ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive April 2003 Southern Africa Experiences Tourism Growth, April 6 2003 Southern Africa is experiencing a substantial increase in international visitors. Travelers are opting to visit the region as the United States and Britain intensify the war with Iraq. Officials from the African Airlines Association said last week that some of the popular destinations that have reportedly seen a large influx of tourists include Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, particularly the Victoria Falls. The secretary general of the African Airlines Association, Mr. Christian Folly-Kossi, said indications were that African countries, which did not have any links with Arab countries, were going to experience a boom in tourism. "Most African destinations have suddenly become very popular" Mr. Folly-Kossi said in a telephone interview. "Several African countries are benefiting from the downfall of traffic from Middle East destinations." "There is an increase in the number of tourists passing through Johannesburg International Airport in recent weeks," an official with South African Airways said. San Bushmen Launch Ecotourism Project, April 6 2003 One of southern Africa's most ancient and vulnerable communities, Botswana's Bukakhwe San Bushmen, have launched a community-run ecotourism project built on preserving their traditional values and protecting the region's declining wildlife. Working in partnership with Conservation International and Wilderness Safaris, the Bukakhwe Cultural Conservation Trust recently inaugurated the new venture called Gudigwa Camp. The ecotourism project is fully owned by the Bukakhwe San and all proceeds will be funneled back into community development projects. The initiative aims to reduce pressure on wildlife in Botswana's Okavango Delta by providing alternative sources of income that respect the San's cultural heritage. "This integrated and socially-responsible approach to tourism will help deliver important local benefits," said Ms Pelonomi Venson, Botswana's Minister for Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. "The community will be able to maintain their ancient customs, tourists get to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Bukakhwe San Bushmen and the region's endangered wildlife is protected." This new project gives the 700 members of the Gudigwa community sustainable alternatives to livestock grazing and incentives to protect local fauna. The Bukakhwe San of Gudigwa live in northeastern Botswana in the upper extremity of the Okavango Delta. Tracing their roots back to Namibia and southern Angola, they have maintained their cultural heritage for thousands of years, amid their unique wetland surroundings. Gudigwa Camp will host up to 16 guests at a time in comfortable grass huts modeled on traditional Bushmen shelters. Through walking tours, community members will teach guests about San cultural heritage including the use of medicinal plants, gathering water in the dry season, traditional storytelling, song and dance. Vumbura Tented Camp Update, April 6 2003 Vumbura Tented Camp is located in Botswana's renowned Okavango Delta. Here is the latest camp update: March brought some really, really great wildlife sightings! Several different prides of lion have been visible almost every day and kills of mainly giraffe then buffalo and tsetsebe were common. Their cubs were also pretty visible. One male cheetah has been sighted with regularity and was also witnessed killing a warthog. A new young male leopard has been gingerly stepping in to Big Boys spot. He killed a baboon for us just outside the camp. Talking of Big Boy, we had the most exciting leopard sighting as he killed a young buffalo, hung it in a tree and then could not extract the head from the tree fork in which it was wedged. The resulting sightings of him trying to remove the buffalo saw him dangling from the animal just with his teeth holding him up, his body shaking around, but in vain. Eventually he rethought the tactics and managed to get it down. This sighting engrossed us for two days. Needless to say the guests were ecstatic. The carmine bee-eaters are now thinning out as they leave the subcontinent. Without going on, the wildlife has been great and the weather mostly good. We had 8 mm of hail mid month and yesterday the 31st, we had 17mm of rain. Otherwise its been dry. The mosquitoes are not a problem at all and generally every thing is going smooth… Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, April 6 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: The river at Nkwali is high and flowing very fast. There has been a lot of rain in the north as well as within the park and the river is therefore continuing to rise. We have now had some 940 ml (800 ml yearly average) so far and more to come - in fact the tin roof is dancing with droplets