairs, Buyelwa Sonjica,has launched the South AfricanWeather Service’s new state-of-theart weather radar network. Theradar network consists of 12 newDoppler weather radars.The launch took place in Pretoriaas part of SAWS’ celebration of 150years of organised meteorology inSouth Africa. It also followed anothersignificant yearly celebration ofWorld Meteorological Day observedon the 23 March 2010.The South African governmenthas granted SAWS R240 million forinfrastructure investment to upgradeand replace its over 30-year-old radarsystems to bring about a substantiallyimproved weather observationnetwork that meets contemporaryneeds.The SAWS infrastructure networkincludes automatic weather stations,automatic rainfall stations,a sophisticated lightning detectionnetwork, computer infrastructure,satellite receiving equipment andweather radars.8 th annualmeeting onsavannasciencePhoto: Katy JohnsonMore than 200 scientists and otherstakeholders attended the 8 th annualSavanna Science Network Meetingheld in Skukuza in March.The week-long meeting hosted 209delegates from 66 different institutionsand nine countries.The 109 presentations covered awide range of topics and researchconducted in all Savanna NationalParks and Protected Areas.These included water issues, therole of large mammals such as elephants,sustainable use of resourcesinside and on the borders of the park,the impact of fire as monitored inlong-term research projects, and theneed for more social science projectsto explore the relationship betweenhumans and the environment, withspecific focus on protected areas andthe governance thereof.“This is our premier annual eventfor the Scientific Services departmentof SANParks and we are pleasedthat the interest among the scientificcommunity is still growing annually.Our ever-expanding network ofcollaborating scientists and scientificinstitutions provides us with the mostup-to-date scientific knowledgeand understanding which enableinformation based inputs to bettermanage our national parks,” commentedscientific services head ofdepartment, Mr Danie Pienaar.The Savanna Science NetworkMeeting provides an opportunity forscientists to share their latest findings.It is an important forum for dialogueand debate about ecological scienceand conservation matters as well asa pivotal point for future researchcollaborations.Scientists from numerous SouthAfrican universities, South AfricanNational Parks and a number of highprofile overseas universities spoke atthe meeting.Hotel inKrugerThe development of an hotelat the confluence of the TimfeneSpruit and the Crocodile River in theKruger National Park (KNP) seemsto be going ahead.SANPArks awarded the tender forthe development to Secprop LeisureConsortium. The consortium has amanagement agreement with theResidor Group and the hotel will bebranded as a Raddison Blu Hotel.According to SANParks the hotel“will not be built on pristine land,because the area identified for thedevelopment is an old road constructioncamp and a quarry.”“The 200 bed facility is not goingto be a high-rise building and gueststo the hotel will not be driving in thepark as guests of the camps do butthey will be offered a “park-and-ride”service very similar to that of privategame lodges.”The R115- million hotel, whichis expected to be ready next August,will have a restaurant, cocktail bar,spa and gym, and a pool.new AfricaClimateExchangeThe BirdLife Africa Partnershiphas launched a new website aboutPrinting sponsored by SANPArksclimate change and its impacts onbiodiversity in Africa. Developed bythe BirdLife Africa Partnership, theAfrica Climate Exchange (ACE) usesbirds and BirdLife’s Important BirdArea (IBA) network to demonstratehow biodiversity in Africa will respondto Climate Change, and whatcan be done to mitigate its impacts.The Africa Climate Exchangelinks to various sources of informationon climate change in Africa andother parts of the world.It includes a rapidly growinglibrary, currently containing over250 documents on a wide rangeof climate change topics, includingnational and community adaptationplans, mitigation, livelihoods andeconomies, conventions, financing,species and ecosystems, and modelingand monitoring.For the first time for any taxa inAfrica, a suite of maps showinghow different species of birds willbe impacted by climate change isavailable online.These maps, developed collaborativelyby BirdLife International andDurham University in partnershipwith the RSPB (BirdLife in theUK), depict present and projectedspecies ranges at four discrete timeperiods: 2009, 2025, 2055 and 2085.10 years in jailTwo suspected rhino poachers,Joao Mdlovu and Berlito Mdlovuwho were arrested on the Nwanetsisection of Kruger National Park(KNP) in January 2010 for rhinopoaching activities were both foundguilty of the possession of illegalfirearms namely a G3 fully automaticfirearm and a .375 hunting rifle.Both accused offered a plea ofguilty in the Nelspruit RegionalCourt for the possession of the illegalweapons. Joao Mdlovu is still undergoingcourt proceedings, togetherwith Phanuel Mnisi, for the illegalhunting of rhino in the KNP in 2009.This year alone Kruger has lost13 rhinos for which the park hasarrested 11 poachers and dealers.The country has lost a total of 46rhinos collectively.Four months into 2010 andthe Honorary Rangers (HR)have ticked off some milestoneevents on their ‘to do’ list forthe year.Notably, the renovated SandRiver Bush Camp boasts newtents (now for tall visitors aswell), a new kitchen and braaiarea, improved ablutions andFrench drain system.“We are very happy withthe results of the R150 000face-lift,” says Piet Andjelkovic,spokesperson for the HR. Thecamp is based near Skukuzaand run by the HR with itsLowveld Region being responsiblefor the administration andmaintenance.The HR has formalised astake in cyberspace by addingthe Virtual Honorary Ranger(VHR) region to their ranks.The members are all moderatorsof the SANParks forum,which has also been adoptedas the criteria for membership.Their impact has already beenfelt with a successful cricket daythat was held in Skukuza recently,drawing forum membersfrom all over the world.“We look forward to seeingtheir forum members inKruger, with the yellow ribbonson their car mirrors.”The HR is a volunteer organisationdedicated to the successof South Africa’s national parks.According to Andjelkovic, preauditedfigures indicate that theHRs donated in excess of R18million in services, funds andequipment to SANParks lastyear, with poaching and alieninvasive plant managementreceiving particular attention.John Turner and his counterpoaching team receivedsignificant donations from theMazda Wildlife Fund and 4x4Megaworld. The team hostedtwo ‘Sunset Serenades’, fromwhich the proceeds went intoranger equipment worth almostR700 000.On the cards for this year isa donation of thermal imagersworth more than R700 000.Plans afoot include a golf dayin Skukuza, with prizes exceedingR165 000 already on offer.“We hope to do away withour member’s annual fees. Thismeans we have to generatemore funds through specialevents like the golf day.”The HR national executivecommittee (NEC) has alsobooked three bushcamps atSand River for fundraisingevents.More information can beobtained from Andre van derMerwe on 082 650 5764.Paul Kruger, president of the ZAR, proclaimed the Gouvernement Wildtuin (government game reserve) in 1898. Itextended from the Crocodile River in the south to the Sabie River in the north, and from the Logies River (Nsikazi River)in the west to the Mozambique border in the east.

