Lessons from Kruger Park, South Africa
Before visiting South Africa, the most I knew about African wildlife was from The Lion King. Then I went to Kruger Park, South Africa, and learned a little bit more while self-driving safariing and backpacking. Kruger Park is amazing! A good portion of this page deals with tracking and poop, because it came from Mark, our guide during the Lonely Bull 4-day backpacker hike (A note about the hike is at the end). Tracks tell a lot of information about what happened, what walked by, what direction, how long ago (dependent on rain, wind, track integrity, debris on tracks, etc). Poop can tell you what animal was there, and its softness can tell you how recently animals walked by.
1. Poop
Impala poop in one place to reduce disease spread and to help them return to the same place.
Steenboks cover their poop to keep it moist so they can return to the same grazing location.
Giraffe poop nuggets spread all over the place because they fall from a great height and scatter like marbles.
Impala poop in one place to reduce disease spread and to help them return to the same place.
Steenboks cover their poop to keep it moist so they can return to the same grazing location.
Giraffe poop nuggets spread all over the place because they fall from a great height and scatter like marbles.
White rhinos are territorial and will make a giant poop. The bull male will urinate on the poop, then trample through it and spread/drag it all over with his feet to mark his territory. Evidence is equivocal whether black rhinos are territorial. A game reserve has seen territorial behavior, but elsewhere it isn’t seen.
- Story: One day, Elephant was feeling boastful because he was the biggest animal. He challenged all the other animals to make a poop bigger than his. Rhino did and Elephant was so mad, he beat Rhino up. Since then, Rhino always spreads his poop to avoid beatings from Elephant.
- Story: One day, Elephant was feeling boastful because he was the biggest animal. He challenged all the other animals to make a poop bigger than his. Rhino did and Elephant was so mad, he beat Rhino up. Since then, Rhino always spreads his poop to avoid beatings from Elephant.
Black rhino poop has 45 degree angle cuts in the plant matter because their teeth are designed for clipping branches. Their poop often has undigested branches and thorns.
Black rhino dung with 45° cuts in the plant matter. (Looking at this pic many months later, I'm wondering if I got the right animal. Black rhinos are rare in Kruger).
White rhino dung (Dublin Zoo)
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Black rhino dung (Tandadula)
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The leaf- and stem-eaters (black rhinos, elephants) have more tannins in their diets, hence the poop is light brown.
Elephants poop half of their daily intake, or about ~50-100 kg/day of milk-jug-sized canisters of grass, twigs, and leaves. Because their diet is so poor and so much passes through their systems undigested, they spend 14-18 hours a day feeding. Their size and feeding habits shape the environment by directly altering the landscape and cycling nutrients through their dung.
Elephants poop half of their daily intake, or about ~50-100 kg/day of milk-jug-sized canisters of grass, twigs, and leaves. Because their diet is so poor and so much passes through their systems undigested, they spend 14-18 hours a day feeding. Their size and feeding habits shape the environment by directly altering the landscape and cycling nutrients through their dung.
2. Predators and Prey
Herbivores will sleep in clearings together to see their surroundings better. Impala will sleep in shifts and have lookouts.
Male elephants periodically enter a state called "musth" where they secrete a tar-like temporin out of their temporal ducts and can become unpredictable and aggressive. Male elephants have a slightly angular head while females have rounded heads. ElephantVoices (Poole & Granli, 2009) has a nice database of elephant body language. Elephants have 6 sets of teeth than move forward in their mouth like a conveyor belt. Around 45 y/o, the last set appears. Once this set is worn down, elephants cannot feed properly and often move to rivers to feed on the soft plants there. Eventually, they die of malnutrition. The accumulation of elephant bones at rivers gives rise to the myth of elephant graveyards.
Herbivores will sleep in clearings together to see their surroundings better. Impala will sleep in shifts and have lookouts.
Male elephants periodically enter a state called "musth" where they secrete a tar-like temporin out of their temporal ducts and can become unpredictable and aggressive. Male elephants have a slightly angular head while females have rounded heads. ElephantVoices (Poole & Granli, 2009) has a nice database of elephant body language. Elephants have 6 sets of teeth than move forward in their mouth like a conveyor belt. Around 45 y/o, the last set appears. Once this set is worn down, elephants cannot feed properly and often move to rivers to feed on the soft plants there. Eventually, they die of malnutrition. The accumulation of elephant bones at rivers gives rise to the myth of elephant graveyards.
Examples of elephant body language (Daily Mail)
Giraffe males have bald, more angled horns than harden after 4 years (for fighting) vs females with paintbrush, more upright horns than solidify after 8 years.
Male feeding. Notice the bald horns.
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Young female sitting near Balule camp. This is a rare behavior indicating she felt safe. Her mother and sister were nearby.
