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The Morning:

We began another adventurous day at Woodbury Tented Camp in Amakhala Game Reserve first thing at 7:00am. After a quick breakfast both groups went out to the rodent traps to check and see if we had captured any. Unfortunately, all traps were empty….again! Research groups then separated and began or continued to collect data for the various projects being conducted: elephant behavioural observations, prey species vigilance observations and giraffe poo (sorry feces) collection. One group even saw a Giraffe off of the front deck. After a few hours of data collection we gathered back together to walk to the classroom for a guest lecture. The lecture was given by a wildlife veterinarian named Dr. Lisa Graham. Dr. Graham gave us all a wonderful insight into what it was like being a wildlife veterinarian for a small game reserve and the work that it takes to ensure the health of the animals. After a short break Dr. Graham lectured us on her research regarding Rhino home range sizes and how they differ depending on the game reserve size.

The Afternoon:

After a wonderful lunch of umngqusho, which is a South African meal made of corn and kidney beans. We all prepared ourselves for a moving documentary on Rhino Poaching in South Africa. On our way down to the classroom Dan hid in some nearby thicket and decided it was a good idea to jump scare all of the students passing by. The movie focused on the trade and sale of Rhino horn across the world and its ecological impact on the species. After the documentary concluded we went out to check the rodent traps once more. To our surprise we had managed to catch a Vlei rat, Otomys irroratus, in one trap and a Cape Robin-Chat a type of bird!) in another! The bird was not very pleased to have been captured but was soon released back into the wilderness safe and sound. The rat’s weight was recorded and other data was taken before it was released back where it was captured. We all separated for some free time before dinner to collect data or work on our journals. After a wonderful dinner we spent the rest of the night relaxing before bed.

Tonight we get some downtime to relax and have some fun at the Sidbury Cricket Club after supper!

This is written by Katie G, Katie S & Stephanie

 

Today we had an early morning to check rodent traps at 6:00am. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything overnight so we headed back to the dining hall for breakfast and to warm up with some hot drinks.

Today’s lecture started at 10:00am, and was done by the game reserve’s ecologist, Natalie Fowler. She gave us an introduction into the management techniques used by Amakhala for the optimal management of mega-herbivores and carnivores, elephants and lions in particular, as they greatly impact vegetation and prey species on the reserve.

After lunch we went on a game drive and Natalie demonstrated how to use telemetry to track animals with collars. Through this method, we successfully located the lion pride, which includes one adult male, one adult female and their offspring, two sub-adult females. We were very excited to see them but they couldn’t have cared less about us, they went on napping as lions do in the middle of the day.

After we had our fill, we moved on in search of other species, giraffe and elephant in particular as some students are focusing on these for their research projects. Up until now, we had not seen any giraffe but hopes were high. Vince finally spotted a giraffe off in the distance, so we drove in that direction hoping to find more. Much to our delight, we happened upon a group of giraffe in an opening accompanied by zebra, eland and impala. It was an idyllic and picturesque view of South Africa, definitely the highlight of the day. Fun fact: a group of giraffe is called a journey or a kaleidoscope.

After supper we had our first fire-side discussion to help encourage our thoughts about the importance and effectiveness of conservation. Through this discussion we highlighted various issues that arise from a conservation perspective as well as a business perspective. We continued our discussion by applying our classroom knowledge to various hypothetical conservation situations.

By Callie, Christine, and Ireland

Morning:

We were all up and at breakfast for 6:30am today and we got served a hot breakfast with bacon, egg, beans and mushrooms! Some of us also got to try rusks, which is a South African oat-like cookie that is dipped in coffee. At 8:00am we got a lecture from Dan on research design and statistics to help us start planning our research projects. After the lecture we all decided the topics of our projects and designed a research plan. Students will be doing projects on camera trapping looking mammals at water holes, live small mammal trapping, bat sonar detection, elephant behaviour, bird diversity at water holes, plant diversity and soil type, diet of giraffes and ungulate vigilance behaviour.

Afternoon:

After lunch we had our first skills lab on camera trapping and the later rodent trapping. Dan and Jess showed us how to properly set up and test the cameras. This included having to walk and crawl in front of the camera to ensure it was taking pictures close up and at different distances from the camera. Janine demonstrated how to properly set-up the rodent traps. We had to set up and put bait (oats and peanut butter) in 30 rodent traps then place them in various areas around the camp for a research project. The traps will have to be checked by everyone at 6 am tomorrow (our earliest morning so far yayyy). Some students went out to place the camera traps for their research projects while everyone else went back to the main lodge to work on their projects and journals (or chit chat).

Feel free to comment on our post! We would love to hear from all of you!!

