ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive December 2002 Ultimate Africa's Response to the Kenyan Attacks, December 8 2002 Ultimate Africa Safaris has advised clients about serious safety concerns in Kenya for many years and noted after September 11, 2001 that Kenya and Tanzania could see further terrorist activities. The recent bombings in Kenya highlight our concerns and once again reinforce why we rate Kenya the lowest in terms of safari experience in Africa. The State Department has now issued a warning regarding travel to Kenya, and rightly so…Keep in mind however that this warning applies to east Africa and not the entire continent. As an example, Botswana, which we rate the highest in terms of safari experience, offers Africa's greatest concentrations of wildlife, pure wilderness areas, is politically and economically stable, and is virtually crime free…it is foolish to believe that an attack in Kenya is an attack on the entire continent just as it would be foolish to think that recent bombings in Spain would affect travel to Sweden…Africa is enormous (you can fit four of the United States within the African continent) and each country is unique. US State Department Warns Travelers about Security in Kenya, December 8 2002 On November 29, 2002 the State Department made the following public announcement: This announcement is being issued to provide information regarding terrorist activities in Kenya. It also reiterates the Department of State's continuing concern about the possible heightened risks to American citizens and interests in Kenya. This Public Announcement expires March 3, 2003. On November 28, there was a car bomb attack on a hotel near Mombasa, Kenya, in which 16 people died, and an unsuccessful attempt to shoot down an Israeli charter plane departing Mombasa on the same day.These incidents have highlighted the continuing threat posed by terrorism in East Africa and the capacity of terrorist groups to carry out attacks.U.S. citizens should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in public places, including tourist sites and other sites where Westerners are known to congregate. American citizens in Kenya should remain vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners, such as hotels and shopping malls, and should also avoid demonstrations and large crowds. In particular there is an increased threat against Westerners in the capital, Nairobi. Americans planning to travel to Kenya are encouraged to contact the consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi (tel. 254-2-537-800) before departure. Uganda Experiences Tourism Boom, December 8 2002 Uganda's tourist sector is bracing for significant improvement, and if the current trend is maintained, the country is set to receive over half a million tourists per year by 2006. The Ugandan Minister of State for Tourism Jovino Akaki said this while addressing a news conference at the Ministry headquarters on November 26, 2002. The Minister said that tourism in Uganda is slowly but surely improving, despite the problems imposed by the Kony Northern insurgency. He said last year the country realized an increase in the number of tourists from 192,755 in 2000 to 210,000, and that by the end of this year the country will have received about 300,000 tourists. Establishment of Park Will Boost Tourism, December 8 2002 The establishment of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park by three southern African countries will boost tourism in the region. Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Gaza National Park in Mozambique and Kruger National Park in South Africa will be linked to create a giant conservation area with wild animals roaming from one country to the other. The park which is expected to be officially launched by Presidents Mugabe, Chissano and Mbeki later this month will enhance the attractiveness of the southern Africa region as a tourist destination. The benefits of having one big park far outweigh those of individual parks in the three neighboring countries, hence the establishment of the conservation area believed to be one of the largest in the world. Tourism ministers from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa met in Harare last week to finalize preparations for the project's launch. For Zimbabwe the park comes at a time when the country's tourism industry is poised for recovery following concerted efforts to revitalize the sector hit by a persistent flow of negative publicity. Kenya's Airport Systems Faulty, December 8 2002 One of east Africa's leading newspapers has reported that the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is no longer accurate following neglect. The Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA), some pilots explained, had not calibrated (checked the accuracy of) the ILS at JKIA for two years. Normally, calibration and any necessary adjustments to the system should be done every six months. However, the DCA director, Mr Chris Kuto, denied the allegations, saying the systems can serve for up to 50 years without problems. But he confirmed that some facilities in other airports had not been corrected. "We are looking afresh at the coordinates of every facility in Kenya...some facilities in other airports have not been done. The magnetic degradation goes on naturally for between 50 and 100 years for change to happen. Some facilities in other airports have not been done because the plane that is meant to do this collapsed," he conceded. "We are addressing it as a matter of urgency." The system is intended to guide pilots to land their aircraft safely, particularly in poor visibility. The ILS transmits signals to the in-coming aircraft, which assist the pilot to correctly align his aircraft with the runway's center-line, while the aircraft is still airborne. The ILS at JKIA's runway 06 has veered off-course by half a degree, according to pilots who frequently land at JKIA. The pilots say the system wavers markedly during heavy rains, just when it is needed most. But Mr. Kuto explained that specially equipped laboratory aircraft assigned to perform calibration tasks had been grounded for sometime and that some parts had not been found. Instead, he said, DCA was temporarily out-sourcing the service from South Africa. Paperwork for the service, he added, had been completed. "What we have done is out-source calibration from other countries. That is being done to satisfy the international aviation standards," the DCA boss said. Mr. Kuto argued that if the problem was as serious as alleged, he would be the first to know. The director said he had not received complaints from any airline, and that the JKIA systems were replaced last year. But some pilots argue that there are potential risks posed by "erroneous" ILS signals. "While pilots can and do ignore erroneous signals in clear weather, foggy conditions make the erroneous signals hazardous to landing aircraft and the passengers," they said. Others not calibrated are those at Mombasa's Moi International and Eldoret airports. Wildebeest Migration Update, December 8 2002 For all those interested in east Africa's wildebeest migration here is a quick update - The migration is moving from the north to central Serengeti. If the rains continue the migration should move south through the Serengeti this month. If the rains do not continue the wildebeest will most likely move to the central areas. South African Airways Buys Stake in Air Tanzania, December 8 2002 South African Airways (SAA) and Air Tanzania have signed a deal whereby the SAA will acquire a 49% stake in Air Tanzania . The signing ceremony was attended by officials from the Tanzanian and South African governments. Both governments hold the majority stake in their respective airlines. Of the US $20 million SAA paid, US $10 million would cover the cost of acquiring the 49%t stake while a further US $10 million would be used to recapitalize the new company. SAA CEO Andre Viljoen told those attending the ceremony in Tanzania that the partnership offered potential for the growth of both parties. "I would like to welcome Air Tanzania to the SAA family. This partnership does not only offer opportunities for growth, but also for establishing a strong and reliable presence in East Africa. We are extending our wings to cover the African sky and other regions of the world in line with continuing our expansion policy and strategy of networking Africa. This initiative is closely aligned to the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad)," he said. Viljoen said SAA would send an interim management team to help establish the new company. "For an initial period, SAA will manage the new airline while suitable candidates to manage the new company are being sought." British Nationals Need Zimbabwe Entry Visa, December 8 2002 British Nationals now require a Zimbabwe entry visa. An entry visa can be obtained at any port of entry for US $55 single entry and US $70 double entry per person. Wilderness Safaris 2003 Update, December 8 2002 Wilderness Safaris of Southern Africa notes the following updates for 2003: The Gudigwa Village overnights are on track and the first guests will arrive on April 1, 2003. Guests will have the chance to spend a comfortable night with the Gudigwa San community and learn all about their culture and way of life. It promises to be a very special experience. Guests will be able to track with the San, learn all about the foods found in the wilds and much more. All funds go to the Gudigwa community. The two night Xigera Mokoro Trail will start in May 2003 and run through to early November each year. The Trail will depart every third day with a minimum of two people and a maximum of eight. Guests on the Xigera Mokoro Trail camp out on islands and walk / track with the BaYei people and an experienced guide. The trail offers a chance to travel around the Okavango in peace and camp on remote islands in a very remote areas. The Chitabe Walking Trail is also starting in 2003, guided by experienced and armed walking guides. This is a genuine 2 night walking trail where guests overnight in hides in the Chitabe area and walk from hide to hide in the different parts of the Chitabe concession. Kings Pool is being upgraded to the Mombo and Jao standard as from April 2003. New rooms will be built and