TREMISANA LODGE
The Balule Game Reserve is very dry. The animals are moving towards the Olifants River and also towards Tremisana Dam. A herd of 6 bull elephants has moved in to the Tremisana area and is causing great excitement amongst our guests. On the downside, they successfully smashed the electrical connections at our main borehole. We have now placed sharp-edged rocks around the borehole, hoping that any would-be elephant electrician might be deterred by sharp pains in his soles.
We are experiencing the beginning of Spring at Tremisana and the bird activity in the camp is simply wonderful. Tremisana looks like a veritable oasis from the air and our avian neighbours are enjoying the birdbaths and birdfeeders. Unfortunately the local baboon troop has also seen fit to visit the camp regularly. The troop male even went so far as to steal Delina's meat for a potjie she planned to cook. The other problem they cause is the removal of handfuls of thatch from the roofs of the chalets. We can obviate this problem by covering the thatch with chicken wire, but it becomes a receptacle for fallen leaves and looks very unsightly after a while.
An interesting sighting of a leopard by our guide Marthinus and spotter Phineas proves that these predators are around Balule. In the Kruger Park, our guides saw a young giraffe up a tree and sure enough a large male leopard was seen on a nearby tree. It demonstrates the incredible strength these super-predators have.
Game-viewing in Kruger Park has been absolutely fantastic. The guides report that leopard are being seen most afternoons at Nsemane Dam near Satara. Lions are plentiful and there are regular reports of buffalo and rhino sightings. We are considering offering money-back guarantees on seeing elephant - we have not missed seeing these huge leviathans on every single trip to the Park since April ! Our clients are becoming very blasé about the elephant sightings.
MARC'S CAMP
The treehouses are being given a facelift and all reeds and wooden decks are being repainted before the summer rains. Quinton reports that a buffalo herd is permanently moving along the riverbed and is being seen on every morning bushwalk. The garden is suffering badly : the kudu and nyala visit every night and have polished off the succulents that were planted in April. Hyena are heard every night and the resident baboon troop's alarm calls at night remind us of the presence of leopard on the property. The baby rhino is doing well - we are still unsure of its gender.
The adventure camp is being used more frequently by visiting church and school groups. We have upgraded the obstacle course and are building a new fuffie-slide above the dam. Nadia, our ranger, is adding all kinds of educational titbits to our displays in the environmental centre. Most of our groups have decided to spend at least one night out in the open around the fire - pretty adventurous stuff !
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