Wendy's Release Back into the Wild

It's been almost a month since Wendy first joined the Ubizane family. A month of loving scratches and tummy rubs, of being spoiled with hand fed grass and mixed veggie buffet..

After becoming used to the area from the safety of her Boma, the time finally arrived to release Wendy back into the wild. Emotions were bitter sweet. While this had been the joint goal of CROW and Ubizane from the beginning, it also meant that we would have to say goodbye to one of the newest members of our family.

On the morning of the 23rd of December 2013 we were joined by members from CROW. After some discussion we chose to release our dear friend near one of the dams on our reserve. Wendy seemed to agree with our decision as she confidently and quickly explored her new home. 

Even with all the excitement Wendy was not one to forget her manners. She shared a tender good bye with her adoptive father Tiaan and Estie Allan from CROW.

Everyone headed back to the Lodge after a successful release but there were still concerns that Wendy had grown too attached to people as Warthogs are known to be exceptionally loyal animals. Our fears were soon quelled when we all saw how comfortable she was during a recent visit to her new home on Christmas day.

We at Ubizane are so thankful to CROW for giving us the opportunity to aid in the re-integration of this beautiful animal to the wild. 

Having a part in such an amazing story bought back so many memories of our beloved Tiban.(http://www.ubizane.blogspot.com/2012/12/final-farewell-to-tiban.html)

We wish Wendy all the best in her new home and rest assured, we will keep you all posted on any sightings of this beautiful girl.

The whole Ubizane Team wishes everyone out there a joyous festive season and a happy Christmas.

On the 21st of December 2012, Ubizane hosted the magical wedding of Shirra and Stephen.

One year later and the happy couple decided that there was no better place to spend their first anniversary than were it all started. Ubizane, the Place of Calling.

 As soon as the good news came through, the Ubizane team began crafting plans. We love it when people come back to visit and are always ready to do that little something extra for our guests, especially when it's for the anniversary of a wedding we hosted.

The following illustration and story was made especially for Shirra and Stephen. 

Check back soon for more stories about life in our little slice of heavenly bush and the experiences of our guests. 

To read more on the wedding follow this link:

http://www.ubizane.blogspot.com/2012/12/shirra-and-stephan-tie-knot-at-ubizane.html

Handyman Hein joins the family!

Ubizane’s family gained a DIY-fix-everything-man! He is an all-rounder with a love to braai. Meet our own real life Chuck Norris of Ubizane… Handyman Hein!

The fact that Ubizane was deeply nestled in nature with wildlife all around inspired Hein to apply for the job as Maintenance Manager.  

The fact that Ubizane is exciting with everyday bringing a new challenge makes this job stand out from all the rest for him! Here are a few questions that will help you get to know Hein:

What is the biggest rule in your line of work?
Do the best I can and be proud of all my projects.

Do you enjoy living in the bush?
Yes. It’s peaceful and relaxing!

What is your biggest fear?
Mozambique Spitting Cobra – or as we call it around here in Zulu: Imfezi

What animal would you be for a day, and why?
A Cheetah, so I can be the fastest in the bush and run away from the Imfezi’s!

What would you use from the items you carry around each day, to fight off a crafty monkey?
My slingshot

Tell us more about yourself:
I’m an ordinary guy from Senekal in the Free State, who loves to braai…

Welcome to the family!

Ubizane has lately established a close partnership with CROW (Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife) and we have opened our arms to a warthog and two Spotted Eagle Owls to join our family.

CROW came to investigate the Ubizane premises to make sure it would be a happy safe environment for released animals and we were approved as a safe haven for wildlife! After much planning and organizing, CROW released two Spotted Eagle Owls at the end of November in our aviary. This is where we will nurture the two beautiful owls, like we nurtured our Barn Owls, until they’re big and strong and can be released into the wild.

      

It was an interesting day with the Spotted Eagle Owls almost being twice the size of the Barn Owls and we weren’t sure how the four owls would bond.  For the first day they stared at each other and did not know what to do. After the second night they started competing for the territory and we decided to divide the aviary in two to give the two species their own space.