the old ones knocked down. Building will start in January. Mombo Camp now has 15 rhino!!! In Namibia the building of the new 6 roomed Serra Cafema Camp on the Kunene River in the extreme northwest of Namibia is about to start. It's impossible to describe the feeling of being there…It's wild, it's remote and it is a real fun experience. The new Palmwag Rhino Camp is opening in April 2003. This is going to be a luxury tented camp in the private 450,000 hectare Palmwag reserve in Damaraland which is home to many of Namibia's black rhino. Ongava Lodge will have 3 new suites built along the top of the ridge ready for April next year. These will each have private pools and will be of Mombo, Jao (and Kings Pool) standards. Wilderness will introduce a new Saturday round trip flight from Maun to Windhoek starting in July through October 2003. North Island is one huge construction site right now as Wilderness gear up for their March soft opening date. This development is going to be truly spectacular. Zimbabwe's northern parks are still superb and the wildlife viewing is truly the best there is in southern Africa right now. The Makalolo area in Hwange, Matusadona and Mana Pools National Parks are offering the finest value for money - and the best game viewing. Business is picking up again as the elections earlier this year have passed. Duba Plains October Report, December 8 2002 October certainly lived up to its reputation of being the hottest month of the year, with temperatures reaching regular highs of 41°C, but averaging out at 36°C. Surprisingly we experienced a few chilly mornings down to 13°C, averaging 20°C. The later part of October saw several overcast and windy days, resulting in very little from a precipitation point of view, but offering some truly wonderful sunsets. Water levels are definitely a lot lower than at the same time last year. Certain water crossings in December 2001 were still up to the level of the bonnet/hood of the Landrover, but at present are totally dry. As expected, the wildlife is concentrating on the wetter regions, with the buffalo especially grazing along the few remaining channels. Competition for the remaining pools of water has intensified, resulting in several male hippos fighting to the death. Two hippo carcasses were found with wounds indicating they had been killed during a territorial clash. The Tsaro pride and a pack of hyenas gratefully received the carcasses on one occasion and by the Pantry pride on another. The drier conditions have allowed for regular visits to the eastern part of the concession, resulting in sightings of sable, zebra and giraffe, not to forget one fantastic sighting of five adult wild dogs with their six young pups. The last few years have not been too successful for the dogs, however this year they have succeeded in raising all their pups to the point were they are able to follow the adults on the hunt. This bodes well for the pack, as the pups are through the most dangerous period of their lives. We will be following their development with great interest. Two sightings of a fairly shy cheetah were had, but the best cheetah viewing involved a coalition of two males chasing a herd of tsessebe across a wide-open floodplain. Both the cheetah and tsessebe were at full speed until they reached a wide stretch of shallow water, into which the tsessebe escaped. The cheetahs were not at all keen to enter the water. As conditions continue to get drier, we expect to get more regular sightings of the above-mentioned animals, closer to the camp. The hyena den is no longer as active as it has been, mainly due to the successful raising of all the pups. The pack seems to have dispersed somewhat, but were seen cooperating against the Tsaro pride at the hippo carcass. No doubt there will be several new additions to the pack in the near future. We look forward to sharing many more wonderful hours at their den. The lion viewing as a whole was a little down from previous months, averaging 15 lions per day with 70 different pride sights. The lions were seen on all bar one day of the month, with 62 different individuals encountered. This is the most different lions we have recorded in a single month. The reason for the sudden drop in our daily average comes as no surprise. With the arrival of the new males in the Skimmer prides territory and the Skimmer Males moving across to the Tsaro pride, it can only be expect that the prides will be disjointed and moving to infrequently visited areas. The Tsaro pride was still the mainstay of our lion viewing, however, were only seen as a complete pride on one occasion. Mid way through the month, the Skimmer Males returned after several weeks' absence. This can be attributed to the two new males finally forcing them from their natal pride. All seems well for the Skimmer Males however, as they have not had to search too far and wide to find their own pride. With the Duba Boys coming to the end of their reign, the Skimmer Males have comfortably slipped into the Tsaro Pride. The nine females of the pride have put up no resistance at all. In fact, almost all the females have now mated with their new, young males. The time of plenty for the five Tsaro males is now coming to an end. They are still attempting to remain with some of the Tsaro females, but are simply not able to challenge the two Skimmer Males. A typical sighting of the Tsaro pride now involves 4- 5 females with the Skimmer Males. The remaining females team up with their brothers/sons and move further to the east. The highlight of the month had to be the Tsaro pride hunting the buffalo in front of the camp, and successfully killing a calf in the water. Their success was short lived as the Duba Boys soon arrived to claim the kill. The Tsaro pride put up no resistance and simply moved on towards the buffalo herd. They continued to push the herd for a few hours, until they finally managed to kill another buffalo at the next water crossing point. This time they managed to feed in relative peace and quiet The Duba Boys were seen on seven days of the month, with all sightings being to the east of their usual haunts. It has to be said the Duba Boys still appear to be in fine physical condition, but simple do not have the confidence to maintain such a large territory any more. Luckily for the Pantry pride, the Duba Boys are remaining within their territory and providing adequate protection to their eight cubs. The cubs are now reaching a year of age and should be safe from any new male, should there be a change in dominance. The Pantry pride continue to hunt a large herd of buffalo and are in perfect condition. They even seem to pushing their territory limits further to the East, no doubt to include a large prey base to support them through the tougher rainy season. The Skimmer Pride, excluding the two males, was only seen on two occasions this month. On both occasions, there were two of the three adult females missing. We suspect the pride has moved to the north of Paradise in order to resist the arrival of the two new males. No doubt the two missing lionesses are mating with the new males, while the rest of the pride moves around without them. The blonde male of the new coalition has been seen regularly. He seems to have mastered the art of catching adult buffalo all on his own. It appears his darker maned brother is having the "lions" share of the mating, resulting in the blonde male moving about on his own. One morning saw him unsuccessfully chasing the buffalo herd for several hours, only for the Tsaro pride to arrive and show him how buffalo hunting should be carried out, killing an adult bull at the waters edge. It appeared to be their first meeting, with the blonde male roaring across the water. The Tsaro pride seemed unperturbed by the intruder and proceeded to devour the hard earned prize. The Old Vumbura Pride paid us one solitary visit this month, with one of the two-year-old females missing. Hopefully she was simply resting in one of the near by palm islands. They were all in fine physical form, so must be experiencing successful hunting in the northern reaches of their territory. All in all, another fantastic months lion viewing. The big question now is: how many of the Tsaro and Skimmer lionesses will conceive after all the mating that has been going on? It would be surprising if they did conceive first time round, but who knows, maybe Duba will receive several Christmas presents in the months to come. Mombo Camp November Report, December 15 2002 Mombo Camp is located in Botswana's famed Moremi Reserve. Here is the camp's November report: At Mombo the impala lambs, with big black innocent eyes and long skinny uncontrollable legs, have started to appear. What a marvelous way to end November! As I write this report the sky is overcast and the temperature cool for the first time this month. The expectant cooling showers have not materialized so far in November and it has proved to be hotter than October. But it looks like the rains might finally be on their way. Perhaps the impala could not wait any longer, or perhaps they knew something that we didn't. Guests have not been disappointed in the much talked-about Mombo wildlife. What with regular sightings of the Woody Boys (male lions) mating with the lionesses of the Piaja Pride, the ever present Mathata and Moporota Prides all displaying their cubs and being well looked after by the dominant Wheatfield foursome (male lions), the first sightings in months of the Old trails pride with 1 new cub, the Steroid Boys (male cheetah) firmly back in town, several resident leopards and last but not least the 10 newly released rhino adding strength to the 5 that were released last year. Welcome to Mombo. One of the highlights of the month was definitely the release of the 10 new rhino. All went well with the release and they are happily eating away at the lush Delta grass. Though 2 of the rhino have been making return journeys to the bomas that they were kept in for 2 weeks, presumably to look for that tasty lucerne that they were fed. Nick (Rhino Monitoring) on the other hand thinks that they are simply missing his British wit and charming company. And as we wait for the festive month of December, we leave you with best wishes and another great Mombo game drive tale from the wild side. Nick, Cheryl and I set