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White rhino skulls are longer than black rhino skulls. White rhinos have broad snouts that are better suited for grazing and black rhinos have narrow snouts better suited for grabbing branches and leaves, a similar diet to elephants.
Black and white rhino comparison (Thompson Safaris)
Leopards, buffalos, and hippos will not stop once they decide to attack. Hippos kill more people annually than sharks. Leopards, once eye contact is made and their position given away, will either flee or attack. Leopards are often found in leafy trees with angled trunks on the lower branches or in the thickets. They hunt by ambushing prey like impala and will drag the carcass up into a tree to prevent scavengers from taking their kill.
Imagine you are walking in the bush, when your intuition tells you to stop. Something is watching you, you feel. You pause, waiting for the phantom to give way to something tangible with a movement or noise. "If it is only your imagination, you're wasting your time. But if it's a leopard..."
That's what I think when I look at this picture. Try and spot the leopard. If you're stumped, check out the zoomed-in pic.
On the way to Engelhard lookout, we saw a leopard in the bush (above picture). And by "we" I mean some sharp-sighted folks who pointed at it then drove off to leave us staring dumbfounded into the bush. Is it there? Are they pranking us? Maybe we can't see it from our angle. Let's move the car to where they just were. See anything? They're definitely pranking us. What about that bush? No, I've been looking at it for 10 minutes. Maybe in the tree? Did they say how far back it was? How long do you want to keep looking for this thing? I don't kn- WHOOOOOOAAaaaaaa... There it is! (go here if you can't find it in the above picture)
Leopard with an impala carcass on the road near the Rhino Post Safari Lodge.
Story: How the Leopard Got His Spots by Rudyard Kipling. Leopard and Hunter could no longer catch prey because the prey had taken refuge in the jungle. The Hunter painted his skin to hide in the shadows. He used his hands to apply the rest of the paint to Leopard's fur. That is why Hunter has dark skin but light palms while Leopard has spots.
How the Leopard Got His Spots (in Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Illustration: J.M. Gleeson).
Hyenas love white because it reminds them of bones. If you leave white stuff out they will chomp it up. Be careful if you're driving a white car too. They have one of the strongest bites of any animal at 1100 psi (pounds per square inch), but are still behind their African brethren: jaguars, gorillas, hippos, and crocodiles. Africa is one scary continent.
Scary.
Hyenas often seen on the road at dusk with pups. That's where the pup above was (notice the grey road in the blurry background).
Cheetahs often sit on anthills, which provide a bit of elevation upon which to survey the surroundings, preferably with a bit of shade. Cheetahs and wild dogs are most difficult to see because recent census counted only 120 each. We only saw two cheetahs (below right pic) and no wild dogs.
Cheetahs often sit on anthills, which provide a bit of elevation upon which to survey the surroundings, preferably with a bit of shade. Cheetahs and wild dogs are most difficult to see because recent census counted only 120 each. We only saw two cheetahs (below right pic) and no wild dogs.
Cheetah on the anthill (the ideal scenario) (source)
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The only cheetah photo I got (magnified from a blurry spec).
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3. Tracks & Movements
Most animals have larger forefeet than backfeet because they carry more of their weight in the front (ex. Elephants, rhinos, hyenas).
White rhinos have dinner plate sized footprints that make a “w” shape on the heel edge while black rhinos are about 2/3 the size and have a lowercase “b” in the track according to our guide. I haven't been able to find a good example of the "b" shape, but this guide from the Lowveld Rhino Trust is a nice writeup on distinguishing the tracks. Pics below are collaged together from the guide.
Most animals have larger forefeet than backfeet because they carry more of their weight in the front (ex. Elephants, rhinos, hyenas).
White rhinos have dinner plate sized footprints that make a “w” shape on the heel edge while black rhinos are about 2/3 the size and have a lowercase “b” in the track according to our guide. I haven't been able to find a good example of the "b" shape, but this guide from the Lowveld Rhino Trust is a nice writeup on distinguishing the tracks. Pics below are collaged together from the guide.
Rhinos have three toes in a clover shape, while elephants and hippos have four toes. White rhinos have a "w" shape on the heel. (Lowveld Rhino Trust)
Black rhino calves always follow the mother while white rhino calves always lead the mother. This behavior is indicative of their preferred habitats: black rhinos live in thick bushes and white rhinos live in the open savannah.
Elephants weigh 7,000 kg yet move silently because they have huge shock-absorbing cartilage pads in their feet, similar to platform shoes. Bull male elephants follow in the rear of the herd. Male elephants have deeper tread marks in their tracks than females.
Hippo tracks are generally horizontal in terms of left and right foot placement while other animals have the regular criss-cross pattern.
