Marloth Park Information Guide
Index
1 Emergency numbers in Marloth Park
2 Short history of the development of Marloth Park
3 Map of Marloth and Kruger Park South
4 Travel distances into Kruger
5 Marloth Park rules and regulations
6 Aloe Marlothii Berger – after which Marloth Park is named.
7 Live green in Marloth –
The dream of grass
Plants
List of trees you can plant
8 English and Afrikaans names of mammals often seen insideMarloth Park or on the Kruger side of the fence
9 Why rather stay in Marloth when visiting Kruger
10 What to pack
11 Where to eat
12 Travel distances from Marloth to Kruger’s nearest gates and rest camps
13 Interesting facts on human wildlife confrontation. Extracts from the book of Peter Hathaway Capstick – Death in the long grass.
14 About snakes
15 Murder, crimes and unfortunate insidents that shook Marloth Park
16 Be safe in Marloth Park
17 Owning property in Marloth Park: Why not opt for co-ownership?
Thoughts on shared ownership.
18 You don’t need ESCOM – or do you. Live smaller, not larger.
19 Marloth park building regulations
20 Books and stories by Adele Reynders
Marloth Park – Living in symbiosis with nature
Being in Marloth Park is a little bit like time travel. The best of two worlds. A modern, safe home to stay in. But nature as it has been when the first hunters and gatherers dwelled the stone koppies along the gorge, the rivers and the hills near Malelane. A habitat where our ancestors braved and explored wild Africa with bare hands and primitive weapons. As seen by the transport drivers en route from Lydenburg to Delagoabay. The farmers that packed their carts and wagons in the winter and migrate with their cattle and flock to the Lowveld to feed them.
Then there was the tented safaris when the Sabie reserve was proclaimed by president Paul Kruger on 26 March 1898 with the Crocodile River as its southern border.
But the river did something generous. It left a horse shoe ‘island’, times two where the mighty Crocodile, for some strange reason changed its course drastically. The location of two private farms, Grootdraai en Verdwaal. But most of all, that is where and why Marloth Park was born.
When standing on Seekoei road, looking North, the sun rises on your right hand side, and sets towards your left leaving the most beautiful reflections on the waters of the Crocodile. A place to start with coffee and a prayer at dawn and a toast and thankful heart at dusk.
Time stopped just there. And yet, you can feel, see, hear and smell the greatness of eternity.
Comes night time in Marloth Park you can look up to this glorious wide open African starlit sky and sometimes the biggest and fullest moon you can imagine. The smell of wooden fire. The roar af a lion. The laugh of a hyena.
Enough for now. There is simply not enough paper or words to portray it all.
But one thing I know for sure. We as the patrons and lovers of Marloth Park must treat it as a very sensitive and intricate eco system, where even the smallest grass plant or goggatjies is a link in the food chain of a huge and perfect universe. We have a responsibility to check how big our footprints and impacts are. Please don’t sweep your stand clean, Don’t just kill everything that you consider as not nessecary. And don’t plant stuff that is not indigenous or endemic to the Lowveld.
The future of Marloth Park depends on us.
Emergency numbers – Marloth Park
Security Services:
Field – 082 828 1043
Securicon – 082 567 2350
Other:
SAPS – 013 7937321
Fire Brigade – 082 806 1611
Game Rangers – 082 802 5894
Water Pipes – 076 856 1253
Locksmith – 083 656 2814
Ambulance – 079 883 3350
Snake removal – 079 778 5359 / 082 372 3350 / 071674 4596
History of the development of Marloth Park in short
In 1952 Piet Maritz (and a few years later, his brother Hendrik) obtained the farms Verdwaal and Grootdraai, for cattle farming. But corridor and foot and mouth diseases made it a difficult choice. Cattle was also not the best choice with lion and other predators around. They changed to vegetable farming, then to sugar cane in 1965, as well as citrus and tropical fruit. Which of course was also a fruit basket for all the herbivores of Kruger Park.
How it became possible for ordinary people like us, to live in Paradise!: Piet Nortjé, of the farm Ouniek, made stands available for people travelling to Mozambique. It was the perfect stop-over before going through the border to Mozambique. (Maputo) Ouniek is also the farm that later linked Marlothpark to the N4 from Nelspruit, to Komatipoort. Tucker’s Land and Development Corporation purchased six farms before and until 1970 and founded the ‘Crocodile River Holiday township and Nature reserve. The farms were Seekoegat, M’Kayabult, Ouniek, Bergrust, Buffelsdraai and Maroela. Maroela is not part of the final Park. On 7 December 1977 Marloth Park Holiday Township, consisting of 1548hectares was proclaimed. Only 55% of the area was to be divided into 4000 stands. On liquidation of Tucker Company, Bester Homes got involved in the marketing of Marloth Park in 1988. They bought property in Midrand, and found that some land on the Crocodile was included in the deal! It was given away to people WHO purchased stands in Willows in Pretoria. Cause really guys, what person in his right mind would even consider buying land in such a remote, wild and undeveloped place? (Me me!)
Lionspruit was established in 1992.
Grootdraai and Verdwaal has a history of its own. Looking at the Map of Marloth Park you see two horseshoes. The big one closest to the N4 is where Marloth Park is situated. Verdwaal and Grootdraai, so the story goes, got their names after a conveyer who was suppose to measure distances to draw a map of Marloth, followed the river, instead of the real border of the park. Kingfisher street.
Size of Marloth Park:
Township itself 1548 hectares
Lionspruit Park 1500 hectares Roads to travel 96km
Marloth Park Rules and Regulations:
No walking after 18:00 – 06:00
Speed limit 30km on dirt roads. (50km tarred roads)
No unlicensed drivers on any road
No drinking and driving
Lock doors and windows when not here
When home, lock doors you cannot keep an eye on
Take rubbish in black bags to assigned dumping sites
No littering
No spotlighting to disturb animals or neighbours
Sorry, no pets
No chopping of trees or removing of vegetation
Extinguish all fires after a braai
No open fires in field
Do not feed the animals strange or unhealthy stuff
Do not stroke or handle wild animals
No loud noises especially after 18:00
No fireworks ever!
