1868 results found

The green alternative to hunting

The hunter stalks his prey, a huge elephant bull. He stops, a shot is fired. The shot is a good one, but the elephant doesn't drop immediate...more

The impact of trade on cheetah and leopard

The legal and illegal trade in leopards and cheetah is substantially impacting on populations of these two species...more

The influence of fire on mopane and red bushwillow trees in Gonarezhou

A paper on the influence of fire on mopane and red bushwillow trees in Gonarezhou appears in the latest issue of the SANParks journal, Koedo...more

The Last Tour De Kruger

The third and final Tour de Kruger and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park ride during the first week in August saw 209 cyclists pedal 350k...more

The Limpopo National Park Head Office Almost Completed

The first of the Limpopo National Park senior managers has moved into the recently completed staff housing in the Mozambican park. There are...more

The magnificent seven see the dentist

Ivory is being removed from the Letaba Elephant Museum – but not by thieves. A team of scientists, headed by JacquelineCodron and includin...more

The Mud Builders

Learn more about Mud Building Insects and Mud Building Birds. Certain birds such as hammerkops and some species of thrush use mud to seal or...more

The Naked Scientist in South Africa

Learning how to report on science was the theme of a recent conference held in Craighall Park, Johannesburg. Chris Smith, who has a radio sh...more

The night sky in August

This August full moon falls on the 19th, with the moon waning as the month draws to an end. Nights continue to be longer than days...more

The Opening of the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station

On Wednesday, August 25, 2010, the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station was officially opened for the second time...more

The Race Is On To Find Rare Beetles

Three insect experts from Montana State University will be spending from late June to early August engaged in a multi-national search for so...more

The Remarkable Madala Buffalo

Most publications write about the Limpopo National Park, but there are also a string of privately-leased conservation areas in Mozambique so...more

The Riddle Of The Rare Antelope

Ask any lowveld old-timer and they will tell you that sable antelope were once so common in the central lowveld that landowners used to regu...more

The search for free roaming lions continue

A pride of free roaming lions, said by some sources to be wandering around the Finale/Oaks/Blyde River Conservancy areas near Hoedspruit for...more

The Skukuza Nursery

At the last stock take in March, the Skukuza Nursery had 1.2 million plants – give or take a few seedlings. Now under the steady hand of O...more

The Socio-Economic Impact of The Karoo National Park

African Protected Area Conservation and Science has just published its latest article, 'The Socio-Economic Impact of the Karoo National Park...more

The spider can put more food in our mouths

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Yale University in the US say grasshoppers who are being frightened by spiders affe...more

The Spotlight Should Be On Rabies

An email came across my desk last week posing an interesting question, “Why are we so concerned with swine flu and avian flu, yet nobody t...more

The steel structure in the Skukuza savannah

Lurking 11km to the south west of Skukuza is an unlikely structure - a 22 metre high steel tower, bristling at the top with three arms, and ...more

The Story Of The Seven Little Piglets….In Church

Staff and visitors have become accustomed to seeing two warthog sows and seven little piglets roaming the Skukuza staff village. In fact, mo...more

The Syringa Tree

Although the syringa tree, Melia azedarach is not indigenous, it is currently flowering and is causing quite a sensation amongst butterflies...more

The Truth About Endangered Giant Sable Lies In Its Genetics

Despite looking almost identical at first glance, a big group of sable antelope found in Western Zambia are not, to the dismay of conservati...more

The Ultimate Trail

A little while ago I had a group of eight trailists that joined me on a wilderness trail in the Kruger National Park. The group consisted of...more

The Worst Year for African Elephants

While Southern Africa faces its biggest loss to rhino poachers in recent history, Africa's elephants are now also under increasing threat, a...more

Theres more to colour than meets the eye

Plants that depend on insect and other animal pollinators to carry their pollen from one plant to another are using more than their scent, c...more

Thinking Out The Box To Develop Transfrontier Policy

Forty of southern Africa's top experts got together to discuss scientific discoveries, current projects, and challenges involved in developi...more

This years World Wetlands Day focus on tourism

The World Wetlands Day theme for 2012 is Wetlands and Tourism and is linked to the theme for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parti...more

Thousands Celebrate 100 years of Kruger National Park

More than 2000 people gathered at the soccer stadium in Skukuza, Kruger National Park (KNP)...more

Threatened Chameleons

Chameleon species are not numerous compared to many other groups of reptiles. Southern Africa has 14 species of endemic dwarf chameleons pre...more

Three Day Hike Re-opens in Mountain Zebra National Park

The three-day Impofu hiking trail re-opened in Mountain Zebra National Park on 15 September 2011, following its closure in July last year...more

Three Kruger camps for 2010

SANParks' managing executive tourism and marketing, Glenn Phillips According to Phillips, said the Kruger National Park has dedicated three ...more

Three more doctors in Krugers Ranks

Several of Kruger's scientific services staff now have new letters to add behind their names. Social ecologist Kelly Scheepers was awarded h...more

Three rhino poachers get 25 years jail time each

Three rhino poachers were found guilty of illegal rhino hunting at Phalaborwa Regional Court and sentenced to a maximum of 25 years imprison...more

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

A group of people are now tying yellow ribbons around the aerials and rear view mirrors of their cars and adorning their bush equipment with...more

