In order to provide our readers with the best possible experience we have decided to move the blog to a new home. This way we can offer many new and exciting  features to the blog that we hope will make it easier to explore and learn about the small Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.

Please visit the new blog at http://maliba-lodge.com/blanketwrap and up date your bookmarks.

]]> http://blanketwrap.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/were-moving-new-address-same-great-content/feed/ 0 -28.913246 28.436909 -28.913246 28.436909 malibalodge The blanketwrap on Maliba-lodge.com http://blanketwrap.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/maliba-lodge-vulture-restaurant-project/ http://blanketwrap.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/maliba-lodge-vulture-restaurant-project/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:59:32 +0000 Maliba Lodge http://blanketwrap.wordpress.com/?p=1451 ]]>
Maliba Mountain Lodge, with the help of vulture specialists Sonja Kruger and Andre Botha from KZN Wildlife and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, have started a vulture feeding site in the Ts’ehlanyane National Park, with the aim to attract the rare Bearded and Cape vultures for protection and research. In the past vultures have been seen as vermin- spreading disease and killing livestock and have thus been killed, virtually driving them to the brink of extinction.

Vultures form an important ecological component of our natural environment, cleaning up dead carcasses and decreasing the spread of some diseases and therefore need to be protected. The main cause of the demise of this important raptor group is a declining food source, although other issues such as loss of foraging areas, electrocution by electricity pylons, and inadvertent poisoning also have a strong negative influence on their numbers.

A carcass has been placed at a carefully chosen site within the park, to provide a safe area for these birds to feed. Hopefully, in time, guests at Maliba as well as the surrounding communities will be able to view these special and unique birds on a regular basis.

Although it is still early days, we hope that the vulture restaurant becomes a firm favourite among both the raptors in the area and guests alike. Let’s hold thumbs!

Why a vulture restaurant?

• A vulture restaurant supplements the bird’s natural food supplies in an undisturbed area with safe meat and offal. Bones can be “chipped” to ensure calcium and mineral availability.
• Using restaurants farmers contribute to conservation efforts with a practical, economical and hygienic carcass disposal method.
• Monitoring, recording of ringed and tagged birds and other scientific studies are facilitated at vulture restaurants.
• At a viewing hide tourists are given fascinating observation and photographic opportunities.

What do you think of environmental projects like this? Let us know

Common Names:

Bearded Vulture, Lamb Vulture, Lammergeier, Lammergeyer or Lammergeir.

The name of the Lammergeier originates from German, in which language it means “lamb-vulture.” This raptor will often drop bones from a great height in order to crack them open and gain access the bone marrow inside – hence its old name of Ossifrage (or Bone Crusher).

Ranging Behaviour of Juvenile Bearded Vulture

In southern Africa, a drastic decline in the Bearded Vultures’ range and numbers during the past century has resulted in an isolated population that is restricted to the highlands of Lesotho and immediately adjacent areas of the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains.

The decline of the Bearded Vulture in South Africa and Lesotho is mainly as a result of a decrease in habitat and food supply, human persecution and disturbances at nests, poisoning, and electrocution/collisions with power lines.

Because of the Bearded Vultures’ small and declining population size, restricted range, range contraction, and the susceptibility to several threats in Lesotho and South Africa, it has been classified as “endangered” in the South African Red Data Book. source

Maliba Mountain Lodge in Lesotho has teamed up with experts from KZN Wildlife and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, in creating a “vulture restaurant” in the Ts’ehlanyane National Park.

Physical Description:

Adult bearded Vulture by Richard Bartz

Size:
The Bearded vulture reaches 95–125 cm (37–49 in) long with a wingspan of 275–308 cm (10 feet) and weighs in at about 11-15 pounds.

Colour:
Bearded vultures have reddish yellow or white plumage on the head and breast with a grey black tail and wings. In the adult individual the black strip over the eyes and the bristles at the base of the beak form the distinctive appearance of a beard. The white colour of the neck and under parts of captive birds as opposed to the reddish plumage of wild ones remained unexplained for many years, until it was discovered that wild birds deliberately put iron oxide on their plumage. When captive birds were provided with iron-rich water they started to bathe in it as they do in the wild and plumage went reddish again!

Food:

Like many of it’s namesake, it is a scavenger that specialises in feeding on the bones of carcasses which most other animals find inedible. Percentage of diet (70% bone, 25% meat and 5% skin). With its particularly large gape (7cm), this allows it to swallow whole bones up to the size of a lamb’s femur, while its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces.  The acid concentration of the Lammergeier stomachhas been estimated to be of pH about 1 and large bones can be digested in about 24 hours.

