Volume 2/2014
The Newsletter of Africa Nature Training (ANT)
FROM THE ANT HILL…
‘Mantengu’ is the Tsonga name
for a feisty little bird known as
the Fork-tailed Drongo, whose
name means ‘wise about the bush’ –
something we hope to make all our readers

Hi everyone!
We are keeping up with the times and have
decided to put Mantengu into retirement. In
future, will be using the ‘ANT Blog’ as well
as ‘Latest News’ and ‘Upcoming Events’
sections on our website to tell you about
what’s been happening and what’s on the
horizon.We would like to encourage you to
follow Africa Nature Training on our social
media pages: Facebook, Twitter and Google
Plus. We also have a lovely collection of
images on Flickr, with a steady flow being
uploaded to Instagram. We invite you to stay
in touch with us in the way that suits you
best 
NATURE ENTHUSIAST COURSE
For the benefit of first time
readers, this is the ‘Rolls Royce’
of our education programmes. It
is run on a part time basis and caters for
the bush enthusiast as well as the
prospective field guide. The course is fully
accredited by the Field Guides Association
of Southern Africa and further endorsed by
the Endangered Wildlife Trust and BirdLife
South Africa.
The traffic police weren’t happy with our approach to camp!
In response to concerns about the increasing
‘busy-ness’ of our modern lives, we
restructured the course this year. Although
it was rather intense at times, these
changes were positive and our 2015 Nature
Enthusiast Course promises to be even
better!
~ INVITATION: this could be you! ~
Attend a FREE Information Evening about
our Nature Enthusiast Course
We also like to laugh about these things!
Our bush buzz feature focuses on nature’s
way of dealing with pests. Relax and enjoy
this final issue!
in Paulshof on Wednesday 8th October –
contact us for details on 012 667 5400
or e-mail [email protected]
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We invite you to view a selection of images
from this year’s course…as ‘they’ say, “a
picture often speaks more than a thousand
words!” Photo credits go to Justin van
Doorene – thank you!
Tanya, Michelle and Erika always keep us ANTertained!
Rod had an impressive carabiner clip system on his backpack
Andrew Hankey speaks about how to press plant samples
Remember all that slaving over the gabion basket?!
Chris, using his loupe to full effect
Hear no evil, see no evil and say no evil…the motto of the
‘mini-me’ training team
Carla and Richard examine some leaf samples
Flashback to earlier in the year, with ANT team celebrations!
Who could forget Gordon and his amazing coffee?!
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Of course, it’s not just about hard work - we
all know how to put on a bit of a show –
everyone had great fun at the Potjie
Competition!
The PANTs Party had created an amazing plate of chocolate
ants, in their bid to impress the judges! We were so
impressed that there is a close-up of it below…
What NEC photostory would be complete without a potjie!
We weren’t sure how to pronounce their name: ANT-TICKS
(supposed to be said with a French accent, apparently, for a
double entendre effect!)
Credit goes to Linda Raaff for this masterpiece, well done!
The ANTernational IlluminANTS had brought a special visitor
with secret ingredients from France!
Tony and Peter doing a bit of track and sign work with their
group, interpreting the bushveld newspaper!
The Pink PANThers (with their pink drinks), in a clever
move, had put plastic ants into ice cubes!
Vanessa and Szilard pick up some honeybadger tracks
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Our camp is unfenced and has regular wild visitors
Dave Rieger’s FGASA level 1 practical assessment underway
Karin Wrede sailing through her practical assessment
A Blue Wildebeest bull overlooks his territory
Students cheerfully wonder what their next game drive has in
store for them…
We’re not sure if the sugary temptations were enough to
offset people’s nerves during the ANT worksheets…
Although the Waterberg - where we do most
of our practicals - is always special, without
doubt, a highlight of the course was the
week spent at Nkombe Camp in the lowveld

On two consecutive mornings, our students
saw a (different) leopard strolling along the
road towards them as they went out on
game drive – it was unbelievable!