out a casual bumble; armed with a cooler box full of fruit juice and 1 beer (to celebrate an evening off) - we were on a health kick. Our objective for the day was to find the leopard that was seen in the morning, and generally have a relaxing time. If we saw any game it would be a bonus. We drove straight to the area where the leopard was last seen. Her kill was still up in the tree. It didn't take us long to find her sheltering under a bush trying to escape the 36°c temperature. She was beautiful and relaxed and we sat with her for 45 minutes enjoying the silence and the heat. This was a good beginning. Next on the agenda was the mission to locate one of the famous Mombo rhino's. With the number of rhino now increased to 15 animals we were quietly confident that we were up to this task. As we headed toward the open areas I noticed an out of place shape on a termite mound in the middle of a flood plane. We turned off and as we approached we were greeted by the enormous yellow eyes of 2 male lion trying to find shade under a tiny acacia shrub. They were so sleepy that we drove to within 20 meters of them and provoked no more than one partially opened eye. We stayed with these magnificent animals for a few minutes and then left them to pant the afternoon away. We turned down a new road that none of us had been on before, relishing the idea of driving down an unknown path. As the road burst out of an acacia woodland and into an enormous open area Cheryl and I both shouted "Rhino" at the same time. Lying in a large mud wallow were 2 rhino, a male and a female both busy covering themselves with natural "sunscreen" and having a great time. We sat there watching 14% of the Deltas rhino population and feeling very proud of ourselves. As we had a cool drink to celebrate our awesome afternoon we heard the wind exploding through the trees. There was a storm approaching, and a dark brown cloud started to block out the sun as the world closed in around us. The rhino made a mad dash for the woodland as we were accelerating out of the open. Within 20 minutes the main sandstorm hit us and we had no more than 5 meters of visibility. We couldn't see the road so we stopped and sat out the storm laughing hysterically at the experience as well as the change of color of our faces. Pretty soon we were totally covered in a black dust. It was getting dark now so we headed for home along the edge of the floodplain. I noticed a rather large furry face out on the flood plane and we realized that we had picked up another 3 male lions. As we approached them Cheryl noticed what seemed to be a cub lying about 100 meters from the lions, as we drove up it suddenly grew spots and we realized that it was a female cheetah lying as flat as possible and trying not to be seen by the lions. We watched her looking at the distant woodland and summing up the distance to see if she would make the trees before the lions would close the gap. As the lions turned away from her she got up and exploded into a sprint, flexing her lithe body and making the 100 meters to the woodland in a few seconds. We watched her disappear into the darkening woodland. With her safety ensured for another day our spirits soared with the incredible events of the day. We headed for home. Jao Camp November Report, December 15 2002 Jao Camp is located in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Here is the camp's November report: November at Jao saw the first real seasonal rains arrive - early in the month with 2 heavy showers then an absence of rain for 3 weeks followed by light showers. The influence of rainwater can be seen by the movement of wildlife in the area. The red lechwe have started moving north in a reversal of their movement following the arrival of floodwaters in April. The majority of predators are following suit. Even with this distribution, the game has shown us some spectacular sightings, which have enthralled guests. The resident Jao lion pride with their 3 cubs have been a stable part of the sightings and the cubs are doing very well and are following their mother as she tries to provide for them. There have been 37 lion sightings throughout the month. Towards the end of the month a new pride has been seen between Jao and Jacana, consisting of 2 sub-adult females with one sub-adult male. It will be very interesting to observe the dynamics of how these two prides interact with each other in the future. Elephants have been seen to be moving west towards Hunda after the rains. Alpha bull elephants are coming less frequent on Jao Island, only a few young elephants are now seen in and around Jao Camp, as they are too young to follow the breeding herds. The elephant highlight of was the presence a breeding herd seen between Jao and Jacana with two calves born mid November. The mothers were understandably very protective and we were equally careful not to encroach too close. Hippo sightings have been excellent as the waters recede. The area round the Hippo Pool has been specially rewarding where 16 hippos are regularly seen - with fantastic social interaction between bulls a prospective mates. The group of 5 old buffalo known as the Dagga Boys are seen regularly around Jao Camp and recently they made their first crossing towards Jacana. This group was initially very nervous but are relaxing more and more so can be viewed now for longer periods of time. Leopard sightings have been excellent with the Jao female who is incredibly relaxed showing a lot of the guests what it means to be a leopard - the epitome of feline grace. The best sighting this month was her walking on the bridge, marking her territory then jumping onto a termite mound and there posing for us. The highlight and good news is the birth of her two cubs, now about two weeks old with bright blue eyes. The den site is close to Jao, the cubs hidden in a termite mound. With the advent of summer rains, the arrival of the migrant birds has brought a wide variety of bird calls to the area: Woodland kingfisher have started their displays with a nest in the Sycamore Fig by the main lodge. Wahlbergs eagle have been seen along with Diederick's, Jacobin and other cuckoos. Broadbill rollers have begun their aerial displays in and around the camp, as have lilac breasted rollers which are always a great attraction. Linyanti Tented Camp November Report, December 15 2002 Linyanti Tented Camp is located in wildlife rich northern Botswana. Here is the camp's November report: When Ross and Kath arrived in Botswana 6 years ago, it was with the intention of going to the Okavango. Little did they know then that only 6 years later would they finally be making their way there. This last month for them at Linyanti Tented Camp was a very special. After 3 years "the elephant killers of Moroca lagoon" (the resident lion pride) have had their first cubs! The mother of three blue eyed babies showed them when they were only 3 days old. Two weeks later the dominant female brought 4 x 3week old cubs out to join her. We have watched these cubs growing and surviving. The sightings of wild dogs and leopard have also been incredible, with almost all guests this month seeing all 3 predators in their 3 night stay with us. As you know, the real rain has not come yet, so the elephants have not left the coolness of the Linyanti and we treasured our last few days with them. The eclipse was a mighty fine mind-blowing life-altering 40 seconds, with not a cloud in the sky, and diamond rings, planets and stars shinning brightly with sunrise colors over the Linyanti floodplains and a herd of 1,000 buffalo moving through blue tinged semi darkness with an eerie stillness surrounding us. Being at Linyanti and being close to the center line, we were not included in the helicopter shuttles of the other camps and went off north with 6 guests and all the staff, and found an awesome place. The memory of this magical place will be with us forever. The statement that "there is nothing quite like Linyanti Tented Camp" is definitely true. Don't change it! Cheers Kath and Ross Duma Tau November Report, December 15 2002 Duma Tau Tented Camp is located in wildlife rich northern Botswana. Here is the camp's November report: The Green Season is upon us. The staff have been surprised because they were expecting the usual quiet of November, but no such luck - Duma Tau is rocking as usual. The croton and mopane trees are showing off their colors, while the Savuti Channel is struggling to produce new grass. It is still incredibly dusty, although dust storms and impala bracing and silhouetted against the wind create a surreal picture of the harsh side of the terrain up here in the Linyanti. In the last few days of November there were a few days of rain which will hopefully get the shoots through. In the interim, the zebra have disappeared completely, leaving the Linyanti for "greener" pastures. The little rain we have had up here also resulted in the first impala lambs around Duma Tau only really starting to appear in number around 26 November! And now they are everywhere! The wildlife sightings have been great! The cheetah are back in the channel, a mother and three month old cub delighting all with their antics - the cub is very curious of the Landrovers, showing enormous fascination for the tires and little fear at all. A subadult pair, we suspect the cubs born in the channel last year which then disappeared, have also been sighted hunting along the channel and nabbing the odd impala lamb. Also taking advantage of the smorgasbord of youngsters around are the wild dogs. The Zib pack of 21 trotted from Zibadianja along the channel over a few days, the one day killing two lambs in 20 minutes. They are all looking in prime condition and we sincerely hope no more of the pups fall victim to the Savuti lion pride. Meanwhile on the other side of Duma Tau, the River Pack of 8 dogs have been busy. Now four adults and four pups, they still specialize in chasing game into the river and launching a splashing attack on the victim in the reeds. With the river as low as it is, this has become easier for them and provided brilliant action for those lucky enough to witness it. On one drive Brandon watched as the pack brought down an impala. The commotion attracted the attention of two male roan antelope, who then chased the dogs off the kill, so that they