Working with the Big 5 of Africa!

It’s already been 6 weeks, 6 amazing weeks that is and unfortunately that means I will be heading back to the Netherlands soon. I can honestly not believe that I am writing my last project summary before embarking on the long journey back home...

After returning ‘home’ at the GRGL, back from a great weekend over in Knysna, I found out the elephants had decided to be naughty and break all the fences around the milkwood tree! ‘While the cat’s away, the mice will play’, I guess. Selati even managed to lift a gate up off its rail so we had to place it back, which took a lot of manpower, but luckily Hein, Patrick and Ettienne managed to do it. Not only had the ellies wrecked all the fences, they had also managed to mess up the voltage on the wires, so Hein and I placed a new energizer just outside the boma, so that everything was back in order.

This week it was time to work on the cheetah skeleton again. I had already assembled it and put it all in the right place (well except for the tiniest of tiny bones maybe) but we still needed to actually construct it. That is why local Ludwig Oosthuizen, a real pro when it comes to building skeletons, came to help me! Behind the rugged appearance of this man lies a crazy amount of knowledge on skeletons and an ambition to start a little museum of his own. Hence, he wanted us to come visit him and his skeletons, to see his ‘life works’. That is why Hein and I took Tammy, volunteer on the Predator Sanctuary project, to see Ludwig and his collection when she came to visit the Big 5 Wildlife Project on Wednesday! It was at a rather deserted farm in an area with no cell phone reception whatsoever and we know this because Tammy kept checking, ha-ha! But I must really say that his collection of skeletons was very impressive, he had literally everything ranging from tiny little birds and bats to entire elands and whales! When Hein thought it time to return to our duties at the lodge we left Ludwig and his bones. On the way back we almost drove into a herd of cows that were blocking the road in front of us, which wouldn’t have mattered because we weren’t supposed to be on that road in the first place, because... Hein got lost! We seriously had to turn around like three times before he found the right road and got us back to the GRGL!

When we finally did get back to the project we had to have a quick lunch before accompanying the wildlife vet on his mission. There was another buffalo with a red eye so we had called the wildlife vet in for a consult. Before darting we tried to lure the buffaloes with pellets to get them to move to a better spot for darting, so that they wouldn’t run into the thicket or water. Then the vet darted the male buffalo with the red eye and they all ran off. When we got to them we saw the male was down but not quite under so we had to restrain him as the vet topped his drugs off to get him to settle down. This buffalo was diagnosed with the same condition as the previous one - conjunctivitis and as such got the same bolus injection of antibiotics just under the sclera of the eye, together with multiple injections of antibiotics that I got to inject! It was very awesome to inject medicine into such a large & powerful animal!

Tammy also got to help us with fixing the wires around the milkwood tree in the elephant camp, this time trying out a new system! We needed a new system because Selati has a very clever way of breaking the wires, he uses his tusks to lift them until they snap, because he knows he won’t shock through them! So this time we collected rocks to use as weights on the end of the electric wires, so that when Selati tries to wreck them, he will simply lift the rocks and the wire will give way in stead of breaking and then when he lets go they will fall back into place... At least that’s the idea so here’s hoping that it’s going to work!

Then after feeding the cheetahs Hein invited me and Tammy to the lodge to have a beer with him and Patrick and obviously we didn’t say no to that! We had a nice chat about our busy day and then it was time for me to drive Tammy to the top gate and say goodbye!

On Thursday Hein and I tried helping the cheetahs Bobby and Victor out in the reserve with stalking and hunting prey! They were out in the open field where the springbok can usually be found and they were looking for food. So Hein positioned the car in the line of view between the cheetahs and the springbok so that they could cover some ground without the springbok noticing. As we did that, Bobby approached the car and was really using us as cover, which was pretty cool, it’s amazing how smart these animals are. Unfortunately, when Victor wanted to join up with his brother the springbok were onto them and the hunt was off... Which is when the cheetahs started focusing on Hein and me, circling the car! Quite scary ha-ha, but we managed to get rid of them!

