Year in the Wild » Blog

Kruger National Park – at the centre of South Africa’s soul

Scott — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:56:52 +0000

Kruger National Park. One of the world’s most famous wildlife and wilderness areas. More than 360kms long, and 65kms at its widest. It covers more than 2 million hectares (or 20 000 square kilometres) of bushveld, savannah, koppies, kloofs, woodland, riparian forest and rivers.

Larger than many small countries, it’s a bastion of conservation and one of our country’s most valuable assets, socially, ecologically, commercially – and spiritually. (It’s one of the country’s most visited destinations – interestingly, the two top individual destinations in the country are both National Parks – Table Mountain, and Kruger!).

The past few days, I’ve been exploring the southern areas of the great park. And I feel enormously grateful to be here. I’ve been fortunate on my Year in the Wild journey to have explored some other jewels – I think of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, or Mkhambathi Nature Reserve, or uKhahlamba Drakensberg, or iSimangaliso Wetland Park…or even Table Mountain National Park. All these are exceptional in their own right, and I feel privileged to have visited them.

But Kruger is still the one that stands out above them all. Why? Several reasons. First, it’s huge; the sense of space can only be rivaled by the Kgalagadi. Yet whereas Kgalagadi is predominantly semi-arid throughout, Kruger has so many different landscapes and habitats, and they all seem to stretch on and on and on, changing and morphing, always providing something new to marvel at.

Second, the number of wild animals is something to behold. Kruger is teeming with wildlife, including the iconic species which grip our imagination: elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, buffalo, wild dog, rhino (white and black) and thousands of others which complement the big species. There are more than 300 tree species, more than 500 bird species, 147 mammal species, 49 fish species, 33 amphibian species and 114 reptile species…not to mention the thousands of insect species, including such wonders as the indefatigable dung beetle.

These animals are living their lives largely free of man’s influence. For sure, there are fences on the western boundaries, and roads, camps, shops and tourist facilities, but for an industrialised and highly-populated country like South Africa, it doesn’t get wilder than Kruger. Almost 50% of the park is designated as “wilderness” – there is nothing man-made at all within these areas, while the other half is predominantly considered “primitive”, and has very few roads or artificial structures.

Finally, the animals and landscapes of Kruger inspire us. We come to Kruger to remind ourselves of the real reasons we ought to be proud of our country. These wild, beautiful animals are our fellow citizens, and they were here long before we were. (In fact, if “anyone” has rights to our country, it should be the wild animals.) They are symbols of our national heritage – they ARE our heritage. We come to Kruger to stop our money-grabbing and market-mongering, to slow down and to connect with what’s truly important: nature, our families and friends and our very own souls. If only we came here more often…

So as I drove into the south of the park a few days ago at Malelane Gate, and made my way to the pretty camp of Berg-en-Dal, set among granite koppies, I bumped into a “herd” of twelve white rhino…what a sight. I’ve never seen so many altogether. It was great to see them, especially considering the rhino poaching that has hit Kruger hard recently.

Kruger’s wild animals are conserved and protected 24 hours a day, and the several hundred rangers and staff have a massively difficult job. It’s worth remembering how much hard work and sacrifice has gone into Kruger – and still does.

In fact, it’s almost a miracle that Kruger ever came into existence. In the 1800s, it was considered absolutely normal to hunt as many animals as you wanted, whenever you wanted, and how you wanted. Those who opposed hunting were considered lunatics, such was the entrenched bloodthirst which prevailed at the time. Most of South Africa’s wildlife had been destroyed, and the “lowveld” was the last – albeit shaky –stronghold of the wild animal.

When the president of the South African Republic – Paul Kruger, after whom the park is named – initiated discussions in 1884 to declare a game reserve in the lowveld, he was immediately shouted down by parliament. He tried again and again, and eventually the Pongola Game Reserve was declared in 1894, Africa’s first.

Then in 1898, he signed into existence the “Gouvernment Wildtuin”, an area of 4 600 square kilometres between the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers, which was the beginning of the great game reserve of Kruger. The president needed someone to look after it, and Lieutenant-Colonel James Stevenson-Hamilton was the man he called on.

Quite possibly, Stevenson-Hamilton had one of the toughest jobs ever in our country. He patrolled the tsetse-, bilharzia- and malaria-ridden area on his horse, avoiding lions, dodging elephants, and all the while kicking out hunters, squatters and fugitives.

He had no laws on which to call upon, for there was no such thing as a national parks act, or any environmental laws. Instead, he used his wits, his charm, his stubbornness and his undoubted love of the bush to inveigle and sometimes bulldoze the people standing in his way. He alone increased the size of the park almost ten-fold to over 36 000 square kilometres, an astonishing achievement, considering the lack of manpower, laws and money at his disposal. He had one goal, and that was the preservation of South Africa’s wildlife.

His staff eventually named him siKhukhuza, or “he who scrapes clear”, in recognition of his single-minded dedication to his job.

So I said thanks to Mr Skukuza as I drove around the south of Kruger, photographing its animals and beautiful scenery. I have seen all of the famous animals already in the last three days – elephant, buffalo, white rhino, lion, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, fish eagle…and for the first time ever in Kruger, I saw a leopard. The young adult male was playing in a dry river bed, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine, not ten metres from our car. I couldn’t believe my luck…there are few animals more photogenic than a leopard. I whooped with excitement and took way too many photos.

A big thanks to Stephanie and Christine Roberts who were staying at Berg-en-Dal, and who kept me company for the day. If it wasn’t for their sighting of the leopard the previous day, we wouldn’t have known there was a leopard in the area…and thanks to Stephanie who insisted we go back there! Sure enough, there he was…

(This blog is dedicated to Christine’s fiancé Bryan who is in hospital. May he soon be back in Kruger among the wild animals…Get well quickly Bryan.)

