Latest News - November 2019
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi (left) and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (right)
Welcome to our very first newsletter! Each month we will endeavor to bring you current events, as well as fun and enlightening titbits about animals, birds, conservation, folklore stories and many other subjects related to beautiful South Africa. We hope that you will find it enjoyable and interesting, and that it will encourage you to visit us and explore all of the wonderful opportunities that this magnificent country has to offer.
Millions of sports-mad South Africans took to the streets in delirious joy when their national rugby team, the Springboks, thrashed England in the final of the Rugby World Cup to become World Champions. The match took place on November 2nd in the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, after a 7-week series of round-robin and knockout matches. This is the third time that the Springboks have won the World Cup, and in doing so they now equal the number of titles won by the mighty All Blacks from New Zealand. Since the competition began, the Cup has only ever been won once by a team from the northern hemisphere, England, in 2003; in all other finals, the winner has been either South Africa, New Zealand or Australia.
The national rugby team from the USA, nicknamed the Eagles, also took part in this years tournament, but unfortunately didn't make it to the knockout stages. They were slotted together with England, France, Argentina and Tonga in an exceptionally tough group, and did not win any of their pool games. They did show signs of promise, however, and will definitely become a force to be reckoned with in the future. There are more than 120 countries worldwide where rugby is played, and the USA's current ranking of 17th is a credit to their players and coaches, given that the game is relatively unknown when compared to mega-sports like football and baseball.
Next month we'll get back to more travel and wildlife related news, but for now let us bask in the glow of the golden World Cup. Just as it did when South Africa won the title for the first time back in 1995, the Cup has become a symbol of hope and strength, and has united South Africans of all races in a common happiness that will lift the country's spirits for many months to come.
Millions of sports-mad South Africans took to the streets in delirious joy when their national rugby team, the Springboks, thrashed England in the final of the Rugby World Cup to become World Champions. The match took place on November 2nd in the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, after a 7-week series of round-robin and knockout matches. This is the third time that the Springboks have won the World Cup, and in doing so they now equal the number of titles won by the mighty All Blacks from New Zealand. Since the competition began, the Cup has only ever been won once by a team from the northern hemisphere, England, in 2003; in all other finals, the winner has been either South Africa, New Zealand or Australia.
The national rugby team from the USA, nicknamed the Eagles, also took part in this years tournament, but unfortunately didn't make it to the knockout stages. They were slotted together with England, France, Argentina and Tonga in an exceptionally tough group, and did not win any of their pool games. They did show signs of promise, however, and will definitely become a force to be reckoned with in the future. There are more than 120 countries worldwide where rugby is played, and the USA's current ranking of 17th is a credit to their players and coaches, given that the game is relatively unknown when compared to mega-sports like football and baseball.
Next month we'll get back to more travel and wildlife related news, but for now let us bask in the glow of the golden World Cup. Just as it did when South Africa won the title for the first time back in 1995, the Cup has become a symbol of hope and strength, and has united South Africans of all races in a common happiness that will lift the country's spirits for many months to come.
Upcoming tours
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Have you always wanted to travel to Africa, but couldn't do it because nobody wanted to go with you? Well, here is the perfect opportunity! We have just ONE spot open on this customized trip, which will run from April 7-24 2020. Get in quickly and book the trip through our website (click here) before someone else snaps it up!
In addition to this trip, we have many other tours scheduled for 2020. Some of them are fully booked, but quite a few of them still have places open. To have a look, open the website (click here), then go to "Tours" and "Upcoming Tours". |
Focus on conservation
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Loving them to death?
Wild animals are steeped in myth and legend. They’re powerful, elusive, dangerous, and yet stunningly beautiful. So who wouldn’t want to seize the opportunity to see them up close, or even interact with them first hand? Traditionally, this need has always been fulfilled by zoos, circuses and aquariums. But in recent years, there has been a proliferation of operations across the world that offer far more intimate interactions with dangerous wild animals. These include activities such as closeup “selfie” pictures with animals, cub petting, walking with big cats, riding of elephants, feeding of monkeys and birds, and a host of other similar interactions. |
Many of these operations shroud themselves with a cloak of respectability by using emotive keywords such as “conservation”, “rehabilitation” and “education”, and in doing so garner themselves sympathetic donations and tourist dollars. But the reality is that wild animals and birds don’t naturally interact with humans, and in many cases are being forced to do so by using particularly brutal methods.
There are some of these organisations that truly do have the best interests of the animals at heart, and which subscribe to the strict principle of the “three Rs” – Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release. They can usually be identified by one simple rule – they don’t allow intimate interaction between humans and the animals in their care in any way or form.
