The Wilder Traveller

Category: Africa

Africa is a continent of many different environments. The Sahara desert conjures up images of oasis and nomads. At sunrise and sunset, the crimson sun illuminates the sky as it disappears below the sand dunes. The grasslands of the Serengeti and Masai Mara are packed full of wild animals such as lions and elephants.

  • 13 Tips for Taking Children on Safari

    13 Tips for Taking Children on Safari

    Taking an African safari with your children can be a very rewarding experience, creating some unforgettable family memories. It will also instill respect in your children at an early age for our beautiful planet and the wildlife that inhabit it, which is a very important factor for conservation efforts.

    However, kids do get bored very easily, and playing the waiting game to see game may lead to cries of, “I am bored”, or even tears and tantrums.

    Deciding on the age at which to take your kids on safari is an individual choice, and is very much dependent on your children and their interests. Children with a passion for wildlife, and who have good attention spans can go on safari much earlier than children with short attention spans or those who are not wildlife enthusiasts. Taking children of any age on a safari will have a higher rate of success if you prepare well.

    Here are 13 tips on taking your children on safari with you:

    1. When planning your itinerary, try to fly to various destinations within a country instead of drive.
    2. Look for accommodation that offers either family tents, which are large enough to accommodate the whole family, or which have separate tents for the children but are still under the same roof so you can keep an eye on them. A pool would be an added bonus.
    3. If you have the budget for it, opt for a private vehicle, as the last thing you need is to be on a game drive with a photography enthusiast who will test your child’s patience by trying to get the perfect shot. In fact, at some camps, it is mandatory to book a private vehicle if you are travelling with kids.
    4. Think long and hard about your child’s temperament before booking the safari – a temper tantrum in the wild can have consequences. Also some younger children can vocalise their excitement, which can upset the game and other visitors as well. Some lodges and camps do not allow smaller kids on game drives for this reason.
    5. Manage expectations – talk to them about patience and about how they may have to wait to see the game they are hoping to see. Turn this waiting and anticipation into a fun game. Also they will not stay alert for the full length of the game drive, so allow them to bring their digital devices, which will keep them quiet for periods of time and leave you less stressed.
    6. Limit the length of your game drives and think about cutting short your game drive when the kids are tired, as tired kids make terrible safari companions.
    7. Incorporate variety into your activities – mix up game drives with other activities such as walks, horse rides or cultural activities. Many camps and lodges now offer alternative activities for children, so take advantage of these. However, do check these carefully as some of the activities are just glorified babysitting.
    8. If the kids fall asleep in the vehicles while on a game drive, let them sleep and don’t wake them up, even if you spot big predators.
    9. Be prepared to help them pass the time when there’s not much happening. Use a checklist to tick off the animals and birds that you have already seen, as well as guidebooks. Paper and crayons can keep them occupied – you can use them to draw the animals you are looking at. Quiz your guide to see if there is anything he doesn’t know about animals. Try and identify the tracks you can see on the ground.
    10. If possible, get them their own cameras (disposable will do) as it will help them create their own memories and keep them engaged with what’s going on around them.
    11. Children can wander off, unaware of the dangers of being inside a national park or reserve, so keep them close to you, especially as small children can look like prey to wild animals.
    12. Advise your driver/guide that you are interested in the smaller animals as well, so as to keep the interest level up.
    13. Make sure the kids go to the toilet before the game drive.

    Following these tips will ensure you have a great bonding experience with your children on safari.

  • The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda

    The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda

    Although most travelers to Uganda have ranked tracking  chimpanzees as the most interesting wildlife encounter in the whole world, the chimpanzee habituation experience is the best encounter.  Though less known to most travelers to Uganda, the full day habituation gives you more time to interact with the chimps.

    There are approximately 4950 chimpanzees in Uganda with about 1500 of these found in Kibale forest national park. This national park is one of the most of Uganda’s parks attracting a good number of tourists all year round. Kibale is a tropical rain forest and harbors 12 other different primate species alongside the chimpanzees. A Uganda safari to the park provides travelers with great and memorable experiences including chimpanzee watching, nature walks, tree identification, bird watching and more.

    Chimpanzee Habituation:

    Related to chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation is yet another experience in Kibale National park participated in by travelers. A chimpanzee habituation permits is sold at US$250, which is quite higher than the chimpanzee tracking permit, but the experience is quite awesome.

    Chimpanzee habituation entails a traveler to be with the chimpanzees for the whole day. This gives them an opportunity to learn more about chimpanzees, their behaviors, feeding habits and how chimpanzees participate in different activities within their respective groups.

    Chimpanzee habituation is best done during the month of March, April and November when there is limited number of travelers visiting the national park for chimpanzee trekking.

    To all travelers planning to participate in this activity, it is recommended to book a chimpanzee habituation permit in advance foe easy allocation of the chimpanzee group. It is different from chimpanzee trekking where a traveler can get a chimpanzee trekking permit even at day of arrival.