“We’ve got three million years of Africa imprinted on our psyche…to see how people are gripped by the spirit of Africa, particularly at night when they sleep on the red earth, that very ancient earth, and they dream their dreams. There is a connection that is evoked from the depths of the collective unconsciousness that has drawn us all together. And also when they hear the leopard at night. That rasping call. It sparks something inside…It is an experience that has awakened thousands of people to the value of African wilderness, and the understanding that it was once their home. And it inspires them to protect it, because it is the landscape of the human soul.” – Dr Ian Player, Address to Eighth World Wilderness Congress.

White rhinos! First animal I saw as I entered Kruger...what a sight.

Never seen so many white rhino before altogether...

More of them!

The rhino hall at Berg-en-Dal is well worth a visit

Impala...beautiful but often overlooked by visitors

Giraffes are messy drinkers!

Yellow hornbill

Waterbuck drinking

Baby elephant

Giraffes in dry river bed

This family of elephant blocked the road on my way back late one afternoon to camp. Didn't mind at all!

Berg-en-Dal field guide Rastah Nkuna. He and Peter Zitha were excellent guides on our morning walk.

Combretum trees turning gold in autumn

Rastah Nkuna on our walk

Male waterbuck

Lioness in the distance...we spotted her in the shade of a tree, just before we saw the leopard

My first leopard in Kruger

Anatomy of a leopard yawn

What a beautiful animal

Sunset over the koppies near Berg-en-Dal

Crocodile in the dam at Berg-en-Dal

My hut at Berg-en-Dal

Lilac breasted roller

Squirrel

Elephants crossing the Sabi River

Having a snooze...where's the suncream!?!

White rhino having a sundowner near the Lower Sabi waterhole

The Sabi River...

Wild dogs! I didn't see these guys...just missed them, but thanks to Stephanie Roberts for taking these photos and letting me publish them. I hope to see the dogs over the next few weeks in Kruger!

For more, go to www.yearinthewild.com and www.facebook.com/yearinthewild. Thanks again to my sponsors for making it all possible. CapeNature, South African National Parks, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eastern Cape Parks, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ford, Total, Evosat, Conqueror Trailers, Vodacom, Digicape, Lacie, Frontrunner, Safari Centre Cape Town, K-Way, EeziAwn, National Luna, Nokia , Garmin, Goodyear, Global Fleet Sales, Hetzner, Clearstream Consulting, Escape Gear and Trailcam Adventures.

Not just elephants at Tembe Elephant Reserve

Scott — Sun, 20 May 2012 12:51:42 +0000

Tembe isn’t only about elephants. In fact, you can see the entire spectrum of African wildlife here…including lion, wild dogs, buffalo, hippo, crocs and leopards. The lions were reintroduced a few years ago, and the original four have clearly enjoyed their time here, because today there are close to forty of them.

But spotting wildlife can be a bit challenging in the sandforest. There was a reason why the elephants came to these forests to hide from harassment…it would be ludicrous to attempt to track an animal through the thick vegetation. So if you come to Tembe, make sure you have a few days to absorb the spirit of the place. After a while, it’s magic works on you, and you start to notice the trees, the grasses, the smells, the birds…and without realising it, you’ve forgotten about the Big 5, and soon just being at Tembe feels like a privilege.

Be sure to explore the eastern side of the reserve, where the Muzi swamps begin, extending all the way into Mozambique. Here, the landscape is more open, and you’re bound to see buffalo and elephant, and perhaps lion too.

On several of our drives with guide Patrick Mthethwa at Tembe Lodge on the back of the Landcruisers, we were treated to sightings of lion and buffalo, as well as hundreds of nyala, which thrive in the sandforests.

The private Tembe Lodge is co-managed by the tribe, and it is the only place to stay at Tembe. The tents are comfortable, and the entire camp is set under huge mahogany trees which give welcome shade from the intense sun. Rates are certainly more affordable than most other private lodges I’ve been to, and for me, Tembe is a destination in its own right.

Lion!

The resident bush babies in camp come out at dinner time to see if they can find some scraps

The local Tembe tribe own the lodge, and the reserve, and their staff give a great singing performance around the camp fire

Male nyala

Green pigeon

Eye-to-eye

Sunset...

And full moonrise...

Dung beetles

The tusks of one of the big tuskers at Tembe, who died naturally

Impala

Isilo...the largest tusker in South Africa

Tembe Elephant Reserve – home of the giants

Scott — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:32:34 +0000

My next stop was Tembe Elephant Reserve in the far north of Zululand, on the Mozambican border. To the left of Tembe is Ndumo Game Reserve, and to the right is Kosi Bay, which is the northern-most part of South Africa’s east coastline.

Tembe is very different to anything I have experienced so far on my Year in the Wild journey. The soil is ancient ocean sand, left by a retreating sea more than 130 000 years ago. In this thick beach sand grows some of the most beautiful and biggest tracts of sandforest, populated with huge mahogany, tamboti, saddlepod and Lebombo wattle trees and hundreds of other species (this part of the world has the most number of trees in South Africa). The trees’ roots tap the ground water, which is replenished by the high rainfall in this sub-tropical region.

Tembe is a fairyland, where Africa’s largest animal – the elephant – found sanctuary during the Mozambican border war. It’s also the home of the country’s largest population of South Africa’s second-smallest antelope – the rarely seen suni, the adults of which are just a few kilograms in weight. (The country’s smallest is the blue duiker).

The reserve has an interesting history. The local Tembe tribe own and co-manage the reserve, in conjunction with KZN Wildlife. The tribe willingly moved out of the area in 1983, so that the reserve could be created to protect the last sizeable population of free-ranging elephants in South Africa. (As well as making sure that the elephants didn’t raid the communities’ crops).

