A cold July has come to its conclusion as we progress gradually and make our way towards spring.
The challenge of a historically windy August lies ahead which in the aftermath of the excessive late summer rains will have us watching the horizons intently in the event of runaway veld fires. It has been a particularly busy fire season to date as the various reserves have commenced with controlled burns, firebreaks, and ecological burns.
Temperature ranges in this period were a minimum of 4 degrees Celsius with a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius, and rainfall measured was a surprising 26.7 mm, thanks to a good unseasonal downpour in mid-July.
Elephant presence and attempts to breach the camp fence infrastructure remain significant. Again, it is pleasing to report no breeches to the fence. With this past access point to clean water no longer available the elephants have instead targeted the more accessible water lines outside of camp and have kept the conservation team busy with constant repairs.
The worst damages were on the Number 4 (Wahlberg’s Crossing) borehole pump, the supply line between Jackalberry pump and Sibon Dam, and the supply line to Sibon Camp from borehole Number 3.
Road works and repairs continued as time permitted. The focus was on Argyle, specifically the roads to the west of Route 1, through to Main Road Dam, as well as the areas south, as far as the southern boundary. This work will continue in August.
We are well aware of the difficulty traversing the Wahlberg’s western bank egress, as a section of the concrete was washed out during the February floods. Temporary repairs will be ongoing until we can undertake a permanent repair, all going well this should be completed by end of August. The crossing will remain closed while under repair
by Chris Mayes