Lynneb

I'm also interested in the answer to CarlaM's questions. I'm planning a visit next year and love to just sit and watch animals rather than charge around looking for the next one. Are there limits as to how long you can hang around and watch something interesting? Your photos are amazing and I've just sent the link to a friend who will be coming with me on a first time visit to Africa!

napamatt

Great insights and comments.

The Leopard is I believe the Newington male.

Glad your timing was just right to see the pups.

John's nickname is Snoop Dawg.

cooncat2

Count me among those who enjoyed your comparison of myth and (at least your) reality at Mala Mala.

I think Predator B has a point: Do you always see the dogs on your Africa trips? If so, I may be walking with you next July!

Very nice photos - The dogs (and all those pups!) and the leopard shots I think are my favorites but I'll need to look again more slowly. It looks like the leopard has taken a bush buck, rather than a young kudu - is that right?

Thanks and looking forward to more!

thit_cho

Lynn, those pictures (especially the wild dog pups) are incredible. While I have an idea when I'm returning to Africa, I don't know when I'll next be in South Africa, but from everything I've read (and seen), I expect to include Mala Mala in that itinerary.

Michael

hguy47

Lynn,
So glad to get the first of we hope many installments of your trip report that we have been anxiously awaiting. I love the pix, the info, your writing style, and your attitude. Keep all of them coming.

ShayTay

Excellent photos and trip report, Lynn. I've enjoyed my stays there (Harry's and Kirkman's) and wouldn't hesitate to return or recommend Mala Mala to anyone. It's one of only two places I've ever seen wild dogs.

Carla, the listings in the bar don't have drink prices on them for Dennis(unfortunately!). They are "tote" boards for marking the animals seen and the "points" you get according to how rare the sighting is.

Lynn, do you know if John's son is a ranger at Kirkman's? It seems like the father of our ranger there was the head tracker at MM.

Heather_H

Lynn--
I've been looking forward to this posting. Thank you! I'm mainly a lurker on this site and don't often post because I don't have that much to offer (my first "real" trip to Africa is coming up very soon), but I always enjoy reading your posts because you are always so positive and bring a great perspective to this forum.

The photos are great. I'm thinking of printing these and other wildlife photos, taking them with me on my flight, and pulling them out any time I get antsy and irritated on my 30-hour flight on Friday. It's going to be a difficult and long stretch for me, but I think I've found a way to make it manageable

Thanks!

Africa Fodorites, I'm about to join your ranks!

brandywine

Wow Lynn, I have to agree with the other posters, you really have a knack for being in the right place at the right time for Wild Dogs! Your photos are wonderful and it must have been amazing to see the pups all playing together and milling around their mother. The leopard shots are really beautiful also and would make anyone want to visit Mala Mala.

atravelynn

Dennis,
Those 2 months will mean the pups are older and can spend more time out of the den so you’ll probably see more of them.

Cybor,
I actually struck out on the cheetahs at MM. But Phinda came to the rescue. That’s why I think those two are such a nice combo.

Moremiles,
That is just what I thought about the lioness. I deleted another dozen shots of “the act” and she is no more enthusiastic in any of them. I suppose if it has been going on continually for 3 days and you haven’t had a bite to eat, it would be hard to muster enthusiasm.

Tom,
I also enjoyed the tracker in the back because I was always in the middle seat. (My vehicle mates had trouble climbing in, so I took that one.) Tracker John would nudge me from his back seat and point out animals that might not merit a big announcement, but he knew I got a kick out of his spotting skills. Sometimes I’d do the same to him, though he probably had already seen most of the animals I proudly pointed out to him. I used a Sony DSC H9 for most and a DSC H2 for the rest. No DSLR.

Divewop,
I’m getting tired just thinking about those rooms. Ha Ha

Momliz,
Maybe MM for next time. You wouldn’t be the first to plan trip #2 before going on #1.

Cw,
I think 3 days should be the minimum. I was very happy with 4, but did not feel restless and eager to leave after 4. Another time, I’d go 4 or more if that were possible. And we know many who stay much longer than that. Interestingly the couple I shared the vehicle with and I discussed that if you just wanted a good safari experience, perhaps seeing the Big 5, and you did not have a lot of time or did not want to spend a sizeable sum, that 2 days at MM would give you a great experience. After 2 days we remarked that we had seen so much it could be considered a successful trip.