At one stage, the elephants in the region – which migrated up and down the Maputaland coast – used the thick sandforests of Tembe to escape harassment and poaching – and in the days of the border war, the bullets of soldiers.

Today, Tembe hosts some of the biggest elephants in Africa, including some bulls with seriously impressive tusks. There are more than 260 elephants at Tembe, and if there’s one thing you’re guaranteed of seeing, it’s elephants! The three biggest “tuskers” in South Africa all live in Tembe: Isilo, Induna and Makobona. On our first morning at Tembe, we were treated to a sighting of Isilo at the main waterhole. Isilo means “king of kings” in Zulu.

He is thought to be the largest of all Tembe’s elephants, between 45 and 53 years of age, to weigh between 6,500 and 7,000 kilograms, and to stand about 3.2 metres tall. His tusks are estimated to be about 2.5 metres long, and to weigh between 60 and 65 kg.

According to wildlife surgeon and elephant expert Dr. Johan Marais, tuskers (bulls with tusks that exceed 100 pounds – or 45.45 kg – in weight) play a vital role in their ecology.

But they’ve been systematically destroyed.

“During the early 1900s, great tuskers were the norm in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the south-western corner of Ethiopia, southern Sudan and the grassy plains of Tanzania and Kenya.”

Elephant bulls reach their breeding prime at about 35 to 40 years of age – but, “Unfortunately this is the same time when they also emerge as hundred-pounders. Their ivory grows exponentially at this stage so that it becomes very large over only a short number of years.”

“Hunting of these magnificent bulls takes place exactly at this stage, so that few of these bulls are able to pass their genes on to future generations.

“This is exactly the reason why the once numerous hundred-pounders have diminished to less than 40 bulls in the whole of Africa today.”

Dr. Marais’ concern is that, “Selective destruction of great tuskers by trophy hunters in particular has resulted in the loss of some of the finest great tusker genes in Africa today.

“The best genes for ivory in Africa are currently in Kenya, in Tsavo National Park. The second best place in Africa in my opinion for ivory is Tembe Elephant Park. Nowhere else have I seen so many bulls with such good ivory. Even in a park like Kruger National Park, the average bull carries much smaller ivory than the average bull in Tembe. Tembe definitely features as one of the top reserves in Africa when it comes to conservation of elephants with large ivory. The park has been managed really well and the fact that no hunting or poaching has been permitted has allowed the elephant population to develop a fair number of great tuskers – more than Kruger currently!”

The main waterhole at Tembe has a webcam, which broadcasts the action 24 hours a day…check it out here!

Isilo - king of kings

The main lodge dining area...

The tents at Tembe Lodge

Tembe requires visitors to have a 4x4...the thick sand can be tricky without one

Up close...Tembe allows some pretty intense elephant interaction!

The dense sandforest of Tembe is magical

A pod mahogany tree...

Grand central station for elephants...

The hide at the main waterhole at Tembe gives great viewing of wildlife throughout the day

Swim time! Much needed in this part of the world, where summer temperatures can soar, and humidity is hectic

The comfortable tents at Tembe Lodge

The wonders of nature at iSimangaliso

Scott — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:19:35 +0000

The crocodile breeding centre near the entrance to iSimangaliso at the town of St Lucia is definitely worth a visit, as you’ll get to see some huge crocs, up close! On view are Nile crocodiles, as well as two other African species – the longsnouted and dwarf crocodile, while there are also American alligators.

I was taken round the centre by Mark Robertson, the Ezemvelo ranger responsible for the centre. Mark explained that crocs which are hurt or injured, or are considered a threat to the communities, are brought to the centre for breeding purposes. The young crocs are then sold or given to game reserves.

“These animals are essentially perfect predators,” Mark told me. “They evolved around the time of the dinosaurs and their basic physiology hasn’t changed for millions of years. Like sharks, they are superb hunters.”

Mark explained how crocodiles can go for up to a year without eating, preserving their energy by slowing down their metabolism radically. They are also extremely efficient at absorbing sunlight into their hides (more so than modern solar panels) – the science of crocodile skin could have big implications for the solar energy industry.

That evening, my last at iSimangaliso, I went for what was probably the highlight of my stay in the whole park. Kian Barker of Shakabarker Tours took me and a few other guests on a night-drive in the southern area. Although there are no lions at iSimangaliso, there are leopards and hyenas…but then, there are also thousands of other species which thrive here. And Kian makes all of them come alive in their own special way.

As we drove into the park, Kian stopped his Landy and plucked a chameleon out of a tree branch, then passed it round the Landy so everyone could have a look. It was a Setaro Dwarf Chameleon, which fascinatingly, is only found within iSimangaliso itself and nowhere else on earth. As Kian explained, it’s existence depends on the park, completely. It will never grow longer than about 12 centimetres.

Kian manages to make both the big and the small fascinating. I highly recommend it.

Early morning mist along the coastal forested dunes

Kudu on the hill

Male kudu

Be sure to take one of the boat cruises which leave from the bridge over the estuary near the entrance of the town of St Lucia

Goliath heron

A croc on the shores of Lake St Lucia

A croc at the crocodile centre near the entrance to iSimangaliso

A Setaro dwarf chameleon on Kian Barker's hand

Setaro dwarf chameleon perched on end of Natal Mahogany tree

Flap necked chameleon on guest's hand

Kian Barker and flap necked chameleon friend

Nightjar

Tailor ant nest and ants located in a Natal Mahogany

Waterbuck

Male kudu

Buffalo!

Walking and talking at iSimangaliso

Scott — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:06:58 +0000

I wish I had scheduled more time in the large, beautiful, diverse iSimangaliso Wetland Park. As in all places I’ve visited, the more I discover, the more I want to stay and explore.

