South Africa Flora & Fauna
Leopard savaging a crocodile caught on camera
This amazing phographic sequence was recently captured at Kruger National Park by American Wildlife Photographer Hal Brindley while he was concentrating on a unrelated subject. According to wildlife experts this is the first recorded or witnessed incident of its type. The incident astonished park rangers who had no explaination as to why the leopard would choose such a potentially hazardous meal.
Date: July 26th, 2008 |
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The Surfing Hippo of KwaZulu/Natal
A curious story of a surfing hippo has been doing the rounds in South Africa recently. First spotted in the KNZ coastal resort town of Ballito, situated about 40km north of Durban, the vagrant hippo has been steadily making its way south from the area of the St Lucia wetlands in Maputaland, where the species is very common. Reminiscent of the early 20th century odyssey of Huberta, this travelling hippo has generated enormous local sympathy and interest.
Huberta
Huberta was born in the St Lucia wetland system in 1927, and a year later was on the move, migrating south on an epic 1600km journey that would take her all the way to the Eastern Cape. She was initially thought to be male, and was named Hubert, which was later changed when it was discovered she was female. Her journey took her three years during which time she became something of a local and international celebrity. She successfully evaded many attempts at capture before eventually making her way as far south as East London. There, although having been declared en-route to be Royal Game, and thus protected by the Crown, she was shot and killed by hunters. Her body was then reverently shipped to a taxidermist in London, after which she was returned to South Africa where she can still be seen at the Amathole Museum in King William’s Town.
Date: June 2nd, 2008 |
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Drakensberg: Giant’s Castle Game Reserve
Giant’s Castle Game Reserve
Continuing on with the theme of gracious accommodation and civilized pursuits, I am returning to the Drakensberg, and this time to Giants Castle Game Reserve. As with the Royal Natal National Park, and Cathedral Peak, the dominant themes here are walking, climbing and horse riding, with the usual emphasis on bird-watching and gorgeous seasonal floral displays. Also, of course, there is the celebrated vista, which differs within the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve only inasmuch as it is characterised this time by a grassy plateau among deep river valleys pressed up against the sheer cliffs of the escarpment.
Again the walking trails allow for the participation of just about anyone from the very occasional stroller to the maniac death marcher. For the sake of the latter there is a magnificent contoured trail that runs from south to north, pressed tight up against the escarpment, and continuing up almost the entire length of the reserve. On a clear day, and sometimes even on a cloudy day, this trail offers sweeping views of the diminishing perspective of foothills that run, it seems at times, into the deepest blue infinity.
For the rest of us there are about 285kms of varied footpaths that traverse the reserve with the two main focus’ tending to be in the south and the north. Scattered around the reserve there are four mountain huts as well as a handful of caves that are suitable for overnight camping. The huts are equipped with bunks, a gas stove, cooking oddments and a flush toilet. Reservations for both caves and huts should be made with the Officer-in-Charge of the reserve.
How To Get There
There are two main routes into the reserve, north and south, the first being to the Injisuthi Camp to the north via the 331 from Loskop (a dorp with the lovely name, translating from the Afrikaans as Loose Head, or Space Cadet in contemporary parlance) which is reached via either Winterton or Ennersdale, both off the N3 near Estcourt. The second route in is through the Witteberg Gate via the 391 from Mooiriver/Nottingham Road, also off the N3. Here you will find the main KNZ Wildlife Office, and the Giant’s Castle Main Camp.
Date: April 9th, 2008 |
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The Sardine Run ‘07: The Greastest shoal on Earth is nearly here.
It is nearly time again for the world famous sardine run, where gigantic shoals of sardine (which can be seen from space), swarm up the East coast of South Africa.
The Sardine Run can be witnessed at some point between May and July (conditions permitting). If the water is too warm the Sardines will stay out in the deeper water.
Divers come from all over the word to view this once in a lifetime dive opportunity dubbed “The most exiting dive in the world”
The massive schools clump into bait-balls as a feeding frenzy occurs by shark, seal, birds, fisherman and other predator fish species.
It was reported today that if water temperatures remained low, the fishies could be close to shore by next week. If you are in the are check for updates and dive info here.
Sardine run facts after the jump:
Date: June 13th, 2007 |
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Most poisonous animals in South Africa. Top 5.
In Australia, just about everything is toxic and deadly. It is home to the worlds only known poisonous mammal, the duck billed platypus, the stupendously lethal box jellyfish and the blue ringed octopus, amongst many, many others.