Tigers fall victim to land claim

In an unlikely repercussion of a land claim, two Bengal tigers will be relocated to Hoedspruit. The Bengal tigers had previously been kept a...more

Tinkering with the science of climate change

Huge mirrors in space, petrifying carbon dioxide, algae farms, and lots of white paint - these are some of the ideas being proposed to offse...more

To Bird or Not to Bird

“Why do people become birders?” I guess this is the age-old dilemma that so bothered Hamlet ... “To bird or not to bird, that is the q...more

To Graze or Not to Graze

Grass is one of the primary suppliers of nourishment to the second level of the food chain namely the herbivores. Most of the large herbivor...more

Too Much Of a Good Thing

Resulting ecological damage is serious, but could be reduced by wider use of more sustainable, time-honored practices...more

Toolkit to Combat Rhino Poaching

In recognising the urgent need to curb rhino poaching in South Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has developed a guide to help rhi...more

Top Honours For Giriyondo’s Official Opening

The Giriyondo Tourism Acces Facility is 95km from the Phalaborwa Gate, and only 42km from Letaba Camp. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park ...more

Top Scientist to Use Airborne Observatory to Study Kruger's Diversity

The Andrew W Mellon Foundation in the United States of America awarded a $750,000 grant to the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global E...more

Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles

Probably the most well known and least understood of all our animals are the Tortoises. Referred to, flippantly, as 'mobile meat pies' or, f...more

Tourism And The Environment

South African National Parks management reacted positively to the result of a case at the Makhado (Louis Trichardt) Magistrates' Court on Fr...more

Tourism Concerns

Modern technology has become important even in the heart of the African bush. That is why the children of Skukuza Primary need to be compute...more

Tourism Concerns

Last year December Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) announced Siyabona Africa Safaris as the 22nd product – and the first mobile...more

Tourism highlights 2007 WTO

The tourism sector continued to enjoy above average results and recorded a third year of sustained growth as is highlighted in the United Na...more

Tourism Indaba 2006 Awards

The first ever Welcome awards, launched at the Indaba last year, were awarded to the category winners at the Indaba opening ceremony...more

Tourism Indaba 2006 Snippets and Comments

Indaba is a very important platform for any organisation in the tourism industry. We are confident that we have achieved our objectives and...more

Tourism Indaba Attracts More Delegates

On the second last day of INDABA 2010, South African Tourism and exhibition organisers were certain that attendance this year would at least...more

Tourism Industry, Past and Present, Revealed at Conference

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk officially opened the fourth annual national tourism conference at Sun City at the beginning of Oct...more

Tourism minister promotes South Africa in Australia

“Australia ranks 6th in terms of South African Tourism's top 20 long haul source markets. Between 2005 and 2010, South Africa has steadily...more

Tourism Plan to Outline Scarce Skills Needed

A Tourism Skills Sector Plan for 2008/09 is to increase South Africa's skills base by outlining the scarce skills required in the tourism in...more

Tourism skills training for unemployed launched

Some 28 000 tourism industry employees could benefit from the newly launched Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet)-Tourism...more

Tourism Snippets

The environmental impact assessment process for the Lions Walk Wildlife Estate on the farm Rietvley adjoining the Kruger National Park (KNP)...more

Tourism Snippets - Cheap Flights to Mpumalanga

Once a day low cost flights to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Mpumalanga are on the cards. Negotiations are underway between the Mp...more

Tourism Snippets - Polokwane International Airport Developments

Polokwane International Airport Limited has embarked on a development strategy which will enable it to take its rightful place among the cou...more

Tourism Snippets - Travel Tips

Ten decks at Satara and Tambotie are in the process of being rejuvenated. Saligna wood impregnated with Tanalith E is being used for the dec...more

Tourism Spending on The Increase in SA

In the context of an extremely challenging global environment, South Africa's tourism sector continues to do well...more

Tourism Winners Marked By Service Excellence

The 2009/10 Welcome Awards winners, sponsored by First National Bank (FNB) Commercial, were announced at a glittering award ceremony at INDA...more

Tourist Facilities In The Limpopo National Park

With the opening of the Giriyondo Border Post, South Africans can now readily enter the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique to experience it...more

Tourist Injured in Elephant Encounter on Olifants Trail

A woman was injured on the Kruger National Park's popular Olifants River back pack trail when the group of hikers walked into an elephant br...more

Tourist roads, elephants and poachers

On April 30, 1946 James Stevenson-Hamilton recorded his last day as warden of the Kruger National Park (KNP) in his diary...more

Tracking Dogs to Support KNP Rangers In Fight Against Rhino Poachers

Tracking dogs have shown their worth in the ongoing fight aginst rhino poachers in South Africa. So much so that the Kruger National Park (K...more

Tracking down human smell

Each of the 6.7 billion people on Earth has a signature body odor — the chemical counterpart to fingerprints — and scientists are tracki...more

Tracking Krugers wildlife

Even on the quietest of game drives in the Kruger National Park, you can still experience the excitement of being close to one of the big fi...more

Traditional Cuisine With A Difference

The eating of insects, also known as entomophagy, occurs worldwide in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas and has nutritional benefits...more

Traditional dancers find captive audience

Peer Mkhonto, the leader of a group of traditional dancers that regularly performs at functions in the Kruger National Park, is now less rel...more

