/Ui-G/aqo, one of Namibia’s ace Master Trackers
EcoScience Trails
Discovery Trails, in liaison with natural scientists at local universities in a range of disciplines such as ornithology, geology, botany, zoology, entomology and anthropology, can offer customised EcoScience Trails in Makuleke.
These are distinctly immersive programmes for the wildlife connoisseur. They involve a combination of presentations, discussions and illustrative field excursions including – for the sake of a bit of exercise and good game encounters – walking trails.
The Return of the Bushmen
The Art of Tracking = the Origin of Science (Louis Liebenberg)
In mid-2018 /ui-Kxunta, /ui-G/aqo and #oma Daqm, Master Trackers of the Ju/'hoanis from Nyae Nyae in Namibia, arrived in Makuleke to participate in some pioneering trails. They came to display their extraordinary tracking prowess to guests participating in walking trails. They went on to do the same with wilderness trails in Nyalaland, in the Kruger Park itself.The trails were a great success. Over six walking trails, four in Makuleke, two in Nyalaland, the masters never did lose any tracks we chose to follow, even when the quarry turned out to be beyond our endurance to find. Lion, Eland, Kudu, snakes - anything of interest was pursued, accompanied by animated interpretations of animal behaviour. See the accounts in Wild Magazine as well as Business Day and then the RETURNAfrica website.
These are trails for the wildlife devotee who wants to take the wilderness trail experience in a big game environment to a new level of intensity and fascination. Best appreciated by those who already have some sense of what track identification and then tracking itself is all about.
Being planned for the first week in May 2019 is a more immersive San/Bushmen cultural experience: visiting a community in Nyae Nyae, Namibia.
Elephant encounters with Michelle Henley
For those wanting a trail experience with a deep focus on elephants, Michelle Henley can take you there. Her time and a few other things considered, we can craft a bespoke learning experience in the wilds: education plus observation. Let us know, and we'll take it from there.
Michell has worked in the areas of elephant ecology, behaviour and reproductive physiology for some 20 years. After completing her PhD on the sex- and age-related feeding distinctions in the African elephant, she was appointed Programme Co-ordinator and Research Ecologist of Save the Elephants – South Africa. For the past ten years she has monitored elephant movements and their social interactions by means of an identification study and habitat selection throughout the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, straddling South-Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. She has published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, popular publications and has contributed towards various books. She has written and illustrated children’s books on elephant conservation related topics, a subject which lies close to her heart.
Master Tracker trails, 2019
Bull Elephant Encounter, Bruce near Mangeba
Astronomy in the wilderness
We can set this up for you at Bush House. Nothing quite like the austral sky come night time. Please contact us to arrange this illuminating experience.
