A river ran right through it

Update on the aftermath of the flooding at Camp Jabulani from Adine Roode, Managing Director

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every staff member at Camp Jabulani. Under the captaincy of Camp Managers, Carl & Elsie, they all stayed calm, acted timeously, put our guests first, and worked tirelessly during the devastating floods in Hoedspruit last week.

Some of their notable actions:

• They rolled up their sleeves to clean waterlogged suites in a very difficult physical environment.
• They used their initiative under pressure, and built temporary walls with tables and sand sacks to divert water away from the suites.
• They put their own comfort and safety aside to watch over the elephants.
• The chefs carried on cooking, and made sure guests had some comfort through their delicious food.
• Others carried guests’ bags over the suspension bridge.
• They divided themselves into two teams, each one focusing on their respective sides of the suspension bridge. Throughout this time, it was feared that the bridge, and their only connection, would wash away.

This footage was shot from our deck looking down on the often dry river that runs past the lodge

All of this while the heavens opened, the water gushed, and conditions deteriorated to the point of life threatening. They never thought about themselves, and instead put the needs, safety and comfort of our guests ahead of their own.

It will take a while to restore the roads on the reserve to their former condition, but we are able to use one road to get from the camp to the main entrance of the reserve.

Game drives at this stage will be limited due to the state of the environment. Our graceful elephants are however able to traverse their paths through the reserve, so elephant back safaris are on track.

Two suites will be closed for renovations until further notice, however the remaining suites and The Zindoga Villa will be ready by Friday 27 January 2012.

The entire team is now “all hands on deck” in restoring the camp to its former glory. We have also contracted builders, electricians, painters and other handymen to assist in the massive operation.

Paintings and other valuables will be assessed by our insurers before being replaced, so please do forgive us should a wall or two be unadorned.

I would also like to thank everyone at the air force who assisted a number of stranded people in need of evacuation. Despite this significant task, their voices were still full of smiles every time we called. A true credit to their profession.

I thank every one of our guests who rode out the storm with us. And our many partners and friends who supported us through their calls, emails and Facebook posts.

My gratitude is unquantifiable. I am proud to be part of such a committed team, and so heartened to realize how many people are part of the Camp Jabulani experience – just through their genuine support, kind words, and patience.

Tom van der Meulen has posted a series of incredible pictures on Facebook, should you wish to see what our waterlogged area looked like from above. You can also visit our Facebook album to see some of the photos we took during this catastrophic event.

Yours faithfully,

Adine

Growing up!

A leopard in our midst

The term ‘elephant back safari’ takes on a whole new meaning in the summer months. Plains game such as warthogs, giraffe and antelope are abundant at the moment, so guests are treated to a smorgasbord of viewing from the vantage point of their massive rides. But those lucky enough to be out with us on Friday were treated to something even more spectacular when the groom on the lead elephant spotted a leopard resting beneath a tree.

These cats are notoriously elusive, so to see one hanging out in plain sight was quite something. It eventually got up and wandered off, but not before all the guests were able to get a good look. We’re blessed to be living in a part of the world where such events, while not exactly commonplace, do occur from time to time.

Zindoga gets his own bedroom

Bubi’s three-year-old calf, Zindoga, recently indicated that he is no longer a ‘baby’. Where the older calves have the option to remain behind at the stables and play, the still-dependent babies always join us on safari.

If you think about this from a toddler’s point of view, staying in camp and playing is obviously a lot more appealing than going on a long circular walk with mom and the rest of the herd. Especially if you’re in the process of asserting your independence!

One of the first signs that our youngsters are growing up is when they sneak away from the main herd and return to the stables to be with the elephants that aren’t going on safari. Because the babies often wander off the path to explore their surroundings, we don’t always notice immediately if they’re not with us.

This happened recently when we arrived at the sundowners spot only to discover that Zindoga was nowhere to be seen. We were initially quite concerned as to what Bubi’s reaction would be when she discovered that her calf had done a duck, but I think we underestimate our elephants’ ability to communicate with one another. We certainly worry more than they do!