We are happy to report that the owls are living happily in the aviary and we are waiting for the wonderful day we can release them successfully into the Fever Tree Forest of Ubizane.

            

We also had the pleasure of welcoming a female warthog into our family named Wendy.  This intriguing character was found in November 2012 after being abandoned by her mother in another game reserve, being only 1 ½ weeks old. CROW took her in and hand raised the little warthog with love and patience and asked us if we would release her at Ubizane.  After having a similar situation at Ubizane where we had our dear Tiban who we found as a baby, abandoned and almost drowned after heavy rains, we knew we could not say no.  Tiban was successfully released into the Ubizane bush in December 2012 and we are very proud of this wonderful story of a baby warthog fighting against all odds and surviving. We were excited to hear about Wendy and now the day has finally arrived! CROW released Wendy into an enclosure which is meant as Boma for her at Ubizane where she will get used to the environment and then eventually go into the bush and live a happy life back where she belongs. CROW, along with a camera crew who have been filming her rehabilitation process, released Wendy into Ubizane’s care.

 Wendy has a personality as no other with a love for bananas and mielies (corn cobs)!  She adores a good tummy scratch and enjoys being fed some luscious green grass by the hand so she can give you some loving while you feed her.

The warthog will be let out of the boma each day to graze and get to know the area and climate. She started to walk around on Saturday and slowly but surely she explores a little bit further each day before returning to her ‘safety zone’ in the boma. When she is ready we will let her roam freely into the bush where we’ll hope to see a very happy ending to this story!

The Spotted Eagle Owls will be a lengthier process as these Owls are still young and need more time to grow strong and comfortable in the area. They also need to still learn to hunt and excel their predator instincts which might take a lot more time than anticipated.

Thanks go to CROW for choosing Ubizane and letting us be a part of the conservation efforts. We are so happy to have these magnificent animals, Wendy the warthog and the two Spotted Eagle Owls joining the Ubizane family in their rehabilitation process! Welcome to the family!

For more information about CROW you can visit their website, http://crowkzn.co.za/

Keep updated with the latest news about Wendy and the Spotted Eagle Owls on our blog and our Facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/ubizane.wildlifereserve)

The Count is On! (Part Two)

The deeper we went into Ubizane the worse the roads became. That Landy looked like Elvis, rockin’ and rollin’ while battling through some very small spaces.  Luckily I got over my claustrophobia a long time ago! While tensing our eyes looking for any sign of movement or animals next to us we suddenly looked up with the tall...gigantic...Giraffe standing right in front of the Land Rover! We couldn’t help but laugh at our own stupidity for almost missing these massive creatures right in front of us! So Hamilton called out the number of males, females and youngsters for me after analysing them carefully while I wrote all our findings down.  We were slowly but surely making progress.

Giraffe were closer than expected!

Another interesting creature we met on our road while counting the game, was a big, furry Cane Rat.  Rats aren’t really the most gracious or most beautiful animals but these Cane Rats are just too cute! They are huge with little crooked teeth and fluffy fur. I enjoyed seeing this interesting friend. Now on the other hand if I saw him in my house at night – maybe I wouldn’t enjoy his presence as much!

A Cane Rat

At one point we went down a road that, to me, looked like a game trail rather than an actual road! We counted some Wildebeest and saw a few hiding Nyala.  With an overgrown trail (I’m calling it a trail because roads are different in my mind) we bundu bashed into the bush. Leaves were flying everywhere and I was covered in branches and plants, so much so that I could probably start my own garden in the Landy! Hammy laughed as I cringed and ducked for oncoming Acacia thorn branches.  As we came to a stop in an open area where the trail connected to a road which I perceive as a REAL road, I realised the Landy was a little heavier than usual. I did not know if I wanted to look back...maybe a Wildebeest decided to join the party or it could have been my worst fear – a gigantic spider on steroids! This is Zululand after all where ANYTHING is possible! After plucking up the courage I looked behind me and there it was...a massive tree branch – the size of pretty much HALF THE TREE stuck in the row of seats behind me. So I explained the situation to Hamilton in the only way I saw fitting, “Ah Hammy you shouldn’t have! Normal men give a bunch of roses...not half a tree!”