Then it was time for another excited weekend filled with fun activities! So on the Saturday Hein and Kim dropped me off at Jukani where Roger was waiting for me to bring me back to Knysna for my second visit to the volunteer house. On our way there we had to pick up Sherry (USA/SA) from George airport, who was about to start her project! Then at the volunteer house we met up with Chun (UK), Jonas (Belgium), Katy (UK), Philip (USA) and it was very nice to see all of them again. We had an awesome time in Plettenberg bay where Roger had arranged for us to have a surfing lesson, very tiring, but very cool and I think in the end we all managed to stand up! That night we all went to bed pretty early because the sea had completely tired us out... Even so it was a short night because we had to wake up at 6:30 (!!) for our excursion to Mosselbaai! That is where we met up with Alex (Germany) and went shark cage diving, I will not elaborate on that, just ask Roger how I liked it ha-ha... Let’s just say the others had a great time! We also paid a visit to the Predator Sanctuary Project at Jukani, which was cool because we got to see Tammy again and were just in time for the feeding tour which is really nice to see. Then Roger took us to a backpackers in Mosselbaai which was quite cool because it was an old train turned into a hostel, so we spent the night there after a good dinner at Dros!

Then on the Monday we were all quite lazy so we missed breakfast and ordered our own before packing our bags and leaving for the Garden Route Game Lodge aka the Big 5 Wildlife project! When we arrived at the reserve we found out Hein and the guys were very busy working on a broken water pump, which was quite a laborious task and they couldn’t use us for it. So unfortunately we had no other choice but to go and relax by the pool! After a couple laidback hours, Hein collected us and took us back to the house where he started the fire and we had an awesome braai!

The next day Alex, Katy and Chun joined me on the project and we showed them the reserve. We had coffee with the rhino’s which was really nice and just as we were about to leave them to see the rest of the Big 5 we noticed a flat tire, so we got to spend some more time with them! When the wheel was fixed we showed them what a day at the project is like and as such we did fence checks, cheetah tracking, feeding of the crocs, cheetahs and buffaloes and Hein also taught us a lot about different plant species and which ones are edible and which aren’t. He told us all the medicinal purposes of the aloe ferox plant and said the juice taste very bitter, so he dared us to taste a tiny little drop. Obviously we all wanted to try, but I didn’t listen to Hein’s warning and as such my ‘tiny little drop’ was actually quite large so it was really disgustingly bitter! Luckily, we had some leftover rusks that could take the awful taste away. The guys were actually supposed to leave and head back to their own projects but because they liked the reserve and the project so much they decided to stay another night. So we went into Albertinia and Hein showed us some good student wines we had to taste. That night Hein made us potjiekos by the fire and it was really very good, I think we actually finished all of it. We had a very cool night as we enjoyed our student wines underneath the stars!

The next morning we did a special game drive for Alex, Chun and Katy, which I think they really enjoyed - as did I, even after 6 weeks it never gets boring! Then the four of us went for lunch at the lodge and had the most awesome springbok shanks ever. When we were done, the guys went to chill by the swimming pool and I helped Hein fix the roads and build an enclosure for a rock monitor that friends of his had donated to the reserve the day before. After that it was time to say goodbye to Alex, Chun and Katy as they left and headed back to Knysna...

Then it was really there...my last day on the project! Still can’t believe it and really don’t want to leave this amazing place and these awesome people. I’m honestly leaving my heart behind! There were a lot of odd jobs this day and I got to help on all of them. For instance, Hein had to make a pizza shovel for the restaurant, we had to weld steps onto a game drive car that had broken off and of course there were the usual tasks such as fence checks, rhino patrols etc. I also got to cut the meat for the cheetahs all on my own, which was pretty cool because I had to take the skin off and divide the horses leg into pieces by myself and then dust it with the predator nutrient stuff. After which we obviously fed the cheetahs...for the last time. Then we found out there was a fault in the electric fence in the lion enclosure and Patrick was going to fix it. So I got to embark on this adventure as it was quite tricky because the lions were pretty close to where the fault in the fence was. Then we almost got stuck with the car when we tried to get to the fence as close as possible which was quite funny, but not as funny as when I tried to fix the wires. In all the 6 weeks I had spent on the reserve I had never ever been shocked (well except for the time where I touched the wire on purpose after a couple brandy & cokes) but of course I had to do it on my very last day! As I tried to wiggle the metal into place to stabilize the electric wire to the fence my thumb got stuck and as I struggled to get it out I got the shock of my life. I think Patrick almost died of laughter! It was hilarious, 8000 volts on my arm!

Then we went into Albertinia for the last time where I did some last minute souvenir shopping and got some drinks for my going-away-braai. And before I knew it, it was time for dinner and so the fire was lit and Hein, Kim, Malan, Roger and I gathered round for my very last South African braai... I’ll be back!

Last but not least I want to thank everyone again for making this experience the best of my life! From day one you have gone out of your way to ensure a good stay and a great project so thank you all very much! You are all so very kind and caring and I had the best of times, thanks again guys!

Love to all

Elise van der Heijden

Is an introduction of elephants to the Knysna Forest feasible? By Jo Kotze, EDGE of AFRICA

Introduction

The few remaining elephants that continue to survive in the Knysna forest are the World’s most southerly elephants, and represent just a small fraction of the estimated 10,000 elephants that resided in the Cape region prior to European settlement in 1650 (Hall-Martin 1992). The decline of the Knysna elephants has occurred over many years and their decline has been attributed largely to hunting practices.

By 1876 an estimated 400-500 elephants remained in this area and these elephants were under heavy pressure from hunters (Phillips 1925). By 1908 only 20 individuals remained and these elephants were declared Royal Game (Kinloch 1968). In 1970 the population stood at 11 individuals and the continued decline was attributed to illegal hunting (Carter 1970). However, it has also been suggested that inadequate forest forage resulting in poor reproductive success caused a population crash in the 70s (Vermeulen 2000).

Knysna elephants & Forest habitat

Seydack et al. (2000) suggest that the decline of the Knysna elephants is attributable to the low nutrient/carbon ratios in the diet available to them, having been confined to a predominantly forest environment due to residential and agricultural development in the area. The low nutrient/carbon ratios are thought to result in low metabolic turnover rates and thus reproductive rates that are too low to offset mortalities (Seydack et al. 2000).

Prior to the increase in residential and agricultural development, seven to eight decades ago, both source and sink populations of elephants existed within the Southern Cape (Seydack et al. 2000).

In terms of habitat patches, source patches can be defined as “productive sites that generate a seasonal supply of migrants to other patch locations” and sink patches can be defined as “unproductive sites that only receive migrants” (Hanski & Gaggiotti 2004).

In the case of the Knysna elephants, the source population occupied more open vegetation types, whereas the sink populations resided primarily in the forest and were sustained by immigration from source populations (Seydack et al. 2000). Based upon this model, Seydack et al. (2000) suggest that the Knysna elephants represent a remnant sink population.

The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) have a similar view on the Knysna elephants. However whereas Seydack et al. (2000) suggest that the Knysna elephants are a remnant sink population that cannot persist due to the demise of the source populations; WESSA suggest that the Knysna elephants have been forced into the forest due to human encroachment.

WESSA state that “In general, the indigenous forest, fynbos and exotic plantation areas to which the elephants are limited by human activity are nutritionally poor. Nutritionally superior areas, from which the elephants are presently excluded, exist between Mosselbay and George. It is thus most likely that the Knysna elephants are a relict population forced into unsuitable habitats by human encroachment. If this is the case, then the reintroduction of more elephants will only postpone the extinction of this subpopulation.” The statement also adds that “If, however, reintroduced elephants do manage to increase in numbers it is most likely that their impact on the largest and best-conserved indigenous evergreen forest in southern Africa could be substantial, and culling would need to be instituted” (WESSA Policy Statement 2001).

1994 introduction of elephants

In 1994 an attempt was made to supplement the Knysna elephant population by introducing 3 young female elephants from Kruger NP. The hope was that these introduced elephants would join up with what was believed to be the only remaining elephant, an elderly matriarch in the forest. However, one of the elephants died on release and the other two elephants preferred to spend the majority of their time in the more open fynbos habitat. In 1999 conservation officials decided to move the introduced elephants instead to Shamwari Game Reserve (Seydack et al. 2000, Milewki 2002).

Conclusion

Both the suggestions of Seydack et al. (2000) and those of The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA Policy Statement 2001) imply that to re-introduce elephants into the forest itself may not be feasible due to the nutritionally poor habitat resulting in low reproductive rates.

The 1994 re-introduction attempt also indicates that even if elephants were to be introduced into the forest, they wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to stay there.

However, there is one concept that could be a feasible way of re-introducing a sustainable population of elephants not to the Knysna Forest, but to the Garden Route area in general; and that is the proposal of an Eden to Addo corridor.

Eden to Addo Corridor

In simple terms a conservation corridor is a strip of land joining two protected areas. Conservationists have come to realise that simply creating isolated protected areas is not sufficient to protect the complex processes required for proper ecological functioning. A conservation corridor allows for freedom of physical movement and freedom to exchange genetic material; both of which are vital for the survival of organisms.

The dream is to create such a corridor which would start in Plettenberg Bay and radiate out until the Eden municipality is linked to Addo National Park. The corridor would comprise a zig-zagged stretch of land that unites private landowners, conservation authorities and the state. This corridor would connect the existing three mega-reserves of the area – Garden Route Mega Reserve, Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park.

Most excitingly, in theory this conservation corridor could re-establish ancient elephant migration paths across the Cape....

(Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative)

References

Carter, B. (1970) ‘Knysna Elephant Survey: February 1969 – January 1970.’ Report to the Wild Life Protection and Conservation Society of South Africa, Eastern Province Branch, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative (2007). Available at:http://www.edentoaddo.co.za/about.html. Accessed: 15 November 2010.

Hall-Martin, A.J. (1992) ‘Distribution and Status of the African elephantLoxodonta africana in South Africa 1652-1992.’ Koedoe. Vol. 35, pp. 35-68.

Hanski, I., Gaggiotti, O.E. eds. (2004) ‘Ecology, genetics and evolution of metapopulations.’ Burlington, MA: Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-323448-4

Kinloch, B. (1968) ‘The elephants of Knysna.’ African Wildlife. Vol. 22, pp. 185-190.

Phillips, J.F.V. (1925) ‘The Knysna elephants: a brief note on their history and habits’ South African Journal of Science. Vol. 22, pp. 287-293.

2 weeks on the Big 5 Wildlife Project, South Africa

Two weeks on the Big 5 Wildlife Project

By Alma Wallin Hedén & Hanna Träff (From Sweden) and Elise van der Heijden (From Netherlands)!

Ever since the first day on our project we have been feeding the elephants, Kidibone and Selati. It was a little bit scary at first, but it only took that first day and it had grown on us. Now we love it when they chase the vehicle to get their trunks on the pellets one before the other. Cleaning the elephant boma was also a part of our duty, but even this dirty work didn’t put us off, especially with Corne, who was always great fun to work with! Meeting the elephants in the evenings, before they go into the boma, you really get to know their personalities when they show off their tricks for treats!

Recently, the farmers surrounding the reserve have had trouble with a caracal that has been killing their lambs and sheep. It seems that this caracal is no longer killing just for food, but it is simply killing for the sake of killing. We had to go out at night on a bucky and drive around the property to search for it. It was really exciting even though we didn’t find it. Because standing in an African night, in total darkness and hearing the lions roar is a memory that will last forever!

The other daily routine, a bit more frightening, is providing the cheetahs with dinner. At first they look like cute little kittens, but as soon as they smell the meat they turn into the wild predators they are and always will be! Cutting the meat was also a part of this routine and having Elise on our side was a big contribution to the team when it came to that. Hein tried to convince us that you could be safe inside the cheetah’s enclosure as long as you show that you have authority and confidence. By taking us inside Inyanga’s enclosure with nothing more than a branch and a couple pieces of chicken he proved his theory right. What a thrill!

One day Hein and Corne took us up to the mountains in a valley, to teach us how to handle rifles. We got to shoot at targets from 30 metres and 100 metres with a 0.22 and a 0.308 Calibre, respectively. The whole thing was exhilarating but Hein’s compliments on our shooting made it even better! After the introduction to rifles we had to bring our skills into practice, when it was time to feed the snakes that are starting to feel hungry now that the temperature is rising. Unfortunately, summer time isn’t good news for every animal on the reserve, this time several small birds were unlucky... It felt bad, but sometimes it’s the law of nature!

Snakes weren’t the only reptiles whose appetites were awakened by warmer times, now also the crocodiles were ready for some food! Luckily, a local farmer could provide us with some chickens so we went to pick them up.

With the reptiles becoming all active again in summer, one of them, the Cape Cobra, even managed to escape its enclosure, but it didn’t get far and quickly got caught. After we discovered our talent in interior decorating and design the snake could be returned into its brand new enclosure!

Other important tasks in a game reserve to keep the animals and the guests happy, is general maintenance. Our duties in that area have been conservation work with planting trees. To make this gardening a little more exciting we got to plant them in the lion enclosure, so one of us had to keep an eye on the lions throughout the planting. Furthermore, there were a lot of roads that were flooded and muddy so they were a risk for the game drivers to get stuck in. In order to prevent that, we had to fill them up with rocks collected on the reserve. Also, with the cheetah release coming up, we needed to put up signs on fences all around the property about both the risk of dangerous animals and the voltage.

Something else we have really enjoyed doing in any and all weather conditions, was feeding Lucerne and pellets to the giraffes, buffaloes and rhinos. It was amazing to be so close to these animals and just watching them eat and behave naturally.

Last, but definitely not least, we would like to mention how welcoming and caring Kim and Hein have been to us since day one! They have been so dedicated to making sure that we would be able to make the absolute best out of our stay in South Africa. We couldn’t have wished for better hosts, there is no way to thank you enough! Surely, we will not only miss the work and all the animals but also very much the people, the hospitality and of course all the wonderful ‘braais’ (South African bar-b-que)!

For more details on EDGE of AFRICA wildlife & conservation projects visit: http://www.EDGEofAFRICA.com/

Everything Elephant Journal - September 2010

Everything Elephant Project

By Cara Dungay & Seb Thursby from England

Week 1:

Knysna Forest

Our first week with EDGE of AFRICA started with a day exploring the wilds of the Knysna forests. We were introduced to the local forest and wildlife expert called Hynie Tredoux (a merge of Crocodile Dundee and David Attenborough). We had previously watched a documentary on the Knysna Forest elephants and hoped to be lucky in spotting one of only three officially reported elephants. Hynie identified and introduced an unbelievable amount of flora and fauna to us and after 2 hours on the trail we stopped for a drink and were informed we had only covered around 800m. The rest of the hike was completed at a slightly quicker pace but no less interesting, and by the end of our trail we were more aware of the wildlife in the forest and started to identify tree and plant life ourselves. Our less than silent travel through the forest maybe the reason we weren’t lucky enough to see the elusive forest elephant.

Addo Elephant National Park

An EDGE of AFRICA organized trip to Addo Elephant Park was next for us. The four hour trip flew by with the prospects of seeing the Big Five especially elephants. Setting up the tents took longer than expected due to the strong South African “breezes”! Because of the windy delay we unfortunately didn’t have enough daylight left to go to the for a game drive so instead Jo and Joash organized for us to go to the Reptile and Raptor centre. As we were learning about them, reptiles were continuously placed on us whether we wanted it or not! These included gecko’s, a skink, ever increasing sizes of snakes and toads. With time running out and darkness setting in we were led into an enclosure where we met Jack the friendly owl. He was enticed with treats to land on various body parts ending up sitting on a surprised Eavanna’s head! The tour finished by meeting a brand new 4 week old fluff ball baby owl (very cute!). Thanks to Darren for introducing and educating us to your animals. Our first evening at Addo ended with a delicious braai cooked by our very own Joash, Jo and Eavanna- thanks guys!

Day 2 started early for our first game drive. With our eager faces pushed up against the windows we got the hang of spotting animals, a lot of warthog, kudu and tortoises later we were wondering if any elephant existed here. Luckily Liam needed a loo break so we stopped at a game hide and spotted our first elephant around a watering hole yay! This started off our elephant survey with GPS position, sex and group size being taken down. During the next 6 hours we were lucky enough to spot many more elephants, jackals, birds of prey, red hearty beast, eland, ostriches and enough warthogs to make Lion King 4! We then headed back to stretch our legs, have a drink and for those that needed it a nicotine fix before heading out on an evening game drive. This drive brought us within touching distance of a herd of elephant that had decided to make the road their next chosen feeding ground. It was amazing to see these beautiful animals (and young babies) so close up. The evening consisted of another delicious dinner and after few beers everyone headed for there tents in hurricane Addo.

There was enough time in the morning of day 3 for a quick game drive. We were on the hunt for lions as they had been spotted earlier in the day; unfortunately we got there just too late but did get to drive through a big herd of buffalo. After saying goodbye to Addo we packed up our things and headed home a little less enthusiastically than the journey there.

Week 2

Tuesday

Our first day at the Elephant Sanctuary, we got up at 6am and made our way with Jo and Larissa to The Crags Elephant Park just past Plettenberg Bay.

When we arrived we were armed with waterproof ponchos and Jo organized us to do the Elephant tour with the trunk in hand walk. We got to meet the three ellie’s that are mostly used for the tours; Marula, Jabu and Thandi. After some other members of our tour gave the elephants their morning scrub we were invited to take one each on a trunk in hand walk. The elephant’s handler told us to stand in front of them with our right hand out facing behind us, the elephant then placed the tip of their trunk in our hand. We walked them into the forest where we had a meet and greet. This involved each handler showing us different actions of natural elephant behaviour. Thandi shook, Jabu blew and Marula knelt. We were then introduced to the ellies and were allowed to touch different parts of their body to know how it felt. After leading them back out of the forest we then got to feed them which was their favourite part!

After a quick tea break, we got down to our ellie observation task. Firstly this involved identifying who was who (which is hard to begin with but easier with Jo’s help and knowing what to look for!), choosing two each and watching for certain behaviours. For example if Marula touched Thandi’s bum we would have to note the time of the bum touching, the two ellies involved in the bum touching and who initiated/received the bum touch! Seeing as elephants eat for up to 20 hours a day there often wasn’t many interactions to note down but it was a pleasure to sit and watch these gentle giants.

After a quick lunch, we were asked to do some painting in the new handler and elephant accommodation. The painting got a bit messy and we came out looking like we had serious dandruff problems. (a few paint fights may have been involved too!)

After clearing everything away this completed our first day, so we headed home possibly snoozing along the way!

Wednesday

Up early again, today was harder than yesterday! Jo (who travels every elephant day from Plettenberg to Knysna at 5 in morning) came and picked us up and drove us back past her house to the elephant sanctuary! (good old Jo!)

Today started with us getting stuck in clearing and sweeping out the ellie stables. You become very quickly more accustomed to ellie poo when your knee deep in it! We were then asked to collect together all the sticks and twigs from the elephants night enclosure.

After lunch we continued helping by painting poison (not human or ellie poison) on the connecters of the electric fences around the elephant enclosure. The solution should prevent spider webs being made as they disrupt the electric fence current.

After all of our hard work of the morning we were rewarded with a few more hours of elephant observation study. Today we felt a lot more comfortable identifying each elephant without looking at the helpful guide sheet.

Thursday

Day three and we dragged ourselves out of bed. After sleeping our way to the sanctuary we set about our familiar task of poo clearance and remaking the elephant’s sawdust based beds.

Our next task seemed simple at first and was to rake the stick cleared elephant night enclosure to make it look snazzy for the visiting tourists. After two and a half hours of raking in the hot sun we had successfully cleared half the enclosure and it did indeed look snazzy. Exhausted yet satisfied with our work we collapsed down for lunch and a few more hours of conservation study.

Week 3

Workshops

This week as part of our everything elephant project we visited local schools and youth centres around our area and carried our workshops on elephant anatomy and social behaviour. In the week we visited pre-schools (Judah Square, Siyafunda) with kids aged from 2-5 where we did colouring in, and cutting and sticking exercises all about elephants. We taught at a local orphanage with kids aged from 3-17. A little trickier to include all ages in the lesson but we managed it by each group drawing and labelling their own elephant. Following this was an elephant based word search and a fun interactive test that included everybody. With the skills and workshops we had created we also visited local youth centres, Sinethemba and Mad about Art. Although this all sounds very teacher like, we spent most of our time playing games, messing about with the kids and being human jungle gyms! We will take many fun and happy memories away with us and loved every minute of being a kid again!

Thank you EDGE of AFRICA & Knysna! We will be back! J

Lots of Love Cara and Seb xxx

I am a citizen of Knysna and this is my story by Jo Lancaster

I am a citizen of Knysna and I am going to tell you a story by Jo Lancaster,

My family has lived in Knysna for generations. As a child I would hear stories passed down from my forefathers of days when this place was a paradise, a Garden of Eden; stories of days when we lived peaceful lives - days when my family was free.

I find it hard to imagine such a place now. Maybe an outsider looking in would still see a paradise but not me. All I see is a prison.

Everything started to change for my family once they came - the ones who believed us to be beneath them. To them my kind was nothing but an inconvenience. They too saw this place as a paradise, a paradise that they would take for themselves.

Over the years that followed my family suffered greatly. We were pushed out, forced to live in isolation. Many were killed, some for trying to defend their land, some just for fun.

There was once one that tried to speak out against the wrongs that were being done to us but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

My own father was killed. He had been excluded from the land that he had once called his own. He tried to take back some of what he saw as his and so he was shot.

I stand here now in this place with the few remaining members of my family and I wonder will it ever again be that paradise my forefathers spoke of?

So I ask you, how do you feel when you hear my story? Are you saddened? Are you outraged at the wrongs done to my family?

How about if I told you that I am an elephant of the Knysna forest...do you still care?

I am a citizen of Knysna and this is my story.

For more details on volunteering with elephants visit http://www.edgeofafrica.com/volunteer/project/everything-elephant/

'Living on the Edge' A journal of the African Big 5 Wildlife & Conservation Project by Terri Dekker

Living on the Edge, Lessons of Life, “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, remains” Miracles are waiting everywhere…. Don’t Audit life…just show up and make the most of it. Life in Africa, by Terri Dekker

South Africa, 2010 It began as a dream, years beyond my memory. It’s now my reality, a destiny of a life time. It seems so ambitious, somewhat selfish and crazy to some…to leave my family, and those I love, to travel across the world on my own, to a faraway place of risk and uncertainties. It’s temporary, yet so exciting. Go ahead redirect your responsibility, for two weeks, for four weeks, step up allow yourself a once in a life time experience. Humbly give your time and energy to another world, to another life, to make a difference. It may be a small part of an ambitious goal, but it’s yours to give.

Life isn’t Fair, but it is still Good Life isn’t Tied with a Bow, but it is a Gift. To give the Gift of your Life, to Make Good for Another is my depiction of The Circle of Life.

I have never considered myself a scholar or a literary writer in the least. It’s just a temporary passion, a method to find meaning among the reams of notes that I have taken over the days and how they will shape or reflect my life going forward. They are the voice that I cannot speak.

This, my journal is my illustration of my life’s journey to South Africa. I don’t often share the pages of my journal, until now, just this time. I offer my journey to you, All My Friends, My Family, My Children And those considering an incredible journey with Edge of Africa

Every vision I share, be it through the words you read or the photos you see, every word and picture is real.

I arrived in George South Africa on Saturday July 17th, it was 20 degrees C. Yes very cold!!! The security customs at the small airport was so brief, such that I thought I had not passed through them. I was welcomed with a sign displaying my name held by Josh.

I’m safe was my first thought, my next was “now take me to the animals”.

I met the other volunteers, who have traveled from various places around the world to give a piece of them-selves. More about my new friends later, once we master the hurdle of our different languages and accents.

The Volunteer house, much nicer than I expected, of course despite the common perception, there is running water and a toilet, while it was bitter cold (winter in Africa can be) we were welcomed with our own hot water bottle. First I thought it strange, soon to realize how valuable a warm bottle could be. I slept with it between my feet, and plunked it on various spots of my body throughout the first cold night. We all adjusted, quickly and it became no big deal.

We were all hungry, as we chatted and egged one another’s excitement of the days to follow. A hot meal arrived to the house. It was traditional, plentiful, it complimented our new environment.

~ Although not every day’s journal leaf is offered, today’s entry goes…

My Aspiration;

A Safari

Save the children who are lost,

Save the creatures that are living but not human;

My safari or journey this time is different,

It is an excavation of My Spirit, My Soul, My Being.

It is 7am and slowly I make it to the common area of the volunteer house. Soon discover that “initiative” will be the key to survival. The coordinators are wonderfully kind, but emphasize it’s up to you…each of us, what we take out of the project, what we give to the project. “It’s not boot camp, but we will gladly accept your opinions, your energy, your hard work won’t be rejected”

Beyond the description and direction within our elected programs and the concern for our safe well being You must step up to make a difference. Food is provided while basic it will address our needs. We made our way and unconsciously developed as a united group, a team approach to all the tasks at hand. A group of individuals, new to each other, who quickly became united for a cause, we quickly became a family.

Project Two: August 2010 Albertinia, South Africa, The Garden Route Game Lodge

African Big 5 Wildlife& Conservation Project

The first week was off to an exciting start. The Big 5...Incredible, beauty at its best! Sleeping in a tent isn't so bad after all.

Day 1

Off to feed the elephants!! What magnificent creatures, huge would understate their body mass. They are beautiful, simply roaming in search of today’s winnings from the Bakkie (pick up/safari jeep) wagon. Buckets on fresh offerings fruits, oranges, pineapple apples and lettuce leaves left over trimmings from the lodge restaurant. That’s still not enough so in their Bomas, waits whole trees and leafy branches. About the size of four Christmas trees! As we approached, fear set it for some but I could barely wait to touch, to befriend them, to understand them By God they are big brilliant animals. They quickly and independently find their space within their Bomas. They immediately flipped their trucks expecting the droppings of sweet fruit. Impatience set in and they began the dominant tangle. Who would get more and who would get the remaining pieces from the buckets? They used their large weight and trumpeting voices which escalated with demands. It was truly amazing to be a part of their lives for that moment. Expecting free roaming, soon you learn the sadden lives of capture and circus behaviour…it’s what they know. It’s what we are about…putting the wild back into their lives that was taken away by human. Our goal – Rehabilitation to the Wild, Protect and Reproduce

The day was lovely.

Day 2

Mholo, Unjani (hello, how are you) if u could hear as I type u would hear roaring lions. I'm in my tent...they feel just a little close! Today is Bitter - Sweet an e.g. of the “Circle of Life”. I began as routine feed of elephants and clean their bomas – a very physical task but not difficult. Feed the giraffes, a clear site of beauty. A mother and her newborn café, we must stop and observe, photo after photo. They are incredibly elegant and swiftly move to the Aloes that we have topped with flakes of lush green hay. While they roam freely, she needs a supplement and extra nourishment for her off spring. The dominating buffalos also are feed due to the lack of greenery caused by the months of drought. The game count begins, the reserve has recently increased the game, but missing are 4 zebra and 4 Kudu. We found most, but sadly ta baby zebra didn’t make it. We were able to locate her, she was young and beautiful her life cut off short. As devastating as it is, she becomes the saviour to the lion. The lion that due to human intrusion did not learn when they were young to independently hunt and fend to their needs. While they have their natural instinctive behaviours to chase and hunt they quickly give up and sadly are dependent. The young Zebra is its saviour.

The circle of life!

Day 3

Whew…I made it, the day started off great. We began our routine fed Ellies, Giraffe & Buffalo. We were able to track the 3 zebra and drive them to the main zebra herd. The radio blares …Yikes a cheetah roaming freely at the Game Lodge...where guest reside while on their vacations. The day’s routine is quickly ended and our tasks are re-prioritized. This could be dangerous. We located the young cub who clearly was able to manipulate the fence structure. We used chucks of dripping meat to lure him back the breading area. Three rangers and myself who is still very new and green in knowledge, worked together to get him back to the enclosure. The meat worked. I quickly discovered a match to my fear. Time to fix the fences...Umm you want me to what…in the enclosed cheetah domain - tools & 3 hungry cheetahs…8 feet away.

Breathe...

Day 4

Today’s entry goes...Start off on routine…feed the ellies, the radio blares…all else has to wait…again! Another cheetah that is still not ready for the wild is out. And so the search begins...feels a bit like “the hunter becomes the hunted“ you know how the story goes…encourage him to follow with chunks of dripping meat...my heart is beating fast – I realise I have beads of sweat a long my forehead…thank goodness, he’s in , success! Fences need repair again, something a little more meaningful. The guys and I are up for the task. Struggling with wire, cutters and a skill I’ve yet to master, I continue to fumble yet my eyes don’t leave the cheetahs…well for just a second! I drop my .work gloves 5' from me and a cheetah sneaks up and takes one...check out the remains in the photos!

Day 5

So the coolest thing happened tonight...I went to feed the elephants "ellies", and they still have not decided if they trust me or not, so usually every night Kidbone draws in a bunch of dirt and sprays it at me EVERY NIGHT...finally tonight I said NO, it's not nice. She literally laid down, on all fours, turned her trunk so I could hand feed her...OMG- beautiful!!! It's 2:30 am it’s time to get up, an unexpected off-load of 7 wildebeest and 2 kudu, off the Bunkie (truck). It’s pitch dark outside and somewhere in the middle of the reserve we meet the truck and trailer. We manipulate the latches, as our adrenaline runs high. The gates are open, some quickly and boldly unload and hit the ground running, while others drift slowly off the trailer. Sadly one wildebeest gave way to the struggle and stress of the translocation. She didn't make it...circle of life once again.

What a week!