This magnificent female we suspect had recently had cubs
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One of life’s thrills is to be able to walk in Big Five territory
We love the smaller things - especially this Dwarf Mongoose,
who was basking in the sun
An elephant viewed on foot is quite a humbling sight…
This time we never saw huge herds, but the buffalo were
definitely around and about
Dave Strydom and Servaas Hofmeyr chatting about their walk
The picture we wanted to include here was much more gory
(these lions had taken down a buffalo) but doesn’t this fat
little tummy make you smile!
Rod has a turn to drive and Linda takes the tracker seat
This baby rhino squealed for milk until its mum lay down!
Congratulations to Jenny Bell for coming top of the class and
winning two nights for two people to Sabi Sabi!
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CORRESPONDENCE COURSE
For the benefit of first time
readers, this is the alternative to
our flagship Nature Enthusiast Course for
students
who
are
not
based
in
Johannesburg. It caters for the bush
enthusiast as well as the prospective field
guide and has the same accreditations and
endorsements as the NEC.
Tanya Strydom and Rod Bell came tie 2ndnot far behind, so
well done to you guys aswell!
Doing a bit of birdwatching on their way out of camp
Congratulations to Vanessa Devarenne and Szilard Bognar for
receiving the Spirit of ANT award 
This year we only ran one practical for our
correspondence students and there was still
space for a few more people. Anyway, those
that attended (mostly South African this
time) really loved the experience and were
blessed with incredible sightings, ending off
with a leopard mother and her cub.
Congratulations to Marilyn Donaldson for conducting the best
practical walk!
Isn’t that the cutest thing!
Here is some of their feedback:
Congratulations to Lara Martins for receiving the Silvia
Henderson Memorial award for the most improved birder!
I would like to say how impressed I was by
Chanyn and Conrad – what a remarkable
couple! They did a marvellous job of
keeping the camp running smoothly and
happily and also very successfully managed
our…group with humour and tolerance.
While the bush and learning experiences
were outstanding, what made the two
weeks even more memorable were the
efforts, hard work and example of the 4
ANTers. ~ Jo Caesar
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What a wonderful experience the last two
weeks have been - thought I would never
get my feet clean again but pink is starting
to show through :) Will send you some pics
when I have sorted through 2 000 or so!?!
Great camp, wonderful people - Conrad,
Chanyn, Bennie and Mandla, truly an
unforgettable experience - thank you for
making people's dreams come true in
providing the facilities. ~ Kim Philips
Each day the bush teaches us something
new. The sound of life around every corner
is awe-inspiring. Living and breathing the
bush for two months is truly something to
be experienced. Every day gets better and
better. ~ Dionne Jordaan
FGASA LEVEL 1 COURSE:
2 APRIL – 2 JUNE 2014
Our FGASA Level 1 course is
specially designed for the prospective field
guide and takes place over sixty days. We
run our practical from a fantastic venue
within the Greater Kruger National Park
(south-western section) and incorporate ten
days of working experience in a five star
lodge.
Nkombe
Camp
is
your
home-fromhome…well, we like to think so!
The ANT team does a fabulous job of making
sure that your bush experience is enjoyable
and safe…and our students are happy to tell
you themselves!
Students prepare to spend the night out in the open on top of
a kopjie…there’s nothing quite as exciting as that!
Truly amazing experience – it gives you a
whole new dimension in your vision of life. ~
Ralph Raspoort
This course was a great experience. The
food is wonderful and there was never a
lack of it. Planning was excellent – never a
problem with anything. The lectures and
lecturers are amazing and I truly learned a
lot. Thank you very much for everything – I
can’t wait to start my career as a field
guide! ~ Frederik Aucamp
It
was
an
amazingly
life-changing
experience that changes your outlook on the
animal and plant kingdom but also on
astronomy, geology, etc. ~ Rianne Houtermans
Judge for yourselves whether or not they enjoyed themselves
How amazing to be able to follow lions!