Rickmck,
You’ll probably come back with even more variety of photos. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting Africa quite a few times before so unless I can get a new angle on a giraffe, buffalo, vervet, zebra, etc. I don’t take a photo. The viewing was much more varied than my photos indicate.

CiaoLeone,
I’ll call your Mark and Elvis and raise you a John and Bruce. If they are all the best, as Tom and KayeN claim, good for us. We can’t go wrong then. If you found the 12 myths to be too detailed, wait until I post my 16 observations in a few moments.

KayeN,
Thanks for your insights. The lion situation is indeed shocking. You are right about my mislabeled leopard. I knew if I had made any errors that you would catch them. I have corrected the photo album after checking the MM leopard website to get my names straight. He is the Newington male.

Sundowner,
So you are part of the MM cult too? The leopard’s prey was a baby nyala. You gave me an idea. I’ll just lock all my future problems in the bathroom and forget about them.

CarlaM,
A litter of 14 pups is not that unusual. I think I heard up to 16 or 18. The sad part is that it's only about the 4-5 week point for the pups. They will not likely remain a litter of that size. They were down to 13 when I was there.

The bar shot does not show drink prices. It has various animals and how many points they are worth. At the end of each day, all rangers report their sightings and the day is given a point total. The all time high was achieved just a week before I arrived.

How many were in your Jeep on the drives—At MM I was lucky to have one other couple and me for the entire time. At Phinda I was also lucky with 8 of 14 activities solo. I did one drive with another couple, one rhino trek with a mother & son, and 4 drives with a family who had just finished a hunting safari. There will be more about the hunters in the Phinda report.

Dinner—MM the ranger ate with his clients, so 4 of us dined together for each meal. At Phinda, I ate with my vehicle-mates both with and without the ranger, I ate alone, I ate with other people I met, I ate with just the ranger and tracker. It was a combo.

How long can you stay? At MM and Phinda if there is no one else who wants to see that sighting, you (meaning the consensus in the vehicle) can stay as long as you want. But there may be others in the queue so that one vehicle cannot hog a sighting all day. At the dogs, about 20 minutes was the max. One morning we stayed about 30 because no one else was there or had been there. At the leopards we stayed about an hour each time and watched other vehicles come and go. Apparently, we were not taking anyone’s spot. At MM I never recall having to leave before I was ready to allow others to view, though we did see other vehicles come and go from sightings that we sat at. At Phinda, we never pulled out of a sighting due to jockeying in the queue.

Even in a private vehicle, you might be limited to 20 minutes. There could even be a disadvantage to the private vehicle. I ran into that last year at Vumbura. I happened to be alone in a vehicle by chance, but it was not private. Four vehicles came upon stalking lions. Only three could follow the lions. If I had insisted on remaining alone, I would have not been allowed to go with the lions, since we were 4th on the scene. I opted to join one of the other 3 vehicles and head out with the lions. You are right that there is no advantage in the 20 minute rule if you are private.

Those that have made MM their second home probably have more insight and strategies for hanging around a sighting.

Logistics—you could improve what I did. I got the no-single-supplement Mala Mala dates first, then added Phinda. Phinda could not go before MM, due to my schedule. I think you can fly Phinda to Sabi Sands on a scheduled flight or charter. No need to overnight Joburg. I did Phinda second and had to overnight after MM.

I went O’Hare-Heathrow-Joburg with morning arrival and a day room at Southern Sun. PM trip to Rhino & Lion Park (You could go straight to MM on the noon flight. If I were staying more than 4 days, I’d do that. With only 4 days, I didn’t want a flight delay to nix my first night in MM and reduce my trip 25%.)
MM 4 nights and back to Joburg for 1 overnight at Southern Sun
Fly Federal Air, which leaves by van from Joburg airport to another little airport to Phinda
After 7 nights Phinda, fly Fed Air by to Joburg and get an eve flight back to Heathrow-O’Hare

LynneB asks some similar questions, below.

Aby,
You may be talking 1.5 digital on screen magnification, 400mm. I talk point and shoot with built-in image stabilization, 12-15 x optical zoom, trying to hold the camera without much jiggle, get the sun in the right place, focus and click in Automatic mode, sometimes with continuous shoot so I get more pictures to choose from. The leopards are close, though. It’s hard to judge when they are up in a tree. When we sat next to one resting on the ground we were about 5 meters from it.
(And Mala Mala has AC!)

