Safari Tours and Tips, African Wildlife, National Parks & Travel Deals
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Only 10% of South African snakes are venomous (I am not sure of the proportion in other countries), the younger snakes having a higher concentration of venom that the adult snakes.
Snakes have either teeth or fangs. Fangs can either be found in the back of the mouth or in the front, and can either inject the venom into your skin or squirt it into your eyes.
Problems that you will face are:
If the snake is venomous, what type of venom was injected into you Once again, the identity of the snake will solve this one. How long will you live for That depends on how old the snake was, how much venom was actually injected and the concentration of the venom.
TYPES OF VENOMOUS SNAKE BITES
Cobras and Mambas inject Neurotoxic venom which will affect the nervous system and cause initial muscle weakness, blurred vision, difficulty in swallowing and breathing and eventually paralysis.
Adders inject Cytotoxic venom which will cause massive swelling and bruising to the area that was bitten, and could eventually burst the skin open. Read the rest »
Tags: vacation, wild life, hunting, safari, holiday, resorts, lodges, vacation, kruger park, elephant
When on Safari, whether walking or driving, it is important to keep a few issues in mind. This is not only to ensure the safety of you and your group but also to improve the whole experience and really make it something to remember (for all the right reasons!).
Before you buy a plane ticket and pack your bags you must consider the time of year in which your Safari holiday will take place. After all, you don’t want to miss the animal migrations which take place every year. For instance, wildlife is generally found in the Serengeti during the summer months, the Masai Mara during August and September and the Ngorongoro area (NCA) from October to March.
Secondly, packing the right gear is essential. You will need to be able to carry your bag in case of breakdown. Luggage of around 8 to 11kgs is perfect. Read the rest »
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One of the lesser known safaris of Africa is the Pilanesberg Safari, known more for the game and adventure associated to it rather than real wildlife, but if you are lucky, you might just spot the Tiger somewhere. Pilanesberg is located in the North-West province of South Africa and is famous for “game safaris” rather than the normal self-drive safari that parks like kruger boast of.
Game safari is basically a pre planned safari, in which, a group of people is taken along with a ranger who knows the park and its creatures well. Therefore, ii=n a game safari, the element of doubt is totally removed, because the rangers are almost certain as to what you might see at a certain place, much like a zoo, but none the less, these game tours are designed in such a way that they thrill you to the core. Pilanesberg houses the largest “games relocation project” undertaken on the continent of Africa (known as ‘operation genesis’). The landscape, vegetation and wildlife of this park are totally awesome.
The park is home to a 3 ml. year’s old extinct volcano, which has deposited alkaline wastes around itself, giving rise to diverse vegetation.
The environment is just amazing, with rolling round knolls in the background, contrasted with flat brown ground grass or savannah in the foreground. And this type of forest setting is perfect for animal like zebras, antelopes and buffaloes, which can be seen in large groups all over the park, painting its natural backdrop with the colors of life. The actual game viewing in the park begins early morning at around 5 and the ground crew of the park makes sure that you are taken care of. And when you begin the perfectly timed game drive, you catch the sun-rise which illuminates the whole park in amber light, a perfect start to a perfect safari. The roads of the park are designed in such a way that they often lead to water sources and are easy to walk on, so the chances of spotting a lion, taking a stroll to the river are greatly increased, although, it is not as authentic as spotting the big one by a bush, yet it is thrilling none the less.
This is what “game viewing” is all about; the park is designed in such a way that you get a clear view of each and every animal present, without hampering their natural habitat. The rangers are well equipped and are in constant touch, and this helps them track the tigers, and in turn, helps us to get a good view of the animal, specially while is catching its prey, i.e.
When the “game” is on! Another heart rendering experience of the Pilanesberg park is the balloon safari, enabling the tourist to pick the “game(hunting)” he wants to view. You can effortlessly float to any part of the park without worrying about following the map or the roads, and you are even served with a sparkling glass of wine, atop the hot air balloon. Finally, while you are nearing the end of your trip, you might be able to spot a hippo, submerged in a river somewhere, bidding adios to you!
Tags: animals, africa, big five, rhino, resorts, holiday, leopard, camping, safaris, vacation
When you have the urge to relieve yourself or litter in a nature reserve or wilderness area in the Western Cape, consider that:
Cape Nature Conservation manages most of the protected areas representing the Cape Floristic Region, the smallest and most threatened of the world’s six floral kingdoms. The Cape Floristic Region is one of the world’s “hottest biodiversity hotspots”: it contains 9 000 plant species, of which 6 000 are found nowhere else on earth. This plant kingdom is threatened by invasive plants, agriculture, urbanisation, pollution, poaching, soil erosion and unseasonal fires.
Large tracts of the Western Cape mountains, including privately-owned land, are proclaimed catchment areas. This means that they are managed as an important source of fresh water. Protected mountain catchments constitute only nine percent of the surface area of the Western Cape, yet they provide 60 percent of the water generated in the province.
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The Okavango delta is an awesome spectacle of nature. Here, a river flows through curves and turns and gauges itself in the African wilderness, ending on the sands of Kalahari desert, forming a delta, and giving rise to sprawling life.
Okavango is the biggest wetland in the whole of Africa, and because of this, you’ll find huge concentrations of wildlife here. The aerial view of the delta reveals that it is a network of water bodies, interconnected into each other, with land masses in between them, tangled like a web.
Okavango promised sights of elephants, hippos and rare birds along the river bed, and antelopes, zebras and wildebeests in the thick forest cover. The high concentrations of easy to catch mammals attracts a huge number of predators like the hyenas and the cheetahs, if you are lucky, you might even come across a tiger. The best time to hit the delta is dawn, when the mist un furls itself over the water body and you can spot some really wonderful birds and aquatic antelopes, thrusting with freshness. Read the rest »
Tags: elephant, animals, south africa, resorts, safari, animal, hotels, leopard, holiday, lodges
The drive from Embu to Meru has some breath taking scenery.
We turn to the mountain, climbing higher up the slopes. The country side is picturesque, with a green carpet of tea plantations, coffee shrubs and macadamia trees. The air is tantalizingly fresh. From the main road, its hard to imagine that there is fertile farmland so far up Mt Kenya.
The clear rivers
A river runs from the slopes, crystal-clear cold water gushing out of the forest, skirting the farms and down to the plains. Its the Rupingazi. Near the indigenous forest, a trout farm has been set up by the Nyanjara Rivers Waters Association, not only an income generating venture to uplift their living standards, but also to save the mountains remaining forests.
Its a holistic approach to managing ecosystems. The trout must have clean, fast-flowing water to survive. High above the fish and the tea farms, the old forest line the skyline. Elephants sometimes stray out of the forest since farms wedge their way higher up.
The mega-sponge forests
Tags: national parks, vacation, camping, safaris, vacation, lodges, hotels, lion, african, africa