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What makes Kenya great again?
10 new things that everyone should know when Kenya forms part of their bucket list Safari
Women’s Day 2019 | Today and everyday we celebrate you
The field of guiding is attracting more women into the industry every day. This August EcoTraining celebrates those women who are dedicating their lives to making our natural world a nurturing one.
Jennifer Palmer, is the founder of Women for Wildlife, an organization that seeks to empower local communities and at the same time, work towards the goal of conserving wildlife. She recently spent time at all of the EcoTraining camps and was part of several courses that were running in those camps at the time.
Jennifer Palmer
Jennifer, who has a Masters Degree in International Applied Ecology and Conservation, was able to immerse herself in both the ethos of EcoTraining and the roles that women play in the South African guiding industry.
Her work and passion has taken her to more than 40 countries including in Latin America, the South Pacific and now Africa.
Her goal she says “is to bring people together with compassion to make a difference in the world”.
As a solo traveller, she shared some tips for other women who might find themselves in similar situations, listen to what she has to say on her solo travels.
She also shared her thoughts about her time at the EcoTraining camps.
Jennifer Palmer
Another incredible initiative is called Rise of the Matriarch have a look at their YouTube channel and follow the incredible journey all these remarkable women are on.
In honour of Women’s Day, we’ve put together a video of some of the EcoTraining Women who show us that being brave, strong and independent has never looked so good!
EcoTraining TV – Women’s Day 2019
There are so many women out there that are making a difference every single day. We want you all to know that we appreciate your drive and dedication to the industry.
If you have a passion, a dream and a drive for conservation then take a look at the courses or careers available at EcoTraining.
World Lion Day | 10 August 2019
No matter how many times you have witnessed a pride of lions when out on a game drive, or if you have been lucky enough to have had an encounter on foot, your heart will always beat faster and the adrenaline will flow that much quicker. Today, the 10th of August 2019 we celebrate World Lion Day with some interesting facts.
Pride of Lions at Karongwe Game Reserve
Although often referred to as the ‘King of the Jungle’, you will often find lions in grasslands, open plains, or near a water source.
Try sitting next to a lion while it is vocalizing! Their roar can be heard up to 8km. Lions can vocalize as soon as they are born, but they only begin to roar when they are around one year old.
Although weighing in at an average of 180kg, the heaviest wild lion ever recorded was in 1936; a male lion weighing 313kg, which is very unusual for a lion; especially in the wild. The lion is the second-largest cat, with the tiger being bigger and heavier.
Whatever you do, don’t try to outrun them! They can reach speeds of up to 80km/h, but only in short bursts as they lack the stamina for lengthy chases. A cheetah which is the fastest mammal averages speeds of 100 – 120 km/h so if you think about it the lion is not too far off.
Contrary to what you may think, they are not the most successful predators, with less than 75% of their chases ending in a kill. Their most successful hunts usually happen under the cover of darkness. “Lions are the archetypal apex predator, but their hunting success rate strongly depends on the number of lions involved – a single lion hunting in daylight has a success rate of 17% – 19%, but this increases for those hunting as a group to 30%. Of 1,300 hunts observed in the Serengeti, nearly half involved only one animal, 20% involved two and the rest a group of (normally) between three and eight individuals.” – Discover Wildlife
That being said, their night vision is impeccable, along with their highly developed sense of smell and great hearing, their most advanced sense would have to be their eyesight. Lions are able to see eight times better than us at night, which is amazing as during the day our eyesight is not that different.
A pride can spend between 18 – 20 hours a day resting and conserving energy. They will only become active at dusk or if the need arises during the day.
Due to loss of habitat and exponential human population growth, the African lion population has been reduced by half since the 1950s.
Having once roamed the entire globe, lions are now only found in Africa and a small group that call the Gir Forest in India home.
The ultimate goal of World Lion Day is to be both educational and informative and create awareness surrounding lions and other conservation challenges we face.
Lioness (c) Constantin Schmittmann
Want to know more about lions? Have a look at the EcoTraining YouTube Channel to learn more.