An absolutely mind-blowing experience! The
Big 5 encounters I saw were of such a nature
that I will probably never be able to have
again. An absolute life-changing experience
which has further cemented my passion and
love for African wildlife. ~ Matthew Dyson
Being able to live in the African bush for
two months alone made this course all
worth it. But being an ANT student means
that you’ll have the opportunity to not only
experience nature hands on, but also learn
about all the components in nature. I learnt
a lot, ate great food and have seen amazing
things that words can’t explain. This FGASA
level 1 Course is a must for all nature
lovers. ~ Carmi Zeelie
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Thanks very much to Paul Werthmüller and
Paul Griffin for sharing these photographs
with us!
We really enjoyed training you and wish you well in your
future career!
The ANT course was loads of fun – we saw
new and interesting things every single day.
The best part is getting a break from a
lecture because of an animal in camp and
then jumping onto the vehicle whilst we
were still in our pj’s to go and find lions. I
learnt so much and loved every minute of
it. Ps. The food was awesome! ~ Morgan Klarer
ADVANCED
COURSE
TRAILS
What a privilege to be so close to these magnificent animals!
GUIDE
This is designed for students who
want to round off their field guiding
qualification by learning how to safely and
professionally lead walks in Dangerous
Game areas and includes FGASA Advanced
Rifle Handling. The qualification is
considered ‘advanced’ because our training
area contains all of the Big Five animals
(Buffalo, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and
Lion…and also Hippo).
We were very happy with how our first full
Trails Guide Course went! The first part Advanced Rifle Handling - was a tough
beginning, but most of the students passed,
which is a huge achievement in itself – well
done! Thankfully all is not lost, as the
experience of learning how to walk safely
amongst dangerous animals is something
that will stay with you forever…and what
could be better than walking in the bush?!
Well done to all of you and thanks to Servaas for his input!
Our very own ‘Zebra and Giraffe’ in the flesh!
Can you tell the difference between a Cheetah and a
Leopard?
There were plenty of opportunities to view elephants on foot
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SAVANNA BIRD COURSE
Although this course is based
on our NEC bird module, it has
been re-designed to cater for birders of all
levels. It specifically aims to prepare field
guides for the FGASA Savanna Bird Specialist
Certificate qualification which is an elective
part of FGASA level 2 and a mandatory part
of FGASA level 3.
Matthew, Chanyn, Conrad, Silvia, Paul W and Frederik take a
breather while out on a walk
TRAILS GUIDE CONTACT SESSIONS
The NEC students thoroughly enjoyed being
guineapigs on our first run of the course
earlier this year and we were delighted with
how it went – thanks for being such good
sports everyone (you know who you are…)!
These are part-time opportunities
for trainee trails guides to log
encounters with dangerous game on foot
under the guidance of a FGASA mentor. We
also open up a few places for ‘guests’ –
people who don’t want to qualify as a trails
guide but who just enjoy walking in the
bush. Having real guests on these walks
enhances the training experience. It’s a
wonderful chance to enjoy walking in Big
Five territory!
Some serious bird-watching went on…
The birders weren’t scared of an early morning…or the cold!
Photo by Rod Bell
We run a couple of ‘contact session’ weeks
during the year for people who can’t take a
month off work and who are doing this
qualification on a part time basis (so that
you can still gain the necessary encounters
and hours). We have one running this week
and there is currently space on the next
one:

1 – 7 December 2014
If you would like to participate, please
contact us for further details or to book your
place on this contact session in December.
Was that the yellow morph, by any chance, Roger?
I enjoyed the Savanna Bird Course and have
really got into birding because of this.
Having to learn the calls from your CD has
really helped a lot and I have been able to
identify a few birds just from their call
which gives you a great sense of
achievement at being able to do so. ~ Karin
Wrede
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WILDLIFE
COMPETITION
2014
Warwick Tarboton was a treat at Nylsvley, seen here with
Nicky, Dave, André and Philip!
PHOTOGRAPHY
Entries are now closed for the year. We will
be announcing the winners of our Wildlife
Photography competition at the end of
October on our social media pages. The
categories are:
 Mammals
 Birds
 African Landscapes
 Macro
We thank each and every one of the people
that submitted entries and encourage all of
you to continue practising the art!