Keep firearms in a secure place
Travel distances from Marloth Park into Kruger
Marloth Park to Malelane Gate 39km
Marloth Park to Crocodile Bridge 17km
Into Kruger:
From Crocodile Bridge to:
Lower Sabie 34km
Mbiyamithi 26km
Skukuza 77km
Satara 127km
Pretoriuskop 92km
From Malelane Gate to:
Berg-en-dal 12km
Mbiyamithi 39km
Skukuza 64km
Pretoriuskop 85km
Lower Sabie 105km
Satara 165km
Paul Kruger Gate 74km
Phabeni Gate 82km
Crocodile Bridge Gate via Skukuza 141km
Malaria and Mosquito’s
Malaria is caused by the malaria plasmodium parasite which is transferred to man by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. Symptoms never to ignore after visiting a malaria are are head-aches, fever, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, etc.
Even common flu symptoms must be monitored.
Prevention. I don’t believe in the pilletjies! It sometimes may depress Malaria symptoms.
Rather use Citronella soap. It can be bought at out door shops. Burn Citronella candles and coils under tables to keep them away.
Close your ancles, legs and arms when the sun starts setting. Usually the time when people are outside and prepare to braai. (Mosquito’s love ancles!) Apply Tabard and Peaceful sleep on areas exposed..
Aloe Marlothii Berger
The aloe is named after the late Dr. Rudolf Marloth of Cape Town. Not only is Marloth Park named after this beautiful plant, but the South African Aloe and Succulent Society also chose it as their emblem. It is commonly known as the Marothi Aloe and Bergaalwyn. Some tribes in Africa make snuff from the leaves and therefor it is also known as the snuff plant!
Flowering time is in the dry and Grey season, from May to August. Marlothi’s may start flowering when approximately 1metre high.
The colour of the flowers change from deep orange red to yellow and are almost horizontally disposed. It differs from the Aloe Spectabillis where the inflorecence is sub-erect.
Aloe Marlothii has a stout stem, and can grow up to 4 metres (sometimes in dense areas even 6 metres) Old leaves persist on the stem. Leaves are dull green to Grey leaves are heavily spined to almost smooth. Leaves end in reddish brown sharp thorny points.
Marlothi’s are easily cultivated from seed.
Live green in Marloth Park – Plant indigenous and endemic trees and shrubs on your plot
People are usually so concerned about the animals, they forget about the vegetation and habitat in which these animals live. When one feed animals and not look after the plantlife and soil as well, a dessert is created. The animals, especially ostrich trample the earth to dust. What makes it worse is that house owners also sweep their properties clean in order to keep snakes away.
We have to start planting indigenous trees, grasses and vegetation!
I know it is difficult when one is not always there to look after the plants, but maybe watering these plants is a good business oportunity for someone who is retired and stay in the Park ful time.
Trees and shrubs bought from a nursery have the best chance of survival, as their roots are already established. Most trees, however can be planted from seeds.
Best time to gather seeds are in spring.
Plant seeds in pots and keep them humid until they germinate. Nurse them a while after that until they are strong enough to survive. After transplanting in the ground the young trees need constant watering. Hope it is a good rainy season or hopefully someone will start this watering business. (Joke or may I hope)
The dream of grass:
Sadly Marloth Park is rapidly turning into a desert in front of our very eyes. I have this dream, and it can only work if most owners share it with me. I want to see edible grass again on the stands and parklands of Marloth Park. Its true, after a nice rainy season the bush looks green. But not everything is palatable or edible for browsers and grazers.
Sow grass seeds …
My dream … that all the property owners would keep a packet of the Reclamation mixed veldgrass for wildlife in their houses, and scatter it after every good rain in spring and summer. Timing is important as effective preparation will require that the soil be moist and there must be enough time for the seed to germinate and the seedlings to establish before the next dry season. The soil must allow water penetration and aeration. The surface must be loosened to provide a rough seedbed.
Okay in most cases the surface is loose due to many animal hoofs trotting the area. This is how nature plants her own seed. So please do not rake the area to get rid of loose soil!
After applying seed water the are, or pray for rain.
If you can cover a small area for a week of more with some kind of shadow net or plastic, it will also help to get the little plant established.
Where to start: From most hardware stores or nurseries one can by a reclamation mixtures for the rehabilitation of damaged veld and disturbed areas.
For success, read this first:
Before commencing rehabilitation of any area, it is vital to establish the cause of degradation and to take remedial action.
And pop goes my dream. It is such a difficult situation. People feed the animals because there is nothing for them to eat in the veld. When they stay in such damaged area, every little green leave is picked at and uprooted. Especially the ostriches. Where ever they walk the area is turned into a desert. Nothing grows there, no plant grow or throw seed off. The habitat is effectively buggered up.
COMPOST: The reason why we must leave the fallen leaves on our piece of land. Leaves worked into soil turn ito compost. You need compost to feed plants and keep the soil moist.
Soil must also be fertilized to ameliorate serious deficiencies and imbalances of nutrients. (Ask at your nursery for CAN or 323 or what ever they recommend). For an entire growing season plants must be allowed to develop fully, flower and drop their seed. Therefore exclude grazing animals in that small area! Sorry guys. But how? In Marloth we cannot fence small areas in (although it would be ideal!) I suggest that you use the brush packing method.
Do not exfoliate by any other means. The dropped seed duly dispersed will assist in the following season and replenish the soil’s seedbank.
Second season onwards.
Reclamation Grass mixtures consist of pioneer, sub-climax and climax species. In the second season, if your grass survived through the dry season, the veld can be left to grow without fertilizer application. Remember you may change your drain system for grey water to irrigate your little grassland. (Toilet into french drain. Other water in the veld)
A last word on the Wildlife mixtures
If possible fertilize soil and when the plants are about 5cm high, cover with a small layer of top dressing. Consider a small compost heap, hidden away somewhere in your garden and covered with a lid and feed your plants with that!
If you can keep and protect some of the first season’s established plants, they will develope and produce more seeds and plants.
This project can only work if most property owners share the dream …
Indigenous plants around your house:
Ask your local nursery what to plant. Isn’t it time for Marloth Park to get our own nursery again? Plant hobbiest, maybe you can cultivate plants and trees from your house and turn it into a business!
Trees to plant in your garden:
Acacia – Almost all species are drought resistant and bare food for animals in the vorm of leaves, flowers and pods.
