Latest News - February 2020
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Greetings from South Africa! The summer break is over, and most people have reluctantly returned to their daily grind. For some, this is a hardship, and for others a joy. How does the old saying go? If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life. Something that applies in particular to tour guides in South Africa, methinks…
February is usually the hottest month of the year, and this year is not likely to be an exception. Some of the highest temperatures ever recorded were experienced in parts of South Africa during January – in some cases, greater than 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). There can be no doubt that weather patterns have changed significantly over the last forty years or so, and this seems set to continue. Whether this is due to a natural cycle, man-made causes, or both, is a highly controversial subject. But in any event, we are going to have to live with the consequences for the foreseeable future. |
The bush fires that have been burning mercilessly across some parts of Australia have been dominating world headlines for the past few weeks, and we have been presented with heart-breaking images of the people, and especially the animals, that have been ravaged by these infernos. It has been conservatively estimated that up to half a billion animals have been affected, and millions have died. In total, more than 7.3 million hectares (17.9 million acres) have been burned across Australia's six states; an area larger than the countries of Belgium and Denmark combined.
Fires are a problem in South Africa as well, but fortunately not usually on the same scale as those in Australia, California and the Amazon. There are exceptions – the beautiful little vacation town of Knysna was devastated by a runaway forest fire just three years ago. Fire is part of the natural cycle of life in Africa, and there are even some plant species that require fire to germinate. About 70% of the ecosystems covering South Africa are fire-adapted, and they need to burn in order to maintain their ecological integrity. But because of human activity there is a need to manage fire in a manner that is appropriate for the land use and land type, while maintaining natural processes and patterns as far as is possible.
But on to happier things. There are now just a couple of months to go before our first tour of the year, which will occur at the beginning of April. This 21-day customized trip will be of epic proportions, taking in game viewing in the Timbavati and at the Addo Elephant National Park, as well as a number of adventure activities in E.T. (the Eastern Transvaal) and along the Garden Route. Unfortunately, it is fully booked, but there are some other tours which still have places available. Get onto our website and find one that is perfect for you
Fires are a problem in South Africa as well, but fortunately not usually on the same scale as those in Australia, California and the Amazon. There are exceptions – the beautiful little vacation town of Knysna was devastated by a runaway forest fire just three years ago. Fire is part of the natural cycle of life in Africa, and there are even some plant species that require fire to germinate. About 70% of the ecosystems covering South Africa are fire-adapted, and they need to burn in order to maintain their ecological integrity. But because of human activity there is a need to manage fire in a manner that is appropriate for the land use and land type, while maintaining natural processes and patterns as far as is possible.
But on to happier things. There are now just a couple of months to go before our first tour of the year, which will occur at the beginning of April. This 21-day customized trip will be of epic proportions, taking in game viewing in the Timbavati and at the Addo Elephant National Park, as well as a number of adventure activities in E.T. (the Eastern Transvaal) and along the Garden Route. Unfortunately, it is fully booked, but there are some other tours which still have places available. Get onto our website and find one that is perfect for you
Upcoming tours
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South African Spirit
September 2 - 16, 2020 Only 4 spots open! The trip starts off with a tour to Soweto, then moves on to the incredible Walkers River Camp in the Timbavati, where the group will spend 5 nights at this game viewing paradise. This is followed by 3 days of fun and adventure on the Panorama Route, then 4 more days in the magnificent city of Cape Town. Grab this opportunity to get one of the spots before they are all taken. You will not be disappointed! Click here to see the detailed itinerary. |
Focus on conservation
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Elephant numbers have decreased alarmingly in Africa, primarily due to hunting, habitat destruction and fragmentation. From an estimated 3 million animals a few hundred years ago, the population has declined to about 450,000 individuals throughout the continent at the present time, with about 50% of the decrease occurring in the 20th century. As per the last accurate census in 2015, there were a total of 18,841 elephants in South Africa, approximately 50% of which were contained within the Kruger National Park.
