It is the fourth time that such a wild dog census is conducted in Kruger National Park, the other censuses being conducted in 1989, 1995 and 2000. This years' census is unique, however, as it will be run in conjunction with the second-ever cheetah Photographic survey.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (KNP) WILD DOG PROJECT: 1988-present
The Kruger National Park wild dog project has done much for drawing the public's attention to the plight of the wild dog and has provided important scientific information on the ecology of the species which has been used to improve management programs for the wild dog both within the KNP and outside. Three successful population censuses involving public participation have been held and a fourth will be conducted in late 2004. The results of this work have appeared in 19 scientific publications in local and international journals and numerous popular articles, as well as in the IUCN's Wild Dog Action Plan. The study was included as one of the significant zoological findings of the year in the 1999 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year.

KRUGER PARK CHEETAH STUDY: 1997
The Kruger Park cheetah study analysed the ecological role and factors limiting the population of the cheetah in the Kruger National Park.

Entry forms and brochures will be available at the gates and rest camps in the KNP from October 1, 2004 and digital images or video clips of either animals can be sent to the dedicated email address census@sanparks.org. Photographs, slides and video tapes can be posted to “Wild Dog and Cheetah Project”, P.O. Box 10, Skukuza, 1350.

Prizes include three packages of “two nights for two” at upmarket destinations including Tinga Private Game Lodge, the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve and Jock Safari Lodge, as well as nine Agfa photographic hampers valued at R400 each.

Enquiries:
William Mabasa, HOD: Public Relations and Communications, Kruger National Park.
Tel: 013 735 4363, cell: 082 807 3919 or email: williamm@sanparks.org

Please see the http://www.ewt.org.za website for more information.

If you'd like to travel to Kruger National Park, click here
 

Watching these female turtles make their cumbersome way up the beach to a suitable nesting spot to deliver their eggs – sometimes between 500 and a 1000, is enchanting. Glimpsing mom plop her hundreds of eggs, with perseverance and without weariness, into the warm sand, under African stars, with the Indian Ocean lapping at the shore, is a tremendously moving experience. The 50 gram hatchlings emerge between January and April, making their wobbly-legged approach to the shoreline in search of the great, and very wet, aquatic unknown.

Loggerhead turtles may reach 1.20m in length and can way up to 140 kg, whereas Leatherbacks can reach an astonishing 2.5m, and can weigh a staggering 916kg!

At Rocktail Bay Lodge in St Lucia, guests can participate in beach patrols, witness the turtle laying under the supervision of trained local guides and dedicated conservationists. Guests may also choose to ‘adopt’ a turtle – money goes towards the Maputaland Sea turtle Research Program, which is the longest research program of its kind in the world.

The Greater ST Lucia Wetland Park is an astoundingly bio-diverse paradise – five ecosystems and thirteen contiguous protected areas occur in 234 566 hectares. Not only do turtles find refuge here, but whale-sharks, dolphins and whales migrate to its sheltered waters, and large breeding colonies of pelicans, storks, herons and terns line the shore. Throw in a hefty dose of wildlife, such as the country’s largest population of hippos and crocodiles, elephants, endangered rhinos, leopards, buffalo, waterbuck, kudu, nyala, zebra, giraffe and hippo, as well as the predators of Phinda - lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena – and St Lucia provides visitors with a raw, undiluted African adventure.

There’s another way
Marula Natural Products Pty Ltd produces a completely natural, high quality oil. Marula oil has come as something of a miracle for the cosmetics industry.
It is high in natural anti-oxidants and oxidative stability, making it a perfect combinant for global skin care products.
Marula Natural Products use no artificial farming methods, no pesticides and no artificial additives. Preparation is entirely organic.

It works
The company recognises the value of traditional knowledge in a modern business context. It would not be able to function without the 2,400 women in rural communities. Supporting them is not social welfare; it is sound business practice.

Can It work better?
Marula Natural Products needs the legislation that will protect its intellectual properties and prevent larger companies coming in and doing things faster and bigger.

Please see http://www.marula.org.za/about.htm
 

In an initiative aimed at boosting conservation initiatives and promoting eco-tourism in Kenya, a partnership has been created between Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and Amarula Cream, currently the second largest-selling cream liqueur in the world and widely regarded as the most prominently exported African alcoholic beverage.

Through a combination of media support and direct funding as a result of product sales in Kenya, this unique partnership aims to promote the activities of KWS in the local media, as well as attract the attention of an international audience through the use of electronic mail and the Internet.

At a launch function held at the Impala Observation Point on the 3rd June 2004, Ngugi Gecaga, Corporate Communications Manager of Kenya Wildlife Service, says as the guardian of Kenya’s priceless wildlife heritage, KWS is continually working with communities to meet the country's conservation goals and manage wildlife that occurs outside the parks, aiming to protect people and their property from damage while still making wildlife accessible in order to boost the economy by offering tourists an enriching experience.

“Initiatives such as this partnership’s much-needed funds and planned media exposure will aid our task of protecting and conserving Kenya’s wildlife for the benefit of present and future generations,” says Gecaga. “This collaboration will be further enriched in the future by regularly reviewing and prioritising the conservation activities that require attention.”