4 • kruger park times • april / may 2010 • current concernsIntensive Lion Research InitiatedKruger National Park’s lion population faces an uncertain future - or does it?Katy JohnsonThat was the question facing scientistsat a Lion Bovine TuberculosisDisease Risk Assessment Workshopheld in 2009. The collection ofscientists from around the globefound answering the question of howKruger’s lion (Panthera leo) populationwould respond to the increasingprevalence of bovine tuberculosis(bTB) in the Parks’ buffalo herdsmore challenging than most hadexpected.This was despite having sophisticatedmathematical models designedto answer such questions and theresults of a number of researchprojects conducted on the lions.The problem was that predictivemodels are only as good as theinformation they are using. Thereliability of the model and validityof the results it provides are highlydependant on the both the quantityof data channelled into the model,but more importantly the quality ofthat data. To model the populationeffect of a specific disease like bovinetuberculosis, a detailed understandingof both the disease transmissionrate and the demographic responseto the disease in lions is required.Unfortunately, there are big gaps incurrent knowledge when it comesto both these aspects of the disease.Dr Sam Ferreira, SANParks’ large mammal ecologist, heads the research into BovineTuberculosis in Kruger’s lion population.The research teamUndeterred by the extent ofinformation required, SANParkshas commissioned one of the largestinvestigative studies of its type, togather the information needed tomodel the effect of bTB on Kruger’slion population. It is a multi-facetedresearch programme, dependanton expertise from across a numberof SANParks departments includingScientific Services, VeterinaryWildlife Services, as well as researchersfrom the University of Pretoriaand Onderstepoort VeterinaryFaculty.Dr Sam Ferreira, SANParks’large mammal ecologist, heads theprogramme. He explains that theaim of this project is tocollect data which willtry and fill the currentgaps in knowledge.These gaps include understandingboth thevertical and horizontaltransmission rates ofthe disease.Vertically transmissionis via predation,with buffalo being theprimary hosts for bTBin the park and oneof the lions’ favouritefood sources. The lionscatch bTB from feedingon diseased buffalo.There is a concernthat male lions couldbe particularly susceptible,as they oftenget first choice at akill and will frequentlyselect the most diseaseriddenparts, includingthe lungs.Horizontal transmissionis intra-speciestransmission from lionto lion. Lions are socialanimals, feeding,sleeping, playing, andhunting in prides. Dueto their social nature,lions tend to be particularlysusceptible tohorizontal intra-pridetransmission, as bTBis an airborne diseaseand lions breathe overone another constantly,especially arounda kill. Another gap incurrent knowledge isthe demographic responseof lions to bTB.Little is known abouthow bTB affects thebirth intervals, fecundity,cub survival rates,life spans and pridetakeovers in lions.Sam’s programmeaims to test all this,by collecting detailedinformation from 30prides over a six-yeartimeframe. Krugerwill be split into threedistinct regions -southern, central andnorthern - and tenprides will be studiedPrinting sponsored by SANPArksin each. These regions will differ inthe amount of prey available andprevalence of bTB, both of whichcan influence the demographicresponse in the lions. However, nodistinction will be made between thedifferent zones, granite and basalt,within each region. Re-sampling ofeach pride will happen every twoyears, although every two months,researchers will spend three daysand nights with the pride, usingradio collars to track their everymove and recording the behavioursthey witness.Collaring 30 pridesBefore this can happen, the 30prides have to be caught so thatcollars can be attached and initialsamples taken. Collaring 30 pridescarries a large cost, both financiallyand logistically. The programmehas therefore been split into threesmaller projects, according to thedifferent regions, to make it morefeasible. Currently collaring andsampling of lions in the southernregion has started, with a team fromSANParks going out on a week ofnight captures. Using a fresh carcassand a calling station the team hopesto draw in a pride from the vicinity.Audio calls are particularly important,and a lot of work is going intowhat sounds work best.Traditionally, buffalo distress callsand the sounds of hyenas noisilycelebrating a kill have been used.Both bring in lions, however, thelion’s response differs dramatically.Hyena calls will bring lions in froma great distance however it will tendto be male lions looking for a fight,whereas the buffalo distress calltends to bring whole prides in, butfrom a lesser distance. Small factorslike these need to be consideredwhen setting up call-ups given thatSANParks wish to attract prides andnot only males.When the lions have been calledin, vets from Veterinary WildlifeServices dart as many of the individualsof a pride as possible. Severaltests commence once lions havebeen retrieved at the capture sitewith assistance from the OperationsUnit. Currently there is no solidtest to diagnose bTB in lions, sotwo associated projects under theauspices of the KNP Veterinary Unitaim to evaluate methods of testingin the hope of finding a reliable,standardised test for bTB.Alongside testing for bTB, screeningfor a number of other felinediseases will be carried out, includingtesting for feline aids (FIV). Apioneering study by Dr DewaldKeet stimulated a lot of the discussionsurrounding bTB in Kruger’slion population and identified apotential correlation between theeffects of bTB and lions that havealso have FIV. Dr Danny Govenderfrom Scientific Services screenscaptured lions which hopefully willshed some light on how the variousfeline diseases affect the survival andreproduction of lions either on theirown, or in combination.As well as the physiological studies,a behaviour study will also be undertaken.From each pride selectedfemales will be collared. These willhopefully provide scientists with alot of the data they are currentlymissing. Researchers will follow theprides and will document everythingfrom interactions on a kill to littersizes. These observations will providethe team with the life history data forbTB prides they are currently lackingas well as giving them much betterinsights into disease transfer rates.One of the aspects of lion capturewhich makes it such a drawn outprocess, is waiting for the lions towake up after being anaesthetised.Male lions from different coalitionsare notoriously hostile to residentpride males, so the team have to staywith the lions until the effect of thedrugs has totally worn off, otherwiseother prides might come in and takeadvantage of the sleeping or drowsylions.New drugcombinationsThe team is addressing this bylooking at new drug combinations.Dr Peter Buss, from VeterinaryWildlife Services, is also involved inthis project. He is looking at refininga drugs trial he initiated in October2009, which would replace zoletil(the traditional drug used for dartinglions) with a combination of drugsthat includes butorphanol, medetomidineand midazolam. This newcombination of drugs will enable thevets to reverse the drug effects, whenand if required. So the lions can bequickly back on their feet after allthe sampling has been completed,reducing the waiting time dramatically.It also gives the vets the optionof using the reversal drugs if the lionsexperience any troubles under theanaesthetic, an option previously notavailable to them, lessening the risksassociated with anaesthetising lions.The project is in the very earlystages. Lion capture in the southernregion of Kruger started in earlyMarch this year. 10 females from 10prides have been successfully collaredand a total of 51 lions caughtand tested. It won’t be until 2011 thatall 30 prides will have been selectedand even then that is just the beginningof an intensive six years of datacollection. However, these initialefforts by the SANParks team, theircolleagues from various academicinstitutes and the sponsors, who havemade all this research possible, willresult in a significant difference insix years time.Then when asked whether “KrugerNationals Park’s lion population facesan uncertain future due to bTB” thescientists and managers of KrugerNational Park will be able to have abetter understanding of what influenceslion survival in the Kruger andhow significantly TB is playing a rolein lion survival.photos: Dr Peter BussUntil 1960, Pretoriuskop was the only rest camp with accommodation available all year. Before that the park was onlyopen between May and October 15.

current concernsCelebrating Biodiversity - 2010• kruger park times • april / may 2010 • 5The United Nationsdeclared 2010 theInternational Yearof Biodiversity and theConvention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD) is driving theglobal campaign to encourageworldwide action tosafeguard biodiversity. It isa celebration of life on Earthand of the value of biodiversityfor our lives.The CBD is one of the mostsigned onto treaties in the world,and deals with the need to sustainthe rich diversity of life on Earth.In 2002 the CBD adopted the 2010Biodiversity Target, an internationalcommitment to reduce biodiversitydecline by 2010. However, the targetwas never met and the world is nownegotiating its revision.What is biodiversity?It is the network of life. Everyliving organism, the variation amongand within species, the variation inthe genetic make-up of species andall the processes that support thesespecies are collectively known asbiodiversity.We are biodiversity, along withthe 13 million other species on ourplanet, and the global cycles that allowall these organisms to exist – thewater cycle, the nutrient cycle, theoxygen cycle, to name a few.Why doesbiodiversity matter?Our lives depend on it. Loss ofbiodiversity will have drastic impactsfor livelihoods, human health, economiesand our way of life. The servicesand goods that nature provides andthat we take for granted such as thefood we eat, the water we drink andthe air that we breathe, will be lost ifthe current rate of biodiversity losscontinues.The poor are especially vulnerablebecause they do not have the meansto produce or even use technology tosolve their problems.Everyone is affected by the effectsof natural disasters, worsened by theloss of local biodiversity, or by risingfood costs and polluted water catchmentsand it is everybody’s challengeto solve the problems left in the wakeof biodiversity loss. Some examples· In KwaZulu-Natal alone about70 percent of people rely on traditionalmedicine for their primaryform of healthcare and this comesfrom indigenous plants and animals- biodiversity.· In 1995 the expenditure onmedicinal plants in South Africa wasR768 million. Several hundred thousandpeople are directly employed inthe industry.· KwaZulu-Natal’s wetlands areworth an estimated R200 000 perhectare per annum for their watercatchment and purification value,and forests around R21 000 perhectare per annum.The economic losses of ecosystemservices in the Fynbos due to alienplant invasion amount to almostR700 million per year.Globally economic losses due to invasivealien species amount to almostfive percent of the world economy.· Wood fuel is the main source ofenergy for about 75 percent of ruralSouth African families.· Rural and urban households usewoodland products to an estimatedvalue of R5 500 per household peryear.Biodiversity allows our planet toadapt to changes and so ensure ourfuture survival. The less biodiversethe planet is, the more vulnerablewe are and less able we are to adapt.What is the statusof the Earth’sbiodiversity?It is declining rapidly. Expertsestimate that at least 34 000 plantand 5 200 animal species face extinctiontoday and this will increasedramatically if current trends continue.Biodiversity is being lost at100 times the rate of previous extinctionsdocumented in fossil records.Human beings are driving much ofthis. Some examples:• The human population increasedby 34 percent since 1987 and thereare currently about 6.5 billion peopleon the planet, with the numberstill rising. Consumption rates alsoincreased by 300 percent in this time.• We lose 50 000 km 2 of primaryforest every year.• More land was converted tocropland between 1950 and 1980than between 1700 and 1850.• About 20 percent of world’scoral reefs were lost and another20 percent degraded in the past fewdecades.• About 35 percent of mangroveswere lost in the past few decades.• Desertification costs the worldan estimated US$42 billion per year.What is the statusof South Africa’sbiodiversity?Comparatively good. Howeverit is declining.• South Africa contains the thirdhighest level of biodiversity of all thecountries in the world.• South Africa is home to 10percent of the planet’s plants andseven percent of reptiles, birds andmammals.• Our coastline contains 15 percentof world’s coastal species.• South Africa is the only countryin the world to contain an entirefloral kingdom within its borders –the Fynbos.However:• Only 18 percent of our riversystems are intact while 54 percentare Critically Endangered.• More than 50 percent of ourwetlands have been destroyed.• Alien plants have invaded morethan 10 million hectares of our land,obliterating indigenous species.• 34 percent of our terrestrial ecosystemsare classified as threatened.• 20 of our 25 key commercialmarine fish species are over-fishedand stocks have collapsed.What can you do?· Learn about biodiversity andteach others what you’ve learnt.· When shopping, always chooseproducts that use less packaging.· Buy locally produced productsas much as possible.· Grow your own fruit and vegetables.· Question retailers about theirproducts and ask them to stock environmentallyresponsible products.· Buy only what you need.· Replace alien plants with indigenousones.· Use fewer pesticides and otherchemicals, or switch to naturalalternatives.· Reduce, reuse and recycle.