 After driving for hours with the sun piercing through my pale skin, we were finally confident that we covered as many animals in our designated area and went back to Tree Lodge.  It was important to go through your designated area as many times as possible before calling it a day.  It helped to use landmarks such as a certain odd looking tree, etc. to ensure that game weren’t counted more than once. It is also easy to get lost in the endless bush so we were all equipped with a handy Ubizane map which we also used to mark and pinpoint the animals’ locations. 

 

Hammy looks over the Ubizane grounds to see if he can spot any herds
and to plan our next route...

While driving back I realised how dirty my pants were, not only with leaves covering it but also from pen marks. Driving in a shaking Land Rover with an open pen shaking around in your hand with beige-white pants – not the greatest idea.  It is now decorated in blue Vincent Van Gogh style stripes to remind me every day of my fun outing during the game count!  The end of our journey also brought about another critter which I did not appreciate as much as Hamilton did; a small jumping spider.  Yes, I do live in the bush and this should not faze me but unfortunately for me I really dislike these small eight-legged beasts. This little critter knew I disliked him and kept jumping back on me – and I admit; I did let out a girlish squeal every time it landed back on me! Hamilton enjoyed it very much, for him it was like an episode from his favourite comedy.  I just want to add this spider continuously made his way back to me after countless attempts of trying to get rid of him every time for the whole journey back to the lodge!  He’s probably still awaiting my return to the Land Rover since that fateful day...

Upon return at the lodge I ran for my lunch and water realising that we were gone from 10am until 2:30pm! We counted again for two days after the first trip and I can now say I’m a pro at game count and I am ready for the next one next year!

10 Tips to get you through your first Game Count!

 Here are a few tips that I picked up from my experience which might help you one day if you are asked to help in a game count on a wildlife reserve:

1. Use sun block... a lot
2. Wear a hat & sunglasses
3. Wash your face when you get back to the lodge...people tend to laugh at your red dirt-filled face
4. Don’t leave your pen-cap off while driving in a Land Rover – I drew on myself without even knowing
5. In fact (following point nr. 4) don’t wear white or light beige pants!
6. Look in front of you as well as to the sides to avoid catching a fright with a massive unseen Giraffe suddenly appearing right in front of the Land Rover
7. Get over your fear of spiders – you might get a follower like my jumping friend
8. Eat breakfast before you go!
9. Remember to pack a water bottle filled with fresh water
10. Keep your eyes open and find those animals! 

©Ettioné Ferreira

  

The Count is On! (Part One)

I was lucky enough to be one of the six “chosen ones” to help out with the game count at Ubizane last month.  The game count is done annually to do a ‘stock take’ of the animals we have. This helps us to get an idea of how our animals are doing and to what extent poaching has affected our game.  We use this opportunity to analyse the population growth and decrease in order for us to make sure the animals are living in healthy circumstances without any serious fluctuation.  Being part of such an important part of conservation at Ubizane was truly exciting and knowing the technicalities that go into the final numbers, I simply enjoyed the events during the day which made this a fun outing for me! So this is my story:

Our general manager informed me early the morning we would do a game count later on the day and I must get ready because they need an extra person. Lucky for me I had a camera ready and a skin in much need of sunlight so I was first choice to fill the extra spot! I grabbed my camera, a pen and a hat and rushed to the Land Rover. I was paired up with the trusty Hamilton – our Game Ranger – and he chose the strong tough Landy called “Elephant” for our adventures and off we went to the “old gate” where we would meet up with the others.

Elephant - our tough Land Rover!