could have a drink in peace! The Savuti lion pride have also turned into efficient killing machines, hardly a few days go by without them feeding on one large animal or another. At the moment their preferred meal appears to be buffalo (something that is new on the menu as of this year, last year they hardly killed any!) and elephant. Two of the females managed to drown a big bull buff in Dish Pan, putting on a complete water rodeo display for the guests who watched while all three disappeared below the surface, only to re-appear just the three heads above the water! Eventually they flipped him over by his back legs and held his head under water until he drowned. A fine catch for lone lionesses. It was not long before the rest of the pride bundled out of the bush towards the soft calls for dinner. The Ambush pride, the new river frontage (between Kings Pool and Duma Tau) territory holders, are reliable and entertaining to watch. The two females and five cubs are always along the river road staring over the river at sunset for gorgeous photographs. The cubs, usually ignored by their mothers, continuously romp and stalk each other which is also fun. Leopard sighting were incredible in the first half of the month, slowing up a bit towards the end. A young female made the camp her hunting ground, doing her bit to control the baboon populations. Unfortunately she positioned her one victim beneath tent five and refused to move. The guests were treated to her playing in the camp, pawing at the tents and having a mock fight with a monitor lizard before she eventually slunk back into the forest. Some guests were less amused than others (perhaps the ones in tent five). Sighting of jackal and pups, as well bat eared foxes and pups have been great fun in the channel. Boat activities continue to provide eles crossing and playing in the water, as there are still hundreds around the camp. Breeding herds can always be seen across the river from camp in large numbers and in the Osprey Lagoon area. With still no real rain on the horizon, the giants have not made their way back into the mopane, extending our elephant season viewing, but leaving the environment a dry place. The lagoons are really shallow, which is a bit of a threat to our boating but we continue to gaze skyward in hope. Elephant viewing, as mentioned, has been brilliant. Quite a few have died, or fallen victim to predators and mud which has provided excellent interaction with lions, hyena and vultures. Albeit the harsh side of nature, it is part of the cycle of life, along with the summer births and thunder storms, the killing of lambs and the first flush of green in the channel that we are eagerly waiting for. We really do feel that Duma Tau is a wilderness area that shows guests the delicate balance between the beautiful and the brutal. Duba Plains Tented Camp November Report, December 15 2002 Duba Plains Tented Camp is located in northern Botswana's Okavango Delta. The area is reputed to have the highest density of lion in Africa. Here is the camp's November report: Yesterday afternoon and evening the skies dumped 65 mm of rain on us - a very welcome relief after a few weeks of unrelenting heat and dust. Termite elates cover the ground and the world is fresh and vibrant, if a bit soggy. We have blue skies again today! It has been a truly remarkable month (again) at Duba Plains. This place never ceases to amaze. The month has provided guests with a fascinating glimpse of lion behavior. We have had a number of repeat guests over the month, all of who have developed a relationship with the camp and have a genuine interest in the happenings at Duba. The most notable aspect of the November activity has been, what appears to be, a developing battle for supremacy on the plains of Duba. You will recall that a while ago a magnificent pair of males in their prime moved into the area - one blonde and one dark. After a few brief appearances they seemed to have moved off. The blonde half of this pair has now moved back into the area and is sighted fairly regularly in the Northwest. He is a beautiful light blonde lion in his prime. He is hardly marked and seems to be more preoccupied with his sartorial elegance than actually being a lion. Some guests had a magnificent view of him killing a buffalo cow in a wet marshy area, so he is by no means incapable. He hardly ate it however, as it would have meant him getting his pretty feet wet. It was very comical watching him trying to feed from on top of his buffalo. If he is to remain here he will have to get over his dislike of mud and water. Some guests dubbed him "Hollywood" - and the name seems to be sticking. Whether he stays remains to be seen however. Two other huge males have also been sighted in the same area. They are also a blonde / dark pair and this caused no end of confusion at first. Where 'Hollywood' is beautiful, these two are impressive. The dark lion is one of the biggest lions any of us have ever seen. They appear to be battle-hardened, experienced lions, well into their prime. A while ago, the game drives where watching 'Hollywood', his golden locks softly waving in the breeze, looking every bit the lord of all he surveyed. He was unfortunately blissfully unaware of the two big males stalking him down-wind. They inched forward, freezing every time he moved, gradually closing the gap. Too late 'Hollywood', eventually aware of the threat, spun around to face them. The ensuing tussle was cursory at best. After a very mild clash, 'Hollywood' lay down submissively and was left alone. The three lay near each other for a while before the two moved off, leaving 'Hollywood' to his own devices. The three have all remained in the area and one wonders whether these three have some prior history. The two have not been spotted as regularly as 'Hollywood' and we feel that they may be spending time further out to the Northwest with the Skimmer pride females who we have not seen too much this month. This would explain the fact that the Skimmer males seem to have left (or more correctly been "asked" to leave) the pride. The Skimmer males have in turn been seen mating with most of the Tsaro females recently. This pride has been very scattered over the last month. Until recently, we seldom sighted more than a few together at a time. This is most likely due to the disruption caused by the Skimmer males who seem intent on stamping their authority. They have been imposing their will on this pride and have all but ejected the young Tsaro males from their natal pride. They are still hanging on but one feels that they are about to start experiencing the harsh life of the young nomad. One of these young males appears to have a very badly injured hip. Whether he survives or not will remain to be seen. There also appears to be an interesting dynamic developing between the two younger Skimmer males and the Tsaro males. The Duba Boys seem to be easing themselves into semi-retirement. Only once this month have they moved west of the airstrip. During this brief sortie, they were seen chasing the Skimmer Boys off, killing a badly wounded buffalo bull and disciplining two of the young Tsaro males. They have not met with any of the new males yet though. So while they still clearly hold authority over the Skimmer Boys, one feels that their legacy is gradually drawing to a close. It would be a sad end to a wonderful era. With this abundant surplus of mature and sub-adult male lions in Duba, the situation is potentially explosive. The struggle for power over the next few months is going to be very very interesting. It will be especially interesting to see whether a new all-encompassing coalition or pride-specific males emerge. One of the most interesting (and brutal) sightings of the month arose when the Skimmer males killed two buffalo and mortally wounded one. The injured buffalo was left bellowing in the mud while the lions fed on the other two. A situation later arose when a breeding herd of elephant attempted to protect the dying buffalo and pull it out of the mud. They did not succeed and the buffalo died where it lay. The elephant population at Duba appears to be thriving. There are numerous breeding herds around, all of which have very young calves. Day Turns to Night - The Solar Eclipse, December 15 2002 It is not every day that one has an opportunity to view a total eclipse of the sun, let alone when one watches it in one of the greatest game viewing areas of Southern Africa, the Chobe National Park. Guests at Savute were treated to the natural spectacle in a secluded bush spot surrounded by majestic Baobab trees. The moon started to eat into the suns disc at around 07:00 AM, gradually turning the light to an eerie shade of blue grey. At 08:08 total darkness cut across Savute, doves started giving their evening call and Myers parrots got excited by the sudden coolness. With totality lasting only about a minute, the unforgettable experience was soon over. French champagne was served rounding off a moment that is not to be experienced for the next 30 years in this part of the world. November Scuba Diving Highlights at Rocktail Bay, December 15 2002 Rocktail Bay is a small property along South Africa's eastern coast. Here is the lodge's report for November: The water temperature is the same now, as it was in November 2001 i.e. 24 degrees C. The wind patterns are the same too. The only difference is the rainfall. We have had less rainfall this month than November 2001. Up until around November 11, we were blown away by northeasterly winds which changed dramatically to southwesterly winds. The 11th proved to be an awesome day for many reasons. Firstly, when we got out to sea we were greeted with 20 meter visibility and a warmer ocean. Yippee! At long last the south westerly is doing what it is supposed to do. And then, most importantly, as we got to Island Rock, having just launched, Darryl spotted a whaleshark! Our first sighting in over 2 years. What a beautiful animal. 