Bush Etiquette

• Prevent overcrowding at sightings. Once you have had a good view of the sighting, move off to give others with a poorer vantage point, a chance.
• Respect other people’s sensitivities when approaching an obvious sighting. Switch off unnecessary lights and spotlights and be sensitive to those who have been waiting for the sighting to better show itself. Be quiet, and ensure that your vehicle is positioned so that others can move away if they wish. Don’t move more than a vehicle width off the road. If you are the most recent arrival on the scene and if your vehicle would overcrowd a particular vantage point, switch off your engine at the earliest opportunity, be patient, and await your turn for a better position.
• Do not stand up in a vehicle while viewing game or hang over the side of the vehicle. People should remain within the vehicle so as not to break the shape of the vehicle while viewing game, this is imperative when viewing dangerous animals.
• Do not call, whistle or throw things at animals to get them to react.
• The noise level on the vehicle is to be kept to a minimum for the benefit of the animals and other vehicles.
• Do not shine spotlights in animals' eyes; shine on the ground in the front of or on the back of the animal. The use of coloured filters on spotlights is encouraged as this is less disruptive to the night vision of the animals and their activities.

• When following predators which appear to be hunting, limit your intrusion so as not to interfere with the animals' hunt. This implies keeping a good distance, avoid shining unfiltered spotlights directly onto the scene and keep all noise including that of the engine, to a minimum. There should be no jockeying for better positions. Once the kill is made, spotlights may be used.
• Do not follow an animal whose behaviour is aggressive or if they are agitated. If you are unsure about the possible reaction or temperament of an animal, be cautious and remain at a safe distance. It is often sensible, once a sighting has been made, to observe the animal from a distance before considering approaching.
• Approach animals slowly and consider your exit route especially in regard to elephants in which case the vehicle should if possible be turned well in advance to face an escape route.
• Do not block the escape route of an animal you are viewing; or that of another vehicle, as the animal may become stressed and unpredictable.
• Do not try and make an animal act unnaturally for photographic opportunities.
• Learn to anticipate the behaviour and movements of the animals and avoid making them move if they are not inclined to. Try not to enter the ‘comfort zone’ of the animal.

• Drive around animal droppings and not through them to prevent killing dung beetles and other insects.
• When finding the road blocked by a tree having been pushed down, please return to a point where an alternative road can be used and then report the blockage to Reception as soon as possible. By merely bundu-bashing around such a blockage we widen existing roads or create extra unwanted roads.
• Rhinos are sensitive animals, do not use spotlights on them at night.
• Please do not allow passengers to hang out of your vehicles while moving.

• Tracker seats are banned as they pose a serious threat to the occupier.
• Respect the privacy of occupied units.
• Keep noise and movement to a minimum at waterholes.
• Enter hides quietly and make no sudden movements.
• Respect the environment you are in and other Members who share in the joy of it with you.
• Expect the unexpected.

Radio procedure

• Please do not use the radios unnecessarily. Offenders of this rule are mainly children who do not use correct radio procedures. It is also not desirous that people repeatedly call asking where the animals are. Considerate members usually call in sightings. Staff are also instructed to do so if they spot anything whilst doing their rounds.
• Please bear in mind that staff monitor the radios around the clock and that late night chit chat is intrusive and keeps them awake.
• Channel 1 is the operational channel and can be monitored by members and should be used sparingly. In the event of a member wishing to call another member they should do so on channel 1 and upon receiving a response switch to any of the other three open channels for private communication.
• It is preferable that requests for gas and services from reception be made in person and not via the airwaves as such calls are not classified as emergencies.

Cell phones

• We all know how irritating and obtrusive these phones can be. Management has received numerous complaints of incessant ringing of these phones.
• Please keep them off and retrieve your messages from areas such as the airstrip where good signals are received and if necessary return calls can be made without disturbing fellow members.