8 • kruger park times • april / may 2010 • rhino rescueBlack Rhino Rescued From Sticky SituationKaty JohnsonFor guide Paulie Viljoen the afternoongame drive along the Ncauloop on Saturday, February 27,started off much the same as anyother drive. His guests were keento see “the big five” and Paulie hadevery intention of fulfilling theirwishes. Little did Paulie, or his guests,know what this game drive had instore for them.Driving along the Sabie River, onTinga Private Game Lodge’s westernconcession in the Kruger NationalPark (KNP), it was Paulie’s trackerIsaac who first heard the distresscalls. Following the sound, theyreached a thick mud pan. Stuck fastin the midst of this pan was a tinyblack rhino calf, less than a week oldwith all four legs deeply embedded inthe mud. It was calling continuouslyto its mother, who was watching fromthe sideline, apparently unable tohelp.As the calf struggled in the mud,Paulie, his guests and the babyrhino’s mother looked on. Thecalf ’s mother vented her frustrationon Paulie’s vehicle. In an obviousattempt to protect her ill-fated calf,she charged towards Paulie’s safarivehicle, only pulling out at the lastpossible moment. Sensing both themother’s and calf ’s distress, Pauliemoved off but logged the positionof the calf, which he reported toKNP’s Skukuza section ranger,Albert Smith.After receiving the report late thatafternoon, Albert made the decisionnot to intervene immediately, butrather wait until the next morningand give the calf a chance to freeitself. It was feared that if people intervenedthe mother could be chasedaway and this might permanentlyseparate mother and calf.The following morning, Tinga’searly safari went out to see whetherthe calf had been able to get itselffree. But the unfortunate calf wasstill stuck in the cold mud, clearlydistressed and weakened by a nightstruggling to get free. His mother wasstill there, also obviously exhaustedafter presumably spending the nightwarding off potential predators.Initially she remained near to hercalf, then she disappearedintothe bush.W i t h t h emorning drivesreporting noimprovement inthe calf ’s situation,Krugersection rangerAlbert Smithdecided to comeand evaluate thesituation. Whilew h i t e r h i n onumbers haveincreased dramaticallysincethey were almostwiped out inthe late 1970s,black rhinoshaven’t been sosuccessful. Withapproximatelyonly 3500 individualsleft inthe wild, blackrhinos are oneof the most endangeredmammalson earth.After 18 hours of being stuck, itwas apparent that the black rhinocalf would not be able to get outof the mud by itself and its motherappeared to have given up and disappeared.Albert had to decide whetherthey would intervene. Interventioncould dictate whether the baby rhinowould survive or not, but it is notstandard practice for Kruger officialsto get involved in natural incidents.The fact that its mother abandonedit, that it could not free istelf and itwas obvious the carnivores wouldget to it, as well as it being a highlyendangered species, swayed Albert’smind to intervene.With the decision was made tofree the baby rhino, Albert spranginto action with the assistance ofTinga guide David Pusey. Using aTinga safari vehicle, they cautiouslyapproached the rhino while ensuringthat the vehicle wouldn’t also getstuck in the deep mud. The calfwas by now highly distressed andcontinuously calling for its motherwith all its might. David and Albertwaited, hoping the mother wouldcome back to her calf but she nevercame.It was clear that Albert and Davidcouldn’t get the calf out with thesafari vehicle, so a new approach wasrequired. Black rhinos, however, arenotoriously hostile and extremelydangerous. A careful approach wasneeded, especially with the mother.Although she wasn’t visibly comingback for her calf, it didn’t mean shewasn’t in the area. Aware of thedangers they faced Albert and Davidpressed on, on foot.With one eye on the bushes aroundthem, they approached the calf.Using its oversized ears as the perfecthandle, they attempted to drag theyoungster from the mud. But nomatter how hard they tried, theyoung calf was stuck fast. It didn’tbudge an inch and now it wasn’tjust the baby rhino that was gettingstuck in the mud, Albert and Davidwere sinking too! A new plan had tobe made, as the longer the rhino calfspent in mud the weaker and moredistressed it got. Finally, the two mengrabbed the rhino calf by its frontlegs, sinking further into the mudthemselves and using every ounceof strength available, they somehowheaved the calf to freedom.Wobbling at first, the calf struggledto its feet. Looking dazed andteetering dangerously, it watchedDavid slowly reverse the Tinga safarivehicle. For the first time the calfstopped calling out in distress.For a few moments it just stoodthere, unsure what to do with itsnewfound freedom. Then with nomother in sight the baby rhino didthe unthinkable. It began to followthe Tinga safari vehicle.Slowly the calf began to follow thegame viewer, at times even attemptingto suckle on the wheel.Hungry, rejected by its mother, ifthis calf was to be left alone it wouldsurely mean certain death. So Albertmade the call to take the rhino backwith him to Skukuza, so it could bechecked out by Kruger vets. Oncethe rhino calf was deemed fit, thequestion was what next for this poorlittle rhino. There was no chanceof reuniting it with its mother, orreturning it to the bush, so theonly solution was rehabilitation.Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre,near Hoedspruit, opened their doorsto the little calf.The calf is doing really well now,thanks to its attentive surrogate“rhino mummies”. The rhino mummiesspend 24 hours with the littlecalf, feeding it and providing it withthe comfort and companionship amother would. The rehabilitationcentre has named the little calfLandela meaning “follower” afterthe way she adopted the Tinga safarivehicle and followed it when she wasfirst freed.photos: David PuseySabie park R 6,8 millionNesteled in the heart of Mpumalanga lies this 345 ha Priv Nat Resbordering the world famous KNP. Here man is privileged enough tolive side by side with the inhabitants of the bush,down by the riveris a lovely picnic area overlooking the Sabie River and KNP Forsale is this stunning 4 bedroom en-suite thatch house on the banksof the Sabie rRver with a stunning view into the KNP,Hazyview R5,5 million Sole mandateBedrooms 4 bathrooms 3 garages 2 carports 2Superb fully furnished chalet on golf estateLuxury free standing air conditioned unit withMany superior extras including a temperatureControlled wine cellar and jacuzzi on deck overlookingprivate pond where bird life abound.Malalane R2 300 000MhlatikopBed 5, bath 3, double garageWhere everyone wants to stay. The perfectaddress! Large stand with a swimming pool andLovely garden.