as I write. This is not good for the farmers, as their maize that has been picked, will be rotting if not protected from the rain. It is ironic that too little rain caused problems last year and too much may do the same for this year. Hopefully this late season rain will be localized and so not cause problems all over the country. We have had great game viewing. The very first drive of the season turned out to be quite spectacular. After first seeing 10 wild dog around Big Baobab (they have also been spotted close to the Airstrip Road), the drive continued and spotted a leopard. This chap was busy stalking a monkey, when all of a sudden several lions appeared and proceeded to chase the leopard, who decided to take refuge in a tree! Quite an amazing sight. Marcus reports that there are lots of elephant around at the moment and indeed Jo and I saw a lovely herd last night on our way out to a little rugby get together. In fact we unfortunately missed the rugby but though it rude not to join in the post match drinks. Another lovely sighting was of a honey badger that guests saw digging away and totally ignoring them. This is quite unusual as they are normally shy and disappear off into the bush with great speed once spotted. We managed to spend quite some time with the badger, which was a real treat. On the bird front, Simon reports that the cuckoo-shrikes are still around but that the red backed and lesser greys are starting to head north. He has also seen African crake nesting in the reeds around the lagoons as well as both purple and lesser gallinule being in residence. The gallinules have had an unfortunate name change and are now referred to as swamp hens - much less romantic. Jo is quite upset about the changes and has decided that it is just a ruse to keep the worlds official twitchers body in employment as well as throwing their weight around by deciding that we need to relearn our birds. Safe South Africa is New Hot Spot, April 13 2003 With the war in Iraq foreign tourists are choosing South Africa as a preferred destination. British Airways spokesman Stephen Forbes said flights between London and Cape Town were in demand. "We retained our Boeing 747-400 on the London-Cape Town route to cater for the demand. We conducted informal research among big British tour operators and found that thousands of British tourists couldn't come to South Africa because they couldn't secure seats," Forbes said. "If we are granted permission by the South African government, we are looking at increasing our flights." Qantas Airways, which operates routes between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, said South Africa was perceived as safe. Meanwhile, South African tourism authorities said there had been an influx of tourists to South Africa since the start of the war. Rung Button, chairman of the South African Tour Operators' Association, said "The surge of foreigners into South Africa can be attributed to the fact that this country is neutral and is not regarded as an easy target." Vanya Lessing, the Association of South African Travel Agents' chief executive, said: "We know of a number of foreigners who have diverted to South Africa because it is perceived as safe." South Africa is World's Hottest Destination, April 13 2003 South Africa's tourism boom is official following the release by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, of the 2002 tourist arrival statistics that confirm South Africa is the fastest growing tourist destination in the world, having attracted over 6.4 million tourists last year. South Africa has by far exceeded its projected tourism growth numbers, with overseas arrivals up by a massive 20.1% (just over 1.8 million) and a healthy 11.1% increase in total foreign arrivals over 2001. The news has been received with delight by Minister Moosa, who - throughout the year - has been reporting good news from his tourism portfolio as it became increasingly apparent that South Africa was in for a bumper twelve months. "This is amazing news for South African tourism", commented an upbeat Minister Moosa. "We have continued to defy gravity throughout the year, confounding the global industry trend of "flat" or decreased growth in a way that has proved that this is not just a "flash in the pan" phenomenon for us. All of South Africa's key markets posted growth for the year, with Europe up 24%, North America defiantly up 9%, an increase of 21% from Asia and 15% from Australasia. Arrivals from Africa were up by a healthy 8% An equally delighted Cheryl Carolus, chief executive officer of South African Tourism, said "the tremendous upturn in tourist arrivals had firmly positioned South Africa as one of the world's preferred tourist destinations. The genuine warmth and hospitality shown by South Africans to tourists is an experience that, through the valuable word of mouth multiplier effect, is now