Elephants weigh 7,000 kg yet move silently because they have huge shock-absorbing cartilage pads in their feet, similar to platform shoes. Bull male elephants follow in the rear of the herd. Male elephants have deeper tread marks in their tracks than females.
Hippo tracks are generally horizontal in terms of left and right foot placement while other animals have the regular criss-cross pattern.
Elephants' steps are cushioned by huge cartilage pads. (P. Light)
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Hippo tracks generally are parallel instead of offset. (Freerange)
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Honey badger and porcupine tracks look similar but porcupines often have sporadic quill drag marks and occasional dropped quills.
Lion and cheetah footprints angle outward while leopards' are straight/parallel.
The cats have 3-lobed paws, and canines have 2-lobed paws. Claw marks are usually visible for hyena, cheetah, and wild dog.
Lion and cheetah footprints angle outward while leopards' are straight/parallel.
The cats have 3-lobed paws, and canines have 2-lobed paws. Claw marks are usually visible for hyena, cheetah, and wild dog.
Spring hare (Bartlett)
4. The little guys
The Little Big Five: Elephant Shoe (mouse), Ant Lion (insect), Leopard Tortoise, Buffalo Weaver (bird), Rhino beetle.
Spring hares (Pedetes capensis) can have labyrinth burrows several meters long (~40m) and will close themselves off to avoid predators. Spring hares are like kangaroos but are actually rodents. Elephant shoe (mice with very flexible snouts) can roommate with spring hares.
Bush hares are active at night and have young who are independent in contrast to rabbits who are active by day and have dependent young (double-check).
Ant lions make sandpits like the one in Star Wars VI that trap ants. They live in these burrows as larvae for 8 years (double-check) trapping small insects and only leaving their hole to molt, defecate, and build a bigger whole once a month. They defecate once a month outside the hole so other insects cannot smell them. The larvae transforms into an Antlion Lacewing, only alive for 48h to mate.
The Little Big Five: Elephant Shoe (mouse), Ant Lion (insect), Leopard Tortoise, Buffalo Weaver (bird), Rhino beetle.
Spring hares (Pedetes capensis) can have labyrinth burrows several meters long (~40m) and will close themselves off to avoid predators. Spring hares are like kangaroos but are actually rodents. Elephant shoe (mice with very flexible snouts) can roommate with spring hares.
Bush hares are active at night and have young who are independent in contrast to rabbits who are active by day and have dependent young (double-check).
Ant lions make sandpits like the one in Star Wars VI that trap ants. They live in these burrows as larvae for 8 years (double-check) trapping small insects and only leaving their hole to molt, defecate, and build a bigger whole once a month. They defecate once a month outside the hole so other insects cannot smell them. The larvae transforms into an Antlion Lacewing, only alive for 48h to mate.
Go-away birds will signify predators with their characteristic “eeeeerrrrrrrccchhh” call.
Honey guide birds (call “Victor victor”) will guide you to a bee nest and expect you to share some of the spoils. If you don’t, the next time they will guide you to a snake or lion's den as revenge.
Honey guide birds (call “Victor victor”) will guide you to a bee nest and expect you to share some of the spoils. If you don’t, the next time they will guide you to a snake or lion's den as revenge.
Grey Go-away bird (J. Poklen)
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Greater honeyguide (P. Holmen)
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Southern ground hornbills nest in tree roots, but people are removing those tree roots for development, limiting the hornsbills' nesting sites. They only lay eggs once every 8 years or so and sacrifice the 2nd chick, so they do not reproduce extensively.
Southern ground hornbills foraging through the grass. Less eating, more breeding.
5. In the Bush
Walk down-wind of animals because their sense of smell is sharp, and they run from people.
Rub the leaves of this plant to keep the flies off you. I'm not sure what kind it is- maybe a type of eucalyptus? (Would appreciate an ID if you know).
Walk down-wind of animals because their sense of smell is sharp, and they run from people.
Rub the leaves of this plant to keep the flies off you. I'm not sure what kind it is- maybe a type of eucalyptus? (Would appreciate an ID if you know).
Mystery fly-repellent plant. Type of Eucalyptus?
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Close-up of the leaves.
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To get clean water, dig a well in the sand in the river bank: dig manhole sized hole until you find water (2 min), line it with rocks to reduce sand falling in (optional), make sure the hole is deep enough to fit your cup, scoop out the water until all the dirt is removed (~5-8min). Be careful not to drop sand into the well. Ideally the well will slowly filter in new water (too fast and it can carry dirt in). Scoop out water periodically to keep the water clean because dirt will diffuse in. Water doesn’t need to be treated (maybe not in Africa, but elsewhere it may).
Flush hippos and crocodiles from the river by throwing large rocks into the water or reeds. Bathe in areas with minimal entrances and exits and have a buddy watch for crocs. Also bathe in areas with good flow to reduce the number of leeches that attach to you.
