Ubizane Ablaze

Fire season is upon us! During winter the grass dries out which makes it easier to catch alight in certain circumstances.  At Ubizane we try and prevent fires by creating fire breaks.  

The best way to kill a fire...is with fire itself!

On Wednesday 17 July, we decided to have a controlled fire to create a fire break.   With more than 10 men helping with the process, we were assured that the fire would be completely under our control and will not spread to the rest of Ubizane.  Fires are very unpredictable and could become out of control so easily that it took a lot of care and attention to ensure that we did not have a disastrous situation on our hands. 

The fire is started in a U- shape to ensure that there is always an escape route for any animals in the area.  This set our minds at ease as our foremost concern was for the well-being of our precious wildlife.  

Cane rats came running out of the fiery fields countless times.  These are enormous rodents are widely spread in Africa, South to the Sahara.  Their habitat is mostly the long grasslands of Savannahs and similar landscapes.  They have a mole-like appearance and can grow almost up to 10 kg in the wild!  Even though these strange rodents are found popularly in Africa, very few people from urban areas have seen these creatures. 

 Another animal that we saw during the burn was a Red Duiker escaping from the inflamed grass.  The Duiker was very confused at first and ran up and down the fence line trying to escape through our fence.  After a while when we realized the Duiker was a bit too confused to escape to the large open bush which was not burning, our general manager made his way towards the buck guiding him towards the open space.  After a while the Duiker found his way, with our help, to flame-less freedom.  After the incident we kept a close eye on any movements in the bush to ensure all animals find their way towards the escape route.  We were happy to report that no animals were found to be harmed!

Knowing that they were safe, our second concern was that the fire would spread to the lodge or to the community, putting other people’s lives in danger.  For this reason, the burning team had men at each point of the fire and men running from one point to the other ensuring that there were no runaway fires.  We were in good hands as the fire was completely under control and we safely burnt the areas along our fence line. The controlled burning took place near our western fence line, closest to the community.  This is the general area that is in the most danger for wildfire.  The fire was also in preparation for a larger controlled fire that we are planning for later this season.

 

Keep reading our blog to keep up to date about the latest Ubizane happenings!  We will be posting about the next controlled fire later this year so keep checking to stay informed! 
  

Talons of Power

Our fascination with Barn Owls have been evident these past couple of weeks after our discovery of little Barn Owl chicks abandoned by their mother, in a Tree Lodge Room.  We have been hand-raising these magical creatures in an effort to keep them alive and rehabilitate them to become the self-sufficient birds of prey they ought to be.  One of our goals of keeping these birds around is for educational purposes. We want to educate people on the instincts and habits of these birds and why they are so valuable in eco-systems.  One of the many interesting things that we have noticed about these beautiful birds is their powerful talons (claws).

 The talons have an immense strength, and it is used to crush the skull of their prey.  We have definitively seen the evidence of this in our Barn Owls.  They grab the food out of our hands with their talons sometimes instead of their beaks.  Then they start bashing the food onto the ground continuously.  They stomp their feet and start hissing revealing their aggressive nature when there is food involved.

 They also use these talons to fight off enemies. When noticing a threat, they start stomping their feet and hiss to try and intimidate the enemy. They also stand up straight and ‘puff’ out their feathers to appear larger in size for intimidation purposes. It is a captivating process to witness. When finally eating their prey, they tear off chunks by clasping to the prey with their talons while the beak pulls and tears.  These pieces then gets swallowed whole because of their lack of teeth. The food is broken down by powerful stomach fluids.  They later regurgitate the indigestible pieces such as bone and fur in a similar way as a cat would get rid of ‘hair/fur balls’.

 It is interesting to know that prey is believed to be killed by mostly the bashing against the floor as well as suffocation from the strong clench of the talons rather than the peck of the beak.

 On your next visit to Ubizane, be sure to ask our Lodge Managers to view these magnificent birds!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Our competition has ended and here is the lucky 10 who were chosen at random as the winners!!!

CONGRATULATIONS YOU GET A 25% off VOUCHER FOR UBIZANE!!! Email social@ubizane.co.za to claim your prize and receive more information!

Taste of Africa

If you visit Ubizane Wildlife Reserve you will be enchanted by the flavours of the delicious Pan-African cuisine that we serve.  For dinner we serve a variety of mouth watering dishes while the fireplace lights up the restaurant with a warm romantic glow.  

This is the scene guests will be welcomed on when stepping into our dining area.  But what goes on behind the buffet table? Take a sneak peek into our kitchen...

The sound of pots boiling, knives chopping and the oven pulsing as it heats savoury and sweet treats.  The smell of freshly baked bread and aromas of spices and herbs fill the air while friendly faces welcome you into their hearty work space.

 Under the leadership of our Food & Beverage Manager, Martin Beyleveld, the chefs create appetizing Pan-African dishes with fresh products from the African soil.  At Ubizane we employ from our area in an effort to uplift the surrounding community.

In the kitchen the first face you will see behind our stove is our big strong, Elias Thusi. He has been at Ubizane for about 18 years which has not stopped him from losing his passion for this reserve.  With his wit it is hard not to walk away with a smile after speaking to Mr. Thusi.

 Sibongile  Msimango, or also fondly known as ‘Sponge’ by the staff, has been baking the most delicious treats for over three years, sharing her wealthy knowledge about cooking homemade African dishes with the newer staff.  Thandi Zungu introduced her skills to our flamboyant team almost two years ago and has never disappointed at Ubizane, making scrumptious food, grabbing guest’s attention.  Another kind hearted chef that you will have the pleasure of meeting is Zandile Myeni.  Zandile has been cooking up a storm for two years with flavours bursting from the pots and pans on the stove.  These three ladies are the sweethearts behind the kitchen doors that will make you feel like you have stepped into your mother’s kitchen.

After walking through the kitchen meeting everyone, you hear a man singing and suddenly Martin says “Someone switched on Goody FM again!”  Then you realize the singing is coming from a smiling man, always happy, Goodman “Goody” Thabethe. Staff members at Ubizane know Goody for his humoristic personality and smiling face while singing his favourite gospel song when cooking or cleaning the kitchen.

It is never a dull moment in our kitchen with the bubbly personalities of our kitchen staff that we love so dear!And as a tribute to all of them we have decided to add a page to our blog where you can find stories from the kitchen and recipes that we would like to share with you! Read the latest ‘What’s Cooking’ stories/recipes on this link: http://www.ubizane.blogspot.com/p/whats-cooking.html