P a g e | 1

MKJ

FOR MEMBERSHIP & GENERAL ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT PAUL INMAN AT 049-8910590

Hot off the Press !! Vuurwarm Nuus !!

DDIIEE GGEEHHEEIIMMEE LLEEWWEE VVAANN SSEEEEKKOOEEIIEE Theuns en Daphleen Eksteen was nou die dag in die Kruger Nasionale Park. Soos gewoonlik baie interesssante dinge beleef en gesien, onder andere hoe ‘n paar seekoeie… paar. Ek het onmiddellik gewonder hoe hierdie ding gebeur, en gaan navorsing doen. SSoo ‘‘nn bbiieettjjiiee aaggtteerrggrroonndd…… Seekoeie (Hippopotamus amphibius of direk vertaal rivierperd) is hoofsaaklik plantetende, waterlewende soogdiere en was op ‘n stadium volop en wyd- verspreid oor die Afrika kontinent, maar soos met baie van ons wild, is hulle so te sê uitgeskiet en dié wat oorbly, se natuurlike habitat word al hoe kleiner. Hulle is vèrlangs verwant aan die vark en daar word gereken dat hul stamboom al die pad teruggaan na die Eoseen-epog (‘n skamele 34 tot 56 miljoen jaar gelede) – en dat ‘n walvis voorouer ook iewers in die prentjie pas.

‘n Seekoei se lyf is kaal, met ‘n dun, baie sensitiewe epidermis; pleks van sweet-gaatjies is sy vel bedek met kliertjies wat ‘n taai, rooierige slym afskei, wat soos ‘n vernis verhard en die dier se vel teen infeksies, die warm son en ontwatering beskerm. Dit is dus belangrik dat hulle altyd naby water moet wees, want selfs al spandeer hulle etlike ure snags aan wal om te wei, moet hulle gereeld terugkeer na die water, waar hulle dan ook bedags meeste van hul tyd deur-bring, rus, kos verteer (…en uitskei, ja).

[Foto : http://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seekoei]

granaat WINTER 2013

Newsletter Nuusbrief

P a g e | 2

SEEKOEI VERSPREIDINGSKAART [Bron : http://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seekoei]

‘n Seekoei kan tot 50 jaar oud word en het min natuurlike vyande. Vir sulke enorme diere (bulle weeg tot ‘n yslike 3,600 kg en koeie tot 1,500 kg), kan hulle nogal ‘n vinnige pas op daardie kort beentjies handhaaf. Hulle is van nature knorrig en boelie gereeld die arme krokodille wat dieselfde watergate deel; juis as gevolg van sy humeurige en aggressiewe geaardheid – en aanvalle op mens en dier – staan die seekoei bekend as die dodelikste dier in Afrika, ofskoon statistiek dit nog nie bewys het nie.

Maar… as ‘n groot bul vir jou staan en gaap, moet jy liewer sorg dat jy wegkom! Hierdie diere is nie baie sosiaal nie, en ‘n mens kry die indruk dat hulle meeste van die tyd mekaar se teenwoordigheid net-net verdra, veral gedurende tye van droogte, wanneer hulle geforseer word om sy-aan-sy ‘n krimpende watergat te moet deel. Sodra hulle uitbeweeg land toe, sorg elkeen egter dat daar genoegsame spasie om hom of haar gehandhaaf word. Soort hou gewoonlik by soort en dit is slegs in die water wat ‘n bul sy troppie koeie sal eien en verdedig in die area wat hy as sy afgebakende koninkryk beskou. ‘n Bul merk sy terrein deur op spesifieke plekke sy urine en mis te deponeer of dit met ‘n vinnig-swaaiende stert in die gesig of teen die agterstewe van ‘n ander seekoei te laat spat! ‘n Gekreun, gebulk en gebrul is die algemene vorm van kommunikasie en word bo of onder die water deur ieder en elk wat ‘n seekoei is, verstaan.

Seekoeie en Buffels wei rustig saam op die rivier-oewer, Chobe Nasionale Park, Botswana.

P a g e | 3

Seekoeie kan nie swem nie (die groot, vaatjievormige lyf en kort beentjies maak dit ietwat moeilik). Hulle duik of gallop; loop ligvoets op die waterbodem rond en gee groot spronge om vorentoe of opwaarts te beweeg (iets wat hulle nie op land kan doen nie). Die oulike oortjies gaan lê plat teen die kop en die neusgate slaan mooi netjies toe wanneer hulle onderwater is, waar hulle 6 – 8 minute sonder suurstof kan deurbring. ‘n Seekoeipaadjie word maklik van ander wildspaadjies onderskei deur sy middel-mannetjie. Die dier trap altyd die plantegroei in twee netjiese rye aan weerskante van die paadjie plat, met mishope soos bakens langs die pad. OOuukkeeii…… eenn ddiiee bbaabbaass?????? Seekoeie gaan nogal baie strategies en oordeelkundig te werk om te verseker dat slegs goeie gene van geslag tot geslag oorgedra word; so sal daar van tyd-tot-tyd deur middel van natuurlike seleksie ‘n uitdunning plaasvind. Hulle paar gewoonlik teen die einde van die reënseisoen en die koeie is vir 8 maande dragtig, waarna hulle tydens ‘n “water-geboorte” die lewe skenk. Kalfies weeg tot 50 kg by geboorte en is so aangepas dat hulle onderwater aan hul mammas kan soog.

