Latest News - March 2021
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Greetings once again from South Africa. It has been a very strange summer so far in this part of the world, in that we have experienced very few of the hot and humid days which often occur during February. This is mostly because of the massive amounts of rain which were dumped on the country by a succession of tropical cyclones coming in from the Indian Ocean. The weather, at the moment, is perfect – long warm days, very little rain except for some afternoon thundershowers, and cool nights. March, April and May are always the best months of the year from a weather point of view.
Close Encounters is a family owned-and-operated company, and once again, just six months after the loss of our mother Helena, myself, Alan and Janice were devastated by the passing of our father, Vernon, on February 10. Our sincere thanks go out to the hundreds of you that sent us messages of sympathy and condolences, but we can also take comfort in the knowledge that he has gone on to be reunited with his beloved partner of 66 years. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather, an inspiring member of his church community, and a respected leader in all of his business enterprises. Even though he was never a wealthy man, he was kind and generous, and was without doubt the most happy and contented man that anyone could ever have known. |
New COVID-19 cases in South Africa have dropped off to just a trickle over the last month or so, prompting the President to move the country to Level 1 restrictions at the beginning of March. This means that most of the lockdown rules have been relaxed, and, other than a few restrictions on large gatherings, only the strict mask mandate remains in place. This is excellent news for the tourism industry, and the friendly people of sunny South Africa can now look forward to welcoming all of our new visitors with open arms (figuratively speaking, that is – hugging is still not encouraged)!
The outstanding rainy season that we are currently experiencing has not only broken the drought that has plagued South Africa for the past few years, but has also encouraged a bumper crop of game animal births. Watching the live safaris on the Wild Earth channel (https://wildearth.tv/live-safaris/) has been become a bit of an addiction, but nothing takes the place of the real thing, and we cannot wait to get back out into the bushveld in just one month’s time. For those of you that will be arriving here soon, be assured that you are going to be in for the trip of a lifetime!
Stay safe, be careful, and keep wearing those masks! Now is not the time to drop your guard, just at the very point where it seems we are getting on top of this horrible pandemic. We will talk to you again in a month’s time, but until then, hamba kahle (Zulu for “goodbye”, literally “go well”).
Mike Leicester
Editor
The outstanding rainy season that we are currently experiencing has not only broken the drought that has plagued South Africa for the past few years, but has also encouraged a bumper crop of game animal births. Watching the live safaris on the Wild Earth channel (https://wildearth.tv/live-safaris/) has been become a bit of an addiction, but nothing takes the place of the real thing, and we cannot wait to get back out into the bushveld in just one month’s time. For those of you that will be arriving here soon, be assured that you are going to be in for the trip of a lifetime!
Stay safe, be careful, and keep wearing those masks! Now is not the time to drop your guard, just at the very point where it seems we are getting on top of this horrible pandemic. We will talk to you again in a month’s time, but until then, hamba kahle (Zulu for “goodbye”, literally “go well”).
Mike Leicester
Editor
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IN MEMORIAM Vernon Hilton Leicester Aug 18 1932 - Feb 10 2021 Beloved husband of Helena and father of Michael, Alan and Janice. "A true friend we could turn to when times were good or bad, one of our greatest blessings, the man that we called Dad." |
Upcoming tours
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Surf & Turf
Have you ever dreamt about doing an affordable surfing safari at an exotic location which has some of the most epic waves on the planet? Well, now you can! In addition to its standard wildlife trips, Close Encounters has put together a surfing tour which includes some of the best surf spots in South Africa, as well as most of the attractions along its incredible coastline. With the leadership and help of a professional guide with an intimate knowledge of local conditions, you can not only catch a few waves at legendary surf locations like Jeffrey's Bay, Victoria Bay, Muizenberg and Llandudno, to name just a few, but you can also play with the penguins on Boulders Beach, marvel at the breathtaking views from the top of Cape Town's Table Mountain, and visit the spectacular winelands of Stellenbosch, amongst many other highlights. Get some friends together and book a trip today - we guarantee that you will not be disappointed! Click here to see the detailed itinerary. |
Focus on conservation
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Texas dogs saving South African rhinos
Everybody knows that dogs are man’s best friend - but these trusty canines in South Africa have also proven themselves to be the best friends of endangered wildlife as well. The pack of beagles, bloodhoods, and more, has saved the lives of 45 rhinos threatened by poachers since 2018. Now, in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, they and their human friends at the Southern African Wildlife College continue to provide their essential services in the country’s national parks. |
Trained to protect wildlife since birth, these hounds began their important work at the age of 18 months. Their efforts have helped law enforcement in the region of the Kruger National Park catch an “unprecedented 145 poachers and confiscate 53 guns,” according to National Geographic.