Predator,
Thanks I have been very lucky with wild dogs. If you predict properly, maybe there will be wild dogs in North Luangwa, where I plan to spend 5 nights in 2008.

Spiegelcjs,
You are right about Bruce and John’s harmony. Glad you got to see wild dogs in Duma Tau. The family film party with MM recipes should be a hit. I cropped some of the photos but did not change any colors. Yes, I have my pictures posted, but have you seen my mess of a house and pile of unopened mail?

GrannyJoan,
I am pleased that I finally made it to Mala Mala so I can consider it “our” Africa.

Queenof DaNile,
I like that BOW wow.

LynneB,
I’m the one with no e. You can also see the answers to Carla’s questions above. The best bet for sitting and watching is to have a majority in the vehicle. So get likeminded friends to go. Of course, I never am able to accomplish that. Another strategy is to let your travel agent know that you like to sit and watch and ask that the info be passed on. I asked that the 2 lodges be told that I had been to Africa numerous times. I think that helped get me into a vehicle with the couple where the man was really into photography. That meant we sat, waited, and watched more than average.

NapaMatt,
Great leopard knowledge on your part. Newington it is! I had to go back and check my scribblings and the MM leopard website. John seems to have lots of nicknames, including Gahmma (sp?) which means Martial Eagle.

Cooncat,
I can’t guarantee dogs on foot, but I’d love to have you join me at Kutandala in July 2008. The leopard prey pictured is a baby nyala.

Thit Cho,
You can hit South Africa as you venture between Ushuaia and Sulawesi. No, wait, you’ve probably already been there.

Hguy47,
Thanks, I am about to paste in the next installment.

ShayTay,
I don’t know about John’s son. But if he is a ranger, he’d have a good mentor.

Heather,
And once you join us there is no turning back. The airlines might be providing another way to improve the long flight. If this has been going on for ages, I apologize for my ignorance, but on my last flight (Joburg-Heathrow-O’Hare) there were hundreds of movies to choose from in World Traveler (BA’s coach seats) and you had complete control of them. It was great.

Brandywine,
I have been at the right place at the right time for wild dogs. That extraordinary luck does not extend to other species, though. Nor to the stock market.

Clematis1

Great job, Lynn!!! Love how you countered every point (were you a debater once?) Count us as two more Mala Mala fans - they just do it all so well.

atravelynn

From myths to observations, all from a first time Mala Mala visitor.

1. It is very easy to be vegetarian at Mala Mala because there is a veggie entrée at every meal and there are loads of veggie side dishes. You don’t have to make any special requests because veggie options are there anyway. Everything I ate was delicious. The cheese board alone is worth the trip. Come for the brie, stay for the leopards.

2. For anyone who does not like small planes, the daily Johannesburg to Mala Mala departure is on an approximately 30-seat plane with two pilots. (not small by Africa charter standards) Even if there are far fewer passengers--and that was the case both ways--that’s the plane that flies. The rangers told me even if only one or two people are going, that’s still the plane that is scheduled and used.

3. Drinking plain tap water instead of buying a beverage at meals, sundowners, or at the bar was no big deal. (It’s also my MO at home.) The tap water is safe to drink, unlike most places in Africa. There was also bottled water in the room. Speaking of beverages, I must mention the delightful (and complimentary) lemonade that accompanied each lunch.

4. The trackers who sat at the back of the vehicle all carried a long wooden stick, which they would use to move aside low hanging branches or thorny brush as we drove. But at sightings they would also swish the stick in the grass to make noise and perhaps gain an animal’s attention. I saw many of the trackers do that. I must admit I was feeling uncomfortable about it. Then I made an observation and did a bit of analyzing.

I observed the animals paying little or no attention to the stick moving in the grass, just as they paid no attention to our voices and the vehicle in general. In fact at one sighting of a leopard in the grass, the stick was going swish, swish swish, and the leopard was just lying there, ignoring us, with that typical look of disgust and disdain that all felines seem to have perfected. Suddenly, he became highly alert and sat up. The leopard had heard a sound that registered as meaningful—-the approach of a hyena. So the leopard was easily able to distinguish between background noise and important sounds.