Traditional healers attend management courses

Two groups of traditional healers from the Bushbuckridge area attended a Business Management and Project Leadership course at the Department...more

Traditional health practitioners against rhino poachers

The Kruger National Park (KNP) took a stand with traditional health practitioners against the escalating rhino poaching war in the country. ...more

Tragic Accident in Kruger Claims Five Lives

A holiday in the Kruger National Park ended in tragedy when an accident claimed the lives of five people on the road between the Phalaborwa ...more

Trainee Artisans Gain Experience In Kruger

The Kruger National Park (KNP) together with Scarce Skills Development and Training (SSDT), P.D Naidoo and Associates (PDNA), Automobile Tra...more

Transformation and Debunking Stereotypes Discussed by Honorary Rangers

Honorary rangers are often perceived as the 'rich guys who do things in the parks', and this perception needs to be changed with hard work a...more

Transfrontier Conservation Steps Ahead In Mozambique

The African Wildlife Foundation is reiterating its commitment to the concept of transfrontier conservation by appointing a technical advisor...more

Treaty partners learn of 40 proposed wildlife trade rule changes

Proposals for tighter trade controls for species such as the Atlantic blue fin tuna, sharks and corals have been submitted...more

Tree Treasures Unlocked

Most people's general knowledge on trees will include that they provide oxygen and shade, need water and sunlight, are home to some animals...more

Trees Facilitate Wildfires as a Way to Protect Their Habitat

Fire is often thought of something that trees should be protected from, but a new study suggests that some trees may themselves contribute t...more

Trees vital for food security

Countries tackling food insecurity and climate change adaptation can greatly benefit from agroforestry - integrating fleshy plants and trees...more

Trendy fashion bodysuit wards off bugs

The ongoing battle against malaria has sparked a somewhat unconventional, if not creative partnership that saw the fruits displayed on the r...more

Trials Of Knock-Out Drug For Hyena Successful

In a joint project led by Dr Gregory Fleming of Disney's Animal Kingdom and Dr Markus Hofmeyr of Sanparks, a new drug combination was tested...more

Trust Dedicates Resources to Plight of African Penguin

African penguins have been sliding towards extinction since industrial fishing started around the Cape. BirdLife South African has found som...more

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Johann Oelofse, section ranger at Mooiplaas, observed an unusual occurrence. He relates the story: At Bowkerskop windpump I came across a mo...more

Trying to work from the same weather page

Climate scientists describe Africa as an information “black hole”. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes that there are only...more

Tsendze Rustic Camp Site Receives Three Star Grading

The recently opened Tsendze rustic camp site received a three star grading from the Grading Council of South Africa. The camp is assessed in...more

Tsessebe Move North

A total of 12 tsessebe, comprising five males and seven females, as well as 11 reedbuck found a new home in the northern part of Kruger havi...more

Tsonga dancers entertain tourists

A traditional Tsonga dance group poses for tourists. The group, based in the town of Justicia bordering the Kruger National Park, performs t...more

Turtles in as much danger as Frogs

The plight of the planet's tortoises and turtles- creatures that have roamed the Earth for 220 million years - has never been greater, accor...more

Tusker Mabarule Dies

Mabarule, a big elephant bull in the Kruger National Park (KNP), has died. Section Ranger Johnn Oelofse and his team found the carcass on No...more

Twenty Giraffe Get A Passport To Mozambique

The Sanparks Veterinary Wildlife Services Capture team translocated 20 giraffe from the Satara area in the Kruger National Park to a fenced ...more

Twin elephants born in Addo

Twin elephants have been born in the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape. This is only the third time in the history of the park...more

Two challenging publications on environmental change launched

When there is scientific evidence that the ice cap of Marion Island has already melted by 60 percent in the past 50 years, and the surroundi...more

Two lodges get fair trade certification

Tourism products that focus on sustainability while incorporating the social, environmental and commercial dimensions of the industry stand ...more

Two metre Croc Attacks Girl, in her Own Swimming Pool

Who would have expected that a normal swim on a Monday afternoon would turn into one of the most traumatic experiences of one's life...more

Two new gates for Orpen

It would appear that the Orpen Gate to the Kruger National Park (KNP) is moving and multiplying. If the plans currently being discussed come...more

Two new lemur species named

The discovery of two new lemur species has been announced after German and Malagasy scientists performed genetic analysis on wild lemurs fro...more

Two new national parks for South Africa

Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk has recently announced the proposed creation of two new national parks...more

Two Of Sa’s Peace Parks Are A Study In Contrasts

How do institutions within Transfrontier Parks (TFP) or Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) react to dynamics in and around the parks?...more

Two Rhino Killed In The Kruger National Park

Two fresh white rhino carcasses (cow and calf), were discovered on the morning of 11 October 2011 at Albasini Road, in the Pretoriuskop Rang...more

Two Rhino Poachers Arrested In The Kruger National Park

Two rhino poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP) by a combined SANParks, SANDF and SAPS operation on Friday June 3, 2011...more

Two Students Die In The Pretoriuskop Swimming Pool

The Kruger National Park (KNP) managing executive, Dr Bandile Mkhize expressed his sincere sympathies to the next of kin of the two students...more

Two Tourist Routes Launched at Historical Trade Route in Park

It is perhaps fitting that Masorini was chosen as the launch venue for a tourism initiative that makes use of various tourism opportunities ...more

