Aside from satisfying my need to make a roadtrip (at last) I was also drawn to the idea of going to this new park because it was not officially open to the public. A ceremony has taken place last
weekend, on the 16th June, so we had the rare honour of wandering through a national park which yet has to see its first sneaker-bearing-camera-toting-cry-baby-carrying tourist. I had a slight feeling that I was about to travel into a wild and unexplored place when we reached the front gate. There were no signs anywhere to direct people towards this pristine wilderness, not on the highway or on the dirtroad leading up to the gate, except for a small sign that stated "Dangerous Animals". This confused me slightly because at Augrabies Falls we also have dangerous animals - leopards, puff adders, cape cobras, thick-tailed scorpions...I was nearly run-over by an eland bull once - but no sign to state this fact to unsuspecting visitors. This simple and vague statement did add significantly to our excitement: we assumed that due to the lack of explanation, all animals encountered within were to be considered life-threateningly viscious and will not hesitate to assault you and those who travel with you. As the gate rolled shut behind us I rolled up my window.
In fact there are not that many dangerous animals at Mokala National Park, but the sign is there to remind visitors that two of its resident species should not be taken lightly - no pun intended - if encountered. The species are namely the rhino and buffalo, not exactly the anorexic supermodels of the African bush and both have a temper to match their size if they are provoked by silly humans. As we drove the two kilometers to the reception area I was naturally hoping to see one of these behemoths next to the road, but alas we had no such luck. The park
itself was stunningly beautiful however and a stark contrast to the semi-arid desert environment we had left in the early morning. It reminded me of classic wildlife documentaries in which all of Africa apparently consisted of endless stretches of grass savannah with the occassional acacia "umbrella" silhouetted in the distance. The tall grass on both sides of the road would provide excellent cover for any stalking predator, if there were any of course, and I wondered where the ancient herds of wildebeest and zebra were grazing on this vast plain. The park does have some of the latter two species but as migrating is not an option there are only a few dozen wildebeest and a handful of zebras. Although the rumour is that some wildebeest have taken to the sky by means of SAA (South African Airlines) in order to reach the Etosha Pan, but because of delays and strikes at O.R. Tambo International the idea was soon abandoned.
Mokala is the Tswana word for Camelthorn, one of the most recognisable trees in the park and in South Africa. It is a large, multi-purpose tree which provides shelter, food and protection to many animals throughout the country. Most visitors will recognize it by its large white thorns, although several other lesser-known trees sport similar protective devices. The name was only recently given to the park after what had to be months and months of corporate meetings, working lunches and an endless line of eager consultants. The previous name of the park was Vaalbos - an Afrikaans word meaning Forest of the Vaal (a prominent river) - but because the entire park was moved to a new location last year a new name probably seemed like just the thing. You see, the old park was located about eighty kilometers from the new park but was forced to close down due to a landclaim. These claims are a slight annoyance to the new South African National Parks because the previous governments (in all their precognisance) sometimes forced communities off their land to make room for a national park - or mining operation, or military training ground, or etc etc...Not exactly the most democratic way in which to conduct a country's nature conservation efforts and now thousands of claims have been made by those same people who now want their land back. It is a controversial issue but one that the national parks cannot ignore if they want to break with the past. Augrabies Falls also has a landclaim to deal with, but only concerning a section of the park, because in 1973 a local community was “uprooted” and placed in Namibia (then South-West Africa) and the Eastern Cape. The reason for this was that the government had earmarked this particular patch of land for the South African Army to do their push-ups and curious locals simply had to go. Currently a large part of the former training grounds has already been handed over to members of the community who returned from their exile, but another piece of land which since 1982 has been managed by South African National Parks (then the National Parks Board) is still under review, so to speak.
But I’m drifting off again.