Arriving back at the stables after the walk, we discovered Zindoga happily engaged in a game of tag with his cousins. The grooms and I breathed a collective sigh of relief, while mom, I suspect, just smiled knowingly.

That night we decided to give Zindoga his own bedroom. He went in happily enough, and all was well until the lights went out, at which point he proceeded to squawk loudly. His stable is right next to his mom’s though, and she must have stuck a reassuring trunk through the bars, because after about five minutes all was quiet again.

Since then we’ve had no problems at all. Every night our ‘big boy’ walks straight into his stable without hesitation. They grow up so fast.

Click here to see more photos of our herd and other goings-on at the lodge.

Until next time,

Iain

A few years ago I woke up one morning at about 2am and just couldn’t fall asleep again. After about a half an hour of tossing and turning I decided to go and watch TV in the lounge. I didn’t switch on the light because I didn’t want to wake up my wife. Being an avid golf fan, I was pleased to see that the highlights from the PGA golf tournament were on. Perhaps my insomnia wasn’t such a bad thing after all?

As I collapsed onto the couch and stretched out out my legs, I felt something moving under my foot. This was followed by a sudden sharp pain. Snake! I’d been bitten! The pain shot up my right leg.

There are a three basic rules to adhere to when you’re bitten by a snake:

1. Don’t panic!
2. Identify the snake.
3. Get to a hospital as soon as possible.

Well I immediately broke the first rule by yelling – at the top of my lungs – to my wife that she needed to go and start the car as I had to be taken to the nearest hospital pronto.

I then started looking for the snake just to make 100% sure that it was in fact a Black mamba that had bitten me. I caught a glimpse of something sliding underneath the sofa. By now my leg was completely numb, my armpits were throbbing, and I was sweating profusely. I dragged myself to the sofa (the lack of feeling in my right leg made it impossible to walk) and somehow managed to shift it out of the way, and that’s when I saw it…a monster…of a harmless centipede.

Feeling returned to my leg immediately, the pain in my armpits vanished, and I felt normal again. I looked at my foot in utter disbelief, there was nothing but a tiny red mark to show where I’d been nipped by the centipede.

The most embarrassing part was having to go and tell my wife – who was by then already waiting in the car to take me to hospital – about my miraculous comeback.

Until next time,

Carl

Jabu the pickpocket

We always make a point of introducing the guests to their rides prior to going on walk. It’s only polite after all. Jabulani is our elephant of choice for these ‘getting to know you’ demonstrations, as he’s such a mild-mannered sort. The thing is, the fact that’s he’s so laidback also means he can get up to no good without anyone noticing. The other day I was in the middle of my introductory talk when Jabu spied a sunglasses case in one of the guests’ hands. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him, and he ever so quietly slipped his trunk out and nabbed it from her. Fortunately the sunglasses themselves were perched on her head at the time, especially as they were of the rather expensive variety. Poor old Jabulani was clearly very disappointed with his booty; because he spat it back out almost as quickly as he’d put it in. He probably thought it was a ‘supersized’ version of the little treats the grooms have on hand to reward the elephants for doing something well.

Limpopo leaving the stables legally (she's the bigger one bossily nudging her friend along)

Limpopo the escape artist

We arrived back from a night walk recently to find little Miss Limpopo wandering up and down the stable hallway. I immediately assumed that someone hadn’t locked her stall properly, and prepared myself to issue the guilty party with a stern lambasting. I went straight to her stall to put the escapee back inside, and to my absolute amazement discovered the gate still securely locked. The grooms and I were all completely flummoxed. After putting her back inside her stall, we wandered off a short way to discuss how she could possibly have escaped. And that’s when she demonstrated her Houdini skills for all of us to see. We’d moved her into Sompani’s old stall, which only has one horizontal bar running around it. Being such a big elephant, he didn’t require anything more than that to keep him from going anywhere. Now at 5-years-old Limpopo might still be a baby, but she’s by no means a small girl. After all, elephants grow at a pretty rapid rate.