Types of Malaria

The focus here will be on the various types of malaria - among some other diseases - transmitted by mosquitoes. There are four types of Mala...more

UK researchers extensively map Africas groundwater

Researchers estimate the total groundwater storage in Africa to be 0.66 million km3. "Not all of this groundwater storage is available for a...more

UN focuses on Decade on Biodiversity

The United Nations marks its Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020. Giving credence to its strategic plan on biodiversity and its overall vision ...more

Unacceptable behaviour in Shingwedzi

In the light of the recent Christmas Day celebrations held in Shingwedzi rest camp it is apparent that SANParks is facing a prob lem with re...more

Understanding Grasses

It is important to start with a little background to this important family of plants. Grasses belong to the plant Family Poaceae (Gramineae)...more

Understanding of the link between agriculture and climate change

Agricultural practice and policies need to adapt to the impact of climate change - and in ways that are environmentally sustainable. And sci...more

Unearthing the Secrets of the Leopard Population at Londolozi_copy

Leopards are such secretive creatures that estimates of the size of leopard populations can vary wildly, with scientific estimates in South ...more

UNESCO Director visits Mapungubwe National Park

The director of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation's World Heritage Centre in Paris, Francesco Bandarin, un...more

Unexpected Is The Name Of The Game Rangers Game

A Game Ranger in your Backpack', is a new guide to South Africa's flora and fauna. Aimed at nature novices, starting off on the path to beco...more

Unravelling Hyena Mysteries With Giggles

For 12 continuous hours over five consecutive days, twice this year, a female called Giggles was the centre of attention keeping at least th...more

Unsafe Water The Silent Killer

Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease - 1.8 million children younger than five years each year...more

Unsustainable harvesting of Prunus africana tree threatens prostate treatment

Over-harvesting of Prunus africana or Red Stinkwood in the wild for its medicinal properties has experts at the World Agroforestry Centre lo...more

Up close and personal with the stars

There is a San story that says the Milky Way owes its origins to a young girl who threw ashes from a fire into the sky to make a visible pat...more

Upgrades And Developments In Kruger National Park

A new day visitor's site at Shingwedzi, a conference venue at Mopani and upgrades to the tented accommodation at Lower Sabie are some of th...more

Upgrades and new attractions at SANParks

Upgrades to units at Punda Maria, Shingwedzi, Letaba, Satara, Orpen, Lower Sabie amd Berg-en-dal have been completed...more

Upgrades at Satara

At Satara Main Camp visitors will notice development and construction worth R10,4-million over the next few months. A day visitor's site and...more

Upgrading of the Letaba Ranch fenceline

Upgrading of the fence on the western border of Letaba Ranch is well underway. The section north of the Letaba River has been completed exce...more

Urban youth learn more about climate change and national parks

Young city dwellers can now learn more about climate change outside the class room and get to know their national parks at the same time. In...more

Urgent need to implement African Elephant Action Plan

The critical situation in Africa demonstrates the urgent need to implement the African Elephant Action Plan, which was created by all Africa...more

US 3.3 million for 23 species conservation project

“Ignoring species conservation means ignoring a world in which species are currently disappearing at a rate 100 to 1,000 times higher than...more

USD 21Billion locked in E-waste annually less than 15 percent recovered

More than 7500 tonnes of silver and 320 tonnes of gold are used to make cell phones, PCs, tablet computers and other electronic and electric...more

Use Genetics, Not Reproduction, To Define Species Say Scientists

A new paper published in the Journal of Mammology may have serious implications for how scientists designate which mammals belong to which s...more

Use your Cellphone to Note your Sighting

If you are into combining the outdoors and technology you may want to explore the possibilities offered by an organisation that has develope...more

Using Chilli Extract to Deter Elephant Destruction

New research involving chilli extract is underway to try and find a natural way of keeping elephants away from certain things that both peop...more

Vacuum cleaners, tyres, bug movies all contribute names to top 10 species of 2007

The international institute for species exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists, scientists re...more

Valuable Donations To Rehabilitation Centre

The South African Tourism office in Amsterdam, in partnership with the South African/Dutch Chamber of Commerce (SANEC), recently held an auc...more

Vegetation around the world is on the move

Vegetation around the world is on the move, and climate change is the culprit, according to a new analysis of global vegetation shifts...more

Verbally Abused Motorist Wins Court Case

The motorist who was subjected to verbal abuse by traffic officials on the road between Nelspruit and Hoedspruit was delighted on January 24...more

Vets for rural villagers

R100 million has been allocated to Mpumalanga for dams and irrigation schemes. According to Bua News, agriculture MEC Madala Masuku has said...more

Vietnam urged to curb rhino poaching

WWF and TRAFFIC are calling on Vietnam to increase efforts to address the illegal trade of rhino horn, which is threatening rhino population...more

Vietnamese Citizen Jailed For Possession Of Rhino Horn

Stricter penalties are underway as the fight against rhino poaching in South Africa continues...more

Vintage cars pass through Lowveld

More than 50 vintage and classic, and a few new, cars stopped over at Forever Aventura Swadini on their way to Mozambique. The Polana Classi...more

VIPs test drive bush to beach route

VIPs experienced the new Rixile Bush to Beach route through an exploration tour in mid-April 2008...more