Mokala was formed by combining two private game reserves which South Africa National Parks bought after it became clear the old national park was going to be no more. Fortunately this meant that all the accomodations from these private (hunting) farms would also be sold which
meant instant luxurious facilities. The guest accomodations and the main restaurant/bar are all constructed in the typical African style that so many luxury lodges prefer and I have to admit it looks stunning, both inside and out. I was particularly jealous of the enourmous oakwood bar, complete with comfortable barstools, shiny beertaps and a big-screen television: all things I do occassionally miss back in Augrabies if I may be brutally honest. But the most impressive feature had to be the massive open fireplace which could easily provide shelter for a small family (plus dog), further surrounded by the most comfortable couches I had the pleasure of placing my weary self in for some time.
However all this tempting luxury was not the reason we had come to Mokala of course. We wanted to spend as much time out in the park and early Saturday morning we headed out with
Marisa’s friend Mark – who works there – for some day-long gameviewing. Despite still not meeting & greeting the buffalo’s or the rhino’s we got some stunning sights of most if not all of the other residents of this curious bushveld/semi-desert paradise. Blue wildebeest, zebra’s, tsessebe’s, red hartebeest and the majestic sable antelope all passed in front of our eyes as we drove over the red sand. Seeing a wild sable was certainly the highlight for me as it is one of my favourite African mammals – its massive curved horns, large body and ink black coat always brings to mind some kind of mythological creature, not quite belonging to this world.
If you’re still reading by this point I congratulate and thank you, I promise to spin an end to this post shortly. I’ve actually got work to do you know.
So on Sunday we went rhino tracking.
I’ll give you a moment to let that sentence sink in.
Beat that.
Yes, on Sunday me, Marisa and Mark went out with a park vet, David, who happened to be at Mokala that weekend to check on the white and black rhinos. As we had not seen any on our drives we were especially keen, but also because
this meant a rare glimpse behind the scenes which few people are allowed to witness. Feeling incredibly fortunate and with some excitement we left early in the morning with David to the area of the park where the rhinos are usually to be found, riding in the back of the Landrover. The air was cool but the sun was already out and with warm fleeces on it was a very comfortable if sometimes bumpy ride to the first “koppie” – a small rocky hill where we would take our first telemetry. The black rhinos had been collared before their release in order for the vets to track them easily and keep an eye on their well-being. These animals are still dangerously endangered (while their “white” cousins are no longer on the critical list) and constant monitoring is a must to ensure their survival. When we stopped at the first hill the three of us quickly made our way to the top. This seemed only a short distance from the bottom of the road but turned out to be a steep climb over thousands of fist-sized rocks – I was utterly exhausted as I reached the summit, thanking God for not allowing me to break my neck. David in the meantime only climbed about half-way up because that was high enough for him to get a signal of the rhinos. He shouted up at us, asking why we went all the way to top because now he had to wait for us to climb all the way down again. The man had a point. After making another deal with God on the way down we drove on to two more vantage points but the black rhinos kept quiet so to speak – there were some weak signals which probably meant they were lying down in a dry riverbed.
While on the look-out from the third hill we visited several rhinos were spotted at last. There appeared to be some black ones in the distance, but closer by were at least two white rhinos asleep in a narrow riverbed. Although their black cousins were the real reason we were out there, it would not hurt to get a closer look at the resting whites as well. Because of the more relaxed attitude white rhinos have, David asked if me and Marisa would like to accompany him on foot to where the behemoths were having their siesta. After my intense encounter with a white rhino bull in the Kruger I was very eager to observe them in a more placid state of mind. What followed were twenty unforgettable minutes where we stood and watched three rhinos from a distance of perhaps 40 meters. The wind was in our favour and they never stirred from their nap. Lucky for us because the pitifully small camelthorn trees in the area would not have survived the onslaught of a disturbed rhino for long.