10 • kruger park times • april/may 2010 •conservation concernsNational Bird Threatened By Illegal TradeIn February alone, nine bluecranes were confiscated in four separateincidences of illegal removalfrom the wild in their Karoo habitat.“Sadly, this is likely just the tipof the iceberg, with many morehaving been taken illegally,” saysKerryn Morrison, manager of theEndangered Wildlife Trust’s AfricanCrane Conservation Programme(EWT-ACCP).“People often don’t realise that oneneeds a permit to trade in and owncranes. It is illegal to take cranes outof the wild.”Often legally-owned blue cranepairs are used as a front to move illegallycaptured chicks. A legal pair ofblue cranes is kept, and crane chicksare then illegally removed from thewild and sold under the premise thatthe legal pair reproduced the chicksin question.With the lure of the supposedstatus acquired by keeping cranes ina private garden or shopping centre,a demand is created for cranes,which places pressure on the wildpopulations. Many unsuspectingpeople then become involved inillegal trade, as they find birds quitereadily available.The blue crane, Anthropoidesparadiseus, South Africa’s nationalbird, is a near endemic to the countryand is classified as vulnerable onthe International Union for theConservation of Nature’s Red DataList. Its charismatic stature, elaboratedances and the fact that it iseasily recognisable are the reasonswhy this crane is sought after forcaptivity. Numbering around 25000, a few vagrant birds are seen inneighbouring countries from time totime, and a sedentary population ofaround 35 birds is found in Namibia.Following a severe decline inthe 1980s and 1990s, the species’population size appears to havestabilised, probably mainly in responseto the work undertaken bythe EWT-ACCP and its partners,in particular the Overberg CraneGroup, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-NatalWildlife and the KwaZulu-NatalCrane Foundation. Over the lasttwo decades these organisations haveworked closely with landowners inthe major crane regions, helpingthem to find viable solutions to thecrop damage that cranes sometimescause, without killing or disturbingthe birds.Today farmers use agrochemicalsmore responsibly than they did inthe past and are far more tolerantof cranes living on their properties.Furthermore, the work undertakenby the EWT’s Wildlife and EnergyProgramme to make powerlinesmore visible to large flying birdshas seen a 60 percent reduction inbird/power line collisions in the lastdecade.The removal of cranes from thewild for the illegal trade market ishowever an increasing threat.The EWT-ACCP undertook ablue crane population modellingexercise in 2009. Analysis of theresults suggests that the populationremains on a knife-edge and thatan increase in mortality rates couldonce again swing the population intoa steady decline.The Endangered Wildlife Trustasks anyone looking to keep cranesto carefully consider their decision.One needs to ensure that they arelegally acquired and that their purchaseof cranes will not contributeto the demise of the blue cranepopulation in the country.“Ask the relevant questions aroundthe origin of the cranes to be boughtand ask for parentage testing toensure that the birds you are buyingare actually the chicks of the pairin question. It is also vital thatthe relevant provincial permits areobtained.”The law provides the followingpenalties according to thelatest amendment 27 May 2009(Government Gazette Nr. 32237),which came into effect in September2009 (Government Gazette Nr.32580):• Imprisonment for a period notexceeding five years, or a fine of amaximum of R5 million or both forthe first offence.• For second conviction, imprisonmentfor 10 years and a fine of amaximum of R10 million.The African Crane ConservationProgramme’s important communityand crane conservation work is supportedby the World Wide Fundfor Nature, Rand Merchant Bank,Lufthansa, the Anglo AmericanChairman’s Fund, Eskom, SASOL,Millstream, Agricol, Senqu Clothingand the Johannesburg Zoo.Controls for Animals’ Colour Designs RevealedThe vivid colours and designs animals use to interact withtheir environments have awed and inspired since before peoplelearned to draw on the cave wall.But how different creatures in the animal kingdom — fromcolourful birds and reef fish to butterflies and snakes — makeand deploy their artful designs is one of nature’s deepest secrets.Now, however, a team of researchers from the Howard HughesMedical Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madisonhas exposed the fine details of how animals make new bodyornamentation from scratch. The work, the result of years-longand laborious experimentation, is published in the journalNature, April 7.“How do you generate complex patterns? This is a questionthat has interested biologists for a really long time,” says SeanCarroll, a UW-Madison molecular biologist and the seniorauthor of the Nature report. “In this case, we at first had noclue. But now we think we’ve figured out all the key ingredientsand we believe they are generally applicable (to manyanimals).”The new study is important because itis the first to provideconcrete evidence fora long-hypothesizedsystem for generatinganimal colourpatterns, be theystripes, spots or any ofthe myriad designs animalsuse to camouflage themselves orfind a mate. In particular, the Wisconsin groupis the first to identify a colour-inducing morphogen,a diffusible protein that tells certaincells to make pigment.To ferret out the secret of animal ornamentation,Carroll and his UW-Madison col- leagues,Thomas Werner and Shigeyuki Koshikawa, and ThomasWilliams, now at the University of Dayton, pried loose themolecular details and evolutionary history of how a species ofNorth American fruit fly, Drosophila guttifera, generates a complexpattern of 16 wing spots.The group discovered a morphogen, a protein present inembryonic tissue and encoded by a gene known as Wingless,which seems to be a linchpin of wing decoration. Late in wingdevelopment, the Wingless morphogen is produced and diffusesthrough tissue where it prompts cells in certain areas of the wingto make pigment. “It acts by triggering responding cells to dothings, in this case make colour,” Carroll explains.In Drosophila guttifera, the morphogen acts in proximity toexisting physical landmarks such as the intersections of veinsand cross veins on the wing. The positioning of the spots, inshort, is dictated by these pre-existing patterns, notes Carroll:“The Wingless molecule is deployed in this species at specificpoints in time and in specific places — theplaces where the spots are going to be.”The role of the Wingless morphogenwas detailed by the painstaking geneticmanipulation of flies that took three yearsand the injection of nearly 20,000 flyembryos to accomplish. Complicating theproject is the fact that Drosophila guttifera islittle used in research and its genome hasnot been sequenced.However, by inserting the Wingless geneinto different parts of the fly’sgenome, the team was ableto successfully manipulatethe decorationof thef l y ’ swing,c reatingstripesi n s t e a d o fspots, and patterns notseen in nature. “We can makecustom flies,” notes Carroll. Bymanipulating the gene, “wecan make striped flies out ofspotted flies.”In addition to working out themolecular details of how the fly coloursits wings, Carroll’s group was also able todeduce the evolutionary history of wingcolouring in Drosophila guttifera.In short, says Carroll, the patterns foundon the wings of Drosophila guttifera cameabout through the fly’s manipulation ofthe Wingless gene: “It evolved by simplyturning this gene on in places where ithadn’t been on before.”Although the study was conducted in a lowly fruit fly, theprinciples uncovered by Carroll’s group, he argues, very likelyapply to many animals, everything from butterflies to boaconstrictors. “This is animal color patterning, how they aregenerated, how they evolved.”Photo: Nicolas Gompel,Sean Carroll,

alien invasion• kruger park times • april/may 2010 • 11Have Feral Cats Clawed Their Way Into Kruger?Dr Llewellyn FoxcroftAlthough more commonly knownfor his expertise with alien plants,Llewellyn Foxcroft’s latest collaborationto keep national parks as havensfor indigenous species involvesclaws and teeth rather than thornsand spikes. Recently Llewellyn,a specialist in alien species withSANParks and research fellow forthe DST-NRF Centre of Excellencefor Invasion Biology (CIB), with thecollaboration of Marna Herbst,also from SANParks, initiated astudy to examine the role of feralcats as an invasive species. Domesticcats can ‘invade’ by introducingtheir DNA into the gene pool ofthe African wildcat populationof Kruger National Park (KNP).A proposal was submitted to andaccepted for funding by the BritishEcological Society Overseas Grantsprogramme.Llewellyn’s interest in the possiblehybridisation of feral cats with theAfrican wildcat population startedin 1997 when he saw (and heard)a large number of feral and hybridcats along the boundary of thePhalaborwa section of the park.His interest was again raised earlierthis year, this time as a conservationconcern within an invasion biologyframework. SANParks colleagueMarna studied African wildcatbehaviour in the Kalahari NationalPark. Together with Jaco Le Rouxand the molecular lab at the CIB,and with the support of the BritishEcological Society, the study hasrecently started.The main objective of this projectis to clarify the current genetic statusof the African wild cat populationin terms of its hybridisation withferal domestic cats in KNP. Second,the team hopes to see how farhybridisation has spread into theKNP (eg around staff villages, neartowns on the boundary of the KNPand in more remote areas of KNP)to identify focal areas for efficientconservation management strategies.One of the ways in which biologicalinvasions threaten biodiversity, isthrough reducing the genetic diversityof species.This is of particular concern toprotected areas, whose primarymandate is to protect biologicaldiversity and normal ecosystemprocesses. The African wild cat (Felissilvestris lybica) has a wide distributionthroughout Africa and is generallyrecognised as the ancestor of thedomestic cat. The identification ofgenetically pure wild cat populationsis imperative for future assessmentsof the extent of hybridisation andintrogression, especially for areaswhere African wild cats occur inclose proximity to domestic andferal cats. Little is known about thegenetic status of the African wildcat population in the park, and thusdetermining the genetic purity ofthe African wild cat population willassist in determining managementstrategies.Acknowledgements:The British Ecological SocietyOverseas Grant programme isthanked for their support and contributionto the study. The CIB andSANParks are also thanked for theirsupport.Photo M. Herbst