8 meters in length and not tagged. Everyone slipped over the side of the boat and snorkeled with this huge gentle giant. It's still hard to believe that something so large feeds on plankton. Stunning conditions awaited the divers on Gogo's. A brilliant time was had by all underwater and on the surface. Whilst waiting for the divers Darryl spotted the 2nd whaleshark of the day cruising past Gogo's. This one was 7 meters in length. Can you believe that we have a 2 year drought in whaleshark sightings and then see 2 on the first launch of the day! What a privilege. And then, wait for it, on this same launch, a leatherback turtle was seen on the surface. You just don't get the opportunity to see these turtles on the surface. It doesn't get any better than this surely? - Oh yes it did! The ride back home produced a large pod of bottlenose dolphins that were willing to play a bit. So, November 11 went down in the history books of special events. The 14th of November produced 3 sailfish cruising in the waves just near Elusive. Luckily the divers had not geared up as yet and when Darryl found the sailfish this produced much excitement. Divers anxious to get fins and masks on descended on Elusive after the initial sailfish excitement to find awesome diving conditions. Thank you Neptune. On the 16th we had a rather strange sighting - 2 groups of humpback whales - the 1st group was about 1 km offshore and the 2nd group a little further out. Last year we had no sightings so late as they had already migrated south to Antarctica. This was a very late group sighting. Furthermore, 1 whale was actually sailing, head down and tail in the air and the 2nd whale was just floating next to it, oblivious of the antics of its mate. Everyone watched for a while and the one continued to sail along - weird. Both appeared to be adults and in no hurry to move along. The 23rd of November proved to be the surprise beginning of our ragged tooth shark research period. We were snorkeling off Island Rock and sighted the first raggie of the season (spotted raggedtooth shark). We were unable to sex the shark as it was moving along the reef. If you can remember, we were sighting the odd male raggie from around September last year and the first pregnant raggie was sighted on the 1st of December 2001 in the cave area off Island Rock. So now we're not sure if the females have arrived early, as they are not in the cave area yet and as we could not sex this particular shark, we are unsure as to whether it is a late male or an early female. We're now paying regular visits to Island Rock to try to establish what is going on. After a couple of unsettled days yet again, diving on November 27 proved wonderful with 25 meter visibility and a water temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. This was the day that we had BBC film crew on board. No sooner had we launched when Darryl shouted "whaleshark"! We were falling over each other to get fins and masks on. As we did so the whaleshark went down again. Eyes peeled against the glare of the water, it surfaced again. 7 meters in length, no tag in place. We snorkeled with the shark and the BBC presenter, Craig, stated that this was the best day of his entire life as he had always wanted to see a whaleshark and this was the day, here at Rocktail Bay!!! What a special day. So, all in all, another interesting month from a record point of view. Late sightings of humpback whales, first sightings in 2 years of whalesharks (3 in total) and our first raggie sighting, although sex unknown. As this report goes out, our visibility has remained a constant 20 meters for the last week with the water temperature comfortable at 24 degrees C. Roll on summer - absolutely cannot wait! With a great smile we say - enjoy the office!!!! Ndumo and Rocktail Journalist Report, December 15 2002 Check out this newsletter written on Rocktail Bay and Ndumo. I think the journalist sums up what the places are all about: This is another one of those extraordinary editions of my newsletter - for the reason that I have just returned from a visit to an extraordinary place. Wilderness Safaris manage two lodges in Maputaland - the Ndumo Wilderness Camp in the Ndumo Game Reserve and Rocktail Bay on the coast. Now, to start off with, there are a couple of things that you need to know about these two remarkable resorts: Firstly, Ndumo Wilderness Camp is the place where all good bird-watchers go when they die. Secondly, Rocktail Bay has a beach that is truly pristine; the sands of this beach are where, until very recently, the hand of man has, er, never set foot (if you know what I mean). And thirdly - be very very careful, if you should visit these two resorts, that you are accompanied by someone to whom it would not be inappropriate to make even the vaguest amorous overture. Both places are so soaked in romance and wild possibility that everyone takes on a desirable glow. And please, guys, I'm not exaggerating here - we're talking little cabins tucked away in tangled trees, reached by narrow little lanes of wooden steps; cozy verandahs overlooking tiny private lakes; lamp-lit open-air showers; every single luxury that opens and shuts; candlelit dinners under the stars; a vast print-order of Do-Not-Disturb signs. We're talking tea-tables tastefully set with the usual suspects, but with additions of fresh lemon, fresh ginger and other herbs; buffet dinners of light and delicate foods; Mediterranean lunches where the bees sip the nectar from the preserved ginger on the cheese-board. We're talking lantern-lit pathways at night; deer browsing among the trees; the contented chirrup of nightjars and not a mozzie in evidence (don't know how they got that right). And apparently management have a special arrangement with nature so that it is full moon every night. For music, there is the song of the birds and the frogs (Only drawback with the frogs at Ndumo is that they are so noisy that they would be the amphibious equivalent of a New York inner city suburb, complete with police sirens, domestic disturbances and gang shoot-outs on the streets). But before I get completely carried away, let's start with Ndumo. I understand that the camp is on the lifer list for birdwatchers. And it's easy to see why when you get there. The air is so full of birds at any given point that you feel as if you are on the inside of a rather busy atom whizzing with electrons. And that's not all, folks. For instance, the afternoon game drive produced, almost immediately, a large African rock python lying across the road. We had to stop until the grand old lady decided to slither away. My friend (just out from the Big City) maintained that the big girl - about three meters long - was a decoy for the other pythons that were waiting to ambush us from the trees. "Gladys, you lie in the road and we'll hang around in the treetops. When they stop, we'll pounce. Yum." Shortly afterwards we came across a pair of palm-nut vultures and lots of woodpeckers. Then there was a fever tree forest that prompted the startling information from our ranger that fever trees cope with their saline surroundings by sacrificing the occasional tree-branch - which is why you will always find one or two inexplicably dead branches on a mature tree. And then we arrived at Banzi Pan. Now, I am used to waterbirds. You usually arrive at a hide overlooking a pan, and you will see a few hundred waterbirds belonging to three or four species. Ndumo, naturellement, has a few hundred SPECIES of waterbirds. It's almost embarrassing. It's going to get a bit boring, I know, to bang on and on about just how many birds there are at Ndumo, but it is so crowded with flutter that it is impossible to wave a hand in that area without rendering a few avian specimens unconscious. Also resident at the pan is a clutch of crocodiles, the largest of which is also the ugliest. Called Beauty…I'm not even going to start on the accommodation - oh, all right. The accommodation is fabulous - wood and canvas cabins tucked into the forest and reached by elevated wooden paths. This has a dual purpose - it makes you feel as if you are walking among the treetops and it protects the delicate forest floor from your great clumsy feet. The cabins are built on stilts overlooking these little private lakes, where warthogs snuffle below you in the undergrowth, nyalas graze within touching distance and the water and the air is alive with birds, birds, birds. At some indecent hour of the morning there is a boat trip on the Pongola River with ranger and local lad Johnson, whose greatest characteristics are an awesome knowledge of the area, a vast sense of humor and a fruity chuckle. I suppose all that's left to say about the boat trip is that there was a young lass with us who was writing down each sighting of a new species of bird in a notebook. About an hour into the boat trip she realized she was not writing fast enough to keep track, and so she gave up and put her notebook away. Oh, and did I mention that there were flotillas of hundreds of crocs on the riverbank? And a huge raft of hippo in the waterway that impeded our progress somewhat as we could not go too near them and they were not going anywhere in a hurry, no sirree. Ndumo is an embarrassment of riches, fauna and flora-wise. It has been compared to the Okavango Delta - I would say that there is no comparison. A stay there is a sensory overload of note. Just like Rocktail Bay - although Rocktail is sensory overload of a completely different sort. Where Ndumo is a megalopolis of frantic animal and bird life, Rocktail Bay is the utter opposite - the complete and lazy hush of a summer afternoon at the beach with just the whisper of wind and waves. The camp consists of thatch, canvas and wood, all tucked into dune forest, just a lickety-spit from the ocean. The little sandy paths burrow through the hot vegetation, little spirals of wooden steps go up to your chalet on stilts among the trees, with jugs of water at the foot of the stairs to wash the sand off your feet. (Don't get me started on the outdoor shower in the treetops!). After lunch, a short stroll through the dune forest and there you are on the beach - an utterly deserted crescent of sand with warm green water and a sheltered bay. My citified companion said that he had no idea that such beaches existed anywhere out of movie-sets. I felt rather smug - actually Maputaland has lots of these beaches, gloat, gloat. In turtle season there are turtle drives on the beach - the lodge works with Kwa Zulu Natal Wildlife in monitoring the turtles. And of course we found several tracks of turtles and one loggerhead mum-to-be digging her nesting hole. Unfortunately for