What we took away from the birding weekend was a
wonderful set of memories…
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP
Chris Martin’s tips for Wildlife
Photographers - taken from his
Africa Geographic blog.
This one is a bit of a private joke we will never forget…
…Daytime/Night-time – there’s always time for a bit of fun thanks Jenny and André!
The summer is finally here and as I sit
down to write this I’m already seeing the
crowds start to arrive on a more regular
basis in the Lowveld and in particular into
the Kruger National Park.
The veld has never looked so beautiful and
before the grass starts to get too long, we
have a beautiful ‘shoulder season’ that
offers opportunity for great mammal
photography as well as the long awaited
return of the migratory birds. It’s definitely
one of my most favourite times to get out
and build up my image bank.
Thanks to Jenny Bell for this lovely image of a
Cape White-Eye!
We do have some spaces on our next course,
which starts on Wednesday 22nd October so,
if you’re interested in joining us, please
contact us for further details or to book your
place.
As I watch people in the park, especially
when I am in a bird hide, I find myself drawn
into not only the subjects they chose to
photograph, but also how they chose to
photograph them.
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So often, photographers seem to be drawn
into the trap of just duplicating what
everyone else in the hide is snapping away
at, rather than moving around, looking for
where there is good light (or at least light
that is working in their favour), or trying to
predict where there is likely to be action
based on the prevailing conditions.
Something just as simple as moving your
feet can make a profound effect on the
quality of image you bring home and bring
you something that whilst taken only ten
feet away from a fellow photographer will
be better lit, better composed, something
that is a high impacting image.
But that is not the whole story by a long
way. A knowledgeable field guide has spent
considerable time studying all aspects of
environmental sciences. With all that study
comes the knowledge and experience to
know just where to go for the opportunities
of photographing a particular species. In
most cases, when visiting a new area on a
short visit, it’s almost a necessity. But whilst
the hiring of a specialist photographic guide
will inevitably increase your chances of
capturing that longed for image (at the same
time benefiting from one-on-one coaching),
for many people it may be a luxury - just too
much to afford.
If you cannot afford to book onto a specialist
photographic tour or hire a local guide,
there is still a lot you can do to improve
your own chances of getting even greater
images at your local photographic hot spot.
On your next visit, just press pause for a
moment and put away the camera, take a
good look around and ask yourself how well
do you really know the area and how much
research have you undertaken to understand
it’s photographic potential?
So, even if you don’t do anything different
next time you are out there, I’d ask you to
just look at what alternative composition
might be available to you… and move your
feet.
Get down low if you have an opportunity to
do so and shoot at the eye level of your
subject. Also, get a couple of images ‘in the
can’ and then allow the animal or bird to
settle and get used to your presence. This
nearly always pays dividends, with fantastic
opportunities to witness and photograph the
subject’s behaviour in a naturally relaxed
state.
It’s no accident that many of the best
wildlife photographers in Southern Africa are
experienced and knowledgable field guides
who have spent many years, or most of their
lives, in the bush. Yes, this allows them the
opportunity to be out there in the field
getting those great images whilst many
people are stuck in their offices in the city
dreaming about their next weekend away or
their next vacation to the bush.
Many photographers, and indeed social
media sites, go to lengths to share details of
where specific images have been captured.
Most wildlife photographers are more than
happy to share their knowledge and
experience of a particular park or location.
In many cases they have researched the area
for hours to ensure they get maximum
return from their time in the field.
Why not contact one of your favoured
photographers and see if they can help you
out?
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Perhaps the best way of improving your
fieldcraft and indeed the most rewarding, is
to invest in some field training.
Modularised training allows you to build a
greater understanding of subjects such as
botany, ecology, geology and their
importance to the endemic mammal and
bird life in a particular region.
Some more detailed studies can not only be
personally rewarding but offer significantly
greater opportunity to be in the right place
at the right time.
Aside from gathering a huge amount of
information used in field guide training
regarding spoor and signs of the veld,
weather, grazing value of specific grassland
areas etc. (the list goes on and on!), you will
walk away with a huge amount of respect
for the level of study that field guides
undertake, but with also a gadget bag full of
treasured information to allow you to
prepare for more bountiful days in the field.
