Covid-19 Hits Kruger Park

South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park is not seeing much traffic these days, and the park’s inhabitants are taking advantage of the peace and quiet.

Roads, once lined with cars, are empty, with the exception of park rangers, like Richard Sowry, who got this photo. This pride of lions could not pass up an opportunity for a late afternoon nap before venturing out for an evening’s activities.

Sowry was out on patrol on Wednesday when he snapped a pride sleeping on a road which would normally be busy with tourists. But Kruger, like other wildlife parks, has been shut since 25 March as part of the corona virus lock down.

While driving near Orpen Rest Camp, he spotted the lions on the road ahead and pulled up just five yards to look at the unusual phenomenon. As he took photos with his mobile phone, the lions did not seem bothered, most of them apparently fast asleep.

“Lions are used to people in vehicles,” he explained. “All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up they would never have allowed me to get so close.” The oldest lioness in the pride is about 14, “which is very old for a lioness,” so they are used to seeing vehicles.

Normally Mr Sowry would only see lions sleeping on the park’s roads on colder nights in the winter, when the tar retains quite a lot of heat. But rain the previous day left the area wet, and lions prefer to be dry.

That and the freedom to nap on a road less traveled.

Source: BBC News

In Memoriam…

Frank and Margaret Taylor

Our DLG Naturals BW team is heart-broken to announce the passing of a great life, a wonderful friend, a mentor, and leader: Frank Taylor.

Frank’s lifelong work was directed toward the betterment of Botswana. He loved its people and gave of himself, every day, toward enriching the lives of others. His deep faith gave him strength when the world tried to frustrate his efforts. His loving family supported him, as he struggled to find new and better ways of utilizing the many natural products that Botswana offered, so that impoverished rural villagers could improve their own lives.

Frank never gave up.

At 84, he was in incredible physical shape. And while he often complained that his memory was not quite as good, he remained intellectually sharp. He continued to write grants and proposals, served on boards of directors, and stayed socially active.

Frank was a force of nature, and nature finally claimed him: Not “natural causes” or Covid-19, nothing so trivial, but the sting of a scorpion. Frank probably could have survived one sting, as most people do. He probably could have survived two.

But not three. Frank lost his fight on 4 April. 2020.

Frank was the reason DLG Naturals came to Botswana. Without Frank, the company would have struggled, perhaps even failed. But he was always there, ready to offer advice, find resources, share his wisdom, and pitch in wherever and whenever he could. DLG BW is and will always be eternally grateful to him.

Frank will be missed – by family, by friends, and by Botswana.

Thank you, Frank, for your wonderful life and the many gifts you have given to so many. May you find a well deserved rest in your new home.