us we could only be on the beach for a certain time and this vast reptile was in no hurry, so we had to leave her before she actually started dropping those eggs. But the drive itself was magical - the full moon on the sea, the light breeze and the feeling of quiet shush while the ocean went about its business. The lodge also offers diving on the reefs at Rocktail Bay on completely unspoiled reefs - the Golden Mile of diving. The dive school offers courses for beginners, so even if you have never dived before, this is a good place to start. And just in case you think the lodge has slipped up by not spotting a romantic opportunity connected to diving on what might be the most pristine reef in the world - well, sorry to disappoint you, but they actually have thought of it. They will serve you breakfast on the beach after your dive. So there. And I'm not the only one who thinks that Rocktail Bay has nailed down the romance - it has become the hide-away of choice for honeymooners from all over the world. Not to mention those in pursuit of other options. So if you have designs on someone, whisk them off on some pretence to Ndumo Wilderness Lodge and Rocktail Bay. And be prepared to be spoiled rotten. Written by Niki Moore Luggage Screening in the USA, December 22 2002 All passengers departing the USA should be aware of new security checks which could potentially cause problems with undeveloped film. By December 31, 2002 all checked-in baggage will be screened. Most screenings will be carried out by EDS (Explosive Detection System) equipment using X-rays, which can cause fogging or white lines to appear on film when it is developed. Films particularly at risk are: ASA / ISO 800 or higher, large format, motion picture and professional film. Due to X-Ray screening at security checkpoints, passengers should request film to be checked by hand. We also suggest passengers carry film on board in a separate removable clear bag and in clear film canisters. Wilderness Safaris Hosts Orphaned Children, December 22 2002 Wilderness Safaris in southern Africa will have hosted close to 100 orphans in their Namibian camps this Christmas period by the time all the camps are done. This is what the Christmas period is really about. 32 Orphans and 1 Big Daddy The morning has been hectic. Awake at 5am, cereal gulped for breakfast and straight into a Land Rover for over an hour of grinding through thick sand and bouncing down dry river beds. Then a hike across Dead Vlei as the sun climbed higher in the sky and sweat started to run down my neck. An hour later I was sitting on top of the tallest sand dune in the world with a bottle of warm water to drink and a thick layer of suncream and sand mixed with the sweat. A hot breeze blew across the vlei below and lifted swirls of sand on the slip face below me. It is beautiful, desolate and forbidding at the same time. This is the kind of place that can make you elated as fast as it can lose you in the overpowering expanses of scorched earth and endless blue skies. This is a place that can make you feel more alone than you could ever imagine. However, I am not alone. I have company and it isn't the kind of company that lets long hot hikes and leg numbing scrambles up 380 meters of red sand get in the way of a little fun. There is a ten year old girl sitting next to me who is so dwarfed by the surroundings that she looks like she could fit into a match box. Her face is so powdered with sand that it looks like she has been doing head stands, which she has. She may be on top of one of the world's most breathtaking landmarks, but she has a brow furrowed in concentration as she puts the finishing touches to a sand castle which makes the tallest dune a little taller and for her, a little more perfect. The castle finished, the diminutive artist looks up and her eyes wrinkle as she smiles before running away to assess further sites in need of alteration. Below me is a pair of tourists laboring up the dune face with cameras dangling awkwardly around necks and shades of pain on their determined faces. In total contrast, to their right, is a boy doing graceful back-flips down the top half of the dune he has already run up twice. This is not a monument to conquer, it's a playground and it occurs to me that at this moment, I wouldn't want to be here with anyone who saw it differently. Looking around I can see 32 children having the time of their lives and various adult staff, professional guides and camp managers all caught up in the vibe acting like they used to before they forgot how to play. I have spent time in places like this before, but I have never enjoyed it the way I am now and the kids are the catalyst. We brought these children here to educate them on desert ecology and the natural environment but it is the teachers who are getting the better lesson. Ever since the children arrived 48 hours ago, the lessons and perspective altering insights have kept flowing. Not that the kids aren't learning as well, they are learning that this beauty is here for them as much as anyone else. They are learning that there are people who care enough to show them what is outside the boundaries of their everyday lives as orphans. For an adult, life is what you make it. For a child, life is what makes itself available to you. They don't have the resources to alter the course of their destiny. For an orphan, life offers less than most would take for granted. I watch these kids charge head-on into their surroundings, loving every second in this alien environment into which they have been transported. It becomes apparent that it is never too late to offer someone a little bit more of what they have been denied so far and that their appreciation is magnified by their past experiences. It is getting too hot for the adult supervisors now and the hike back down to the vlei turns into a mad extreme dune sport. Kids running down the dune, zig-zagging back and forth, try to run backwards, fall, try it again, slide and roll until they end up in a heap of sand-colored bodies at the bottom, a curiosity for the next gaggle of tourists making their way to the foot of the dune. The dune face is covered with footprints like spidery hand writing, it spells the same thing as the children's faces, it spells "success!" And Back To Windhoek Blues The last day of camp is a big deal for everyone. The tent leaders and adult staff want to sleep and the kids don't want to leave. Every camp ends the same way. The kids get a big cooked breakfast after 3 days of cornflakes in the semi-light of dawn, which always goes down pretty well. Then art projects get finished which takes on a variety of forms. Some of the kids just put finishing touches to their camp scrap books which are usually covered in beads and ribbons and feature anything from detailed impressions of the Sossusvlei dunes, to bright green ostriches swimming in the camp pool with superman. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are always last minute speed necklace making races as no-body gets out of camp without at least 3 rows of beads and an ankle chain. Dream catchers hang out on tree stumps, spinning and drying in the wind. These are complicated affairs which incorporate feathers, camel-thorn pods and webs of string and colored fishing-line. One industrious boy designed a dream-catcher roughly twice the size of his head and guaranteed a decade of peaceful sleep. When the creativity slows and the kids have built shrines to individuality throughout the main bar area, the entire camp climbs into the Land Rovers for the ultimate group activity. The plains in front of camp become a huge game board with canvas trivia squares and giant pieces of fruit to walk around. The board is big enough for 4 teams of nine to play at the same time - it's just called the game. The vital ingredients are a boom box, a couple of oversized cardboard dice and a box of trivia questions guarded by the trivia masters. The questions test the kids on the previous educational activities, the environment, aids awareness and general knowledge. There are bonus points for team spirit which means singing a team song, random breakdancing or managing to have 7 kids jump rope at the same time. Playing by the rules is adhered to mildly and everyone has to answer a question at some point, although the correct answer isn't necessarily required depending on the particular trivia master. It's like the 'Weakest Link' with a DJ. It's mayhem. The icing on the cake is the awards ceremony. Every kid gets a certificate with a Wilderness Safaris patch to prove their success at finishing the camp. Then they get the individual awards made by the adult staff, camel thorn pod necklaces with their name and the title. None are the same and everybody gets chorus sung onto the stage and clapped off. There are awards for 'Best Hiker', 'The Tok-Tokkie Dune Award', 'Little Mermaid' or the highly sought after 'Ronaldo Soccer Star'. The camp carnivore award goes to the biggest eater, who is usually the smallest kid. Nothing beats giving a kid his 'Human Torpedo' award for learning to doggy paddle across the pool the previous day. There are a lot of tears, good-natured heckling from the crowd and good vibes. It is the staff favorite and the chance for the quiet kids to realize that we were watching and we did notice that they made it up Big Daddy without stopping, much. It's a bit of closure for the camp staff who get thanked and shake hands like diplomats at a Christmas party, the kids don't know who they are but they kept bringing the food and that's worth a bit of gratitude. The impact made on these kids over just four days is immense, they literally have the time of their lives. I watched the NBC cameraman interview the children by the pool and he asked everyone the same questions, "What did you enjoy the most and what did you learn?" The answers might have been random but they were all positive. "I didn't know my country was so beautiful!" "The food!" "Making fairy circle art" "The pool" "Volleyball with Mr. Sunday" "The time that guy with the guitar fell in the pool"….. Then it's time to leave, which is when the accumulated heat generated through hugging and the water loss through crying puts the kids at risk of getting dehydrated! The combis drive slowly out of camp between two lines of staff who high