proving that both the overseas trade and consumers are fast waking up to just what South Africa has to offer. We have magnificent attributes. World class, value for money, quality African tourism experiences coupled with sophisticated infrastructure and services." Sky-high Luxury with New SAA Fleet, April 13 2003 Imagine stretching out in your seat, tuning into your touch-activated in-flight entertainment system, and ordering a cappuccino or espresso while watching a movie of your choice. Dream on, and stop the movie whenever you want to pay a visit to the bathroom and freshen up… And that's not all by far! When returning to your seat, refreshed, order a meal from the à la carte menu, and enjoy it when you want to. Phone home and let them know just how much fun you're having up there. And after satisfying all culinary, refreshment and entertainment urges, snap on your brushed-cotton sleeping shades and tilt back far enough to enjoy an extremely comfortable snooze. Who wants to be ground-bound if air travel is this positively decadent? South African Airways is in the process of upgrading its fleet with the addition of several new state-of-the-art Airbus A340-600's. Three have already touched down on South African soil. The new aircraft caters for two classes - premium and economy. Offering the comforts of first class at business class fares, premium class will introduce SAA's first lie-flat seat late in 2003. In addition, passengers can enjoy the comfort of extra seat width, with a whole 50cm extra legroom, and power points for laptops. Both premium and economy class have the luxury of a new in-flight entertainment system, which offers large screens for all seats, and full audio/ video on demand. Everyone also has access to on-board telephones with credit card charge facilities. And as the longest plane in the world, the Airbus A340-600 also offers the opportunity to keep your circulation going with an invigorating stroll down the aisle. SAA's new restaurant-in-the sky concept offers healthier eating and innovative and creative meal choices. Brand-new menus, endorsed by South Africa's top chefs, will allow passengers to choose from a lighter to a full meal, when you want it! Orders will be taken, individually heated and served on request. Lounges offer Massage, April 13 2003 First-class SAA passengers can soothe their senses and ease travel-weary limbs with an exclusive service offered in the first class departure lounges' Renewal Centers at Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airports. You can choose from 5 types of 15-minute treatments, from face to feet. Therapists use grape seed oils & chamomile aromatherapy products, which provide moisturizing, relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties, improve your circulation and provide benefits for hours after your treatment. SAA Voted Best Airline to Africa, 12 times in a Row!, April 13 2003 For more than a decade, South African Airways has swept aside the competition every year in the sought-after Best Airline to Africa award at the Travel Weekly Globe Awards. The airline recently tasted victory for the 12th year in a row; while up against extremely worthy competitors in British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways. This event is regarded as the most prestigious occasion in the travel industry's busy social diary. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, April 13 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Here at Nkwali the sun is shining, the blue sky is dotted with high cloud and all is calm. I have just returned from a weekend in the park and lots of great sightings. We left by boat on Saturday morning and headed up the river. Although the water level is dropping there is still plenty of depth for boating. On the way we saw some of the biggest crocodile I have ever seen, one of them spotted 2 Egyptian Goslings swimming from one side of the river to the other, however, in mid stream the croc was gaining on them and we almost saw a kill. Happily the little fellows made a mad dash for a pod of hippos and in the general mayhem they managed to escape the jaws which where hot on their heels. We slept the night at Kaingo Camp and then headed out early the next day for a walk. This turned into a pretty muddy affairs but none the less a great morning. We soon saw vultures circling overhead and set off in the direction to see what was afoot. However, the vegetation was thick and it was decided prudent to call it a day and leave what we are going to say was a lion kill to peace and quiet. However, we soon spotted a herd of about 50 buffalo with quite a few young calves quietly grazing and sat and watched them so for time. Then it was onward on what turned out to be a bit of a birding experience. I saw several new birds for me including, Woolynecked Storks, Green Pigeon and Knobbilled Ducks, we also saw a flock