Signs indicating locations of rhinos being removed from Kruger National Park

by Kraig Becker on

In an attempt to thwart the efforts of illegal rhino poachers in South Africa, wildlife officials at Kruger National Park have announced that they will no longer employ the use of signs that indicated where the animals can be found. Previously, safari guides and camp leaders used maps and colored pins to mark the location of recently spotted animals so that tourists could get the opportunity to see the endangered creatures in the wild. Officials now believe that those same signs were being used by poachers to track the animals as well.

As we’ve mentioned before on Gadling, rhinos are becoming increasingly rare throughout Africa, and have been recently declared extinct in some parts of the continent. Poachers seek out the animals to obtain their distinct horns, which are then sold on the black market in Asia, where they are used in traditional medicines. Because of their demand in that part of the world, rhino horns can now be valued at as much as $100,000, which has spurred a string of robberies from museums in Europe recently as well.

South Africa has done its best to crack down on the poachers by imposing stiffer jail sentences and sending more anti-poaching units into the field. Despite those efforts however, the problem continues to get worse. As of last week, 405 rhinos had been killed in the country this year alone, up from 333 last year. Of those, 229 were killed in Kruger, which is amongst the top safari destinations in all of Africa.

Without the signs to guide the way, tourists will just have to keep their eyes peeled in order to spot a rhino, which can be rather elusive in their natural habitat. Still, I don’t think anyone will argue against doing away with the signs if it means we can make the poacher’s job just a little bit more challenging.

[Photo Credit: Ikiwaner via WikiMedia]

Video of the Day – Destination Earth

by Stephen Greenwood on

Why do you travel? For adventure? To know the unknown? To get lost? To find something?

Today’s Video of the Day is an ad for a company called G Adventures that encourages viewers to get out and see “why Earth is the universe’s #1 travel destination”. The short piece does a beautiful job of illustrating some of the moments that beg us to travel, tailored to pull at the heartstrings of the crowd that doesn’t want to be part of the crowd.

Have you found a photo or video that captures why you like to travel? Share it with us! Post a comment below or upload to our Flickr Pool and it could be our next Photo/Video of the Day.

Wanted: American couple for South Africa Tourism commercial

by Kraig Becker on

South Africa Tourism (SAT) has launched their 20 Experiences in 10 Days campaign, and now they’re looking for fresh faces to help spread the word. The program is designed to sell South Africa as an adventurous, romantic, and cultural destination amongst Americans and to that end, SAT is looking for a real-life American couple to star in a new television commercial that is set to air internationally.

The casting director for the new spot is looking for couples ranging in age from 24-36 who are either married or in a committed relationship. They must also be available to attend in audition either in New York (Dec. 5-9) or Los Angeles (Dec. 10-12) and if hired for the gig, be ready to travel to South Africa for filming from January 20 – February 5th of 2012.

SAT promises it won’t be all work however, as the lucky couple selected will be sent off on a free, once in a life time trip to South Africa. During their ten day visit, they’ll have the opportunity to experience luxurious spas, sample the country’s world-famous wines, and soak up the diverse and cosmopolitan culture. They’ll also go hot air ballooning, surfing in the wild waters off the coast, and spot exotic animals on safari.

For more information, check out the Visit South Africa Facebook page where you’ll find the application form. The deadline for entry is Monday, November 28th. Who knows, you might just be the star of the new commercial, and get an amazing free trip as well.

Protect your melon; pack the right hat.

by Pam Mandel on

This is kind of gross, and I’m a little bit sorry for that, but I still have scaly bits on the tops of my ears. This because I burned the daylights out of them by wearing the wrong hat while on a recent adventure. I made it worse by neglecting to apply sunscreen to my poor ears — I’ll skip the part about what happened when I started to peel.

I pack a baseball style cap for my travels. I’d picked up a Sun Tripper cap from Sunday Afternoons while at the Outdoor Retailer show. It’s really cute, it’s that military shape, it’s got a split bill so it packs down nice and flat, and it’s got a stretchy drawstring on the back so it stays on your head in the wind. This matters; I watched the wind take a travel-mate’s cap and hurl it into the desert, there was no retrieving it. My cap stayed securely on my head the whole time. I also found that the funny little pocket in the top of the hat was actually useful. I tucked my ID and a little bit of cash in there, it was nice to have a secret stash and I didn’t worry about my head being pick-pocketed.

But as I’ve mentioned, I needed coverage for my ears. This was a tactical error on my part — I should have gone with a safari hat instead of just a cap. Sure, the extra coverage looks a little silly, but my ears hurt like hell and did I mention, they were kind of gross about a week later. Sunburn isn’t a joke, even when it’s limited to the tops of your ears, and I could hear my doctor’s voice in my head giving me the melanoma lecture. What I’m saying, is go with the extra coverage. Sunday Afternoons has some other options that I’d have done better to choose for this trip. I won’t soon forget that painful sunburn and I don’t expect to make that same mistake again. Get the coverage, people. The Sun Tripper cap is 24.00, the safari range starts there and goes up to 48.00. There’s a convertible cap too — just snap on the ear and neck coverage — that goes for 28.00. That would have kept the sunburn at bay.

In addition to sun coverage, I was delighted to find that I still had my SmartWool beanie in my photo bag. I’d used it to wrap up some camera gear I wasn’t using, but I ended up wearing it on cold mornings and evenings in camp. This stretchy little reversible beanie takes up negotiable space in my kit (really, I’d no idea it was in there!) and I was delighted to find that it had hitched along with me on my camping trip. SmartWool brands this little cap as a “training beanie” — whatever with that. I’m calling it a travel beanie and leaving it right where it is, stowed in my photo backpack, holding my lens polarizer. I’ll be happy the next time I find the wind is biting my ears or the night is a little cold. 25.00 from SmartWool.

Carnivore safari allows travelers to see Wild Dog of Africa

by Jessica Festa on

Dog lovers now have something to be excited about. Robin Pope Safaris has recently announced a brand new safari for travel beginning on March 24, 2012, called “Carnivore Week”. This meaty tour will take place in the South Luangwa Valley of Zambia and will allow travelers to see Africa’s largest carnivores, most notably, the rare, endangered Wild Dog of Africa.

The cost of the trip is set at $3,522 per person sharing, which includes seven nights at Robin Pope Safari’s Nkwali Camp, food, all safari costs, and a donation to the Zambian Carnivore Programme. Flights, visas, and airport taxes are not included.

Aside from getting to experience the wildlife of Africa with a trained guide, travelers will also be doing something good for the animals, as Robin Pope Safaris actively works to help protect the Wild Dog of Africa and other large carnivores in this region by creating an active niche for wildlife tourism in the area. Tour guides and ecology staff from the Zambia Carnivore Programme educate safari participants on how to research large carnivores as well as collect data during excursions.

While safaris focusing on Big Cats have always been a thriving tourist attraction, Robin Pope Safaris is now giving travelers a look at the other species of large African wildlife. You can e-mail the company directly at info@robinpopesafaris.net or visit their website.