five any hands that might be sticking out of the windows (which is all of them usually). It's an unofficial rule that the waving goes on until the last combi disappears around the mountain and out of sight. I asked one of the drivers after the last camp what happens in the combis on the way home. "They go through stages," he said "they cry for a couple of km's, then they start singing their team songs and when we pass the gates to the national park, they usually start arguing over who saw the mountain zebra first. By the time we reach Bullsport, everyone is asleep." Meanwhile in the empty camp, the staff clean-up and talk about the kids they liked the most and the experiences they've had. When Daniel jumped into the deepest pool even though he couldn't swim, when Brenda refused to wear her glasses to play volleyball and spiked the ball in the opposite direction from the net and the fact that Nestor had the smallest t-shirt we could find and it still reached his knees. Nobody is unmoved by the last four days and it isn't necessary to talk about the privilege we all feel at being involved in the first Namibian "Children in the Wilderness" program. Zimbabwean Tourism Poised for Growth, December 22 2002 The Zimbabwean tourism industry, which has been struggling over the past three years, could end the year on a high note given developments that have happened in the sector over the past few months. The year 2002 could be described as a year of mixed fortunes. It started on a volatile note as Zimbabwe received high doses of negative international publicity in the run-up to the March presidential election. The anti-Zimbabwe campaign continued even after the presidential elections, particularly from Europe and the United States of America, following the re-election of President Mugabe. The tourism industry then convened a mini-congress to devise new strategies to counter the bad press. The congress resolved to continue to aggressively market Zimbabwe and this has paid dividends. A few months later, a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and the USA lifted travel warnings against Zimbabwe, resulting in an improvement in the number of foreign visitors. The Zimbabwe Council for Tourism and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority began to host groups of travel and tourism writers and operators from the USA and Russia, among other countries. The groups were surprised to find that the actual situation on the ground was totally different from what the media back home had been portraying. Most of them went back to their respective countries and gave a true account of what they experienced. This also helped in increasing the number of visitors. The Zimbabwe International Travel Expo held in October also gave Zimbabwe a golden opportunity to market itself and set the record straight. More than 100 buyers came for the event and expressed confidence in the destination. The major highlight of the year was the December 4, 2002 solar eclipse which was a huge success. Statistics showed that more than 20,000 foreign tourists visited Zimbabwe to view the spectacle, the second in 18 months. Perhaps the most significant development for the local tourism industry was the launch of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park which joins the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Gaza National Park in Mozambique and Kruger National Park in South Africa. The massive project was launched by Presidents Mugabe, Chissano and Mbeki early this month. The 95,000 square kilometer Transfrontier Park will definitely boost tourism in the region. Zimbabwe is also linking up Chimanimani National Park in Manicaland with Mozambique while the country is also expected to benefit from the Okavango Upper-Zambezi mega park, in alliance with Angola and Namibia. All these developments point to tourism growth in Zimbabwe, and the region in general. Work On Ugandan Rhino Sanctuary Starts, December 22 2002 Work on the future rhino sanctuary in Uganda's Nakasongola district has started. Captain Joe Roy offered 70 square kilometers of land on his ranch for the rhino sanctuary as a home for breeding black and white rhinoceros which have been extinct in Uganda for almost two decades. To prevent the rhinos from being poached, the reintroduced rhinos will be protected with an electric fence. Wilken Telecommunications Ltd has offered to provide the initial communication devices to keep track of the rhinos and rangers will be trained in anti-poaching techniques. So far there are two rhinos which were bought in Kenya. Rhino An office has been has been set up at the ranch 1,200 square meters of bush have been cleared for an airstrip where flown in rhinos, tourists and emergency veterinarians may land. SAA Considers Joining a Global Alliance, December 22 2002 In January 2003 South African Airways will consider whether to join an international airline alliance or not. Global alliances have swept the international aviation industry as airlines fight for market share in a cutthroat competitive environment. "SAA has felt the pressure to join one of these alliances," says SAA corporate communications manager Rich Mkhondo. "Consequently we have done an intensive evaluation of whether this would be the right way forward for us." There are four international alliances. SAA says it has "seriously contemplated" joining one of the two largest alliances - The Star Alliance and One World. Star, established in 1997, was the first major alliance and includes Lufthansa, Air Canada, SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), Thai and US airline United, which has just filed for bankruptcy. The alliance is the largest with 14 members, and will be joined by Asiana Airlines, Lot (Poland) and Spanair next year. Star enjoys the largest share (24,4%) of the global operating revenue that air travel generates. One World has eight member airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and Qantas. Until now SAA has pursued a strategy that might be called promiscuous. It has formed partnerships with other airlines rather than committing itself to co-operation within the framework of an alliance. Its present code-share partners are Delta Airlines in the US; Varig (Brazil); British Midland, Lufthansa and Air France in Europe; Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways and Qantas in Asia and the Pacific; and South African Express and South African Airlink. Code sharing and alliances are not the same. "A code-share agreement allows both airlines to sell seats on either of the carriers," says Mkhondo. This gives carriers the ability to expand passenger route networks boosting growth, increasing investor return, allowing for pooling of resources and smoothing travellers' options, says Mkhondo. The basic benefits of being a member of an alliance appear to be very similar. Industry expert Paul Clark of Airbus and UK University Cranfield says the benefits or negative effects of joining an alliance vary according to the characteristics of each airline. Experience is showing that either arrangement can be beneficial being part of an alliance, or just having code-share agreements and partnerships, says Clark. The most significant advantage of being part of an alliance is that a new member can plug into other members' markets and revenue fairly quickly, says Clark. The downside is that major alliances are unstable in terms of their membership. Merger and acquisition activity, or an airline going bust, could shake up or unravel an alliance partnership. The United Airlines bankruptcy filing, for example, will likely have long-term consequences for the Star group. In addition, the main factors that initially spurred the formation of alliances are set to change, says Clark. Alliances were formed as a way of bypassing widespread nationality clauses. These clauses stipulate that an entity may not own more than a certain percentage of an airline that is domiciled in another country. British firms, for example, may not own more than 25% of an airline in the US. These regulations are outdated and are bound to change, says Clark. But doing so would remove the main rationale for the existence of alliances. While SAA is evaluating its position, Star Alliance has identified Africa as one of a few geographic regions where it lacks a "home carrier". Christian Klick, Star Alliance's vice-president of corporate affairs, says the alliance is talking to several African carriers with a view to recruiting an airline or airlines in this region. He declines to reveal their identities, but SAA is likely to be among these, as it is one of the largest airlines on the continent. Membership of Star Alliance is strictly by invitation and the chief consideration for the alliance to recruit a new member is that the airline must be of strategic importance to the alliance. SAA is likely to meet this requirement. There is no set formula or example that could give SAA a clear indication of which route to take, but Clark says the most important thing is for both the airline and the relevant alliance to weigh up the positive and negative effects very carefully. The board's decision will hinge on SAA's "intensive evaluation" having done just that. Kenya Airways to Buy Stake in Tanzania Airline, December 22 2002 Kenya Airways (KA) is at an advanced stage in acquiring Tanzania's Precision Air. If successful, Kenya Airways will own 49% of the fledgling carrier. The move represents KA's most significant step towards gaining a foothold in the growing Tanzanian domestic airline market. It abandoned a previous attempt to buy a 75% stake of Air Tanzania early this year from the Tanzanian Government. It was later sold to South African Airways. Precision Air is majority-owned by Tanzanian businessman Michael Shirima. Mr. Shirima said the airline, incorporated in Tanzania in 1991, operates 11 aircraft, two of which are leased. The biggest are two turbo prop ATR-42s. "Precision Air currently has the most comprehensive domestic route network in Tanzania and has witnessed substantial growth in the past five years with an annual turnover growth averaging 33%," a statement from Kenya Airways said. From its base in Arusha, it operates regular services linking major urban centres including Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Zanzibar, Tabora, Kigoma, Shinyanga, Bukoba, Mtwara