Poaching of elephants for the ivory trade has reached epidemic proportions in many African countries, and since 2007 there has been at least a 30% decrease in the total population. The biggest culprits are Tanzania, which had a decline of 63%, followed by Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Due to a concerted conservation effort and a ban on culling, the number of elephants in South Africa actually increased by 6% from 2007 to 2015, and the number of poaching incidents over the last few years has been negligible. During the same period, Namibia managed to increase its elephant population by a commendable 44%. |
Most authorities believe that the issue needs to be resolved at the source of the consumption market. Towards the end of 2016, China confirmed that it would end the world’s largest ivory market, with key changes and a full domestic ivory sales ban. Between 800 and 900 cases of ivory smuggling are uncovered in mainland China each year, according to customs figures, and more than half of the legitimate ivory businesses are implicated in the illegal trade. The United States, the world's second-largest consumer of illegal ivory after China, announced in June 2016 a near total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory, but with notable exemptions including antiques.
Protected habitat suitable for elephants represents only about 1.3% (30,000 square kilometers) of South Africa’s total landmass, and therefore careful management of these areas is absolutely imperative. Overpopulation can lead to a devastation of the environment, and control measures have to be implemented. These include birth control and the relocation of animals to less populated reserves, but culling still remains the most preferred and cost-effective method. This practice was banned in South Africa in 1995, but has since had to be reintroduced.
Because they need larger amounts of land than other sympatric terrestrial mammals, elephants are the first to be affected by human encroachment. In extreme cases, the animals may be confined to small islands of forest among human-dominated landscapes. Elephants cannot coexist with humans in agricultural areas due to their size and food requirements. They commonly trample and consume crops which contributes to conflicts with the locals, and both elephants and humans have died by the hundreds as a result. Mitigating these conflicts is important for conservation. One proposed solution is the provision of "urban corridors" and transfrontier parks, which allow the animals access to key areas.
Protected habitat suitable for elephants represents only about 1.3% (30,000 square kilometers) of South Africa’s total landmass, and therefore careful management of these areas is absolutely imperative. Overpopulation can lead to a devastation of the environment, and control measures have to be implemented. These include birth control and the relocation of animals to less populated reserves, but culling still remains the most preferred and cost-effective method. This practice was banned in South Africa in 1995, but has since had to be reintroduced.
Because they need larger amounts of land than other sympatric terrestrial mammals, elephants are the first to be affected by human encroachment. In extreme cases, the animals may be confined to small islands of forest among human-dominated landscapes. Elephants cannot coexist with humans in agricultural areas due to their size and food requirements. They commonly trample and consume crops which contributes to conflicts with the locals, and both elephants and humans have died by the hundreds as a result. Mitigating these conflicts is important for conservation. One proposed solution is the provision of "urban corridors" and transfrontier parks, which allow the animals access to key areas.
Significant historical events
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The “Scorched Earth” Catastrophe
After Great Britain had occupied the Cape Colony in 1806, many of the local boers (farmers) decided that they could not live under the yoke of British imperialism, and headed north in a mass migration today known as "The Great Trek". This eventually led to the establishment of two independent Boer republics, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) and the Oranje-Vrijstaat (OVS). The British were initially happy to allow this, having originally discounted the interior of South Africa as worthless. But they became increasingly perturbed by the discovery of diamonds near Kimberley and gold strikes in the Eastern Transvaal. Even though they had recognized the independence of the Boer Republics in the 1850s, they now arrogantly decided to rescind their decision. |
This resulted in the 1st Anglo-Boer War, which took place from December 1880 to March 1881. Undermanned, ill-prepared and out-maneuvered, the British were thrashed and humiliated by the Boer commandos in a series of battles, and were forced to surrender and sign a peace treaty under unfavorable terms.
Things quietened down for few years, but everything changed when massive gold reserves were discovered on the Witwatersrand in 1886. The British again turned their avaricious eyes towards the north, and prepared for another conflict. Having learned from their first disastrous attempt, they deployed huge numbers of troops and engaged the Boers in a concerted war effort starting in 1899, and within a year had all but defeated the local army in conventional terms.
But the Boers refused to give up, and resorted to guerrilla tactics. They increased their reliance on small and highly mobile military units, sniping at and raiding the British camps, capturing supplies, and disrupting communications. They avoided pitched battles and their casualties were light. There was no need for orthodox support structures, as every farmhouse in their area of operation became a potential resupply base.
Unable to respond with conventional methods, the British decided to employ a highly controversial tactic now known as the “scorched earth” policy. As British troops swept through the countryside, they systematically destroyed crops, slaughtered livestock, burned homesteads and farms, and interned Boer men, women, children and their workers in concentration camps. A total of 109 of these camps were set up, and more than 100,000 Boers, mostly woman and children, were imprisoned.
