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

This week has been one of the most interesting and fun weeks of my life – this is no exaggeration.

Not only have I learned about the wildlife here and the workings of the lodge, I have learned the value of a hard day’s work and about the amazing people who operate this program – Hein, his wife Kim and Piet. Every day is different and there is always a lot to do – there is never a dull moment. I will give you a brief overview of the highlights of my week here; to list everything I have learned and experienced this week would require a book!

Accommodation
The accommodation is great. We sleep in very comfortable, warm tents that really give one the experience of being out here. I hear the animals during the night and always sleep very well in the fresh, crisp air. Nothing is better than the sound of light rain on one’s tent and it actually stays dry inside! This is the perfect way to sleep out here and I prefer this to sleeping inside. The common area has internet and a kitchen, hot shower and everything one needs; nights are usually spent catching up with friends around the world.

Daily Projects
Many are living vicariously through me on Facebook following my experiences daily. I think my favourite thing this week has been feeding the animals with Piet. Piet is a wealth of knowledge, always polite and a lot of fun to work with. Many times I drive the truck so Piet can scope out the location of the animals – which is great as it is right hand drive and again, it is a first for me. He makes me feel very comfortable and I feel very safe working around these animals when Piet is there. Many of the animals have to have their diets supplemented due to the drought. In the mornings we load up the truck with lucerne and go looking for the zebras, kudo, rhinos, giraffes and buffalo. It is an excellent way to get a close up of the animals and really watch their behaviour and see their physical make-up. I have never been this close to animals before and I have a difficult time putting into words how I feel. No matter how many times I see a rhino, each time is like the first. It never gets boring to see a zebra or look at a giraffe in awe of its timidity and sheer size – it’s a conflict of two realities. The reserve itself is very pretty and I love driving around looking for the different species of animals. Sometimes we can’t find them, other times they find us.

Experiences
One day while feeding the rhino an eland approached the rhino baby and they were locking horns with one another over the food; this was a very rare scene to witness, it was very exciting.After we feed the animals out on the reserve we get to feed the cheetahs that are in the breeding program here. There are some young ones, some genetically challenged ones, one recovering male who has had a major leg surgery and some healthy adults. Patrick usually prepares the meat for them but sometimes Piet will butcher the meat. The cheetahs are incredible creatures; again to get so close to them is brilliant.The elephants here require a lot of work. This week their groomer Harrison was on holidays so we tended to them every day. Their names are Selati, a bull and Kidibone, a cow. Kidibone has a very distinct personality; she is a bit of a joker and every morning when I go in and say hello to her she throws sawdust in my face. It’s funny and I don’t mind as this is the first time an elephant has ever thrown anything in my face! Every morning we start by distributing branches and hay out in the elephant fields. We then clean the bomas which is a great way to warm up while it’s still cold out. Every afternoon we head into the town of Albertinia and cut branches for the elephants. We use machetes and it’s difficult for me so I usually just end up loading up the truck. I really enjoy this time as well; regardless of what we are doing it’s all a new experience for me and I make the most of it; even if I’m not very good at it! One day Piet and I had to collect old telephone poles from the elephants’ area. The poles were very heavy and it took both of us to get them on the truck. The elephants were very curious in what we were doing and came over to investigate. They kept trying to take the poles off the truck and weren’t scared when Piet yelled at them. It was very funny and I am still laughing several days later about it.One day we had the opportunity to feed the lions. They are fed every seven to ten days and it was awesome! The lions are fed a cow that has had its legs removed. The carcass is loaded into the back of a pick-up truck. When we entered the camp the lions could smell it and actually chased the truck. Piet reversed down a hill and slammed on the brakes so the meat would roll out the back. It was so cool to again get that close, to watch a lion rip apart the cow and to have another lion circling the truck. Melanie looked like she was going to have a heart attack! I was so fortunate to be there and have the opportunity to experience this, it is something I will always remember.

Another highlight of the week was going back into the lion camp to plant trees. I never thought that planting trees could be so exhilarating but it was. We had to keep a close eye on the lions and make sure they didn’t get close. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help remember the story Piet told me about the time some staff members were in the lions camp and their truck wouldn’t start. We planted the trees and everything was fine – but it was very exciting. Piet has a quota of about 70 to plant every month. Again, the week was full of so many experiences, I have learned so much and enjoyed every second. Kim and Hein go above and beyond to make sure I am happy and are very accommodating; one knows they are in very good hands here.

Highlights
There were two final memories I would like to include and those are the cheetah kill and darting a rhino.

1. Inyanga is a female cheetah that has been released onto the reserve and a big success it is as she is making kills and being self sufficient. It is ayoba that she has been able to integrate back into nature. One day she had killed a small, pregnant antelope and Piet and I were able to get very close to her and the kill and see it – that was amazing; but the best part was that she was acting in typical cheetah behaviour.
2. The resident male rhino was very aggressive towards the elephants and in fact they were fighting through the fence. This rhino killed an elephant before so he can be very dangerous. His mate has had a baby and her aloof behaviour towards him further increases his aggression. In an experimental program, Hein has been giving the male rhino hormones that decrease his testosterone levels thus decreasing his aggression. It has been successful thus far and on Friday Hein had to give the rhino another dose. The rhino had to be darted in the back of his leg just above the knee to ensure he couldn’t see the dart which would further upset him. Hein darted the rhino so quickly and perfectly it was over in less than a second. Its amazing that even rhino can get hormone replacement therapy!