But what is now a well-oiled wildlife protection operation did not start out that way; the story began in 2017, when Theresa Sowry, CEO of the Southern Africa Wildlife College, visited a man named Joe Braman at his rural ranch in Southern Texas.
Braman was a part-time police officer, businessman, and cowboy with no knowledge of the poaching crisis happening half a world a way - but Sowry had heard through the grapevine that Braman trained a special bloodline of dogs that had found great success in helping Texas law enforcement catch escaping prison inmates. She wanted to see for herself whether the pooches could be of help at the southern tip of her continent.
“Just think about it,” Braman mused to NatGeo. “If you spun a globe and threw a dart and it stuck, what’s the odds you’ll find a low-key guy in southern Texas’s coastal bend gettin’ picked to stop the extinction of a species?”
South African National Parks had previously employed anti-poaching teams using individual dogs, but their success was limited. “Kruger was very keen to test free-running dogs,” Sowry explained to the news outlet. “Building a pack dog team is a massive undertaking. You need the right genetics, the right training, and, most importantly, the right mind-set to bring it all together.”
Braman grew up raising just these types of dogs with his dad; the father and son team would train groups of 15 or so dogs to follow the scent of animals.
When Braman arrived in South Africa, the plan was simply to asses Kruger National Park’s K9 unit and to train a handful of dogs - but the project quickly expanded to reach a scale that nobody anticipated. After finding that training practices in the country were much different that what he did on his ranch back home, he returned to Texas to train a group of dogs which he could later bring back to Kruger.
Upon returning with his dogs, Braman didn’t know what to expect - but almost immediately after arriving at the park, the canines managed to catch a group of poachers who had killed a rhino. Since then, there has been a ten-fold increase in successful apprehensions of poachers, thanks to the work of the K9 program.
But what is now a well-oiled wildlife protection operation did not start out that way; the story began in 2017, when Theresa Sowry, CEO of the Southern Africa Wildlife College, visited a man named Joe Braman at his rural ranch in Southern Texas.
Braman was a part-time police officer, businessman, and cowboy with no knowledge of the poaching crisis happening half a world a way - but Sowry had heard through the grapevine that Braman trained a special bloodline of dogs that had found great success in helping Texas law enforcement catch escaping prison inmates. She wanted to see for herself whether the pooches could be of help at the southern tip of her continent.
“Just think about it,” Braman mused to NatGeo. “If you spun a globe and threw a dart and it stuck, what’s the odds you’ll find a low-key guy in southern Texas’s coastal bend gettin’ picked to stop the extinction of a species?”
South African National Parks had previously employed anti-poaching teams using individual dogs, but their success was limited. “Kruger was very keen to test free-running dogs,” Sowry explained to the news outlet. “Building a pack dog team is a massive undertaking. You need the right genetics, the right training, and, most importantly, the right mind-set to bring it all together.”
Braman grew up raising just these types of dogs with his dad; the father and son team would train groups of 15 or so dogs to follow the scent of animals.
When Braman arrived in South Africa, the plan was simply to asses Kruger National Park’s K9 unit and to train a handful of dogs - but the project quickly expanded to reach a scale that nobody anticipated. After finding that training practices in the country were much different that what he did on his ranch back home, he returned to Texas to train a group of dogs which he could later bring back to Kruger.