of Southern Crowned Cranes - what a lovely sound they make as they call to each other. In the afternoon we set off to visit John and Carol Coppinger at Tafika, on the way we passed a sand bar, which was literally awash with Cattle Egrets. At the end of the bar we spotted a pair of African Skimmers, who of course took off before I could get my camera sorted out. After tea at Tafika we set off back to camp and then home this morning. It was a good trip and served to remind me of how much I love being in the Park. I am now full of energy and revitalized for the week ahead in front of my computer, although Simon has kindly cut back a tree infront of the office so I now have a wonderful view of the river without having to get a stiff neck. Back at Nkwali the season is well underway. Guests are arriving thick and fast and it is great to see the camp full and vibrant again. The game viewing has been superb with Wild Dog being seen on about 3 out of 5 game drives although this cannot last it is great for the guests who have had the chance to see them. The cats have also been strongly in evidence. Marcus and guests saw 2 leopards together in broad daylight - they spent about an hour with them, what a treat! Lions too, have put in an appearance. One group of guests actually holding their collective breath as 2 lion walked each side of their vehicle. Another interesting sight for those who like snakes was a python on the road at the back of camp - only a small one about 5ft long. We have also been seeing Hyenas at the back of camp and hearing them at night I sound that I like almost as much as lion calling. Kenya Suggests Police Escort, April 13 2003 Tour companies in Malindi, Kenya have been urged to seek police escorts when taking tourists to Tsavo East National Park, to prevent attacks by gangsters. Malindi District Commissioner, Maalim Mohammed said taking tourists to Tsavo East National Park using the Sala gate road was risky, adding that tour operators must seek a police escort. "As a provincial administrator, I am greatly concerned about the safety of visitors. That's why I am appealing to tour companies taking tourists to Tsavo to get a police escort," said Maalim. Oliver's Camp Update, April 13 2003 Oliver's Camp announces an exciting new development. Beginning in December 2003 Oliver's Camp will operate its Base Camp in two locations during the year. These Base Camps will be known by two names, depending on the time of year. OLIVER'S CAMP TARANGIRE (June 15th -
October31st) For the 'Green season' (15th December to 15th May) the Base Camp will be situated at the Sanjan site in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area in the eastern Serengeti. This dramatic site has been used by Paul Oliver over the past 16 years for mobile camping and walking safaris, and they have enjoyed many unique and special experiences there. The Maasai people of the Sanjan are fascinating. The Sanjan short grass plains are flooded by the wildebeest and zebra herds after the rain in November and these herds ebb and flow throughout the area with their characteristic unpredictability until they move away from the plains in mid to late May. The landscape of the Sanjan is dreamlike. With the backdrop of the Gol Mountains looming to the west, the extensive open Salei short grass plains all around and the imposing figure of Ol Donyo Lengai dominating the eastern skyline. The views and feeling of wilderness are unique. The walks along tree lined sand rivers and into the dramatic rocky contortions of the Gol Mountains are unforgettable, while encounters with the local Maasai are relaxed and unforced. It is the perfect get-away. By locating the camp in the Eastern Serengeti ecosystem during the 'green season' guests will be able to benefit from the seasonal abundance of wildlife and beautiful landscapes that make Serengeti famous. In addition to this guests are able to walk freely throughout the Maasai rangelands, to drive across the plains in search of cheetah and their prey, to explore the deep ravines of the Gol Mountains and to descend into the stunning Rift Valley around Lake Natron and in the shadow of Ol Donyo Lengai, where the terrain is other worldly. Accompanied by knowledgeable, passionate and professional guides guests always have unique and extraordinary experiences. For the dry season (15th June to 31st October) the Base Camp will continue to operate from its unique site in the semi-wilderness area of Tarangire National Park where they are fortunate to enjoy exclusive walking rights, and where they have already operated some spectacular walking safaris both from Base Camp and from their light fly camp. Botswana Update, April 20 2003 The latest news from Botswana is that the seasons are changing. There is now an evening chill and the skies are clear blue. These are the first signs that the dry winter months are fast approaching and