The camps were poorly administered from the outset and became increasingly overcrowded. Conditions were appalling, mainly due to neglect, poor hygiene, inadequate food supplies and bad sanitation. This lead to malnutrition and the outbreak of contagious diseases such as measles, typhoid and dysentery, to which the children were particularly vulnerable. In some camps, the child mortality rate was as high as 95%.
Exhausted by more than two years of guerrilla warfare, demoralized, deprived of places of refuge, and broken-hearted by the loss of their wives and children, the Boer commandos were eventually forced to surrender. The last of the Boers capitulated in May 1902, and the war ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging which was signed on the 31st of that month.
The cost of the war was staggering, in terms of both finances and casualties. It is estimated that Great Britain spent in total about 210 million pounds during the war, which equates to around 250 billion pounds in today’s money. Nearly 22,000 British soldiers died, and more than 75,000 were wounded and repatriated. The Boers only lost about 4,000 men during the fighting, but it was the concentration camps that did the most damage. Altogether, about 14,000 black South Africans and 28,000 Boer civilians died in the camps, of which approximately 24,000 were children under 16 – about 50% of the Boer child population at the time.
This, together with the fact that their farms were now burnt and useless, caused untold hardship and devastation amongst the civilian population for many years after the war had ended. It resulted in a wave of resentment against the British which has persisted, to a certain extent, right up until the present day.
Things quietened down for few years, but everything changed when massive gold reserves were discovered on the Witwatersrand in 1886. The British again turned their avaricious eyes towards the north, and prepared for another conflict. Having learned from their first disastrous attempt, they deployed huge numbers of troops and engaged the Boers in a concerted war effort starting in 1899, and within a year had all but defeated the local army in conventional terms.
But the Boers refused to give up, and resorted to guerrilla tactics. They increased their reliance on small and highly mobile military units, sniping at and raiding the British camps, capturing supplies, and disrupting communications. They avoided pitched battles and their casualties were light. There was no need for orthodox support structures, as every farmhouse in their area of operation became a potential resupply base.
Unable to respond with conventional methods, the British decided to employ a highly controversial tactic now known as the “scorched earth” policy. As British troops swept through the countryside, they systematically destroyed crops, slaughtered livestock, burned homesteads and farms, and interned Boer men, women, children and their workers in concentration camps. A total of 109 of these camps were set up, and more than 100,000 Boers, mostly woman and children, were imprisoned.
The camps were poorly administered from the outset and became increasingly overcrowded. Conditions were appalling, mainly due to neglect, poor hygiene, inadequate food supplies and bad sanitation. This lead to malnutrition and the outbreak of contagious diseases such as measles, typhoid and dysentery, to which the children were particularly vulnerable. In some camps, the child mortality rate was as high as 95%.
Exhausted by more than two years of guerrilla warfare, demoralized, deprived of places of refuge, and broken-hearted by the loss of their wives and children, the Boer commandos were eventually forced to surrender. The last of the Boers capitulated in May 1902, and the war ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging which was signed on the 31st of that month.
The cost of the war was staggering, in terms of both finances and casualties. It is estimated that Great Britain spent in total about 210 million pounds during the war, which equates to around 250 billion pounds in today’s money. Nearly 22,000 British soldiers died, and more than 75,000 were wounded and repatriated. The Boers only lost about 4,000 men during the fighting, but it was the concentration camps that did the most damage. Altogether, about 14,000 black South Africans and 28,000 Boer civilians died in the camps, of which approximately 24,000 were children under 16 – about 50% of the Boer child population at the time.
This, together with the fact that their farms were now burnt and useless, caused untold hardship and devastation amongst the civilian population for many years after the war had ended. It resulted in a wave of resentment against the British which has persisted, to a certain extent, right up until the present day.
Folklore & legends
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The Flying Dutchman
Among nautical myths and legends, few are as famous as the Flying Dutchman. Many have claimed to see the ghostly vessel of Captain Hendrick van der Decken (the Dutchman) since it sank in 1641. It is because of his brash attitude in the face of God’s stormy wrath that he and his crew are cursed to sail the high seas until doomsday. Captain van der Decken had made the perilous journey from Holland to India in order to buy lucrative goods like spices, silks, and dyes. After purchasing as much as the hull could hold, he set out for Amsterdam. |
As his ship began to round the Cape of Good Hope, a terrible gale sprang up, threatening to capsize the ship and drown all on board. The sailors urged their captain to turn around or put to shore, but Captain van der Decken refused. Some say he was mad, others say he was drunk, but for whatever reason, the Captain ordered his crew to press on. The winds tore at the sails and water spilled down into the hull.
