After returning ‘home’ at the reserve, back from a great weekend over in Knysna, I found out the elephants had decided to be naughty and break all the fences around the milkwood tree! ‘While the cat’s away, the mice will play’, I guess. Selati even managed to lift a gate up off its rail so we had to place it back, which took a lot of manpower, but luckily Hein, Patrick and Ettienne managed to do it. Not only had the ellies wrecked all the fences, they had also managed to mess up the voltage on the wires, so Hein and I placed a new energizer just outside the boma, so that everything was back in order.

This week it was time to work on the cheetah skeleton again. I had already assembled it and put it all in the right place (well except for the tiniest of tiny bones maybe) but we still needed to actually construct it. That is why local Ludwig Oosthuizen, a real pro when it comes to building skeletons, came to help me! Behind the rugged appearance of this man lies a crazy amount of knowledge on skeletons and an ambition to start a little museum of his own. Hence, he wanted us to come visit him and his skeletons, to see his ‘life works’. That is why Hein and I took Tammy, volunteer on the Predator Sanctuary project, to see Ludwig and his collection when she came to visit the Big 5 Wildlife Project on Wednesday! It was at a rather deserted farm in an area with no cell phone reception whatsoever and we know this because Tammy kept checking, ha-ha! But I must really say that his collection of skeletons was very impressive, he had literally everything ranging from tiny little birds and bats to entire elands and whales! When Hein thought it time to return to our duties at the lodge we left Ludwig and his bones. On the way back we almost drove into a herd of cows that were blocking the road in front of us, which wouldn’t have mattered because we weren’t supposed to be on that road in the first place, because… Hein got lost! We seriously had to turn around like three times before he found the right road and got us back to the GRGL!

When we finally did get back to the project we had to have a quick lunch before accompanying the wildlife vet on his mission. There was another buffalo with a red eye so we had called the wildlife vet in for a consult. Before darting we tried to lure the buffaloes with pellets to get them to move to a better spot for darting, so that they wouldn’t run into the thicket or water. Then the vet darted the male buffalo with the red eye and they all ran off. When we got to them we saw the male was down but not quite under so we had to restrain him as the vet topped his drugs off to get him to settle down. This buffalo was diagnosed with the same condition as the previous one – conjunctivitis and as such got the same bolus injection of antibiotics just under the sclera of the eye, together with multiple injections of antibiotics that I got to inject! It was very awesome to inject medicine into such a large & powerful animal!

Tammy also got to help us with fixing the wires around the milkwood tree in the elephant camp, this time trying out a new system! We needed a new system because Selati has a very clever way of breaking the wires, he uses his tusks to lift them until they snap, because he knows he won’t shock through them! So this time we collected rocks to use as weights on the end of the electric wires, so that when Selati tries to wreck them, he will simply lift the rocks and the wire will give way in stead of breaking and then when he lets go they will fall back into place… At least that’s the idea so here’s hoping that it’s going to work!

Then after feeding the cheetahs Hein invited me and Tammy to the lodge to have a beer with him and Patrick and obviously we didn’t say no to that! We had a nice chat about our busy day and then it was time for me to drive Tammy to the top gate and say goodbye!

On Thursday Hein and I tried helping the cheetahs Bobby and Victor out in the reserve with stalking and hunting prey! They were out in the open field where the springbok can usually be found and they were looking for food. So Hein positioned the car in the line of view between the cheetahs and the springbok so that they could cover some ground without the springbok noticing. As we did that, Bobby approached the car and was really using us as cover, which was pretty cool, it’s amazing how smart these animals are. Unfortunately, when Victor wanted to join up with his brother the springbok were onto them and the hunt was off… Which is when the cheetahs started focusing on Hein and me, circling the car! Quite scary ha-ha, but we managed to get rid of them!

Then it was time for another excited weekend filled with fun activities! So on the Saturday Hein and Kim dropped me off at Jukani where Roger was waiting for me to bring me back to Knysna for my second visit to the volunteer house. On our way there we had to pick up Sherry (USA/SA) from George airport, who was about to start her project! Then at the volunteer house we met up with Chun (UK), Jonas (Belgium), Katy (UK), Philip (USA) and it was very nice to see all of them again. We had an awesome time in Plettenberg bay where Roger had arranged for us to have a surfing lesson, very tiring, but very cool and I think in the end we all managed to stand up! That night we all went to bed pretty early because the sea had completely tired us out… Even so it was a short night because we had to wake up at 6:30 (!!) for our excursion to Mosselbaai! That is where we met up with Alex (Germany) and went shark cage diving, I will not elaborate on that, just ask Roger how I liked it ha-ha… Let’s just say the others had a great time! We also paid a visit to the Predator Sanctuary Project at Jukani, which was cool because we got to see Tammy again and were just in time for the feeding tour which is really nice to see. Then Roger took us to a backpackers in Mosselbaai which was quite cool because it was an old train turned into a hostel, so we spent the night there after a good dinner at Dros!

Then on the Monday we were all quite lazy so we missed breakfast and ordered our own before packing our bags and leaving for the Garden Route Game Lodge aka the Big 5 Wildlife project! When we arrived at the reserve we found out Hein and the guys were very busy working on a broken water pump, which was quite a laborious task and they couldn’t use us for it. So unfortunately we had no other choice but to go and relax by the pool! After a couple laidback hours, Hein collected us and took us back to the house where he started the fire and we had an awesome braai!

The next day Alex, Katy and Chun joined me on the project and we showed them the reserve. We had coffee with the rhino’s which was really nice and just as we were about to leave them to see the rest of the Big 5 we noticed a flat tire, so we got to spend some more time with them! When the wheel was fixed we showed them what a day at the project is like and as such we did fence checks, cheetah tracking, feeding of the crocs, cheetahs and buffaloes and Hein also taught us a lot about different plant species and which ones are edible and which aren’t. He told us all the medicinal purposes of the aloe ferox plant and said the juice taste very bitter, so he dared us to taste a tiny little drop. Obviously we all wanted to try, but I didn’t listen to Hein’s warning and as such my ‘tiny little drop’ was actually quite large so it was really disgustingly bitter! Luckily, we had some leftover rusks that could take the awful taste away. The guys were actually supposed to leave and head back to their own projects but because they liked the reserve and the project so much they decided to stay another night. So we went into Albertinia and Hein showed us some good student wines we had to taste. That night Hein made us potjiekos by the fire and it was really very good, I think we actually finished all of it. We had a very cool night as we enjoyed our student wines underneath the stars!

The next morning we did a special game drive for Alex, Chun and Katy, which I think they really enjoyed – as did I, even after 6 weeks it never gets boring! Then the four of us went for lunch at the lodge and had the most awesome springbok shanks ever. When we were done, the guys went to chill by the swimming pool and I helped Hein fix the roads and build an enclosure for a rock monitor that friends of his had donated to the reserve the day before. After that it was time to say goodbye to Alex, Chun and Katy as they left and headed back to Knysna…

Then it was really there…my last day on the project! Still can’t believe it and really don’t want to leave this amazing place and these awesome people. I’m honestly leaving my heart behind! There were a lot of odd jobs this day and I got to help on all of them. For instance, Hein had to make a pizza shovel for the restaurant, we had to weld steps onto a game drive car that had broken off and of course there were the usual tasks such as fence checks, rhino patrols etc. I also got to cut the meat for the cheetahs all on my own, which was pretty cool because I had to take the skin off and divide the horses leg into pieces by myself and then dust it with the predator nutrient stuff. After which we obviously fed the cheetahs…for the last time. Then we found out there was a fault in the electric fence in the lion enclosure and Patrick was going to fix it. So I got to embark on this adventure as it was quite tricky because the lions were pretty close to where the fault in the fence was. Then we almost got stuck with the car when we tried to get to the fence as close as possible which was quite funny, but not as funny as when I tried to fix the wires. In all the 6 weeks I had spent on the reserve I had never ever been shocked (well except for the time where I touched the wire on purpose after a couple brandy & cokes) but of course I had to do it on my very last day! As I tried to wiggle the metal into place to stabilize the electric wire to the fence my thumb got stuck and as I struggled to get it out I got the shock of my life. I think Patrick almost died of laughter! It was hilarious, 8000 volts on my arm!

Then we went into Albertinia for the last time where I did some last minute souvenir shopping and got some drinks for my going-away-braai. And before I knew it, it was time for dinner and so the fire was lit and Hein, Kim, Malan, Roger and I gathered round for my very last South African braai… I’ll be back!

Last but not least I want to thank everyone again for making this experience the best of my life! From day one you have gone out of your way to ensure a good stay and a great project so thank you all very much! You are all so very kind and caring and I had the best of times, thanks again guys!

Love to all

Elise van der Heijden

Big Five Wildlife Project

October 2 – October 14, 2010

In short, this experience has been absolutely amazing. The program is based at the Garden Route Game Lodge near Mossel Bay. This is a lodge where guests come to stay and go on game drives during the day. It is the job of the workers and volunteers to manage the game reserve and all of its animals. As a volunteer, I worked with Piet, the volunteer coordinator. Piet is a great person to work with because he makes if fun while teaching you anything you want to know about the animals and the reserve. Some of the daily jobs that we do include cleaning out the elephants’ boma, cutting down small trees to feed the elephants, feeding the buffaloes, and feeding the cheetahs. On top of these daily activities, we also had other tasks to complete that were needed at the time.

This past week has been a special time for the reserve because they have recently doubled their land. We had to make gates at the boundaries of the new land while other workers took down the old fencing, opening up the entire reserve. Another important task with the opening of the new land was to guide the animals to it. Although there is no more fencing, the animals have a mental barrier as to where their boundaries are and it may take a while for them to explore on their own. We guided the buffalos into the new land by feeding them a little bit at a time, and making sure they were following the truck to get more food. This was a hard task because the two days we attempted it, the buffaloes were no where to be found. Every other day the buffalos have been right out in the open, but of course the day we need them they are hiding. We eventually found them and, after a lot of teasing with the food, the buffaloes were finally in their new territory. After this great success on our part, they returned back to the old land within a half hour. However, we were still happy because now they know there is no boundary and they will explore more on their own.

Another task we had was to shoot a zebra that was injured with an infected leg. They had given him a few weeks to heal, but the leg just kept getting worse, so they made the decision to kill it. After shooting it, we brought it to the reserve’s butcher shed and skinned it (I actually just watched). This skin will be sold at the curio shop and the money will be put back into the reserve. We then brought the skinned zebra across the street to the butchery where they prepared and sold the meat. Although it seems like a sad story, the zebra was suffering and it is all part of running a reserve. In the next few days, we will dart and relocate another male zebra to put with the female zebras who lost their dominant stallion.

The game lodge has a reptile park with caged snakes that the guests can visit. Because they are caged, they must be fed. Piet and I had the task of shooting a bird to feed to the Green Mamba snakes. We drove around in the truck until we found a good shot, and after missing once, I shot the second bird. This was a good experience because I had never shot anything before, and the bird was put to good use.

These were just a few of the main things I have experienced here. Although there is work to be done, it is all fun doesn’t seem like work at all. There is also plenty of time to relax. One of my favourite things about this setting is that the yard in front of the tents has a small pond that overlooks the reserve. This means that the animals walk up close to the fence, which is amazing to watch while relaxing in the back yard. The sunsets are also amazing from this point, and on a quiet night you can hear the lions roaring! Hein and Kim have been incredibly welcoming and friendly.

I am extremely glad that I participated in this wonderful experience. It’s like nothing else in the world!

