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Downunder Africa Safaris, Brisbane (2026)

13/10/2016

WHERE HAVE ALL THE RHINOS GONE?

The year is 2040

Discussion between 10 year-old girl, Jenna and her Grandfather

Grandpa what is that animal in the picture in your study? You know, the big gray animal with horns on its head. Is it a dinosaur?

No, Jenna my sweetheart that is a rhinoceros - we used to call them rhinos.

Are there any left in the world?

No, sadly, they are now extinct!

How did that happen Grandpa?

It is a very, very sad story Jenna. This is what happened. Less than a hundred years ago there were about 500,000 rhinos in Africa and Asia. There were different species of rhino on other continents, but because we live in Africa, I will tell you about those.

There used to be two species of rhino in Africa - the white rhino and the black rhino. The white rhino was the bigger of the two and could weigh up to 3,600 kgs, whilst the black rhino weighed up to 1400 kg. Both animals were grayish in colour – not white and black as their names suggest. Both species had poor eye-sight but very good hearing. The white rhino was a “grazer” – it ate mainly grass. The Black rhino was a “browser” – it loved acacia bushes and would strip the leaves off the spiny branches with its thick tongue. The black rhino, because of its poor eye-sight, was an aggressive animal and if it felt threatened, it would charge. It could do some damage!

Now, those horns on its head that you referred to were the cause of its demise. You see, in certain parts of Asia, people have believed for centuries that rhino horn, when ground down, has strong medicinal powers. They believed it could cure anything from a headache to sore knees. It also had some other apparent effects, but I won’t go into those! People also used to use rhino horn to make handles for daggers and knives.

Grandpa, did rhino horn really help with headaches and sore knees?

No, Jen, people just believed that it could do these things. There was never any scientific evidence to support these beliefs.

So what happened Grandpa?

Well, because people believed in the medicinal effects of rhino horn it became a very sought-after potion and so, in order to supply this huge and increasing demand, bad people started to kill rhinos just for their horns.

That is terrible Grandpa!

Yes it is Jenna, but as the demand for rhino horn grew so more and more rhinos were slaughtered just to satisfy demand. The people who killed the rhinos were called poachers and they were very well organized. In most cases they would go into game reserves and shoot a rhino and then cut off its horns. Sometimes these poor animals were still alive when the poachers cut off their horns.

Grandpa, that is awful.

As the demand for rhino horn increased so the price increased. Rhino horn would fetch more than $65,000 per kilogram – it was more expensive than gold. And so the slaughtering continued until there were no rhinos left in the wild.

Grandpa, why didn’t good people do anything to stop the slaughter of these animals?

Jenna, many, many people tried their best to save the rhino, but because of the greed and callousness of many people in this world, it was a very difficult task. Money makes some people really evil and they will do anything for it!

Sadly, we can no longer watch these magnificent animals roam in the wilderness areas and marvel at their size and power. The only recollections that we now have are photographs and paintings and for those old enough, images in their head’s!

Grandpa, that is one of the saddest stories I have ever heard.

Yes, my sweetheart – it is a tragedy and I am truly sorry that you are not able to enjoy rhinos in the way that I did. I loved those animals!

Hopefully, we have learnt some lessons from this disaster and we will not see another tragedy of this magnitude again. It is very important Jenna, that, when you have children, you educate them about conservation and biodiversity at an early age. Awareness and education are the key!

DownUnder Africa Safaris actively supports wildlife research and education efforts.

www.downunderafrica.com

04/10/2016

Legalising the sale of rhino horn - what a dilemma!

In May 2016, the South African High Court of Appeal dismissed the moratorium placed on the sale of rhino horn by the Minister of Environmental Affairs. This, in effect, renders the sale of rhino horn now legal in South Africa! This decision opens the door for unscrupulous poachers (who are largely driven by very large and well-organised crime syndicates) to increase their poaching activities. The High Court decision also opens the door for "rhino famers". These are people who want to "farm" with rhinos and harvest their horns for sale on the open market. This concept has been supported by some reputable scientists (and I worked with some of them). Whilst the concept is well-intentioned, it is somewhat naive because of the very significant amounts of money and the involvement of large crime syndicates. They will not stop until the very last rhino has been slaughtered. Remember rhino horn sells on the black market for in excess of $65,000 per kilogram!