Few people are more closely associated with iSimangaliso than Andrew Zaloumis. I met up with him and his son Emmanuel one afternoon, as well as ecologist Bronwyn James and marketing manager Lindy Duffield. We walked from Catalina Bay on the Lake, across the low-lying shores, up along the high coastal dunes, and down onto the long beach at Mission Rocks. (Before you go walking yourself through the park, be sure to be accompanied by someone from the park authority, as there are buffalo, hippo and elephant here!)

Andrew is the CEO of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, and he gave me some insight into the importance of iSimangaliso to the region and its communities. When mining was banned in 1996, and the World Heritage Site created (the first in South Africa), iSimangaliso became the major driver of sustainable development in the region.

“The park is not only a symbol of the ‘no-mining’ decision,” Andrew explained. “It is a World Heritage park that is being made open and available to local and international tourists. Government has made the commitment through the iSimangaliso Management Authority to show that nature-based tourism can be more beneficial than smoke-stack industry and can promote a natural form of wealth redistribution.”

It’s a huge responsibility, as this part of KwaZulu Natal is one of the poorest in the country, and jobs are scarce. Andrew and his team are essentially responsible – through iSimangaliso – for the alleviation and poverty and the promotion of development in the surrounding communities. “The paradox of poverty amidst the plenty of nature,” Andrew told me.

With funding from both government and NGOs, the park has been able to give jobs to over 1 500 people through more than 70 small businesses, which are involved in rehabilitating and developing the park’s infrastructure. More than 3 000 temporary jobs are created each year to build fences, roads and tourism facilities. About half of the R630 million development spent so far has been carried out by small, local contractors.

It’s good and refreshing to meet a team of people who believes passionately in merging conservation, tourism and community development. It seems like iSimangaliso is serious about its commitment to balance protection of biodiversity as well as improving the local lives surrounding communities. It is the future of conservation in Africa and the world, because ultimately, people need to benefit from protected natural areas, in some way or the other.

I was coming to the end of my stay at iSimangaliso, but I’ve saved the best for last…so be sure to read my blog tomorrow!

Looking west over Lake St Lucia from the top of an ancient coastal dune with Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of iSimangaliso Wetland Authority, his son Emmanuel, and Bronwyn James and Lindy Duffield

The southern end of iSimangaliso

Scott — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:05:52 +0000

From uMkhuze Game Reserve, I drove south to the town of St Lucia at the southern end of iSimangaliso Wetland Park. I met up with marketing manager Lindy Duffield who took me along the road through the western shores of Lake St Lucia. This lake is the largest estuarine system in South Africa, and provides an important habitat for many species, including one of the largest populations of Nile crocodile in Africa, and the largest South African populations of hippos, white pelicans and pinkbacked pelicans. Then there are at least 82 fish species that thrive in the lake and its mangroves.

As we drove into the Charter’s Creek gate on the western shores, just off the National N2 road, we passed through several kilometres of commercial tree plantations. The sight of vast tracts of mono-type, sterile forestry contrasts sharply with the diversity of open wetlands and veld of the western shores of the lake. This part of the world has long been used by commercial foresters, and several thousand hectares of iSimangaliso’s southern land was reclaimed from commercial plantations. Today, among the grasslands, it’s still possible to see the bases of trees which have been felled to make way for the wildlife and the World Heritage Site. It was a massive effort that has no doubt made a hugely positive impact on the natural ecology, including natural water sources which were heavily drained by millions of thirsty blue gum trees.

Interestingly, the elephants which were reintroduced on the eastern shores of iSimangaliso have moved onto the western shores, and according to locals, the ellies are really enjoying eating the bark which flakes off the blue gum trees in the commercial plantations…

From there, I headed to the town of St Lucia which is located across the lake’s estuary. It’s one of the few urban areas in the world that is entirely surrounded by a World Heritage Site, and it’s not uncommon at all to see hippos and leopards in the streets at night!

I spent the night at Cape Vidal, one of the most popular camping sites, situated about thirty kilometres north of the town of St Lucia, inside the park. The beach is long and beautiful, and the water is always warm…it’s a great place for families and friends to spend a holiday.

Although fishing is controlled, I came across an unlucky sailfish which had been hooked by a fisherman on his kayak. Somehow it didn’t seem right: the sight of this magnificent creature lying dead on the beach in the middle of a beautiful, natural World Heritage Site, and one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world. I couldn’t help feel sad as I walked back to my campsite to cook some dinner.

Driving on the western shores of Lake St Lucia...

Saddle bill stork

The commercial plantations that line the N2 national road near iSimangaliso

The new tree-top canopy boardwalks on the western shores of Lake St Lucia

Looking out east over Lake St Lucia

Reed buck

The beach at Cape Vidal...

Sawubona Mr Crab!

The sailfish caught by this fisherman off his kayak at Cape Vidal

Fishing is controlled at Cape Vidal, as it forms part of the marine protected area

The thick coastal forest near Lake St Lucia

Waterbuck basking in the early sunshine

Red duiker are common in the forest undergrowth

Golden orb spider and his work of art

Looking west over Lake St Lucia

Male bushbuck

The beach at Cape Vidal

Turtles, fig trees, hyenas and other miracles at iSimangaliso

Scott — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:26:07 +0000

From Thonga Beach Lodge near Mabibi on the coast of iSimangaliso, I drove past Lake Sibaya, the largest fresh water lake in South Africa. It’s also one of iSimangaliso’ four Ramsar sites, an international accreditation given to ecologically-special lakes, rivers and water systems.

I travelled down the western shore of the lake, and spotted a croc or two as well as some hippo in the distance, but I wish I had more time – and a canoe, although no boating, kayaking, fishing or canoeing is allowed on the lake because it’s a fragile system – there is no major river flowing into it, to replenish the lake’s water. Instead, ground water and rain are the main sources of water.