That afternoon we had to drive back to Augrabies Falls. The road was still long and mindnumbingly endless, but it had been worth every single 1200 kilometers. And having not become completely detached from Western society, we had a some KFC in Upington which if I'm honest (again) tasted like little ground-up slices of heaven...
weekend, on the 16th June, so we had the rare honour of wandering through a national park which yet has to see its first sneaker-bearing-camera-toting-cry-baby-carrying tourist. I had a slight feeling that I was about to travel into a wild and unexplored place when we reached the front gate. There were no signs anywhere to direct people towards this pristine wilderness, not on the highway or on the dirtroad leading up to the gate, except for a small sign that stated "Dangerous Animals". This confused me slightly because at Augrabies Falls we also have dangerous animals - leopards, puff adders, cape cobras, thick-tailed scorpions...I was nearly run-over by an eland bull once - but no sign to state this fact to unsuspecting visitors. This simple and vague statement did add significantly to our excitement: we assumed that due to the lack of explanation, all animals encountered within were to be considered life-threateningly viscious and will not hesitate to assault you and those who travel with you. As the gate rolled shut behind us I rolled up my window.In fact there are not that many dangerous animals at Mokala National Park, but the sign is there to remind visitors that two of its resident species should not be taken lightly - no pun intended - if encountered. The species are namely the rhino and buffalo, not exactly the anorexic supermodels of the African bush and both have a temper to match their size if they are provoked by silly humans. As we drove the two kilometers to the reception area I was naturally hoping to see one of these behemoths next to the road, but alas we had no such luck. The park
itself was stunningly beautiful however and a stark contrast to the semi-arid desert environment we had left in the early morning. It reminded me of classic wildlife documentaries in which all of Africa apparently consisted of endless stretches of grass savannah with the occassional acacia "umbrella" silhouetted in the distance. The tall grass on both sides of the road would provide excellent cover for any stalking predator, if there were any of course, and I wondered where the ancient herds of wildebeest and zebra were grazing on this vast plain. The park does have some of the latter two species but as migrating is not an option there are only a few dozen wildebeest and a handful of zebras. Although the rumour is that some wildebeest have taken to the sky by means of SAA (South African Airlines) in order to reach the Etosha Pan, but because of delays and strikes at O.R. Tambo International the idea was soon abandoned.Mokala is the Tswana word for Camelthorn, one of the most recognisable trees in the park and in South Africa. It is a large, multi-purpose tree which provides shelter, food and protection to many animals throughout the country. Most visitors will recognize it by its large white thorns, although several other lesser-known trees sport similar protective devices. The name was only recently given to the park after what had to be months and months of corporate meetings, working lunches and an endless line of eager consultants. The previous name of the park was Vaalbos - an Afrikaans word meaning Forest of the Vaal (a prominent river) - but because the entire park was moved to a new location last year a new name probably seemed like just the thing. You see, the old park was located about eighty kilometers from the new park but was forced to close down due to a landclaim. These claims are a slight annoyance to the new South African National Parks because the previous governments (in all their precognisance) sometimes forced communities off their land to make room for a national park - or mining operation, or military training ground, or etc etc...Not exactly the most democratic way in which to conduct a country's nature conservation efforts and now thousands of claims have been made by those same people who now want their land back. It is a controversial issue but one that the national parks cannot ignore if they want to break with the past. Augrabies Falls also has a landclaim to deal with, but only concerning a section of the park, because in 1973 a local community was “uprooted” and placed in Namibia (then South-West Africa) and the Eastern Cape. The reason for this was that the government had earmarked this particular patch of land for the South African Army to do their push-ups and curious locals simply had to go. Currently a large part of the former training grounds has already been handed over to members of the community who returned from their exile, but another piece of land which since 1982 has been managed by South African National Parks (then the National Parks Board) is still under review, so to speak.
But I’m drifting off again.