The temporary ban on the sale of elephant ivory did nothing to stem the rate of elephant slaughtering; in fact, it increased it! There is nothing to suggest that the same won't happen if the trade on rhino horn is legalised internationally.

Whilst the debate on the legalisation of the sale of rhino horn continues, sadly the number of rhinos being slaughtered also continues unabated! So what can we do? Well firstly, we can all educate ourselves about these issues and place pressure on governments to begin to take stronger actions. In particular, pressure needs to increase on those countries where the sale of rhino horn is well established. Secondly, at a personal level, we need to support organisations that carry out very good work, be it research or education. Awareness is the key! Safari companies need to educate their clients about the plight of the rhino. DownUnder Africa Safaris ( www.downunderafrica.com ) actively engages with clients on these issues. We need to take our kids to these wilderness areas where rhinos still roam "free" before it is too late.

12/09/2016

The plight of the rhino!
Despite significant conservation efforts, the numbers of rhinos continues to decline at an alarming rate in Africa. Poaching has reached catastrophic proportions! South Africa is home to about 80% of Africa's rhinos (white & black). In 2015, 1175 rhinos were killed in South Africa with 826 of those being poached in the Kruger National Park. These are alarming statistics! The killing goes on despite significant anti-poaching and security efforts in the Kruger National Park. Rhino horn is big business - it fetches $60,000 per kilogram on Asian markets. It still beggars belief that rhino horn, which is made up of keratin (the same "material" as our finger nails) can be in such demand in this modern era when keratin can be artificially manufactured. Rhino horn is regarded as an aphrodisiac as well as having medicinal healing properties in many Asian countries. Scientific studies have proven that rhino horn has neither aphrodisiac nor medicinal healing properties.

White rhinos can weigh up to 3,600 kg and black rhinos up to 1,400 kg. Despite its smaller size, the black rhino is the more aggressive of the two. Both white and black rhinos have poor eyesight but extremely good hearing. This why a rhino will charge when confronted with anything it perceives to be a threat. Black rhinos are more solitary than white rhinos. Any sighting of either a black or white rhino is a privilege. Sadly, if poaching continues at the present rate, these magnificent animals may not be around for too much longer. We have already reached the "tipping point" - more rhinos are being slaughtered than the number of calves being born each year!

It is essential that we make people aware of the plight of the rhino because the greater the awareness, the greater the chance of saving the rhino from extinction. DownUnder Africa Safaris is focussed on trying to educate people about the plight of the rhino. All of our safaris actively seek out rhinos on our trips so that people can see what magnificent animals they are. DownUnder Africa Safaris also encourages people to photograph rhinos and show their friends, once again to create greater awareness. Why don't you book a safari with DownUnder Africa Safaris so that we can show you these magnificent animals. Visit: www.downunderafrica.com

13/05/2016

In my last article (Part 2).I said that I would discuss some more basic photographic principles in future articles. Well, now I am going to talk about (in very general terms) the very essence of a good/interesting photograph. I am going to talk about composition - that elusive element that renders a photograph interesting/captivating or just plain boring! Before delving more into composition, I am assuming that the technicalities, such as accurate focus (the important parts in focus), exposure (not too light or too dark) etc. have been adhered to! The interesting thing about composition is that some people see it quickly whilst others (the majority of people) need to really work at it! Good composition is about balance - getting all the elements in the photo to work together.

I talked previously about Ansel Adams' photographs. Apparently he would survey the scene he wanted to photograph for days before he pressed the shutter. He would explore various compositions and the play of the light. Once he KNEW what he wanted his photograph to look like, he pressed the shutter. He didn't hope for a good photograph, he MADE a good photograph. If you look at Adams' photographs you will immediately see how he uses the various elements in his photos to lead you to the focal point (the "pinnacle") of the photo. He uses rivers, valleys, etc to great effect to draw the viewer into the photograph.
I would strongly suggest that if you want to improve your photography, then you too, should take your time. Look at all angles, look at how the light is portraying the subject and only once you are satisfied that you have all the elements lined up, then take the photograph. Of course in wildlife photography, one seldom has the luxury of time because things can happen very quickly. However, if you are able to move yourself, or your vehicle, to get a better angle, then do so. Your photos will definitely benefit. How often do we see people drive up to a scene, open their car window, poke the camera out, click the shutter and then roar off. I will leave it to you to gauge if this is the way to get a really quality photo!

