Blog takeover by Francisca Virtuoso
Yesterday, during our morning drive, we stopped the game viewer at the sight of a drag mark in the middle of the road, from which we could clearly see that a prey had been dragged, in what seemed to be fairly recently. Excitedly, we jumped off and evaluated the track, assessing in which side of the road the kill had occurred, from the way the sand had been moved. We followed the tracks, footprints, disturbed grass and sand, to where the animal had been killed, until we saw
A night under the stars
I woke up when I heard loud, thunderous footsteps running towards me and soon the shapes became visible on a fully moonlit night. An impala, dazzling us with quick moves around Mamatumi trying to escape its predator, a spotted hyena. Illuminated by dappled moonlight both were running if their lives depended on it, which in the case of the impala it really did. With the impala circling the hide where we were sleeping and the spotted hyena in close pursuit it was a rude awakening to an otherwise
Scavengers Galore
We have had some exciting nights in camp at Koro when a group of spotted hyenas killed a big male kudu next to the massage room! With the spotted hyena only eating a small portion of the kudu the carcass provided an easy meal for other scavengers as well. While our usual suspects were there, spotted hyena and brown hyena, they were joined
A prickly affair!
By our researcher - Sander Vissia Did you know?? That the porcupine is actually a rodent? Did you know?? That porcupines are monogamous (meaning they mate for life)? Did you know?? That it is rare to see porcupines mating in the wild and that it is quite a challenge to make this happen? Porcupines are known for their sharp quills which are important for defending themselves from predators. They can raise them and rattle them but, despite some stories, they can’t shoot them when threatened. So how are porcupines able to mate with
The King is back
By our researcher - Sander Vissia Lions are returning to central Tuli after historical displacement by hunting and killing. They are coming back thanks to the growing prey populations found in Central Tuli and better protection, allowing Central Tuli to act as a critical dispersal area for lions from neighbouring Northern Tuli Game Reserve and Mapungubwe National Park and surrounding game reserves in South Africa. Thriving populations of impala, zebra, wildebeest and eland form the key prey base for the returning lion population. Central Tuli lies in the heart of
Tuli Backline Fence
We believe that the future of the Tuli wild-lands depends on meaningful and sustainable partnerships with communities and tribal authorities. Due to the substantial financial support of owner Albert Hartog and the Timbo Afrika Foundation, we are constantly engaging with the local communities to find equitable solutions to wildlife conflict created by elephant and predators causing problems outside the reserve. For the first time the Botswana government, in cooperation with the department of wildlife & national parks have managed to close an entity to upgrade 30km of the Central
Central Tuli Game Reserve becomes first Smart Parks in Botswana
The Timbo Afrika Foundation and Smart Parks have realized the first Smart Parks system in Botswana. From now on, African wildlife will be protected in the “Central Tuli Game Reserve” with smart, advanced technology. Moreover, this enables the relocation and introduction of endangered and disappeared animal species. The game reserve consists of roughly 70,0000 hectares, partly bought by investor and philanthropist Albert Hartog, who wants to clear the area of old fences and barbed wire to create a “wildlife corridor”. A free and safe connection between adjacent nature reserves
TRACKING A SUPER-TUSKER
By Alan McSmith, private safari guide When Elephants Alive, a leading South Africa elephant research organisation asked me to assist in scouting for a unique elephant bull, I jumped at the chance. The elephant, known to The Kruger National Park as Mondzweni, is one of the largest emerging tuskers in the lowveld, therefore incredibly valuable for tourism, conservation and research purposes. As a result, Elephants Alive arranged a collaring operation so that he could be followed by satellite monitors. This is crucial to determine his range and movement patterns. And of
Video – Human wildlife conflict
Conflict between local community farmers and wildlife is common in rural Africa, and the Tuli Game Reserve in Eastern Botswana is no different. Elephant may leave the reserve perimeter and damage crops and plantations, while predators may kill and threaten livestock. A porous boundary also results in increased poaching and other illegal activities inside the protected areas. This all leads to friction between the communities and conservationists. As committed conservationists and ecotourism operators, we believe that the future of game reserves in Africa depends on solving these problems in
Video – What we can learn from nature
Reflections and observations by Alan McSmith about nature and human behaviour. It’s fascinating to see that if we look closer at nature we can actually can not just learn a lot about animal and plant behaviour but also about our own. At least if you are willing to look closely and accept that nature is never wrong…. https://the-africa-experience.com/wp-content/uploads/Videos/What%20we%20can%20learn%20from%20nature.mp4