What the shrewd little toddler had figured out was that the stall to her one side was empty, which meant the gate wouldn’t be locked. So all she had to do was get down on her knees and squeeze herself under the horizontal bar, and she’d be on the home stretch to freedom. This was no mean feat however, and required a fair amount of huffing, puffing and squeezing before she eventually made her way to the other side. Needless to say Limpopo has since been relocated to more secure digs. Her herd mates are very happy about this, because she used to spend her ‘free’ time strolling up and down stealing their food. Click here to see more photos of our herd and other goings-on at the lodge.

Until next time,

Iain

As a result of the extensive eco-friendly initiatives implemented throughout the lodge, we’re pleased to announce that Camp Jabulani has been chosen as one of the finalists in the 2011 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards.

Together with our sister property, HESC, we have embarked on a strong drive towards protecting the environment. From the implementation of a number of sustainable energy and recycling policies, to the introduction of extensive educational programmes for our staff and the local communities, we’re slowly but surely taking steps to ensure that we’ll leave behind a better world for our children.

This year has seen the launch of various recycling programmes. The Weeping-Boer-Bean Tree project is a ‘grow-it yourself kit’, while the Sharing is Caring campaign recycles the elephant dung gathered from our ever obliging herd into a ‘soil amendment’. Both are available for purchase at HESC. We’re using the funds raised to contribute towards the anti-poaching rhino patrols in the area.

We have also placed solar lamps along the pathways throughout HESC, which has seen a significant reduction in the Centre’s overall electricity consumption. More recently we expanded our eco initiatives even further by installing a wormery here at the lodge.

Camp Jabulani continues to support its charity of choice, the Paulos Ngobeni primary school (as well as other local rural schools) by giving talented, underprivileged learners the opportunity to take part in workshops at the recently launched HESC Community Art Gallery. Here, under the tutelage of volunteer local artists, they’re taught about art as a means of self-expression, and are also given a basic understanding of the different artistic mediums.

“We’re extremely passionate about educating one and all about the importance of protecting our environment and resources, and creating awareness amongst society as to how they too can start ‘greening’ their lifestyles – be that home or office. We are honoured to be one of the finalists of this prestigious award. Being recognised for our eco-friendly, environment and conservation efforts is utterly incredible,” said Adine Roode, Managing Directior.

The Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards, running for the tenth year, recognise tourism businesses that demonstrate sustained responsible practice in their operations in terms of their natural, social and economic environments.  Awards will be made in the following categories: Best social involvement programme, Best practice – economic impact, Best overall environmental management system, Best single resource management programme – for energy, water and waste, Most empowered tourism business and Investor in people.  An overall Imvelo winner will then be selected.

Holding thumbs,

The Camp Jabulani Team

And because it’s the season for giving, they’ve very kindly shared all their recipes with you. Click here to more photos of the yummy treats our chefs have been known to whip up.

Home Made Vanilla Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 500g Sugar
• 250ml Water
• 1 Vanilla pod
• 8 Gelatin leaves

Method

Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water. Boil water, sugar and vanilla together untill the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup into a mixing bowl and whisk on a high speed for about 5 minutes. Add the gelatin leaves and whisk for another 5-10 minutes. The mixture will double in volume and resemble a consistency similar to that of meringue. Spray a medium sized square container with non-stick spray. Pour into the container and spread evenly. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 5 hours.

Gorgonzola, Pecan Nut and Cranberry Tartlets

Pastry Ingredients

• 250g Cake flour
• 125g Castor sugar
• 5ml salt
• 125g Cold butter
• 45ml Ice water

Method

Sieve the flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix on a slow speed until the flour resembles breadcrumbs. Adding the water one tablespoon at a time, mix until the pastry comes together. Press together with your finger tips, wrap in cling wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for an hour.

Filling Ingredients

• 200g Gorgonzola
• 100g Chopped pecan nuts
• 80g Dried cranberries
• 20ml Honey
• Salt and pepper

Method

Grate the cheese into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Set the filling aside until you’re ready to use it. Line four small petit four tart shells with the pastry. Prick the bottom with a fork and place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake at 180ºC for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Place the filling into the cooled pastry shells and serve immediately.