This blog comes to you from Marissa, Emily and Taylor.

Starting the day off really early today, 6:30 is a little much for us but it was definitely worth it to see the sun rise from the dining hall balcony. Breakfast was surprisingly refreshing with yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and toast! After breakfast we had a presentation from the wonderful Dr. Nokubonga Mgqatsa about biomes of South Africa and her 4-year project about elephants toppling trees affecting microclimates and the small wildlife. We don’t know much about plants but it was really interesting! After our presentation we got a surprise activity of scavenging for 20 different types of plants found in South Africa; such as NumNum, Bitter Aloe, Mother in Law’s Tongue, Euphorbia Milkrope, etc. It was a competition and we lost… However, it was still fun to learn a lot of new species of plants and interesting facts we’ve never heard before. After we were finished we had about 30 mins for free time and then lunch! While we were eating a group of elephants walked by our balcony and you could see the babies!

We then all gathered on the balcony to enjoy a lecture about the history of dinosaurs in this area from Mr. Giles Gush. We learned that the first dinosaur discovered in South Africa was found in the area right in front of us. Shortly after that we settled into the game trucks for one of my favourite parts of the day, a game drive! We first came across a pair of elephant bulls fighting, it was insane to see such huge animals, that close. We also came across a cheetah, lying with a kill, she was so relaxed and absolutely gorgeous. We are now preparing for supper and will be having a lecture on carnivore research from Dr. Jess Comley.

Signing off Vincent & Bailey

This morning was our last morning at Storms River Mouth Camp. After breakfast we loaded up our luggage and belongings into our vans and set out to Amakhala Game Reserve. The drive was roughly 3.5 hours including a stop for lunch at Nanaga Farm Stall which is world famous for their meat pies. For those who didn’t choose a meat pie there was a South African meal called Roostekoek, a type of grilled sandwich. After lunch we finished our journey to Amakhala, spotting warthog in fields of other game reserves on the way to the Woodbury Tented Camp.

Once at Amakhala, the wildlife came to life where there were Zebra (plains), Impala and more warthogs. We all went crazy! We were then assigned to our tents which will be our homes for the next 13 days. From there we had an introduction by Dr. Jenn Gush, one of the owners of Amakhala, and given a brief history of the game reserve and how it was started. After the talk we were divided into two groups and assigned a tour guide for our game drives: Team 1 and Team 2. After being debriefed on the safety instructions, we set off in our vehicles one going east and one going west. Both groups were fortunate enough to find the following: Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Blesbok, Impala, Kudu, Cape Glossy Starling, Hadeda Ibis and helmeted Guinea fowl. Each team were fortunate enough to see different highlights as well:

Team 1: Saw a herd of elephants, including a baby, munch on some trees, one of which even toppled several trees while we watched. They were also fortunate enough to see both ostrich and black backed jackals.

Team 2: Saw 3 lions including a mother and 2 sub adults. They were also fortunate enough to see rhino.

Overall it was a great day and we are all looking forward for the days to come!

This is from our amazing day, Katie (S) and Stephanie.

We started our first day at the Storms River Rest Camp at 7:30am with a nice breakfast at the main house. While at the main house we finally discovered what our rumored surprise was going to be. Instead of having a scheduled lecture, we were going to be visiting 3 different sanctuaries; Monkeyland, Birds of Eden, and Jukani which was a carnivore sanctuary. We drove the few kilometers to the first park and awaited the tour guide.

The monkeys within the park were free roaming and we were able to view them up close. We saw a number of different monkeys from the common Vervet monkey, to ones from other parts of the world, such Spider monkey, Gibbon monkey, Capuchin monkey (as in  the movie ‘Night at the Museum’ and the ‘Pirates of the Carribean’), Squirrel monkeys, Ring-tailed lemurs (minus King Julian) and Black and White Ruff lemurs. As the tour continued we also crossed a massive suspension bridge over the park, Vervet monkeys strayed all over the bridge, and having been forewarned about the monkeys, we were wary of our belongings. Thankfully, only a pair of glasses were taken, albeit a small shock to us, we learned our lesson the hard way around the kleptomaniac monkeys.

When we arrived at the Birds of Eden sanctuary, immediately out the door into the enclosed forest a small parrot made friends with Dr. Parker and didn’t feel like leaving. Dr. Gray also was blessed with two Indian Ringneck Parakeets, yet one decided to take a taste. As we toured the remainder of the sanctuary, multiple species were flying around us and perching on the railings around us. We even saw some Canadian Geese! Some of the other birds that we observed included; Rainbow Lorikeets, Dusky Lorys, Knysna Turacos and Flamingos, a drop in the bucket to name a few. After we were all rounded up we boarded the van to go on our next adventure.

