Rhino Poaching: Whose fault is it?
Strong feelings bubble up when a conversation turns to poaching, and recently that would involve the poaching of rhino horn. The blatant slaying of rhino’s – be they pregnant cows or single bulls – the desperate will take anything. Southern Africa seems to be gaining a reputation amongst syndicates for the easy pickings, experiencing the [...]
Namibia update
What can I say…a truly remarkable land filled with such diversity and adaptations, it begs one to return again and again. The group of students and their two teachers were a real treat to work with. Eager to learn and willing to play their part in the daily camp duties.
I’m sure some of them will [...]
Off to Namibia…
Two weeks of adventure and exploration await me, along with a large group of eager students. This should be a wonderful opportunity to discuss this land and its many secrets of survival.
Both plants and animals have learnt to adapt to this very old landscape. 100 million years ago the genus Ficus (fig tree) began a [...]
Honeyguide
Of the numerous mutualistic relationships found in Africa’s wild places, the honeyguide bird has surely got to be one of the more recognised ones. Many stories abound in folktales about considering this birds guidance to places of honey. Misfortune would surely follow the one who did not leave a piece of honey comb or honey [...]
It’s not just about the big stuff…
All too often I’ve seen people rushing through the Park to get a glimpse of the Lions at a kill, or a herd of Elephant at a waterhole. Sure those are great sightings, but they’re not the only things ‘out there’. I really enjoy taking a simple walk through the areas near the bush camp, [...]
A place of Myths & Legend
A place of Myths and Legend, its clouded cliffs and deep gorges hold many stories of battles and victories, of secret hiding places and mystic paintings. This is the Drakensberg, land of the Dragon, as the Voortrekkers called it – possibly due to the frequent fires caused by lightning which leave the mountain top smoldering [...]
Succulent Karoo
If ever there was a unique region of biodiversity and endemism, the Succulent Karoo would surely have to rank as one of the top destinations. Stretching from southern Namibia into South Africa’s western half, this area hosts an abundance of plants and even animals found nowhere else. Consequently, this region boasts the richest succulent plant [...]
Zoo’s…to be or not to be
I’m sure this ethical debate will always reveal a new thorn to twist into an old wound. Clearly, this subject will gain greater prominence as more people move towards an environmentally conscious mind. One which considers every facet of nature – it’s well-being and its protection. Both sides of this debate seem equally righteous in [...]
Snakes on Safari
There is something very primal about our relationship to the snake; something from way back in our history when we lived closer to the land. Throughout our history texts have either depicted it as the villianous creature with evil intent, or as the symbol for life, power and spiritual continuity. Today the serpent is used [...]
Namibian Desert Life
There is a certain kind of appeal in choosing to visit this most remarkable landscape. Forged over 55 million years ago, it is one of the driest and oldest deserts in the world. The silence of this place can rather paradoxically, be quite deafening. But this is exactly what travellers to this land seek — [...]
Global Warming in Southern Africa
Much like our seasons, the Earth works with cycles of warming and cooling, bringing the associated changes in vegetation and animal distribution. Today there is much hype and speculation surrounding the current warming or cooling event. Some speculate we are in fact not entering a warming period, but a cooling one. Others say computer models [...]
The 6th Plant Kingdom
Growing up in Cape Town, I had the good fortune as a kid to immerse myself in the wonders of the smells and uniqueness of one of the most interesting of plant kingdoms, the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Making up just 0.04% of the world’s plant kingdom’s, it is the smallest (occuring in just one country), [...]
Orphaned wild animals
Why is it an animal may be found orphaned. What would cause a parent to abandon a youngster, when seemingly it looks healthy. I suppose these questions have some merit, but my thinking is they are also anthropocentric, or based around a human approach to a situation. Therefore, in some situations where a youngster is [...]
The Elephant’s Language
The ways in which elephants are able to communicate is quite remarkable, for the elephant not only makes use of sound, but makes use of it in a variety of ways. From the audible through to the inaudible, or infrasonic side of the spectrum, it has allowed this animal to communicate over vast distances. And [...]
Aliens in Africa
Believe it or not – there are aliens in Africa. And they are many in number. They have travelled from distant places to settle among us, sometimes living unnoticed under our very eyes. They extract the natural resources in order to increase their number, and push existing residents out. These visitors are here to stay, [...]