In the beginning of the article I said that I would discuss composition in very general terms. In fact, I have hardly scratched the surface of this interesting and complex topic. To really get a better understanding of composition I am going to refer you to someone I have mentioned before.

Hougaard Malan is a very good South Africa landscape photographer. Hougaard has written an excellent, easily understandable, e-book on composition (Landscape Photographer's Guide to Composition). I strongly suggest that you download this e-booklet. He deals with composition in a more detailed way than I am able to in this post. Importantly, he demonstrates his points of view with quite simple text and very good photographs. You can download the booklet for about $10 through his website - http://www.capturearth.com/products

Good luck an let me know how you progress!

11/05/2016

All photos taken by Alvin van Niekerk

18/04/2016

Photo by Alvin van Niekerk

18/04/2016

Part 2.

In Part 1, I made the point that photography is an individual pursuit, and that not everyone understands (or wants to understand) basic compositional rules, correct exposure etc! However, my view is that if one is going to take a photograph, then rather take a good one than a “bad” one! This is true for almost all types of photography, but it is particularly true for wildlife photography. On our DownUnder Africa trips we will help you take better photographs without filling your head will all sorts of technical jargon. We will encourage you to follow some very basic principles in order to produce very acceptable photographs. You will be surprised how quickly you will improve your photography. Some of the basic principles we will promote are:
1. Use a camera that is “fit for purpose”. By this we mean don’t be disappointed when an elephant 100 metres away appears very small in the frame if one is using an iPhone camera. I know one can zoom in on the subject, but the more one zoom’s in, the greater that chances of camera shake (more on camera shake below). IPhones are brilliant for landscape and portrait photography but they weren’t designed for wildlife photography.
2. Camera shake. This is probably the single biggest factor that spoils a good photograph. May people will condemn the lens as being inferior if their images are slightly out of focus. The truth is that unless one is able to hold any camera really steady, then camera shake becomes an issue. A general rule is: If one is using a single reflex camera with a 200mm lens then the minimum shutter speed should be greater than 1/200th of a second. I say that this is a general rule because most “modern: lenses have an Image Stabilization” feature (IS) which will allow one to step down by up to two stops. In other words, if one is shooting at 1/200th of second at f5.6 with a 200mm lens, IS would allow one to use an aperture of f11 at 1/200th of a second. If possible always use a tripod or at least a monopod.
3. Backgrounds. Always be conscious of the background in the photograph. When composing the photo in the viewfinder, always make sure that you don’t have any distracting items in the background. A portrait photograph seldom looks good with a tree sticking out of the subject’s head.

The really satisfying thing about photography is that the more photographs that one takes, the more one will strive to make better photos. Be critical of your photos; ditch the poor one’s immediately (either in-camera or on your computer). This discipline will ensure that you only keep the best photos and also don’t clog up your computer hard-drive with unnecessary junk!

I will talk more about basic principle, improving one’s photography and having fun in forthcoming articles

18/04/2016

Photography – a way of seeing things!

Part 1

Much has been written about photography as an art form. Everyone will have their own opinion on this! But, does it really matter? For many people, photography is just a way of capturing an image, which they can look at again or show their friends or family. Whether the photography subscribes to the “two-thirds” rule or some other rule is of very little consequence to such photographers.

However, for those who want to pursue photography more deeply, then the rewards are great. Not only in producing photographs that people admire, but for the photographer the increased ability to really see things as opposed to just looking at things. The challenge for me is to see things differently and to try and photograph a familiar subject or scene and make a photograph that immediately gets the readers attention. Many black and white landscape photographers will be familiar with the photographs of Ansel Adams. The beauty and power of his photographs, together with the writings of John Muir, led to Yosemite National Park in the USA being proclaimed a national park way back in October 1890 (the second oldest National Park in the US). Hundreds of thousands of people have visited Yosemite over the last 126 years and many of them have tried to capture the scenes that Ansel Adams recorded but very few have been able to produce photographs that are truly different. This is not to say that other photographers have not produced beautiful photographs (they have) but to find a Yosemite photograph that is unique and knocks one’s socks off is quite rare.

