November is here, and October certainly showed us that summer is well on its way!
With new shoots and flowers emerging through the month, we experienced scorching temperatures, heavy winds, intense lightning storms and a small amount of rain. Focus areas for the month included preparations for our annual AGM, annual servicing of all fire extinguishers, attempting treatment and location of various snared animals, maintenance and repair work following wind damage, fitting new fans for the generator room and intensive focus on the electric fence.
Sightings were still productive across the reserve despite the intense heat, including some rarities like caracal and cheetah sightings, as well as frequent sightings of the newly collared wild dog with the large pack. Although hot, the little bit of rain we had brought our Fire Danger Index down to the “Dangerous” level towards the end of the month.
Please be cautious when making fires, as veld conditions are still extremely dry and fires will still spread very easily in the wind.
Lowest Temp: 10.7°C (Avg: 17.4°C)
Highest Temp: 38.4°C (Avg: 31.5°C)
Rainfall for the month: 13.5mm
(Avg: 32.8mm)
Projects of the month:
Our main focus areas for September were:
- Annual AGM preparations
- Department of Labour inspection
- Fitment of new cooling fans for the generator room
- Fire extinguishers annual servicing
- Intensive efforts and attention on the electric fence in dry conditions
- Attempted and successful treatments of snared animals
- Upgraded tractor grader for road and crossing maintenance
- Upgraded water supply systems at Buffels Hide and at Pump 7 (in camp)
- UP Snail research within the natural water systems
- Road maintenance continued
- Veld rehabilitation following the moving of a euthanised elephant
- Repair work following wind damage to various infrastructure
- Assistance with firefighting on surrounding/neighbouring reserves
Our Month Expanded:
Annual AGM Preparations and other Admin
During the month of November, we will be hosting our 41st Annual AGM in Johannesburg. In anticipation of this we have been hard at work preparing all notices, reports and documentation necessary. We thank all staff and Board Members for their efforts in this regard.
For those wanting to join, the AGM will be held on Tuesday, 19 November 2024, at The Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead, in Johannesburg, to commence at 18h30, registration from 17h30. We look forward to seeing you there.
Other administrative items to note for October included a visit from the Department of Labour, during which representatives did a routine inspection, and we had a total of 10 Eastgate transfers for the month. We thank you for your support in this regard!
New Cooling Fans for the Generator Room
In the interests of preserving the longevity of our back-up energy supply system, especially going into the warmer summer months (and with more frequent use of the generator in recent months), new cooling fans were fitted to the Generator Room during October.
This could not have come at a better time, as shortly afterwards we experienced a 6-day power outage, resulting in us needing to use the generator throughout!
We are highly impressed by the difference this has already made and are positive this will allow for a more efficient and conducive environment for the generator and all operators of it in the future.
Annual Servicing of all Fire Extinguishers
One of our most crucial focus areas for October was the annual servicing of all fire extinguishers in camp - and it could not come at a better time! With recent fires in surrounding areas, incredibly dry conditions and high winds, it is imperative that our fire safety equipment is well maintained, accounted for and easily accessible. Servicing was a mammoth task carried out by Ruan du Preez in conjunction with Abakhisa Group.
In total, just under 600 fire extinguishers were serviced. During the servicing, each fire extinguisher is visually checked for any external damage, it is confirmed whether the fire extinguisher has been used or tampered with since the previous service, a pressure gauge reading is taken (and the pressure is adjusted accordingly, if need be), the discharge hose is removed and checked for blockages and/or corrosion, and the extinguisher is weighed and cleaned before being returned.
Servicing was carried out on-site. Thank you, Ruan, for facilitating and carrying out such a massive task so smoothly.
Special Focus on the Electric Fence
We’d like to make special mention of the extra focus that has been placed on the maintenance and upkeep of the electrified elephant fence around camp during the month of October. Considering the extremely dry conditions causing increased elephant pressure on the fence, it has become crucial that we put extra focus on the integrity and upkeep of the fence to reduce elephant incursions into camp.
This has included not only the general daily fence inspections and on-the-spot maintenance, but also extensive work walking the length of the fence line manually checking and, when necessary, adjusting the positions of each elephant spike, general connection, support structure, down wire and various strainers/tensioners, etc. This has taken a lot of extra time and effort, and we thank John Llewellyn and Ruan du Preez for carrying this out over the course of the month, along with the Conservation team when needed.
Upgraded Grader for Road and Crossing Maintenance
Recently our refurbished grader became unserviceable after many years of use keeping our roads and crossings maintained. The decision was made that a new, larger grader would be necessary to prolong the longevity and improve the efficacy of the grader on such rocky roads as ours.
As we approach the usual wet season, this could not have come at a better time as we prepare for more intensive work on all roads, crossings and mitre drains to assist with erosion control and comfort on the reserve. Already, we can see and feel a difference thanks to our new part of the Conservation fleet!
Thank you to John Llewellyn for organising this for us - we are already loving the difference the new grader has made, and we wish everyone many happy hours on the now-smoother Ingwelala roads.
Upgraded Water Supply Systems
During the month it became obvious that the water supply system at Buffels Hide was beginning to fail - water levels were dropping consistently despite the active pump setup. Upon inspection, the entire system was failing and unfortunately nothing could be done to fix the outdated system, which ultimately needed to be fully replaced. A new pump, solar panels and system were installed successfully, which are all running smoothly. Water levels have returned to normal, and we are pleased with the efficiency of the new system in place.
It was also decided that the old borehole pump in camp, Pump 7, needed to be upgraded and re-instated primarily in the interest of Fire Safety. This pump is conveniently located close to our firefighting equipment and will allow us the opportunity to fill multiple bowser tanks simultaneously, and a lot faster, in case of emergencies. We’d like to thank Nico Ras, Ruan du Preez and the Maintenance team members for installing these upgrades at both locations - we appreciate your effort and hard work!
