Johnson and Wales University – June 2015

This group was focussed mainly on eco-tourism, leadership and event coordination, and was very different in many respects from our Natural Resources groups. They arrived at the airport in Hoedspruit, straight from a wonderful experience in Cape Town. We whisked them off into the bush, showing them animals from the very beginning, as we drove along the fence lines of the many private game reserves near Eastgate airport, the gateway to the Greater Kruger Park.

We stopped in Hoedspruit to do a little shopping and then went directly to Djuma, where our bush component was to begin. We headed straight out on drive, with an immediate interaction with a nonchalant spotted hyena which walked right by our car. This was to be the way things worked, with wonderful lion sightings, beautiful scenes at waterholes during the sunset and interesting bird life all around, including the red-billed oxpeckers which rode the backs of the many Cape buffalo we saw.

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We had close to a week of safari type activities, with wonderful game, including elephants, one of which is pictured here. The middays were filled with lessons and lectures, and the experience of building up the skeleton of a poached rhino bull. This sobering lesson raised awareness to the plight of these amazing creatures. The professors, Alistair and Sean gave presentations and lectures, all focussing on the various aspects of marketing and event coordination that were pertinent to the group. We also had interesting discussions about the communities and how we could develop methods of earning income for these marginalised people, and help to include them in the obvious and plentiful income derived by game reserves. A sit spot was also initiated, with the students being seated along river beds, or around large termite mounds, with a problem to think about, and there after the opportunity was given to discuss interesting and innovative solutions. The peaceful time in the bush was very much appreciated by most of us. The game viewing continued to impress, with squirrels, buffalo, lion cubs and even an attempt at tree climbing by a young lioness, keeping everyone enthralled and the cameras clicking away.

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One evening we heard a leopard calling just behind our camp, and all of us that were still awake rushed out in the vehicle to see if we could find it. We searched fruitlessly, for an hour or so and then returned to camp. However, we now knew there was a leopard in town. Then the next morning we searched again and still the cat remained elusive. We began to think that the beautiful creature had left our area. That afternoon, one of our colleagues took a short walk in the same part of the reserve where we had heard the calls, and happened to look up at the right time, into the branches of a huge tree, and there was the leopard, eating an antelope it had caught! He went back to his car and radioed us to join him. We had a fantastic view of an adult female leopard eating a steenbok and then Alistair and I opted to move along, leaving Diana and Sean with their group to watch. A few minutes later Diana radioed me to come back, as a big male leopard had arrived, climbed the tree and then stolen the prey from the smaller female. She had fled the scene, and now the much bigger male was eating her food!

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This was a highlight for many of the students, and certainly resulted in many photographs. A couple more days of wonderful game viewing was had before we packed up to travel to a nearby private game lodge. This four star rated reserve was very interesting for the eco-tourism students, as they were treated as guests from the very first moment, with porters and guides carrying luggage, pretty sugar-coated welcome drinks and refreshing face towels to wipe the dust of the day from our brows. We were then transported to our lodges, and shown to the luxurious rooms. Our safaris were undertaken by the resident guides, a treat for Lee and Diana, who were now guests on a private safari! Black rhino, baby lions, another leopard and warm morning coffee were amongst the many highlights of the trip, and everyone was most impressed with the fantastic standard of the meals too.

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Another interesting aspect was the unexpected creatures we got to see, which included a large Schlegel’s blind-beaked snake and a South African python. Neither of these creatures is commonly seen in the winter months and the mere presence of these animals is indicative of the warm winter we are experiencing. Of course another leopard is always a bonus, with a young male moving cautiously through the bush near our vehicles

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Birdlife on the trip was also fantastic, and here are three of my favourites from the trip, which I managed to capture during various aspects of our journey. The red-capped robin-chat was the most unexpected of these birds, and the Giant kingfisher probably the most impressive.

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The group had a wonderful time in the private reserve, with excellent game, good food and lodgings and very competent and enthusiastic guides and a really great learning experience was had by all.

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Then the next interesting leg of our journey began as we all boarded flights to Johannesburg and set off to a guest house in Fourways. We explored the city and attended a show starring a comedian, as an example of an event for the students that intended to move into this field. We had interesting dinners at various restaurants and also had a traditional dinner one evening, at a restaurant nearby. We explored Soweto and learned a little about the tumultuous history of South Africa, visited Nelson Mandela’s former home and went into an informal settlement to meet some of the families that called this place home. We Also saw a field butchery on a street corner, with a wooden chopping block and the skulls of cows laying about! An amazing contrast to this poverty was a visit to Monte Casino to have supper that evening and see Trevor Noah. It is almost surreal to see these two extremes of rich and poor so close to one another.

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On our last day went into the famous caves and museums of the Cradle of Humankind just outside Johannesburg. We had a presentation by Dr Tim Forssman about South African archaeology to prepare us a little for this trip.

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All in all this was one of the most interesting and diverse programs we have run, and it was wonderful to gain the experience of meshing the two components of city and bush together with such exciting aspects of both. One the final day, our group headed for the airport and the long flight to the USA, and their various campuses across the country.