Afzelia Guanzensus – Mahogany
Burkea Africana – Wild Seringa or Rhodesian Ash
Calodendrum Capense – Cape Chestnut
Combretum Erythrophyllum – Bush Willow
Dais Cotinifolia – Pompon tree
Diospyros mespiliformis – Jakkalsbessie / Jackallberry or Transvaal Ebony
Dosonaea Viscosa – Sandolyf / Ysterhout known for its medicinal value
Dombeya Rotundifolia – Wild Plum / Drolpeer / Dombeya
Erythrina – Koraalboom or Lucky bean tree
Euclea Crispa – Ghwarrie
Fagaria Davyi – Knobwood
Faurea – Boekenhout
Ficus capensis – wild fig
Gardenia thunbergia – Wild gardenia (wildekatjiepiering)
Marula
Mimusops – Milkwood or moepel
Ochna Pulchra – Lekkerbreek
Olea Africana – Wild Olive
Parinari Curatellifolia – Mobala Plum – highly useful and edible fruit
Podocarpus – Geelhout
Pseudocadia Zambesiaca – Nyalatree Fruit loved by birds and antelope species
Rhus Lancea – Bastard willow or Karee – good fruit
Schotia brachypetala – Weeping Boerboon or tree fuchsia
English and Afrikaans names of mammals / soogdiere often seen in Marloth Park:
Warthog / Vlakvark
Kameelperd / Giraffe
Blouwildebees / Blue Wildebeest
Koedoe / Kudu
Waterbok / Waterbuck
Bontkwagga / Sebra
Rooibok / Impala
Njala / Nyala
Blouaap / Vervet Monkey
Bobbejaan / Chacma Baboon
Klipdassie / Rock Dassie
Bosbok / Bushbuck
Duiker / Common Duiker
Steenbok / Steenbok
Vaalboskat / African Wild Cat
Siwet / Civet
Kolmuskejaatkat / Spotted Genet
Rooikat / Caracal
Tierboskat / Serval
Ystervark / Porcupine
Kolhaas / Scrub Hare
Springhaas / Spring Hare
Boomeekhoring / Tree Squirrel
Nagapie / Bushbaby
Ietermagog / Pangolin
Ratel / Honey Badger
Rooijakkals / Black-backed Jackal
Gevlekte Hiëna / Spotted Hyena
Muishond / Mongoose (banded, yellow, dwarf)
Stinkmuishond / Striped Polecat
Luiperd / Leopard
Leeu / Lion
Seekoei / Hippopotamus
Buffel / Buffalo
Olifant / Elephant
Witrenoster / Square lipped Rhinoceros
Swartrenoster / Hook-lipped Rhinoceros
Wildehond / Wild Dog
Jagluiperd / Cheetah
Meer omtrent die 7 diere op die voorblad:
Kameelperd (Giraffe) Giraffa camelopardalis
Word tot vyf meter hoog. Vroulike dier weeg ongeveer 850kg, manlik 1200kg. Leef ongeveer 28 jaar. Dratyd van kleintjies 14 -15 maande. Kleintjies is ongeveer 1,8meter hoog en word in Oktober tot Januarie gebore. Blaarvreters wat ook minerale uit die grond benut en soms aan bene kou! Maak geen kenmerkende geluid.
Zebra – Bontkwagga (Burchell’s Zebra) Equus Burchelli
Hierdie gestreepte diere lyk altyd asof hulle permanent in ‘n goeie kondisie is. Staan ongeveer 135cm tot op skouerhoogte. Weeg 230kg Leeftyd 20 – 30 jaar. Dratyd 12 maande. Kan byt en skop uit selfverdediging of om aan te val. Maak ‘n kenmerkende waarskuwende blafgeluid. Strepe is om roofdiere te verwar, maar ook vir die vul om sy ma te herken aangesien dit so uniek soos vingerafdrukke is. Klein diertjies word eenkant gehou om gewoond te raak aan sy ma se reuk. Kleintjies word deur die jaar gebore, maar in Marloth en Krugerpark kom vulletjies meesal gedurende Oktober en Novemder aan. Alhoewel dit selfs tot in Maart kan wees, afhangende van reën.
Koedoe – Kudu_Tragelapus strepsiceros
Bulle word tot 150cm hoog – weeg ong 220kg, koeie 135cm en weeg 180kg. Die gedraaide horings kan tot 175cm lank wees. Bul en koei troppe loop meesal apart, behalwe in paartyd. Dratyd 7-8 maande. Kleintjie word vanaf Desember tot Februarie gebore. Koedoes is blaarvreters, maar sal ook gras vreet. Sekere kosse wat mense soms uitsit om diere te voer kan koedoes baie siek maak. Mielies gaan blykbaar heel deur die verteringstelsel. Brood kan hulle opblaas. Verhoogde tannien in blare van bome in oorbeweide areas kan tot verhongering en sterftes ly. Leeftyd ongeveer 11jaar.
Waterbok – Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Weeg230-260kg. Skouerhoogte 130cm vroulik, 170cm manlik. Dratyd 8maande. Manjifieke horings kan tot 95cm lank word. En gevegte tot die dood is al aangeteken tussen bulle. Waterbokke word soms genoem Ring-gat – obvious redes! Dit lyk asof hulle op ‘n natverf toiletsitplek gaan sit het. LOL. Leef naby water, dikwels te sien sandbanke en tussen riete in die Krokodilrivier. Skei ‘n yukkie reuk af wat selfs krokodille se aptyt om aan hulle te vreet demp! Maar as prooidiere skaars is, sal leeus, luiperds en wildehonde hulle vang. Lewensduur ongeveer 16jaar.
Rooibok – Impala Aepyceros melampus
Ongeveer 90cm hoog. Ramme weeg in die omgewing van 50kg, ooie 40kg. Paartyd is April tot Mei. Die ramme maak ‘n kenmerkende snorkgeluid om oponente weg te jaag. Lammers maak hulle opwagting in November en Desember na ‘n ses en ‘n halfmaande dratyd. Vreet blare en gras. Kom in groot troppe voor in Marloh en Suidelike deel van Krugerpark. Leeftyd 9 tot 12 jaar. Dis een van die belangrikste redes oekom rooibokke se getalle uitgedun moet word in Marlothpark. Min roofdiere, hoë ouderdomsverwagting en baie goeie aanwas in goeie reënseisoene.