Ma’s is baie beskermend teenoor hul kalfies en bou gewoonlik ‘n baie goeie verhouding met hul dogters op – die enigste “verhouding” in die seekoei-gemeenskap om oor huis toe te skryf. ‘n Bul sal heel versigtig ‘n koei gaan uitsoek vir paring en haar dan met ‘n groot rumoer dwing om toe te gee. Die paring self moet nogal ‘n uitdaging wees, want dit vind óók onderwater plaas! Behalwe vir hul grootte, is dit moeilik om mannetjies en wyfies van mekaar te onderskei, want hul geslagsdele is nooit sigbaar nie; daarbenewens het die bul interne testes en (glo dit of nie) …’n teruggebuigde (recurved) geslagsorgaan! Gedurende paring, wat verskeie pogings behels, moet die arme koei (wat lê tydens die daad!) elke nou en dan eers oppervlak toe skiet om asem te skep. So moenie vir my vra hoe nie; een ding is seker – hulle kry dit wel reg, maar dis voorwaar ‘n glibberige besigheid!

[cartoons-picture.blogspot.com]

Die volgende aanhaling uit die Ou Testament, Job 40 : 10 – 19 :

Kyk die seekoei : Ek het hom gemaak toe Ek jou gemaak het, hy vreet gras soos ‘n bees. Daar is krag in sy liggaam, die spiere in sy lyf is sterk. Sy stert is so reguit soos ‘n seder. Sy boudspiere is inmekaar gevleg. Die bene in sy lyf is soos bronspype, soos stukke yster… Die berge lewer vir hom die water en al die wilde diere speel daar. Hy lê tussen waterplante, hy skuil tussen die riete in die moeras. Die skadu van die waterplante is sy skuiling, rondom hom is rivierpopuliere. As die rivier sterk word, skrik dit hom nie af nie, hy bly rustig al styg die Jordaan hoe hoog. Wie kan hom van voor af pak, wie kan ‘n vangtou aan sy neus sit?

P a g e | 4

Member Contribution : Dan Yeadon

AA TTAALLEE OOFF ……TTWWOO LLIIOONNSS Bob Scott sat down in the mess hut for dinner and commented “Saw lions today!”. Bob and I worked for a company called Mineral Search, in eastern Northern Rhodesia. Our job was to take care of all matters facilitating the work of two Aussie geologists surveying the area. Bob’s comment didn’t solicit anything more than a polite “Really?”. We knew that he had been out on a shoot for the pot excursion. Seeing lions (or elephants, crocodiles, hyenas, leopard, etc.) was not a particularly uncommon event in that part of the Northern Rhodesian bush – we were in the Lumsemfwa River basin. The Lumsemfwa flowed into the Luangwa River about fifty miles from our location. Bob had brought a largish antelope in – I don’t recall what it was. I thought no more of his “saw lions today”, until the next morning, when I overheard loud laughter from our kitchen hut and comments about Bwana Bob and Kananga (Bob’s tracker and right-hand man) and the lions. I quizzed Tom, the cook, about it, and this is the story he related, which had been told to him by the chaps riding with Bob that morning. Our hunting for the pot method consisted of the Landrover (long wheel- base) with usually four staff standing on the back as spotters. When an animal was spotted, they would tap on the roof and Bob (or I) would stop immediately,

when they would indicate where they saw the animal or animals. On this occasion, the fellow indicated to the right and said “njiri” - Chinyanja for warthog. "Past the antheap Bwana". Some hundred yards off was an antheap typical of those parts – it is in fact a termite mound, where the soldier ants have heads as big as the nail on a man's small finger. A base of 15 to 20 feet in diameter and coning up 15 to 20 feet in height. This antheap was on the opposite edge of a dambo (sour ground where no trees grow) from the Landy. Bob and Kananga slid out of the front, leaving doors open as usual, so as not to make a sharp noise which would frighten the game off. They crept up to the antheap – Bob with the .375 magnum and Kananga with his gembe (axe); crawled halfway up the slide of the antheap – Bob on the left, Kananga on the right – and rose up, craning their necks to peer over. At the same time, two lions – one left and one right – craned their necks and peered over from their side of the antheap – straight into Bob and Kananga’s faces! Both Bob and Kananga rolled down the antheap – Bob inadvertently releasing a shot as he fell, and the two lions belting off in the opposite direction. The chaps on the back of the Landy couldn’t say who won the race back! This story was recounted up and down the local village, where Bob was well known, and was the cause of much hilarity. Bob never said a word about it.

P a g e | 5

The photos below, provided by Dan Yeodon, bring back memories of a forgotten era…

“The Mess Hut and one of our accommodation tents.” (Ed : Nothing like the tented accommodation of nowadays!)

“Example of a small termite mound.” (Ed : This photo, with the two children and their cat in the foreground, must have been taken in the 1950s?)

[Cartoon images on previous page sourced on internet, courtesy of www.123rf.com] DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE? Please let us have your interesting stories and events for inclusion in our next newsletter.

WIL U ‘N INTERESSANTE STORIE OF ERVARING MET ONS DEEL? Voer gerus u bydraes deur sodat ons dit in die volgende nuusbrief kan plaas.

Nuusbrief & Reklame Newsletter & Publicity Leonie Fouché 049-8923200

082 7077 403 fouche.leonie@gmail.com

P a g e | 6

Upcoming Events Please note that our ordinary meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month and start at 6pm sharp. Bring along a chair and something for the braai afterwards. NB : During the cold winter months, our meetings are held at Ferdi and Helen de Wet’s lapa in Adendorp.

Interested in birdwatching? Why not join the Graaff-Reinet Bird Club? They have a monthly birding outing, followed by a sociable braai, on the 1st Saturday of each month. Subs are only R30.00 p.a. Contact Alan Collett on cellular 076 8986 413 or e-mail arcollett@telkomsa.net for more information.

Granaat Komitee Kontak- en Bankbesonderhede PORTEFEULJE LID of E-POS ADRES

Voorsitter Paul Inman 049-8910590 paulinman@telkomsa.net Onder-voorsitter Theuns Eksteen 049-8922983 theunsdaf@telkomsa.net

Sekretaris Dal Morrison 049-8922333 073 1998 168 -

Tesourier Christo Vorster 049-8922032 084 582 6620 VorsterinGR@telkomsa.net

3 x Gewone Lede Brian Charles

Gardner van Niekerk Jerry Rose-Innes

049-8924662 049-8924674 049-8910255

- gardner@eastcape.net

jerry.roseinnes@gmail.com BANK TAKKODE REKENINGHOUER TIPE REK REKENINGNOMMER

ABSA 334-216 Granaat 32-Dag Kennis 92 7689 0519

Please help us to keep our Members’ List current by paying your outstanding subscription fee. Only R50.00 per annum and you get to join us at our monthly meeting and sociable braai, receive an informative newsletter every quarter and participate in any other events that are arranged during the course of the year. (Pay less for two or more.) Donations are most welcome. Thanks!

Annual subscriptions are payable in May, so please remember to renew yours now. You can bring your hard-earned cash to the next meeting, or make a direct deposit to our new ABSA 32-Day Notice Account, of which the details have been provided above. (Important : our account details might change again soon.)

P a g e | 7

Help ons asseblief om Nuusbriewe en ander belangrike inligting vinniger en meer doeltreffend by u te kry. Die Komitee rig ‘n beroep op alle lede wie beskik oor ‘n e-pos fasiliteit, om hul e-posadres aan die Klub Sekretaris (Dal Morrison) of Tesourier (Christo Vorster) te verskaf.

Stel ons ook in kennis indien u kontakbesonderhede verander het. Onthou om u R5.00 bydrae vir die braaihout saam te bring na elke vergadering – baie dankie!

All photographs by Leonie Fouché, unless otherwise acknowledged. All articles are published in good faith. SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : Cover Page image of Rhigozum Obovatum with the kind permission of USA photographer Michael Charters http://www.calflora.net

[The story on Hippopotamus amphibius was compiled with information gathered from Africa Wikipedia, Wild Magazine Summer 2012/13 issue and the book “The Behavior Guide to African Mammals“ by Richard Despard Estes – Theuns Eksteen’s Bush Bible.]

P a g e | 8

SUBSCRIBE TO AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC

…and receive a monthly issue of this beautiful glossy magazine, as well as their free fortnightly e-News WILD IDEA.

PLUS other benefits !!

IMPORTANT NOTICE In September 2012, Africa Geographic was re-launched with this spectacular cover, inclusive of birding content and a wide variety of interesting articles!

For more information visit their website http://www.africageographic.com/ OR on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Africa.Geographic OR e-mail your enquiry to subscriptions@africageographic.com

Also of interest :

(Updated reprints are available at Book Stores)