the rains have all but ended. This past rainy season was very weak and animals are already returning to the main water holes. Autumn colors can be seen on trees everywhere... Botswana During the Green Season, April 20 2003 Many people inquire about the difference between the dry season in southern Africa (April through October/November) and the green season (December through March). Some areas of southern Africa can provide great wildlife viewing throughout the year and others cannot. Here we explain why Botswana is so special during the green season months. Botswana is an arid country compared with other country's in the region. Botswana has 450 mm of rain (78 year average) versus the Kruger Park area with around 650 mm. During December antelope feed on protein rich grass while their lambs and calves grow at astounding speed. The impala complete their lambing, the wildebeest start and complete in a few weeks. The rains become more regular with thunder storms every few days. The pans remain full and the brilliant green grasses are abundant. While the grazers enjoy the green tender mouthfuls the predators are ever watching and stalking but their winter camouflage lets them down and they have to work harder - however, the bushes become more dense allowing more hiding places for them to observe their prey. All the migrant birds have arrived. Temperatures have cooled on average but hot days still occur and nights are still warm. Dramatic skies and lightning at night in the distances all add to the magic of December. January is the peak breeding time for many of the colorful migrant birds species. Excellent wild flowers, brilliant green foliage, constant sounds day and night - from insects and birds - the bush is very alive. January is in the middle of the rainy season with spectacular afternoon thunder storms and warm days (average 30°C plus) and nights (20°C plus). Game viewing is average with active predators still chasing the fast developing young of their prey species. An ideal photography month for all the colors and dramatic skies. The contrasts of the predators natural winter camouflage, with the summer colors makes for dramatic photos. More easily spotted by their prey species the predators have to work hard while the prey have a time of plenty. During February ripe figs are eaten by many species including the fruit bats who make interesting night sounds while feeding. Water lilies flowers peak - colorful and noisy reed frogs - the Okavango Delta is brilliant, noisy and alive. With the rains all the plants are growing actively, butterflies, birds, frogs and all the small creatures are at their most active and at their best. The rains continue in afternoon thunder storms with dramatic skies and sounds. Temperatures range up to 40°C but average above 30°C with warm nights (20°C plus). You can experience both wet and very dry spells within the month. The giant bullfrog emerges from months and sometimes years of hibernation to indulge in nocturnal feeding frenzies. The resident game species do not have far to go for water and the young are almost as tall as the adults.. During March the Marula trees fruit attracting bull elephants who wander from tree to tree in search of their favorite meal. The start of the rutting season leads to the sleek and fat impala males snorting and cavorting to attract females. Temperatures are still warm both day and night but the air is drier and the rains less frequent. At this time of year the mighty Zambezi is in full spate and the Victoria Falls are as powerful as they can be - very dramatic even though you cannot see the bottom of the Falls. Visit during March and you will know these are truly one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, April 20 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Simon and I drove out into the park this week as there was a rumor that wild dog were about - and low and behold after about 30 minutes we found them. In fact we saw 4 criss-crossing the road. They were hunting and the rest of the pack were in the long grass at the side of the road and so we were unable to see them - but what beautiful animals. These dogs were darker in color than the average. Jacob and his guests also found the dogs a bit later and came across what must be one of the rarer photo opportunities of the season so far. They actually saw wild dog, leopard and lion - all in the same photo frame. It appears that the dogs had stolen the leopards kill and a young male lion had just strolled up to see what was going on - extraordinary. On the birding side of things we have seen plenty of activity centered around the river with lovely views of white faced whistling ducks and African skimmers. Now that the river is dropping, lagoons are forming, providing a haven for waders such as crakes and gallinules. We have also seen some fluffy crowned crane babies and we have a giant