Upon returning with his dogs, Braman didn’t know what to expect - but almost immediately after arriving at the park, the canines managed to catch a group of poachers who had killed a rhino. Since then, there has been a ten-fold increase in successful apprehensions of poachers, thanks to the work of the K9 program.
Significant historical events
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The Anglo-Zulu War
After finally defeating the Xhosa in a series of frontier wars which had lasted for 99 years (1779–1878), the British now turned their attention towards the Zulus in Natal. Sir Henry Bartle Frere, the High Commissioner, on his own initiative and without the approval of the British government, decided to instigate a war with Cetshwayo, the Zulu king at the time. He did this by issuing a long list of demands, knowing full well that his terms would be completely unacceptable. When Cetshwayo refused to respond to his ultimatum, Frere ordered an invasion of Zululand. |
The campaign had a disastrous beginning. Three columns of British troops under the overall command of Lord Chelmsford crossed the Buffalo River into Zululand on January 11, 1879, and by January 22, the army was encamped near Isandlwana (see picture). Chelmsford was lured eastward, together with much of his center column, by a Zulu diversionary force, whilst the main Zulu army of about 20,000 warriors attacked his camp. The ensuing battle became a massacre; the British camp was annihilated, with heavy casualties as well as the loss of all its supplies, ammunition and transport. Of the 1,700-plus force of British troops and African auxiliaries, about 1,300 were killed. The defeat left Chelmsford with no choice but to hastily retreat out of Zululand.
After a few more battles and skirmishes, and some British successes at Kambula, Gingindlovu and Eshowe, Chelmsford started to prepare for a second invasion. He had a pressing reason to proceed with haste; Sir Garnet Wolseley was being sent to replace him, and he wanted to inflict a decisive defeat on Cetshwayo's forces before then. Chelmsford reorganized his forces and again advanced into Zululand in June 1879, this time with extreme caution.
Cetshwayo, understanding that the newly-reinforced British would be formidable opponents, attempted to negotiate a peace treaty. Chelmsford was not open to negotiations, and he proceeded to the royal kraal of Ulundi, intending to crush the main Zulu army. On July 4, 1879, the armies clashed at the Battle of Ulundi and Cetshwayo's forces were comprehensively defeated, thus ending the war.
After a few more battles and skirmishes, and some British successes at Kambula, Gingindlovu and Eshowe, Chelmsford started to prepare for a second invasion. He had a pressing reason to proceed with haste; Sir Garnet Wolseley was being sent to replace him, and he wanted to inflict a decisive defeat on Cetshwayo's forces before then. Chelmsford reorganized his forces and again advanced into Zululand in June 1879, this time with extreme caution.
Cetshwayo, understanding that the newly-reinforced British would be formidable opponents, attempted to negotiate a peace treaty. Chelmsford was not open to negotiations, and he proceeded to the royal kraal of Ulundi, intending to crush the main Zulu army. On July 4, 1879, the armies clashed at the Battle of Ulundi and Cetshwayo's forces were comprehensively defeated, thus ending the war.
Folklore & legends
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The Inkanyamba
The Inkanyamba are reputed to be a population of large amphibious monsters, allegedly indigenous to southern Africa. The most renowned representative of this rare species is said to live in the deep pools beneath South Africa’s legendary Howick Falls. The creatures have been described as being colossal eel-like anomalies with finned manes, huge fore-flippers, horse-like heads and decidedly nasty dispositions. Judging from this description, it is no wonder that the Inkanyamba have inspired both awe and terror throughout the Zulu and Xhosa communities for centuries. |
Believed by most investigators to be a large species of freshwater eel which can grow to a respectable length of about 6 feet, locals insist that the Inkanyamba are much larger, and bear some decidedly supernatural characteristics.