Blouwildebees – Blue Wildebeest_Connochaetes taurinus
Skouerhoogte 135-150cm. Weeg 180-250kg. Dra 8 en ‘n maande aan ‘n kalf wat gedurende Desember en Januarie gebore word en tussen 18 en 20jaar oud kan word. Albei geslagte het horings. Gee voorkeur aan grasuitloopsels in savannaveld. Dis hoekom hulle dikwels na veldbrande tussen die nuwe gras wei. Troppe in Krugerpark en Marloth is natuurlik nie naastenby meer so groot as jare gelede nie. Die rede is waarskynlik die grense Oos – Wes migrasie verhoed.
Vlakvark – Warthog_Phacocoerus aethopicus
60-70cm hoog. Vrouike diere weeg ongeveer 55kg manlik tot 80kg. Na ‘n driemaande dratyd word soveel as 6 kleintjies in November en Desember gebore. Kan amper deurgaan as ‘n omnifoor. Eet bessies, stroop bas van kruide af, maroelas, eiers, dooie diere. Geniet ook nuwe groen spruitgras na veldbrande. Woon in gate en onder Marlothpark se houtdekke en huise. Woonplekke word gewoonlik aangepas vir elke varkfamilie se persoonlike voorkeure. (Wat van ‘n nuwe yskas en kombuiskaste, liefie? Bietjie verf op die wande LOL) Vlakvarke hurk op knieë en grawe wortels uit met ‘n harde snoet. Vlakvarke is formidabele ivoordraers wat hulle in staat stel om skade aan te rig aan iets wat in hulle pad beland. Vlakvarke rol graag in modderpoele rond. As daar nie ‘n modderpoel is nie, oppas vir jou waterpype!
Inligting kom meesal uit The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion geskryf deur JD Skinner en RHN Smithers.
Why stay in Marloth Park instead of Kruger Park
In comparison with prices of a mere rondawel inside Kruger, you get a lot more house in Marloth Park for the same money or less. A. Rondawel or small unit in Kruger can usually accommodate two or at the most three people. If you have a family of five you must rent two units or opt for family houses. That may become way too expensive for the average family.
In Marloth Park you can rent one house and have your whole family under one roof. You can even take Oupa and Ouma with! You can drive (not walk) around after dark. Be careful though, some of the animals are easily scared by the lights of a vehicle and tries to reach the other side of the road in front of vehicles.
From Marloth Park you can easily reach the two Southern most gates of Kruger and enter the park as a day visitor.
Lately, at most of the houses in Marloth Park you have the luxury of your own private splash pool and DSTV to keep the children busy, but still under your eyes. You can also watch that important rugby match!
And how nice to have your own private braai area.
Where to eat:
Phumula Kruger Lodge and Restaurant – Rinkhals Avenue
Watergat Pub – Olifant road at the main shopping centre
Tin Shack Restaurant – Bush Centre Olifant Drive
Jabula Lodge and restaurant – Kurper Avenue
Amazing River View in the Henk van Rooyen recreation area
What to pack:
You probably have your own list when packing for a vacation. But just have a look at what is suggested here:
Booking permit / prove (Keys if it is your own place! Really, some people do forget that)
Binocculars, Camera, flash light (If you have a small camping solar system and lights it will be helpfull in case of a power failure.
Water 5 litre or more if you have space in your car
Mosquito stuff
Towels (even if bedding and towels are provided. Most places requires you to use your own at swimming pools, etc.)
Matches, Charcoal, fire lighters, braaitang
Strong plastic rubbish bags
Paper towels and toilet paper
Dishwashing liquid, sponge and drying towels
For the car … make sure your spare wheel is in a good condition, your jack in working order and the wheel spanner is still in your boot!
Some of the stuff mentioned on this list will probably available at the place where you booked. But if not, it is nice to have your own, especially if you arrive too late to find the shops still open.
Things to do in and around Marloth Park
There are shops, restaurants, hair dressers. Put-put circuit.
Super tube and waterworld.
Swimming pool at Henk van Rooyen Park
Drive around Lion Spruit or take the 25 km Kruger Park fence drive just off Seekoei and Crocodile road with a close-up view of the Crocodile river.
You can also take long walks or hire a mountain bike. There is about 96km of road to cover. Just watch out for lions’
Full and half day game drives into Kruger
Play golf in Komatipoort – only 17km away.
Visit Kruger Park on your own
If you have more information, please help us to keep the book updated and send it to renzaboeke@gmail.com
Interaction with wild animals:
Please do not mess with wildlife. The close proximity of the big five is one of the reasons why tourism in South Africa flourishes. Marloth Park is one of the very few places in the world where we as humans are able to live amongst them. But people sometimes forget that although elephants and other wild animals are beautiful and sometimes even look friendly, ALL wild animals can become deadly. Do not try to handle them and always keep a safe distance, even if they are on the other side of the fence! No fence can keep an elephant, lion or leopard in when they react in anger or fear. Some of the nastiest wounds can be made by a warthogs tusks, or the horns of a duiker or bushbuck. Stay away and keep small children out of their reach.
The Big Five and Hippo’s did not earn their reputation for being dangerous animals by lying around and looking lazy for us to take pictures and enjoy. Read the following, interesting extractions from the book
Death in the Long Grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick. Even though the book was written a long time ago, the nature of wildlife haven’t changed … yet!
LIONS
At 3 o’clock on the morning of September 2, 1974, Peter Hankin, one of South Africa’s most experienced professional hunters, was asleep in a warn canvas tent, with netting walls. It was pitched some distance away from the rest of the camp.
Outside a lioness moved closer, making no sound at all, as she walks on thick pads. Two amber eyes were locked on the body of the sleeping man, visible in the light of the moon. At five metres she gathered her hind legs beneath her flattened, lean body and the next moment she was in the air, claws extended like ten daggers.
Hankin probably never knew what hit him. He was killed by a broken neck on impact, as the post mortem later revealed. But not many bodies are left for post mortems to be done on, as man-eating lions, if undisturbed, usually eat every vestige of the body, even the blood soaked clothes and shoes.