At “Old Gate” we gathered and discussed the plan of action.  Each Land Rover (with two people each) received a sector of the Ubizane grounds to count in which every single road and track needs to be covered to ensure the most accurate count possible.  And when finished we were to meet again at Tree Lodge to hand in our findings. Now as a first timer I have to admit I was a little bit scared we would have to jump into the bush and chop down thicket with Panga’s, in my mind looking like a scene straight out of Rambo, until we found animals to count and add to our ‘stock sheet’ which I had the pleasure of filling out.  With Hamilton laughing away at my ridiculous ideas, he told me we will be sitting in the Land Rover safe and sound without any Panga’s needed for any excursions in the bush.  With a big sigh of relief I took my pen and I was ready to count those Impala...and the Nyala, Zebra and whichever other animal we were to find.  The ‘stock sheet’ contained a column for species, babies, young male, young female, adult male, adult female, pregnant female and unknown for those Zebra and Blue Wildebeest who are just too fast to make out the gender. No animal will be left behind in Ubizane’s game count!

Even Matthew & Zequenya joined in the fun!

We started at 10am and drove through the Ubizane plains and bush, staring down each little bush with each movement our eyes caught.  We soon realised the heat did not help much and made our task a lot harder as animals were hiding away under trees in the shade or staying low in between the grass to catch any cool air they could find.  In the first two hours we counted a staggering 12 Impala.  Out of the hundreds we have on the farm (if you were wondering) this was not a good result for us. Since we were still in the “busy” part of the reserve near Safari Lodge we decided we will probably find more interesting and larger number animals further in the quiet bush of Ubizane.

And interesting it most certainly was...

(Part Two will be published in the first week of December so keep checking our blog and don't miss out on the next part of this adventure!)

Guess and WIN!

This month's competition has to do with your skills in puzzle solving! Guess the animal that we recently released by liking our Facebook Page and commenting with your answer! Hints will be posted throughout the week on our Facebook Page and Profile so don't miss out on an opportunity to win a 25% off voucher to stay at one of our luxury lodges!

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/UbizaneReserve
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/Ubizane.wildlifereserve

Pool dinner

We have decided to have a dinner by the swimming pool on Monday to celebrate the nice warm weather! Here are the pics from setting up to the dinner:

 

Set-up started late on Monday afternoon

 

At night, the dinner site was lit up by the candles and the pool light

A magical evening starts

The tables are ready for the guests arrival

The view of the area with guests enjoying the interesting set-up

Yummy food served by Candlelight

Guests enjoying the evening

We try to keep it different by serving dinner in different venues, weather depending of course. So next time you're at Ubizane enjoy the unique set-ups and send us your photo's the following day!

A Walk Down Safari Lodge Memory Lane...

Today marks Zululand Safari Lodge’s 43th birthday! It opened its doors for business on 15 October 1970 for the first time, changing the future of Ubizane Reserve forever. In co-operation with Cape Hotels Group, Safari Lodge was established and realized Norman Deane’s dream for the beautiful reserve to become a tourist destination.

Back in those days, Safari Lodge had a very different look and feel to it.  As the only lodge on the reserve, it had a dining room, cocktail bar and 42 double rooms.  Safari Lodge also had two boma’s – one for dining and one for Zulu dancing.  Today we still have the one boma which we use as a dining venue. The dining room and bar has been moved to Tree Lodge as the main restaurant. 

Ownership has shifted tremendously throughout the years moving from private ownership to leisure companies such as Sun International and the Three Cities Group, and then back to private ownership again.  With each owner bringing their unique atmosphere to Ubizane, Safari Lodge soon became a popular tourist destination. 

 The Three Cities Group owned Ubizane until 2009 with the group consisting of the main investors from three different cities; Mark Taylor, Mike Harrison, Robert Maingard and Alan Burke.

In 2009, one of the Three Cities investors, Mr. Alan Burke, saw the potential of Ubizane Wildlife Reserve. Ubizane was in desperate need at that stage for renovation and a make-over.  Mr. Burke bought out all the shares for Ubizane Wildlife Reserve in December 2009 and renovations began in 2010. 

Now, three years later, Safari Lodge (and the whole of Ubizane) is still under Mr. Burke’s ownership and has been showing remarkable progress as rooms have been beautifully refurbished and a team works hard every day to keep the original dream of Norman Deane alive. 

If you have any photographs of Safari Lodge throughout the years, send them to social@ubizane.co.za and we’ll post it into our “memory lane” album on Facebook.