Viva Safaris Logo

October 2024

|Comments are Off
The Grey Heron, Ardea Cinerea, is a long-legged wader found near water. It is common throughout Kruger Park. It feeds mainly on aquatic prey, which it catches by a swift stabbing motion. It is often seen standing stationary, patiently waiting for a fish or frog to get within...

September 2024

|Comments are Off
The drought continues. Elephants, driven by hunger, are causing major damage to all lodges and private homes in Olifants West Nature Reserve. The day after I arrived at Tremisana, a wily elephant bull managed to get into the camp. These elephants are very intelligent. He was able...

August 2024

|Comments are Off
Although we live near Durban on the Eastern Seaboard of South Africa, where the warm Mozambique current allows for all-year bathing, we have been reluctant to swim in the sea. This is because of the high levels of e.coli present in the water. I recall the recent Paris Olympics in...

July 2024

|Comments are Off
Climate change has been in the forefront of world news this year with devastating reports of irregular and unexpected effects. South Africa has not been spared and we have recently had fires, tornados and floods. Viva Safaris’ lodges are situated in the areas around Hoedspruit....

June 2024

|Comments are Off
Really good news received this month is that about 120 White Rhino have been released onto the regions comprising what is generally known as the Greater Kruger Park. Balule Nature Reserve, on which Tremisana Lodge is situated, has benefitted and we are proud to know that our...

May 2024

|Comments are Off
Many wild African animals were first seen and recorded by early European settlers in the areas around Cape Town. As a result, many animals that occur through vast areas of Africa were named using the word “Cape”. As a young boy living in Hillbrow, I remember the prevalence of the...

April 2024

|Comments are Off
In last month’s newsletter, Nyarai posted a photo of an elephant inside Tremisana Lodge. A concerned prospective tourist asked about the potential danger. We established that the elephant did not break through our electric fence but walked through the back gate that had been...

March 2024

|Comments are Off
Some 30 years ago, I gave a talk at the University of the Witwatersrand to graduate students who were about to go on their first Mathematics teaching practical. Teaching can be both very rewarding and extremely punishing. I tried to encourage these student teachers to look...

February 2024

|Comments are Off
Viva Safaris has always attempted to engender in our tourists an awareness of good conservation practice. If you have the time, please look at the Home Page of https://www.vivasafaris.com. A much younger version of yours truly appears on the video entitled “Kruger Park Safaris...

December 2023 / January 2024

|Comments are Off
The Pel’s Fishing Owl, Scotopelia Peli, is a ‘top trophy” sighting as it is mainly nocturnal. It is a large light brown owl with rufous flecks on its plumage. It is found almost exclusively on large rivers that afford it nesting sites as well as prey. I was thrilled in early...