HAMERKOP KRUGER SAFARIS
Our Team
Leonard Busani (South Africa)
Leonard is the founder and owner of Hamerkop Kruger Safaris. He has been leading safaris in Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger Area for 18 years and a tracker for 5 years. He also has a passion for birds, thus the Hamerkop in the company name, and knows all the species of birds and songs and calls. He is fluent in English, several South African languages - and he also speaks a little Danish too.
His extensive official education includes:
Tracking Course
The Art of Track'fig
Track&Sign Level 2
Guiding Course
From the Ekukhanyeni Training Center: CathSSeta Certificate Level 2
Pernille Bennike (Denmark)
Pernille has travelled extensively: USA, Central America, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, and all over Europe but she always return to Greenland and Africa :-)
She has been on safaris/tours in Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia and 4 times in South Africa, the last trip 10 days November 2022 in Kruger Park from north to south.
Mads Bunch, ph.d. (Denmark)
Mads has been a tour-guide in the birdwatching tour-companies DOF-Travel and Scanbird for over 25 years. He has travelled extensively in the US, Europe, and of course Africa, where he lived half a year in Angola i 1983 as a child. Safaris in countries include: Angola, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. He is a very skilled birdwatcher and experienced tour-guide.
Our Mascot: The Hamerkop!
The Hamerkop is Leonards favorite bird. It is the smallest African stork. The bird is famous for it's strong, three-tiered nests. The nest is up to 180 cm (6 ft.) high, 180 cm (6 ft.) wide, and can weigh 24.75 to 49.5 kg (55 to 110 lbs.). It is made of sticks, reeds, grass, and dead plant stems placed in a tree fork, on a cliff or on the ground. Such a structure takes 3 to 4 months to build and they often provide nests for other species such as owls, geese, ducks, kestrels, and pigeons. Hamerkops are often seen perching on the back of hippopotamuses, searching for frogs. Indeed a fascinating bird!
