February 2008 

 “Make the boy interested in Natural History; it is far better than games”.

This quote was by Captain Scott, who took part in the ill-fated race for the South Pole. However, it is sound advice to which I adhered this Christmas, foregoing Playstations and Nintendo Wii. Instead,  I bought my son a book entitled  “Africa’s vanishing wildlife”. Rather worryingly, the book is somewhat large, with a number of species having the dubious distinction of being included, due alarming declines in their numbers. Two species of particular interest were the African wild dog and Black rhino.

Last week, whilst paging through my favourite publication, I noticed another book with an equally ominous title “100 animals to see before they die!” It included 15 species from Africa, and once again the African wild dog and Black rhino were featured. The reason I mention these two species is that in recent months Tinga has had some excellent (and regular) sightings of both these endangered species.  In my experience though, people are generally unaware of the status of these animals, and do not realise how lucky they are to see them.  In case you are wondering why wild dogs always manage to elicit a mention in the newsletter, it is because they are my favourite animal.

 It is not just their rarity, but their fascinating life history, their sociality, and last, but not least, the thrill of following a pack on the hunt. Unlike the tense expectancy as lions or leopards painstakingly stalk their prey, wild dog hunts are high-octane :in late afternoon, the dogs rouse themselves, and start walking, slowly picking up the pace after a while. Pretty soon,  they hit top gear as the pack spreads out, hoping to flush some or other species of antelope.  Impala scatter frantically at the dogs' approach. Like heat-seeking missiles, the dogs latch on to a particular target and give chase. If they miss, they resume the hunt, and there can be several chases before, inevitably some hapless animal is brought to the ground. The dogs feed quickly, knowing that hyenas or lions may have heard the kill and will attempt to appropriate the carcass. Although they wisely do not dispute ownership with lions, they may sometimes take on the hyenas. As the younger dogs feed, the outriders may work together to drive them off. Even though the hyenas are considerably heavier, the dogs’ superior teamwork gives them the upper hand, provided the numbers are about even.

In my day as a guide, I remember leaving a leopard sighting to view a pack of wild dogs that had been seen in the area.  My guests were most annoyed that we had hurried to see “Alsatians with big ears” but I soon managed to change their perception of them.  Of course, Tinga guides had it easier in December, when the abovementioned predators obligingly combined to form one excellent sighting – 26 dogs chased a male leopard up a tree on the Narina access road – and the guides had to leave a lion sighting just down to the road to see it!!

 ((Male leopard chased up a tree by wild dogs - Tony Park)

As for black rhino, I have only seen them four times in the wild – once at Tinga!  The tracker was following up on some white rhino tracks. In the distance, we saw some rhinos running. As they turned, I saw quite clearly that they were black rhino. Guests with us on the vehicle were quite bemused by the reaction of my wife and I. Only when I explained the rarity of black rhinos did they appreciate their good fortune! More recently, one of our guides saw a group of five black rhino, which is something indeed. Furthermore, two of the rhino were mating. Wisely, the guide did not intrude on this intimate moment, and they observed from a distance.  Head guide, Quentin had another wonderful sighting, and the rhinos actually approached the vehicle, allowing him to get some wonderful photographs. Last week, Megan managed to find five black rhino on the western concession, first seeing three animals, with another brace just around the corner. In her second sighting, the bull was obviously not in the mood for visitors, and she prudently retreated!

(Black Rhino on the western concession - Quentin Swanevelder) 

 What is really encouraging is that despite the ominous names of the books mentioned earlier, there is hope for both the wild dog and black rhino. The creation of the numerous “transfrontier parks” will be a lifeline for wild dogs, as they need large tracts of land. Although they are highly successful predators, they are sometimes their own worst enemies, as they break through the fences and attack livestock, and are often poisoned as result. The dogs are also vulnerable to diseases such as rabies and distemper.  By having large conservation areas, such as Kruger, contact with domestic animals can be avoided.

Black rhinos are also showing an increase in numbers, but with only 3700 individuals (hopefully 3701 in a couple of months if our Tinga couple had a successful liaison), they are still classified as Endangered. Fortunately demand for the horn has dropped in the Middle East, and the black rhino is attaining value as a “must-see’ on  safari. Strictly speaking it is the black rhino, not the white rhino, which is included in the Big Five.  The alarming decline of the black rhino led to the white rhino’s inclusion by default, as it was so difficult to see them.  At this point, we should tip our hats to those dedicated individuals at SANParks and KZN Wildlife, who have been instrumental in conserving these species.  Peter Hathaway Capstick encapsulated it wonderfully, when he observed that the thickets of Africa would not have the same adventorous allure without the possibility of having a snoozing rhino come charging out of them.

A recent posting on a travel forum by a Tinga guest expressed dissatisfaction at not being able to drive on the Concession’s roads after rains in the area as we could surely repair them at a later date.

On behalf of Tinga, please permit a rebuttal.

Tinga is a concession lodge within the Kruger National Park. To operate as a concessionaire is a wonderful privilege, but with this privilege, comes great responsibility. The Kruger National Park can be considered  one of South Africa’s crown jewels,  and Tinga gave a firm commitment to SANParks, that whilst operating within the concession, we would adhere to the rigorous ecological guidelines set out by SANParks ecological department, specifically designed to preserve the ecological integrity of the sensitive ecosystems in which we would operate. Within the Concessionaires Manual for Operating Procedures, it is clearly stated that driving on the concession roads after rains is prohibited. Tinga is situated in a low rainfall area, so this would not be a regular occurrence.  In practical terms, if rainfall in excess of 15 mm has fallen on the concession, the Head guide will make a decision to close the affected area for a designated period of time.  The rationale, with which I wholeheartedly concur having had some experience myself, is that prevention is far better than cure. Using the analogy of a wound, the wound can be healed with treatment, but the scar will then remain. Once damaged,  it is almost impossible to return them to their original state.

One of the advantages of Tinga, is that despite heavy rains, it is often possible to conduct a game drive on the roads which are off the concession. This is possible because they are on a different soil type, or because they are constructed gravel roads.

Essentially, what I am trying to get across, is that we are now in the age of responsible tourism. That includes the sustainable use of our natural resources. It is in all our best interests to ensure that our wilderness remains intact for the future generations. I would hope that when my son has children of his own, the names of the wildlife books have more optimistic titles!

Lastly, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous and successful 2008 and conclude with  a charming  Shangaan quote I read in an article from Sarah Borchert (Editor : Africa Geographic)

“ An elephant’s tusks are never heavier than its owner” – in other words, for every problem, there is a solution!

  (Kruger Tusker - Bill Taylor)

Fambani Gahle
Ian