Giant Carrion Flower - Stapelia gigantea
Many fly species hone in on this smell as
they normally lay their eggs in decaying
flesh (these hatch and become maggots). In
this manner the flower tricks the flies into
laying its eggs in the centre of the flower.
If the eggs hatch, the maggots simply die as
there is no sustenance (no decaying flesh) to
feed on.
In this way the flowers ensure their nitrogen
requirements are met whilst helping to
minimize the number of flies in the bush –
Bonus !
FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS
What’s new and exciting…
FGASA LEVEL 1:
30th September to 30th November
If nothing else, you will learn that above all
else, respect for the environment in which
you are doing your photographic work, far
surpasses the importance of any image you
might bring home.
GAIN VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE:
Spend ten days at an internationally
acclaimed 5 Star Lodge, learning how
everything works in the background!
BUSH BUZZ
Fight flies with flowers…
Nature has an answer for everything - even
controlling pesky flies!
The Giant Carrion flower emits a smell like
rotting meat - an odour which is quite
evident in the bush during the summer
months.
If you’re serious about working in the
bush, then this is the course for you 
WE ONLY HAVE TWO PLACES LEFT,
SO DON’T DELAY – CONTACT US!
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FREE INFORMATION EVENING:
WEDNESDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2014
TRAILS GUIDE CONTACT SESSION
1st– 7th DECEMBER 2014
Considering doing our Nature Enthusiast
Course next year?
Or perhaps you’re thinking of giving it as
a special gift to someone - why not invite
them to our FREE INFORMATION
EVENING on 8th October:
Venue: Paulshof, Johannesburg
(directions upon RSVP)
Time: 18:30 – ±20:00
Cost: just over an hour of your time
Kindly RSVP for catering purposes:
[email protected]
If you’re a FGASA qualified nature
guide, you may want to round off by
qualifying to take guided walks in
Dangerous Game areas. Or you may
simply want to walk in the bush…
We still have space on the final Trails
Guide Contact Session of the year, so
please contact us for more information
or to book your place!
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
SAVANNA BIRD COURSE
If you are interested in learning more
about birds, or if you are a field guide
looking to do your FGASA Regional Bird
Guide Certificate (either as a standalone qualification or as an elective
part of FGASA level 2 or mandatory part
of FGASA level 3) we encourage you to
do our Savanna Bird Course!
We would once again like to
take this opportunity to thank
our sponsors for their generosity and ongoing
support:
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve - for
sponsoring the top student prize for the
Nature Enthusiast Course.
www.sabisabi.com
Starts:
Finishes:
Capacity:
Cost:
22nd October
19th November
min 10 - max 20
R 5,500
One of the few business schools globally to
hold triple accreditation status, the oldest
in Europe and venue of our evening lectures.
www.henleysa.ac.za
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FROM THE
CLOSING…
ANT
HILL
IN
Well, there it is! We are sad to
see the end of this newsletter, but happy to
embrace the digital age with open minds 
We hope that you have enjoyed the
publication and that you will continue to
read our Blog and follow us on Facebook,
Twitter and Google Plus.
“In the end we conserve only that
which we love,
we love only that which we
understand,
we understand only that which we are
taught”
I would like to take this opportunity to once
again thank all of our loyal customers for
your ongoing patronage.
Thanks must, as always, go to our dedicated
volunteer training team for all their support
in making sure that students have the
experience of a lifetime no matter what
course they undertake with us.
As ever, our aim of promoting environmental
awareness
through
the
sharing
of
knowledge, together with fostering a love
and respect for nature through the building
of relationships with people who care as we
do, is unwavering and unchanged.
Hamba kahle! Baba Dioum (Senegalese Ecologist)
AFRICA NATURE TRAINING
(FGASA accredited training
provider)
Phone: 012 667 5440
Fax:
086 610 4899
Skype: ANT.admin
Web: www.AfricaNatureTraining.co.za
E-mail:[email protected]
Please join our online community 
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