We have flown so many varied, interesting and worthwhile missions these past few months that we will have to hold a couple of the reports back for our last newsletter of the year. But perhaps our biggest news, apart from our wonderfully successful Fly-In, which you have already heard about in a separate bulletin from us, is that Air Namibia have joined us as a 'Corporate Member' and on the 2nd November flew 8 Cape Vultures to Windhoek for REST (Rare and Endangered Species Trust) under our banner. The translocation of the birds is part of the EWT "Vulture Study Group's" project.
This signing up of a major Commercial Airline that appreciates our organizations ethos and was prepared to fly a mission that none of our member's planes were capable of doing, is just wonderful. Not only did Eddie du Plooy, Air Namibia's general manager in South Africa, pull out all the stops to fly the birds in their big and heavy cages, But he went out on our behalf and got the other companies, Air Cargo Resources and Jonen Freight, to provide their services free of charge as well. I know that if I have to fly to Namibia I'll choose Air Namibia.
Special and huge thanks also go to our pilots and aircraft owners who made is possible for the missions you see in this newsletter to be flown. We thank them not only for their amazing generosity of heart but also for living up to the spirit and commitment of The Bateleurs.
These wonderful people are: Marc Watson, Eddie Keizan, Louis Smit, Avroy Shlain, Jan Coetzee, Joe Holmes, Eugene du Preez, David Levy, Peter Vosloo, Rob Goudie and Michael Beukman.
Fly Safely
Nora
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| Namibia Cape Griffon Vultures - by Maria Diekmann
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 The whole translocation went pretty smoothly in good part to your enthusiasm and ability to pass that enthusiasm on to others. The Board of Trustees of REST and myself would like to thank the all involved for their tremendous effort. I am proud to say that all eight Cape Griffons were successfully transported from South Africa to Namibia with the Bateleurs new corporate member - Air ...Click here for more...
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| Ithala Game Count
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 The game count mission to Ithala Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal was a resounding success and provided exhilarating "thrill a minute" flying over rugged terrain bordered by mountains and cut by deep ravines and the Phongolo River valley.Held on the weekend of 11 and 12 October, six of our microlight pilots flew Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spotters over the reserve counting elephant, buffalo, rhino ...Click here for more...
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| Swazi Lions
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The Bateleurs received a request from North West Parks and Tourism Board (for the Kingdom of Swaziland) to fly "a donation of three lions from Pilanesberg to the King of Swaziland for reintroduction into the wild in a Royal Reserve in Swaziland where no wild lions exist at all. "The lions, "Gus van Dyk wrote, "are disease free and of prime genetic origins and would be the perfect founder population for this reserve."
Unable to resist this plea Eddie Keizan volunteered for his second lion transfer flight - and Gus flew with him to keep the lions quiet (literally). Little did either of them realize that they would become stars - not only in our eyes, but to everyone who would see the National Geographic programme that Atomic productions produced for American TV. Atomic productions are making a series of programmes on The Bateleurs, featuring the different kinds of missions we fly.
Eddie and Gus did us proud. We could not have had better ambassadors. The King of Swaziland arrived to view his now wide-awake kings of the animal world and to thank everyone involved.
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| CRADLE OF HUMANKIND WORLD HERITAGE SITE
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 The Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs (DACEL) is responsible for the conservation and appropriate development of the World Heritage Site.
It is currently busy with the preparation of a land use audit for the World Heritage Site with a view to preparing a land use management system for the area.
As a great deal of the World Heritage Site is not visible from the ...Click here for more...
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| Pondoland - Vance Martin and Russ Mittermeier
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 The Pondoland area is an important area of high biological diversity and plant endemism. Its world status will be further recognized in the coming months as it is officially added to the "hot spots" list published by the U.S.-based organization, Conservation International. To assist in this process, and to also review imminent threats to this special area, a Bateleurs flight was undertaken ...Click here for more...
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APOLOGIES!
I apologise for sending out so many copies of the last newsletter. Technical problem..... finger trouble.... something like that... I promise to, in future, keep my hand in but my finger out!.
Carol Zeederberg.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
CORPORATE MEMBER
Air Namibia
PRIVATE MEMBERS
Michael Beukman
Rodger Pottie
David Levy
Donovan Barton-Hobbs
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Baviaanskloof - Thanks from Wilderness Foundation
Please read the substantial reports on Baviaanskloof which are very interesting. Sorry there are no pix. We will be flying some of the areas with fixed wings for them later.
A letter of thanks from Wilderness Foundation - South Africa follows:
CLICK HERE
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BAVIAANSKLOOF MEGA RESERVE - SAC CONTRIBUTION
 The expansion of the Baviaanskloof Reserve, into a Mega-reserve is a project that has been launched by the Wilderness Foundation of South Africa. The aim or goal, is to consolidate and develop the ...
CLICK HERE
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Ithala - Microlights waiting for take off
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Swazi Lions in transit with Gus
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Swazi King with his Lions
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De Wildt Cheetah - Tim Neary
 In his flight request form Tim Neary reasons that “ We relocate these cheetah ... Used in any hunting” Good enough for us to help. Marc Watson undertook this flight with the help of pilots Eric & ...
CLICK HERE
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MARAKELE WILD DOG MISSION - Pat Fletcher - Carnivore Cons
 A frantic call came through from Lynne Shaw, the Wild Dog researcher based at Marakele National Park. She was very worried that she had not been able to make radio contact with the Marakele Pack (30 ...
CLICK HERE
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See more Photos on the Web Site
Thanks to all those who contributed with photo's etc. I've updated the Photo Gallery on the website www.bateleurs.org
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Crowned Cranes - Pondoland
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