I analyzed my unease with the stick and compared it to my complete acceptance of pulling up next to an animal in a loud, emission spewing, several-ton vehicle, sometimes mowing down vegetation in the process. I recognized my faulty logic as: stick, bad; Land Cruiser, fine. After all I have to get a picture. That’s why I just accepted the stick routine, but I have not encountered its use elsewhere.

But a stick on the ground is far different from snapping fingers in the air. When a member of our vehicle used this method to gain an animal’s attention, the ranger quickly put the kabosh on that in a stern manner, and rightfully so.

5. The lodge where you can relax and warm yourself by the fireplace has many trophy animal heads and skins on the wall. I asked about them and was told they all came from the area, which used to be used for hunting. I also was told that not all of the animals were killed, some just died. Just thought I’d mention this fact and I have a lodge picture at the end of the photo album.

6. The rangers really do all get up when you enter the room. I experienced the full effect of this often as I usually would be one of the first to lunch or to tea and I’d find them all sitting in a group.

As someone who is not bold enough to ever try to start “The Wave” at a sports stadium, I felt quite empowered being able to get my own mini version of it going on a daily basis with the Mala Mala rangers. I even considered pulling some mischief by entering the room and going, “Oh, I forgot my camera,” then I could leave and re-enter the room a few seconds later claiming, “That’s ok, I don’t think I’ll need my camera.” Next, I’d state, “But I did forget my malaria pill,” and head out again only to return a moment later, “No, here’s my malaria pill in my pocket.”

Of course, I didn’t resort to such juvenile behavior. In fact, quite the opposite. At lunch or tea when I’d see the rangers in a group on the veranda, I’d quietly creep past them on the path below the veranda that leads past the library. I’d emerge onto the veranda from the steps on far side in an unobtrusive manner. I told myself I was practicing the stealth that would be necessary for my upcoming rhino tracking at Phinda. One time my ranger, Bruce, asked me what I was doing as I slipped (apparently not unobtrusively) onto the veranda. I explained my humanitarian mission of keeping the rangers seated.

7. Mala Mala is wheel chair accessible. My neighbor used one.

8. Rangers eat every meal with the occupants of their vehicle. I liked spending every meal with the ranger, even though I realize it puts more of a time burden on him. Especially if you are traveling alone, it means you always have pleasant and good-natured mealtime company. I am assuming being pleasant and good-natured is something MM looks for in every ranger they hire and Bruce certainly met those qualifications. While my vehicle/meal companions during this stay were also pleasant and good-natured, that’s not a given. So at least the ranger is a winner at mealtime. I could understand how a family or a couple—especially a honeymoon couple—would like some meals alone. The information packet in the room offered other dining arrangements upon request.

To me, more time with the ranger added another dimension to the safari experience and offered more of a bonding opportunity along with more reason to fight back tears upon departure.

At one point I likened our ranger, Bruce, to the wild dog pups (and not because of his youth relative to his clients.) We had observed the members of the wild dog pack being so eager to meet their younger pack-mates. They’d wait at the den opening and beg for the babies to emerge so they could pounce on them, lick them, and play with them. (That would go on until the mother would charge in and scatter the dogs and give the pups a break.) I felt we guests were treating the ranger in a similar manner because whenever we’d see Bruce at lunch, tea, or for drinks at the bar, we’d surround him and pose all sorts of questions. Granted, we did not pounce or lick. Sometimes I’d notice the poor guy would be trying to down bites of his lunch between our battery of inquiries. Anyway, I appreciated his availability.

9. Nice dinner attire is no more necessary, at least not at Mala Mala Main Camp (or Phinda) in the winter months, than anywhere else on safari. Somehow I thought in the Sabi Sands that eveningwear needed to be stepped up a notch. Maybe at the higher end properties or in warmer weather this is true. But the lovely lavender top and shoes I packed special for meals were a waste of my precious luggage space. No one knew I was wearing my lovely lavender top under the several layers of jackets and fleece vests and I doubt the bonfire in the dark boma illuminated my face enough for anyone to appreciate I had put on mascara.

10. The record setting cold spells I had read about prompted me to bring my battery operated toe warming socks. There really is such a thing and they take one D-Battery per sock. I got them at Gander Mountain, a camping and hunting store. I used them twice and am not too embarrassed to admit it. Of course I did not wear them on the plane with the wires and everything. Many days I wore a wool hat and neck warmer along with mittens for most of the morning.