Derek Wallace, Marketing Manager Africa at Distell, says that in recognition of the importance of the work done by KWS, 20 Kenyan shillings will be donated to the organisation for every bottle of Amarula bought in Kenya during October, November and December this year.

“Amarula will also provide KWS with media opportunities and provide a media vehicle to inform and educate the public at large and communicate to all stakeholders what projects have been launched to promote cohabitation between local communities and wildlife, as well as other conservation initiatives,” he says.

The aim of the partnership is to run conservation-orientated articles twice a month in the Nation newspaper, a monthly column in the Travel News and G magazines, and a quarterly update in Msafiri, Kenya Airways’ in-flight magazine.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is charged with the protection and conservation of the country's fauna and flora bio-diversity, and in this role, its programmes have yielded successful results with regard to saving endangered and threatened species, including the elephant and rhino.
“Amarula’s investments in elephant conservation and management projects in South Africa as well as its Lodges of Africa website that includes information on Kenyan lodges such as Borana Lodge, Kipungani Explorer and Olonana can only further contribute to KWS’ tourism, wildlife projects and programmes that substantially contribute to Kenya’s socio-economic development,” concludes Gecaga.

Bee-keeping is centuries-old in Africa. When North Western Bee Products’ was founded in 1988, its aim was not to make a profit, but to benefit as many people as possible - and as much of Zambia’s endangered Miombo Forest as possible.

North Western Bee Products produces the purest honey in the world. It is free of pesticides, additives, bacteria, anti-biotics and pollution. Not surprisingly, it’s sold in Waitrose and used in the Body Shop’s products.
North Western Bee Products produces 200 metric tons of honey and 50 metric tons of beeswax a year. It aims to increase output to 300 metric tons of honey and 60 metric tons of beeswax within 2 years.

When it started, it employed 100 beekeepers. Now there are over 6000. And their activities spread across 75,000km2 of Zambia. Not a bad business model, then.

Does traditional wisdom and traditional craft have a place in the 21st Century? In a country where poverty has caused widespread deforestation, yes.

Article courtesy of IUCN (World Conservation Union) and That Works

The aim of the megatransect is to establish the extent of the human footprint on Africa’s ecosystems. 93 ecoregions will be evaluated en route. Stakeholders – those that live off the land and those trying to protect it – will be interviewed. All the data will then be fed back to the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the material used to generate world-wide media coverage with the aim of securing funding for increased long-term research and conservation.
National Geographic readers may remember Fay from his gruelling Congo trek in 2002. After having walked 3200km in Central Africa – from the Congo Basin to the Atlantic Coast - for 15 months, Fay presented his data to President Bongo of Gabon, who immediately invited him to present his findings to his cabinet. Fay achieved his goal – Gabon went from not having one national park to declaring 13 National Parks virtually overnight. 11 % of Gabon’s area, including previous logging concessions, are now protected areas. Lets hope that Fay can do something as extraordinary for other African wildernesses in dire need of state protection.

For the full article, please see the current issue of South Africa’s Earthyear Magazine:

The Bateleurs reported the following from Mike Fay’s first leg:
 

"Mike told us that by the time they left South Africa they had flown the equivalent of Paris to Bangkok. And, he estimates that by the time they complete MegaFlyover, they will have flown 160,000 kilometres.

"One of the most dramatic legs was approaching the Cape (South Africa) in gale force winds. Mike said it was a rollercoaster ride where their speed varied from 50 to 150 knots depending on whether they were flying against or with the wind. It was a seriously scary but exhilarating flight, but once down and safe, a far better option than being stuck at De Hoop with no hope of the weather clearing for days. Thanks to Keith Spencer and the Met, we had advised Mike and Peter of the impending bad whether and suggested they fly out of The Karoo National Park and straight to Stellenbosch. So sadly they missed the Overberg and De Hoop and Cape Agulhas. The wind was so strong when they took off from the Karoo National Park that there was no chance of them doing an overfly of that area either. "

For full details, please visit The Bateleurs.
 

The Kunene is one of five perennial rivers in Namibia, supporting some 12 000 semi-nomadic pastoralist Himba of the north. The 200 megawatt hydroelectric dam would flood ancestral gravesites and it would also devastate the fragile riverine ecosystem. In addition, the process appears to be contentious as:

• there is an existing dam on the Kunene,
• Scientists question the viability of the dam
• alternative energy options (solar, wind) have not been sufficiently explored by government
• Financial risk (dam cost estimated at N$ 3.0 billion) may not be worth the projected returns
• Hyrdrological risk – recent evidence suggest that flow in river basin is decreasing
• the Himba claim to have been marginalised for much of the debate

Our Chairman recently toured the area - read his ecoDiary

For in-depth information, please have a look at the website of the International Rivers Network
 

The Dâureb Mountain Guides are the official custodians of the rock art, taking tourists to see the 500,000 year old archaeological site and the remarkable fauna and flora, including the rare desert elephant and black rhino. Thanks to their hard work the town of Uis is still open for business, and the enterprise is continuing to grow with assistance from their founding NGO, the Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA). IUCN South Africa selected the Dâureb Mountain Guides as one of eight successful community-based natural resource enterprises which were showcased at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. More recently, with funding provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IUCN has been involved in developing a capacity building intervention to assist the Dâureb Mountain Guides to become a sustainable, fully commercial enterprise in the years to come.