kingfisher nesting just along the bank from the camp. Jo and Robin took guests off to Tundwe Lagoon - some 2 hours south of Nkwali - for a picnic and a spot of fishing. The fishing rights belong to the Chief so they had to drop in at "His Royal Highness", The Honorable Chief Kakumbi to get a letter (after paying a fee of kwacha 50,000 - US $10) saying we could fish there. Next stop was at the Chipembere Educational Center - where the 5 "pet" warthogs and the orphaned baby vervet monkey jumping from person to person enthralled the kids. We were warned about the road deteriorating for the next 5 miles before the lagoon. And it did and we inched along in 4 wheel drive and 1st or 2nd gear. We arrived at last (20 km - 2 hours driving), found a spot and set up the picnic. Shanie and the chefs, as always, had excelled. The lagoon is massive and lined by ebony, acacia and palm trees. Quite lovely. The kids fished and Marcus ran from line to line helping them. He certainly won the "patience" award. Kate and I sat chatting as only women can do and Robin and Brian watched on. Lazy hazy day. And only a small catfish caught. Brian said he would give it a go and much to the annoyance of the others, with his first cast - he caught a HUGE catfish. "Dad - typical". Then within another 5 minutes he had caught another! All afternoon we were watching two huge bull elephants slowly meandering down the opposite side of the lagoon, feeding and tussling. They decided to cross the lagoon and this was going to cut us off. A mad rush ensued to get packed up and out! And so back home we bumped - some were a little sunburnt, but a lovely African picnic was had." Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, April 27 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: It was another glorious week in the valley! Blue skies and hot days, however, the evenings have been chilly and Shanie and I have had to dig out our jumpers. Guests find this quite odd as they sit around the bar in shirt sleeves whilst we are hugging our fleeces. I think that our blood must have thinned! However, the clear night skies have given us some spectacular views of the stars and the Milky Way is just amazing - especially when viewed through binos as one guest suggested - more stars than sky! With the full moon last week we had a lovely meal by the river. There was so much light that we hardly needed the hurricane lamps. The bush really seems magical under a full moon… Here are the game viewing highlights for the week. Marcus spotted a Frecked Nightjar - an uncommon bird to see in the park and then on the way back to camp a serval was seen. The serval is a resident but is rarely seen, however, 2 different drives had sightings this last week with Paul being the first to show the lovely little cat to his guests. On the second occasion we were lucky enough to sit and watch the animal for about 10 minutes as he ambled along, totally unfazed by the spot light and camera flashes. Elephants have been around in numbers and Jo and her friends, who had come to stay with us for a week, had a heart stopping moment. They were parked by a lagoon watching a very young ele wallowing in the water. Suddenly a crocodile lunged at it's face and the startled baby screamed. The rest of the herd instantly surrounded the baby, trumpeting and screaming loudly. One young bull rushed up the bank to keep an eye on Jo and her friends - they backed off. No further sign of the croc! And within 3 minutes the scene was peaceful again. Amazing how these moments are so sudden. Simon and Shanie went off to visit friends last night. Whilst driving back a huge (Shanies description) male lion walked right past the vehicle almost ticking Shanie with its tail. Shanie is normally chained to the kitchen so not used to such close encounters! However, she says that the adrenaline rush was well worth it - the lion was beautiful with a lovely thick dark mane. They also followed a porcupine along the road displaying his impressive quills as he wiggled his way into the bush. Shanie has been doing a sterling job of organizing children's events this week. Being Easter weekend we have had a camp full of families. The children have been doing all sorts of fun activities. They visited Kawaza village where they proceeded to teach the local children how to do cats cradle and double double (a modern form of pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake) which went down very well. They then went to visit the Chipembele Wildlife Center where they were introduced to the resident warthogs and rescued vervet monkey before visiting the education center to learn about spores and seedpods amongst other things. The children's safari culminated in a special Easter Egg Hunt organized by Ed and Shanie. The children were given safari related questions which led them to the next clue and great fun was had zooming around the