Mandela Day and a tribute to Johnny Clegg | EcoTraining Mashatu Camp
In 2009, the United Nations declared that July 18th, Mabida’s birthday would be celebrated internationally as Mandela Day. In tribute to the 67 years that he fought for equality and social justice, communities, businesses and individuals were tasked with ‘giving back’ for 67 minutes.
World Giraffe Day | 21 June 2019
Indlulamithi – above the trees for World Giraffe Day.
Today on the winter/summer solstice also know as the longest night in the Southern hemisphere or the longest day in the Northern hemisphere we celebrate a very special, unique, curious, long necked animal, the Giraffe.
So why is the 21st June World Giraffe day? This is a new annual event launched by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to raise awareness of our iconic long-necked friends. Did you know that even though they are an iconic African species that very little research has been done on them, and because of this the tallest mammal of the African bush has been disappearing right under our noses? According to the ICUN it is now thought that there are less than 69000 mature Giraffes left across the African Continent. This might sound like a healthy population number however; when you consider that over the last three decades Giraffe numbers have decreased by around 30-40%, a staggering amount, this population estimate is beginning to not look as good as it first you first thought.
The reasons why their numbers are declining is a familiar story. War, civil unrest, explosions in the human population, deforestation, habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, disease and poaching are all contributing to their decline.
The Giraffe should have one advantage over other animals, because of its height they can reach food that other animals can’t which means that they don’t compete with other wild or domestic animals for food. However; in countries like Niger, where people are cutting down trees for fire wood, to grow crops and to sell, the Giraffes started to raid peoples crops, which in turn meant that the animals were being viewed as pests.
Currently the ICUN acknowledges the giraffe as one species with nine different subspecies. The Giraffe as a species are listed as vulnerable to extinction and if you break it down into the nine subspecies you will see that some of these subspecies are in danger of disappearing completely – the Nubian and Kordofan subspecies are critically endangered and the Reticulated subspecies is classified as endangered. The giraffes that live in Eastern, Western and Central Africa with most of them living in scattered, fragmented populations are the ones that are under the greatest threat whereas the lucky subspecies that live in Southern Africa have more stable population figures, although they are also not immune to population decline.
In recent years there has been some hope. The West Africa subspecies population declined so drastically that by the mid-nineties there were only 49 left. They used to have an extensive range, but they disappeared everywhere except in a small ‘giraffe corridor’ in Niger. Due to people recognizing the importance of them a massive conservation effort began. The Niger government gave them protected status and money was spent on anti-poaching. Thousands of Acacia trees, their favorite food have been planted, which helped to stop the Giraffes raiding people’s valuable crops. Thanks to Giraffe conservation organizations like GCF working with local people awareness of the Giraffes plight has increased and people now see these Giraffes as a positive force as they provide them with and income and jobs. All this work has had positive results. Their population numbers have increased and according to the ICUN there are now approximately 425 mature individuals. This success has enabled 8 West African Giraffes to be translocated to the protected Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, an area they haven’t roamed for 50 years. Although this might sound like a small number these Giraffe have helped to increase the Biosphere Reserves biodiversity and most importantly these precious animals are helping to establish a second colony of West African Giraffe.
Now there we are researching Giraffe we are learning some interesting things. Thanks to genetic testing our assumptions that there are nine subspecies has been shown to be wrong and many questions are being raised. It has shown that there are four distinct species of Giraffe that have not interbreed for millions of years. Some of these species of Giraffes also have subspecies.
Whilst this might seem like an academic argument, after all it doesn’t change the conservation status of these animals, it goes to show that there is still so much to learn about them. It is also hoped that with more research, by understating their genetic makeup and what makes each species of Giraffe unique that they will be able to come up with new conservation approaches that can save this amazing animal.
| Masai giraffe | Giraffa tippelskirchi | 35,000 |
| Northern giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis | 5,600 |
| Kordofan giraffe | G. c. antiquorum | 2,000 |
| Nubian giraffe | G. c. camelopardalis | 3,000 |
| West African giraffe | G. c. peralta | 600 |
| Reticulated giraffe | Giraffa reticulata | 15,780 |
| Southern giraffe | Giraffa giraffa | 54,750 |
| Angolan giraffe | G. g. angolensis | 17,750 |
| South African giraffe | G. g. giraffa | 37,000 |
When humans put their minds to it, we can change the world and when we work together with nature rather than just considering our needs, we can create a positive change.