Sodwana Bay was my next overnight stop. This is probably South Africa’s most popular scuba-diving site, and for good reason. There are superb coral reefs extending several kilometres in a north and south direction. I dived with Reefteach, one of the longtime operators in the area, and we dived one of the shallower reefs not far from the launch site. Unlike the exclusive concessions of Rocktail Bay and Thonga, Sodwana is open to the public and all operators, and so it can get busy out in the ocean. But the reefs are still in good condition, and of course the prices are far more accessible.

From Sodwana, I headed to uMkhuze, a 39 000 hectare game reserve that was once independently run by the provincial government, but is now part of iSimangaliso. Fences have been dropped to reconnect the wildlife of the land with the shorelines of the ocean. uMkhuze is just forty kilometres west of Sodwana Bay. This is where iSimangaliso’s superlative diversity is most keenly experienced. I had scuba dived with turtles, eels and rays in the warm Indian Ocean in the morning, and by lunch time I was driving through quintessential Zululand woodland and bushveld, photographing buffalo, nyala, impala, zebra and vultures.

That evening, while I slept in my comfortable tent at the unfenced Mantuma Camp at uMkhuze, I was woken by a spotted hyena which came up to slurp up some water at the kitchen drain. There’s a lovely sense of wildness at uMkhuze, as animals are free to wander through camp if they wish. Keep an eye out for buffalo and hyena though! There are no lion at uMkhuze, but it’s got almost everything else that originally existed here, including black and white rhino, leopards, elephants, wild dog and cheetah.

Nsumu Pan is a huge body of fresh water that covers a large portion of the eastern part of the reserve, and there are some fantastic hides which have recently been renovated by iSimangaliso. uMkhuze has one of the longest list of bird species in the country – at least 430 species.

The trees are another outstanding feature of uMkhuze. Large tracts of riverine forest include giant figs, fever trees and mahogany trees. Then out in the woodlands are some beautiful umbrella thorns that just beg to be photographed and admired.

The next morning I took a walk with ranger Jabulani Simelane to the beautiful fig-tree forest. We left at 6am on the back of an open Land Rover, and drove several kilometres to where the trails starts. It was one of those champagne autumn mornings in Zululand, where every leaf seemed to sparkle in the hushed coolness before the heat of the day. The trail isn’t long and takes about two hours to walk slowly, in the company of an armed ranger. But you won’t want to walk it any quicker, because bird life can be prolific (listen out for the awesome calls of trumpeter hornbills), and the thick emerald forest is full of huge fig and fever trees. Some of the fig trees are impressively wide at their trunks, and it’s amazing to think that some have been around for several hundred years. (If you’re a bird lover, you’re in good hands with Jabulani, as he’s an expert! Look out for Pel’s fishing owl and African broadbill.)

Despite the challenges that conservation authorities in the region face today (like poaching and water use), a place like uMkhuze gives cause for celebration. At one stage in 1939, uMkhuze was almost abolished by politicians, because of the nagana disease which was transmitted by tsetse flies to livestock. The flies’ parasites had no effect on the wild anidmals, but farmers’ livestock was not immune. The reserve was deproclaimed and taken over by the veterinary services. Then in 1944, uMkhuze (like other wild areas at the time) was decimated by controlled hunting, in an attempt to rid the area of tsetse flies. More than 38 000 wild animals were shot. Finally, over the next few years, authorities sprayed tons of DDT and BCH insecticide mixed with diesel fuel and atomized through the aircraft’s exhaust pipes.

Finally, the reserve was reinstated as a formal protected area in 1954 and given back to the then-Natal Parks Board. Over subsequent decades, political infighting and negotiations over land almost cost the reserve its existence, but concerned citizens and organisations like Wildlife Society raised their voices so that uMkhuze could remain a wild and free area. (It’s worth noting that today the southern portion of uMkhuze is a hunting area that is marketed as such and is off-limits to visitors).

So considering the challenges that conservationists and communities have faced over the past 100 years at uMkhuze, it’s a minor miracle (or major!) that today you can spot a warthog and his family, or hear a hippo grunting in the distance, or listen to a hyena drinking from your kitchen drain. How nearly these were lost…but how wonderful that they are now firmly ensconced here!

Sunset over Nsumu Pan at uMkhuze

A dazzle of zebra!

Ranger Jabulani Simelane leading me on the fig tree forest walk...one of the prettiest places I've been to on my Year in the Wild

Ranger Jabulani Simelane and fig tree

Trumpeter hornbills are difficult to photograph...they don't sit still for long!

White backed vulture

Reminds me of a friend of mine!

Umbrella thorn tree and autumn grass...no doubt that this is Zululand

The tents at Mantuma Camp at uMkhuze are great...you really do feel "in the wild" here. The spotted hyena came to drink just near where my fire is in the photo.

The view from the top of the viewing tower at Mkhuze...great views.

Typical scenery looking west from uMkhuze...

The hide on Nsumu Pan...what a spot.

The lookout tower at Mkhuze gives great views...

The superlative diversity of iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Scott — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:03:06 +0000

From Rocktail Bay in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, I continued moving south along the so-called Coastal Forest section, to Thonga Beach Lodge, which is near Mabibi beach. The road is a sandy track that meanders over the coastal dunes, all of which are forested or covered in grass. (You’ll need a 4×4 here).

More than 240 kilometres of coastline is protected by iSimangaliso, or about 9% of South Africa’s shoreline. The coastal dunes here are among the tallest on earth, some reaching over 180 metres in height. They were formed around 30 000 years ago, when the sea finally finished retreating to its current position, after the onset of the last ice age about 130 000 years ago.

The dune forests and grasses are extremely diverse in species, and are included in the Maputoland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity “hotspot”, one of 34 areas of the world that hold most of the earth’s animal and plant species. It’s the second-richest in Africa after the Cape Floristic Region.