(courtesy Tanya McGregor, IUCN )

For more information, see www.thatworks.org
 

Karen Richards, Camp Manager at Grumeti River Camp, reports (15 June 2004):

I was fortunate to see the annual wildebeest migration from the air yesterday. I have often seen them from the air when they are massed down on the Southern short grass plains during February and March, but have never seen them while they are actually moving. As we approached Grumeti River Camp, we began to descend over Nyasorori and one could see hundreds of lines of wildebeest all marching in single file determinedly in our direction. These lines probably averaged about three or four kilometres each!

Didas Mgodo, our head ranger reported thousands of animals on the move between Nyasorori and the Masira plain this morning on their way to join the hundreds of thousands already massed there. They seem to be on the move and I am quite sure that Klein's Camp will see them arriving a bit earlier this year.

However, wildebeest are not the only attraction at Grumeti. Warren Pearson, our new assistant manager, was out on drive yesterday. His experienced eye caught some impala focussed on an area of long grass nearby. On closer inspection, he found a female leopard stalking the impala. To his surprise, there was not only one leopard, but also a 7 - 8 month old cub!
Cat sightings are always great at Grumeti, but lately they have been exceptional, with sightings of the Grumeti pride as well as cheetah becoming an almost daily occurrence. The Grumeti lion pride has also taken to coming in close to camp again and regaling the guests with loud roaring all night.

Read more about the Wildebeest migration...
 

From a biological perspective…

Using elephants that are the “left-overs” from a cull may mean that the individuals are traumatised and unpredictable due to the forcible removal from their natal herd.  Elephants function in a strict social hierarchy with established bonds between kin – without this hierarchy, elephant behaviour can become a problem:

An example of aberrant behaviour of young orphans was witnessed in the Pilanesberg National Park, where rampaging young bulls in musth (heightened testosterone levels) attacked and killed 40 white rhinos over three years – order was restored and a dominance hierarchy established with the reintroduction of older bulls from the Kruger National Park.  Is an effort being made to reintroduce captive or orphaned animals into the wild? If not, why not? See Pilanesberg story for more details: http://www.und.ac.za/und/lesci/rhino/monitoring_problem.htm

Elephant populations are thriving in certain regions in Africa, and culling has become a necessity in order to sustain a healthy ecosystem – does this mean more orphans, unless contraception becomes a successful population control method?

From an anthropomorphic perspective…

Is an elephant borne into captivity an unhappy elephant?

Is there a way to responsibly and humanely train wild elephants? Should they be trained at all for commercial gain? The intense debate surrounding the training of elephants is obscured by the argument that individual animals are “allowed” to survive, and “pay their own way”.

From a commercial perspective…

There has been an alarming increase in the “trade” of orphaned elephants due to the popularity of elephant-back safaris and hunting safaris. This also begs the question as to why, during a ‘professional’ cull, orphaned elephants are allowed to survive? From an anthropomorphic view, it would be more humane to put them down with the rest of their herd. However, from a trade perspective, these orphans signify money, therefore creating a market for orphaned elephants.

Our perspective…

As a company, ecoAfrica Travel does not promote the taming of wild animals. As such, we will not support elephant-back safaris. Some camps, such as Stanley’s in Botswana, use orphaned elephants to bring the plight of the elephant closer to local communities in outreach programs, and tourists too can marvel at these fascinating pachyderms at closer quarters. The elephants are not ridden, but are well accustomed to the presence of human beings.  The decision to support this sort of initiative we would like to leave up to you, the traveller.

Any comments and feedback would be appreciated.

For more information on African elephants, visit Ian Douglas-Hamilton’s www.savetheelephants.org
 

The nature reserve is continually being cleared of alien vegetation, while biologists living and working on the reserve delight visitors with their specialist knowledge of ecology of the unique Cape Floristic Region (70% of the 9000 floral species occur nowhere else in the world), the marine life (including sharks, whales, dolphins and seals) as well as archaeological sites. Local people have been employed in running the reserve. The family have also established a fynbos nursery, growing rare fynbos species (more than 50 000 indigenous plants have been planted), and which concomitantly serves as a training school for locals interested in horticulture and gardening, and providing them with potential employment opportunities in rehabilitation and gardening projects.

The lodge itself is a five star affair with sweeping views of the magnificent Walker Bay. Guests stay in elegant chalets nestled inconspicuously among the milkwood trees, and are offered guided and specialist tours through the fynbos (on foot, horseback or 4x4), boat trips to the nearby Dyre Island (seal colonies and Great White sharks), and incredible sightings of the Southern Right Whales that come to its shores between July and October - visit Grootbos Nature Reserve.

The Lutzeyer family has since involved neighbouring farms in their conservation efforts - a 12 160 hectare Walker Bay Conservancy was established in 1999, including 15 landowners - a remarkably successful conservation effort.

see full article