Monday
Monday morning was spent working with the elephants as usual, and then we went to where the crocodiles are and started to dig up an extension for their pool, which was done in the beautiful African heat! After lunch we headed out with the riffles to do some shooting, which was so much fun and really addictive. The first riffle we used to shoot 40 metres away and then we used a Musgrave to shoot 100 metres. I managed to get bull’s-eyes which was awesome seeing as I thought I would be rubbish at shooting!

Tuesday
We spent the morning checking the electric fence around the elephant enclosure, and then we spent some time in the reptile enclosure and held the restrictor python who is actually lovely. We then went round giving salt licks for the animals such as the antelope and springbok, and we also gave hay with some medication inside it to them too called Deltomax (which is something used to de-worm them). We attempted to lure the buffalos close to the car so we could spray them with tick repellent but they were having none of it and would not come near the hay until we left. We will have to try again soon. En route we saw a baby puff adder and a ‘Skaapsteker’. It’s so weird being able to drive/walk round and come across venomous snakes like that. We then finished off digging the extension for the water, fed the cheetahs and ended the night getting the boma (Elephant indoor sleeping quarters) ready for the elephants, where I saw a massive rain spider which I could not resist picking up.

Wednesday
This morning we cleaned out the elephant boma and used the old bedding to put in the roads which are a little bit unstable, and then we went round collecting some old branches out of the reserve where the elephants eat the branches we give them throughout the week, after that we went to feed the lions – who were a lot more active than last time due to the weather. We then went to get some more branches using our cool machetes again and then fed the cheetahs. After that we went to check on the baby ostriches to make sure they were all there – and they were!

Thursday
We spent the morning with the ellies (Elephants), just giving the boma a spot clean. And we then spent the rest of the day sorting out the extension for the crocodile pool, which included making a cement mixture and placing it down. In the evening we all went to the lodge restaurant for dinner for a change which was lovely.

Friday
We spot cleaned the boma and gave the ellies some branches to munch on. And then we headed to the crocodile pool again just to do the last finishing touches. After that we went looking for some birds to shoot so we could feed the snakes, but luckily for the birds we were unsuccessful. However we did see the ellies playing around in their pool splashing about, which was incredibly cute. ‘Kidibone’ was having the time of her life. We came back early where Hein showed us the dart gun and talked about the different things used which was really interesting. I then had a go at loading the dart (I only used water though) and then I went outside and had a go at shooting at a pillow 10 metres away. We then went to see the lions for the last time and fed the cheetahs.

Friday night means its time for a ‘braai’ (South African ‘Bar b Que’), and guess what?…I am going to try some springbok.

The past two weeks has been fantastic, I really recommend it and I’m definitely going to come back with a friend in the future and work with the EDGE of AFRICA team again!

For more details on volunteering with Africa’s Big 5 in South Africa visit www.EDGEofAFRICA.com

We arrived at the weekend of 4rd September 2010 on the project, and rather than spending it relaxing we decided to go get straight into the action by going shark cage diving followed by a game drive to warm us up to what lay ahead at our first week on the Big 5 project. The shark cage dive was fantastic, still can’t believe we managed to get so close and personal with great whites! The game drive was equally impressive and really got me more excited for my time volunteering on the reserve.

Monday came round and we were up and ready to start our first day at 07h30, we cleaned out the elephant ‘bomas’ (indoor shelter for the orphaned elephants) after persuading ‘Salati’ (Ellie number 1) and ‘Kidibone’ (Ellie number 2) to go outside and away from their cosy night home. After that we were driven around the game reserve and explained various details and information about the area and the animals. For example: Did you know that male ostriches are black because they sit on the nest at night and the females are grey because they sit on the nests at daytime? Nope is didn’t know that either.

We also witnessed a snake that was caught earlier on in the day being released, it wasn’t deadly but if it bit you it would make you pretty ill and throw up….luckily no-one got bitten.

That evening we sorted out food and water for the elephants for during their night and fed them, which they loved….apart from ‘Kidibone’ who is a bit grumpy around people.

