When approaching the waterhole drive slowly as to make the less possible noise and dust when arriving.  If you arrive in a fanfare the animals and birdlife will be gone before you even know it.  We are all there to have a once in a life time experience!

Be considerate and pick a spot where you will not obscure the view of other people already present.  Wait your turn. They were there first and we all want to experience the animals.  After all that is what we all are there for.

Go prepared.  Take binoculars and a camera, download the necessary apps before you leave home and take the appropriate reference books to make the outing enjoyable.  It also helps to pass the time while waiting for the animals to arrive.  Take some snacks and drinks and settle in and wait.  If you have children teach them how to use the reference books to kill the time.

Do not forget the small creatures at the waterhole.  Look at the birds, tortoises and ground squirrels, observe interesting plants and flowers and the interaction that is taking place between all these things.  Expect the small creatures and be surprised by the big ones!

Be responsible at the waterhole.  Do not get out of your vehicle.  The warning sign is there for a reason.  That lion that is on your bucket list might just be sleeping in the grassy patch behind the bush!  And yes,  that lethargic croc is quicker than you think!

Be quiet and keep your voice down. Do not bother them – they might be taking an afternoon nap! Animals can hear you from a distance and will not approach the waterhole if there are unfamiliar noises.  This includes not playing music and putting your cell phone on silent!

And last, but not least – do not litter!  Keep a bag for the litter in your car.  The golden rule of the veld is what you take in is what you take out.  Leave only the footprints of your vehicle behind.

“Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” ― Irene M. Pepperberg

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Let’s start off with some interesting and lesser known facts about the trunk of an elephant:

Feeling the vibe:  Aside from smell, the trunk is sensitive to vibrations; from the ground it can sense the rumble of faraway herds and even far-off thunder.

Mighty muscles:  An elephant’s trunk has eight major muscles on either side and 150,000 muscle bundles in all. It is so strong that it can easily push down trees or roll over a vehicle.

Move it:  Like the human tongue, the trunk is a muscular hydrostat – a boneless muscular structure that allows for its excellent maneuverability.

Phenomenal sense of smell:  So sensitive is an elephant’s trunk that it is more capable than a bloodhound’s nose and is said to be able to smell water, citrus and apples  from several miles away.

How to approach an elephant

• • Slow down as soon as you see and/or approach the elephants.

• • Assess the area for possible escape routes if necessary.

• • Make sure you do not have any citrus with you as they will trample a vehicle to get to it.

• • Take extra care if there are juveniles in the elephant group – keep your distance as the mothers can be extremely unpredictable with small ones around.

• • If you are in an open safari vehicle, do not stand up or make sudden movements on the vehicle or speak loudly.  Although their eyesight is not good an elephant might feel threatened and can cause an aggressive response.

• If an elephant shows threatening behaviour, slowly retreat and give it space.

Some of the most obvious threatening behavior displayed by elephants are

Spreading the ears:  The elephant faces an opponent head-on with ears fully spread (at 90 degrees from the body). They also spread their ears when they are excited, surprised or alarmed.

Mock charging:  The elephant rushes toward you while spreading its ears and just stops short of its target while kicking up dust.   This will also be accompanied with trumpeting.

Bundu bashing:  The elephant causes a commotion to demonstrate strength, tossing its head and tusks back and forth through bushes or other vegetation while making a noise.

Charging:  The elephant rushes toward you with its ears spread and its head raised or lowered while it has the apparent intention of following through. Its trunk may be tightly curved under so that the tusks can make contact first. A real charge is usually silent and extremely dangerous. I think it is time to get away as soon as possible!

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Did you know?  That an elephant’s skeleton makes up 16.5% of its total weight in order to support its heavy mass?

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Hope you enjoyed these facts.   Also read about the bee and elephant project in Kenya. You can follow them on Facebook @ Elephants and Bees Project.

Be responsible and travel safely in the wild!

Love will draw an elephant through a key-hole —– Samuel Richardson

The post ELEPHANT 101 appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Maar miskien is die kamp ook nie vir almal lekker.  Daar is nie ‘n winkeltjie of restaurant fasiliteite nie.  Ook nie gras staan plekke nie.  Jou naaste inkopiesentrum gaan wees by Berg en Dal ruskamp ongeveer 10 kilometer verder aan.

Daar is ook nie WiFi in die chalets nie, maar wie kom nou wildtuin toe om op die internet te lê?

Maar as jy stilte soek weg van die gejaag en gemaal in die wildtuin is dit ‘n baie lekker kampie om in uit te span.  Die kampplekke het nie almal gras en bome nie en sommige effe skuins, maar ons kon daarmee saamleef.  Tussen die jong kremetarte voor  die sowat vyf chalets is daar egter lekker groen grasperke met bankies wat oor die rivier uitkyk.

Alhoewel die gemeenskaplike kamp kombuis met die chalets gedeel word was dit  elke dag sprankel skoon gewees in die tyd wat ons daar was.  Daar is ook ‘n gemeenskaplike vrieskas tot die beskikking van die besoekers.  Iets wat vir my lekker was is die “quick hot water point” waar jy jou koffiefles vol water kan maak voordat jy vroeg oggend uitwyk om te gaan diere te kyk.

Die ablusieblok het elke dag genoeg warm water gehad beide aan die mans en dames kante.  Elke staanplek het ‘n elektriese punt en ‘n gemeenskaplike kraan.  Vir twee dae was ons die enigste kampeerders in die kamp.   Salig!

Elke aand vir die vier dae  wat ons daar gestaan het was ons gelukkig gewees om iets interessant te sien.  Op ons eerste aand het ek my UV flitslig gevat en bietjie rond gestap om te kyk wat ek sien.   Tot my verbasing was die boom waaronder ons gestaan het oortrek van skerpioene.  Wat het ek geleer?  Moet nooit sommer in die donker aan ‘n boom vat nie.  Jy mag dalk net ‘n pynlike verrassing kry!  Die tweede aand het ‘n sivet kat sy opwagting teen die draad gemaak.  Hy was baie nuuskierig en het ons lank dopgehou van anderkant die draad.  Wat ‘n prag dier!  ‘n Klompie hiënas het ook hulle draai kom maak laat middag.  Alhoewel dit erg droog was het ons tog ook soms seekoeie in die Krokodilrivier wat teen die kamp verby loop, gehoor.

Hoekom hou ek hiervan? 

• Geen dagbesoekers word toegelaat nie
• Geen winkel/restaurant in die kamp
• Skoon kombuis en ablusie geriewe

Wat hou ek nie van nie?

• Omdat die kamp so naby aan die grens van die Wildtuin is sien jy fabrieke se rook op die horison
• Laat in die nag hoor jy trokke oppad na die grenspos by Komtaipoort

The post MALELANE RUSKAMP (KNP) appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

On our recent trip I took some time to photograph the beautiful buck faces hiding in the grass and foliage.

But I think the first prize goes to the cutest curious baby Kudu, with  its white moustache, peeking through the trees to us!

Despite the severe drought all the animals seem to have babies and all looked in a good shape considering the extreme drought conditions.  Park officials reckon that it is the worst drought since 1991.  We can all just hope and pray that the rain will come soon in this part of the country.

 The meaning of “pass the buck” for those who do not know the expression:

pass the buck

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