White Chocolate and Pistachio Nut Fudge

Ingredients

• 600g White cooking chocolate
• 1 can Condensed milk
• 250ml Chopped pistachio nuts
• 5ml Grated lime rind

Method

Line a 20cm x 20cm tray with cling wrap. Melt the white chocolate together with the condensed milk on a double boiler. Remove from the double boiler and add the remaining ingredients. Pour into the tray and allow to set for two hours in the fridge. Remove from the tray and cling wrap and cut into 3cm x 3cm cubes. Serve as a snack

Marmite Cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cake flour
• 10ml Baking powder
• 125g Butter
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cup Grated cheddar/Gouda cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 180ml Milk

Topping

• 15ml Butter
• 15ml Marmite
• Melt together

Method

Pre-heat oven at 180ºC. Spray a small muffin tray with non-stick spray. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the onion, cheese and eggs. Melt the butter and add to the milk. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and combine with a spoon. Pour into the muffin tray and bake for ten minutes. Remove from oven and pour over the marmite mix, put back in oven for a further 2 minutes. Remove from trays and serve as a snack.

Elsie Olen (Camp Manager) and Adine Roode (Managing Director) have long dreamt of starting a wormery and recycling the kitchen and garden waste at Camp Jabulani. Not realizing that elephant dung is actually one of the worms’ favourite foods, they waited patiently until there was room for the wormery in the budget.

At long last they were able to order the wormery, and now Camp Jabulani is now the proud owner of its very own small biosphere: a careful balance of oxygen, moisture, food, temperature and, of course, the worm population.

Adine spoke to Carl soon after installing the wormery, and he excitedly informed her that their very first batch of ‘worm wee’ had just arrived. Carl is well known around the lodge for his pranks, so a disbelieving Adine asked Elsie to investigate further. Equally dubious, Elsie was convinced that Carl had merely offered up a container of discoloured liquid to trick them. But as it turned out, the boy that usually cries wolf was in fact telling the truth. Needless to say, everyone was over the moon with the first batch of ‘worm wee’.

The worms apparently take time to settle into their new digs, and the leaflet warned not to expect results in less than two weeks. Our first batch of ‘worm wee’ arrived a lot sooner than that however, most probably because we hadn’t factored in the constant supply of elephant dung we have on hand to keep our wriggly workers well fed.

Adine and Elsie understand the old adage of not counting one’s chickens before they’ve hatched, but this hasn’t stopped the pair from dreaming big. Down the line they plan to install an industrial green wormery close to the stables. This will eliminate the need to transport the piles of dung produced during the night, and also offers the added benefit of reducing the flea population in a green way too!

Other plans for the ‘worm wee’ include using it in areas where erosion is a problem, donating some of it to the Paulos Ngobeni primary school to use in their vegetable garden, and should the need exist, to offer it to the learners’ parents and the greater community to use in their vegetable gardens.

We will also use the ‘worm tea’ to aid the growing of the bana grass we give our herd to munch on in their stables at night. And at some point we’d also like to sell the ‘wee’ to established crop farmers in the area.

Think big, think green, is Adine and Elsie’s attitude.

Everything from kitchen waste (raw vegetables, fruit peels, tea bags, coffee grind, crushed egg shells) to cardboard (cereal boxes, tea boxes, egg trays) can go into the wormery, which, if implemented by some of the big hotel chains, would contribute significantly to reducing kitchen waste in the hotel industry.

Some interesting facts:

Elephant dung is one of the worms’ top 3 favourite foods. Luckily for us (and them!), we have 15 obliging elephants on hand to keep us in constant supply.

‘Worm wee’ is the slang term given to the liquid that is produced when the worms get to work on organic matter.

‘Worm wee’ contains most of the vital nutrients your plants need for optimal growth. It is an outstanding tonic to feed and revitalise your garden, vegetable patch or farm.