Pushed to their limit, the crew mutinied. Without hesitation, Captain van der Decken killed the rebel leader and threw his body into the churning seas. As his body hit the water, the Captain heard a ghostly voice, asking him if he did not mean to go into the bay that night. Van der Decken replied: “May I be eternally damned if I do, though I should beat about here till the day of judgment”.
At that, the voice spoke again, saying “As a result of your actions you are condemned to sail the oceans for eternity with a ghostly crew of dead men, bringing death to all who sight your spectral ship and to never make port or know a moment’s peace. Furthermore, gall shall be your drink and red-hot iron your meat.” At this, Captain van der Decken did not quaver for an instant. Instead he merely cried “Amen to that!”
Since then, Captain van der Decken has been given the moniker “the Flying Dutchman”, sailing his ghost ship the world over. Sailors claim that the vessel has led many other ships astray, causing them to wreck on hidden rocks or reefs. It is said that if you look into a fierce storm brewing off the Cape of Good Hope, you will see the Captain and his skeletal crew.
The legend of the Flying Dutchman has been kept alive through dozens of books, movies, TV episodes, and even an opera, and there are hundreds of articles on the internet. But there have been many “actual” sightings of the legendary ship as well. Accounts from well-respected bodies such as the Royal Navy and the German Navy have been recorded, the keepers of the lighthouse at Cape Point have often reported seeing the ship during a storm, near collisions with other ships have occurred, and numerous eyewitness accounts have been documented.
Fiction or truth, or something in between? No one will ever know for certain.
Pushed to their limit, the crew mutinied. Without hesitation, Captain van der Decken killed the rebel leader and threw his body into the churning seas. As his body hit the water, the Captain heard a ghostly voice, asking him if he did not mean to go into the bay that night. Van der Decken replied: “May I be eternally damned if I do, though I should beat about here till the day of judgment”.
At that, the voice spoke again, saying “As a result of your actions you are condemned to sail the oceans for eternity with a ghostly crew of dead men, bringing death to all who sight your spectral ship and to never make port or know a moment’s peace. Furthermore, gall shall be your drink and red-hot iron your meat.” At this, Captain van der Decken did not quaver for an instant. Instead he merely cried “Amen to that!”
Since then, Captain van der Decken has been given the moniker “the Flying Dutchman”, sailing his ghost ship the world over. Sailors claim that the vessel has led many other ships astray, causing them to wreck on hidden rocks or reefs. It is said that if you look into a fierce storm brewing off the Cape of Good Hope, you will see the Captain and his skeletal crew.
The legend of the Flying Dutchman has been kept alive through dozens of books, movies, TV episodes, and even an opera, and there are hundreds of articles on the internet. But there have been many “actual” sightings of the legendary ship as well. Accounts from well-respected bodies such as the Royal Navy and the German Navy have been recorded, the keepers of the lighthouse at Cape Point have often reported seeing the ship during a storm, near collisions with other ships have occurred, and numerous eyewitness accounts have been documented.
Fiction or truth, or something in between? No one will ever know for certain.
Creature Corner
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Although they were once plentiful throughout Africa, the Middle East, some parts of Europe and Asia, contemporary records suggest that the Leopard now occurs in only about 25% of its historical global range. It is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, mainly because populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Leopards are also hunted illegally, their body parts being used for medicinal practices and decoration.
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Feather Feature
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Common Name: Kori Bustard
Binomial Name: Ardeotis kori Status: Resident, but with nomadic local movements. Red List Status: Near Threatened The Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa; in fact, it is the heaviest living animal or bird capable of flight. Very large males can weigh as much as 20 kilograms (44 pounds). They are commonly found throughout southern Africa, particularly in protected areas. Kori Bustards spend much of their time on the ground (up to 70%), but they do occasionally forage in low bushes and trees. |
Did you know?
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The Cango Caves are one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions in South Africa. Rock art and artifacts indicate that the caves were in use for a long period during the Middle and Later Stone Ages, but they were only rediscovered in modern times by a local farmer in 1780. It is estimated that the caves extend for a distance of 25 kilometres (16 miles) into the mountainside, but only the first few chambers are open to the public, and only as part of a guided tour.
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Words of wisdom
"All I wanted to do was get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already." - Ernest Hemingway
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