Man is a fairly easy target for a lion. It cannot run fast. Its skin is easy to tear and its body consists primarily of water. A gourmet snack, that may become a preference meal. No wonder that man-eaters sometimes even brave unknown things as buildings and tents to get to its’ prey.
While building the Tshavo railway track in Tanzania, for instance, man-eaters went into the sleeping quarters and hospitals. This loss of fear for mankind, probably derived from the fact that some of the Indian people, working on the track, left the bodies of their dead in the field. It is not beyond a lion to scavenge on any carcass, even that of a dead human being.
In another incident, showing how bold lions may become, Hathaway Capstick was leading a hunting expedition in Zambia. They were all sleeping in huts built from sticks, grass and mud, when a lion broke through the wall of the hut where his two trackers were sleeping. One guy reacted by hitting the lion over its head with a full bottle of Coca Cola!
The lion backed off, but only for a while. In the writers own words: “Then, somehow, with prehistoric certainty I knew he was back there. I could absolutely sense him. The hackles were crawling around on my neck like a nest of maggots, and my palms were slippery cold on the Circassion walnut stock of the rifle.”
This time the hut shook under a heavy shock, and grass and dirt came from the roof. Then a huge dark lump appeared in the eighteen inch opening between the walls and flat roof. It was the lions head. The predator was on the roof, trying to look in! Hathaway Capstick fired a shot, through the thin layers of wood and grass on top, killing it.
It is not just old and sick animals that turn into man-eaters. Peter Turnbull-Kemp did research on the condition of eighty nine known man-eaters a few years ago. 91% were in fairly good condition. 13,3% were aged, but not injured. And only 4,4% aged as well as injured. Male lions are larger than females, weighing up to 225kg, while the ladies may weigh about 152kg.
Lions are fairly lazy during the day, but become warriors and hunters at night. So keep yourself safe. Do not write your own death warrant, as well as those of our Parks’s greatest attraction, for the lions will be shoot. And after all you are in THEIR environment.
Under no circumstances am I trying to point out that lions are senseless murderers of human beings. But remember, an animal, able of taking out a fully grown buffalo or giraffe with claws and teeth, is no pet to play with.
In Kruger, please don’t emerge from your car when coming across lions. They probably won’t attack you. (Although they may! Who knows?) But they will move away, as they still do not like the upright statue of the human being. And you will steal away the opportunity for other visitors to the the park to see the big cats.
LEOPARDS:
The leopard is described as a perfect killing machine and the most successful mammal predator in the world. And it is able to carry prey that weighs more than three times its own weight. Leopards are perfectly camouflaged and can move incredibly fast. He may be shy and secretive, but this is one animal that is probably not afraid of anything that crosses its path, including people. So do not rely on some unproved theory that he is afraid of you, and will back off when approached, because he probably wont!
Leopards still frequently live near and around humans, eating garbage, pigeons, chicken and stray dogs. He is noted for his patience, cleverness, boldness and hair raising ferocity! According to Peter Hathaway Capstick, leopards injured and scarred more human beings, than any other wild animal in the African bush.
There are leopards beneath the houses of Marloth Park. Lots of people have seen them or their tracks. Leopards won’t just attack a man unless scared or in a corner. I once saw one while walking in the dry river infront of my previous house in Butterfly street. I followed the advise of many ex Sanpark colleagues who stayed in Skukuza. Pretend not to have seen it, and move away slowly. My hart was pounding in my throat though, as I was watching him from the corner of my eyes.
ELEPHANT:
No one wants to be in the path of a charging elephant! It will wire its trunk against its chest, and then charge like a tank if you enter its personal space. It may kneel on its victim, or it may pick the body up, and slam it against any hard object in its way!
Some elephants may even throw the body in the air for a while, playing with it, as you may do with a bal. And then, as it was often recorded before… it may bury its victim under sticks, grass, leaves and soil!
Elephants are strong. They can uproot a Marula tree with a few pushes. They can brak the back of a buffalo bull with a slap of the trunk. Many people watched U-tube videos of elephants turning over cars. Don’t stop your car in or on a road where elephants are about to cross. They do sometimes mock charge by lifting the trunk high with flapping ears. They then usually stop a few metres away, but guess what, sometimes they don’t. You don’t want to see what they CAN do to your car, with you in it.
Keep a safe distance and keep your engine running when there are small baby elephants with the herd..
BUFFALO:
Do you ever wonder why buffalo are banned from the residential part of Marloth Park? They are bad tempered, extremely alert, even while sleeping in a morass pool, and they are armed and dangerous! Legends have it that they may lick the flesh off the legs and feet of people trying to escape in trees. Do you want to find out if it is true? I will pass on that aspect. When hunted, in Hathaway Captick’s own words: “You may shoot him to pieces, and he will still come for you, despite the wounds! Blow his heart into tatters, he will still have enough oxygen stored in his brain to go a hundred yards and still have the moxie to take you apart with his tent-peg horns and mix you up with enough topsoil to start a modest tomato farm!”
Eeeaaauw! Hathaway Capstick do have a way of putting word together in order to keep ones attention! One may see things in graphic detail. It all boils down to one thing. Do not mess with buffalo, they are not domestic cattle!
HIPPOPOTAMUS:
In water, most human deaths are the intrusion of boats in hippo territory! On land? Read this:
Hippos do not feed in water, but graze on grass at night, sometimes quite far away from their sanctuary. To say that hippos may become completely uneasy when people move between them and their safety zone, the river, is putting it mildly! If you think a hippopotamus’s body is too heavy, and his legs too short to carry that weight to run fast, think again. When a hippo gets cross or anxious, it merely explode in a fast moving bulldozer, flattening anything in its path, even cars.
Rather stay out of its path and away from river banks at night!
Hippos do not just trample what is in their way, they bite as well!
If you are near the river and lit your camp fire at night. Watch out, they may come to extinguish it with their feet. Many a hunter was killed, trampled to a cripple or bitten by a hippo alongside a campfire. That nice clearing was not made by other campers for you to camp, it is the path an browsing places of the mighty hippo.
RHINOCEROS:
What is a rhino’s life philosophy? asks Hathaway in his book. Answer: If anything gets in your way, knock it down and gore it.
The sad thing about rhinos is that they are still wanted for their horns. There was a stage when they were hunted to near extinction. It is happening again. They do not have any defence against people with powerful guns.