Mokala was formed by combining two private game reserves which South Africa National Parks bought after it became clear the old national park was going to be no more. Fortunately this meant that all the accomodations from these private (hunting) farms would also be sold which
meant instant luxurious facilities. The guest accomodations and the main restaurant/bar are all constructed in the typical African style that so many luxury lodges prefer and I have to admit it looks stunning, both inside and out. I was particularly jealous of the enourmous oakwood bar, complete with comfortable barstools, shiny beertaps and a big-screen television: all things I do occassionally miss back in Augrabies if I may be brutally honest. But the most impressive feature had to be the massive open fireplace which could easily provide shelter for a small family (plus dog), further surrounded by the most comfortable couches I had the pleasure of placing my weary self in for some time.However all this tempting luxury was not the reason we had come to Mokala of course. We wanted to spend as much time out in the park and early Saturday morning we headed out with
Marisa’s friend Mark – who works there – for some day-long gameviewing. Despite still not meeting & greeting the buffalo’s or the rhino’s we got some stunning sights of most if not all of the other residents of this curious bushveld/semi-desert paradise. Blue wildebeest, zebra’s, tsessebe’s, red hartebeest and the majestic sable antelope all passed in front of our eyes as we drove over the red sand. Seeing a wild sable was certainly the highlight for me as it is one of my favourite African mammals – its massive curved horns, large body and ink black coat always brings to mind some kind of mythological creature, not quite belonging to this world.If you’re still reading by this point I congratulate and thank you, I promise to spin an end to this post shortly. I’ve actually got work to do you know.
So on Sunday we went rhino tracking.
I’ll give you a moment to let that sentence sink in.
Beat that.
Yes, on Sunday me, Marisa and Mark went out with a park vet, David, who happened to be at Mokala that weekend to check on the white and black rhinos. As we had not seen any on our drives we were especially keen, but also because
this meant a rare glimpse behind the scenes which few people are allowed to witness. Feeling incredibly fortunate and with some excitement we left early in the morning with David to the area of the park where the rhinos are usually to be found, riding in the back of the Landrover. The air was cool but the sun was already out and with warm fleeces on it was a very comfortable if sometimes bumpy ride to the first “koppie” – a small rocky hill where we would take our first telemetry. The black rhinos had been collared before their release in order for the vets to track them easily and keep an eye on their well-being. These animals are still dangerously endangered (while their “white” cousins are no longer on the critical list) and constant monitoring is a must to ensure their survival. When we stopped at the first hill the three of us quickly made our way to the top. This seemed only a short distance from the bottom of the road but turned out to be a steep climb over thousands of fist-sized rocks – I was utterly exhausted as I reached the summit, thanking God for not allowing me to break my neck. David in the meantime only climbed about half-way up because that was high enough for him to get a signal of the rhinos. He shouted up at us, asking why we went all the way to top because now he had to wait for us to climb all the way down again. The man had a point. After making another deal with God on the way down we drove on to two more vantage points but the black rhinos kept quiet so to speak – there were some weak signals which probably meant they were lying down in a dry riverbed. 
While on the look-out from the third hill we visited several rhinos were spotted at last. There appeared to be some black ones in the distance, but closer by were at least two white rhinos asleep in a narrow riverbed. Although their black cousins were the real reason we were out there, it would not hurt to get a closer look at the resting whites as well. Because of the more relaxed attitude white rhinos have, David asked if me and Marisa would like to accompany him on foot to where the behemoths were having their siesta. After my intense encounter with a white rhino bull in the Kruger I was very eager to observe them in a more placid state of mind. What followed were twenty unforgettable minutes where we stood and watched three rhinos from a distance of perhaps 40 meters. The wind was in our favour and they never stirred from their nap. Lucky for us because the pitifully small camelthorn trees in the area would not have survived the onslaught of a disturbed rhino for long.That afternoon we had to drive back to Augrabies Falls. The road was still long and mindnumbingly endless, but it had been worth every single 1200 kilometers. And having not become completely detached from Western society, we had a some KFC in Upington which if I'm honest (again) tasted like little ground-up slices of heaven...
Much has happened since this trip to Mokala: I have had a visit from a good friend of mine from the UK who is now off doing research in a nature reserve near Pilanesberg (close to Jo'burg). Unfortunately we could not fit in a return trip to Campfire (where we met in 2005), but our livers are certainly not complaining. We again walked the infamous Klipspringer Trail, but since the temperatures have dropped it was a significantly more pleasant experience than in the summer heat. Oh, and last week I visited Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with two of the other volunteers but that deserves a post all of its own...
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