Roar Africa’s mission is to partner with you to create a personal and unforgettable experience. This requires a deep and intimate connection with your destination and is not tourism which is simply “the practice of traveling for recreation” Merriam-Webster. With this mission in mind Roar Africa is proud to introduce our new friend and partner, Mital Shah.

Mital Shah, a former fashion executive at Vera Wang, had a “coffee shop moment” in New York in 2007 which led some dramatic changes in her life. Shah embarked on a six month journey through South Africa, formed Well Souled, and produced its first beautiful, linen bound book documenting her journey. “Well Souled is an invitation to TRAVEL and be traveled. Each collection invites you to connect to a destination as you would to a friend, to learn the shades of its personality, to engage.” Well Souled.

Well Souled’s first book Well Souled South Africa is a beautiful study which weaves together stunning photographs, interviews and trendsetters as well as Mital’s personal reflections. It is not a travel guide; it is a series of impressions and an exploration of South African style across a broad spectrum. It’s also a philanthropic project: 20% of its profits go to organizations helping AIDS orphans.

On July 22^nd Mital Shah will join us at Roar Africa’s Taste of Southern Africa event in SoHo, New York.

In the 1960s, in an effort to boost game numbers, the Water for Wildlife project was started and erected about 300 windmills in Kruger National Park. The waterholes attracted game into the area. At first this seemed a good thing; only decades later did the results show that with the impalas and zebras the waterholes attracted also brought more predators into the area. Before the waterholes, these dryer areas supported roan antelope, which are much easier for lions to catch — the roans weren't able to compete. The park has started to close the waterholes, and let nature take its course.

The windmills pump water into drinking troughs for animals. This amusing sequence of photographs taken last month shows an elephant using it's own preferred technique of drinking straight from the tank. The waterhole is at Tihonganyeni (near Mopani, Kruger National Park).

Much to my surprise I found myself attempting a repeat of the Comrades Marathon this year. According to my friend Peter Boyd we were not complete with this task until we had run the race in both directions. It alternates direction every year. It is also apparent that my arm can be twisted rather easily. I entered on May 5^th, the last day of entry, and on June 17^th we lined up in Durban for the grueling 56 mile (87km this year) run to Pietermaritzburg, climbing 7000 feet and descending 5000 feet in the process.

The run was tougher than last year due to my lower fitness. It was a long, hot, and towards the end a painful day, but it was very rewarding. We ran for Starfish again and this time I carried a small disposable camera with me. The attached picture is of Pete with some of the Starfish children. The children are residents at Starfish’s home for AIDS orphans at Cato Ridge (about 60km in to the 87km route). They were outside their home watching the race as it passed directly by; but started jumping around and shouting much more vigorously whenever they spotted anyone running with a bright orange sweatband (that’s what Starfish gave their runners as a ‘marker’).

It was a great immediate connection between us as the sponsored runners and the beneficiaries of the money – I hope it gives a small sense outside the main info on the starfish website of how grateful they are for all our fundraising support.

We were also well supported by family and friends. Thank you everyone!

For more on Starfish and the Comrades see last years post here:
http://roarafrica.blogspot.com/2007/07/comrades-ultra-marathon.html

or their respective websites here: Starfish and Comrades

After your run relax and take in some more of the country on a trip with Roar Africa.

What is all this confusion? It used to be about The Big Five. However, when you are on safari you will find that it's not really about the Big Five. In Kruger National Park there are approximately 140 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds and 2,000 species of plants. In the most biodiverse park on earth every moment is a wildlife experience that is going to overwhelm all your senses by day and night. It is intoxicating.

To promote the dazzling diversity of wildlife in Southern Africa some people have come up with The Big Seven, The Little Five, and The Big Six Birds. Here they are, The Big Five first:

The Big Five

Coined by big-game hunters of a bygone era, “Big Five Game” refers to the five most difficult mammals to hunt on foot (in order below). These days, Big 5 usually refers to the South African animals that visitors most often want to photograph.
1. Cape Buffalo or African Buffalo
2. Leopard
3. Lion
4. African Forest Elephant and African Bush Elephant
5. Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros

The Big Seven is the Big Five plus Whales and Great White Sharks.

The Little Five

South Africa’s lesser known “Little Five” animals include mammals, reptiles, insects and birds and are namesakes of the dangerous Big Five.