Tuesday came round quickly after a night of hearing lions roar, frogs croak and the dominant black wildebeest call (which I personally think has quite a feminine call). We fed the cheetah which was a messy but awesome business, was so cool watching their behaviour change as they knew food was coming. We also gave the buffalos some hay (which we now do everyday) and watched them chomp away for a while. Next stop was to go and get some branches to be fed to the elephants; we were given some massive machetes (like knives) to use.

On Wednesday we started in the elephant boma as usual, and then headed down to the lion enclosure where we got digging with a pick-axe (only about 100metres away from the curious lions) and all together we planted about 30 acacia trees. We also fed the cheetahs again as well as the crocs, which were hungry and loving their dinner time! We also had to fix an electric fence around a protected tree because the elephants destroyed the fence as they could get to the tree.

On Thursday we cleaned out the entire elephant boma rather than just collecting the faecal matter, and then took it to be dumped on the roads around the reserve to make the road more stable. We also fixed another fence which the elephants had also destroyed (hard keeping up with them). We then fed the lions which was really cool, although the male stayed a good distance away at first because he was afraid of one of the cars (in the past that car was used to dart him). When that car moved however, he happily came to munch on the meat. We also fixed one of the pipes that was running to the pool in the lion enclosure because the lions thought it would be fun to destroy the one that was there before. We also burnt some branches in the crocodile enclosure, which had been pulled out of the sand so they could lay eggs in the sand.

On the Friday we headed off to Cape Town for the weekend, and the guys here were nice enough to let us leave on the Friday and helped us sort out booking things. All in all the week has been relaxing but busy, and fantastic fun and definitely passed way too quickly. Can’t wait to see what the next week brings!

Watch out for my next update!
Until next week…..

For more details on volunteering with Africa’s Big 5 in South Africa visit www.EDGEofAFRICA.com

Populations of the poor and uneducated will be pushed to the high ground as the sea levels rise.  There the already denuded and desertified lands will face increased pressure.   In the less prepared countries where governments are not equipped to deal with the influx, law and order will soon collapse and marauding gangs will soon rise and become the law of the land.  Just as the Difaqane wars displaced the peoples of southern Africa, so will we have waves of displaced people escaping the gangs.   Murder and starvation will prevail.  I have a vision of a small nomadic family fighting its way through a sandstorm, dragging their prize possession, a goat.  Out of the miasma comes a group on horseback (or in a vehicle, if there’s any fuel to be obtained).  They are strong and consist of men.  They take the goat and kill the father and son for good measure.  They rape the women and move on.  Sound familiar?  Could be Zimbabwe or it could be Darfur right now.  Most people in Africa know what desperation feels like.  It is a visceral rather than cerebral knowledge, born out of immediate and personal experience.

The strong countries will put up barricades and run police states to combat the rising tide of environmental refugees.   Civil liberties will fall away and the average person in these so-called civilized countries will soon be living as people in Johannesburg already do, with security systems that diminish the enjoyment of every day life.

It doesn’t require much of an imagination.  All this is already happening and the likelihood that the situation will deteriorate further, before it improves, is substantive.

Ignoring the problem is a cop-out.  Believing that you’re so mighty you’ll be one of the winners is fantasy.  There will be no winners.  There will only be losers.  (The significance of 9/11!)

Personally I can’t think of anything more dull and unhealthy than a world that is centered purely around human beings – just as cultural diversity is stimulating, so too is biological and spiritual diversity.  Be that as it may, even for those people who don’t think there’s any merit in preserving biodiversity, there is the incontrovertible truth that the resources available cannot match the demand.

But what keeps me awake at night, and it truly does, is that it seems that everyone pussyfoots around the root cause of all this:  if all humans are to enjoy a comfortable, Western lifestyle ( and it seems that everyone aspires to this) then there are way too many people on this planet to support that luxury.  Never mind the projections of population growth.