people in conservation• kruger park times • april/may 2010 • 13Meet The Amazing Amone“There was nothing I could do so I froze, curled into the foetal position and prayed. I prayed the elephantswouldn’t see me, I prayed I would survive to see another day, I prayed harder than I had ever done.”Katy JohnsonAmone Mzimba is a humble man,with his fine frame, soft-spokenmanner and gracious nature; youwould be forgiven for mistakinghim for part of a lodge’s hospitalityteam rather than their guidingdepartment. But the moment hestarts speaking about his life in theKruger National Park (KNP), hispassion, enthusiasm and love of thebush is clear for all to see.Even before the interview officiallystarted, Amone was alreadyexplaining the reason he had comeout of retirement to be a TingaLodge tracker. “The bush is mylife, every day I wake up and amthankful. I love doing my job. It’smy passion”. When he is speakingabout his life in Kruger, Amone’seyes brighten up and it’s hard notto be truly mesmerised by his stories.The memories he has stored up overa lifetime working within the Park,spilled forth with ease during ourinterview. Forty years of stories, formost it would be hard to know whereto start, but this didn’t faze Amone.“When I first became a “Mapoisa”a field ranger, I did many routinepatrols. I loved doing them, as youget to know the bush. You are learningfrom your corporal and the oldMapoisas about the world aroundyou, until it becomes second nature.The bush will always surprise youthough; you can never take it forgranted. On this particular patrolthere was just me and one otherMapoisa, we had been walking forsome time when we came across alone buffalo in the bush. I think wemust have surprised him becauseas we tried to go around him, hegot a fright and somehow got inbetween us. Now I am looking atthe buffalo, but he is looking atthe other Mapoisa. We stood still,my friend, the buffalo and I, forwhat seemed like hours. My eyesdid not move from the buffalo, thebuffalo’s eyes didn’t move from myfriend, and my friend, well he waslooking at the buffalo and then atme and then back at the buffalo. Itwas then the buffalo made a moveforward and my friend began to run.I tried to make a noise to draw thebuffalo’s attention, it slowed him buthe stayed focused on my friend. Byslowing the buffalo, it gave my friendenough time to get in between theroots of a very old tree. He squashedhimself in as tightly as he could,but his hand and leg was still partlysticking out and the buffalo wasdetermined to get him. With thefirst charge the buffalo caught myfriend’s hand sandwiched betweenthe tree root and the hard section onthe buffalo’s skull between the hornscalled the boss. I heard him screamin pain, but the buffalo kept goingtrying to gore him with its hornsthrough the roots. I was shouting atthe buffalo, but it didn’t make anydifference. So I used my gun andfired a couple of warning shots. Thisstopped the buffalo in its tracks andit turned to look at who was shootingat him. At that moment I wonderedwhether the buffalo would nowcome for me and I would have toshoot him. This I didn’t want to do.For a few moments he just stoodthere and then he just turned andran. The moment the buffalo startedrunning, so did my friend. I think itwas the adrenaline. He just got outfrom under the tree and just startedrunning in the opposite directionfrom the buffalo. So I gave chase,the buffalo had wounded him badlyboth on his hand and his leg but thisdidn’t seem to affect him, he justran. Eventually I caught him and hestopped so I could take him to a tree,where he could sit and I could treathis wounds. He had large lacerationson his hands and feet and so I useda tourniquet to stop the bleeding.Once it had stopped enough that hecould walk we began to head backto camp, about 2km away. Onlywhen we got back did I realise howlucky we were, but that is one ofthe aspects of the job. When youwork with wild animals, you haveto realise you are going into theirworld. You need to respect that.These things, they happen, you needto be prepared. If you respect them,respect their world and keep alert,then it is less likely; but, accidents dohappen and that’s what happenedthat day.”From the first moment I met him,it was clear Amone is fanatical aboutbeing in Kruger. When he talks, hebecomes so animated reliving hispast. But, what brought him to thePark in the first place?“I actually started in Kruger atthe abattoir, working as a skinnerand learning a new trade. Thatwas 1969 and I worked for LouisOlivier. It was Louis who inspiredme to be more. I followed him whenhe left the abattoir and spent a yeardoing game capture in 1973, beforeheading to Shangoni with Louisin 1974, where Louis became thesection ranger, and I was one ofhis Mapoisa. I worked for him until1984 and I learnt most of what Iknow now from him. He definitely isthe reason I love the bush so much.Whatever he wanted we would doit, he is a very good man, a verygood leader.”In 1984, Amone moved toPretoriuskop and then on toMalelane in 1987. It was there thatAmone had numerous encounterswith poachers. “Anti-poachingpatrols were part of our day-to-dayjob. You would be on foot, lookingout for spoor or snares or any signsof poaching; whilst trying to keepout of the way of the restof Kruger’s wildlife. On onetrip we found a snare with animpala already dead in it andspoor prints leading back to theboundary fence. To catch thepoacher in action we decidedto camp out by the snare, inthe hope that they would comeback to collect their prize. Wewaited and waited, for threedays nothing happened. Wewould be dropped off at 3am,under the cover of darkness,with a canister of water andthen wait until 10pm whenwe would be collected, onlyto be sent back out again at3am the next morning. It wason the third morning that weheard something coming alongthe pathway. Silently we allgot into our hiding places andwaited. It was the poacher andhe had no idea we were there.We waited while he carefullyremoved the snare, placing itback into position and thenpulled the dead impala ontohis back. It was then that wesprang into action, jumpingup out of our hiding placesand screaming ‘halt’. We fireda couple of rounds at his feet,this worked brilliantly. Theguy dropped to the ground,chucking his weapon away intothe bush. After that it was easy,we brought the poacher backto Malelane with us, where hewas then sent to jail”.With every story he tells,Amone’s long, delicate handscut through the air, pointing, rolling,waving, directing the story in muchthe same way a conductor directshis orchestra. In 1995 Amoneretired, after 26 years of serviceduring which he had seen, learntand experienced so much. He leftthe park as a corporal, a position hewas proud to earn. Now the guestsat Tinga have the privilege to safariwith Amone as their tracker, utilisinghis wealth of knowledge to maketheir time at Tinga an incredibleexperience.When the elephantstole my radioWhen I asked him what hisfavourite memory of the Park was,he simply answered, “When the elephantstole my radio,” slowly givinga wry smile. “I was on patrol, withtwo other Mapoisa, when we saw anelephant in the bushes just ahead ofus. We all climbed on to a termitemound, it was a big mound and wethought it might make us look biggeras there were no trees to climb.The elephant had seen us. At firstit took about three steps away fromus, then it turned and charged. Forsome reason it was only then that wenoticed the elephant wasn’t alone. Infact, it was part of a breeding herd.At this point we realised the termitemound was just too small, our sizemight put a lone elephant off, butnot a whole herd. So we ran. Nowit was the whole herd that was afterus. We had only run a few paces,when I tripped. I felt my feet gofrom underneath me and the nextthing I know I was on the ground. Ifell so hard that my rifle barrel wasforced deep into the ground. It wasso full of dirt, that it was completelyuseless to me. I could hear the firstelephant right behind me and theothers coming. There was nothingI could do so I froze, curled intothe foetal position and prayed. Iprayed the elephants wouldn’t seeme, I prayed I would survive tosee another day, I prayed harderthan I had ever done. I heard thefirst elephant stop, and somethingtouching my back. My radio wasattached to my belt and I could feelit being roughly tugged away fromme. I just laid there. As still as I possiblycould, holding my breath andcontinuing to pray. Then I heard theother elephants thundering past me,the sound was incredible, the earthvibrated and the dust rose in thickchoking clouds. The elephant whotook my radio must have left withthe herd, as when the clouds ofdust had settled and I slowly lookedaround and I was alone. No radio, abroken rifle and my fellow Mapoisa’swere nowhere to be seen. It took mea while to find my colleagues, asthey had run in different directions.When the elephants had passedthem, they started following theirtracks back to me. They weren’tsure what they would find, whetherI would be alive. We celebrated thefact we were all still alive, but nowwe needed to find the radio. Wesearched high and low around thesite where the elephant had taken it,but it was nowhere. So we trackedthe elephants, hoping it would havebeen discarded somewhere alongtheir path, but still nothing. So wehad to go home without it, muchto the dissatisfaction of my sectionranger who sent us out the very nextday to retrieve the radio. Much tothe amazement of everyone mysergeant found it. The radio wascompletely trodden into the ground,only the aerial sticking out givingits position away. What was moreincredible was that the radio stillworked! Despite being troddeninto the ground and trampled onby elephants, we could still use it totell the rest of the search party thatwe had found it. Never again haveI lost my radio, or come that closeto elephants!”Amone has spent the last fortyyears in the park. During that time,he has learnt from the best, hadsome incredible experiences andsome near fatal ones, but one thinghas remained constant, his love ofthe bush.photo: Katy JohnsonPrinting sponsored by SANPArksTo conserve for biodiversity we need to manage for patchiness and change. We cannot aim to achieve specific andunchanging ecosystem conditions, but only to encourage variation and process.

people and plants• kruger park times • april/may 2010• 15Full exclosure Partial exclosure Control SiteThe Consequences Of Human Manipulations In Protected AreasGeorgette LagendijkThe current status of conservationmanagement forces many herbivorespecies to co-exist in high densitieswithin small protected areas. Whiledensities of species such as elephantare being manipulated throughpopulation reductions (for examplehunting, or contraception), removalor introduction, these managementdecisions are likely to have implicationsfor other species or plants. Anexample of this comes from the USAwhere the introduction of wolves inYellowstone National Park causedthe numbers of elk to decline, whichin turn increased recruitment ofaspen due to the release in browsingpressure from elk. These subsequenteffects are also known as trophiccascades.To test for these indirect cascadingeffects of human interventionin herbivore populations on thedifferent species of trees that occurtogether (tree assemblages) and thediet choices of other herbivores, anexisting exclosure experiment (whereone or more species is artificiallyremoved) was used in the sand forestin Phinda Private Game Reserve.This reserve is 180 km 2 in size, andis situated in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. The research is a joint collaborationbetween And Beyond(previously known as CC Africa)and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban and was initiated toinvestigate the effects of elephant andnyala on the sand forest vegetation.Sand forest is a deciduous dryforest with a high biodiversity andendemic species, and is only foundin north-eastern KwaZulu-Nataland southern Mozambique. Thiscritically endangered forest generallyoccurs in a mosaic of distinct patchesenclosed by savanna woodland.Threats to sand forest include fireand selective species utilisation byboth man and herbivores. In additionthe forest has a very low resilience toany of these disturbance factors andis known to have poor recruitment(germination and growth of newseedlings and saplings) rates.To protect the forest from elephantimpact an electrified elephant exclosurefence was constructed in2005. Within this enclosed area,smaller sized exclosures were set upto exclude nyala (a medium-sizedbrowser). Unfenced control plotswere situated outside the elephantexclosed area.With the help of students from theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, alltrees were monitored in 36 plots of400 m 2 each (12 per treatment), duringfour weeks of field work in 2007.Data gathered included species,height of tree, canopy dimensionsand the recording of any browsingdamage by any herbivore.After counting over 2800 stems,the researchers found over 140 treespecies in the sand forest. Mostsurprisingly many seedlings andsaplings were encountered. However,seedlings have to escape a “browsingtrap” caused by nyala, and once theserecruits survive this they potentiallyface herbivory from both elephantand nyala.In the short term that the experimentwas running, the study foundtree species assemblages to be affectedby both elephant and nyalatogether, and by each species on theirown. Browsing activities by only suniand duiker did not cause any changesin species assemblages.It was also discovered that nyalaand smaller sized herbivores changedtheir diet (resource) utilisation inabsence of their larger counterparts(which would be elephant and nyalarespectively). This implies that theremight normally be some competitionbetween these different sized herbivores,when all species are present,and that species might change theirfeeding strategies when others areremoved.From this short term experiment itcan be concluded that when speciesare removed from the system this willhave indirect cascading effects on forinstance vegetation dynamics, treecomposition and even on feedingstrategies of other herbivore species.The effects on vegetation are mostimportant to acknowledge, as thismay affect biodiversity (in the worstcase scenario even a loss of species).For example, while it is well knownthat elephant can have a destructiveeffect on tall trees, there remainsa problem when recruitment isimpeded by other herbivores, andno small trees recruit into the tallerheight classes to compensate for(natural) die-offs.This implies that every form ofmanipulation needs to be carefullyconsidered before implementation,and needs to be monitored in orderto detect any (undesirable) cascadingeffects, to conserve our habitats andbiodiversity.The University of KwaZulu-Natal would like to acknowledgethe joint collaboration with AndBeyond (Phinda Private GameReserve - www.andbeyond.com), andespecially thank them for putting upall the fencing used in this study.