1. Buffalo Weaver. Buffalo Weavers are social weavers that nest in open loose colonies. Their nests are messy thorn structures with side entrances facing different directions.
2. Leopard Tortoise. The leopard tortoise is approximately 2 feet long which is the biggest turtle in Africa. It weighs 50 to 100 lbs. Its name comes from the color of its shell.
3. Ant Lion. The antlion larva digs its pits in dry, sunny spots sheltered from wind and rain. When ants fall into the funnel-shaped crater they can't climb out. The antlion waits buried at the bottom so that only the head, with opened jaws, can be seen, and there it waits for its prey.
4. Elephant Shrew. This tiny insectivore lives in arid lowlands, rocky outcrops and savannah grasslands, getting its name from its elongated snout. Elephant shrews are found all over South Africa, and only grow to a length of 250mm, with an average weight of 60g. They feed on insects, fruit, seeds and nuts.
5. Rhinoceros Beetle. The Rhino Beetle is among the largest beetles in Southern Africa growing to between 1 and 2 ½ inches in length. Both males and females have horns like those of their larger namesake. The males are known for aggressive behaviour, using the horns to fight rivals. The horns are also used to dig, climb and mate.

The Big Six Birds

Birders will be dazzled by the colourful array of bird species. Mirroring the Big 5 list of mammals, the Big Six Birds is a subjective list of bird species visitors most want to see. This is the Kruger Park Big Six list. They are not only desirable to see but also relatively easy to identify. Five of the six are seen relatively easily. The exception is the Pel’s Fishing Owl which is seldom seen, because of its nocturnal habits and restriction to large watercourses.

1. Lappet-faced Vulture. The Lappet-faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture is a mostly African Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes. It is not the prettiest bird you’ll see on safari.
2. Saddle-billed Stork. This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 150 cm (5 feet) and a 270cm (9 feet) wingspan. The male is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of 5.1-7.5 kg. It is probably the tallest, if not the heaviest, of the storks.
3. Martial Eagle It is a very large eagle, with a length of 76-90 cm (30-36 in), an average weight of 5.2 kg (11.6 lbs) and a wingspan of 190-260 cm (6.25-8.5 ft).
4. Pels Fishing Owl. A very large (length about 63cm) reddish brown owl with no ears, dark eyes and bare legs. Here is some footage of this rarely seen bird.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuIGOQ7iajE
5. Kori Bustard. The Kori Bustard may be the heaviest bird capable of flight although this title may also belong to the similarly-dimensioned Great Bustard.
6. Southern Ground Hornbill. It is a large bird, at 90 to 129 cm (36 to 51 in) long and a weight of 3.2 to 6.2 kg (7 to 13.6 lbs). They have a distinct and impressive call. The neck wattles can be inflated and are used to make booming or grunting sounds, often just before dawn. The call can be called "lion-like”, whereas their cousins' the Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill sounds like the grunt of a leopard.

Don't forget to pack your binoculars!

Scientists are puzzled by mysterious mass deaths of crocodiles along the Oliphants River in South Africa- home of the densest population of Nile crocodiles in Africa. They were first noticed late in May and to date at least 30 crocodiles have been found dead and exhibiting similar symptoms of a distinctive yellow-orange hardened fat in their tails.

Tissue samples have been sent to the University of Pretoria's Onderstepoort for further analysis and veterinary surgeons, scientists, researchers, rangers and managers met in Skukuza in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday, June 3^rd to discuss the discovery. Kruger National Park's Head of Department for Scientific Services, Danie Pienaar, said that they do not know the cause yet but it is believed at this stage that the yellow-orange fat is a condition known as Pansteatitis which is usually associated with the consumption of rotten or rancid fish.

Pansteatitis, also called steatitis or yellow fat disease is a nutritionally mediated condition usually associated with the feeding of certain types of fish oil or unsaturated fatty acids of fish origin in a diet poor in vitamin E. It occurs regularly in mink, cats, pigs and poultry, all of which are fed on high fish diets. While no dead fish or other animals were found in the Oliphants River, the dead crocodiles contained yellow-orange hardened fat in their tails — usually a sign of eating rotten fish.

Pienaar said the Olifants River was the most polluted river in the park and the system had experienced further strain from the Massingir Dam that has pushed back into the Olifants Gorge, causing sediments to be deposited.

Visitors to the Kruger National Park need not worry about their own health as water utilized from the Olifants River is exhaustively monitored before declared fit for human consumption.