Road Maintenance
As usual, ongoing projects throughout the year include maintenance along the road verges and rehabilitation projects such as brush packing. We have also placed emphasis on boundary markers for Ingwelala, where we have started re-painting them.
With the addition of the new grader the Conservation team has been hard at work on various roads across the reserve. Particular focus was placed on the area near Aloe Ridge on Buffelsbed, although efforts all over the reserve are naturally increasing in anticipation of the wet season.
We’d like to thank you for your patience as we work through the various roads, crossings and causeways, as usual, and would like to ask that if you notice a particularly eroded or bumpy section of road that you please report it to us for our attention.
Thank you!
Wind Damage to Infrastructure
Towards the end of the month, we experienced a few consecutive days of severe lightning storms accompanied by extensive wind gusts and a spattering of rain. The wind gusts were almost constant, especially overnight, and as a result some infrastructure sustained minor damage that required repairs. There were also various electricity lines affected, and as a result we were without electricity in camp for 6 days, relying on the generator to power camp.
The solar panels and wi-fi equipment at the Tower on Argyle, some roofing in the Workshop’s car ports, a water tank at Vuka Ingwe, wooden fences at the Conservation Office and wooden fences at Vuka Ingwe sustained damage. Over the course of the following days and weeks, repair work was done by the Maintenance and Conservation teams, as well as 2 external companies that assisted from Hoedspruit. Thank you to all who assisted with this. The only repairs still ongoing are to the car ports at the Workshop. All other repair work is completed.
Firefighting on Nearby Properties
During October there were multiple veld fires throughout the region, including within the Kruger National Park. There were two fires within the nearby/immediate vicinity, one of which was contained fairly quickly at Motswari, and one in the Klaserie that required assistance from surrounding properties. Our team was incredibly fast in responding, assisting with both tractors and bowsers, the bakkie sakkie and all other firefighting equipment.
We’d like to thank the team for responding so quickly and for being incredibly professional and calm in their response to an emergency situation. Luckily, the fire was extinguished fairly quickly with little damage recorded to infrastructure. Special mention of the Ndlopfu team who were the first to arrive and were the main reason the fire was extinguished so quickly.
We are cognisant of the fact that in these exceptionally dry conditions, the risk of veld fires is much higher, especially with the wind gusts being abnormally high for this time of year. We are as prepared as we can be with our teams and equipment available at short notice, but we’d like to remind everyone to please be extra cautious when making fires, and to ensure that all fires are extinguished correctly. Please do not leave open fires unattended, and if possible, please refrain from making wood fires if it is windy. During the month we placed bans on wood fires multiple times as a safety precaution, and this will continue to occur until conditions have improved. As it stands, conditions are still much drier than normal, with wind being abnormally high. Rainfall is still substantially lower than usual, which is of concern as well.
We thank you for your understanding of our safety precautions during this high-risk season.
A Story from a Recent Bush Walk
During a recent walk Josh noticed a large rhino midden of interest to the group. Delving in with an explanation of the various communications at play within this single rhino midden, the guests listened intently, all focusing on how amazing nature is and how well animals communicate. This communication system is intricate - it shows intentions, hierarchies, relationships and various other vital indications to the dominant bull who uses the midden to demarcate his territory.
As Josh dove into the intricacies of a female in oestrus displaying to the bull that she is ready to mate (which she does by defecating near the midden while excreting chemicals signalling her position in her cycle - a signal the bull will follow intently to find her) - a guest piped up, “Funny, that’s exactly how we met, her and I! Nose to the ground and all!”. In seconds, the entire group was in stitches, with Tessa collapsed on the floor in fits of laughter and tears.
Not surprisingly, the couple went on to get engaged later that same day! Congratulations, Oliver and Ella - we will never forget your walk with us and wish you all the best in your married life!
Announcements and Updates
Upcoming Events:
During December we will be hosting an educational talk by the APNR Ground Hornbill Project. Date and time are still to be confirmed, but if you’d like to join us for an interesting chat about what the organisation does and what is happening in the world of the endangered Southern Ground Hornbills, please join us!
Please also see the New Year’s Eve invitations sent out via our various communication channels. The theme is “The Flinstones”, with prizes for the best dressed! We look forward to having you with us to bring in 2025.
Tickets are available via Reception. Tickets include all-you-can-eat food, and there will be entertainment and music provided. Please RSVP to Reception by 23 December. See you there!
Notes from the Conservation Team:
We’d like to thank everyone for their incredible efforts in locating, calling in and following the various snared and injured animals throughout the past few months. Without you, none of the treatments conducted would have been possible!
We’d also like to thank those of you who have joined us for bush walks over the course of the year. It has been wonderful, and we look forward to the rest. On that note, please be reminded that bush walks will be closed seasonally from 1 December 2024 until sometime in the new year, the opening date to be determined at a later stage, dependent on weather and veld conditions.
In the upcoming summer we will be conducting various large-scale/intensive projects on the reserve, including veld rehabilitation, erosion control and invasive plant control. We thank you in advance for your patience as we operate around the reserve and appreciate your understanding as we prioritise these various projects in the coming months. Should there be any projects you’d like to assist with, please feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to have you with us!
On that note, we’d also like to thank everyone who has joined us in the field already - whether for an official Work Party or otherwise. It makes the world of difference to us when we have Members join us in the field, not only for the extra hands but particularly for the opportunity to share what we do, share stories with each other and gain experience from one another. We are truly grateful for every extra tree wrapped, invasive plant removed or treated, and every story and experience shared.
Thank you again, and we’ll see you soon!
Josh and Tess
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar, Ruan Du Preez and Dave Annandale