    Chimpanzee habituation experience is a long daytime and this requires one to carry packed food and some drinks for refreshments. Raincoats, jackets long trousers and long sleeved shirts are recommended.  This is because of the unpredictable weather conditions in he forest in that it can rain at any time of the day.

    In the past years, the number of people participating in chimpanzee habituation experience was limited to only six. However, presently, a group of twelve individuals is allowed to interact wit a chimpanzee family for the whole day. This is a great opportunity to travelers interested in chimpanzee habituation in that the number of permits has been now increased.

    While spending time with he chimpanzees and following them up, travelers have great opportunities to encounter other animals in the national park such as the different monkey species, butterflies, birds among others, all which adds to the final experience.

    Although travelers are allowed to spend much time with the chimpanzee during the proves, there are reminded to keep a distance o seven meters from the animals, this is because chimpanzees are the closest relatives to human beings sharing 99.9% of human genes. This makes them so susceptible to human disease and this distance is encouraged to ensure safety of these rare animals.

    Concerning g the years, children below 15 years are not allowed to participate in the habituation process. It is similar to gorilla habituation that is also done in Uganda. Travelers in the chimpanzee habituation process follow trails in the forest in search of the chimpanzees depending on where they spent the previous night.

    All travelers must go for a short briefing about the do’s and don’ts in the process and then follow a guide for the safety of bot the chimpanzees and the travelers. Guides carry some weapons just to scare the wild animals away but they do not shoot.

    In conclusion therefore, chimpanzee habituation is the best experience that every traveler should not miss out, all travelers to Kibale national park should there fore include chimpanzee habituation is there package for the greater and memorable experience.  Every travel interested in visiting Kibale forest national park can book with a Ugandan tour operator for a great and memorable experience.

    Highlights bout Kibale national park:

    • It is a main destination for chimpanzee trekking and habituation.
    • It has many other primates along side chimpanzee
    • Birding takes place there
    • Nature walks
    • And many tourism activities take place there.

     

  • Go Game Viewing In South Africa

    Go Game Viewing In South Africa

    Of the hundreds of awesome activities that South Africa has on offer, probably the most popular activity on offer is Game Viewing. Game viewing on any of the many game reserves in South Africa provides an opportunity to see South African wild life in all their beauty in their natural habitat. On a self-drive expedition, with a guide, on horseback, on elephant back – whatever your preference, you’re assured of a memorable game viewing experience.

    Probably the most well known game viewing location in South Africa is the Kruger National Park. Home to South Africa’s Big 5, the Kruger National Park offers an incredible self-drive route through the open veld where you’ll see countless variations of buck, zebra’s, giraffe, leopard, lion, springbok, cheetah, eland and countless others. Self-driven game viewing trips offer the benefits of being able to determine the pace of you journey, however without a guide who knows the area well, you might miss out on seeing something special.

    The Kruger National Parks game viewing isn’t limited only to self-drive expeditions. The park has been very well developed to cater for many different preferences. Guided groups will be taken out into the bushveld, where you’ll camp overnight and experience the bushveld at night with all its fascinating sounds and sights.

    The Eastern Cape offers much in the way of game viewing. Whilst most game reserves offer Big 5 game viewing, the popular Addo Elephant Park just outside Port Elizabeth lays claim to being the only park in South Africa that offers Big 7 game viewing! The 372 000 ha park is home to all of the South African Big 5 and in addition, there’s a 120 000 ha marine zone where you can spot the majestic whale and the much feared great white shark.

    10 Minutes outside of Port Elizabeth, is the Seaview Lion and Game Park. Although it’s doesn’t offer game viewing of all the South African Big 5, it does offer the incredible opportunity to interact and play with lion cubs. R40 will get you up to about 30 minutes playtime with either the very young cubs, or the slightly older and more boisterous cubs. It’s an unforgettable experience and definitely worth doing. As you drive through the park, you’ll pass by giraffe, zebra and all sorts of buck. The Seaview Lion park also offers the rare opportunity to view the unique White Lion as well as the beautiful tiger.

    Kwa Zulu Natal also has many choices for exceptional game viewing. The St Lucia National Park offers not only beautiful game viewing, but is also known as a birder’s paradise because of a the enormous variety of birdlife. Swaziland’s game viewing is one of the top in the country because of its raw beauty and rugged terrain. The Swaziland game viewing parks are not overly commercial and thus offer game viewing in its most natural form.

    One of the hardest animals to spot when you’re game viewing in South Africa, is the leopard. Because of its reclusive nature – spending most of the day in the trees out of sight – game viewing trips don’t often get to see this incredible animal. However the game viewing parks in Mpumalanga offer some of the highest concentrations of leopard per square kilometer in South Africa. A day or night spent in most of the game parks in Mpumalanga is bound to include a number of leopard sightings – definitely worth the trip

    Game viewing in South Africa offers more diversity of wildlife and more excitement than any other country in the world – make sure you don’t miss the wonders of game viewing in South Africa.