camp looking for the eggs. Chikwenya Camp March Report, April 27 2003 Chikwenya Camp is located adjacent to Zimbabwe's renowned Mana Pools National Park - one of our favorite camps in all of Africa. In spite of all the negative press surrounding Zimbabwe they are delivering superb safari experiences and at the same time their continued presence is keeping the poachers out and providing a safe haven for the wildlife. Here is the camp's March update: Arriving back from an extended leave period Anne and I were astounded at how the Zambezi valley had become so green and lush. A lot of rain in the past few months (including the very recent effects of cyclone Japhet over Mozambique) had turned the bush thick and seemingly unpenetratable. After a few dry years, it was great to get a cleansing! Unusually, the rain had not affected game viewing and large groupings of up to one hundred elephant have been seen feeding on the lush grass. One of these groupings was made up of Agatha's herd, which now has a new addition, a little calf of a couple months old. Unfortunately the original matriarch, Agatha, we think, is no longer with us. She was one of the most relaxed and kind tusk-less elephant cows I have ever come across. Agatha's herd has been coming right through the camp for at least thirteen years that I know about. The rest of the herd has her composure and during the dry season they will hopefully be regular guests in the camp again. The solitary lioness with the slit nose that had been seen fairly frequently last year has teamed up with another younger lioness and they have been seen quite often around the camp, a couple of times this has been during dinner on the pool deck with a spotlight. Her teaming up with the younger lioness has been good news as she was struggling with hunting by herself and she certainly looks in a lot better condition. What is also very exciting is that it looks like she may actually be lactating; hopefully we will find her cubs soon. We think she may have the cubs in hiding fairly close to the camp. Towards the end of last year we saw her being escorted by a couple of large and very handsome black-mane lions who have extended their territory by what appears to be approximately ten kilometers to encompass Chikwenya as well, so we assume one of them to be the father. Our baby genet, Nakai, has grown an incredible amount and is no longer the pathetic drowned rat that we found in November. She now spends most of the night and day on her own and does most of her own hunting. She is still very attached to the camp - especially those that are willing to have their arms used as pincushions during playing. Nakai has become very inquisitive of the larger animals coming through the camp. One evening at dinner one of the cow's in Agatha's herd, with her very young calf, walked between the swimming pool and the dinner table. Nakai bounced across to investigate, stopping centimeters from the cow's trunk. This unsettled the large lady, who trumpeted, spun around and moved off rapidly. Nakai was very excited at the reaction she received and came bounding back to us. She was obviously so impressed with herself she tried the same stunt with a hippo a couple of weeks later, with a very similar result! The Sapi River in front of the camp has flowed this month, quite a sight for those of us used to the large expanse of sand. This cuts off our land access but does not affect anyone flying in. We have had a total of 162mm of rain this month. The Chikwenya team for this season will be Anne Hadingham and San Lues as the managers, Sacha Toronyi as professional guide, Tamlyn Kluckow as hostess, Solomon Tevera and Kevin van Breda as canoe guides. Kwando Renovates Lagoon Camp, April 27 2003 Kwando Safaris of Botswana has completed the renovation of their Lagoon Camp public areas (Lagoon Camp is located in the enormous Kwando Concession in northern Botswana). The relaxed personal atmosphere of this 12 bedded camp is enhanced by the special sand floor and minor design upgrades. The experience remains Vintage Africa. Guests are enjoying quality wild dog sightings. The new alpha female is heavily pregnant and it seems sure that for the 7th year in a row Lagoon will enjoy the best wild dog viewing in Africa. Ndutu Safari Lodge Update, April 27 2003 Ndutu Safari Lodge is located on the border of Tanzania's famed Serengeti National Park. Here is the lodge's latest update: What a dramatic season it's been with such a wet December contrasting sharply from the very dry April we are having at the moment. The last week of February saw record numbers of wildebeest and zebra in the Masek woodlands. Tens of thousands of animals came down to drink at the lake Masek. It made some super photographic opportunities as the herds moved away from the Lake in the evening and, by good positioning, it was possible to get some wonderful backlit pictures of