CROCODILE:
This flatty can take you from less than knee-deep water to a deep water grave unthinkably horrible. What may appear like an innocent drifting log, can turn into a lightning flash. You will not even see it come. Many people lost their lives while just crossing rivers or fetching water around Marlothpark and Krugerpark. Do not try to swim in rivers or waterholes, even on the hottest days. You will become a statistic, if your friends and family find out what happened to you, because your body will never be found!
Crocodile facts: Crocs can grow up to 6,5 metres. But their usual size in this area, according to the book by dr.Gerrie de Graaff in The animals of Kruger, is between 3,6 metres and 4 metres.
Crocodiles are carnivores, and their diet include fish and other animals. Prey are usually caught by the nose and dragged into deeper waters. Female crocs lay between 25- 75 eggs and watch over the nest for about 3 months. As soon as the young hatched, she carries them in her mouth back to the water.
Peter Hathaway Capstick wrote about an incident in Tanzania, where tourists watched an photographed a confrontation between a fully grown black rhino and a crocodile. The crocodile eventually won!
WILD DOGS:
Cute cuddlesome little doggy? They hunt in packs and chased many people up in trees! If you cannot find a suitable tree to climb? Well, you can try to scare them away by shouting. But people witnessed how they tear impala apart and disembowelled zebra.
HYENA:
They are not robbing cowards as most people may tell you. They hunt as well. And they are not stupid sneaking scavengers. They are part of the symphony of night time Africa. But they are potentially dangerous for people sleeping outside. And they go for the face, most of the times.
ANTELOPE:
Their horns are for protection, and even the smallest ones can give you a nasty hole somewhere in your body.
ZEBRA & GIRAFFE:
Do you think you will live to tell the story after a kick of one of them against your head? Maybe, if you remember what happened. A zebra doesn’t only bark like a dog it can also bite! If you are not bleeding from the wound, its going to be red, blue, green and black and very painful.
WARTHOG:
They can puncture a car’s tyres with their tusks.
MICE & RODENTS:
You know they also bite. Sometimes they also carry nasty diseases to be passed on to humans and other larger mammals. Some species of mice can even bring an elephant down. They urinate on grass and leaves. If a certain virus is present, it affects the heart muscle of the elephant (and man). Heart attack and whoops.
BABOONS and APES:
Humans love watching baboons and apes. They are interesting and always do something that makes one smile or even laugh out loud. And their babies are so playful and cute!
Just keep in mind, primates are sometimes more dangerous than cats. Not only have they got huge teeth that can rip open a duiker’s stomach, they are equipped with four hands to keep the enemy or prey close.
Keep your doors and windows closed when staying in Marloth Park. They watch you and can climb through the smallest of openings. Never leave fruit or food outside, or where they can see it. Take your rubbish in black bags to the cages at the gates. If left unattended the baboons and apes will tear it open and litter the hole area with it’s content.
That is also the reason never to fead baboons or monkeys. They will come back for more, and if you don’t have anything to feed them, they will try and take something.
When leaving your house, make sure that one of them didn’t sneak in. They will wreck your house inside.
It boils down to one little common sense thing:
DO NOT MESS WITH WILD ANIMALS! Love them, look at them, do not try to touch or handle them!
SNAKES – How NOT to get bitten!
If you do not know the difference between dangerous an non venemous snakes, don’t touch them. In fact, do not handle snakes.
When you go for a walk in the field, especially in long grass or in a rocky area, wear boots that protect your ankles. Do not walk bare foot. Keep your eyes open, especially for Puff-adders. They are passive, until you step on them. They brilliantly camouflage between dry leaves and sticks, so look out.
Know what South Africa’s poisonous snakes look like.
Do not pick up dead snakes, as some of them can ‘play dead’ quite effectively in order to attract prey, or to be left alone. The Rinkhals may even look as if its head was chopped off by retracting it’s neck.
Wear sunglasses, to avoid poison in the eyes.
Do not wound or hurt a snake, by hitting it. If you don’t kill it, the poor thing will die elsewhere by infection.
Please do not drive over snakes. Not all of them are poisonous and play a role in the eco system. But if it does happen by accident, do not try to pick it up. The fangs may still work!
Keep snakes out of your house, by clearing small areas around windows and doors. Close holes around pipes and between your roof, ceilings and walls. Snakes love dark holes, and can enter through the smallest of openings.
SNAKE BITE – In the unlucky event of being bitten:
Stay calm, although it is not easy, for it may save your life.
Try to identify the snake.
There are two types of poison:
Neurotoxic – attacks the nervous system. It will effect your breathing and causes paralysis. The patient may become anxious and sweaty. Mamba, Cobra. The pain at the wound may stop after a while. The throat becomes dry, although lots af saliva in mouth. Slurry speech, drooping eyelids. Involuntary passing of urine. Chest pains and coma.
Haemolitic – poison attacks the tissue and blood system. Adders – Extremely painful.
In the rare cases of patients being bitten by tree or bird snakes – unstoppable bleeding.
Make a positive identification of the snake. (If you do not know the thingy, kill it or catch it for a doctor to ID it!! The patient’s life may depend on that identification.)
Get the patient to a hospital or doctor as soon as possible.
WHAT IF THERE IS NO ONE AROUND AND YOU ARE ALONE IN THE FIELD??
%&$?#@!!!!
Okay if that is not the answer you wanted to read, the Field Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa by VFM FitzSimmons suggests the following procedure.
1 Apply ligature or a tourniquet with a belt, handkerchief, strip of clothing, above the bite.
2 Clean area around bite, to remove poison from surface. No water? Use a cold drink or urine!
3 Make two 5mm incisions over along the muscle and induce as much bleeding as possible. Then suck out the poison! If you are afraid to get poison in the mouth, you may use a plastic cold drink bottle or heated glass bottle. But do not attempt the sucking trick if you have any raw surfaces in your mouth! Rinse your mouth with water afterwards.
4 The book state that the incision is of no use if it is not done immediately, for the blood circulation may take the poison through a body at a very fast rate.
5 Anti-venene (snake bite serum) should be injected as soon as possible, if you could make a very positive identification of the snake. Snake bite serum may cause an allergic reaction, or it may kill a patient if it was not a venomous snake.
