The Wickedness of Vervets (KNP 5)

Last week I told you about our “animal encounter” with a Vervet Monkey - or to give it its proper name, a Savanna Monkey. Well, here are some more Monkey stories, because while as dangerous as anything else with fur and fangs (think leopards, lions, hyenas, wild dogs), they really are very funny – provided you’re not on the receiving end of their brazen behaviour.


Vervets are smart – and cheeky. Many of them have worked out that human spaces are good places for rich pickings. The Skukuza restcamp where we stayed is overrun with the critters. They swing through the trees, chattering, ready to scavenge and “make a fast buck”. They’re not easily intimidated and will happily try their luck. They also hang out at all the picnic spots where one might be inclined to take a midday break.


We had our first encounter at the Nkulu tearoom on the riverine road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie, where the Vervets were having a field day. Hanging out in the trees, they kept a beady eye on the comings and goings of the lunch providers – that’s you and me, to them. One monkey would stake out a family and watch them, keeping a keen eye on lunch preparations. It would edge closer, seemingly innocent and just as the sandwich was ready, it would leap with astonishing speed, grab the sandwich and beat a hasty retreat up the nearest tree – usually to the chorus of “Voetsek! jou blerrie ding!” (which roughly translated means “sod off, you bloody thing!”) What I found deeply amusing was the outrage of the robbed humans. I mean, come on, the monkeys were there first, right, you’ve got nice goodies and it’s winner takes all. Frankly, I admire the chutzpah!


As I sat watching these antics I became aware of the fact that I too was being observed. And the watcher was sidling ever closer. What, I wondered, did I have that Mr Vervet could possibly want. All that was in front of me was an empty coffee cup and a small packet of sugar.
The Vervet gave me a look and looked away. He leapt a tree branch closer. He gazed innocently into the sky and had a scratch. He shot me another glance and hopped to the ground. Again, he gazed around him the picture of perfect virtue - and the next thing he was on the table. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he sat there, studiously ignoring me. Then in a swoop his arm shot out, the paw grabbed the sugar packet and in a flash (and I’d like to think with a whoop of triumph) he was gone and bounding up his tree, where, mightily pleased with himself, he tore open the sugar packet and scoffed the lot.


But not only do Vervets irritate humans, they have a fine sense of humour that involves irritating each other – especially if they’re young and full of fun. One small chap, taking a break from capers and antics, had snuggled up to mum for a drink. An older youngster, peeved that his playmate had disappeared, snuck up the tree and gave the baby’s tail a mighty tug. The baby finished his slurp, shot down the tree and the game was on again, involving chasing, biting and squealing. It’s clearly a very tough life being a Vervet (okay, being eaten by leopards, aside) - all fun, romps, scratching, eating and snoozing all day. We’d do well to heed the lesson!

Odd Shots On Monday # 17

Barrel (geometric) distortion made by the wide angel lens.

Lighthouse Lange Erik - Öland Sweden

The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.

Some summer holiday shots from Norway # part 5.

Ålesund is a city and municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Jugendstil architecture.

Ålesund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838. Borgund was merged with Ålesund January 1, 1968. Sula was separated from Ålesund January 1, 1977. Ålesund received city rights in 1848. It is the administrative center as well as the principal shipping city of the Sunnmøre district. The Ålesund agglomeration has a population of 45,299.

Ålesund was originally known as Kaupangen Borgund, kaupang being Norse for marketplace or town. The West Norse form of the current name was Álasund. The first element is (probably) the plural genitive case of áll m 'eel', the last element is sund n 'strait, sound'.
Until 1921, the name was written Aalesund.

Ålesund municipality occupies seven of the outer islands in the county of Møre og Romsdal: Hessa, Aspøy, Nørvøya, Oksnøy, Ellingsøy, Humla and Tørla. The city centre is located on the islands Aspøy and Nørvøy, while Hessa and Oksnøy contain residential areas. The second largest island, Elingsøy, used to be accessible only by boat or by road via Skodje municipality, but a subsea tunnel was built in 1987 to make travelling between the island and the city centre more convenient. The tunnel is 3,481 metres long, and is currently being upgraded. Situated 236 km north northeast of Bergen, Ålesund is adjacent to the Hjørund and Geiranger fjords, the latter being on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
The municipality covers an area of 93 km2. The population is 41,385, making the population density 430 people per km2. The population of the agglomeration, which includes parts of the neighbouring municipality Sula, is 45,299. The municipality also contains three small, separate urban areas — Hoffland, Årset and Myklebost — with a total population of 1217.
The city has a pronounced maritime climate with mild and windy winters; the coldest month of the year, January, has a mean temperature of 1.3 °C. The lowest temperature ever recorded at Ålesund Airport, Vigra is a mere -11 °C.
(Source - Wikepedia)

The Awesomeness of a Morning Bush Walk (KNP 4)

Out in the wildness of the bush

Probably one of the most amazing things one can do in the Kruger National Park is to go on an early morning bushwalk. Admittedly this means rousing oneself at the ungodly hour of 04h30 in order to meet the guide at 05h15 and then facing an incredibly freezing drive in an open Landrover to the walking spot. Given it’s winter, temperatures are a bit extreme – down to about 2 degrees in the early morning (never mind the windchill factor), and up to over 30 degrees come midday.

We walked with two rangers, Ewoudt and Hubert – both armed with rifles carrying ammunition that would genuinely have floored an elephant with one shot. This is the bush, it is dangerous and although no one would ever want to do it, sometimes needs must.

Bush trekking

We started our walk in the chilly morning air under an indigo sky. The sun was only just stretching and casting a pink-purple hue over the golden landscape as we walked. Colours are startling in the bush – vibrant, rugged and mesmerizing. The sun, a fiery red orb, finally rose behind the bare outstretched arms of the Jackalberry and Marula trees, warning of the heat to still come.

Purple sky

Fiery sunrise

Beautiful sunrise aside, it has to be admitted that the ten humans tramping through the veld were probably one of the least pretty and more rowdy sights that morning. Human voices – and smells - are out of place in the bush. Silence is key, but the dry grass as it scrunched underfoot made keeping quiet extremely difficult.

As we advanced through the savannah, Ewoudt, the primary ranger, motioned us to stop and be still. Our eyes scanned the bushveld. Somewhere, lurking amidst the khaki and the gold was something large and grey. An elephant? No – the beast that lumbered into view was the archetypal armoured tank, a white rhino. Huge beast. Short-sighted and not at all keen on humans. We crept forward as the beast hulked between the bushes. We were downwind of him so he could smell us, if not see us. His twitchy little ears waggled back and forth and he looked increasingly unsettled. Then with a mighty snort he was off, moving with remarkable grace for one so huge (males weigh between 2040 – 2260 kgs) and disappeared down a hill.

Mr Rhinocerous, short-sighted and shy

We tramped on, crossing an open scrubby plain – and coming across the remains of a wildebeest and then an impala. By the time the lions, hyenas and vultures have had their fill there is very little left of the poor beast that once was. The skull and horns are all that remain. Everything else is crunched and munched – the hyenas being keen on the bones, while the Bateleur Eagles relish eyeballs. Nothing goes to waste.

Wildebeest horns - not much left

Impala horns, even less left

Eventually we reached a dried out riverbed. The Kruger Park falls in a summer rainfall area so in winter waterholes and rivers dry up. As we trudged across the sand we saw a troop of baboons scatter from the riverine scrub, shrieking and barking as they loped away. Next a herd of impala appeared and scattered swiftly in agile leaps and bounds. Ewoudt picked up a handful of sand and let it fall, checking the direction of the wind. We were in a good position, upwind of whatever might emerge from the trees. Again, he motioned us to be silent and led us forward as two elephants appeared from the trees at the river’s edge. We stood maybe 200 m from them as they tore at branches and stripped leaves. Awesome. Amazing. Words cannot do the experience justice.

Ellies arrive at the edge of the riverbed...

...and move toward rich pickings

I see you...

Breakfast

A sudden, gruff cough made me lift my head. It was a sound I’ve heard in other bush twice before. Ewoudt nodded. “Leopard,” he murmured.

We moved on, and clambering up a granite outcrop we stopped for a snack, our voices ringing out, incompatible with the bush, carrying over the miles, probably scaring every animal away.

Snacks devoured, we headed back towards the Landrover, pausing to examine a rhino midden. They’re latrine animals and a male rhino will use between 20 – 30 middens to mark out his territory, kicking up the dung to spread it about. A low growl in the distance told us lions were afoot and sure enough, a large paw print in the sand proved the point.

Rhino midden - though this is probably the dung of a female, left at the edge of the dominant male's midden

My what big feet you have, Mr Lion...

Ewoudt told us that two days before whilst out walking with another group, they’d come across a lion and two cubs. They paused to watch, marveling at the sight – and totally unaware that the rest of the pride had gathered and were circling around them, locking the group in. As Hubert, the other ranger said, “It was an exciting moment!”

My words and images can’t possibly do justice to the experience and so all I would say is, if you ever get the experience to visit a game park that does early morning walks, do it. There is nothing so awesome, nothing that quite puts you so in touch with wild nature as actually walking in it, being part of it, respecting the magnificence. And scared? No, not for one moment, it was just all too amazing. I’d take my chances in wild nature any day – it’s safer, I’ve no doubt, than walking on the streets of Cape Town or Johannesburg.

Winter riverbed

Some summer holiday shots from Norway # part 4

Geiranger is a small tourist town in the western part of Norway in the region called Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund. Geiranger is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and has been named the best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Norway's third biggest cruise-ship port receives 140 - 180 ships during the four-month tourist season. Several hundred thousand people pass through every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 people who live there permanently. There are five hotels and over ten camping sites. The tourist season stretches from May to early September; in the off-season the pace and activity are reduced to that of a normal small Norwegian town.
Each year in June, the Geiranger - From Fjord to Summit event occurs. It comprises a half marathon run and a bicycle race, both starting from the sea level at the fjord and ending at the 1,497 m (4,843 ft) summit of Mount Dalsnibba. As there is still a lot of snow left in the mountains at that time of year, the race could also be called From Summer to Winter.
Geiranger is under constant threat from the mountain Åkerneset which could erode into the fjord. A collapse could cause a tsunami that could destroy downtown Geiranger.

M/S NordNorge

Geirangerfjord - Sightseeing boat

The Geirangerfjord (Geirangerfjorden) is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region, located in the southernmost part of the county Møre og Romsdal in Norway. It is a 15km long branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord). At the head in the fjord lies the small village of Geiranger.
The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jointly with Nærøyfjord, since 2005, although this status is now threatened by the disputed plans to build power lines across the fjord.
The Geirangerfjord is under constant threat from the mountain Åkerneset which is about to erode into the fjord. A collapse would produce a tsunami, hitting several nearby towns including Geiranger and Hellesylt in about ten minutes.
Along the fjord's sides there lie a number of now abandoned farms. Some restoration has been made by the 'Storfjordens venner' association (see external link below). The most commonly visited among these are Skageflå, Knivsflå, and Blomberg. Skageflå may also be reached on foot from Geiranger, while the others require a boat excursion. The fjord is also host to several impressive waterfalls.
A car ferry, which doubles as a sightseeing trip, is operated by Fjord1. It runs lengthwise along the fjord between the towns of Geiranger and Hellesylt.

The Seven Sisters (no: Syv Søstre, or Syv Systre) is a waterfall consisting of seven separate streams in Geirangerfjord, Norway. The tallest one has a free fall that measures 250 meters.
The legend of the seven sisters is that they dance playfully down the mountain, while the couurtier (a single waterfall opposite of the seven sisters) flirts playfully from across the fjord.

The Seven Sisters (left) and the Suitor (right).

Hellesylt is a small village in the municipality of Stranda, Norway. Its population as of 2007 is about 600. Hellesylt lies at the head of the Sunnylvsfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord), and which the more famous Geirangerfjord in turn branches off nearby. In the summertime, thousands of tourists travel through or stay at Hellesylt each day. Most of them take the ferry to Geiranger, which in high season runs every half an hour. The village is surrounded by mountains and valleys.
Hellesylt is under constant threat from the mountain Åkerneset, which is about to erode into the Geirangerfjord. A collapse would cause a tsunami destroying most of downtown Hellesylt.

Hellesylt Waterfall