There are a number of outright lies that are being constantly perpetuated by the more irresponsible side of the industry. For example, it is often claimed that young animals used for petting have been orphaned by poaching or hunting. This is patently untrue; in most cases, these animals have been bred in captivity, then ripped away from their mothers soon after birth. This induces the parent animal to come into season soon afterwards, creating an artificial situation almost akin to a production line, and providing a constant supply of cuddly baby animals to be fawned over by paying patrons.
Another common untruth is that the animals are released into the wild when they become older. This almost never happens, for many reasons. The animals are often genetically deficient because of inbreeding, they could carry diseases not usually present in the wild, and most of them would be unable to feed or care for themselves. The majority of them end up being sold into captive breeding programs, zoos, circuses or, most often, “canned” hunting operations.
In the case of elephants, the situation is even worse. Wild elephants will naturally flee from any perceived danger or, if cornered or threatened, will attempt to stomp their attacker into the equivalent of strawberry jam. The fact that captive elephants used in interactions such as touching, walking and riding don’t usually do this boils down to just one thing; pure, unadulterated fear. The exceptionally cruel methods used to “train” elephants, usually when they are very young, is enough to induce a lifelong submission to the unnatural activities which they are obliged to endure.
So think long and hard about this before you cuddle a lion cub or ride an elephant. By supporting activities such as those outlined above, you will be perpetuating the suffering and misery of the very animals that you profess to love and support. There are thousands of game and nature reserves throughout the world that provide an opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in a natural setting; an experience far more rewarding and satisfying than a quick pic with a drugged tiger or a baby cheetah.
There are some of these organisations that truly do have the best interests of the animals at heart, and which subscribe to the strict principle of the “three Rs” – Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release. They can usually be identified by one simple rule – they don’t allow intimate interaction between humans and the animals in their care in any way or form.
There are a number of outright lies that are being constantly perpetuated by the more irresponsible side of the industry. For example, it is often claimed that young animals used for petting have been orphaned by poaching or hunting. This is patently untrue; in most cases, these animals have been bred in captivity, then ripped away from their mothers soon after birth. This induces the parent animal to come into season soon afterwards, creating an artificial situation almost akin to a production line, and providing a constant supply of cuddly baby animals to be fawned over by paying patrons.
Another common untruth is that the animals are released into the wild when they become older. This almost never happens, for many reasons. The animals are often genetically deficient because of inbreeding, they could carry diseases not usually present in the wild, and most of them would be unable to feed or care for themselves. The majority of them end up being sold into captive breeding programs, zoos, circuses or, most often, “canned” hunting operations.
In the case of elephants, the situation is even worse. Wild elephants will naturally flee from any perceived danger or, if cornered or threatened, will attempt to stomp their attacker into the equivalent of strawberry jam. The fact that captive elephants used in interactions such as touching, walking and riding don’t usually do this boils down to just one thing; pure, unadulterated fear. The exceptionally cruel methods used to “train” elephants, usually when they are very young, is enough to induce a lifelong submission to the unnatural activities which they are obliged to endure.
So think long and hard about this before you cuddle a lion cub or ride an elephant. By supporting activities such as those outlined above, you will be perpetuating the suffering and misery of the very animals that you profess to love and support. There are thousands of game and nature reserves throughout the world that provide an opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in a natural setting; an experience far more rewarding and satisfying than a quick pic with a drugged tiger or a baby cheetah.
Fundraising news
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Did you know that, on average, a rhino is killed every 10 hours in Africa? There are less than 27,500 rhinos left in the world. Wildlife trafficking currently generates more that 20 billion dollars a year, much of which has been proven to fund global terrorism.
Close Encounters held 3 very successful fundraisers this year, in San Diego, to benefit anti-poaching in South Africa. All proceeds raised went directly to Rhino Revolution in Hoedspruit, South Africa. To learn more about this organization and all of the projects that they are involved in, visit their website or better still, come on one of our trips and visit them in person (www.Rhinorevolution.org) |
Our first fundraiser was at Serpentine Cider, where the proceeds from the sale of cider and food were sent to Rhino Revolution. The second in July was a “South African Food Extravaganza", where over 50 guests were able to taste-test and enjoy an abundance of home-cooked South African meals. Our 3rd and final event for the year was a wine and food pairing event, where 40 guests were able to sit down to a wine tasting with 5 different, carefully selected South African wines, and even got to take home a souvenir “Save the Rhino” glass. In total, just over $6000 was raised at all 3 events.