  • 105 Tons of Elephant Ivory set to be Destroyed

    The Kenyan government is set to destroy its stockpile of 105 tons of elephant ivory and 1 ton of rhino horn at the end of the month. The ivory and rhino horn destruction event will take place at 15:00hrs E.A.T. on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Ivory Burning Site inside Nairobi National Park.

    “We are losing elephants and rhinos across Africa at an unsustainable rate,” says African Wildlife Foundation President Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya. “This historic event will draw global attention to the illegal wildlife trade, and it has already sparked a national discussion in Kenya and beyond about this issue. With the right political commitment and support of law enforcement, we can move toward a zero tolerance approach to wildlife crime.”

    More than 20,000 African elephants are killed annually by poachers for their ivory, with rhino poaching steadily increasing from 2007 to 2015.

    AWF has worked closely with the Kenyan Government to help the country curb poaching and wildlife trafficking, including:

    • Training detection dogs and handlers deployed now within the Kenya Wildlife Service’s canine unit. Since January, the detection dogs have led to 18 seizures, mostly of ivory, but also pangolin scales, live tortoises and animal hides.
    • Hosting workshops for prosecutors, magistrates, police and other members of the judicial and law enforcement community aimed at strengthening the prosecution of wildlife crimes and increasing the number of deterrent sentences. In Kenya, 50 magistrates and 35 prosecutors have so far taken part in the AWF-hosted judicial workshops.
    • Supporting two critical populations of the Eastern black rhino in Kenya. AWF is also supporting the protection of a population of desert-adapted rhinos in Namibia and two populations of southern white rhinos in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

  • 6 Jailed in Tanzania for Total of 122 years for Wildlife Trading

    In less than a week the Tanzanian courts have made a bold and strong statement in order to protect the country’s wildlife. Six people involved in wildlife trafficking have been jailed for a total of 122 years.

    In one court case, yesterday (Monday 22 December 2015),  two ivory traders were sentenced to 21 years each for their part in trying to smuggle 4 elephant tusks out of the country.

    Resident Magistrate Odira Amwol sentenced the two to the long jail term after the court had proved beyond reasonable doubt that they committed the offence.

    The prosecution told the court that Justin Bruno, 50, a resident of Usevya Village and Philbert Leo, 35, a resident of Ikuba Village, were arrested on Thursday in possession of the haul. The magistrate ignored their pleas for lenient sentencing because they had families to look after.

    Last Thursday another bold sentence was handed out by magistrates in Mbeya Region when the courts sentenced 4 Chinese citizens to 20 years each for rhino horn smuggling. The heavy sentences were given to Song Lei, 33, Xiao Shaodan, 29, Chen Jianlin, 34, and Hu Liang, 30 for ‘economic sabotage’ of Tanzania. The Chinese were caught with 11 rhino horns.

    Michael Mteite, a Senior Resident Magistrate in the Tanzania’s Southern Highlands region of Mbeya, sentenced the four Chinese to imprisonment at the end of 23 consecutive days of hearing the case.

  • Four Dead as International Forces Turn their Backs on Rangers in Need

    It is with deep regret that African Parks announces the death of Garamba rangers Anselme Kimbesa Muhindo, Andre Gada Migifuloyo and Djuma Adalu Uweko, and Colonel Jacques Sukamate Lusengo, the member of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), who was assisting with patrols. The four men leave their wives and a total of 14 children.

    The incident occurred when the men, all members of a 10-man Garamba patrol team, tracked the collar of a poached elephant to a poachers’ camp in the western Azande hunting area. An exchange of fire ensued during which the out-numbered Garamba unit was forced to disperse.

    The African Parks helicopter that was part of the operation was immediately deployed to help rescue the rangers. Despite coming under fire it managed to retrieve six members of the patrol unit and drop them at a safe area where they re-grouped. Two men were flown back to the park headquarters at Nagero, one of whom had sustained injuries. The helicopter took multiple hits and was unable to fly back for the remaining men. The four rangers that were evacuated managed to walk to the closest road, a two day walk from the site of the attack. Yesterday, the bodies of the remaining four men were discovered when a reinforced patrol team managed to access the site of the incident.

    Despite extensive efforts by the Garamba park management team to elicit reinforcements from other international forces in the region in order to help retrieve the four missing men, and track and apprehend the poachers, very little support or assistance was forthcoming. Some logistical help was provided by MONUSCO to retrieve the bodies of the four men.

    “Our sincere condolences go to the families of the four men who tragically lost their loved ones while they were bravely eliminating the scourge of elephant poaching from Garamba National Park“, said Peter Fearnhead, CEO African Parks.  “This brings to eight the number of people who have lost their lives in Garamba in 2015 alone.”

    Guest Contributor:

    Cynthia Walley is the Communications Manager for African Parks that takes on total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities.

    Image credit: African Parks.