At last the November rains have fallen. We had two downpours - one of 15 mm and a second of 28 mm. The effect has been dramatic: Green grass everywhere in abundance, Tremisana Dam 66% full, the trees at Marc's Camp displaying their full verdant opulence and the first sightings of young impala. The onset of summer brings all kinds of unusual effects: we had literally tens of thousands of flying ants appear on the main tar road between Tremisana and Mohlabetsi . The windscreens of all cars became so cluttered that safe driving was impossible and cars pulled up on the sides of the road. Another strictly summer phenomenon is the arrival of frogs and toads and their incessant raucous calls for mates. On our night drives at Tremisana, we stop at Tremisana Dam and switch off the engine and the lights and allow our guests to listen to the varied assortment of calls. It is quite deafening. In fact, one can hear the din from Tremisana Camp, almost 500 metres from the water.
The abundant rain brings an amazing change not only in vegetation, but also in the behaviour of the antelope. Instead of trundling lethargically to the waterholes, there is a spring in their gaits. The young impala are full of energy and keep their mothers on their toes by running around all over the place. They form nurseries and after expending their energies, they settle down and sit in the shade.
Summer is also the season when most species produce their young. At Tremisana, we have had sightings of young black-backed jackals and young caracal. At Marc's Camp, a newly-born nyala lamb was encountered on a bush walk. The lamb was completely trusting of the guests who were able to get to within 1 metre of it. All the while, the nyala mother carried on browsing, completely unconcerned.
Gameviewing In Kruger has been good, notwithstanding the abundance of surface water. Although we are not seeing the large concentrations of animals, we are still seeing as many different species as before. We saw black rhino on the Sweni road. Black rhino are very seldom seen as there are only about 300 in the entire Kruger Park ( compared to about 4000 white rhino ). In addition, the black rhino are temperamental and do not like being around human presence. They are strict browsers and are generally difficult to see as they keep to the dense thickets. White rhino are more placid creatures and tolerate tourists much better. They are grazers and are often found in the open. As a result, they afford our guests far better opportunities for a decent photo.
In anticipation of an increase in tourists, we have bought a second Toyota Quantum. These are capable of seating 13 and are the best yet from Toyota in terms of airconditioning. Our fulltime mechanic , Sidney , swears by the Quantum and we look forward to good service from these vehicles. We are presently recanvassing the open gameviewers .
NEWS AT TREMISANA
The elephants have returned with a vengeance - the usual trick of disrupting water supplies happened twice in November. Luckily we were able to restore the supply quickly. We also had a power loss during the last week in November. A huge storm in Phalaborwa resulted in the entire Phalaborwa/Hoedspruit regions going without power. Delina improvised and our guests, as always , rose to the occasion and enjoyed their candle-lit dinner. Thankfully the supply was restored by 22h00, so that the airconditioners could be activated. Night time temperatures at Tremisana seldom drop below 19 degrees Celscius in November, so having airconditioning is great. Another very welcome effect of air conditioning is the total disappearance of mosquitoes from the chalets as a result of the cool air.
The annual census figures for animals in the Balule region of Kruger Park were released and make for very interestng reading : Elephant : 304 ; Buffalo : 235 ; Rhino : 14; Lion : 21 ; Leopard : estimated at 20 ; Cheetah : 8 ; Wild Dog : 20 ; Hyena : 5 ; Impala : 3276 ; Wildebeest : 335 ; Giraffe : 325 ; Hippo : 48 ; Kudu : 428 ;Waterbuck : 388 ; Zebra : 448. Other species recorded were baboon, eland, nyala, bushpig, warthog, ostrich, duiker, steenbuck , klipspringer, grysbuck , bushbuck and crocodile.
If one considers that the Balule Section of Kruger Park is less than 40 000 hectares in extent , this represents a large number of animals per hectare. Of concern to the conservation authorities is the small number of hyena. If one considers that there are about 30 hyena in the Marc's Camp region ( on a reserve of area about 800 hectares ), then this is indeed low. Perhaps it has something to do with the increase in the lion population.
Night Drives are producing some specials : aardvark, civet , porcupine , genet , lesser bushbabies and scrub hares are all strictly nocturnal and have been seen regularly.
Our guides struggle to convince our tourists that the sighting of an aardvark is way better than an elephant - simply because very few people have had the lucky experience of seeing an aardvark in the wild.
Improvements effected at Tremisana during November include the installation of an electric geyser in chalet 5. Previously we had a boiler ( irreverently called a " donkie" in Afrikaans ) that required burning of wood to heat the water. We are conscious of the ecological value of wood in returning nutrients to the ground , so have made a decision to minimise the wood we collect in the veld. Of course, any bush experience would be significantly impoverished by not having a traditional fire in the boma , so we try to keep a sensible balance. Our septic tanks have been covered in concrete to make them elephant-proof. With the increased traffic of animals at the Tremisana waterhole, we are toying with the idea of upgrading the existing hide to a brick and mortar construction which can afford any adventurous tourist better protection. There is a floodlight already in place and this idea may well appeal to the adventure-minded guest who wants to spend all night at the waterhole. Keep watching this space.
NEWS AT MARC'S CAMP
Ronald Masango , camp manager , has identified certain places where we need to effect soil erosion controls. The heavy November downpour allowed us to see exactly where huge runoffs are taking place. With a little ingenuity, a few well positioned rocks and branches go a long way in checking soil erosion and maintaining our commitment to preserving the ecologically sensitive areas in our care.
Young nyala lambs have appeared and, following the example set by their families, are very tame. Marc's Camp has never, and as long as Viva Safaris own it, will never have any form of hunting . As a result the animals have become very relaxed and do not panic and run away at the sight of humans. We encourage our staff and guests not to make any rapid body movements or unnecessary noise when in the presence of animals. This allows the animals to develop a sense of security and confidence when in the immediate vicinity of humans. The spinoff is great : our guests get to take some really unbelievable photos.
One of the exciting things about passing a night at Marc's Camp is the varied night sounds. Apart from hyena and leopard calls, the piercing cry of the thick-tailed bushbaby has had many a guest feel a tingle down the spine. These creatures are plentiful along the river and the calls at the beginning of summer are territorial ( similar to the vocalising of lions to proclaim their territories) . There are some savage fights over selected trees and mates and the noise is quite scary. The nights are also filled with calls of insects and frogs. The pre-dawn chorus of birds is very special.
We are almost finished with the building of the brick-and- mortar unit ( specially for the less adventurous guest). The thatched roof is being erected and we shall try our best to keep this double unit in line with the woody theme of the treehouses. The guest toilet has been tiled; the path from the main lodge to the staff quarters is now fully illuminated ( just in case we stumble over a sleeping buffalo ) and the reeds of treehouse 2 have been replaced. We held a number of early Christmas parties at the Adventure Camp.
Bongani Mnisi has been seconded to Marc's Camp as fulltime resident tourguide . He has had extensive experience with open vehicle safaris in Kruger Park. He has made an immediate impression with our guests and his great spirit of adventure goes down well with the backpacker groups and self-drive tourists alike.
NEWS AT THE CHEETAH INN
A complete repaint of the outside chalets has drawn very positive comments from guests and locals alike. The colours of brown and white fit in perfectly with the thatched roofs. We had to rethatch unit 12 which had a termite nest in the making. The minigolf course is complete and we are pleased to report that the very first game was played between members of staff of Viva Safaris and Wildlife Safaris. Regrettably no scores were recorded ( we think we may have just won ). The addition of the minigolf course will no doubt make a Sunday excursion to the Cheetah Inn more attractive to local families. We suspect that the conference delegates will enjoy the facility too.
Our local clientele at the bar have also got into the paint thing and have shared their artistic talents with us. A band of cheetah spots now adorns the walls inside the bar.
The good rains have resulted in our gardens looking really beautiful.
The rains also caused the epauletted fruit bats to seek dry cover under the thatch of the entrance - there is a new record of 66 bats ! Their metallic " ting " calls carry on all night .
Our Christmas Lunch menu has been published in the local newspaper and we are expecting a good response. It is an important PR exercise as well - we are keen to show the locals that the Cheetah Inn is going well and is already a great credit to the Hoedspruit region. By 2010 ( football world cup year) we would like to be the envy of other small hotels in the region.
We wish to take this opportunity of wishing all our previous guests who receive this newsletter a happy festive season and a fulfilling 2006.
To our valued colleagues in the tourism industry, we thank you for your confidence in Viva Safaris. Be assured that we sincerely appreciate and value your continued support. We reaffirm our commitment to providing an excellent service to you in 2006 . We shall try our best to live up to our goal as the " best value-for-money safari in Africa " . Enjoy the festive season !
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