It’s worth reflecting on South Africa’s incredible diversity of life. We are the world’s third-most biologically diverse country on earth, after Brazil and Indonesia, yet we are only the 25th biggest country. Despite our land and territorial waters making up less than 0.5% of the earth’s surface area, the country holds seven percent of the world’s mammal species, eight percent of all bird species, 16 percent of the fish species, 6 percent of recorded insect species and 10 percent of the terrestrial plant species (not counting the huge numbers of species in our oceans). Moreover, many of these species are found nowhere else on earth, and South Africa ranks 24^th in the world for species endemism.

And the area which is protected by iSimangaliso contains a crucial and large proportion of the country’s biodiversity. It protects more species of animal than the Kruger National Park, despite iSimangaliso being just 16% of Kruger’s size.

iSimangaliso has 4 of South Africa’s 20 RAMSAR wetland sites, meaning they are some of the most important in the world: St Lucia Lake system, the beaches and coral reefs of Tongaland, the Kosi Bay system and Lake Sibaya (the largest fresh water lake in the country, which interestingly has no major rivers flowing into or out of it, and relies purely on rain and groundwater for replenishment).

Unfortunately I didn’t get to dive at Thonga Beach lodge, but divemaster Donna Scherer sent me some photos from the area…like Rocktail Bay, this stretch of shoreline falls in a Marine Protected Area, where fishing and harvesting is strictly controlled. Made up of two contiguous MPAs (St Lucia and Maputaland) the iSimangaliso marine protected area contains the southern-most coral reefs in the world, and is perhaps the most important breeding site for both loggerhead and leatherback turtles.

Then there’s the earth’s oldest fish – the coelacanth – which evolved into its current form about 360 million years ago, making it one of the most ancient species currently still around on earth. During the day, it hides away in caves more than 500 metres below the surface of the sea, moving closer to the reefs of iSimangaliso at night to feed. Thought once to be extinct, it was only rediscovered in 1938 in a trawler’s fishing net near East London on the east coast of South Africa. Since then, only a few live specimens have been found, some of them in the protected waters of iSimangaliso.

In some areas of the MPA, no fishing at all is allowed. And this is great news for the coral reefs and their fish, because most of the marine life is resident and territorial. There are more than 1 200 species of fish and many of them don’t like to move from their chosen patch of coral reef, so that if they are over exploited by fishermen, it’s very difficult for them to make a recovery. Once you’ve reduced a population to low levels, it’s unlikely that new fish will move in from another area to take its place. Like land-based animals, these fish have a home, and they’re proud of it!

The corals of iSimangaliso Wetland Park include 43 different genera of hard corals and 11 of soft corals, as well as hundreds of species of sea stars, feather stars, brittle stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs, octopus and cuttlefish. Feeding off the reef fish are the predatory fish, like tuna, dorado, kingfish, sharks, and sometimes even marlin (albeit rarely)!

Like Rocktail Bay Beach Camp, Thonga Lodge is classy, comfortable but not cheap, although I think the price you pay is certainly worth it. What I liked about Thonga was its proximity to the beach. You can stumble out of your room, and within a few metres be walking into the warm Indian Ocean for a swim. It’s a stunning location that must rank as one of the best I’ve seen so far on my Year in the Wild. Diving at Thonga is open to anyone, although guests at Thonga do have preference. For info, contact divemaster Donna Rogers on 072 962 2720.

The nearby Mabibi Campsite is set back in the forest, and when I visited, it wasn’t in a great state. It could do with a good spruce-up, but it’s still in a beautiful area.

Dung beetls are common on the sandy jeep tracks of iSimangaliso, so be sure to give them right of way! They are important nutrient recyclers and we need them to carry away the dung of cattle and other animals!

Thonga Beach Lodge near Mabibi beach at iSimangaliso

Dining deck at Thonga Beach Lodge

Room at Thonga Beach Lodge

The temperate coastal forests in this part of the world are the most diverse in the world in terms of plant species

Green turtle on the coral reefs near Thonga Beach lodge

Loggerhead turtle on its way into the ocean, near Thonga Beach Lodge

Diving at Rocktail Bay in iSimangaliso

Scott — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:40:26 +0000

My next stop in iSimangaliso Wetland Park was Rocktail Bay, about 20kms south of Kosi Bay (I’m making my way south through the park). Rocktail Beach Camp is the semi-luxury lodge run by Wilderness Safaris situated near Manzengwenya Beach on an isolated stretch of the Indian Ocean shoreline. They have the exclusive concession to dive the coral reefs here. The beach camp is set back from the beach in the coastal forest. It’s stylish and comfortable, yet still maintains an understated measure that suits the surroundings.

But you won’t want to hang around at the lodge, as comfortable as it is, because the beaches are long and empty and pure, and the water is always, always warm. And the scuba diving is simply astounding. I’ve been fortunate to dive in some spectacular places around the world, including off Pemba Island in Tanzania and the reefs of Thailand and Malaysia, but the diving at Rocktail is among the best I’ve experienced.

Diving at Rocktail is one of the quintessential wilderness experiences in South Africa. Humans really are just visitors, because by definition we are a terrestrial species and the ocean truly belongs to the animals. The diversity of marine life along this shoreline is mindblowing. But what makes it very special is the pristine state of the marine ecosystem, as well as having exclusive rights to dive these waters in this part of iSimangaliso. That means you will be the only group of divers for several kilometres in either direction, and you’ll swim alone with turtles, eels, sharks, whales and hundreds and thousands of luminous reef fish.

Unlike walking in the bushveld, where animals are naturally wary of humans (as we’ve hunted them for millennia), marine wildlife at iSimangaliso is generally very comfortable in our presence, and are unusually trusting of us, especially at Rocktail, where diving and fishing have been strictly controlled. It’s special to be among wild animals, and to see and experience their trust…I remembered a quote from the great French ocean researcher Jacques Yves Cousteau who said: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” I certainly was gripped and mesmerized, and I’m going to have to start saving up for an underwater housing for my camera.