culture and conservation• kruger park times • april/may 2010 • 17Coal Mine May ThreatenMapungubwe World Heritage StatusThe Australian company Coalof Africa Limited (CoAL) recentlyannounced that it had been awarded‘unconditional new order miningrights’ for the Vele Coking CoalProject in Musina, Limpopo, bythe South African department ofmineral resources. This despite thefact that the environmental impactassessment (EIA) process on accessand fuel storage for Vele is still underway and a water license has notbeen approved. What’s more, noformal announcement to this effecthas been issued to interested and affectedparties involved in this project.No feedback tostakeholdersA stakeholder group consistingof the Endangered Wildlife Trust,the Mapungubwe Action Group,the Office of the InternationalCoordinator for the GreaterMapungubwe TransfrontierConservation Area (GMTFCA) andPeace Parks Foundation objects to allindustrial activity in that part of thevery sensitive Limpopo Valley withoutan approved integrated regionaldevelopment plan. Comments tothat effect have been filed in the VeleEIA and environmental managementplan (EMP). The stakeholdergroup asked for more informationregarding the awarding of miningrights, but their request has to datebeen ignored.The stakeholder group supportedan external review and independentassessment of the environmentalmanagement plan for the proposedVele mine, undertaken by the SouthAfrican Institute for EnvironmentalAssessment. This was done to get anindependent, unemotional opinionon the EIA process and contentquality, assessing amongst others,factors like bias and regional context.The assessment identified significantproblem areas and fatalflaws, which were duly pointedout to department of minerals andenergy (DME), the department ofwater and environmental affairs andinterested and affected parties. Nofeedback on any of the identifiedissues has been received yet.Another planned developmentnext to Vele, the Mulilo PowerStation, is currently undergoing anEIA. Anglo Coal has also completedprospecting on the same coal fieldadjacent to Mapungubwe andseveral mining companies includingCoAL are active in the coal fieldnorth of the Soutpansberg.As part of the official TransfrontierConservation Area (TFCA) planningprocess, Peace Parks Foundationconducted a scientific, peer reviewedland use planning study of the largerMapungubwe region, including anecological and cultural sensitivityrating. This study proves withoutdoubt that the area is extremelysensitive. The study was submittedto the department of water andenvironmental affairs and is availablefrom Peace Parks Foundation.The stakeholder group stronglyrecommends that without an approvedstrategic regional plan forthe Soutpansberg-Limpopo Riverregion, no industrial developmentshould be allowed. It is howeverunclear who is responsible for cumulativeimpact assessment ofindustries and related infrastructure,water issues and the loss of jobs inthe existing tourism sector in thatregion.Old and newlegislationBest practice environmental planningby mines should consider newlegislation that states that the EIAprocess must consider cumulativeimpacts. However, the currentprocess is running under the oldlegislation, which did not considercumulative impacts.The planned mine is situated nextto the Mapungubwe National Parkand World Heritage Site. It also fallswithin the broader MapungubweCultural Landscape. The Kingdomof Mapungubwe is still under explorationby archaeologists and carriesthe history of more than 50 000years of human settlement. StoneAge humans and hunter-gathererswere followed by inhabitants of theIron Age, which saw the developmentof the Zhizo and LeopardsKopje people and conclusive evidenceexists of these communitiestrading with far flung parts of theworld. They pioneered farming,gold mining and the manufacture ofgold ornaments and jewellery. Whateventually, in about 1220 AD, becamethe Kingdom of Mapungubweis also inextricably linked with thedynasty of Great Zimbabwe.Peace Parks Foundation, RupertFamily Foundation, De RothschildFoundation, De Beers, NationalParks Trust and WWF-SA assistedSANParks by facilitating negotiationswith landowners to either contractland or purchase properties toconsolidate the core area of SouthAfrica’s contribution to the proposedGreater Mapungubwe TFCA – the30 000 ha Mapungubwe NationalPark.The Mapungubwe CulturalLandscape, which follows the protectedarea footprint, was proclaimeda World Heritage Site inJuly 2003. Mapungubwe is hometo the famous Golden Rhino – asymbol of the power of the Kingof the Mapungubwe people whoinhabited the Limpopo River Valleybetween 900 AD and 1300 AD; atthe time the largest kingdom on thesubcontinent.The mine has the potential tobring all this to an end, threateningthe World Heritage Site, thetransfrontier conservation area andthe tremendous tourism potential.The presence of heavy industry inthe area will impact enormously onits tourism and conservation, to sucha degree that these activities will haveto be reconsidered for the future.South Africa signed a binding documentwith Botswana and Zimbabwewhereby it agreed to be a partnerin a trilateral conservation development,the Greater MapungubweTransfrontier Conservation Area.By allowing that same conservationarea to become part of an industrialarea, it is not adhering to the spiritof that agreement.photos: Lynette StraussMapungubwe National Park is situated on South Africa’snorthern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe. Above: TheShashe River flows into the Limpopo River, which definesSouth Africa’s northern border.Wildlife And SoccerWhat does the Soccer World Cupand biodiversity have in common?This is the challenge SANParks hasput to the country’s children in itsannual Marula Kids Competition.Aimed at children from gradethree to grade seven, the organisersare asking for a drawing of ananimal playing soccer.“In addition to this, learners mustbe able to display an understandingof SANParks, wildlife and biodiversitywhen filling in their entryforms,” says Edgar Neluvhalani,the general manager for People andConservation.“What better way to get kidsexcited about the environment andconservation than through an eventthat the whole nation is excitedabout?”Prizes include a cellphone,a two-night trip to the nearestSouth African National Park, andKuduzelas, among other things.The competition closes on 31May 2010 and entry forms can beaccessed at any of the national parksor through the SANParks websiteat: http://www.sanparks.org/people/education/morula/2010/morula_kids_entry_form.pdfSpotted any largebirds in Kruger?If you have seen birds such as the kori bustard,large raptors, vultures, saddle-billed storks and thesouthern ground hornbill contact Scott Ronaldsonof the Endangered Wildlife Trust on 0827818783or email: scottr@ewt.org.za.Detailed information about the location of thesighting or GPS coordinates will be appreciated.

18 • kruger park times • april/may 2010 • kids and conservationI Spy With MyLittle Eye1. A very strong animal, both males and females have horns,a special ranking order in the herds, one of the Big Five.2. A reversing mammal with dangerous tusks, kneelingdown to eat his lunch.3. A shy, nocturnal carnivore covered with rosettes, a goodclimber and successful hunter.4. An animal lazing in the water during the day, grazing atnight, his body is almost completely hair-free.5. The tallest animal on earth, with very good vision, keepingher eyes clean with her long tongue.6. A cat build for speed, his claws are only partiallyretractable and he purrs like a house cat.7. A very intelligent mammal with a pair of tusks,drinking between 100 and 300 litres of water aday, good swimmers.8. The second biggest feline in the world, malesstart to roar around the age of one, living in a pride.9. A herbivore with a top speed of up to60km/h, social, the stallions will bite and kickto protect their herd.10. A large grazer, the biggest of its speciesin the world, with three toes on each foot and twohorns on his nose.This page wascompiled byKaren Randallof BushyTalewww.bushytale.comI need some colour!Can you help Mapuru slither throughthe maze?The discovery ofbiodiversityI was a naughty little monkey and momordered me to go up to my room. I was lyingback on my branch in the marula tree. Staringup in the sky I saw a soaring bateleur eagleand a group of vultures. I would rather playwith my friends, I thought. Suddenly, I sawsomething move on the leaves above myhead. It was a caterpillar going about hisbusiness. Then, a golden twinkle from theone side caught my eye as the sun fell ontoa golden orb web spider and her web.I quickly turned to see what scrambledbehind me and just caught a glimpse ofa squirrel’s tail. I found some ants on thegigantic tree trunk and a colourful butterflyflew by. On the ground a twig broke as awarthog kneeled down to eat some of themarula fruits. A skink disappeared betweenthe grass and leaves on the ground.Then I realised what dad meant. This mustbe what biodiversity is. Oh no, I thought,and now everyone knows mom sent me tomy room!Discovering nature the BushyTale way!Win a 1 month BushyTale Subscription. Find out more at www.bushytale.com