There were many other things we did this week, too many to list here! In summary it has been an awesome experience and I wouldn’t change one moment of it. I am so happy to be here and will be very sad to leave. All the people here are bright, kind, hard working and a pleasure to see everyday.

Thanks to everyone for an experience that will last a lifetime!

Melissa Haynes
EDGE of AFRICA Volunteer

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

Madikwe Game Reserve
The Madikwe Game Reserve is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa.  It is situated 3 1/2 hours drive from Johannesburg on the border with Botswana. On this game reserve you will find the famous Madikwe River Lodge, Jaci’s Safari Lodge & Jaci’s Tree Lodge (yes, the lodge is in the tree tops, which makes for great viewing).

Shamwari Game Reserve
Malaria free & situated in the Eastern Cape, you will find the Shamwari Game Reserve. The reserve has received numerous international awards, including the World’s Leading Conservation Company and Game Reserve for five consecutive years. It is situated in verdant bush along the Bushmans River, halfway between Port Elizabeth (45 minutes drive outside the city) and Grahamstown, a pleasant drive from Cape Town, forming a natural extension to the famous Garden Route.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve lies in the heart of Zululand, where ancient trails lead through the thornveld and along the mighty rivers of Africa’s oldest established wilderness area. Besides the elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo and rhino, it harbours the elusive cheetah, wild dogs and many other well-known bushveld species inhabit the park, offering visitors a rich game viewing experience.

Aquila Game Reserve
Aquila is not yet another luxury game reserve and lodge, its primary purpose is to offer an educational experience to all who visit in the hope that knowledge will enrich our understanding of the importance of living in harmony with Mother Nature.

Pilanesberg National Park
The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is situated on the eroded remains of an ancient volcanic crater and is the fourth largest national park in South Africa. Not only will you find the Big 5 here, you will also find the cheetah, hippo, giraffe, a large variety of antelope and over 350 species of bird.

The article’s conclusions are particularly interesting, given the prevailing wisdom in the tourism industry that tourists to Africa are only interested in seeing the “Big 5″ – leopard, lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Just recently we have been debating this issue in ecoAfrica, so the research is timeous and topical for us. I for one have always been loathe to accept that only the Big 5 holds any attraction to travellers to our continent.

By way of a brief background, ecotourism is regarded as vitally important to the continued survival and efficacy of protected areas and wilderness – whether owned by the state, private persons or communities – in most African states simply because it promises economic incentives for nature conservation and preservation. Although making conservation dependent on a fickle industry like tourism is extremely dangerous, the reality is that many poor African countries, faced with the developmental demands of burgeoning human populations, lack the funds to meet biodiversity conservation targets.

As the authors point out, if ecotourism is so vital, but simultaneously only caters for tourists’ narrow preferences for viewing “charismatic mega-fauna”, then it potentially skews conservation priorities. Savanna habitats, rather than woodland, deserts or mountain landscapes, would be conserved. Furthermore, only a few protected areas that conserve the Big 5 in adequate habitats would earn the bulk of tourism revenues. This is certainly the case in South Africa, where the Kruger National Park virtually finances the rest of the national park system. Mega-fauna are expensive to conserve, which means that only state protected areas have the resources and the ranges to sustainably maintain their populations. Community conservation areas, for whom ecotourism is touted as an economic solution, would thus be eliminated as viable ecotourism destinations.

Based on scientific surveys of tourists to a few of South Africa’s state and private protected areas, the authors come to some surprising – and hopeful – conclusions:

•  While first-time visitors do have an understandable fixation on the Big Five and the big cats, the more experienced (in viewing wildlife) visitors are, the more they seek the unusual and smaller species and appreciate the greater web of life, the ecosystems.
• Older guests show a greater interest in bird and plant diversity, scenery and rarer species such as wild dog, sable, hyena, cheetah, etc.
• The same holds true to an even greater extent for “African” tourists (here I presume that “African” means local residents and does not refer to ethnic origin). This point perhaps underlines the importance of promoting ecotourism locally and not depending solely on the foreign market.
• 73% of visitors to the Kruger Park are South African, while 34% of respondents in the surveys had visited wildlife areas more than five times in the previous five years.

It is perhaps fortunate that once the Africa bug bites, it gets into your blood. It seems that it is our ancestral landscape and that “nostalgia”, that inexorable pull, keeps bringing people back. We at ecoAfrica see it in the numbers of return visitors over the years, and the numbers of clients who return multiple times.

For us it is important to know that greater experience in nature travel in Africa implies a need to have a “deeper” experience of Africa. ecoAfrica should be able to “track” this depth of experience and ultimately satisfy it by providing deeper and richer experiences of Africa’s unmatched diversity.