Mark taking a bath with washcloth in one hand and rifle in the others. I've never had to flush out crocs or hippos to take a bath.
You are safe in your tent (just don’t use your headlamp inside or you signal to animals you are inside). Animals will smell you and will wonder what’s going on, but they don’t know there’s soft, squishy, hairless, defenseless, tasty people inside.
- We had leopard tracks around our tents in the AM. Other backpacker trips have had lion prides walk through without stopping to consider tents.
Nighttime eye color reflections in light: green = grazers, red = cats, bush babies. The reflection is due to a tissue in the eye called tapetum lucidum, and cats and dogs should have green reflections. (Note: some websites argue that white lights disorient and disrupt animals at night. They suggest red lights are a better alternative because the red wavelengths are invisible to animals. As of this writing, Kruger NP used white lights.)
- We had leopard tracks around our tents in the AM. Other backpacker trips have had lion prides walk through without stopping to consider tents.
Nighttime eye color reflections in light: green = grazers, red = cats, bush babies. The reflection is due to a tissue in the eye called tapetum lucidum, and cats and dogs should have green reflections. (Note: some websites argue that white lights disorient and disrupt animals at night. They suggest red lights are a better alternative because the red wavelengths are invisible to animals. As of this writing, Kruger NP used white lights.)
Eye reflections of lions (Natl. Geographic)
Wildebeest eyes (A. Morris)
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Jaguar eyes are red here, but green in other photos around the web. (R. Smith)
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Poachers are a big problem. They hunt different ways: inside man tells poacher where rhino is, drops off poacher, poacher kills animal then flees east to Mozambique. Poachers watch from mountain tops where animals are then go down at night to shoot. Full moons are helpful for poachers. Poaching is often organized by syndicates who distribute to Chinese buyers.
Antipoaching measures include patrols, response teams, dyed horns, poisoned horns, and undercover operations. Kruger's latest anti-poaching efforts are aggressive (shoot-to-kill) and have caused poaching pressure on adjacent game reserves.
Antipoaching measures include patrols, response teams, dyed horns, poisoned horns, and undercover operations. Kruger's latest anti-poaching efforts are aggressive (shoot-to-kill) and have caused poaching pressure on adjacent game reserves.
Guards on patrol on the east side of the park near the border of Mozambique where many poachers cross into Kruger.
We came across the sub-bleached remains of a poached white rhino. The rangers didn't know about and called in to report it. We came across another unknown poached rhino skeleton, further illustrating the difficulties of enforcing law in a vast area like Kruger Park.
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A ranger rests next to the rhino skull while it is reported. More on rhino poaching here.
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That's a summary of most of the things I learned while in Kruger Park.
-RO
WATCH a video of the time we spent in South Africa (most of it was in Kruger)!
-RO
WATCH a video of the time we spent in South Africa (most of it was in Kruger)!
A note on the hike: Kruger Park offers several walking trails, from morning walks to multi-day hikes and no-trace backpacker trails. The multi-day hikes stay in rest-camps and cost about $400 while the backpacker trails are about $200 (Cost 2020R in 2013. 3 days/3 nights and the 4th day is the pickup). These backpacker trails cover 3 areas: Oliphant, Lonely Bull, and Shingwedzi. Oliphants is mentioned in Lonely Planet, but it involves a lot of climbing up and down the sandy riverbanks and required hikers to move at a fast pace to cover the distance. Lonely Bull covers a large area between Shimuwini and Letaba, while Shingwedzi is the northernmost and highly recommended by Kruger rangers. All of these trails are in the middle and upper half of the park where animals are unaccustomed to people. They will run when they see people, and therefore you are less likely to see animals versus driving. However, the tracking is incredible, and you will learn a lot. A typical day involved a couple hours of hiking with plenty of stops to examine scat and spoors (tracks). We covered about 10-20 km of easy (no elevation gain) hiking a day. Highlights included camping along riverbeds, starry skies, hippos on the riverbank, leopards calling at night, flushing cros and hippos out the river to bathe, and tracking animals.
A note on Kruger: If you are spending more than 4 days in the park (obviously, yes!) it's worth it to buy the South Africa National Parks (SANParks) Wildcard since this covers your admission over those four days and is good for a full year at all national parks. They cost R1770, R2770, and R3310 for individuals, couples, and families, respectively (as of 10/2014).
A note on Kruger: If you are spending more than 4 days in the park (obviously, yes!) it's worth it to buy the South Africa National Parks (SANParks) Wildcard since this covers your admission over those four days and is good for a full year at all national parks. They cost R1770, R2770, and R3310 for individuals, couples, and families, respectively (as of 10/2014).
Links:
Africa Wildlife Detective - Facts on many African animals
Africa Wildlife Detective - Facts on many African animals