conservation concernsKrazies in Kruger ...... Claim to Shame• kruger park times • april / may 2010 • 19It Will Take Only One IncidentI have just returned from a 23day holiday to the northern partsof our country. Part of the holidaywas spent enjoying the wonders ofthe Kruger National Park.The campsites we stayed atwere Pretoriuskop and CrocodileBridge. Clean and a pleasure tostay at.At one of the camp site shopsI picked up a copy of the KrugerPark Times and was shocked to seethe pictures of people hanging outof their cars taking pictures.The following day we stoppedto see a pride of 11 lion aroundthe Crocodile Bridge area and tomy amazement people in the carsaround us did the very same thing.I have enclosed the pictures wetook of these idiots, and wouldlike to know that something morethan a picture in the local paper isdone to these “freaks” who thinkthat nothing will happen if theyget out of their cars.The incidents happened 200maway from 11 lion, two of whomdisappeared into the bushes behindus.It will take only one incident ofa lion attacking a person to havedisastrous effects on the tourismindustry in the Kruger Park.RegardsGary Evans, BelvilleLeft: This photowas taken at alon kill, 13 wecould count, onthe 15 December2009,just outsideSataracamp. Peoplereally are crazy!These two guys gotout of their vehicle tophotograph elephantand on seeing usgot into the vehicleagain and drove off.This was in theDecember holidays.RegardsOkkie MeintjesRegardsBabette du ToitThe printing of this issue was sponsored by SANParks, Kruger National PArk, Communications departmentKruger Park Times DistributionYou will find a copy of the Kruger Park Times in all the camps at reception, andthe shops in the Park, as well as at • Afsaal • Tshokwane • Nkhuhlupicnic spots and all the entrance gates to the ParkIt is also available at selected outlets in Phalaborwa,Hoedspruit, Nelspruit, White River, Malelane and HazyviewThe Kruger Park Times is an independent newpspaper, published byKruger Park Times, PO Box 953, Phalaborwa, 1390e-mail: krugerparktimes@mailbox.co.za * www.krugerparktimesonline.comEditorial and Layout: Lynette StraussAdvertising Design: Janke Strauss 079 427 6808contributor: Katy Johnson Sub-editing: Melissa WrayMARKETING: Pieter Strauss, Sasha StraussPrinter: Caxton Printers, Nelspruit. 7 000 copies distributed in and aroundthe Kruger National Park. Member of the AIP.Spotted a vulture witha yellow tag?Contact Andre Bothafrom theEndangered Wildlife Truston 011 646 4629or email andreb@ewt.org.za.Alternatively, contactMoholoholo at015 795 5236Big TuskersInfoSend your photos to:tuskers@sanparks.orgor mailEmerging TuskersCompetition,Letaba Elephant Hall,Kruger National Park,Private Bag X402,Skukuza 1350

20 • kruger park times • april/may 2010 •conservation concernsUnsafe Water, The Silent KillerEvery 20 seconds a child diesfrom a water-related disease - 1.8million children younger than fiveyears each year. This alarmingfigure is from a new report by theUN Environment Programme(UNEP), which says millions oftonnes of solid waste are beingflushed into water systems everyday, spreading disease.“More than two billion tonnesof wastewater are being flushedinto our fresh water and oceansevery day, every year,” ChristianNelleman, the lead author of thereport, ‘Sick Water?’ told IRIN.The wastewater, a cocktail ofagricultural and industrial runoffsand sewage, was seeping intogroundwater and polluting drinkingsources, like wells, in low-lyingareas where the bulk of the world’spopulation live.Countries should not only investin infrastructure to manage wastewaterbut also in ecosystems, forinstance by replanting mangroves,which acted as natural filters incoastal areas, said Nelleman.“What is also very alarmingis the amount of phosphate andnitrogen that is lost as agriculturalrefuse - projections show that wecan run out of phosphate verysoon,” he warned.Nearly half the agriculturalphosphate applied each seasongot washed away and ended upin rivers and oceans, where itcontributed to triggering algaeblooms that could damage ecosystemsand fish stocks, Nellemansaid. Wastewater treatment plantsshould be sophisticated enough toharvest the phosphates.The report urged countries todraw up national and local strategiesto cope with the wastewaterproduction and invest in infrastructureto manage it.Some facts fromthe report• Around 90 percent of diarrhoeacases, which kill some2.2 million people everyyear, are caused by unsafedrinking water and poorhygiene.• Over 50 percent of malnutritioncases globally are associatedwith diarrhoea orintestinal worm infections.• Over half the world’s hospitalbeds are occupiedby people suffering fromillnesses linked to contaminatedwater.• Almost 900 million peoplelack access to safe drinkingwater, and an estimated 2.6billion people lack access tobasic sanitation. South Asia(around 221 million) andsub-Saharan Africa (330million) have the highestproportion of people livingwithout basic sanitation.• Ninety percent of thewastewater discharged dailyin developing countries isuntreated. Eighty percentof all marine pollutionoriginates on land - mostof it wastewater - damagingcoral reefs and fishinggrounds.• People in developedcountries generate fivetimes more wastewaterper person than those indeveloping countries, buttreat over 90 percent oftheir wastewater, comparedto only a few percent indeveloping countries.• Agriculture accounts for 70to 90 percent of all waterconsumed, mainly for irrigation,but large amountsreturn to rivers as run-off;nearly half of all organicmatter in wastewater comesfrom agriculture.• Industrial wastes, pesticidesfrom agriculture, and tailingsfrom mining also createserious health risks andthreats to water resources,costing billions of dollarsto monitor, much more toclean.• Use of bottled water isincreasing, but it takes threelitres of water to produceone litre of bottled water.In the USA alone an additional17 million barrelsof oil per year are used tomake the plastic containers.Worldwide, 200 billionlitres of bottled water areproduced every year, creatingan enormous problemof how to dispose of theused plastic bottles.• Wastewater generatesmethane, a greenhousegas 21 times more powerfulthan carbon dioxide (CO 2).It also generates nitrousoxide, which is 310 timesmore powerful than CO 2.• It is estimated that in just adecade, wastewater-linkedemissions of methane willrise by 25 percent andthat of nitrous oxide by 50percent.• Increased flooding as aresult of climate changecan overwhelm ageing sewageinfrastructure in citiesand towns.© IRIN. All rights reserved.www.irinnews.orgphoto: UNEPsponsored by SANPArksPaul Kruger proclaimed the Gouvernement Wildtuin(government game reserve) in 1898.

visitor’s view • kruger park times • apri l/ may 2010 • 21The Southern Circle – Kruger’s Best-Kept SecretMario FazekasVisitors to the Kruger National Park gothere for a variety of reasons. One of theprimary reasons is to find and photographanimals such as the ‘super-seven’. Thesuper-seven are the most sought-afteranimals and are the ones that visitors markon the sighting boards in all the Krugercamps each day – lion, leopard, elephant,buffalo, rhino, cheetah and wild dog.We have been visiting the Kruger Parksince 1995 and have spent over 400 daysstaying in all the main and bushveldcamps. During this time we discoveredthe ‘Southern Circle’ – the area betweenCrocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie campsin the south-eastern corner of the Kruger.This area must be the most underratedin the whole park. We have heard somepeople saying that they just use theCrocodile Bridge gate to enter the parkin order to enable them to get to the realKruger (from Satara northwards). Well inour humble opinion the section of roadsknown as the ‘Southern Circle’ must bethe most consistently productive in thewhole Kruger. We have seen the big five onfour separate occasions all in this southerncircle area. On the one day we had enteredthe park at 06h00 and by 10h00 we hadseen the big five. On the other occasionwe saw the big five (including a lion kill),three leopards as well as wild dogs andcheetah – all in one day!The southern circle is shown on the map.You’ll notice the high concentration of oursighting pins here. We have marked everylion (red), leopard (yellow), wild dog (pink),and cheetah (purple) sighting but onlylarge herds of buffalo, rhino and elephantas there are too many of these sightings tofit on the map.I know; you want to find out which roadsthese are and why this area is so good forgame viewing, don’t you!Well, the southern circle comprisesthe H4-2 tar road and the S28 dirt road,including the short S130 and S137 Dukeroads in between. It seems to be a combinationof three things that make this area sogame-rich:• there is water all year round as the areais situated close to two perennial rivers(as the crow flies it is about 20 kilometresfrom the Sabie to Crocodile River in thesouthern circle);• the basalt plains hold water in pans forlong periods; and• the area is sweet-grass, which isfavoured by the zebras, buffalo andwildebeest.So, as far as ‘best routes’ go this must bethe number one in the Kruger Park – giveit a try!Mario Fazekas is a wildlife photographerliving in South Africa, and the editor of Kruger-2-Kalahari.com. View some of his Kruger Parkphotographs on his website.advertorial * advertorial *advertorialGolf, Game And Leisure InThe Heart Of The LowveldOn the rich green verge of thehistoric Sabie River, surrounded bylandscaped lawns and lush waterfrontgardens, Kruger Park Lodge providesa sumptuous base for an unforgettableAfrican adventure. With the accent onuncompromising comfort and graciousliving, this award-winning estate offersa sophisticated and leisurely lifestyle inthe heart of big game country.For the golfing enthusiast there’sthe challenge of the resort’s superbnine-hole golf course designed byGary Player, set among the indigenousflora of the Lowveld with birds in thetrees, buck on the fairways and hippoin the waterholes. The course, rated71, offers an 18-hole challenge vianine other tees positioned at variousangles and distances from the green.In addition to the well-treed bushveldlandscape, 400 more indigenous treeshave been planted on and around thewell drained lush fairways, along withnew water features strategically placedon the 3rd and the 9th holes. The golfcourse is an integral part of the overallwell maintained resort landscape,allowing different habitats for manybird species.Other facilities on the resort includethree swimming pools, five flood-littennis courts, putt-putt, and a drivingrange on the adjoining property. Birdwatching and scenic walks can beenjoyed along the banks of the tranquilSabie River, or a bicycle ride aroundthe lodge’s extensive estate. Relax inthe hippo hide which provides a splendidvantage point for hippo viewingand appreciate the drama of a goldenAfrican sunset. Enjoy the resort’sclubhouse, which has a restaurant andfull conference facilities. Kruger ParkLodge is managed by the prestigiousLegacy Hotels and Resorts group.

