Ranger.

This year has been a busy one that's for sure. I have been so fortunate to be involved with the Field Rangers in the Kruger National Park. We have been assessing and training them to track people. Unfortunately poachers!

The field rangers are such a wonderful bunch of guy's and girls. Field rangers are a positive bunch who thrive on being successful and put their all into their training and work.Field rangers are doing their best in very trying circumstances. They just like the rest of us they have family's, mortgages, school fees and all the rest! They spend most of their days on patrol in the bush in one or other section of the park. In the scorching summer with temperatures reaching the high 40C's, the summer thunder storms, and the cold, dry winter days followed by freezing nights.

Without them our rhino would be decimated already and we would be fighting to save our elephants. These guys try to make sure that never happens. They are just as heart sore every time we lose a rhino!

As most people get ready to take a holiday and celebrate Christmas with friends and family remember our men and women in green.

They are our front line! the thin green line in a war against poaching!

My thoughts will be with them this Christmas.

Exploring

My son Ben asked to use a camera this holiday. At first I wanted to give him a long story about being careful with it and how expensive cameras are etc. Then I realised that he was responsible and it was a step in learning responsibility. More importantly it took him into his own world. He could look at things in a new way and spend time outside just exploring. Isn't that what got me into this career of mine, the sheer fascination with the outdoors?

I think this shows a real eye for composition!

A self portrait on game drive.

A great start.

I look forward to spending a good few hours with Ben behind the lens in the future. I also think photography is such a good tool to allow people to be kids again and see things in a new light. I always enjoy looking at how so many people can see the same object in so many different ways.

Appreciating Nature

I have often been asked how I became involved in wildlife. Well the answer, I think lies in what you are exposed to as a child and the experiences you have.

I was always into animals, horses, dog's and cats! That lead to wanting to be in the countryside to be able to ride a horse as often as possible.

I convinced my parents I wanted to go to boarding school and that is were the real interest started.

Being at a school that was very outdoors based I was soon exposed to all sorts of wildlife experiences. Tubing down a river, building forts in the forest, and trying to catch all sorts of small animals. Our snake collection was amazing for kids of ten years old.

Hiking trips into the berg were an all time favorite. Altho not always easy!

It is these experiences that I think build that love of the outdoors. The earlier we start exposing kids to the countryside and all it has the better. 

Trying to make Sense?

I had an e mail today for someone wanting to do something about the poaching that is so rampant in South Africa. Their concern was that it would be too little to late? How do you answer that or even begin to explain why we sit in this situation.

We all know that there is a huge demand from various parts of the East for rhino horn, ivory, lion bones, and so the list goes on. Part of the reason is traditional medicine, dagger handles, and more recently people trying to show their status and wealth.
In recent years the Chinese have become very involved in Africa, more so that in the past just suppling arms. They are now involved in building infrastructure in exchange for who knows what? There are various theories/stories of Chinese labour being used for these projects and then having to stay in the host country. There are the same stories of arms for ivory, rhino horn, diamonds etc

We have recently signed a agreement with China for more economic co operation and trade. Why are we not asking for sanctions against all the countries that are responsible for murdering our natural heritage? We are experiencing animal abuse on a scale only seen 200 years ago with the eradication of the great herds of buffalo. Why are we not putting more pressure internationally on these countries. We were all for sanctions against apartheid? People of the world stop seeing these acts in isolation! It is happening globally and it affects us all. It leaves our systems, our life blood in a poorer state.

In African countries were there is often so much corruption due to nepotism or affirmative action. You have incompetent people in positions of power that make decisions for their own good. They employ unqualified people so they will always look good and can not be easily caught out. They employ people in the same political party or with family links. This leads to a ill disciplined police force, an unmotivated army and a general disregard for the countries laws! Hence the disbanding of the Endangered Species protection Unit in the police and the removal of the Scorpions.  Once the system gets to this stage it is very easy for criminal elements to take advantage of such people.

