Tourists see a plethora of wildlife and water birds on the boat cruises offered by Pongola Game Reserve. The jetty is at the river mouth where we regularly clean and maintain the boats. It is also the hunting ground for the Nile Croc. Even though the last recorded croc attack in the Pongola River was in 1964, we remain vigilant when wading in the murky water. Most of the Jozini crocs, even...
Nature's natural miracles
Posted by Luke on Tue December 2, 2014 in Ranger Diaries.
Looking at the pictures it’s hard to believe that this has been happening for 100 million years! Plants and pollinators are entwined in a dance of co-dependency and it is such a fragile relationship that should one party be removed, life as we know it would be very different. So why did it all start? Why did a plant start making flowers and using complicated chemical reactions to make attractive scents and make nectar, all of which are very expensive in terms of energy?
It all comes down to sex. Plant sex that is… the pollen needs to reach the egg to make more plants, and if the plant doesn’t make a flower it needs to rely on chance- using wind or water to transport the pollen and maybe it reaches the egg maybe it doesn’t! By bribing a pollinator like a bee the chances increase, and the bee doesn’t mind as it gets sweet nectar.
80% of the world’s crop species including food, beverage, dye, medicine and fibre all rely on pollinators. If we should lose the pollinators we will run out of food and not only that but there will be no roses to give your valentine sweetheart!
Unfortunately due to habitat destruction, the use of pesticides and, surprisingly, cell phones, there is a global loss of animal pollinators. Cell phones emit high frequency sound waves which interrupt insects from finding each other and bees are dying before they reach the hive as they get lost. Apart from that there is a mysterious disease killing them worldwide.
Now the next time you spy a fly or see a bee think twice about spraying it with doom or swatting it as every bee counts to a future that benefits us all!
Text by: Luke Abbot
Photos by: Luke Abbot
Further Reading
The Lost Baby Crocodile
Mon May 28, 2018
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Cats, Dogs, and those in-between.
Fri October 9, 2015
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In a land where predators garner their prey, we find that only the strongest, fittest and mightiest of creatures survive the battle of life. There is an ongoing war between the great beasts which is essential for retaining the natural order.
Black Rhino Tracking at White Elephant Safari Lodge
Thu April 16, 2015
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This is a vehicle- based activity in which we set out to locate Black Rhino, and under appropriate circumstances, approach these leviathans on foot, to truly appreciate their size, power and majesty. From the vehicle, we use signals received from radio collars worn by certain individuals, and the natural signs of spoor, dung and other evidence, to find the rhino.
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