6 Mouth to mouth resuscitation may save a life, if the patient stops breathing. In case of Mamba bite, for instance, a patient’s heartbeat may slow down to one or two beats per minute. The patient is often still alive, when seemingly unconscious and without vital statistics. Don’t give up, until the patient is seen by a doctor.
7 Poison in eyes? Rinse with water.
A doctor friend of ours however said: Do nothing of the above, except for mouth to mouth when the patient is unconscous. Rush him to hospital.
If the snake is dead, take it with you. If a doctor can identify it, it will make treatment easier.
Murders that shook Marloth Park
In comparison with big towns and cities of South Africa, the crime rate is really not that bad. But there were some crimes that shook not only Marloth Park, but the whole world.
Pieter Pieterse
In March 2002 Pieter Pieterse, author an TV presenter was murdered at his Marloth Park home inb Marloth Park. He was stabbed 28 times with a sharp object.
The 66-year-old Pieterse’s badly decomposed body was discovered at Marloth Park on Thursday afternoon. The exact time of Pieterse’s death was not clear, but that he had been dead “for days” when his body was found.
Police found no sign of forced entry into the home or a caravan on the property. Both were unlocked when they arrived. On overturned table and laptop computer were found outside near the caravan.
A firearm, television set, video recorder, and cellphone were missing from the house.
Two persons were later arrested for his murder.
Fanie Keyser and Rudi Harris
In two seperate insidents, but apparently the work of the same group Fanie Keyser and Rudi Harris were also murdered in Marloth Park.
At the evening of 29 December 2007 the Keyser family arrived at the holiday residence where they wer staying, after having dinner at a local restaurant. On arrival at the house, Fanie Keyser got out of the car and checked the house to make sure everything was in order. He then told his wife and son it was safe to enter the house. Fanie Keyser then returned to the car to fetch some of their belongings from the car.
When gunshots were fired, the wife and son seek shelter inside a room, but some of the assaulters followed them into the house, trying to force the door open.
According to them they only wanted money, but at that stage Fanie Keyser was already shot by them.
Soon after that a Western Cape estate agent, Rudi Harris, who lived for the outdoors has down in cold blood at his holiday home in Krokodil street, Marloth Park, while wrestling with an armed attacker.
Harris’s murder was the 12th incident involving firearms in the town in three weeks over the Christmas holiday season.
Rudi Harris, his wife and friends from Middelburg were having supper at the plush home in Krokodil Street, when a gang of five robbers struck. Mr Harris went outside to fetch something from his car when was encountered by a gang of 5 in the dark. One of them was armed with an AK-47. While trying to stop the armed robber, one of the others shot Harris in the back. The robbers got away with nothing …
Four people were later arrested, brought to trial and founded guilty.
The last and final insident I found on google apparently happened in January 2014 when Daniel Erasmus, was assaulted, kicked and thrown with stones by a group of revellers in Marloth Park – When the SAPS was alerted they found him in a critical condition with bad injuries to his face and body. – five people was arrested and brought to trial.
On 30 October 2019 Coenraad Collier (53) and a guest from Netherlands Alberta Kerkenberg van Der Meer (74) and two other people where gagged in the Collier home, by intruders who demanded work. The victums probably suffocated.
8 March 2019 Pieter Daniel Geldenhuys stabbed to death (allegedly by his wife Karin.)
Be safe and careful.
Like in most cities, towns and farms all over South Africa, as a matter af fact, all over the world (just look at Crime and investigation on DSTV!), Marloth Park also have insidents of rape, breaking and entry, armed robbery, etcetera. So watch out. Be on total alert, especially on arrival or when you leave the house at noght. You are also an easy target when your luggage en belongings are in the car.
Keep yourself safe and maybe keep a panic button with you. Something that make a lot of noise to alert neighbours.
Don’t walk around after dark. Not only because of the presence of predators, but also for unwanted guests.
Fortify your house if you do not stay here permanently. Put in an alarm and carry a panic button. Don’t be too brave, by trying to confront the attackers. Chance is that they carry a knife or fire arm.
Always close and lock your doors upon leaving the house. Lock doors you cannot keep an eye on, even if you are home or inside the house.
OWN A HOUSE/ STAND IN MARLOTH PARK. Thoughts on shared or joint ownership. It is possible.
Always wanted to buy your own place in Marloth Park, put in your own furniture and be there anytime you want? But it just not make sense to buy an extra way too expensive for its purpose property. Especially if you can’t be there all the time. Maybe you must consider buying a place in co-ownership.
Two or more people can jointly own a property anywhere in South Africa. It works exactly like owning a share in a company. With co-ownership you can now own property you would not even consider buying under normal circumstances.
Joint ownership makes a lot of sense in Marloth Park, as most property owners are not there all the time. But make sure that all the co-owners have the same vision for the property. Are they happy with the size of their share or would they in future want to extend. Are they noisy party makers? Which is a no no for Marloth Park. Do they intend to preserve the precious land, or do they want to sweep the ground around the house and turning everything into a dessert because they worry about snakes? Do they also intend to bring back indigenous and endemic plants to restore the habitat?
Marloth Park is a sensitive conservation area. It is a privilege to own property there. Not only the animal end bird life should be preserved, but also the vegetation and whole of the eco system.
New owners must be made aware of Marloth Parks Rules and regulations. Not all prospective owners are aware or agree with the fact that no domestic pets are allowed in Marloth Park. The same rules as for Kruger Park applies in Marloth.
How co-ownership works: One buyer would find a stand or home. (Or already own one) Then a percentage of ownership by two or more in the structure to be erected (house) should be established and stipulated as portion A or B. Or if it is only one house, the amount of time to be spend at set property. Although all co-owners co-own the whole of the rest of the property. The ground on which it is built.
How portions A, B and C can work in Marloth Park: In the township of Marloth Park building regulations lately stipulates that one can only build a single structure under a certain size (Not more than 15% of the size of the stand) on that stand, though you can bypass certain problems by dividing or defining each owners portion and privileges. All of that must be described in a legal- contract. Regulations also stipulates that any property may only have one full kitchen. Problem? Not really. Who wants a huge kitchen if you can braai? A basin and a fridge can be as functional for most people on holiday.