What makes the Bearded Vulture unique is what happens if it finds a bone it can’t swallow whole! Should a bone be too large to swallow, it picks it up and takes it to a favoured rocky outcrop, known as an ossuary, which its habitually returns to each time. Once there it starts gliding down until only 16-70 metres above the rocks,  before releasing the bone on to the rocks. If successful the bone shatters into bite size pieces which it can swallow.

This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to seven years to master.

Juvenile Bearded vulture attacking a Cape vulture, Giant's Castle, South Africa.

Reproduction:

They nest mainly on basalt cliffs in potholes at an average altitude of about 2500m. Eggs are laid in mid winter and chicks fledge in summer. Although the breeding success is high, most fledglings die as sub-adults. Adults, however, have a high survival rate and can live for many decades (40 years in captivity).

Interesting Facts:

• The ancient Greek playwright Aechylus died suddenly when a tortoise fell on his bald head. Though naturalist Pliny wrote it was dropped by an eagle this was thought to be a myth until someone sighted a Bearded Vulture dropping a tortoise from height onto rocks. These birds kill and open tortoises using this method and it is now thought a Bearded Vulture mistook the writer’s head for a rock. source
• Bearded Vulture is considered a threatened species in Iran. Iranian mythology considers the rare Lammergeier the symbol of luck and happiness. It was believed that if the shadow of a Huma fell on one, he would rise to sovereignty.
• The Lammergeier is silent, apart from shrill whistles at the breeding crags.

A total of 37 cyclists form Top South African cycling teams as well as International teams, which included Tasol Solar, Bonitas, MTN Quebecka, Cyclelab Super cycling, ASG and Team UCI from Eritrea started the race at an altitude of 1673m in Butha Buthe.

The race split up soon with 6 riders going out in front.The teams that was represented was ASG, Bonitas, Tasol Solar and UCI Africa team, the group worked together until 2 of the UCI Africa members decided to go out in front on one of the steep climbs 5km before the gruelling Moteng pass. The two riders were caught on the pass and passed by Jacques van Rensburg on his way to the top of the first climb. The bunch was split dramatically over the first climb which meant that riders were to ride their own pace to get to the finish line. They then descended reaching speeds of about 100km/h, up and down towards Oxbow lodge, then just over the Malibamatso river climbing the even more gruelling Mahlasela pass started since it starts at 2500m altitude and finishes at 3267. David Maree caught one of the UCI riders which secured his second place.

Time gaps were as big as 10minutes in the top ten. First over the line on day 1 was Jacques van Rensburg from Team MTB Quebecha in a very quick time and a lot quicker than expected by the setup crew of the finish line and the timekeeping officials in 2:34.22, followed very shortly by David Maree from Team Tasol Solar in 2:37.08 and then Meron Russom Alem from UCI Team from Eritrea in third. The total ascent of the day was 2500m vertical climbing, total descent of 900m.

The race has been a huge success on day 1 with absolutely no casualties or incidents, a lot of support from the local people, more than willingness from the Lesotho Police and the President of Cycling in Lesotho. Everyone was more than amazed on how well the race has been organized and how it all worked out.

Day 2 started at the bottom of Moteng Pass and finished at the top of Moteng pass which is a total of 9km but with an 850 meter vertical ascent. It was uphill from start to finish and this was a stage for the strongest man on the day. Right after the start of the stage, guys was sweating and the bunch got separated very quickly as the front men were to battle it out. Jason Bakke got to the top step of the podium for the day and close on his wheel was Jacques Janse van Rensburg with a UCI rider in third place.

History of the Race

It is all a dream come true for Paul Maree from Tasol Solar and Wessel Bosman from Afriski-Altitudesport.

Paul has been training in Lesotho since 2002 and up Moteng pass a couple of times, and while doing so, started realising the benefit of altitude training and got a dream to see this gruelling pass as part of a race in Lesotho. He also know that there is no pass like Moteng pass in South Africa and especially taking it further and then including Mahlasela Pass which finishes at an altitude of 3276m. Part of the plan was to make it a 2 day race, where day 1 would start at Butha Buthe and finish at the top of Mahlasela pass at Afriski which would be a total of about 69km.

