Kruger National Park | Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife

Why Protecting Lions in Southern Africa is Rather Challenging

Oct 21, 2021 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Animal Poaching, Lions Tagged: Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park, Marnus Roodbol, saving lions

Isn’t the Lion the King of the Jungle? So, why is protecting lions in Southern Africa even an issue. For decades lion populations have been dwindling. According to Dereck Joubert (of National Geographic fame) the number of lions on the continent of Africa have dropped from around 450,000 to less than 20,000. And that’s in about 60 years! What can be done to stop the decline? Protecting Lions in Southern Africa With the reduction of wild places (lions’ living space) and human wildlife conflict (lions preying on livestock) there are no easy answers or quick fixes. However, in 2014 we…

Young Balule elephant shot 13 times before horrified guests

Dec 9, 2018 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: Elephants Tagged: APNR, Conservation Action Trust, Kruger National Park, trophy hunting

Just as the furor about the trophy hunting of the pride male named Skye began abating, another incident, the shooting of a young Balule elephant, has highlighted the ethics of hunting in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) alongside the Kruger National Park. This time the victim, a young Bulele elephant, was shot 13 times within sight of traumatized guests. Balule is a reserve within the APNR. After the first shot, the elephant began screaming and its cries were only silenced 12 shots later. Guests staying at Parsons Nature Reserve near the boundary of Maseke Nature Reserve were relaxing on…

Four out of the Big Five: The story in the Kruger is always the same

Nov 7, 2018 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: Lions, Rhino Tagged: Big Five, buffalo, elephants, Kruger National Park, kudu, lioness, rhino

For years now it’s four out of the Big Five we see when visiting the Kruger National Park. Why is this? What are we doing wrong? The alarm goes off at 5am. If it wasn’t for the glaring security lights in the camp it would still be pitch black. By 5:30 the rooftop tent is closed up. The breakfast snacks are ready. Layered clothing is on. Entrance money is counted. Binoculars pulled out and camera batteries charged. We’re at the Malalane Gate, along with several others, before it opens at 6am. By first light we’ve mapped out our path and…

How we’ve helped and what we’ve seen so far – Africa Safari 2018-2019

Aug 23, 2018 · by Wildlife Margrit · In: #NikelaAfrica, All Posts, Poaching Tagged: Africa Safari, Ann Reilly, Byron Sclanders, Kruger National Park, Natalie Rogers, Overlanding Africa, Shannon Hoffman, Silke von Eynern

A little over a month ago we arrived back on African soil. It’s been a wild ride of preparations, meeting some of our wildlife heroes and viewing some amazing animals and birds. Our Africa safari north, from South Africa to Ethiopia and back, has definitely begun. Prefer to listen… Before leaving the Johannesburg area we stopped by Bambelela. This wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center is nestled in the mountains outside of Bela Bela. We arrived at a time of grieving. Gert, Silke’s companion and wildlife rehab partner had passed away suddenly about 10 days before. However, as always we were…

Huge effort relocating elephants to save a mango crop

Sep 14, 2017 · by Nikela Volunteer/Guest blogger · In: All Posts, Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, wild animals, wildlife conservation Tagged: Conservation Action Trust, elephants, Elephants Alive, human wildlife conflicts, Kruger National Park, Relocating elephants

To save mango crops adjoining the famous Kruger National Park required relocating elephants who’d broken through a fence. Three bull elephants were saved from being shot and further damage to mango orchards averted after the bulls broke through the fences of a game reserve bordering the Kruger Park, raiding local farms and affecting human infrastructure. An elaborate rescue operation was launched by Elephants Alive, an organisation specialising in elephant research and promoting harmonious co-existence between people and elephants, after a call came in from the Hoedspruit Farm Watch that three young bulls had escaped from the Associated Private Nature Reserves…