Click here to find out more about future events. Also stay tuned for news of a screening of the documentary “Breaking Their Silence” (www.breakingtheirsilence.com). The film won Best Documentary at the recent San Diego International Film Festival held in October. It is an inspiring and uplifting story about women on the forefront of the anti-poaching wars in Africa and Vietnam.
Click here to find out more about future events. Also stay tuned for news of a screening of the documentary “Breaking Their Silence” (www.breakingtheirsilence.com). The film won Best Documentary at the recent San Diego International Film Festival held in October. It is an inspiring and uplifting story about women on the forefront of the anti-poaching wars in Africa and Vietnam.
Folklore stories
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One of the most endearing tales to come out of South Africa is that of Rachel De Beer, a 12-year-old heroine whose story has passed into folklore status. A number of articles and books have been published, and both a stage play and a movie have been produced. Although some of the minor details differ across these mediums, the essence of the story is as follows:-
In the winter months of 1843, Rachel was part of a trek (communal migratory journey) over the Drakensberg Mountains. During one of their nightly stopovers near the present-day De Beer’s Pass, the members of the trek realized that a calf called Frikkie, much-beloved by their children, was missing. A search party was formed, in which Rachel and her six-year-old brother also took part. During the gathering dusk, however, Rachel and her brother got separated from the search party and became lost. As the night progressed, it became very cold and started snowing. |
Realizing that their chances of survival were slim, Rachel found a termite mound hollowed out by an aardvark, took off her clothes, put them on her brother, and commanded him to get into the hole. She then lay down in front of the opening in order to keep out the cold.
The children were found the next morning by the trekking party. Rachel had frozen to death, but her brother had survived.
The story is hailed as one of selfless sacrifice, and has become entrenched in South African culture. Rachel has been subsequently honored by having numerous streets and schools named after her.
But perhaps all is not as it seems. Genealogical research has indicated that there was a De Beer family that fits the names and ages mentioned in the story quite closely, but they lived 60 years later. This could explain why there is no mention of this story before the early 1900s. It is also well-documented that this Rachel De Beer survived well into adulthood.
In October 2012, two South African journalists published their findings that the story of Rachel De Beer bore a striking similarity to that of American heroine Hazel Milner. What is more, the very first story about Rachel appeared in print only a couple of months after an American newspaper gave Hazel Milner’s (true) story the wider publicity that it deserved.
So it could be possible that the South African version is not historically correct. But why let the facts spoil a sad yet beautiful story?
The children were found the next morning by the trekking party. Rachel had frozen to death, but her brother had survived.
The story is hailed as one of selfless sacrifice, and has become entrenched in South African culture. Rachel has been subsequently honored by having numerous streets and schools named after her.
But perhaps all is not as it seems. Genealogical research has indicated that there was a De Beer family that fits the names and ages mentioned in the story quite closely, but they lived 60 years later. This could explain why there is no mention of this story before the early 1900s. It is also well-documented that this Rachel De Beer survived well into adulthood.
In October 2012, two South African journalists published their findings that the story of Rachel De Beer bore a striking similarity to that of American heroine Hazel Milner. What is more, the very first story about Rachel appeared in print only a couple of months after an American newspaper gave Hazel Milner’s (true) story the wider publicity that it deserved.
So it could be possible that the South African version is not historically correct. But why let the facts spoil a sad yet beautiful story?
Creature Corner
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Common Name: Honey Badger (Ratel)
Binomial Name: Mellivora capensis Identification: Stocky build. Short legs. Silver-grey upperparts including the top of the head. Black underparts and legs. Short, bushy black tail, often held erect when walking. Weight: Males +/- 12 kg (26 lbs), females +/- 12 kg (26 lbs) Gestation: 6 months Young: Litters of 1-4 Habitat: Found in most major habitats. Diet: Wide range of food items, but insects, invertebrates and rodents are the most important. Reptiles, birds, other small mammals, wild fruits and carrion are also eaten. As per its common name, will also break into beehives to eat honey and larvae. Red List Status: Least Concern |
Feather Feature
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Common Name: Lilac-breasted Roller
Binomial Name: Coracias caudatus Status: Common resident Red List Status: Least Concern |
Did you know?
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Believe it or not, the closest living relative to the largest land animal on the planet, the African Bush Elephant, is the Rock Hyrax – a small rodent-like mammal which is commonly found throughout South Africa. Locals refer to it as the “Dassie”, a name derived from the Dutch word “Das”, meaning badger. They live in large colonies, usually made up of several family groups comprising a dominant male and his harem of several related females and their offspring. Dassies provide an important food source for many predators, including birds of prey, snakes, leopards, wild dogs and caracal.
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Words of wisdom
“Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.”
Dave Barry
Dave Barry