From Afriski-Altitudesport, for Wessel Bosman a South African and African 110m hurdles record holder and the founder of Afriski, sport has been very close to his heart and always had the idea of developing the resort into a summer sport destination. The main advantage of Afriski is the altitude it which it lies , which is about 3050meter above sea level. Sports people understand the benefit thereof and what edge it can give you in competitions. It has always been a dream to see some top athletes train at Afriski and get the benefit of the altitude and even more so present a race in Lesotho, which starts at Butha Buthe going all along the villages and up the gruelling Moteng pass. The pass starts at 2500m above sea level all the way to the top at 3222m. Wessel wanted to see some of the top cycling teams of South Africa compete in race which has the potential to be one of the “must do” races in any keen cyclist’s cycling career. Whether you are a professional or amateur cyclist, the challenge is definitely there to conquer both passes and at an altitude which you can’t find anywhere in South Africa.

The race came about where the right people with the passion for the sport came together and organized the race, and not only mere talking about it, since there’s been a lot of talk in the past but on this day all the dreams became a reality and it actually happened.

The Tasol Race to the Sun, proved to be a fantastic race and everything went so well with no casualties over the 2 days, everyone conquering something, whether a mental barrier of ascending up a mountain on a bike or conquering both passes .Everyone that took part in this maiden race deserves some respect.

The Lesotho Cycling team definitely earned some respect and sympathy for them competing against the best cyclists in South Africa.

The guys from Lesotho really have a passion for the sport and really love cycling up and down the many hills and climb their country present but they say they just can’t compete with the guys that cycle as a profession. They have to buy there own equipment which is in a dire state and not really at a standard to compete with any Pro Cycling Team. But still they are very proud and just so grateful for being able to compete in an event like this, and wish the cyclists would come back for races more often in Lesotho.

Some expressions from the cyclists:

“It’s the toughest race in the Southern Hemisphere.”

“Time spend racing would normally be equivalent to a 100km race, even though the distance was 69km.”

“It is a race that is really unique in Southern Africa that is extra hard and very good for the climbers since about 90% of races in South Africa is sprinter’s races, this is totally a climber’s race, and the climbs compare with the biggest in Spain and are World Class.”

Photo credit to Rika Joubert from www.cyclenation.co.za
Report compiled by Jaco Ferreira – Afriski-Altitudesport and Nick Bester –NB Sport Development

Well I’ve been super busy, with 2-4 things to do every day for these past couple weeks. Today I had a meeting about the community centre in the morning (and building a seed bed) and two life skills classes at different schools this afternoon.

The community centre is really coming along. We’ve dug beds for 10 plots, 19 out of the 30 orphans showed up last Saturday and worked so hard, digging the stiff, weedy soil. It just looks like mounds of dirt, but I’m proud of the kids. I wonder what motivates them. It’s nice to think they’re invested in this project, growing food. We’re planning on planting the seeds this Saturday. The cabbage seeds are already in the seed bed. Regular watering is going to be a challenge. And we’ll see it the schedule to fix up the building this week actually holds. Next week we’re getting the gardening tools. It will be nice not having to borrow and carry them around (my shoulders are soar from carrying all those spades yesterday).

It’s warming up, I can sleep in normal pajamas and a single sleeping bag again. The peach trees are blossoming. It’s nice, still cool and the muddy rains haven’t started yet, I’m not looking forward to that.

A ‘mme [woman] that is somehow related to my family is staying here for a month with her tiny newborn baby. [It’s a Basotho custom for a woman to go home to her mother’s house for a month to give birth and recover.] It’s a nice custom. And he is so cute and tiny, and hardly ever cries.

I’ve been so busy, my garden has been on hold, but hopefully I’ll finish the last of the stick fence this weekend and plant the seeds next weekend (it’s reconnect and all-vol next week!). I’ll be staying at Lauren’s on Sunday night, and we’re going to watch a movie, make mimosas and shepard’s pie, yum!

Life is really good. I feel settled, at home. It’ll be so weird leaving. These chapters of my life seem so disconnected, they don’t blend together like normal life changes. Coming here (and leaving) is such a drastic, abrupt change. My life here is so completely, utterly different. Different in every way I can think of, from how I brush my teeth and get a drink of water to how I get from place to place and what I consider a work. I really wish I didn’t have to choose one or the other, here or there.

Makoenya [my dog] is lying beside me, stretching from her nap on the rug, it’s already too hot out in the sun. And at least she’s away from that pig. They fight all the time, usually over food, and then sleep cuddled up together on my doormat outside (giving Makoenya his fleas, I pulled six off her today), It’s so strange to raise a pig as part of your household for six months and then eat it. We have so much distance from our food in the US, although they certainly don’t cuddle with it before they eat it. Other volunteers refer to my village area as the Lesotho version of the American Appalachia. We eat pet cats (and mice) out here, skin them and then wear cat-fur hats. For some reason I’m proud of it, that we’re considered real earthy people. Though I don’t think I myself am integrated enough to eat the pet cat (but I’m looking forward to that pig). But I like to think of myself as part of a community that really knows what it means to get by, to survive.