Virtual Visitors Spy On Two Of Kruger Parks Waterholes

Since December 2004, every thirty seconds a photo has been taken of a waterhole near Orpen Gate in the Kruger National Park and broadcast on...more

Visitors And Park Staff Faced Fines Over Holidays

Kruger National Park (KNP) law enforcement officials had a busy time over the festive season, issuing 600 fines in just 32 days over the Dec...more

Visitors assist with wild dog genetic research

More than 300 calls and text messages in six months highlighted Kruger visitors' concern and commitment to helping Janet Edwards plot the lo...more

Visitors flock to Chrissiesmeer Crane Festival

The first ever Chrissiesmeer Crane Festival was hosted by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) on the 6th and 7th of July and attracted over ...more

Visitors Help Save The Southern Ground Hornbill

The Kruger National Park (KNP) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) have been surveying Kruger's southern ground hornbill population...more

Visitors to Mozambique need to overnight in Kruger

Visitors travelling to Mozambique through the Kruger National Park (KNP) will need to overnight either in Kruger or the Limpopo National Par...more

Vive le difference

Many butterflies are gender dimorphic, what does that mean? It means that the males and the females look different from each other...more

Vlakteplaas Section Rangers Diary

Excerpts from the diary of the Nxanatseni region, Vlakteplaas section ranger, Reckson Seani. It was clear and hot and I deployed two field r...more

Voice your opinion on mining applications and the environment

Public participation and consultation in new prospecting and mining applications is a requirement in terms of South African legislation...more

Volunteer Interns Ready To Start Work At Reserves

The 2006 Global Vision International (GVI) interns got together for the last time at Letaba Rest camp before they were scattered to the vari...more

Volunteers Geared up for 2008

The 2008 Global Vision International volunteers spent their last days at Letaba at the end of January in preparation for their duties in the...more

Volunteers get dirty at school

Volunteers, greater Hoedpsruit based- businesses and staff from the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve joined hands on a clean-up drive...more

Volunteers Help Survey Krugers Smaller Critters

Biodiversity conservation is the clear mandate for Sanparks and the savanna unit of scientific services in Skukuza is seriously getting to g...more

Volunteers Needed To Map The Distribution Of Mopane Trees

Mopane trees dominate the vegetation in the northern half of the Kruger National Park, and much of the Limpopo Province. As many frustrated ...more

Volunteers Survey Mopane Veld in Greater Kruger

Some 50 volunteers walked 400 kilometres of mopane veld in six weeks – all for the benefit of science...more

Vulnerable people diminishing wildlife

More than 34 million people living in Africa's Congo Basin depend on wildlife as their significant and direct source of protein...more

Vulnerable teens warned off dagga

Teenagers who use cannabis and have a family history of mental illness are 25 percent more likely to suffer from schizophrenia, delusions an...more

Vultures Endangered and Vulnerable

The first Saturday of September every year is observed as International Vulture Awareness Day by the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Birds of Pr...more

Waiting for Rain

The transition to summer this year has not been spectacular at all. Spring was short lived and low key. Normally the weeping boerbeans, the ...more

Wanted

February to April and even May are the best times for butterflies. Currently it is endeavoured to see if these butterflies and some extras h...more

War impacts elephant populations in eastern Congo

Human conflict have a particular devastating impact on African elephant populations, far greater than habitat. This, according to a new Univ...more

Wardens Notes on Ranger Sections For January 1936, James Stevenson-Hamilton

General rains set in. They were heaviest in the north and south east and roads and rivers became for the time impassable...more

Wasps

Although every aspect of nature is fascinating, I have, like many others, been attracted to birds. However, if I had my time again and knowi...more

Watching The World For Future Generations

Long-term environmental planning got a boost when 130 high-level delegates met to develop a strategy that will help guide how scientists obs...more

Water Affairs investigates possible Blyde Polluters

A juice factory just outside of Hoedspruit is under investigation by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) for the discharge o...more

Water brings life to New Kruger Campsite

After months of searching, hydrologists have finally struck water in sufficient quantities to allow plans to go ahead to build a new rustic ...more

Water Everywhere

A special warning was issued over the weekend of 28 January that the Olifants river would be in flood following the opening of the sluices a...more

Water Issues in Bushbuckridge Discussed in Arizona

Water is a limited resource that people all around the world have to share; and discussions around this complex issue were the subject of a ...more

Water Plan To Address Service Backlogs

A five-year programme is currently being devised to address the backlogs in water and sanitation services and to ensure the targets of the M...more

Water Policy in Kruger

It took members of the South African National Defence Force special forces school three days and eight tonnes of explosives to blow up the...more

Water Wells Bring Sorrow

Like her grandparents did, Rose and other Cottondale villagers rely on wells, rain or the river for their daily water. Rose knows of three w...more

Waterholes Research To Help Answer Management Questions

What effect do waterholes have on the surrounding vegetation? How does the spacing of artificial waterpoints affect the bush in the long-ter...more

Waxy homes childrens treats

some mopane trees seem forever rooted in their autumn shine.A closer inspection of these leaves this time of the year reveals strings of whi...more

We Need To Need Less

The current crisis is not a problem of too much carbon dioxide or soil erosion or pollution, it's not the population explosion...more

