Archive for Albizia camp

Kelly College – some highlights!

Lacey / August 3, 2012 / No comments
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
32597
32641
32623
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
32613
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
32595
32606
32632
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
32601
32600
Category: Accommodation near game reserve, Activities, African Safari, Albizia camp, Environmental Awareness Course, Extreme Nature Tour, Hluhluwe Accommodation, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, KwaZulu Natal, KZN, New friends /

Let the fun begin!

Lacey / July 13, 2012 / No comments

It is that time of year again!

The students are arriving and it’s time to get rolling. We start off in the battlefields, where the students are entertained by the wonderful way Reggie tells the story of the battles of Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift.

battlefield, zulu war ,KZN, african history,

The students grasp the size of the battlefields

kzn, zulu war, battlefields, africa, military, history

The students are entertained by Reggie (note the white grave markers dotted on the fields)

The history really came alive as we wandered the battlefields dotted with the white stone grave markers of the fallen men and climbed to the cave of the last Englishman standing before walking the route of Lieutenant Melvill and Lieutenant Coghill as they took the Queen’s colours to safety, ultimately ending in their demise at the river.

kzn, zulu war, battlefields, africa, history,

What goes up...

KZN, zulu war, battlefields, fugitives,

...must come down... - following the fugitives trail

Buffalo river, zulu wars, KZN, South africa, battlefields

Thankfully no one decided on a re-enactment of history at the river!

We are sad to leave our lovely hosts at Geckos View today, who have provided us with comfy beds, fantastic food (including Blue Wildebeest potjie!) and great company.

But leave we must as we head to hear of the fallen at Rorkes Drift before heading to Albizia Camp at Umkhumbi Lodge.

Category: Albizia camp, Wetland Park Group / Tags: , , , , ,

Did You Know – Flat Lizard

Lacey / February 8, 2012 / No comments

Lebombo Flat lizard Platysaurus Lebomboensis Description: Small to medium sized African Lizards, there name is derived from their 'flattened' shape. Habitat: Occur in South Africa (in the Northern KwaZulu Natal province), Swaziland and Transvaal. They are rock specialists and their flattened body shape means that they are able to enter even the smallest crevices. Behaviour: Flat lizards are diurnal and become active when the direct sun touches the burrow entrance. They bask in the sun next to their burrow entrances to regulate body temperature. When theyare not basking they are actively foraging (including jumping into the air to catch flies) or socialising with other lizards. Diet: Flat lizards mostly eat invertebraes such as; wasps, bees, flies, caterpillars, ants, beetles and butterflies. Male/female: Female and juvenile, dark with 3 pale longitudinal psrralel lines down their backs. Males are brightly coloured with orange tails and flanks and green/blue chins. Did You Know: Common flat lizards have even been known to eat figs! | There are 13 different species of lizard. | In some species of flat lizard the females are just as brightly coloured as the males.

Category: Albizia camp, Did you know?, Environmental Awareness Course / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did You Know – Narina Trogon

Lacey / February 2, 2012 / No comments

Narina Trogon factsheet is this weeks factsheet, see belowlearn about Narina Trogon

Category: Albizia camp, Birding, Did you know?, Environmental Awareness Course / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did You Know – Lion

Lacey / January 11, 2012 / No comments

Check out the wildlife factsheet below! This week is the Lion, and it is on two pages!