wildebeest and zebra with plumes of dust and a golden sunset. I spent a very amusing half hour watching a zebra foal chasing guinea fowl around the woodland. Well, actually chasing one particular guinea fowl around and around a small bush. It was a great sight as he tried to nip a feather from the unfortunate bird, although he never really stood much of a chance as this comical spotted bird could always have taken to the air if it thought if was really in any danger. There seems to be a baby boom with our small population of hippos in Lake Masek. The three tiny babies born this season make their numbers up to ten and the group can be seen at the eastern end of the lake. Exciting news on the lion front this month. There has been a take over by three new handsome blond mane lions of the Masek pride. We should have guessed something was amiss when there was so many mating lions to be seen at Masek just after Christmas. Also the lack of any cubs this year points to a take over, as new incoming lions will kill any other unrelated male's cubs. The lionesses will soon come into estrus again and after a gestation period of around 3 months they will give birth to the new males cubs. It will take about two years for the cubs to reach adult hood. In the meantime the males will have to guard and maintain their territory and keep other males out while constantly patrolling and marking their boundaries, it's a very hard life and most male lions die young. Three months have now past, so we should be seeing lots of young lion cubs gamboling around sometime soon and that's when the hard work really begins. It's easy to find food now, when there's so much game around. By the end of the dry season they have to eke out a living trying to catch fleet footed impala or the dangerous Cape buffalo, even porcupines and hares feature in their diet. It's not surprising, that few make it to adulthood. Other interesting sightings this past month have included striped hyenas catching a wildebeest calf, good views of side striped jackals, large groups of eland in the woodlands, and three species of whydahs in the lodge bird bath, all in breeding plumage, including straw tailed, pin tailed and the striking steel blue. Great leopard sightings included a mother with two small cubs that have been seen a number of times. Large numbers of giraffe were seen in and around the lodge with groups of over forty moving through the acacia woodlands. After a very successful season we will be carrying on with our refurbishments. Four more of the older style rooms will be changed for the new stone cottages. Ndutu has been voted the best place in Africa to see cheetah by Brian Jackman in a recent article in the Telegraph. The BBC's Owen Newman and Amanda Barrett have returned to Ndutu to make another wildlife film after the success of their last film "Cats under Serengeti Stars" and have again chosen Ndutu Safari Lodge as their base this year. April is also a time when we start our maintenance program. The wind carries the thatch away, the sun dulls the paintwork, the soda water fades the fabrics, the termites eat all the external woodwork and elephants stand on the plumbing pipes, so there's always much to do. Our carpenters are busy making new beds; the masons are tiling the staff bathrooms and Safari, our in house tailor will soon start making new staff uniforms. Everyone helps out with all this work so his first job will be to make new sets of overalls and patch up old ones. Mirando, who is our headroom steward, and another staff member also called Safari, who is one of our cooks, does the roof thatching. The outside roofs are thatched with palm fronds and for the internal thatch in the bar and dining room, we use banana leaves. People often ask if we ever get bored living in the middle of nowhere, but there's no chance. There's always something to do - I heard a honey badger broke into the staff quarters last night, so there's another bit of carpentry to be done. I've been getting regular updates about the whereabouts of the wildebeest migration from guests. The huge numbers of animals at Two Trees and the makao plains have amazed people this week. I went out to have a look for myself yesterday and I was completely stunned by what I saw. It was as thick with wildebeest as I've ever seen it in the past five years. They stretched out like ants on the plain in every direction as far as the eye could see. There must have been well over half a million animals there that day. So many animals can never stay still for long and constantly move and sometimes they can be spread out over huge distances. But sometimes, like yesterday, they gather to make one of those sights you will never forget, no matter how many times you've been to Africa, Serengeti, or even how many times you've seen wildebeest. Paul, Ndutu Safari Lodge. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