We could even extrapolate and say that some ruling parties would rather have an uneducated population so as to stay in power and not be questioned. That same party could also benefit by being the power house in a region by keeping their neighbours countries unstable. Those unstable or economically poor countries might easily revert to civil war to try and change their political systems. hence RENAMO's threats of going back to the bush. Were do guerilla armies get money for arms? The easy solution is wildlife. The old smuggling routes established in the 80's by the guerilla's and the South Africans may not be there but it is easier now. With Eastern diplomats in most Southern African cities, the diplomatic pouch is open for business!

So the real reason we are in the situation we are, has more to do with economics than with anything else. As I see it.

Field Rangers

Field Rangers

These guys and girls are our last defense against the rampant poaching that is taking place in South Africa and other parts of Africa. We are currently losing a rhino every 11 hours!

Most of the rhino horn and ivory goes to Asia and especially China. 

Why is Africa selling it's soul for yen? We do more business with China than any other country. Once we have no more coal, copper, gold, diamonds, timber what are we going to trade? How many Asian tourists visit our national parks?

How many tourists will visit a war zone? Which is what our parks are, make no mistake. How many tourists will come to see parks with no rhino, elephant or lion?

Why is it ok to sanction countries for human rights abuses but it is ok for them to rape our country! Were are the sanctions now?

Wooden Fork's

Wooden Fork's

I have been known to raid the rubbish skip's in town. Now before anyone thinks I am really down on my luck! let me explain. There is a carpentry shop in town that throws a lot of offcuts into a skip. There is often some very good wood amongst all the rubbish. The size is also just right for knife handles and a few other pieces.

Before Christmas I was looking for an idea to compliment the pickled onions I had made as presents. As kids we always had a sharp knife with a thin blade that we had used to retrieve pickles from the jar. Much like a kingfisher darting into the water to catch fish. We speared pickles!

Mothers tend to frown on this sort of behaviour at the lunch table. So the pickle fork has come into being in the Pattrick household.

Little Swift

Little Swift

We have a colony of Little Swifts nesting under the eve's of our roof, there are literally hundreds of them. They seem to decrease in the winter months as some move away and some remain. 

The thing that has us stumped is why we find so many young falling out of the nests. There are the tiny pink helpless ones right up to the almost fully grown adult looking birds. We have managed to raise one ! so far !!

Everything I have read does not mention any form of cainism? My only other thought is that the parasite load gets to much and they vacate the nest to try and get away from mites etc??

Knives at last!!

I have been promising to start making knives again for a very long time, and finally I have started!! I had some stainless and some carbon steel lying in the workshop. So made some knives out of each steel. I much prefer the carbon steels for their edge holding and the wonderful way they age. The steel takes on a patina all it's own.

The knife below is for my son Ben. It is a carbon steel 01 i think?  a Micarta handle with white liners.  I am hoping to help him make his own in the next holiday. He will have to help with the sheath of his own design.

This knife below was made for a mate of mine Bruce Lawson. I had promised him a knife years ago and just never got round to it. I bumped into Bruce in the Kruger and he reminded me of this fact! Thanks Bruce I hope you enjoy the knife.

If there are any guides out there who are looking for a hand made knife that will give a life times service give me a shout to discuss design ideas.

Labrador Retriever Kennel Club Field Trial 2012

Bailey.

Keen as can be, only to break and knock us out on the very first bird! This is a team sport so I have learn't to be more vocal. Especially in those highly charged moments. Also to keep my eyes on the dog, you can always expect the dog to watch the bird or ask the judge were it fell. Training in the quiet Balule Game Reserve does not really prepare you well for all the dog, excitement, guns and birds that you get at a trial.

A big thank you to Francois and Angelique from Eagertrieve Labradors for all their help and advice.

http://www.eagertrievelabs.co.za/index.htm

Brodie.

This was a tough retrieve with very narrow angles between birds and some water. Lab's can't resist water but throw a bird in it and it's like a magnet. You can almost see the dogs trying to convince the handlers that they know what they are doing. Why are you sending me past that bird in the water, I saw the fall!!?

Choc.

One of the most photogenic dogs at the trial.

Choc also did very well. I can't remember what he won, but everyone holds the guns choice as a very prestigious title to have for any of the stakes in a trial. 

Cougar.

A top open stake dog doing what he loves. He has already retrieved a blind ( a placed bird that the dog has not see being placed) across a dam. Then swum back across the dam thru a fence to retrieve a pigeon in a field. He still has two more retrieves before the series is over! Open stake normally has some very demanding retrieves for the dogs. It is amazing to see their enthusiasm, concentration and the team work with their handlers.

What it's all about. Top dogs and people getting together for some quality time outside.

All trials are run under K.U.S.A rules and regulations.

http://www.kusa.co.za/

Anyone interested in getting involved in trials have a look at the Lab Clubs website.

www.labclub.org.za

There's a lion in my garden!

Ok, so we live in a game reserve, so you would expect to have animals in your garden.

We have hungry Elephants, Hippo grazing at night on the lawn, Impala, Waterbuck, loads of Warthogs and many others that I have not mentioned.

But when the lions start taking them off our lawn at night it is rather surreal. This lioness and her two sub-adult cubs managed to take down two young waterbuck. One on either side of the garden. They came up one of the tracks to the back of the house, the cubs split off to the right and the lioness to the left. The small herd of waterbuck bomb shelled, for two of them it was too late. 

I was amazed that between the three Lions they finished off both sub-adult Waterbuck in little over three hours. The remains can be seen just to the right of the Land Rover.

The Jackals and Vultures finished off the little that remained during the day.

I was able to piece this all together having only seen part of the story unfold, thanks to the recent tracking course I did with Colin Patrick, I have taken to tracking everything. The course is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone interested in broadening their wildlife knowledge.

http://www.moholoholo.co.za/tracking-course

Vultures arriving!

A White Backed Vulture giving us a wary look as they circle the house.

There must have been at least a hundred Vultures - quite a spectacle when you are sitting below. 

Taking off with full crops.

Moz Trail Recce

Good to go!

At the Giriyondo border post with our PNL Ranger Manulito.

Marius

Joris

Manulito

Trying to find the first nights waypoint. We seemed to be close but no cigar! Ended up sleeping in a very damp, mosquito ridden path next to a stream. Not ideal but we enjoyed it.

Marius about to say something about the geology. Nothing I can repeat here!

With all the rain the streams were in full spuite and we had wonderful drinking water.

One of the waterfalls we passed.

Constantly crossing streams, as we tried to find a suitable route.

My tent on the second night. Very cool and comfortable spot, with great swimming in the stream below.

We found a poachers camp right here on the bank of this beautiful section of river. The sign was about two days old! So not a lot we could do about it. We also saw their tracks on the first day very close to the Kruger boundry. No doubt after S.A.'s rhino !!

I had to have a picture of me wearing these Hi Tec boots. I normally walk in takkies but for some reason decided to wear boots. It proved to be a wise choice with all the loose rock. I must say these are the lightest boots I have ever owned.

This little package was waiting for Marius in his shorts! Could have been a very nasty surprise for both parties!

Some elephant tracks. This guy just stuck to the path even if he sank in up to his knees! You can just imagine a dinosaur doing the same thing millions of years ago.

Parque Nacional Do Limpopo.

Breakfast stop.

An amazing plant growing in all the water filled rock pools on the rhyolite koptjies.

Looking east towards the Shingwedzi River flowing into Mozambique.

My favorite stop on the whole walk. Even with the two large crocs in the pool below. We managed to have a swim in the stream as it dropped over the rocks into the pool below. Luckily there was no space for crocs.

Weary but satisfied.

After The Floods 2012

The Swartspruit.

This small stream was at least 40meters wide and about 3meters deep.

Some of the debris brought down by the water.

The causeway we cross to get out of the reserve.

Not a great place to find your trailer!!

As the flood started there were a number of Hippo and Croc's moving up this stream to stay out of the Olifants River. The rain started on the Monday or Tuesday. On Sunday evening we saw some hippo moving up stream in front of the house. This only happens if all the grazing down stream is finished or if we are going to experience high water levels in the Olifants River.

I am always amazed by how perceptive animals are to the changes in their environment. A talent we seem to have lost! Having spent the last few weeks working on my tracking skill, I now think I have found a way to build that skill and be far more aware of your surroundings.