The afternoon itinerary began after an amazing lunch at the Peppermill restaurant. We then piled into the van and drove to Jukani Large Carnivore Sanctuary. This guided tour took the better part of 2 hours and included tours around multiple large cat enclosures. We were able to see Bengal Tigers (both normal and white), Caracals, Black-Backed Jackals, Spotted Hyenas and more. The tour concluded with the Lion enclosure.

Our evening concluded with a very tasty BBQ (Braai) of chicken skewers (sosaties) and South African sausages (boerwors), ostrich, Kudu biltong and salad. Some of us had tried ostrich burgers for lunch, but for most of us it was our first taste. From a tired group of students at Storms River Mouth Camp, this is Katie (George) and Morgyn signing off.

Sarah and I have once more embarked on another exciting trip with 15 new excited students from the Agricultural and Halifax campuses to introduce them to South African culture and wildlife in our African Wildlife Ecology course.

We started off very fresh and excited but after 2 flights we’re not looking so fresh!

still excited though! We have reached Heathrow and our 8.5 hr wait is slowly coming to an end. Our next stop is South Africa landing in Johannesburg and then onto Port Elizabeth.

Katie G. : This trip will be a great experience and learning opportunity! This trip will give an amazing invite into various habitats and the animals that call them home.

Morgyn : A once in a lifetime chance to check this locale off my bucket list, and also study the amazing diverse wildlife as a part of a classroom experience. Totally pumped!

Emily: This trip will give me the chance to witness a variety of unique species and to practice research techniques that will aid me in my future veterinary studies!

Callie: This is the trip of a lifetime! I am excited to study a variety of African wildlife in their natural habitat; adding this field course to the list of amazing experiences I’ve had at Dal.

Ève: I am excited to be back in South Africa for the second time, it will definitely be another trip to remember. I’m looking forward to enjoy the scenery and the wildlife view South Africa has to offer. Looking forward to some field work experience!!

Marissa: I’m super excited to get to see all the wildlife in South Africa and get to experience African ecology first hand. It’s gonna be awesome to live on a game reserve for a few weeks. This trip is gonna be one for the books!

Janessa: To be able to see the wildlife and their habitats up-close-and-personal is going to be a real thrill! I think the best way to learn about something is to completely immerse yourself in it, therefore I think we will all gain some invaluable knowledge and experience. I’m looking forward to learning about the animals and how they interact with each other and their surroundings. I can’t wait for all of the outdoor activities!

Jenna: I am excited to experience a new environment and the different flora and fauna, especially the elephant. I can’t wait to experience this once in a life time opportunity!

Katie S.: I am extremely excited to see the animals of course, however I am also excited to learn more about a non-Canadian culture as well as various, successful, conservation tactics!

Taylor: This trip will introduce me to exotic animals that I have only ever seen in captivity before. To see them in the wild and observe their true behaviours will be amazing. I am also looking forward to experiencing a new culture and a different way of life from what I am used to. I cannot wait for the up close and personal experiences that are soon to come!

Vincent: Looking forward to learning new skills and seeing new landscapes. It’s going to be a trip of a lifetime to see such animals in their true nature and capture moments that not many people can experience!

Ireland: I am beyond excited to be able to experience the wide variety of animals and environments in South Africa, and discover the incredible nature of their life in the wild. Learning about the hands on techniques of conservation and such is going to be super interesting.

Bailey: I am very excited to learn about things I have only been able to read about in textbooks. I am also hopeful that this experience will beneficial to my future studies in both animal science and veterinary medicine.

Christine: I am looking forward to experiencing a new culture and enjoying this once in a lifetime opportunity

Stephanie: I was excited to leave Canada because I have never travelled and I am looking forward to seeing the deserve wildlife. Especially the big cats.

Everyone handled the 40 hours of travel well with no real hiccups. We are now at Storms River Mouth, very tired and going to bed early. Tomorrow the real work begins.

That’s it for now. Wifi is a bit intermittent so we might not be able to blog every day until we get to Amakhala, just wanted everyone out there that we all arrived safe and sound!

 

David’s favourite photo is:

David says: “I chose this photo because I found the elephants to be exceptional animals and I consider it a privilege to see and study them in my research project.”

Jessica sent me her favourite and funniest photos:

Jessica’s favourite because: “Visiting South Africa was a wonderful experience, but let me tell you, I wasn’t leaving Africa without seeing some Lions! It was especially awesome to hear the two subadult females roar!!!”

Jessica’s funniest: “So yeah…..this is what happens when you let Dan have your camera to take pictures for you at a Rhino procedure.”