Weather Station Moves To Pretoriuskop

Specialised help was needed to move an automatic weather station from its current position near the Skukuza airport to its new home at Pret...more

Weather Station Prepares Mpumalanga For Disasters

White River - A new weather service station unveiled in Mpumalanga will ensure the province receives timely information about possible flood...more

Welcome To The Most Wonderful Classroom In The World

To identify, monitor and taken actions on environmental problems, the Marula region's People and Conservation department of the Kruger Na...more

West Rand Honorary Rangers Hold 8th Annual Birding Day

Between January 27-28 2006 Over 600 Birding Enthusiasts From All Over SA took part in the West Rand Honorary Rangers' 8th Annual Birding Day...more

Western Cape HRs nominated for owl award

The SANParks Honorary Rangers (HR) of the West Coast Region have been nominated for an Owl award from BirdLife SA...more

Wetland Rehabilitation Well On Track in Kruger

The Kruger National Park has secured R3.6m over a three-year cycle that started in April last year for wetland rehabilitation in the Park. T...more

Wetlands crucial for tourism

Water and environmental affairs deputy minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi celebrated the importance of wetlands conservation and linking wetlands ...more

What are the Bankenveld Honorary Rangers Up To

The Bankenveld region is not only home to wonderful highveld grasslands, but also a group of very active honorary rangers (HR)...more

What Are The Green Scorpions

The name has been coined by the press and it is likely to stick as long as the legislation lasts, but are the more than 600 Environmental Ma...more

What Can Nature Do For Us

The donor community and conservation movement are leaning increasingly towards a what can nature do for us approach, where species and wild ...more

What Differentiates National Parks From National Protected Areas

So what exactly is Sanparks' mandate and how does a national park differ from a special or national nature reserve...more

What Do Carrots, Elephants and Forestry have in Common

There is a team of scientists who would never dream of entering the Kruger National Park (KNP) without a goodly supply of fresh carrots to a...more

What Does Minerals And Energy Do About Illegal Sand Mining

According to minerals and energy, the department 'polices' all mining activities. The department can designated an official as an 'authorise...more

What drives public opinion on climate change in the USA

“Public opinion regarding climate change is likely to remain divided as long as the political elites send out conflicting messages on this...more

What Eats What

Insect life has been more prolific this year in reaction to the relatively good rainfall. In our area, the large 'emperor moths' (Family Sat...more

What Is Happening At Lower Sabie

Raymond Travers, Kruger's media liaison, explains ongoing developments at Lower Sabie. The infrastructure is however old and desperately nee...more

What is on the Menu for Elephants and Other Plant Eaters

In what is probably the largest fertilisation experiment of its kind, 30 hectares of mopane bushveld in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve...more

What Needs An Environmental Impact Assessment

Although it is unlikely that too many people will be contemplating building a nuclear reactor or a massive power generation plant, there are...more

What Rio +20 meant for South Africa

The Rio +20 Conference on Sustainable Development took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 20 to 22 June 2012. A key outcome for South Afri...more

What Will Stop The Olifants River Drying Up Again

Hundreds of fish gasped their last, hippos battled it out in tiny pools and vegetation wilted and died last year in the Kruger National Park...more

What’s The Scoop On Soil

Trees and plants need soil to grow. Very few fruits, vegetables and grains would live without it. Many animals need soil, too. They eat the ...more

When African animals hit the hay

Fossil teeth of African animals show that during the past 10 million years, different plant-eating critters began grazing on grass at differ...more

When is Water Safe

Diarrhoea-inducing waterborne microbes often go undetected in parts of the world with the highest rate of under-five deaths from gastrointes...more

Where Lions And Humans Meet

With lion numbers halving in the last two decades, and the popular predator disappearing from more than 80 percent of its former home range,...more

Where will the money be going to in Limpopo and Mpumalanga?

Of the the R27.9 billion budget for Limpopo, 81 percent will be focussed on the delivery of social services for the poor, while R1.5 billion...more

Which Comes First Water or Energy

Finding water to create new energy requires an investment of old energy, researchers say. “No matter what kind of energy you want to creat...more

Which River In Kruger Is The Cleanest

In the Kruger National Park there are five major rivers that historically flowed all year round – the Crocodile, the Sabie, the Olifants R...more

White Backed Vulture, Grey Crowned Crane and Crowned Eagle Under Threat

The White-Backed Vulture Gyps africanus, the most widespread and common vulture in Africa, has been uplisted from Near-Threatened to Endange...more

White buffalo calf spotted

A visitor to Kruger, Modjadjikloof resident, Jacques Schalkwyk, spotted a light-coloured buffalo calf near the Middelvlei windmill between M...more

White giraffe spotted in Tanzania

White lions, white elephants and now a white giraffe. Man has long been fascinated with nature's quirks, and Wildlife Conservation Society (...more

White Lion Cub Spotted In The Timbavati

Ziggy Hugo, a guide at Hermansburg in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, was with guests when they stumbled upon this rare sighting...more

White lion project moves to Free State

The new facility is called the Barnato White Lion Breeding Project and is located just 6km outside of Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. M...more

White Lion Tourism Underway Despite Lack of Legal Compliance

The Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) still has no holding permit for the white lions it imported to an area adjacent the Greater K...more

White Lions Reappear In The Wild

Two white lion cubs have been spotted frolicking in a dry riverbed in the Umbabat Private Nature Reserve with their tawny mother...more

White Lions Return To Lowveld

Two weeks ago the Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) translocated four white lions from Sanbona in the Western Cape to their new hom...more

White rhinos and termites too offer hope for future biodiversity

Day three, Wednesday 23 April 2008, of the 2008 Annual Science Network Meeting offered interesting perspectives on why white rhinos and term...more

Who will fix Kruger’s fences in future

The fate of the hundreds of kilometres of the Kruger National Park's western boundary fence is under review. High-level executives, includin...more

Why Animals Behave The Way They Do

The way animals use colour in their daily communication provide a basis for very interesting observation...more

Why Do Dew Drops Do What They Do on Leaves

To save energy. The answer is based on the fundamental principle of free energy, that everything in nature seeks the lowest possible energy ...more

Why do hippos open their mouths so wide?

Given their diet, why do hippos have to be able to open their mouths so wide, asks Cedric Dallas from Stellenbosch?...more

Why Do People Visit The Kruger National Park

According to a seven-year study, from 2001 to 2007, about 80 percent of Kruger's visitors is from South Africa and 70 percent is Afrikaans...more

Why Female Water Buffalo Have Horns Impala Do Not

The reason some female hoofed animals have horns while others do not has long puzzled evolutionary biologists, even the great Charles Darwin...more

Why People Visit Parks? Do the Answers Matter to Management?

An article, published by Koedoe, which highlights the extent to which socio-demographic and behavioural and motivational indicators influenc...more

Why The Leopard Got Its Spots

Why The Leopard Got Its Spots. Why do leopards have rosette shaped markings but tigers have stripes? Rudyard Kipling suggested that it was b...more

Why Wetlands Matter

About half of South Africa's wetlands have already been destroyed or converted through draining, the building of dams, incorrect burning and...more

Widespread and Substantial Declines in Wildlife in Kenyas Masai Mara

Monthly surveys over 15 years link surge in human settlements near Mara Reserve with large losses of wildlife that have made Kenya a popular...more

Wild About Soccer In BaPhalaborwa

The Dreamfields “Wild about Soccer' project has been running for some time in the Kruger National Park in Skukuza and Punda Maria...more

Wild Cat facts

65-day gestation period. Female gives birth to two or three kittens. The young suckle for approximately one month and accompany their mother...more

Wild dog and cheetah census prizes awarded

Twelve lucky winners were awarded a variety of fantastic prizes at the Endangered Wildlife Trust's headquarters in Johannesburg on June 30, ...more

Wild dogs den up in Balule

Seven wild dogs that were released into greater Kruger at the beginning of May have now chosen a den site about three kilometres from where ...more

Wild Dogs to be Released into Balule

Seven wild dogs are due to be released into the Balule Private Nature Reserve, ad- joining the Greater Kruger National Park, in the next few...more

Wild Elephants Respond To Vibrations In The Earth

Elephants will respond to signals transmitted through the earth without a sound whispering through the air. This has been shown by a team of...more

Wildebeest get a helping hand in Greater Kruger

The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, part of the Associated Private Nature Reserves adjoining Kruger National Park, has just released 50 wil...more

Wilderness

'Wilderness' has different meanings for different people. To some it is a physical area, while for others it is a psychological 'place' or s...more

Wilderness Trails To Be Expanded By Foundation

The Wilderness Foundation and the Wilderness Leadership School, founded in the 1950s by conservation legend Dr Ian Player and Magqubu Ntombe...more

Wildlife and African folklore

Many African tribes had a tradition regarding wild creatures. Certain birds and animals were given the status of protected creatures because...more

Wildlife and Soccer

What does the Soccer World Cup and biodiversity have in common? This is the challenge SANParks has put to the country's children...more

Wildlife As a Source for Livestock Infections

A bacterium possibly linked to Crohn's disease could be lurking in wild animals...more

Wildlife Books

If you are a wildlife and nature lover who enjoys reading about first hand experiences, two books published by CC Africa may be worth adding...more

Wildlife College Graduation Highlights Best Students

This year, the ladies showed the way at the Southern African Wildlife College graduation with Esther Sibanda from Zimbabwe the proud recipie...more

Wildlife College Students Graduate

This year's Southern African Wildlife College Graduation ceremony celebrated 20 students receiving natural resource certificates and 22 stud...more

Wildlife Enforcement Task Force to Protect Elephants and Rhinos

The Ivory and Rhinoceros Enforcement Task Force of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITE...more

Wildlife Fund present loan vehicle to Traffic

“TRAFFIC extends its sincere thanks to the Mazda Wildlife Fund for your 20 years of support: you have, quite literally, been the driving f...more

Wildlife Presenter Searches For Deadly Lowveld Inhabitants

Director James Brickell and his crew recently filmed parts of a new children's wildlife documentary for the BBC in the lowveld...more

Wildlife trade regulation needed more than ever

From medicine to musical instruments and from fashion and beauty products to delicacies, wildlife items in trade must be properly regulated...more

Will Kruger Lose Its Last River Gorge

The Kruger National Park has one last remaining unspoilt gorge left on a perennial river, and this pristine gorge is increasingly coming und...more

Will policy makers listen to the world’s scientists

The world has been warned time and again about the potential harm man is doing to ecosystems around the world. Now 1,360 scientists from 95 ...more

Will Three Million Swallows Outweigh The 2010 World Cup

Millions of swallows making the journey from Europe to South Africa may have a surprise in store in a few years time – their winter home m...more

Winter Camp Lights Fires In Phalaborwa Learners

Twelve high school learners from the Phalaborwa region have developed an extra dose of enthusiasm for entering a career in the sciences afte...more

Winter Food

We tend to think of the warm, rainy season as a time of food production and the cooler, dry 'winter' as the period when natural food sources...more

With a Little Help from Our Ancient Friends

Ancient humans may not have had the luxury of updating their Facebook status, but social networks were nevertheless an essential component o...more

With Words And Images, A Couple Brings the Wild To The World

Currently living in Hoedspruit, Adrian Bailey and his wife Robyn Keene-Young havedocumented private moments in the life of many African anim...more

Women in water rewarded

National Water Week kicked off with the presentation of the Women in Water Awards at the Presidential Guesthouse on March 18, 2005. At the c...more

Wood carvings used to attract cranes to bird watching site

Bird- Life South Africa now lures cranes to its winter feeding site using life-size wooden decoys. Maize grain is put out regularly for the ...more

Working on how to feed the world in 2050

Could the world go through another food crisis on a scale similar to the one in 2007/08? “Never say never again'”, was the general conse...more

Workshop Broadens Science Teachers’ Horizons

Thirteen teachers from schools in and around Phalaborwa met at Letaba Camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on February 18, 2006 to take pa...more

World conservation loses benefactor

A driving force behind the creation of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES...more

World Environment Day celebrated at all national parks

Employees at SANParks joined their conservation colleagues across the globe to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5, which was celebrat...more

World fails to meet biodiversity loss targets

The Global Biodiversity Outlook is published every four years and is the product of close collaboration between the...more

World Malaria Report 2013 Fact Sheet

Updated info on Malaria statistics and a travelling precautions guide for visiting Kruger National Park...more

World Rhino Day celebrates five rhino species

“World Rhino Day is an opportunity to highlight the efforts being made to fight the scourge of rhino poaching around the world and to debu...more

World Water Day 22 March 2005

In 1998 South Africa passed a new National Water Act. This act was hailed internationally as an innovative approach to water management, as ...more

Wrestling a Crocodile For a Friend

It has been almost 30 years since the day Louis Olivier and Hans Kolver fought an enormous crocodile for the life of their friend and collea...more

Yako In Durban Environmental Management Inspectors Is On Track

On November 1, 2005, when the new Protected Areas Act came into effect, more
than 600 Sanparks environmental management inspectors (EMI...more

Yellow Tags Successful In Re-Sighting Poisoned Vultures

The wildlife poisoning incident that occurred outside Hoedspruit last October is now providing valuable information on Vulture movements and...more

You Are What You Eat

In the past couple of letters we have dealt with external mouth features and digestion. In this final letter on this subject we look at some...more

You Are What You Eat

The external features of animal 'mouths' are the most easily observed and the best field indicators of eating habits. Focus will be on size ...more

You Are What You Eat - Animal Digestion

What animals eat will indicate their main function among the diversity of species. Mouth structures have evolved to cope with the main diet ...more

Young Artist Wins Kruger to Kasies Competition

The Kruger National Park's (KNP) outreach project “Take Kruger to 'Kasies” was officially launched on January 20, 2006 at Mkhuhlu Shoppi...more

Young conservationists back the bats at Letaba

A group of Junior Honorary Rangers from the Bushveld Region spent four days last week at Letaba rest camp, Kruger National Park, making a ha...more

Young minds explore the Environment

Armed with a sponsored 'goodie' bag filled with T-Shirt, cap, waterbottle and pencil case, about 500 learners from 10 schools, some having n...more

Young neighbours discover Kruger treasures

What better way to celebrate world environment day than through first hand exploration of earth's treasures in the Kruger National Park (KNP...more

Young Neighbours Learn More About Kruger

To be like a child again or one day, to experience the Kruger National Park (KNP) the way a child would, learning about animals and their ha...more

Young Trackers Excell With Cybertracker

Two young people from the Hoedspruit area became the youngest to achieve a tracking qualification during a tracking evaluation held at...more

Youth Day in Kruger

Kids in Kruger celebrated Youth Day by inviting young people from neighbouring communities to a day of song and dance. Several entertaining ...more

Youths Get Tourism Training in Giyani

The Mopani District Municipality, comprising the Giyani, Tzaneen, Letaba and Phalaborwa regions, is preparing itself to enter the tourism ar...more

Zebras vs. cattle - Not so black and white

African ranchers often prefer to keep wild grazers like zebras off the grass that fattens their cattle. But a new study by Kenyan and Univer...more

Zimbabwe Auctions Big Game Hunts

Zimbabwe has held an auction for big game hunters, offering a variety of trophy 'bags', and raising US$1.5 million in the process, ostensibl...more

Zimbabwe de horns rhinos to curb poaching

The Zimbabwe government has launched a massive exercise to dehorn rhinoceroses so that these animals do not have any value for poachers...more

Zuma supports green economy

South African president Jacob Zuma supports calls for green technologies and industries that will ensure the country responds to...more
Kruger National Park - South African Safari