Earthworms are live waste disposal units, and are efficient at processing organic waste and transforming it into a ‘black gold’ called vermicompost.

Worms can increase crop yields and enhance soil health and fertility.

Visit Wizzard Worms to find out how you can start your own wormy, and click here to see more photos of ours.

Greetings from camp

One of the most frequent requests we get on drive is to find a kill as it’s happening. Being in the right place at the right time can prove challenging, but we always do our best to ensure our guests leave here having experienced the full ‘safari enchilada’.

A little while ago we returned to the lodge exhausted after sitting in the hot morning sun for the better part of two hours, while waiting patiently for some lions to make their move on a herd of waterbuck. In the end the lazy cats decided that it was too hot to chase after the buck, and moved off into some nearby shade for a snooze instead.

We reluctantly gave up our ‘chase’, but we also knew that on such a hot day they more than likely wouldn’t move again for quite some time. The plan was therefore to head back out to the lions in the early evening, when the cool air would hopefully have made them more active.

Little did we know the surprise we were in for when we got back.

On returning to the lodge we were met by a very different kill. Just as we were leaving our vehicle, we caught sight of a Spotted bush snake with its eye on a fat Side-striped skink. Blissfully unaware of its impending doom, the skink basked happily in the sun. Before it even realised what was going on the, the snake had grabbed it from behind. The skink fought valiantly for its life, while the snake in turn struggled to keep a hold of its prey. In the end the snake emerged victorious, and slowly began swallowing the hearty meal.

It took about 45 minutes before the last part of the skink’s tail finally disappeared down the snake’s throat.  The stuffed snake then moved off into a nearby tree to digest its meal in the hot morning sun.

See you on drive,

The Camp Jabulani Rangers

Friends by Dave Smith

We’re always open to trying new things here at Camp Jabulani, especially if it’s in the best interests of our ellies. A while ago Tokwe sustained an injury to her leg. A wound developed as a result, and we’ve been struggling to get it to heal ever since. Initially we treated it with a broad spectrum antibiotic, and thereafter with a specifically cultivated antibiotic. But unfortunately neither has worked.

Because of all the pain she has endured from the incident and subsequent treatments, Tokwe is not very trusting of humans and will no longer allow anyone to go near her sore leg. As a last resort we contacted Vicky Brooke, who told us about something called the Bemer Therapy System. It’s supposed to regulate the processes that make self-healing possible, assisting with acute and chronic conditions, and accelerating recovery from surgery, wounds, burns and skin conditions. It’s also purported to offer pain relief, which was a major selling point for us as poor Tokwe has been suffering for quite some time now.

We tracked down a lady in Hoedspruit who owns one of these machines, and hired it from her for a month. There are only two grooms whom Tokwe deems trustworthy enough to work with her, so they were tasked with administering the treatment every morning and evening. Fortunately there was no pain involved, although we did make sure to have a multitude of treats on hand to reward the old girl’s patience.

The first bit of pus came out of the wound a few days ago. This is a really positive sign as it means her body is trying to expel the toxins. People in the horse community swear by the Bemer Therapy System, so perhaps it will just take a bit longer with Tokwe as she’s so much bigger. In the meantime we’ll just have to hope and pray that this gentle matriarch takes a turn for the better, as she still has two small calves to raise.

Our herd sleeps indoors, but since Tokwe developed this ailment we made a temporary stable for her outside as the conditions are better suited to her healing process. Little Pisa still needs to be close to her mom, which means that she needed to camp outside as well. We can’t have the girls out there alone, so we had Somapani join them. This arrangement worked perfectly, as the big male provided both protection and companionship for Tokwe and Pisa.

Elephants are no different than us humans when it comes to getting on with one another however, and are just as picky about who their friends and roommates are. With the trio living outside, we then arranged the rest of the herd’s living arrangements according to who likes who. Of course we like indulging our gang, but the ramifications of pairing the wrong two is dire. I made this mistake once, and was woken by a huge ruckus at two in the morning. I’d inadvertently paired two bulls who weren’t on speaking terms, and they just about ripped their stalls down to get at one another.