The reefs at Rocktail are located offshore, and to get there, you’ll launch in a rubber duck from the beach. I was very impressed with the professionalism of Mokarran Dive Charters, which run the dive centre at Rocktail. The BCs and DVs were rigged onto our tanks for us, and all the equipment was in tip-top shape. Attention to detail is superb. Clive Smith was the skipper and expertly negotiated the pounding surf, to get us beyond the breakers. Darryl Smith was our dive master, and has been diving for many, many years (he won’t say how many exactly!), and there was a calm, measured tone to everything that he did. You really do feel safe, which makes the adventure that much more enjoyable.

As soon as we flipped off the boat into the warm water, I knew I was in for something special. The visibility was over twenty metres, and as we dropped down to the bottom, a massive school of yellow snapper surrounded us. They were content to just let us drift through them…not bothered at all by our presence. Then everything just kept coming…clown triggerfish, rockcod, kingfish, Moorish idols, stingrays, the beautiful but deadly porcupine fish and several eels. You’ll also find iconic beasts like whale sharks and humpback whales in large numbers during winter at Rocktail, but we didn’t see any this time round…I’ll be back though I hope!

The diversity and number of fish is quite overwhelming at first. You don’t really know where to look, because everywhere there is something new and fascinating to gaze at.

But my favourite was a green turtle which swam alongside us for a few minutes, accepting our presence, and looking at us once in a while. Incredible. The green turtle is just one of four species of turtle found along iSimangaliso’s shoreline: the other three are Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Leatherback.

The leatherback is a truly massive turtle that can grow to more than one ton in weight, and reach two metres in length. They can dive down over one kilometre to feed on jellyfish, holding their breath for over an hour. Quite a creature!

Rocktail Bay is one of the most important breeding sites for the endangered Loggerhead and Leatherbacks. Every year in summer, they come to Rocktail in November and December to nest on the beaches and lay several hundred eggs. In February and March, the hatchlings emerge and make their way to the ocean. It’s estimated that just two out of 1000 hatchlings survive to reach a reproductive age, returning to the exact same beach on which they were born to lay eggs themselves. With the destruction caused to their beach habitats around the world, and the massive toll that trawling has taken on their numbers, a place like Rocktail Bay is truly priceless in the preservation of these species.

Interestingly, Kian Barker of Shakabarker Tours at St Lucia recently told me that the turtles were one of the main reasons why titanium mining was banned at iSimangaliso in the early 1990s. But not only because mining would destroy the beaches and the nesting sites, but also because the titanium – so highly prized as an industrial commodity – played a crucial role in conducting heat through the sand to the turtle eggs, and without the titanium, the eggs would die. So next time you buy some paint or use your cell phone (both of which use titanium as an ingredient), think about where it comes from, and the unintended impact it could be having on a fascinating species like the turtle. (Yip, we’re all guilty to some degree of destroying the earth’s natural wonders.)

During turtle season, guests who stay at Rocktail Beach Camp are allowed to go on night walks along the beach with a guide, to see the turtles and perhaps help researchers who study the turtles. Wilderness Safaris supports the research, contributing finances and operational support when needed.

I only spent a day and a night at Rocktail, but I can’t wait to get back there, as it was one of the best experiences of my Year in the Wild in South Africa. By the way, you don’t have to stay at Rocktail Bay Beach Camp to dive on the reefs here…anyone is welcome to dive here with Mokarran Dive Charters, who also do scuba training courses, so if you can’t dive, you can come here and in one week be diving on the reefs. So now there’s no excuse…everyone should dive at Rocktail at least once in their lives!

The dense coastal forest of iSimangaliso

The road to Rocktail Bay

Not very rustic, but fine with me!

As good as it has got on my Year in the Wild

Humpback whale off Rocktail

Turtle hatchlings

Researchers at Rocktail with Leatherback turtle

Humpback breaching

Darryl Smith and whale shark

The miracle and wonder of iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Scott — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 12:44:21 +0000

The huge iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the far north-east coast of South Africa is a truly impressive stretch of land, ocean and fresh water lakes and rivers.

At 332 000 hectares, it’s South Africa’s second largest protected natural area, after the Kruger National Park. (The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park that straddles both Botswana and South Africa is bigger than Kruger, but the South African portion would be the third largest nature reserve, after Kruger and iSimangaliso).

Interestingly, it’s not a national park, but it is a World Heritage Site, managed by the iSimangaliso Wetland Park authority and KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife. It probably should be a national park, because it deserves its place amongst the flagship protected areas on the continent.

The diversity of life at Isimangaliso is staggering,on a par with any of the large nature reserves in South Africa. There are 526 bird species (50% of the country’s, and 25% of Africa’s!), 36 snake species, 35 frog species (the most in the country), 5 species of turtle, 80 species of dragon fly, 110 species of butterflies, more than 2 000 species of flowering plants, more than 100 species of coral and hundreds of ocean and fresh water fish species, as well as a wide collection of African wildlife like elephant, hippo, buffalo, hyena and leopard (but no lion). It is one of two places in South Africa where it’s still possible to see a leopard walking on the beach (De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape is the other).

The reason for this astonishing collection of life? Isimangaliso, which appropriately means “miracle and wonder” in Zulu, contains some of the most diverse landscapes and ocean in Africa. There are more than 220 kilometres of ocean shoreline, eight interlocking ecosystems, including bushveld, grasslands, swamp forest, lakes and rivers, coastal dunes (some of the highest in the world), coral reefs and endless beaches.

