Dianne Ceresa

‘Off-piste’ with the kids in the Kruger

“I slipped the rifle off my shoulder and slowly approached the towering matriarch, my head bowed. Dropping to my knees, I addressed her in humble tones: ‘Your Majesty’ I said.  ‘I beg you to let us go in peace’.

In South Africa’s Kruger Park, Frank, our gnarled ranger, dressed from head to toe in khaki, was quick to assure my spellbound niece and nephew that this particular elephant encounter was many years ago and that a stroll through the park would , far from being scary, be the best way to spot the small wonders of Africa.

In the seventeen years Frank had lived and worked in the park, he had only ever found himself out of his depth once. He continued with his story.

“It was late afternoon and I was returning to the truck with my group along a winding river bed, when I heard the warning trumpet of an angry elephant.”

“I looked up at the sound of heavy feet on gravel,  and saw a huge matriarch, ears flapping and trunk held aloft, her herd-members flanking her, calves tucked in behind, and all of them coming towards us at a stiff-legged run. We were backed up against a rock face, too steep to climb, so there was no escape.”

I glanced across at the twins, Ben and Emma, aged 14, imagining the customary teenager contempt for adult emotion. Instead, their eyes were wide-open, their Ipod headphones unplugged and hanging loose.

“Wow! What happened?” they asked.

Frank continued.  “She seemed to weigh us up and decide that we meant no harm, and as suddenly as she’d arrived, she ambled away, followed by the rest of the herd. Most times the animals hear us coming, and are more nervous of us than we are of them”.

For our trip, we were determined that nothing would stop us missing out on the experience of being on foot, deep in the 7,580 square miles of untamed African bush that make up the Kruger.  If you visit in your hire-car, as more than a million visitors do each year, under no circumstances can you leave the road, let alone get out of your vehicle for closer inspection. Instead we had chosen to do a four-day guided Kruger Park camping safari in the national park, so that we would get as close to the real bush as possible.

At our three-course Beef Wellington dinner in the mess tent later that evening, we were happy to report our only close encounter had been with an impressive golden orb spider, about the size of Frank’s fist, blocking our pathway through shoulder-high straw-coloured grasses with her sticky web.

No royal matriarchs this time, but Frank promised tomorrow’s morning game drive would be sure to encounter lone bachelor elephants, preferring to live a solitary life without the demands of the herd. All would be observed from the safety of the safari truck. Tucked up in their cosy dome tent on comfortable stretcher beds, miles from civilization, Ben and Emma were as excited about the following morning as they had been when camping in the back garden as kids.

Merry from the plentiful South African wine consumed earlier at dinner, my sister and I zipped up our own tent, and dozed off to the gentle rustling of the Acacia leaves and distant roar of lions, marking out their territory. We slept soundly in the knowledge that our little encampment, deep in the bush, was surrounded by a discreet electric fence that would protect us from all creatures on four legs, especially those with trunks.

Any ideas where to take two teenagers on a South Africa holiday this year?

Top 10 Lemurs of Madagascar

160 million years ago Madagascar separated from the super continent of Gondwanaland, and forged its own evolutionary path. Today, 80 per cent of its wildlife is found nowhere else on earth, including the iconic lemurs, stars of the recent Attenborough BBC series. There are over 90 lemur species – some so tiny they fit in a match box and others that can leap a full ten metres. Many are endangered species, threatened by farming, the clearing of forests for fire wood and hunting. Here are some of my favourites.

Indri – the ‘panda bear’ lemur

The largest of the surviving lemurs, the cuddly Indri is about the size of a female chimp. Almost tail-less, they have piercing green eyes and are best known for their eerie whale-like calls, which can carry for up to 3km. You can only see them in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (Perinet/Analamazaotra), their Malagasy rainforest home, as they don’t survive in captivity.

Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur – the Kylie Minogue of the lemur world

The smallest primate in the world, weighing only 30 grams, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur is probably the cutest. This star of the lemur world is strictly nocturnal and can be found in the Kirindy Forest, north of Morondava, an area also famed for its bountiful baobabs.

Ringtail lemur – Madagascar’s WAG Pack

Madagascar’s trademark and national mammal, Ringtails hang out in large matriarchal groups, squabble regularly but defend their patch together with gusto. The most ground-based of all the lemurs, their distinctive ‘Davy Crocket’ tails make them easy to identify. They are widespread across the sub-arid South of Madagascar. See them in Berenty, Isalo and Andringitra National Parks, Ifotaka and Anjaha.

Coquerel’s sifaka – the Strictly Come Dancing lemur

Sifakas come in a number of variations and all are endearing and acrobatic. Although almost completely arboreal, living and moving through the trees, their long legs and tails help them to gracefully ‘dance’ across open spaces. Coquerel’s sifika is critically endangered but commonly seen at Ankarafantsika National Park (Ampijoroa) and at Anjajavy.

Eastern lesser bamboo lemur – the gentle lemur

The best known of the Bamboo or Gentle lemur family, unsurprisingly the Eastern lesser mostly eats bamboo. These have been the most heavily hunted lemurs in Madagascar, often kept in captivity as pets, and now have a conservation status of ‘vulnerable’. Whilst on your Madagascar holiday, you can see them in the wild in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (Perinet/Analamazaotra) and Ranomafana.

Aye Aye – the gremlin of Madagascar’s forests

The Aye Aye epitomizes all that is fascinating about Madagascar’s unique wildlife. This secretive nocturnal inhabitant of the Malagasy rainforests looks as if it is composed of random body parts: a fox’s tail, bat ears, rodent incisors, and remarkable tarantula-like hands. See the Aye Aye in the uninhabited island reserve of Nosy Mangabe, Ambaniala (near Maroantsetra), and even in Perinet.

Red ruffed – the best dressed lemur

This large and extremely vociferous lemur has a strikingly luxuriant red and black pelage, and wins the accolade of ‘best dressed’ lemur. Perhaps a little blousy, our flamboyant friend prioritises its grooming routine, and that of its friends, using its toothcomb like front teeth. You’ll have to visit the Masoala National Park, in the northeast corner of Madagascar to see the Red-ruffed lemur as this is the only place where they survive.

Milne-Edwards’ sifaka – if George Clooney was a lemur he’d probably be a Milne Edwards

Another member of the graceful sifika family, the Milne Edwards is uber chic, with a debonair, understated creamy white and chocolate brown coat, and smouldering ruby-red eyes. Not as showy as some but the height of sartorial elegance and found in the Ranomafana National Park.

Black lemur – the laid-back beach-bum

Males are jet black and females a rich reddish-brown. Black lemur are only found on Nosy Be, Nosy Komba and in a small area of the Sambirano domain on the mainland. Black lemurs are best known for their fondness for licking certain millipedes which exude an intoxicating substance, leaving the lemurs dazed and glassy-eyed, but totally ‘blissed-out’.

Crowned lemur – royal lemurs for a royal year

Part of the ‘true lemur’ grouping, both male and female Crowned lemurs wear v-shaped tiaras – the males’ tiaras are black and females’ tiaras (pictured) are grey and orange. Crowned lemurs are common in Montagne d’Ambre National Park and in the far north of Madagascar in Ankarana Special Reserve. Wonder what they’ll be doing on 29 April?

With thanks (and apologies) to Derek Schuurman, co-author of Globetrotter Travel Guide: Madagascar, co-author of Bradt’s ‘Madagascar Wildlife’ guide and contributor to Conservation International’s ‘Field Guide to the Lemurs of Madagascar’.

Which of these lemurs would you like to see on your next Madagascar holiday?