Nikki sent me a number of photos so I had to pick:

Nikki’s favourite because: “I love the first picture so much because I feel like it justly represents how BEAUTIFUL I saw SA to be. No matter where we went magnificent sceneries awaited us and those are some of my most vivid memories. The next picture is more obvious in its meaning: the animals are the reason we were all there, what brought us all together, our passion. This is one of the species I most wanted to see for their charismatic appearances and behaviours.”

Nikki’s funniest – Ashley was always trying to get pictures of everyone else asleep during the day so Nikki managed to get one of her!

Megan says: “Elephants have always been my favorite animal, and I think this picture ties together both that, and the wonderful country it was taken in.” As you can guess her favourite photo is:

For Maddie, it wasn’t the cute and furry’s…she chose: “this one because of my love for amphibians and reptiles, and how this course was an opportunity to learn so much more about them. I especially wanted to see the puff adder and I was in total awe in its presence. Symbolically, it could also represent how the whole trip made me feel while learning about the ecosystems and cultures of South Africa. It was a truly unique learning experience with many stunning moments like this one”.

Ashley also sent me lots of favourite and funny photos so again I selected a couple from these:

Her favourites were:  as these show a couple of the fun parts of the trip…working with children in the community and data collection in the wild!

Her funniest shouldn’t surprise you: …if you dozed off (and I did a couple of times) you would find Ashley with her camera pointed in your direction!

 

So onto Addo Elephant Park…much more sedate and civilised!

We had a lecture on managing the 600+ elephants on the reserve and then we nearly saw all of them…

Sarah and I shared our chalet with and had a visitor (a grey mongoose).
There were some gorgeous sunsets and birds

And by no means least the vervet monkey….

The students got to meet the legendary, Hapoor (bite ear literally translated).

After a bit of drama at the one gate, we left Addo Elephant Park on our way to Amakhala Game Reserve (Woodbury Tented Camp) where the real work was going to start! But before reaching our destination, we had to make a pit stop at the Nanaga Farm Stall…the place of all things good! I purchased some koeksisters (I had already given the students a taster of these delicious totally coma-inducing bundles of sugary goodness), melktert (milk tart – a South African dessert or tea time snack), beef and kudu biltong (dried meat), droerwors (dried sausage) and chilli bites (thin pieces of dried meat coated in chilli powder). I had to introduce them to some of my typical South African foods that I grew up consuming. We also had to get the famous (well in South Africa) Nanaga pies or rooster koek with different fillings for our lunch.

Our time at Woodbury Tented Camp was as good this year as last year. We were welcomed as family by Jenn and Giles Gush (owners of the Camp) as well as our favourite guides from 2016 Jason and Simone Smith, plus all the staff that catered for us during our stay. The company and food was exceptional and very welcoming to the point where none of us wanted to leave when it came to the day we were leaving! I am not going to go into what we did every day as the students had already told you much of that so I am going to just put some of my favourite memories (photos) from our stay…

Rhino procedure day – unfortunately due to poaching we could not post photos of the procedure as there are many ways for ‘poachers’ to trace the rhino but this is the elated group after the rhino has recovered and moved off:

Some community work during World Environment Day and the Charity 8km run/walk (collecting money for ‘Coaching for Conservation’)

World Environment day is about bringing children from different local schools and educating them about wildlife and conservation of our animals:

 

Can you guess what we are doing?  

We also did some work (only a few extras there are many examples through the other blogs):
Data collection:

From this to this . Ooh it’s nice and warm!

This is how to set up and test camera traps… and we even set up a camera trap at a ‘giraffe birthing station’

More work on how to do vegetation analysis:
but totally oblivious to what’s behind them… What can you see?

Getting to know reptiles:

A missing link last year:
Another exciting animal sighting – (at tent 5)

Some animal humour…how did the waterbuck gets its white ring and the hyena its laugh? (No giving it away AWE 2016/2017)

Downtime included some soccer, horse-riding and some meaningful discussions

Our final day after all the work was done was spent at Kenton-on-Sea at the beach. It was a bit blustery but that didn’t put us off as we took a walk along the beach, around the rocks and over the rocks to one of my favourite places growing up…carriage rock
    and we left our mark !!

Well I think that is about all from me…I hope this wasn’t too long winded…I am told I like to chat! Thank you for reading this and hopefully it shows how much I enjoyed being with this incredible group of people and aided in their thirst for knowledge into African Wildlife Ecology.

A huge big thank you needs to go to our intrepid Prof. Dan Parker of Rhodes University & University of Umpumalanga for his expertise and knowledge and his sense of sometimes misplaced humour plus missing his son’s birthday party! A big thank you to Sarah Gatti-Yorke, without you this trip would not have been so good!