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May 2026

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Mother Teresa, when confronted by the enormous suffering of the destitute in Kolkata, was not overawed. Her response was: ‘We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.’ I am inspired by her words....

April 2026

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On Viva Safaris night drives, (Sundowner Drive and Sunset Drive) we encounter not only nocturnal mammals such as civets, genets, scrub hares, porcupines and bush babies. At certain times of the year, our guides show off their spotting skills to incredulous guests by finding...

March 2026

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One of the consequences of immigration into South Africa was that the newcomers brought with them various animals. I fully understand their reasoning : it made them feel like they were “home away from home” and no doubt reduced their longing for their fatherlands. Visitors to...

February 2026

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With the residual pools found in the veld after the January floods, we were advised that there may have been an increase in cases of malaria. To date, there have been no reports of any malaria outbreaks in our region. Most of the pools have dried up. Great stuff ! We received an...

December 2025 January 2026

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All past and future safari-goers to Kruger Park will have learned about the devastating floods we experienced in January. The damage done is, in my opinion, the worst ever. Tremisana Lodge, being the highest lodge in Olifants West Reserve, did not suffer much when compared to...

November 2025

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The African Spoonbill, Platalea Alba, is a long-legged wading bird often seen at Tremisana Dam. It gets its name from the spatulate shape of its bill that it uses to catch fish, molluscs, insects and other water inhabitants by swinging it side-to-side. When it senses some aquatic...

October 2025

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In last month’s newsletter I indicated how speeding leads to terrible wildlife roadkill.  I regret to advise that on or around 19 October a beautiful male leopard was run over on the tar road close to the Olifants West gate. This happened despite the Ingwe Research program having...

September 2025

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The responsibilities of tour operators and lodge owners like Viva Safaris are not limited to ensuring that our guests have a safe, well-guided and enjoyable wildlife experience. All lodge owners must commit to a realistic conservation ethic. Apart from alerting our guests to the...

August 2025

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Kruger Park is set apart from all other game reserves in terms of its diversity of wildlife. The massive herds of wildebeest in the Serengeti, the huge concentrations of animals around the Etosha waterholes and the great herds of elephants along the Chobe River are certainly...

July 2025

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It seems to me that strife in our world is ever-increasing. Nowadays I am reluctant to watch TV news bulletins as I am invariably depressed. Strife has even entered my personal world via the beloved game reserve that has brought me much happiness and such a warm sense of...