Africa Wild

My birthday wish ,..

Richprins wrote:Pot Kettle!

You lose grip of your branch and bounce on your head!!

Then again cast iron hard to crack!!!

Got interesting info from Groovy!

OSV operators are trying something new:

Radio frequencies are to be standardised, including the general frequency enabling SANParks Joint Operations Centre (antipoaching) and traffic department to listen.

The south is to be divided into various sectors, identified by various colours. Once a cat sighting is reported, operators in the area switch to the frequency assigned to that colour...I think maybe he means once you enter that sector you switch to that frequency? And then only 8 osv's allowed at the sighting, too bad so sad.

If available, traffic control also goes to the sighting!

Osv's then "control" the sighting, armed with pamphlets that are diagram-oriented, explaining viewing etiquette, especially with foreign guests in mind, to advise all tourists. He is under no illusions that local tourists will tell them to go to hell, but it is worth the try?

Obviously the osv guests will get these pamphlets before they enter the park.

Osv federation will also pay for multiple signs to be erected outside Phabeni, Kruger, Numbi and Malelane gates, informing all visitors of the do's and donts regarding viewing, while they wait in the queue. They will also have a stock of pamphlets at the gates.

As said, Groovy knows there will be antagonism, but at least they are trying something?

And Osv's do help re the radios...on Wednesday they found poachers on the Napi road, and reported it, and stayed with an orphan calf there for as long as possible. Unfortunately the choppers were busy, but rangers got to searching for the calf eventually!

And then only 8 osv's allowed at the sighting, too bad so sad.

I do not know if the whole set up will work, but in any case 8 OSV are too many

Better than 20?

Sure!

That does sound like a really good plan. I'm sure the difficulty will be in getting OSVs to stick to the limit of 8 - particularly if there are many other vehicles at the sighting.

Hmmm...not sure about OSV's advising tourists on game-viewing etiquette! We've had a couple of run-ins with OSV drivers telling us what the "rules" are and they were completely wrong! One example...the rules tell tourists to park on the side of the road closest to the sighting. We always do this and have been moaned at by OSV's for being on the wrong side of the road!

Oh well, we shall wait and see!

Lisbeth wrote:

And then only 8 osv's allowed at the sighting, too bad so sad.

I do not know if the whole set up will work, but in any case 8 OSV are too many

Agreed What are the ratios For every OSV entering the park how many "normal" vehicles enter. For every OSV at a sighting there’s normally at least 2 or 3 normal vehicles in my experience, therefore 32 at the sighting and that’s ok

A park I have been to in northern KZN has had a similar thing for years, but only 3 OSV’s max. The others just wait in queues 50m down the road and drive into the sighting in turns

Too many people on this planet

Sounds like a good idea.