22 • kruger park times • april / may 2010 • enviro discoveryThulamahashe Children Celebrate InternationalYear Of BiodiversityTo increase the understanding of the vital role thatbiodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth, MaureenLahoud was invited to assist in teaching the conceptthrough dances and body movements at a Children’s EcoTraining workshop from 29 – 31 March.Maureen, a professional actress and dancer of internationalfame, established an African dance group in theHoedspruit area, and is very much in demand at lodgesand functions. Her aim is to eventually go to the ruralareas and offer after-school educational programmes forchildren with limited occupational options.At the training session of CET in the Klaserie PrivateNature Reserve, the focus was on mimicking animals,trees, insects, grass and re-enacting daily tasks in thevillages, for example chopping wood, digging, etc. Fourdances were taught to four different groups of childrenand represented: a typical village scene; “pollutionpolice” fighting with the village people; protected areas(animals and birds) and city life. The difficult concept ofbiodiversity was taught in a fun way, and in the process,an additional skill was mastered.Visitors who attended the training were Megan, Claireand Sarah of Buffelshoek Trust, and 11 children fromthe Thulamahashe orphanage who had the time of theirlives. The donation of Easter eggs from Donovan andLee-Anne Detert and Spar Hoedspruit, added the finaltouch to a special training session. Everyone is lookingforward to the next training session in June.When Is Water SafeDiarrhoea-inducing waterbornemicrobes often go undetected in partsof the world with the highest rate ofunder-five deaths from gastrointestinalinfection.According to the UN Children’s Fund(UNICEF), lack of water safety regulations,inter-ministerial coordination andsurveillance can paint a deceptivelybenign portrait of water quality.“There are different interpretationsof water safety among the line ministries[working on water issues], whichmakes it hard to draw a conclusionabout water quality,” Rolf Luyendijk,senior statistician for water and sanitationat UNICEF, said.Taps, boreholes, covered wells orsprings, as well as rainwater, are considered“improved” and “safe” watersources but they do not guarantee safedrinking water, he said.“Water from a dug well may not meetmicrobiological standards and may stillbe deadly,” he told IRIN.According to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO), contaminatedwater contributes to more than twomillion deaths from diarrhoea eachyear, plus millions of other cases ofwaterborne diseases.In 2004, UNICEF and WHO pilotedrapid water assessments in Bangladesh,China, Ethiopia, India, Jordan,Nicaragua, Nigeria and Tajikistan,which showed that only piped cameclose to meeting international guidelines.Other water sources labelled as “improved”were about half-way compliantwith the international guidelines.Luyendijk told IRIN ministriesworking on water and sanitation needto improve data coordination andwater quality surveillance to find out ifinvestments are reaching the neediest.“There is an enormous amount ofmoney invested in boosting access [tosafe water and sanitation] and thoseimprovements have not reached thepoorest quintile [20 percent],” he said.While 84 percent of people livingin low-income countries are reportedto use improved water sources, eightout of 10 people without access livein rural areas, according to the latestWHO-UNICEF report on water andsanitation coverage.© IRIN.

for the love of butterflies with Herbert Otto• kruger park times •april / may 2010 • 23Is The Shepherd’s Tree Magical?The Pierids AgreeBoscia albitrunca, or the Shepherd’s Tree, has the butterfly world supplicating and cheering in wonder.Why is that?Boscia albitrunca,the Shepherd’s Tree, hostto 14 butterfly speciesThe Shepherd’s Tree, Boscia albitrunca,is the larval food plant for 14 differentspecies of butterflies in the KNP andsouthern Africa.The shepherd’s tree has a whitetrunk, which the species name albitruncaalludes to; Albi = white and trunca =trunk. The tree has small elliptic leavesand prefers well drained rocky or sandysoils. It is a solitary growing tree in aridand savanna conditions.The greenish-yellow flowers areborne in leaf-axils and seem petal-lesswith many protruding stamens. Theripe fruit vary in colour from pale yellow-apricot to translucent-like pink, atabout 1cm in diameter, appearing fromDecember to March.The tree is favoured and browsed bygame and livestock and the leaves havea rich protein content. It is believed tohave magical values. The roots are alsoused for a coffee substitute or ground tomake porridge, while the buds of theblossoms are pickled. A fruit pulp maybe used as a side dish. The leaves androots have medicinal properties.The butterflies lay their eggson the leaves of this popular tree.When the eggs emerge abouta week later, their first meal isusually the egg shell. From herethey feed on the leaves of the treeitself. The Pierid larvae have 5instars, which means that theymoulted or lost their skins 4times, to grow into a larger larva.The butterflies whose larvaefeed on this tree, also feed onspecies of the Caperbushes,Worm-bushes and Maeruas.This is a case of adapting tonature and what is available.Photos: Herbert Otto,Graham Otto and Kurt OttoBanded gold tip, Colotis eris erisThe Purple Tip, Colotis ioneZebra white, Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphiaBoscia albitrunca, the Shepherd’s Tree, host to 14 butterfly species• The diverse white, Appias epaphia contracta• Brown-veined white, Belenois aurota aurota• African common white, Belenois creona severina• The red tip, Colotis antevippe gavisa• The common orange tip, Colotis evenina evenina• The speckled sulphur tip, Colotis agoye• The smoky orange tip, Colotis euippe omphale• The lemon traveller or lemon tip, Colotis subfasciatus subfasciatus• The queen purple tip, Colotis regina• Banded gold tip, Colotis eris eris• Zebra white, Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia• Veined orange, Colotis vesta argillaceus• Bushveld purple tip, Colotis ione• The Lilac Tip, Colotis celimene aminaThe red tip, Colotisantevippe gavisa

24 • kruger park times • april / may 2010 •current concernsPopular Conservation ProgrammeBack On AirAfter nine months of being off air,50/50 is back on South African televisionscreens.The programme has built up a hugecontingent of loyal viewers over the past27 years that it has been on air.It has provided a crucial stage for environmental-and human-focused issuesto be discussed and communicated tothe broader public, covering issues suchas crocodiles dying within the KrugerNational Park (KNP), tuberculosis inbuffalo and proposed developments andmining in wilderness areas.The new series will build on this solidfoundation, with producers from all overthe country providing 50/50 with themost up-to-date goings-on from theWestern Cape to the KwaZulu NatalWetlands.The Southern African Natural HistoryUnit (Sanhu), KNP’s resident film crewand also a production unit for 50/50,is working on a number of interestingstories and is looking forward to anexciting season.“We are very excited to start makinginserts for the new series of 50/50. Thecrocodiles are still dying in the gorge,and while the cause remains elusive, theteam investigating the crocodile deathshas been conducting incredible researchwhile 50/50 has been off.From catching four metre plus crocodiles,whilst perched precariously onboats, to burning thousands of deadbarbel carcasses after they were foundfloating bloated and rotten in the gorge,we have been there to catch it all”,explains Sanhu managing producerAntoinette Goosen.“The nice thing about producingstories for 50/50, is their viewers are loyaland like to be kept informed about whatis going on, especially when it comes tonature and conservation.This allows us to follow all kinds ofinteresting stories, not just the sensationalistones.50/50 have just commissioned acouple of nice inserts from us, onelooking at a ‘Stress in Rhino’ projectcurrently being undertaken in Krugerand another following the progress ofthe Endangered Wildlife Trust as theyundertake a photographic census ofsaddle billed storks, where tourists aremaking a huge difference.”“We have also been fortunate to haveMarike Bekker join our team. Marike,a stalwart of South African television,will present most of the 50/50 inserts.”Right: Marike BekkerPhotogenic Storks Elicit MoreThan 2000 ImagesThe Endangered WildlifeTrust and SANParks starteda photographic survey ofsaddle-billed storks in theKruger National Park(KNP) on September1, 2009. The projectwill run for a fullcalendar year.The contributionsreceivedfrom thep u b l i cso farhave beenvery encouragingwith over 350submissions and almost2 000 photographs submitted.Many of these photographswere useful for unique identification,and all aided in establishing distributionfor the species while also providingsome very interesting informationon saddle-billed stork diet and habits.Photographs showed saddle-billedstorks eating a small crocodile andanother eating a large snake that tied itself into aknot first. Various submissions of juvenile storksshow that the birds are breeding successfully.“The public has also assisted us in locating nestsites and should continue to do so as the breedingseason has started and will continue throughoutautumn,” says Marcelle van der Hoven, projectco-ordinator. A special saddle-billed stork aerialsurvey is planned during the winter months tolocate more nest sites.According to van der Hoven, it is too earlyin the survey to make any comments on currentsaddle-billed stork numbers, but visitorsto the Park, especially to the northern regions,are encouraged to keep on submitting theirphotographs to storks@ewt.org.za.“There are nice prizes up for grabs for thewinning photographs and all photographersare making a very valuable contribution to theconservation of these birds.”Look out for the project’s posters and flyers,which have become a familiar sight at entrancegates, reception areas and rest rooms throughoutKruger.More About MarikeMarike Bekker’s career in mediabegan in 1982 in the early years ofthe SABC. She formed part of theoriginal team that saw the launchof the first ever nature televisionprogramme in South Africa, 50/50.On returning home after studyingand working in the UK, shelaunched a television productionhouse in Johannesburg, MarikeWilliams Films. The name changedto Homebrew Films in 1989. Theydelivered work to the SABC, M-Netand the international broadcasterThe Discovery Channel .In 1997 she moved to Cape Townand Homebrew Films expanded toproduce work for etv, and for thelaunch of the early KykNET withprogrammes such as Groen andPampoen tot Perlemoen.She compiled two cookbookscalled ‘Roer! met die Sterre’ and‘Roer!,’ from their lifestyle cookingshow on kykNET.After selling Homebrew Films toa business partner in 2008, Marikerecently joined Sanhu as a produceras well as field presenter for localconservation programme 50/50.the Kruger emergencycall centre number is:013 735 4325krugerparktimesonline.com