So what can be done?  Try and convince all the developing nations that material comfort and good health are not really what they want?  Or try and reduce the breeding numbers?  It’s strange, but even educated people have a mental block about the latter.  When you mention that the numbers need to be reduced they immediately jump to the conclusion that some kind of die off is what you’re suggesting.  On the contrary, the educated world has had the means to prevent pregnancies for some decades.  Yes, there are concerns about aging populations having to be supported by a declining working population, but there is no problem-free solution to the pickle we’re in.

A two pronged approach would probably do the trick, with a leg up from education.  Reducing our consumption and reducing the number of children we have is an individual’s choice.   We see in international politics the theme of the South not prepared to toe the line because the North isn’t prepared to lead by example.  So it will take ordinary people, people like you and me, the grass roots if you like, to figure this out on an individual level and do what we think is right to avoid having future generations cursing us for our selfishness and short-sightedness.

Having been born and raised in Africa I often think about the reverence that Africans hold for the ancestors.  What if we get to a point that future generations curse us, the ancestors, for what we’ve left as a legacy?  It is time for us all to take responsibility for what we leave behind.

What the world really needs is a new ethos, a new culture, a new spirituality.  One that celebrates diversity and takes responsibility for the power, we as a species, possess.   I believe we should be looking for it in the arts, the space where creative energies flourish.   But as there is a definite correlation between power and ostentation, we should be looking for it on the fringes.  Did you know that the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa is second only to Edinburgh for its programme diversity?

 A number of lodges have sprung up in the reserve over the years as the Parks Board have tendered out sites.  They range in price from SAR 1,000 to SAR 5,000 per person per night.

What impressed me most was how the authorities interact and engage with all the private sector stakeholders.  Monthly meetings are held between all the authorities e.g. park, police, tourism and each one of the following private groups:  guides, managers and owners/investors.  This is a working example of how issues can be nipped in the bud and provides a regular forum for problems to be discussed.

One such potential problem has been admirably solved.  That is the number of vehicles at a game sighting.  The rule, which all guides adhere to, goes like this.  No more than 3 vehicles are permitted at a sighting.  The first one there is “in charge” of the log.  That person allows 2 more vehicles in.  Any further vehicles must wait on standby.  When the first vehicle leaves he/she hands over the log to the first one on standby, who comes into the sighting.  And so it goes on.  Everyone is in constant communication over the radio so everyone knows who’s where and when, and how many are waiting etc. 

And it works.  We saw African wild dog, and understandably there were a lot of vehicles wanting to see them too.  Even though it would have been nice to stay longer watching them, everyone did manage to get good photos and all the other lodges got their guests in to the sighting. 

Another example of this excellent co-operation between all parties was the following.   A fresh eland bull carcass had been found by a guide.  It was apparent that another eland bull had killed it in a territorial battle.  The guide was dutifully reporting the death to the Park Headquarters.

Several lodge concessions have been leased to communities living on the boundary of the park.  And, once again, sound management principles are in place.  Communities own the lease, and where skills have not yet been developed in those communities an external company is brought into provide the operational and marketing expertise with a view to training the local communities up to those functions.  Agreements are in place that communities derive direct employment opportunities at the various lodges. 

To enrich the wildlife experience there is a lot of history in the area too; from early Bantu settlers pushed north during the Difiqane wars to the Boers, who also trekked north to escape repressive authorities.  Marico is an Afrikanerisation of Madikwe and all South African literature lovers will have reveled in the tales of Oom Schalk Lourens of the Groot Marico. 

In line with progressive conservation practice the Parks Board has gone a long way in the planning stages of a corridor-park between Madikwe and the Pilanesberg NP.  This Heritage Park will add another 167,000 hectares to the existing conservation areas and will open up much need migratory routes to the larger mammals.

All in all, Madikwe and the future plans for the area are totally impressive, innovative and exciting.

When you Google in North West Parks Board you’ll find it comes up as the North West Parks and Tourism Board.  The two are inextricably linked.  Now this is ecotourism.