Recently the outside stables required some attention, which meant having the trio come back inside for a couple of days. Much juggling later I eventually had everyone strategically placed, albeit with one small caveat. The stable I’d assigned to Tokwe and Pisa didn’t have sufficiently narrow bars. This meant that a certain toddler could easily go walkabout. Pisa isn’t one to sleep on command, preferring instead to first visit with her sister and various friends before calling it a night. This isn’t really a problem unless I’m in the middle of a stable tour, because suddenly being approached by a baby elephant doesn’t always go down that well. Fortunately the problem was only temporary, as their stable has since been mended.

Hopefully the first rains will arrive soon, so the warthogs have something to feed on besides elephant pellets. The poor animals are so skinny and hungry that they’ve even taken to intimidating the younger calves in an attempt to steal their treats.

Until next time,

Iain

Years ago, long before Camp Jabulani and its herd of elephants even existed, I was a ranger and manager at another lodge on the Kapama Nature Reserve. On his arrival, Mr Holland – a guest from the USA – informed me that the three days he was spending with us were the sum total his African safari, and that all he wanted to see were elephants.

Now I don’t know if you believe in Murphy’s Law, but in my experience, whenever a guest a desperately wants to see one specific animal the outcome isn’t favourable. Although in this instance I wasn’t all that concerned, because honestly, how difficult could it be to find a herd of these great hulking herbivores?

Let’s just say that my good pal Murphy didn’t let me down. For three days and three nights I drove Mr Holland up and down the reserve. We saw lions mating, a leopard with cubs, rhino fighting, there was even a hippo giving birth for heaven’s sake! But no elephants, not even one! By this point poor Mr Holland pretty depressed, and understandably so, as his sole mission was to witness an elephant in the flesh.

As we set off on our very last drive I felt the pressure mount. Why, oh why, didn’t I pursue a career in dentistry or engineering instead? After about an hour of tracking…eureka…we heard them! They were quite deep in the bush though, so we couldn’t actually see them. I circled the block a couple of times in the hope that they’d eventually move closer to the road. Half an hour later we eventually realised that the herd had no intention of going anywhere.

Desperate, I asked Mr Holland if he would be open to venturing closer on foot. He agreed (phew!). I grabbed my rifle and, after the standard safety talk, we headed off. We did have one minor problem to deal with however. Mr Holland was an acute arachnophobe. And since it was summer, it was likely that there’d be Golden Orb spiders everywhere. Their gigantic golden webs can be found on just about every tree during the hot months. These spiders are non-venomous, but the fact that they grow to the size of a man’s hand didn’t help matters. So what should have been an easy 15 minute jaunt, quickly became a 45 minute obstacle course as we tried to avoid every web en route.

At long last we spotted the elephants. I don’t know who was more excited, me or Mr Holland! We came to a stop some 60 metres off, and stared in disbelief at the 25 or so feeding elephants. They were completely unaware of our presence, that is until the wind suddenly changed direction. The elephants stopped feeding immediately, and in unison stuck their trunks up in the air like periscopes. Having picked up on our scent, the herd went stampeding off. Fortunately not towards us!

The next minute I heard bushes crashing behind me. Mr Holland was sprinting back towards the vehicle like a man possessed. As it happened the matriarch hadn’t left with the rest of the herd, and was instead charging directly at us. I had a split second in which to decide what to do. Run like hell or stay put? I was the ranger, and I had the rifle, and I knew I was supposed to stand still…but in the end all that ‘knowing’ went right out the window as I watched this enormous animal bare down on me.

I turned and ran like never before (even faster than the day that Manya chased me), and as I sprinted past Mr Holland I shouted to him, “FASTER, FASTER”!

Luckily it turned out to be a mock charge! I beat Mr Holland to the vehicle by at least 20 seconds, even though he had a head start on me!

Three things were achieved that day. We saw elephants, Mr Holland was cured of his arachnophobia, and I came to the conclusion that I’m a better manager than I am a ranger!

Until next time,

Carl