Learn more about Giraffe (EcoTraining TV)
EcoTraining is launching the accredited FGASA Field Guide course in the Masai Mara, Kenya
EcoTraining, South Africa’s largest and oldest safari guide and wildlife training organisation will be offering the well-known FGASA level 1 (NQF 2) accredited Field Guide qualification in Kenya from the 14th September this year. A recognised accreditation in Kenya, the launch of this course also means lower rates for participants who want to acquire this qualification at a rate of USD 7,970.00.
Over the duration of fifty five days, participants on this course will traverse not one, not two but three different conservancies encompassing over 16,000 hectares, providing students access to a diverse range of biomes and elements that make this a truly sought after course in the industry.
Students will stay in unfenced tented and banda accommodation over the duration of the course. This truly immersive ‘live-in’ experience will allow participants to connect with the natural environment and develop their situational awareness which is an important part of becoming a field guide professional.
This course provides a solid foundation for many environmental careers in the wildlife, lodge and conservation sector. What makes this course so unique is its relevance to the natural environment of Kenya. Covering a broad spectrum of subjects, students also learn about the cohabitation and conflict between the community herdsmen with their livestock, crops and wildlife.
The course contains a combination of formal lectures and practical field experience, affording students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills whether it be on game drives or on-foot guided walks. Participants will have the opportunity to be assessed for their EcoTraining and FGASA Field Guide (NQF2) qualification which is conducted by EcoTraining instructors who are accredited FGASA assessors.
EcoTraining is of the firm belief that conservation is about people effecting positive change in the world. This is a milestone for EcoTraining in the plight for providing more access to environmental education in Kenya.
For more information about this upcoming course contact enquiries@ecotraining.co.za
What to expect from EcoTraining Selati camp
Many of our potential students wonder what it will be like to spend a year in the bush and how they will manage this if they come from an urban background. Not all the EcoTraining courses run for a full year and there are shorter courses on offer at Selati.
Learn about Butterflies Day – Butterfly Flutterby
To celebrate ‘Learn about Butterflies Day’, EcoTraining Instructor, David Havemann shares his fondness towards certain butterflies in Southern Africa. These beautiful flying insects are more than just a pretty sight, they also have many fascinating features that most people do not even know about.
Do you know what the largest rodent in South Africa is?
You never know what you will find in the African bush, especially if you decide to explore it on foot. There are so many creatures hiding away, all minding their own business. It is just a matter of what creature you will bump into next.
Always Expect the Unexpected
Professional Field Guide demonstrates safety first in a scary situation!
A very close wildlife encounter
Working in nature in unfenced bush camps is a wonderful and frightening experience at the same time. We live and work in remote areas so wildlife encounters in camp occur quite often.
The Golden Orb Spider
If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty Orb spider your wife…
A Father’s heart without dreams for his children is like a bird without wings
We share some lessons from great father figures in the bird kingdom.
A wilderness Photographer who became a professional Field Guide
People come to EcoTraining for a variety of reasons. Some want to become safari guides. Some want a gap year of adventure. Some just want to learn. Then you get some who want to be better photographers.
Hyenas are not the ‘Underdogs’ of Wild
If you look closely at them you will see their scars – proof of battles won and lost, proof that they are born survivors.
Bioturbation and how this contributes to the well-being of the planet
If bioturbation did not occur, plant growth would be severely reduced, thus negatively impacting the overall productivity of the planet. We owe a great deal to all these industrious animals for the preservation of our planet.
The Kenya Safari Guide programme with EcoTraining in the land of the greatest global wildlife migration
It happens once a year, why not make it an educational lifetime experience?
Sometimes you lose, sometimes you learn, sometimes life takes you on a new path
Sometimes, the hard moments in life forces you to rise above all odds and make the best of your situation. This is exactly what Jerry Sibiya did when circumstances left him homeless for a night.
The Verreaux Eagles defend their turf
The last Advanced Birding course was filled with exciting wildlife encounters and learning opportunities on the beautiful Mashatu Game Reserve. See what the students experienced in this photo blog.