True Blue Aussies are not going to lose sleep coming to South Africa, but perhaps the British, who’s most poisonous animal is the house cat, may be more tentative.
Date: May 22nd, 2007 |
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The Sardines Arrive
Another great contribution from South African industry pro and travel writer Sean Ross.
KNZ Sardine Fever
It’s a real gamble setting a festival date to celebrate the expected arrival of a natural phenomenon, in this case the greatest shoal of fish on earth, many months in advance of their arrival. And even more so when this incredible mass of millions of sardines failed even to arrive at all in 2007 and 2006. So it was with great relief to the KwaZulu-Natal tourism authorities when the first shoals were spotted off the South Coast a day ahead of the June 13 launch of this increasingly popular Sardine Festival.
Annual Phenomenan
This migratory phenomenon is set in motion when millions and millions of small fish, a pilchard-type species, embark on a northwards journey along the country’s coast from their home base in the cold waters of the south-eastern Cape to as far north as the province’s capital of Durban, before peeling off seawards and into deeper waters. Why they travel this route still unclear, except probably that new territory is created as the cold winter waters from the Arctic pushes upwards into the warmer Indian Ocean waters.
Date: June 17th, 2008 |
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Pigs, Warthog, Monkeys and Elephant
Not You Again!
Some things change, and some things don’t. Robert Mugabe, after almost five weeks of political hiatus, remains in power, while galloping inflation – touted now at about 355 000% – necessitated the issue of another new banknote, the third issue in a year. This time it was a Z$500 million bill, up 400 million from the last. Currently the rate of exchange is Z$52 million to £1 sterling. A letter I recently received from a friend in Harare told me that a brief trip to the supermarket to purchase 2 onions, 4 bread rolls, 1 packet of coffee, 2 litres of milk and a cucumber came to a total of Z$1.25 billion, which would have been Z$1.25 trillion had the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe not recently removed several zeros from the local currency. You may ask me how does a man who presides over such unimaginable economic lunacy survive in power, and the truth is I haven’t got a clue.
Warthog’s Revenge
While on the subject of swine species, warthogs have been creating a bit of a stir in the industry recently, contributing their share to the regular, but admittedly infrequent incidences of bitings, maulings, stingings and occasional deaths. These often result from the too-close commerce encouraged by wilderness guides between soft skinned urban tourists and wild animals. In this case it was a Canadian tourist, Brunhilde Galke, 69, visiting Huntershill private game park in the Eastern Cape, who ran foul of a ‘tame’ warthog in the dining room of the lodge. It was probably neither her fault nor the warthog’s, but a waiter who should have known better than kick the animal after it upset a dustbin in the bar area. The warthog rushed the waiter, but then vented it’s spleen more effectively against Brunhilde as she left the dining room and was making her way across the yard to her accommodations.
Date: May 15th, 2008 |
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West Coast Flowers have a spring in thier step
Every Spring, tourists and local nature lovers come from all over to pay homage to one of the most spectacular flower shows in the world.
The West Coast of South Africa, is an acquired taste, compared to the lush garden route. It is rocky, dry and sometimes quite featureless. This makes a huge about face in the spring months when wildflowers carpet huge swathes of it in a massive display of colour. This is starting right now!
Date: August 13th, 2007 |
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Most Dangerous Animals in South Africa (and the world)
I was reading some info on the 10 most dangerous animals in the world and it struck me that 8 of them were found mainly in Africa! That’s pretty good going.
Date: May 22nd, 2007 |
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World heritage sites in South Africa: Vredefort dome
The Vredefort dome is the worlds largest meteor crater and is situated 120km SW of Johannesburg.
It is said to have been created by a chick chunk of rock the size of Table Mountain vaporizing 70 Cubic Kilometres of earth on impact and a crater 300km wide.
Vredefort’s original impact scar measures 380km across and consists of three concentric circles of uplifted rock. They were created by the rebound of rock below the impact site when the asteroid hit. Most of these structures have eroded away and are no longer clearly visible.
The dome is also known for its unusual chaotic magnetic properties, which make compasses swing wildly and amalgam fillings play K.i.s.s FM.
As a tourist destination, the dome is a place of great scenic beauty. Home to over 450 species of nesting birds, butterflies and other more interesting wildlife.
Date: May 16th, 2007 |
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