Shareholding of property can also be recorded in the title deeds at the Deeds office to ensure the agreement is preserved. When selling again (if a co-owner needs to opt out) new buyers need the consent of the other owners. However whatever he asks for his share of the property, goes into his pocket. The new buyers then have to sign a contract to take over the sellers responsibilty on the whole property. All of this must be stipulated in the upfront legal agreement between partners from the start.
The best way to buy property like this, is with cash or a private loan, as most banks only give loans on the whole property and not on certain portions. If one shareholder does not pay his mortgage, the bank will take the whole property.
Electricity, water, rates and taxes are shared. Decide on the drain system. A french drain can also be shared. It may last a long time if you reroute your gray water into the veld. Too much water in a french drain will cause it to flood. There are also other ways toe get rid of human waste, like composting toilets and chemical systems. If done correctly it is almost odourless. A composting toilet is a dry toilet where human waste are decomposed and used as compost. Sawdust makes the stuff odourless and dries it out. You will have to build a compost heap into which you throw the waste. Sounds like an ancient way of doing? Actually this is the green, modern and eco friendly thing to do.
Back to your shared property. You will need house and property insurance. If a part of the house is broken or burn down it must be replaced. The best way to do this is to pay the original owner of the stand and let him / her pay the municipality and insurance.
Price? Each owner to decide on that for themselves. But keep in mind what other stands in the nearby area sell for. Your asking price must be less than that, otherwise buyers can buy a whole stand.
One last comment on co-ownership. Except for the fact that it is môre affordable, it also make sence safety wise. Co-owners may be there when you are not, to check on windows and doors and make sure everything is okay there. Co-owners may also share the cost of a security company to look after the place when no-one is there.
Nowadays you can put cameras in hidden places outside your house to see who or WHAT is roaming on or around your property.
Each shareholder must be responsible for maintaining his or her portion of the building. (Or share the costs if it is one house) Shareholders can decide as a group whether a co-owner in their group may rent out his / her portion of the property. It can be a nice cashback investment if you can agree on that point. Just remember that you must choose your ‘house guests’ very careful, as you will be held responsible for any damage caused by them, not only in your own portion, but also on the whole of the property.
A contract between co-owners should be drawn up and signed in front of a lawyer.
Building regulations for Marloth Park:
- As Marloth Park is a special holiday township occupation on a stand (in a house) is limited to 4month per year. There are however special conditions for people who work there or for people who want to retire there. They are not that rigid anymore. You can get special permission to live there full time.
- A house may not be used for commercial purposes like a shop or lodge. You may apply for special consent. However, a lot of people renst their places out privately and that help to pay the installments.
- Any stand may contain only one single living unit. You may not build two separate houses on one stand. (Some people attach two houses with a carport between the two houses. As long as it is approved by the municipality and under 250 square meters in all.)
- The total coverage of any stand is 50%. Natural brush or vegetation must be left untouched on the rest of the stand. That include the house, outbuildings, Lapa, Carport, Swimming Pool, etc..
- You will need approved plans before erecting any structure on your stand. Unless it is a shed or store room for building materials.
- Building materials must fit in by the look and feel (genis Locci) of the African bush / Marloth Park. If you don’t use facebricks or stones and want to plaster the house, paint in a color that fit in with the surroundings.
- Thatch and tiled roofs are good. A corrugated iron roof is also alowed and must be painted a color that will blend in with the bush, like green, terracotta, grey or brown.
- Log cabins and wooden houses can be built, as long as it is done according to building regulations and also need approval by the municipality. No wood or logs may be taken from the environment to build with.
- No building may exceed a height of ten meters height. Main building footprint may not exceed 250 square meters. Outbuilding not bigger than 50 squares. If you build a 50 square outbuilding, though, the house must be less than 200squares.
- Minimum size of a house with water and bathroom is about 30square meters. Although the smaller the structure, the less impact it will make on nature. It is the larger mansions that changes the face of an eco conservation area. And a bigger footprint, means lesser roaming and grazing space for wildlife.
- No fencing of any nature is allowed around the property. Limited fencing of the main living area, braai or boma. (Less than 15% of the stand is allowed.)
Build a house without ESCOM Power!
Lots of prospective buyers of property in Marloth Park RUN when they learn what the cost of an electricity cable and connection in Marloth Park is. Even if you already have ESCOM power, you may feel the need to scale down and use less of it. Or have a back up system in case of black outs.
It is not that bad. Until quite recently we camped in remote areas with only a few resources to make things easier. A. spot light and little paraffin lamps. (You can still burn lamps with citronella oil to keep the mosquitos away) and candles.
But lately we are all spoilt. We don’t want to rough it anymore! We want the same luxury as we have at home. (Me too! Almost the same …)
Suggestions: Instead of buying an electrical geyser, rather go for gas. I lost my first electrical geyser due to the fact that the water was sometimes off at that time. I lost another geyser in Butterfly street due to dirty muddy water after a leaking pipe was repaired. Both geysers burnt out. Lately the water is not off. that often, but a gas geyser won’t fire if the water flow is not enough.
I also came across something very interesting. A 20 liter black geyser sack for water to be heated by the sun. Something used by campers. It is so cheap, one can buy two or three and hang it on the western side of your house. Or pack it on your roof. Attach it to a seperate tap in your bathroom or kitchen sink. During summertime in Marloth the water will get so hot, you wil have to mix it with cold water.
A friend also suggest the possibelity of building a donkey where you braai. You will need a clean oil or tin paint can. Attach pipes to it. One to let water in at the top. And a tap at the bottom for hot water to get out. Not plastic, it will melt! Remember you will need a place for the steam to escape, otherwise your can will pop.
For lights you can go solar. I. was surprised at how cheap some of the basic systems are. Spend a little more money and you can buy a closed system with extra battery pack to charge your sel phone, laptops and fridge, provided that you use the 12 volt adapters. Most of the camp fridges use 12volt anyway.
Stove for cooking? Gas of course. If you don’t need an oven, go for a Bushbaby or Alva or two! The canisters fit both, but Bushbaby’s is cheaper at Checkers / Shoprite. Just make sure you always have extra canisters as they tend to run out at the most inconvenient time. (Joke) They are easy to change.
Microwave oven? Defrost your meat in hot water. It is much more healthy.
For the rest? Vervlaks man, get creative! Google. Our ancestors only had fire and wood and candles and torches. And before that, nothing.
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