Accounts of these animals actually date back to aboriginal cave paintings found throughout the KwaZulu-Natal area. These paintings depict creatures which archaeologists have come to refer to as “rain animals”, due to their association with vicious summer storms.
In 1998, residents of the Ingwavuma and Pongola regions of KwaZulu-Natal blamed the violent Inkanyamba for a brutal storm in which thousands of people lost their homes. This ancient connection between the Inkanyamba and severe meteorological events is due to the fact that the creatures are rarely seen during the summer months.
The animals first claimed international attention in 1996, when a local newspaper offered a reward to anyone that could produce photographic evidence. Although two photographs were published, neither one gave any clear indication of the animal’s appearance and were accused of being hoaxes. These (admittedly dubious) images only served to fuel the fierce controversy surrounding their existence.
A few months later, yet another flurry of media attention responded to the rumor that the South African government was planning to capture the animal that lurked beneath Howick Falls, and to transplant it to an environmentally protected area. Local Zulus were outraged by the plan, and petitioned their local council for an intervention. The residents were terrified that an expedition sent to capture the beast might not be prepared to deal with the vicious nature of the creature, and that the resulting carnage could spill over into the local villages. No project of this nature ever transpired, and the Inkanyamba, if it exists, continues to dwell in its watery home beneath the mighty waterfall.
Accounts of these animals actually date back to aboriginal cave paintings found throughout the KwaZulu-Natal area. These paintings depict creatures which archaeologists have come to refer to as “rain animals”, due to their association with vicious summer storms.
In 1998, residents of the Ingwavuma and Pongola regions of KwaZulu-Natal blamed the violent Inkanyamba for a brutal storm in which thousands of people lost their homes. This ancient connection between the Inkanyamba and severe meteorological events is due to the fact that the creatures are rarely seen during the summer months.
The animals first claimed international attention in 1996, when a local newspaper offered a reward to anyone that could produce photographic evidence. Although two photographs were published, neither one gave any clear indication of the animal’s appearance and were accused of being hoaxes. These (admittedly dubious) images only served to fuel the fierce controversy surrounding their existence.
A few months later, yet another flurry of media attention responded to the rumor that the South African government was planning to capture the animal that lurked beneath Howick Falls, and to transplant it to an environmentally protected area. Local Zulus were outraged by the plan, and petitioned their local council for an intervention. The residents were terrified that an expedition sent to capture the beast might not be prepared to deal with the vicious nature of the creature, and that the resulting carnage could spill over into the local villages. No project of this nature ever transpired, and the Inkanyamba, if it exists, continues to dwell in its watery home beneath the mighty waterfall.
Creature corner
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The Gemsbok, also known as the South African Oryx, is a large antelope native to the more arid regions of southern Africa. It’s name is derived from the Dutch word for a male Chamois, although the two species are not closely related. Both genders have long, straight, rapier-like horns, which they will use to vigorously defend themselves from predators. They live in herds of between 10 and 40 animals, usually consisting of a dominant male, sub-adult and non-dominant males, and a harem of females.
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Feather feature
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Common Name: Jackal Buzzard
Binomial Name: Buteo rufofuscus Status: Common resident Red List Status: Least Concern The Jackal Buzzard is a fairly large bird of prey, endemic to southern Africa. It lives amongst the mountains, and on the adjacent savanna and grassland. It is resident and non-migratory throughout its range. Although quite common and adaptable, Jackal Buzzards are frequently endangered by large man-made objects such as wind turbines, power lines, and steep-sided reservoirs. |
Did you know?
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In terms of latitude, Cape Town is one of the most southerly major cities on earth. Only Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney (all in Australia), Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay are located at a more southerly latitude, and most of these by only a very small margin. Only 10% of the world’s population lives in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Words of wisdom
"South Africa is the most beautiful place on earth. Admittedly, I am biased, but when you combine the natural beauty ... and the fact that the region is a haven for Africa's most splendid wildlife ... then I think that we have been blessed with a truly wonderful land."
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
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