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And I trust it is not said with a lisp either then

Pithing is an slaughterhouse term which I thought was now disused - where the slaughterman (non-pc I know) would scramble the brain of the animal. I would'nt have a clue as to why a ranger would be required to know that unless it was something they did after a brain shot to make sure the animal was dead?

On the right track Timepilot, with the meaning of pithing (without the lisp) - but not completely correct... and if you can get the accurate meaning, you might get the reason why rangers in hot or humid conditions could find it useful.

I'll just have to wait and see that was the full and total extent of my knowledge

It was more than what I knew about it before I read Bruce's book!!

I got it!

Pithing keeps the animal alive which is why it used to be used in slaughtering to allow for making kosher meat - bleeding the animal without causing it distress. And I think they used to use it in dissection to keep frogs alive to see heartbeat etc.

Now, if my memory serves, did'nt the game rangers do this in the field with fish (barbel?) to keep the fish alive to get back to camp so they would'nt go off in the heat and humidity?

Brilliant Timepilot!!

EXACTLY that!!

2 + 2 = 4... even in AUS I see

Yes, "Pithing" is the practice where a wire (or even a strong piece of grass for barbel) is pushed into the brain of an animal (not sure exactly how and where) but basically it kills the animal without stopping it's normal bodilly functions - effectively brain-dead.

In the 70's the rangers and mapoisas used this practice when out in the veld for days. They would fish for barbel and then keep it "fresh" using this tecnique. Because of the humidity and heat in the Lowveld, fish would easily go off if kept for a day. Using pithing, kept the catch fresh the entire day without the animal suffering.

Not necessarily but I learnt my maths in RSA

I've been racking my brain over this one and eventually remembered the bit about the fish which allowed me to complete the equation

Apart from it having rained alot What was the main reason the Skukuza village in particular had so much water running through it during the 2000 floods?

TP! Well Done!! You have become a walking encyclopaedia I see.

Time for a clue

Look at the map of Kruger and figure it out

Taking a total flyer here as I know nothing about the staff village, but can it be that it actually lies in a depression, lower than the surrundings? Or in a slight kloof? Thus, when the water rises, it takes water first?

Good guess Bish... but not quite right.

Ok time for a tip

Well you know that this comes out of A Game Ranger Remembers.... but have a look at the map... the Skukuza staff village is at the confluence of the N'waswitshaka and Sabie rivers

If I remember correctly, the Sabie actually blocked the N'waswitshakas flow, damming it and causing the water to flood the village.