The contents of this article are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the American Peace Corps.

Some of these small but lovely flowers are very clever as they only show themselves in a very dry grassland habitat or sometimes immediately after grassland burning they become the first conspicuous flowers to be realized. This behavior makes it easy again to be realized by pollinators as there will be less competition around it.

moraea stricta - photo by Zenkat2

Description:

Family – Iridaceae   - Iris family

Moraea stricta – Blou tulp (Africans)

Flowers pale lilac to violet-blue with yellow-orange nectar guides on the outer petals.

When flowering the leaves are completely absent with only upright stem with flower on top. It will be in full bloom at the end of the dry winter period, right before the summer rains begin (July – November). Unfortunately if you miss seeing it when in full bloom, you only see the seed pods that are left after it discards the petals.  At the same time the leaves will have quickly developed and grown similarly to grass leaves and makes more difficult for in experienced plant lover to identify it.

Cultivation and Care:

Makes a very attractive garden plant, able to been grown from both seeds and corms.  It makes better display if grown in a cluster of 5 – 10 plants in a 10 cm diameter flower pot. It needs well-drained, gravelly soil in a sunny position.

Distribution and habitat:

It is a widely spread plant that grows in grasslands, foothills and all the way up to the mountains. Sometimes it could be fould growing among dry and dwarf shrubs in a boulder – bed scrub.  It occurs naturally at an altitude of up to 2400 meter above sea level.

Uses:

The corms are said to be eaten by locals in Lesotho although some “Moraea” are poisonous to livestock.

The best way to experience these is a wild walk at the edges of Ts’ehlanyane escarpment, Bokong Nature Reserve and the Eastern route to ‘Moteng pass. All of the mentioned areas area at an altitude of above 2000 – 3000 Meters above Sea Level.

Spring to me means one thing.  The approach of summer, which constitutes all the reasons one can think of to buy fresh items such as Strawberries and Cream, drink Sparkling Wine by the bottles and spurge on foods such as fresh Salmon, juicy Pears, Gorgonzola and wild Rocket.  Have an affair with your taste buds this season, have a spring fling.

THE RECIPE: Salmon and Gorgonzola Salad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Punnet Wild Rocket
• 1 Packet Watercress
• 1 rich Gorgonzola Cheese
• 2 ripe Pears
• Maldon Salt or Coarse Sea Salt
• Crushed Black Pepper
• 500ml Balsamic Reduction
• 250g Soft Brown Sugar
• Good quality Olive Oil
• 1 fillet Norwegian Salmon, cleaned.

HOW TO:

• Place all of your herbs in a bowl and rinse thoroughly.  Sprinkle with Maldon Salt and cracked Black Pepper. 
• Peel the Pears with a potato peeler, remove the core, seeds and quarter.
• Slice the Salmon into 2 cm thick slivers.
• In a small pot, place the Balsamic Vinegar and Brown Sugar together and bring to the boil, boil until the mixture starts to bubble, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• In a serving dish, place the Rocket mixture at the bottom, layer the salmon over the Rocket, place the Pear quarters on top, crumble over some Gorgonzola, drizzle with Olive oil and using a dessert spoon, pour over some Balsamic reduction.
• Finish it off with some Salt and Pepper and enjoy.

CHEFS TIPS:

• You can buy Balsamic Reduction if you don’t feel up to making your own.
• Lemon flavoured Olive Oil works nicely with this recipe as well.
• You can sear your Salmon lightly in a pan if you prefer to have your fish a little more cooked.

VARIATIONS:

• You can replace the Rocket and Watercress with bitter leaves such as Romaine Hearts.
• You can replace the Gorgonzola Cheese with Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese.
• You can add a handful of Pine nuts to spruce it up a bit.

COMPLIMENTS:

• Sparkling Wine – dry
• Olive Ciabatta grilled lightly
• Rosé Wine chilled to perfection. 

Hope you have fun with this recipe and remember to unleash the inner gourmand every time you try something new!

When I first signed up for my Peace Corps assignment, all that I was told was that I’d be in Lesotho, working with communities on HIV/AIDS. I was very excited about living in Lesotho, but less so about working on the AIDS pandemic. It just seemed like such a monumental and depressing task. We were told that the official prevalence rate was 24% of people in Lesotho were infected with HIV. It sounds like a lot, but it is totally different to be in the middle of it, to see all the sickness and death. It’s everywhere and it effects everyone. It has decimated such a friendly, loving people. After being here for a year and seeing its terrible pervasive effects, I wouldn’t want to focus on anything else. Even though the average family has 3-4 children, there is still negative population growth, it’s that bad.