11. The cold prompted warnings from the ranger to wear a “beanie.” I know this means a wool hat, just like bonnet means hood, kit means gear, and puncture means flat tire. But from my US viewpoint I had a hard time not laughing out loud whenever I heard the term beanie because I envisioned sitting in the vehicle wearing a little cap with a little propeller on top. If I got that propeller spinning, I bet it would get the leopard’s attention.

12. The Zulu greeting in the singular form is uncannily similar to Sony Bono. It is Sah-knee Bon-ah.

13. Gifts for the guide/ranger have been discussed on Fodors in the past. I gave three different gifts that I thought I’d share for future reference.

Here’s the background on the first gift. A few years ago I was on a domestic Africa flight and someone behind me was coughing up a storm. A few days later I was sick with a cough, fever, sore throat, etc. So I vowed to always bring a few over-the-counter facemasks and if I felt the need, I’d just put one on. I know they are not 100% effective, but better than nothing. That explains why I had facemasks in my possession.

I noticed John, the Mala Mala tracker, did a lot of coughing, sneezing, and hacking. I asked Ranger Bruce about it and he explained that after almost 40 years of breathing in dust, it had taken its toll on John. Plus he had a cold. I asked Bruce about giving a mask to John and he thought it would be a good idea so I did, along with some cough drops. John immediately put the mask on and wore it all the time, removing it only to communicate. I found a second mask in my luggage and gave him that one too. John said that he thought the mask helped.

The second gift was given to Thulani, a ranger at Phinda. We were joking that it is the ranger who drives and intently spots game all day that needs a massage more than the passengers. Thulani mentioned that sometimes his neck and shoulders would be very tight by the end of the day. So I took the joke seriously and added a neck-back-shoulder massage coupon (pre-approved and printed up by the management) to his tip envelope. The massage was in addition to my normal tip. I spent a week with Thulani so a gift of this amount ($40) seemed reasonable. I realize that for a 2 or 3 night stay, that size of gift might be out of proportion.

The last gift was a wool balaclava and socks given to SK, the Phinda ranger. One night it was especially cold and a little drizzly as we boarded the vehicle after sundowners and I noticed SK had no hat or gloves. His tracker seat was suspended in front of the vehicle so he also had no protection from the elements. I thought he had just forgotten his warm garments and I offered him a spare balaclava for his face and a pair of clean socks for his hands. I had extra socks in my pack from the morning rhino tracking in case the pair I wore got wet. I did not have any extra gloves/mittens to lend. Plus I figured it was just for that evening because he’d remember his own in the future. When SK returned the items to me I asked if he had his own and he did not so I gave them to him.

14. There is indeed a very well equipped exercise room with several machines at Mala Mala. It is discretely tucked out of the way and it provides the same great view as you get from the veranda. I did not personally take advantage of this amenity.

15. The winter hours of a 7:00 am breakfast give a late start for photographers looking for the best light. Fortunately the husband of the couple I was with was very interested in photography so they did not linger at breakfast and we could depart promptly. This is a later start than I have experienced elsewhere in the winter.

16. Where do all the guests at lunch and at the evening meal in the boma go during the day? We rarely encountered other vehicles in the bush. Sometimes we’d share a sighting, but then they’d disappear again. It never felt crowded.

Enough enumerated comments. It’s time to board the plane and start the trip.

My only hiccup of the trip began at the O’Hare British Air ticket counter. Along with my e-ticket and passport, the agent requested the credit card I had used to book the flight. I had used FF miles and had paid the taxes with a credit that I had since cancelled. I offered 3 other credit cards, but those would not do. I was informed that the lack of my original credit card was a problem and I was removed from line and escorted to another counter.

The next agent asked when I had booked the flight and I responded about 330 days earlier. She looked it up in my record and informed me that since the taxes had been paid so long ago there was no problem with credit card fraud and I was cleared. Whew! From now on I’ll bring the credit card I used to book the flight or the statement if I’ve cancelled the card. This lesson was reinforced a few days later, with much graver consequences.

On my arrival day in Johannesburg, I spent the afternoon at Rhino and Lion Park through Wilro Tours with Len as my driver/guide. This was arranged at my request through my TA before leaving home. It is about 45 minutes from the airport. The last 5 photos in the album are from here, labeled Rhino and Lion Park. The predators all have their own enclosures of several acres. We were successful in finding numerous lions, one cheetah at a distance, but no wild dogs. The hooved species roam an even greater area. We saw ostrick, white rhino, sable, black wildebeest with lovely white tails, and oryx. There were frequent sightings of black backed jackals running about. Len was delightful and very knowledgeable. It’s a nice half-day excursion that I am glad I did, enjoyed thoroughly, and would recommend. Though my first choice was DeWildt, it was not open on my arrival day.

The need for airline ticket proof of purchase surfaced again. A family of 8 and I were ready to board the noon-ish scheduled daily flight to Mala Mala from Johannesburg. We were delayed and managed overhear the reason for our delay. A local man bringing his family was asked to produce proof of purchase for the flight. He had only the tickets and no further proof. After half an hour of explanation and polite pleading on his part, our flight left without him and his family. Neither the family of 8 nor I was asked for proof of purchase, but I had booked through a TA and I think they did too from their comments.

At the Mala Mala airstrip the family and I loaded up into a transport vehicle and made the short journey to the lodge. En route we saw a female kudu and some of the family members eagerly shouted, “What’s that?” I responded, “A female kudu,” and was about to mention the significance of the first sighting when they remarked, “Kudu, that was what was on the menu last night!” Perhaps I should have revised that to the significance of the first bite.

They were a good-natured group and were apologizing in advance for me getting “stuck” with their family. They started explaining who in the group was known for being loud so that I’d be prepared. I assured them that their group would likely not be “stuck” with me as an add-on and I hoped Mala Mala would agree with my logic.

It did and I ended up spending all four days with a lovely couple from Florida who had always wanted to go to Africa but could not manage the amount of time necessary during the husband’s working years. They were newly retired, on their first safari (MM was their 3rd destination) and they were having a ball. The husband was into photography and the wife had binocs at the ready to take it all in. Their cheerful attitudes were especially impressive given that they were chilled much of the time. Their travel agent, who was from Zimbabwe so should know Southern Africa’s weather, told them to bring only a safari hat and no gloves, wool hat, etc. I felt bad all bundled up in my winter gear when they had none. I even offered them some, but they declined.

Anyway, our interests were entirely compatible in the bush and they were nice company at meals. Adding Bruce as the ranger and John as the tracker, it was a superb combination.

KayeN

Hi Lynn

John has a cough because of his smoking!

Kind regards

Kaye

Lynneb

Lynn
thank you so much for all this great info. It's invaluable! Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.
Lynne

Mega4namaddy

WOW! Lynn. Great report. Rich with detail. And trust you to come up with a new and engaging presentation format too. Good work
You were so lucky with wild dogs and puppies. It must have been Lynn Africa Magic
like Pred said.
All the photos just make me want to be there NOW but I 'specially liked the zebra with foal, the ele family and, of course, I can only dream about leopard snaps like yours. Zambia is on the 2008 itinerary just for the chance of leopard. ( I think you might be there just before I am so I guess I probably won't be able to see leopard for wild dog )
more! More! More!

Kaye

DonTopaz

Such an interesting and compelling report -- thanks, Lynn!! I enjoyed every word, and your phrase "more reason to fight back tears upon departure" absolutely struck home.

GrannyJoan

Lynn,

The analogy of the rangers standing was so cute. I will not be able to keep a straight face the next visit to MM without laughing when I think of "the wave" when the rangers stand up. Very entertaining and right on. I often felt like I might return to the states speaking with a heavy English accent after 12 days at MM.

-Granny Joan

moremiles

You should be doing some travel writing since you have such style and wit. I'm still laughing about the beanie and what a great phrase,especially for those who contemplate a trip to Africa with no animal viewing- "Come for the brie, stay for the leopards."

bat

lynn:
Thank you for your keen observations.

scootr29

Is there a particular room at the Mala Mala Main camp that stands out among the others?...if so I would like to see about reserving that room for my visit in Oct.

Thanks

cw

Your observations are so informative, especially to those of us who haven't (yet!) been on more than one safari.

I love the image of your battery-powered socks causing problems if you attemped to wear them on the plane.

What thoughtful gifts you left--the massage idea for Thulani is brilliant. He is such a good ranger.

CW