SANParks.org Forums

Thank you for your well considered advice which is always adjusted for individuals and differing circumstances.

To the replies all of you submitted.....

I think a lot of parents and others, eyes opened and learned from you all

OWN - as always a very considered and thoughtful reply which evidently draws upon experience. It is advise which should be (but possibly won't be!) heeded by all who visit malaria areas.

Would like to just add that, for those who live outside of a malaria area, especially outside of Africa - the experience of your local doctor in dealing with malaria must also be taken into account. P contracted malaria some years ago and was lucky that our doctor at that time immediately suspected it and treated him accordingly whilst waiting for the test results. When I contracted malaria almost 3 years ago, a different doctor treated me for an ulcer despite being told several times that I had returned only 4 weeks previously from a malaria area. I ended up in hospital for 3 weeks...
However, both of our children were born and lived their early lives in malaria areas and never contracted the disease.

O.W.N. thank you very much for all your posts, and responses to mine.
My latest questions had two purposes:
To focus into some facts for this thread; and
To garner more information for a possible KNP trip for my young nephew. The SA doctors are happy enough to support such in July and thus my younger brother is raring to go. I just wanted to go into deeper risk evaluation mode . The road analogy quoted above is apt, and very cleverly pinpoints how humans can let their guard down when dealing with risks they can't immediately see.

Thanks again

Kite, Philip, PNF, Z&M ...

PNF, most people know what the right thing to do in a situation is, but many, for whatever idiosyncratic reasons may grab them, seem to ignore danger and go ahead anyway. I suppose this is one of the strange maladies that affect humans? PNF, it is a sad state of affairs when a medical doctor, whose decisions can influence the lives of patients, overlooks fundamental information that could have immediately alerted him/her to the correct diagnosis and course of treatment; most especially because you alerted him/her first. Sorry that you had to live through three weeks of that horrible disease. At least, as you say, P did not have to go through that trauma as the right thing was done.

Z&M, a "deeper risk evaluation mode"! Fascinating state to be in. So I am not at all surprised to find that you have already contemplated the various nuances that my road analogy suggested!

Hi Supertrooper,

you know not enough about life. Normal for a young man. I had wonderful naps, when the kids of our surrounding play football or star wars under my window.
And bringing the wonder of nature to kids, its never to early.


And be aware, in 2014 is my daughter (5) on my side!
But it goes with kids the same, as with dogs. The problem isn`t never the dog / kid, it´s the person behind!

I have to say I'm with Supertrooper a bit on this. I don't mind kids playing in the camp during the day, or shouting and being excited by the pool. But this August we had a family across from us who had brought a baby who was, at most, a couple of months old. This child screamed and cried pretty constantly for hours on end through the night.

It kept me awake for several hours. Others must have had the same problem as we're weren't the closest tent to their pitch.

I honestly think that parents should have some consideration for others in the choices they make when bringing very young children to the park. If our neighbour had been drinking and having a party we would have been supported by others in complaining about them. But if you do this about babies you risk bring called a Scrooge or told you're preventing them learning about nature.

When I'm in the park I try to be considerate of others - I don't hold loud conversations when I'm getting up at before 5 to get to the gate, I don't slam my car doors when we leave, I don't have parties late into the night, and I do think others should think of the impact they have on their fellow visitors.

There was no way that baby was going to get any enjoyment from being there - it was just too young to be aware! But the impact its parents' choice had on others was massively negative and selfish.

I love seeing the delight on kids faces when they are really appreciating nature in the park but this was just too early.

Just returned from the Park with 8 month old baby for her third trip and 3 year old daughter for her fourteenth I think.

My 3 year old is a proper bush baby and the only way to have that instilled in them is to take them from a young age. Never had problems with malaria in the past and they have even travelled to some central African countries with us. I am not saying it would never happen, but we go to very great lengths in preventative measures.

I cannot imagine going to Kruger with my kids and I make sure they understand and follow the rules about noise etc and can honestly say we have never had any problems before.

thats awesome, its kids like these that i would congratulate the parents on doing a great job.

if ever i have kids, they will be potty trained, well mannered beasts with a thirst for knowledge of nature and kruger will be for sure the place to bring them.

we dont have anything against kids or parents bringing them to the kruger just please for the love of other campers and people who are tired after a long days drive make sure your beast is trained and well behaved ..... or ill call the letaba bucks inside the camp to run over them lol !

haha ! made me giggle lol . kids are hilarious little buggers but as you say , The problem isn`t never the dog / kid, it´s the person behind! and i couldnt agree more. Its not like a 3 year old will teach itself manners etc

im sure your 5 year old is well behaved ! <3 germany !!!