Moya Wa Tenga Safaris » South African Wildlife

Free Screensavers of African Wildlife | Get yours for FREE NOW!

Andrew Beck — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:29:07 +0000

I was recently approached by Micheal Theys of Africa Freak with a great concept of providing images for a FREE downloadable screensaver for PC & Mac computers.

Not more than a couple of weeks down the road the screensaver is ready for download here. The screensaver features images from a number of photographers including Gerry van der Walt and Kerry de Bruyn. Overall, this is an awesome set of images and a feature I am happy to be a part of. Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below!

South African Wildlife | The Cheetah

Andrew Beck — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:35:12 +0000

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a member of the cat family (Felidae) of which both Lion and Leopard are apart of. The Cheetah is unique in that it has adapted and evolved for high speed chases over short distances. As a result, the cheetah lacks the strength and climbing abilities of some of the other members of this family.

Cheetahs boast a number of unique adaptations which have allowed them to perfect their unique hunting style. These adaptations include:

Black tear marks which run from the corner of the eyes down the sides of the nose to its mouth which are believed to keep sunlight out of the eyes – an adaptation which has allowed the cheetah to hunt during the middle of the day. In contrast, lion and leopard both exhibit white patches beneath the eyes which help to accentuate what little light is available to them when hunting at night.
Cheetahs are very slim and light, weighing between 35 and 65kg’s. This low body weight, coupled with a flexible spine which acts like a spring when the cheetah is in top gear, allows for speeds in excess of 100km/h to be reached in a matter of seconds.
The cheetah’s paws have semi-retractable claws which offer extra grip in its high-speed pursuits – similar to the role of running spikes used by sprinters. The ligament structure of the cheetah’s claws is the same as those of other cats; it simply lacks the sheath of skin and fur present in other species, and therefore the claws are always visible, with the exception of the dewclaw.
Cheetahs have broad heads and large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake, and an enlarged heart and lungs that work together to circulate oxygen efficiently. During a typical chase, its respiratory rate increases from 60 to 150 breaths per minute.
The cheetah also uses its long slender tail as a rudder-like means of steering to allow it to make sharp turns, necessary to outflank prey animals that often make such turns to escape.

Despite their speed and hunting prowess, cheetahs are largely outranked by other large predators in most of their range. They usually avoid fighting and will surrender a kill immediately to even a single hyena, rather than risk injury. Because cheetahs are generally loners and rely so heavily on their speed to obtain their meals, any injury that slows them down could essentially be life threatening.

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South African Birdlife | The Pied Kingfisher

Andrew Beck — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:43:59 +0000

Pied kingfishers (Ceryle rudis) are one of two species which occur in South Africa belonging to the family of Cerylid kingfishers. The Pied Kingfisher and Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) are the only species which have crests and do not have any blue plumage!

It is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia from Turkey to India to China. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate, other than short-distance seasonal movements. The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be the world’s third most common kingfisher, and is a noisy bird, unmissable within its range. Unlike most of the other Kingfisher families, this family shows marked sexual colour dimorphism with the male of this species having a double breast band whilst the female has only one, incomplete breast band.

The pied kingfisher is reputed to be the world’s longest bird (bill to tail) that is capable of sustained hovering in still air and will hover more than any other kingfisher species. This hovering behaviour facilitates hunting over shallow water where perches are not freely available.

They can deal with prey without returning to a perch, and so can hunt over large water bodies or in estuaries that lack perches that are required by other kingfishers. Unlike some kingfishers, it is quite gregarious, and forms large roosts at night.

Pied kingfishers are monogamous and will nest in self-excavated tunnels in sandbanks.breeding season is February to April. Its nest is a hole excavated in a vertical mud bank about five feet above water. The nest tunnel is 4 to 5 feet deep and ends in a chamber. Several birds may nest in the same vicinity. The usual clutch is 3-6 white eggs. The pied kingfisher sometimes reproduces co-operatively, with young non-breeding birds from an earlier brood assisting parents or even unrelated older birds.