In my village there aren’t really any good figures on how many people are infected. There is a lot of stigma and prejudice about being HIV positive, so most people won’t talk about it (which is a big part of the problem). But in my village of 204 families, there are 85 children who have lost one parent, and 33 children who have lost both parents and are still in primary/elementary school.Besides teaching about HIV in the schools, I am helping to start a community center in my village with funding from the Maliba Comunity Development Trust.

One that focuses on orphans, a place where they can have a community garden and chicken coup, so they can have a regular source of healthy food. The center will also provide classes for out of school youth and a variety of workshops. The purpose of the center is to be a resource, to address whatever issues or needs the community thinks are the most important. HIV prevention and education are going to be a big part, and I really hope it helps. As one village woman said during my household survey, “the biggest problem in the village is that children keep dying.”

The contents of this article are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the American Peace Corps.

A lot has changed since 1929 and the introduction of modern snow making facilities and lifts to Afriski in 2002 have allowed skiing and snowboarding to flourish in this little know corner of the Lesotho Mountain Kingdom.

Just over the border from Fouriesburg, the road from Butha-Buthe to Oxbow is the original “Roof of Africa” rally route. It is a quite spectacular journey, going over a number of mountain passes. The resort offers a quiet, scenic environment, excellent for corporate get-aways and conferences and the conference facilities onsite presents a comfortable atmosphere originating from the mountainous area and views that belies the adventure waiting to be explored…

The resort is located in the unspoilt natural environment of the Maluti Mountain range, its striking views extending as far as the eye can see. At an altitude of 3222m, the Afro alpine vegetation is low, turning from lush greens in summer to browns and yellows in winter. Water filters through the rocky surface, soaking into the rich soil, while sheep and horses roam in pursuit of pasture. If you are lucky, you may also come across a snow covered winter wonderland that has been transformed by a natural snow fall that can occur several times a year. Although, at this altitude, it can snow 9 out of 12 months a year, snow falls however peak during the winter months, which extends from June until approximately the end of August every year.

By international standards, Afriski has a very modest one kilometre run which is serviced by a t-bar lift. However, if you know what its like to have been bitten by the ski bug, you will relish this unique opportunity to ski the something as rare as African snow. In addition, the resort has various beginner slopes to teach even the most sceptical African snow virgin how to ski or snowboard.

For the more adventurous and skilled riders amongst us, the resort has also invested in a newly revamped Snowboard Park which is in keeping with the latest international trends. The resorts Austrian snow making partners have insured that skiing is possible, even during the most naturally snow starved local winters. The snowmaking system is manned by a dedicated and passionate team of snowmaker whose soul function is to make African Snow. The resorts snow making team spend their summer months maintaining and improving the slopes and the resorts world class snow making system in order to ensure a great skiing experience during the winter months. In addition, it is possible to hire skis and snowboards directly at the resort, compliments of another Austrian partner, this time supplying great quality skis and snowboards to any one curious enough to try out the wonders offered by winter snow sports.

One common notion is that machine-made snow is artificial. This is not the case – it’s actually the same stuff that falls out of the sky, it’s just created by a machine rather than by weather conditions. Although a snow cannon works very differently to a weather system, it accomplishes exactly the same result, snow. These days, snow-making machines are standard and vital equipment in the vast majority of ski resorts around the world.

The slopes are prepared daily with our Pisten Bully (Snow groomer) which compacts the snow into a smooth surface, perfect for your skiing pleasure. Our slopes are serviced by a 1km long T-bar lift as well as 2 beginner lifts and a travelator for kids and complete beginners. In general, approximately 12,000 people travel to Afriski to enjoy the resort during the winter months. Visitors travel from all corners of South Africa but the majority come from Johannesburg and Pretoria, approximately a 5 hour drive away.

 A new edition to the resort is the Gondola Café and Apre Ski Bar which is situated at the foot of the ski slope, with a deck facing the slope and able to seat approximately 150 people. The interior is clad in timber and sets the tone during the day when the café is used for light meals and refreshments, but transforms into a genuine Apres ski experience as the sun sets over the top of the slope. At an altitude of 3030m, the Gondola café now also holds the unusual honour of being Southern Africa’s highest bar but is multi-layered enough to cater for the needs of children, teenagers and adults during the day and into the night when it transforms once again into a night club. The aim was to bring some of Europe’s après ski traditions to the roof of Africa which has extended the resorts appeal further than just the slopes.