The three major lake systems (Kosi Bay, Lake Sibaya and Lake St Lucia – all of which are some of the biggest fresh-water bodies in the country) drive the ecosystems, and all are separated from the ocean by a thin stretch of tall forested coastal dunes.

Kosi Bay (which isn’t really a bay) is a collection of four large lakes, each connected to each other via channels, and ultimately connected to the Indian Ocean near the border of Mozambique. The local Tongan people (who tend to see themselves as distinct from the Zulu), have used fish trips for hundreds of years at Kosi Bay, and the amount of fish moving up and down the lake system is impressive (although some species have been reduced over the years, as could be expected). Each lake’s salinity is different, depending on proximity to the sea.

Lake Sibaya is the largest body of fresh water in South Africa, but there is no river running into or out of it. It is simply groundwater that relies on rain to supplement the lake. Hippos and crocodiles are plentiful here – it’s the second-largest collection of these animals in KZN.

Lake St Lucia is the largest estuary in South Africa, 80kms long and 23kms wide. There are more than 1 000 hippos and crocodiles each in the estuary, as well as large flocks of pelicans, flamingos and a variety of fish species.

A recent addition to iSimangaliso is uMkhuze Game Reserve, one of the most appealing wildlife reserves in the country. Close to 40 000 hectares in size, it has good numbers of wildlife, including elephant, rhino, hippo, crocodiles, leopard, hyenas and many different antelope and ungulate species.

Over the next few days, I’ll upload some info and photos on each of these places, as I travel through them.

But it’s worth mentioning now, that although iSimangaliso is South Africa’s first World Heritage Site (declared in 1999), this undoubted natural treasure almost fell prey to the curse of mining and unchecked development. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a mining company (Richards Bay Minerals) wanted to mine the titanium in the dunes along this beautiful stretch of coastline. It’s quite a thought. Bulldozing and dredging the forests, the estuaries, the lakes, the rivers, the beaches…once you come here, you’ll be flabbergasted that someone could even consider it.

A coalition of organisations, backed by half a million ordinary citizens, as well as Nelson Mandela, petitioned the government to stop the mining license. The government fortunately had the foresight to ban mining, and to ensure that this area should be preserved for the future, and that ecotourism and sustainable utilization were the best forms of revenue generation. A similar battle -yet to be won by conservationists and communities – is currently being fought at the equally beautiful, but much smaller, Mkhambathi Nature Reserve on the Wild Coast. Read my blog about it here.

It was Nelson Mandela who said this about iSimangaliso: “It must be the only place on the globe where the oldest land mammal (the rhino) and the world’s biggest terrestrial animal (the elephant) share an ecosystem with the world’s oldest fish (the coelacanth) and the world’s biggest marine mammal (the blue whale).

So with this in my mind, I started my journey in the far north at Kosi Bay. And what a place to begin my journey through iSimangaliso. While the rest of the country was in the grip of the first winter temperatures, I spent the weekend exploring the beaches, lakes and forests in my shorts and flip flops. The temperatures here hardly ever below 25 degrees, and during the day they can reach 35. The oceans and lakes are almost as warm!

The campsite at Kosi is spectacularly situated on Lake KuNhlange, the third and largest lake in the system, and there were few other visitors there. The water is warm as a bath, and although there are crocodiles and hippos, it’s safe to swim in the shallows during the day.

Fish eagles call regularly, and Kosi Bay also has one of the few palm-nut vulture colonies in the country. These beautiful, rare birds – which look more like eagles than vultures – fly over the campsite in the early morning and late afternoon to look for food in the raffia palm trees which are nearby (these are among the last-remaining raffia palms in the country).

Early one morning my friend Jenny and I hitched a ride with Steve de Lange on his boat trip around the lake system. It’s highly recommended. Steve will take you from third lake down to the first lake, and give you a great overview of the fish traps which the local Tongans have used for probably over 1 000 years. The first Portuguese explorers documented the traps about 700 years ago. Call Steve on 079 991 7714 to book a tour on his boat.

There’s also plenty of birdlife, and of course hippos…and a few crocs. If you are feeling brave, Steve recommends having a snorkel near the fish traps, to see how the young fish use the wooden structures as shelter from predatory fish. There are thousands of fish, and the water is crystal clear and warm, so it’s a great experience. But yes, there are crocs around, although Steve says they come out mainly at night.

That afternoon, we drove round to the estuary, where the lakes are connected to the ocean. The spring tide was coming in strongly, so we took our snorkels and masks and drifted with the incoming tide up the estuary…it’s like swimming in an aquarium. There were plenty of fish, of course, but also many eels and scorpionfish, so be careful about standing in the shallows, as you might get stung!

That evening we had a braai at our campsite, and a huge thunderstorm passed over us. It drenched everything, and lightning crashed about us, but we had our rooftop tent to stand under, and after half an hour, the storm passed, and the stars came out! I fell asleep to hippos grunting and rain drip-dropping off the false banana trees.

The fish traps of Kosi Bay

Cormorant

Hippos!

Raffia palms on the edge of the lake at Kosi Bay...

Our campsite at Kosi Bay...shared with a few hippos!

Flamingo

Fresh water prawn

Hippo!

Cormorant

The estuary at Kosi Bay, and the fish traps used by the local Tongan people for more than 1000 years.

Looking up the four lakes at Kosi Bay from the estuary

Kosi Bay estuary...

Snorkelling int the clear waters of Kosi Bay estuary is a must-do!

Always summertime here

Our campsite on the edge of third lake, at Kosi Bay

Pam nut vulture

Gaboon viper! Belonging to Scotty Kyle, ecologist at Kosi Bay. One bite of this, and you don't have long to live.

Ecologist Scotty Kyle with one of his snakes which he keeps...

Breakfast time...

Forest cobra...don't get close to this one.

The beautiful coastal forests of Kosi Bay