and Mafia. The airline also operates regular services to Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks. Robin Pope Safaris Weekly Update, December 22 2002 I've just realized that Christmas is next week!! How the time FLIES by - especially so here in the Valley. I hope you are all enjoying the festivities and looking forward to some rest and relaxation in the coming weeks. I have just returned from Lusaka to take a break myself and do some shopping - the sight of a shopping mall actually excited me after four months in the bush! I took the opportunity to DRIVE back to the South Luangwa with our workshop manager instead of flying - a chance to see the Zambian countryside outside of the national park environment. It was very interesting - if you think Zambia if flat think again! Rolling hills dotted with colorful bush, crops being sown, old farmland being reclaimed by nature and lots and lots of traditional villages. As is normal all over Africa people were walking all over the place...most of them sucking on the wild mangoes that are growing EVERYWHERE!! For mango lovers this is the best time of year! Mangoes are falling all over the place - it seems almost criminal to see them falling on the ground to rot. If they were dropping to the ground around the National Parks the elephant populations would ensure they do not go to waste!! I arrived back to a transformed Valley! Almost overnight the heavens opened up - the taps are fully on! We have had truly amazing rain this week - on one night alone an incredible 85mm (nearly 4 inches) of rain fell at Nkwali! Other nights we have had about 25mm fall! Nature is providing dramatic changes: the river has risen incredibly, streams are running, pools of water are everywhere, it is much, much cooler day and night (we are sleeping so well at night now!) and the ground is soaked with mud. Jake (who runs Flatdogs Camp) and his pregnant wife Gilly (who operates Tribal Textiles) held a farewell party at their house on Friday night before heading to the UK for Christmas and to ready themselves for the addition to the family. On departure (after much rain) four vehicles had to be abandoned after slipping off the road!! The light at sunset has been totally amazing with the backdrop of dark, dark clouds and sunlight peeking through the gaps. Jo said it looks like the Andes! The burst of light against fresh green leaves after heavy afternoon rain just as the sun is setting really is a photographer's delight - I'd never seen anything quite like it the other afternoon! With Simon, Shanie and Keyala away Robin and Jo have stepped in to help with hosting the guests (yes, back to basics for these two!). This morning they boated the troops across the river after breakfast to Daudi who was waiting on the other side. They were off to take a walk around Chichele Hill. The Popes returned and emerged from the river bank completely covered in mud - the river had risen with the recent rain but has now subsided a little...leaving lots of fresh mud! They were rather excited because on the way over they saw a whitebacked night heron. It was fully exposed hopping around the branches of a dead cordylla tree! It is very unusual to see this bird as it likes to hide in secretive parts of the riverbank. They also saw a narina trogon, a very colourful bird of about six inches...on migration through the area. Grab your Robert's guide - check these birds out!! The most amazing avian sighting of the week would have to be the discovery of a wood owl nest...in the branches above Robin and Jo's house! We have regularly heard them in camp and they were recently spotted - mum, dad and 2 very fluffy and absolutely gorgeous chicks! They are also very curious! Robin raced over to grab the guests...so there were four humans looking up with their binoculars and four birds staring down at them. The chicks are not fully fledged yet and can be seen hopping around on the branches, attempting short fluttery flights within the area of the tree. It will be a while until they can fly from the nest but we will keep you informed of progress. Gameviewing has been great for guests this week - including beautiful giraffe behind camp. During breakfast at the fireplace some guests saw 2 leopards walking along the opposite bank from Nkwali. Very beautiful With all the rain the last truck bringing in the last of the fundraised maize got stuck in mud on the other side of the nearest hill before you drive into the Valley from Chipata! It is busy being rescued as I type! When it arrives, the fundraised maize will be milled and then sold in 12.5kg bags for 15 pin (local speak for fifteen thousand kwacha)....currently bags that size are on sale in the marketplace for 42 pin! Selling of this fundraised maize will begin in January with the vulnerable being placed onto a token system to receive free maize for 3 months. They will begin to receive their tokens once they have been properly identified and vetted by the Committee. Again, a huge thankyou to everybody who has supported the maize relief program - it has been a major success with over 60 tons fundraised! That is about US $15,000.00. Let me tell you - that is a lot of mouths being fed over the coming months. Until next week - cheers! Jeffrey Opposition Wins Kenyan Elections, December 29 2002 Veteran opposition leader Mwai Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) have swept to victory in Kenyan presidential and parliamentary elections imposing a stunning defeat on the governing Kenya African National Union (Kanu) of outgoing President Daniel arap Moi. The opposition victory was based on provisional results from the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) on Sunday morning. ECK spokesman Mani Lemayian said final official results were expected later in the day. The unofficial results concluded that Kibaki polled twice as many votes as the main government challenger, Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's founding president and handpicked by Moi as his successor. NARC also looks set to take up the majority of seats in Kenya's 210-member parliament, once provisional results are confirmed. Kibaki, an economist and once a vice-president under Moi, has tried and failed twice to oust his former boss in previous democratic elections in 1992 and 1997. But, say analysts, his attempts were thwarted because of a splintered opposition which presented numerous candidates. This allowed Moi, in power for the past 24 years, to win handsomely and maintain his stranglehold on power. Kibaki's supporters say he and close ally Raila Odinga used their political savvy in the 2002 poll to unite under the NARC umbrella about a dozen opposition parties, as well as leading defectors from Moi's party. They then presented Kenya's veteran leader, who is bound by the constitution to step down, with the most credible challenge ever faced by Kanu in its 39-year rule since independence from Britain in 1963. The 2-to-1 opposition victory margin marks the end of an era and could usher in a new start for Kenya, a tea and coffee producing country of 35 million, facing economic, social and ethnic woes. Kibaki and his new government know that they have to deliver on the huge expectations of Kenyans hungry for a positive change. "The Kenyan people have now spoken and it is with great joy and humility that we accept their trust in president-elect Kibaki and NARC," said Raila Odinga, Saturday, before confirmation of the historic opposition win. Odinga, another former Moi minister, who is now a leading member of the opposition alliance, told a news conference Saturday that he had some advice for outgoing President Moi: "I think that the most honorable thing to do now is accept defeat and hand over gracefully." Intense speculation in the capital Nairobi has it that Kibaki will be sworn in as early as Monday, if NARC has its way. Zambia to Create Tourism Levy, December 29 2002 The Zambian Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural resources is to introduce a tourism levy to supplement the government's efforts to market Zambian tourism internationally. Zambian Minister Marina Nsingo said that the tourism levy, which would be paid to the Zambia National Tourist Board by local tour operators, would help the institution maximize marketing of local tourism on the international market. She said her ministry had considered the option after a number of requests from tour operators who wanted Government to map out aggressive marketing strategies and programs to help develop the sector. She said stakeholders would soon meet to discuss the issue and come up with an ideal amount that the operators would pay. Ndutu Camp Update, December 29 2002 Ndutu Camp borders Tanzania's famed Serengeti National Park. Here is the camp's latest update: Ndutu has been a hive of activity the past couple of weeks as we get everything ready for the busy months ahead. 3 new rooms, which have replaced 4 of the older style rooms are now ready for use and the bar and dinning areas have a new lease of life after the installation of the new roof. Over the last week we having been having daily rain showers and already the wildebeest are pouring into the Ndutu area. The lakes are now both replenished and the bare earth that was, is now vibrant green. Guests are seeing the most amazing sights, apart from the massive herds of wildebeest there have been good sightings of lion, cheetah and leopard over the past few days. Honey badgers have been frequently seen around the lodge grounds in the evening, has too a striped hyena which comes in to take a drink from the bird bath near the dinning room. Those living in the UK will get a chance to see the amazing new BBC film by Owen Newman and Amanda Barrett called Night Cats. It is to be shown the evening of January 1, 2003 on BBC2. The film will also be shown in America sometime in the New Year. This film was filmed entirely in the Ndutu area. Owen and Amanda based themselves at the lodge for 16 months while making this film on the smaller Serengeti cats along with more familiar animals and some not so familiar ones. It was filmed entirely at night and done with the use of infra red lighting, so not to disturb any of the animals. It is a film not be missed! 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