alt=

Lion Scientific name: Panthera leo - Description: Largest African Carnivore. Lions are social cats and typically spend 20-21 hours a day resting. Most active early in the evening and late at night. - Male/female: Avg height 110cm (females) 120 (males). Short coat, males have manes. Juveniles are spotted with grayish coats (adult colour at 3 months). - Activity: Lions typically spend 20-21 hours a day resting. Most active early in the evening and late at night. - Hunting: Main hunters are usually the lionesses, but will scavenge if their is a kill available. Males will follow behind rushing to join the lionesses once the prey has been caught. Lions can kill prey up to 4 times their size, on ocassion even animals over 1000 kilos can be brought down, larger prey are usually brought down in co-operative hunting. Males are slower than females but their larger size means that they are more likely to tackle large prey. Lions share food to an extent, if prey is small or scarce smaller and weaker animals will miss out, even mothers will not share with their cubs until they have eaten enough. - Killing technique: Small game such as impala is usually brought down by a slap to the rear, tripping, or grasping with both paws. Larger prey is usually brought down by the full weight of the lion to slow down and over-balance the prey. For additional leverage the lion can grip the neck of the prey (shoulders/ back can also be used) to protect themselves from horns and to an extent the hooves of the prey. - Social Structure: Lions are gregarious and they live within in a matriarchal society. This society offers communal care of those within its pride - including communal suckling of cubs. Males form coalitions (usually with littermates) to ensure that they can secure territory when they leave the pride. - Breeding: Gestation 102 days. Lionesses usually produce cubs every 2 years. When a new male takes over the pride one of the first acts is to kill all the cubs below one year of age. Some lionesses may be wounded or even killed for protecting their cubs. After the loss of her cubs a female is able to mate again within a few weeks, however she is unable to become pregnant for around 134 days after losing her cubs due to a takeover. It is thought that this is to protect the female should the new male desert the pride and allows a stronger male / coalition to take over. - Communication: Vocal; Roars, grunts, snarls, growls, meowing, hissing, humming, puffing, woofing, spitting and moaning. Smell: Spraying (urine), clawing, scuffing, urine-testing. Tactile: Licking, head-rubbing, greeting ceremony. - Greeting ceremony: There is a special greeting ceremony that allows lions to show another Lion that they belong in the pride and 'come in peace'. Here is how to do it: on approach moan softly, rub heads together, then sides together with your tail raised high (if you can manage it, drape your tail over the other lions back). Then lean against eachother, as hard as you can, it doesn't matter if you fall over the other one. Greetings occur between females and cubs and between adult females. Females and cubs will sometimes try to rub the pride males who may accept the greeting but save their own greetings for other males in their coalition. Greetings seem to work upon a hierarchy and may be a form of appeasement from a lesser individual. - Did You Know: Female lion cubs never lose their playfulness where as males over 3 years rarely join in the games. Lions are very good swimmers, but HATE water! Lion claws are sheathed like your cat at home. Lions drink water regularly when they can, but they can go without water for long periods of time - some Lions in the Kalahari have been spotted eating samma melons and gemsbok cucumbers when thirsty.

Category: Albizia camp, Did you know? / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did You Know – Pink Throated Twinspot

Lacey / November 23, 2011 / No comments

See below for the latest in our factsheet series
Pink-Throated Twinspot Scientific name: Hypargos margaritatus :Description - Small brightly spotted bird endemic to regions in the Northern KwaZulu Natal, Swaziland and southern Mozambique. :Call - Soft, high pitched trill. :Endemic (only found) in thornveld thickets and and coastal scrub. :Male/female - - Male has pinkish throat, face and breast with a brown crown. - Female has a grey-brown throat, breast and belly. - Both adults have distinct white spots on black on underside below wings and chest. - Juvenile is brown above and pale-grey below. Has no spots. :Nesting behaviour - Builds nest in an untidy ball shape with the entrance is on the side. Tend to be built low down in dense vegetation. 3-4 eggs are lain. Breeding occurs in the early months of the year, usually around January. :Diet - Eats both seeds and insects :Did You Know - - Very rare due to its relatively small distribution, very desirable with birdwatchers. - In Afrikaans they are called Rooskeelkolpensie. - Often mistaken for the red-throated twispot. - There is also a green throated twinspot

Category: Albizia camp, Birding, Did you know?, Environmental Awareness Course, Our animals / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did You Know – Natal Hinged Tortoise

Lacey / November 16, 2011 / No comments

Natal Hinged Tortoise Scientific name / Genus: Kinixys Description: A group of tortoises who have a hinge between the 7 and 8th marginal scutes (plates) of their shell. Diet: Various - Grasses, forbs, indigenous fruits, succulents, millipedes, insects, snails, carrion and mushrooms. Habitat: Occur in a wide range of habitats including bushveld, thornveld, savanna woodland, forest and grassland. Restricted to North Eastern parts of South Africa. Breeding: Most recorded matings are Sep-Nov, but Natal Hinged tortoise has been observed in Feb. Clutches between 2-10 hardshelled eggs laid in Nov-Apr. Bell's hinged tortoise lays several clutches. Incubation 3-10+ months, hatching Sep-April. Conservation: The Natal Hinged Tortoise is IUCN listed as 'Near Threatened' due to extensive habitat destruction Different species within genus: - Bell's Hinged Tortoise; Kinixys belliana - Lobatse Hinged Tortoise; Kinixys lobatsiana - Natal hinged tortoise; Kinixys natalensis - Speke's hinged tortoise; kinixys spekii Male or female: Avg shell length 155-210mm. Avg weight 600g to 1.8kg. Females larger than males. Hinge may be absent or ill-formed in juveniles Did You Know: - Tortoises are more active in the rain - Have lived up to 22 years in captivity