Another landscape photographer, in the more modern era, that has that keen ability to see scenes differently to most other people and make beautiful photographers is Hougaard Malan; a South African photographer who produces the most beautiful landscape photographs

Hougaard is someone who not only “sees” a photograph where many others’ don’t, but is able to capture and accentuate the scene by exploring photography and all of its facets.

The bottom line: Photography is a very personal thing – if one is happy just recording images that is fine, but if one want to progress one’s photography, read on!

10/03/2016

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ELEPHANTS
Elephants are wonderful creatures. If one has ever just sat and watched these magnificent animals you would be amazed at their intelligence and social behaviour. The group dynamics are fascinating and most often controlled by the matriarch. In areas where water is particularly scarce, such as in the Namib desert, the matriarch will lead the herd to water that many animals would have difficulty in finding. This ability to find water is passed down from generation to generation. The good thing is that these elephants are willing to share "their" water - once they have had their fill of course! The social dynamics are particularly entertaining when there are babies in the herd. They play in an ungainly fashion; one cannot help but be amused and fascinated by their antics. Of course, the more mature animals and their respective mothers are always on the lookout for any danger. Mothers are fierce protectors of their young. Below are some pictures of elephants taken on a recent DownUnder Africa safari to a private game reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park. Here one can sit at the breakfast and lunch table and watch these animals drinking and socialising about 80 to 100m away. It is a great way to enjoy one's meals! If you are interested in joining DownUnder Africa Safaris on a trip to the Etosha National Park (in Namibia where one will see almost white elephants (a consequence of the local soils)), or the Kruger and Greater Kruger National Parks, then visit our website - www.downunderafrica.com

22/02/2016

THE ROLE OF SAFARI COMPANIES IN THE PRESERVATION OF KEY ANIMAL SPECIES

Part 2
In wildness is the preservation of the world – Henry David Thoreau

In part 1, I outlined the plight of our environment and just one of the animals under threat from mankind. In part 2 of this article, I would like to talk about the need for a healthy environment for the survival of us human beings!

Henry Thoreau talks about the wilderness in terms of the preservation of the world. I think of wildness in terms of the preservation of mankind. There is no doubt that we live an ever-increasingly stressful life. Taking time out is essential if we wish to retain our sanity! For my family and my clients, we like to “escape” to the “bush”. The ‘bush” may mean different things to different people, but the African bush is what we savour; it is what we yearn for. The myriads of interactions between various animals, insects and plants are a never-ending source of fascination. Of course the big five always add a degree of excitement and awe but we don’t feel “cheated” if we don’t see all of the big five, simply because there are so many other animals to witness and appreciate. For me, when I return from the bush and continue with my “normal” life, I feel rejuvenated, but more importantly I understand more fully my place in this world. I get a sense of perspective of where I fit in! Lions and elephants, and all other animals, don’t give a continental as to whether I am a CEO of a large corporation, or anything else for that matter, or whether I drive a fancy motor car. In the “bush” we are all equal! We all have a place on this earth.

In Part 1, I talked about the need for us to get our children and our grand-children into the bush and help them develop an appreciation and affinity for the bush. In fact I think that this is more than a need, it is our responsibility to give kids the opportunity to experience nature. Good safari guides should not only find interesting wildlife, but have the knowledge and ability to describe the animal’s importance in terms of its place in the ecosystems and its interactions with other animals/insects/birds etc. To what extent this happens, I am not sure, but it is of prime importance to us at DownUnder Africa Safaris. We hope to provide an unforgettable, lifetime experience. We want people to come back year after year and develop the same kind of passion that we have. For more details on DownUnder Africa Safaris visit www.downunderafrica.com

In wildness lies the preservation of mankind!

Downunder Africa Safaris

13/10/2016

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