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FREE Desktop Backgrounds | May

Andrew Beck — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:31:57 +0000

Winter seems to be well on its way here in South Africa with plenty of cold weather over the last couple of weeks. The end of the rainy season marks a transition period where the landscape slowly begins to transform from dense stands of lush green trees and grass, to the more subdued shades of browns and oranges. All in all a great time for photography!

This months images were taken during winter last year. As always, if you would like to download the file, simply click on the image and then select the “download” button when the image opens in the Box.net window.

Our group sat watching this adult Martial Eagle for a good twenty minutes before it took flight. I must have rattled off at least 3o shots, only two of which were worth keeping.

The second image is of two young lions. Female lions reach sexual maturity at around 4 years of age, a year before males (5 years). At around 3 years of age, young male offspring are forced to emigrate in part as a result of the intolerance of the adult territorial males. From this time right up until they mature and succeed in taking over a pride range, young males lead an unsettled existence, either as nomads or unwelcome lodgers which must avoid confrontation with resident prides.

This young male, along with any other young male offspring of similar age in the pride, would be on the brink of such an existence. The young female however, would more than likely remain within her natal pride. Adult females are normally all related, descending from females that have lived generation after generation in the same range.

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South African Wildlife | The Cape Buffalo

Andrew Beck — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:07:06 +0000

A member of the Big 5, the African or Cape Buffalo is the most formidable african bovid. It is not closely related to wild Asian Water Buffalo despite what many tourists to South Africa believe. There are two species on the African continent, the smaller forest dwelling Red Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) and the larger savanna dwelling Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer).

The Cape Buffalo weighs around 500kg’s with large bulls topping the scales at around 850kg’s. Both males and females hav horns which are highly variable in size and shape. Female horns tend to be thinner and shorter than those of males as well as lacking the large mass which develops across the forehead of males. This mass is called the ‘boss’.

Ecology & Social organisation

Buffalo are bulk grazers which are bale to subsist on grasses too tall and coarse for most of the other ruminant species. In exercising its preference for the taller pastures, buffalo play a pioneering roll in savanna grazing succession by reducing vast tracts of grassland to the height preffered by more selective feeders such as wildbeest and white rhinoceros.

Large herds are very gregarious , nonterritorial and maintained by a male dominance hierarchy. The basic units of these large herds are stable groups or clans of presumbly related cows and their offspring. The maternal bond of a mohter with young male offsrping ends at around 3 years of age when the young bulls start to associate together in small bachelor groups. These immature bulls tend to keep their distance from adult bulls until they are ready to challenge for a position within the hierarchy.

Herds tend to congregate during the drier winter months when food and water resources become restricted. Herds will travel up to 17km in a day between good grazing and water resources. This makes for some incredible photographic opportunities as the herd kicks up a massive dust cloud.

Being such large bodied animals, Buffalo will nearly always have Red-billed or Yellow-billed Oxpeckers (birds) in attendance. These birds cling on to the skin of the buffalo and move around in search of ticks and other external parasites. This is the perfect illustration of symbiotic relationship!

Disease

Disease-free buffalo are relatively rare in South Africa as buffalo are very susceptible to contracting diseases such as Corridor disease, Bovine Tuberculosis, Foot-and-Mouth disease and Contagious Abortion. As a consequence, disease-free buffalo are much sought after and have become extremely expensive in South Africa.

Diseases such as Bovine Tuberculosis can also be passed on to other wildlife species, such a lions, which predate upon buffalo in the Kruger National Park There is currently a massive research effort underway by Ecologists to try and understand just how the disease is spreading in the park, and what effect this is having on the population demographics of the Buffalo and Lion.

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South African Birdlife | The European Roller |

Andrew Beck — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:42:31 +0000

The European Roller (Coracias garrulus) is on of four South African species in the genus Coracias (a name that refers to the raucous calls that are similar to those of crows).

The name ‘roller’ comes from the brilliant courtship displays where the males will fly up high before stalling and diving downwards with their wings tucked in close to the body before opening the wings up and rocking from side to side to show the brilliant blue colours on the underside of the wings.

European Rollers hunt mainly from perches above the ground from which they dive down and pounce on invertebrate prey species on the ground. Rollers can also be seen hunting for insects in the air, especially when there are bush fires that force insects out of the grass and tree layers.

These birds provide great photographic opportunities whilst perched on branches right next to the road! The long pointy wings and relatively short tails of all roller species reflect perfect adaptations to buoyant flight and manoeuverable aerial feeding.

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South African Wildlife| The Brown Hyena |

Andrew Beck — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:14:58 +0000

Brown hyenas are one of the most interesting and charismatic species on the African continent in my opinion. I have had the privilege of seeing these animals many times during my trips to Madikwe Game Reserve and Pilanesbrg National Park, both of which have stable populations.

Unlike the larger spotted hyena, there are no sizeable differences between the sexes, although males tend to be slightly larger than the females. Brown hyenas are primarily scavengers, with the bulk of their diet consisting of carcasses killed by larger predators, though they may supplement their diet with rodents, insects, eggs and fruit. They will even cache excess food in shrubs or holes! As with all scavengers, the Brown Hyena has incredibly sensitive sense of smell to sniff out carcasses in the veld.

Probably one of the most interesting traits of this shy and secretive creature is the use of scent marking to communicate with other individuals. Brown hyenas possess an anal pouch below the base of the tail, which produces a bilobed pasting which is deposited onto grass stalks as they forage.

These scent markings contain information on the age and sex of the indivdual, its reproductive status as well as when it last passed through an area whilst foraging.

Brown hyenas are social animals that may live in clans consisting of one adult of each sex and associated young. Brown hyenas maintain a stable clan hierarchy through ritualised aggressive displays and mock fights. They typically forage alone, and do not maintain a territory, instead using common hunting paths.

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NGOs Respond to Growth in South African Wind Energy Sector | A media Release from the EWT & Birdlife SA

Andrew Beck — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:01:29 +0000

Wind energy is a very welcome addition to the South African energy mix, and is far ‘cleaner’ than coal-fired energy generation. However, this does not mean that it is without environmental impacts.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa (BLSA) are concerned about the impact that wind farms could have on birds in South Africa if developed without appropriate consideration of the possible impacts, and have joined efforts to address this proactively.

“Cumulative impacts may be the greatest threat posed by wind energy developments to avifauna,” says Jon Smallie, manager of the EWT’s Wildlife & Energy Programme (EWT-WEP). “The EIA [Environmental Impact Assessment] process does not take these cumulative impacts into account adequately. We are concerned that more and more wind farms are under application, often in close proximity to one another, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape”.

“While a particular site may be acceptable for development from an avifaunal point of view if viewed in isolation, when neighbouring areas are also subsequently developed, the combined impact of these multiple developments on certain bird species could be significant.” says Mark Anderson, Executive Director of BirdLife South Africa.

The impact of wind energy production on birds has been documented in countries such as Spain, Denmark and the USA, where this form of energy production is more established than it is in South Africa. Whilst certain sites have proven to impact significantly on birds, others have not, proving that it is possible for wind energy infrastructure and birds to co-exist if the correct sites are chosen. Only seven commercial size wind turbines are currently in operation in South Africa, three at the Eskom demonstration facility at Klipheuwel, and four at the private Darling wind farm. This means that our hands-on experience of the impacts of wind turbines on birds is very limited. This results in uncertainty in assessing or predicting the likely impacts of new proposed wind farms, since we have no local data on which to base our assessment.

The recently formed EWT-BLSA partnership intends to address the situation through the following activities: proactive engagement with the wind energy industry; the commissioning of a national strategic assessment of wind energy and birds; and the ongoing provision of input into EIAs for new wind farms through comment as Interested & Affected Parties. A national strategic assessment will assess the risks to both birds and developers by identifying, at an early stage, geographic areas of concern in South Africa where birds could be significantly impacted on by wind turbine development, and areas where impacts would be of low significance.

In this way, potential risks related to birds could be identified early on, saving developers unnecessary costs and avoiding negative impacts on birds. The assessment will also identify and document different techniques to mitigate the impacts on birds where necessary, and will involve the wind energy industry in assessing the feasibility of these techniques.

Much needed best practice guidelines for avifaunal assessments for EIA’s will also be developed. Since the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA) announcement of the feed-in tariff in 2009, applications for wind energy developments (predominantly by Independent Power Producers) have been gaining momentum in South Africa. Wind energy is generally considered a far more environmentally friendly energy option than traditional coal-fired power stations because of the lack of harmful emissions, the independence from mining operations and the fact that wind is a freely available, renewable resource. Furthermore, with wind energy the power supply can be placed closer to where it is needed, eliminating the need for extensive power lines cutting across the landscape, which have major environmental impacts.

Wind turbines do however impact on wildlife, and in particular on birds and bats. The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife & Energy Programme has worked on reducing the impacts of energy infrastructure on wildlife since 1996, offering practical advice and developing mitigation measures to prevent the negative impact of power line infrastructure on wildlife, through effective partnerships with industry players such as South African electricity utility Eskom.

Work has also benefited the industry by reducing the impacts of birds on the lines and providing cost effective solutions to the developer. The Programme is a world leader in the mitigation of bird/power line collisions and electrocutions. BirdLife South Africa is one of the leading South African environmental NGOs, responsible for the conservation of birds and their habitats. BLSA is part of BirdLife International and as such collaborates with other BirdLife partners around the world, including countries with a well established wind energy industry. BLSA’s international partners will be asked to assist with advice when developing proactive measures to reduce the risk of wind farms on South Africa’s birds.

We believe that this partnership, in collaboration with ornithological institutions, conservationists and wind developers, will be uniquely positioned to ensure that the potential for clean wind energy is realised without undue impact on our birds. We invite any interested parties to contact us if they feel they can contribute to our work, and believe early collaboration will lead to better results for all stakeholders.

For more information please contact:

Jon Smallie

Manager Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife & Energy Programme

Tel: +27 11 486 1102

Mark Anderson

Executive Director BirdLife South Africa

+27 11 789 1122

Or the EWT Media Office

Tel: +27 11 486 1102

Free Wildlife Desktop Backgrounds | January

Andrew Beck — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:19:09 +0000

Happy New Year to you all!

I appologise for being a bit slow in getting the Desktop Backgrounds for this month up on the blog but I have finally got round to it. As always, if you would like to download the file, simply click on the image and then select the “download” button when the image opens in the Box.net window.

The first image is one of my older images of a big male Lion (Panthera leo) which was taken in the Thornybush Game Reserve (Adjacent to Kruger National Park & the Timbavati).

The second image is of a Water Monitor (Varanus niloticus) which was taken off the bridge South of Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park. These monitors are the largest species of lizard in southern Africa, reaching a body length just short of a metre (Excluding the tail). Like the Rock Monitor, the Water Monitor’s skin and fat are used in the “muti” (traditional medicine) trade and the skin is used in the leather industry.

Both of these images are also available on the website. We are always looking for feedback and constructive criticism so please feel free to contact us:

info@moyawatenga.co.za

www.moyawatenga.co.za

Birding Counts for Climate Change – A press release via The EWT

Andrew Beck — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:00:22 +0000

The environment in which we live and on which we depend is changing fast as a result of changes in the global climate, and also because of land-transforming human activities. Our ability to weather these changes depends on our capacity to detect them as soon as possible.

From cranes and korhaans to queleas, a new booklet describes how monitoring and research on birds can provide us with the early warning signs that we need to protect our native bird species, and there are many such signs in the Western Cape: plummeting numbers of African Penguins, invasions into new areas by Red-billed Queleas, and Southern Black Korhaans no longer seen in places where they were plentiful twenty years ago!

Many of the findings in the booklet are based on data collected for scientific programmes by trained members of the public. By counting birds or recording their presence at particular places and specific times of the year, these “citizen scientists” are helping scientists to build a jigsaw puzzle of our biodiversity. The 16-page illustrated booklet was produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the University of Cape Town’s Animal Demography Unit, with kind support from the Royal Danish Embassy in Pretoria. It will be available to politicians, farmers, conservationists, teachers and anyone else who is interested.

The booklet will be widely distributed in South Africa and also handed out to delegates at the United Nations climate change conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this December.

The booklet can be downloaded here

Please contact Phoebe Barnard or Les Underhill if you would like more info on the booklet.