Category: Albizia camp, Bushwire, Environmental Awareness Course, Our animals / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did You Know – Suni

Lacey / November 2, 2011 / No comments

The latest in our quiz sheets! The Suni :)

Suni Scientific name: Neotragus moschatus Description: A very small species of African antelope - can be mistaken for very young duiker. Very little is known about these reclusive animals. Habitat: Rarely seen, found in dense woodland. Have a limited distribution usually in sandforest and coastal forest in North East of South Africa. Communication: Usually thought to be silent, few reported cases of barking. When distressed will cry like a human baby. Male or female: Approx 350mm high. Female/ Male 5.4kg/5kg Both have Light brown - chestnut coloured coat with white underparts and inner legs. Young are slightly darker. Rounded ears are pink inside, grey outside. Rams grow smooth tipped horns with deep ridges. Behaviour: Usually diurnal, the Suni will hide the day away in a sheltered, shady spot. Both males and females are territorial, with home ranges varying from 1-8 hectares depending on habitat suitability. Males mark their territory with the scent glands on their cheek (pre-orbital scent glands). Diet: Feed from the forest floor on newly fallen leaves, flowers and fruit. Usually will feed at dusk and dawn. Predators: Prey to many, the Suni use their camoflague and wait until the last minute to run away. Life Expectancy Unknown Did you know: - Suni sightings are even rarer than that of Leopard. - Suni have the largest pre-orbital scent glands relative to size of all African antelopes. - There are thought to be less than 1000 Suni in Zululand

Category: Albizia camp, Did you know?, Environmental Awareness Course / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bye byes!

Lacey / October 28, 2011 / No comments

As always the day to leave has crept up on us :(

There were lots of sad faces this morning, and a couple could only nibble on their french toast. There is nothing quite as bad as the mixed feelings experienced by all of our students on the last day with us. Excited about going home and seeing everyone, but at the same time not wanting to leave – ever!

The students leave the gate of Umkhumbi Lodge and Albizia Camp for the last time this year

Putting on happy faces for the camera!

Driving past one minibus now all I see are grumpy little faces, and one or two scribbling furiously in the diaries they have been dutifully keeping.

See some of you next year!

Category: Albizia camp, Environmental Awareness Course, Mid Kent 2011 /

Did You Know – Coral Tree

Lacey / October 27, 2011 / No comments

Our second fact sheet of the indigenous trees of South Africa.

Coral tree Scientific name: Erythrina lysistemon Description: Single trunked tree with large branches supporting a rounded canopy. Habitat: This commonly occurring tree can be found in most habitats in South Africa from coastal dune forest to even high altitude grassland in the Drakensburg. Bark: Light grey brown and smooth with shallow lengthway grooves. There are slightly hooked thorn on both trunk and branches. Leaves: Heart shaped leaves grouped in three (similar to a clover). The last leaf of each three is the largest. Seed: The seeds grown in long bumpy black pods similar to a peapod. The bumpy bean pods burst open whilst still on the tree (Sep - Feb) to reveal the characteristic black and red seeds. Uses: The leaves and bark are eaten by animals including Black Rhino. Unripe seeds are a favourite of the Brownheaded Parrot. The flowers attract both insects and vervet monkeys and the nectar attracts many sunbirds. Humans use the hollowed trunk as canoes, whilst the the bark and leaves are used for medicinal purposes. Flower: Red tightly packed spike-like flowers appear on the tree before the leaves (Jun-Oct). Flowers 40-60mm long, in groups of up to 90mm. Did You Know: -The seeds are known as lucky beans and smurf berries. - It is believed that if you place one of the seeds in your purse, it will never be empty

Category: Albizia camp, Did you know? /
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »