Whilst touring Cape Town, South Africa, Anthony Micari was quicker with his video camera than he was with the window. A large Chacma Baboon decided to hop into the vehicle, steal the candy and then do some light reading. Apparently the documents were of little interest and without much ado Geoff Calmeyer of Roar Africa retrieved them. Thank you for sharing the video Anthony.



Baboons are notorious opportunists. The Chacma Baboon or Cape Baboon (Papio ursinus) troops on the Cape peninsula are particularly sneaky. They are the only protected population of this species in Africa and they have been living with people for hundreds of years. They move out of the way of joggers and cyclists but get crafty when food is involved. Rolling up the windows is recommended. Should something happen remaining calm and nonthreatening as in this clip is important.

See our other post "Of chewing gum and baboon theives..."
National Geographic: Baboon "Gangs" Run Wild in Suburban South Africa
Cape Peninsula Baboon Research Unit

Last month we had the pleasure of spotting the rare and elusive Narina Trogan while on safari. She perched on a branch just two meters from us for her photo shoot at Hilltops Camp in Hluhluwe Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

This beautiful trogon, Apaloderma narina, was named after Narina, the Khoikhoi mistress of the French ornithologist François Le Vaillant.

It is a medium-sized (up to 34cm long) largely green bird of the Trogonidae family. The male has vivid green upperparts, greyish wing, bright red underparts and patches of blue skin on the face. The female has a brown face, purplish green plumage, a blue circle around each eye and duller red below. The Narina Trogon is distributed in forests across Africa, from Sierra Leone to Kenya and eastern South Africa. It nests in a tree hollow. The diet consists mainly of insects and small invertebrates. Widespread throughout its large range, the Narina Trogon is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narina_Trogon

Thanks to Dominique Lenfantin who was traveling with Roar Africa and kindly shared the photo with us.

We're proud to report that seventeen lodges from Africa have made the latest National Geographic Adventure World's Top 50 Ecolodges list and nine of these lodges are in Southern Africa and neighboring islands.


"A decade ago, you could count the number of true ecolodges in the world on two hands. But today we are witnessing one of the most significant transformations in the history of modern travel. And ecolodges are at the center of this movement. Once located exclusively in the African bush and Central American jungles, these retreats now span nearly every ecosystem and every budget—and their mission has never been more vital. "
National Geographic Adventure

Ecotourism is "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people" (Ecotourism Society). A good ecolodge should engage in responsible travel practices which can broadly be defined as:

1. Environment: travel that minimizes negative environmental impacts and, where possible, makes positive contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, wilderness, natural and human heritage.
2. Social/Cultural: travel that respects culture and traditions and fosters authentic interaction and greater understanding between travelers and hosts.
3. Economic: travel that has financial benefits for the host community and operates on the principles of fair trade.

The nine ecolodges in Southern Africa which have been recognized by National Geographic Adventure are Phinda Private Game Reserve (South Africa), Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (South Africa), Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve (South Africa), Desert Rhino Camp (Namibia), Wolwedans (Namibia), Vumbura Plains Camp (Botswana), Zibandianja Camp (Botswana), Vamizi Island (Mozambique) and North Island (Seychelles).

Congratulations from Roar Africa!

Named in honor of the imposing mountain which towers over it, The Steenberg Hotel provides exquisite hospitality, wine, golf, spa and history amongst the vineyards just 20 minutes from the center of Cape Town, South Africa. It's part of Roar Africa's portfolio and is offering a "de Gustibus" special at the moment. Here's some more about this excellent property.

History, Hotel and Restaurant:

This is the oldest farm in on the Cape Peninsula. The land was originally granted to a widow, Catharina Ras, in 1682 and wines were first produced on the farm in 1695. Today Steenberg’s flagship Sauvignon Blanc Reserve has won awards year after year and the winery’s distinctive red blend – Catharina – is widely recognized for its elegant, old-world French style. The state-of-the-art cellar, completed in 1996, has the capacity to produce around 70 000 cases and boasts a vinotheque, where bottled wines can be kept under ideal conditions until ready to be enjoyed.

The hotel buildings (1682) with the Manor House, Jonkershuis (“young man house”) and the Barn have been declared a National Monument. They are lovingly restored and decorated traditionally with antiques in the elegant styling of the 17th Century - old world charm and modern conveniences. There are 21 beautiful, en-suite rooms and the 3 new luxurious Heritage Suites which celebrate Steenberg's National Monument status. The Heritage Suites have been created within the Jonkershuis and are a tribute to three distinct historic periods in the history of the Cape. The exterior was not altered in any way but the interiors have been changed dramatically to reflect the periods. The suites are The Cape Colonial, The Khoi Khoi and the Dutch East India Suites.

Catharina’s, the award winning Restaurant at Steenberg, is getting a new look but will open again before summer (that's December in South Africa) 2008. In the meantime The Cape Colonial Suite is being used as a temporary and unique dining area. This is one of the very special new Heritage Suites at Steenberg. Please note that Catharina’s famous Sunday Buffet Jazz Luncheons are on hold until the refurbishments are complete.

Golf and Spa

The Steenberg Golf Club is an exclusive, private golf club known for its hybrid plan - it offers traditionalists the opportunity to “bump and run” (a rare shot in South Africa) in the rough around the greens, and to meet the challenges of strategically placed sand pits and waterways. The par-three, not-so-short 14th hole, features the largest green in Africa at 76 meters in length; indigenous shrubs guard the green and the mound has been shaped to echo the distinctive mountain range behind. Steenberg has always been named as one of the best conditioned courses in South Africa Golf Digest’s annual Top 100, consistent in its improvement each year. The 18 hole course was designed to make full use of natural features and hazards such as the vineyards, pine forest and gentle waterways. Its environmental diversity gives the course its unique character. The Steenberg Golf Club is open to the public, but priority and special green fee rates are given to hotel guests and members.

Golf not for you? The Spa at Steenberg is operated by the experienced Ginkgo Spa & Wellness Group. Five beautifully fitted rooms each offering distinctive experiences are surrounded by lush vineyards, the championship golf course and the magnificent Steenberg Mountains. The ambiance is earthy and relaxing.

Heritage Suites "de Gustibus" SPECIAL:

The package includes accommodation for two in one of the spacious suites, all meals and drinks.

In addition, they will interact one night with one of Steenberg’s talented chefs who will demonstrate how to prepare a contemporary South African dinner. They will cook alongside the chef in their suite as he discusses the ingredients used and how the herbs and spices work together to create this unique cuisine. At the same time, the Steenberg wine steward will give them a private wine tasting of the superb Steenberg wines with tips on choosing a good wine. Another treat for guests on this package includes a 90 minute ScenTao Hot Stone Therapy Massage for both; an unforgettable experience for any massage enthusiast

VALID: 01 November 2008 - 30 September 2009
RATE – per person sharing per 2 night package: R13 500.00

Contact Roar Africa for details.

There are four species of hyaena/hyena occurring in Africa, three of which are present in southern Africa (brown, spotted and aardwolf). The Striped Hyaena is the closest relative of the Brown Hyaena but occurs only in the arid zones of east Africa. The Brown Hyaena is the third rarest carnivore in Africa and occurs only in southern Africa. Over 95 % of the wild population of about 8,000 lives in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa where they survive in arid areas, are primarily nocturnal, timid, and rarely seen.

The Makgadikgadi Brown Hyaena Project was established in 2000 to assist Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) with the management and conservation one of this rare and little studied Hyaena. The project’s goal is to gather information on the ecology of the brown hyaena which will further the conservation and management of the species, as well as increase our understanding of human/wildlife conflict.

AIMS
1) To acquire an in-depth understanding of the Clan Structure and Population Dynamics of the Brown Hyaena in the Makgadikgadi.
2) Using scent marks, develop a methodology to accurately estimate Brown Hyaena density anywhere within their range.
3) The energetics of the Brown Hyaena will be examined as this affects mortality and birth rates, the two most important parameters of population sustainability.
4) To investigate the impact of the Makgadikgadi game fence in preventing the movement of the brown hyaena out of the National Park and into cattle areas.

Interesting Facts. A Makgadikgadi Brown Hyaena:

• Walks about 35 km in a night, but sometimes as far as 60 km, searching for food. This means they walk over 130,000 km during their life.
• Rarely makes any sound at all and communicates by leaving double scent marks on grass stalks. A brown hyaena will scent mark about 100 times every night and almost half a million times in a complete life span.
• Has territories varying from 200 km2 to 1,500 km2.
• Will rarely kill anything larger than a springhare and survives from eating carrion, and also small mammals, insects, reptiles, eggs and fruit.
  

Attached is a video of from Pierre Minnie of Earth-Touch. These three juvenile Brown Hyaenas were filmed sharing an animal hide early one morning near Jack's Camp, which is located just outside of the eastern borders of the well-known Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in north-eastern Botswana. For the full story click here.

If you would like to learn more about the Makgadikgadi Brown Hyaena Project project, make a donation or have any further questions, please contact: brownhyaena@googlemail.com
Post: Bag 114, Suite 76, Maun, Botswana

Story from Assignment Earth on Brown Hyaena Conservation in South Africa: