ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive July 2002 Savute Tented Camp June Update, July 7 2002 Savute Tented Camp is located in wildlife rich northern Botswana. Here is the camp's June update. June was the best month of the year wildlife wise and we will be surprised if anything can surpass the sightings we had! It all started with the finishing of the hide next to the waterhole. We took several guests to "christen" the hide and we got a trunkful of water from an old elephant as - it really was a "christening". Since then we have enjoyed many brunches in the hide. The feeling is like having breakfast with the horses at the stables. Guests have loved the experience. As if this is not enough guests this June had the opportunity to witness the famous Savuti Pride bring down a buffalo bull 2 kilometers from camp. Prior to that the same pride tried to bring down a subadult elephant bull at Zibadianja lagoon. The lion enjoyed rodeo riding but could not bring the mammoth down. The trio cheetah brothers gave us four viewed kills, two kudu calves and two Impala. Another highlight of June was the resident pack of hunting dogs. Every third day they brought down an impala within camp, and even our marketing ladies from the Jo'burg office were rewarded with a kill by their door step. The pack of four is in camp either early morning or late evening - daily. The pack's presence has attracted several hyena to the camp for easy bites. The icing on the cake for us was an aardvark sighting - also a yellow mongoose. A leopard hunt nearly ended fatally when a young leopard tried to tackle a honeybadger. She got a good foul smelling spray and gave up. Somehow we got the spray on the tires and into camp - of interest a few guests refused dinner that night. Aardwolves and honeybadgers have been sighted too. Jao Tented Camp June Report, July 7 2002 Jao Camp is located in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Here is the camp's June report: The month of June was full of exciting happenings. A great bonus for the concession is a pack of 7 wild dogs, which has created some fantastic sightings what with numerous kills. They have moved up north now, to the Tubu area, so we wait with baited breath to see if they will stay in the concession and den / breed. Elephants have been enthralling the guests with their relaxed, mighty presence, sleeping in camp, and offering guests with wonderful sightings from their rooms, as they pass from Pupu Island, through the water, and into camp. We have had lion roaming the concession. On some kills the males have stolen from the females with hyena's in the background, pushing in for their share. Leopard have also been stealing the show with kills near the Jao Hippo Pool, and sightings around the concession. To add to this there were regular sightings of civet, wildcat, Pels fishing owls, buffalo, and lots of general wildlife. Two guests found where the two local genet cats stay in camp, and we have named them after these two great ladies. They were so excited to be the ones to find this, and together with the hyena's coming into camp each night and general wildlife finding the island a safe haven, we can't wait to see what this beautiful Delta will give us next month. With a lot of the evenings being really pleasant, bush dinners near the Hippo Pool and the Boma are very popular. The staff are having a great time singing and passing on their cultures via their voices and dances to many a happy person. Kwetsani Tree Camp June Report, July 7 2002 Kwetsani Tree Camp is located in Botswana's Okavango Delta region. Please find the camp's June update below: It was a very exciting month at Kwetsani as the wild dogs are back, along with leopard, and loads of elephant in camp. One group of clients witnessed a leopard chased up a palm tree by the dogs.A porcupine family - mom, dad and a little one added spice to dinner each evening as they are staying underneath the main deck area. Mombo Camp June Update, July 7 2002 Mombo Tented Camp, located in Botswana's Moremi Reserve, is renowned for having some of the best, if not the best, wildlife viewing in all of southern Africa. Please find the camp's June report below: June has come and gone. The peak season has brought many visitors to Mombo and more importantly has seen all of them depart with unforgettable memories and experiences. Old man winter has not been able to get a good grip on this part of the world, yet. Most days have been remarkably mild with only a few cold snaps reminding one that in Setswana, June is referred to as Seetebosigo - literally meaning "don't go out at night because it's too cold!" The flood waters are still covering large tracts of floodplain even though it has not been a particularly high flood. The lush grasses in these inundated areas continue to lure large herds of lechwe and buffalo. One herd in particular seems to enjoy the camp and many a guest has woken up to the sight of about 200 of these buffalo sleeping contentedly around the tents and walkways! There have been some great cheetah sightings - the Ngonyama female has 3 adorable cubs! Mom and the little ones have provided many hours of unforgettable wildlife viewing. The Twin Pans female, another relaxed cheetah, is heavily pregnant so more cheetah cubs are on the way! The lion cubs of the Matata and Moporata prides have also been seen regularly now that they are slightly older and should be joining the adults and their siblings on kills very soon. Representing leopards in the Mombo baby boom is the Tortillis female who presented her latest youngster to guests for the first time this month! Looking ahead, we expect the floodwaters begin receding next month. SAA to Bid on Air Tanzania, July 7 2002 South African Airways (SAA's) strategy of establishing a hub in east Africa is beginning to take shape, with the airline planning to bid for a 49% stake in Air Tanzania. The move would enable SAA to expand its services in the continent, providing a more extensive network. SAA CEO Andre Viljoen said "The bids are due in on July 31 and at this point, we are certainly interested in the possibilities which (such a move) would open up to SAA". Foreigners are allowed to own up to 49% of the airline, which is wholly owned by the Tanzanian government. The balance is likely to be acquired by a Tanzanian organization which would be called on to partner the winning bidder. Other potential bidders for the airline are understood to include Emirates and Kenya Airways. Emirates could see the privatization as a way of allowing it to gain a foothold in east Africa, while Kenya Airways would be keen to defend its strong position in the region. Viljoen said Air Tanzania had little in the way of assets, so major attractions for SAA would be to acquire the flying rights and to realize the possibilities of boosting traffic growth in the region. SAA has a short and longer term strategies for expanding further into the continent. The short-term strategy is to increase frequencies through bilateral agreements with other countries. The company has the spare capacity to develop new frequencies, and is pushing this aspect of the strategy, but the airline is likely to be constrained by the current regulatory environment on the continent. This helps governments to protect the routes of national airlines. The medium to long term strategy revolves around developing three main hubs in the east, west and south of Africa. The southern hub is already well established in Johannesburg, while having equity in an airline in Tanzania could position it to drive the eastern hub. SAA's new fleet of 41 Airbus aircraft will help the airline to drive this strategy. Last month the public enterprises department and Airbus signed a landmark deal to acquire the new aircraft over the next 10 years. Cape Town Airport's So Called Duty Free Shop, July 7 2002 It would appear that the Duty Free shop at Cape Town International Airport is anything but duty-free, and in fact charges more than regular shops. Traveler's leaving Cape Town International have reported that prices have more than doubled compared to a year ago for some items, and that even a carton of cigarettes at the airport is up to R80 (US $8) more expensive than at a supermarket at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Conde Naste Stumps Specialists with Recommendations, July 7 2002 Conde Naste has named Sabi Sabi's Earth Lodge near South Africa's Kruger National Park as one of the world's top 52 destinations. This is astounding as most people who visit the lodge say it is dark, cold and earthy. Ultimate Africa would not suggest that travelers stay there. Air Zambezi Resumes Flights, July 7 2002 Zimbabwe's Air Zambezi has confirmed the resumption of scheduled flights between Harare, Kariba and Victoria Falls. Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Linyanti Tented Camp June Report, July 14 2002 Linyanti Tented Camp is located in the Linyanti / Savute area of northern Botswana. Here is the camp's June report: Another incredible month at Linyanti! Drives along the river have been filled with elephant, giraffe, kudu, impala and a sightings of roan and sable. We had some excellent leopard viewing as well. A friendly python visited Dave Luck on the loo with a view, which made for great photo's, and then proceeded to inspect the areas around tent 1 to 5. Day long outings along the Linyanti have been rewarding, and 2 bushdinners around full moon blew guests away. King's Pool Tented Camp June Report, July 14 2002 King's Pool Tented Camp is located in the Linyanti / Savute area of northern Botswana. Here is the camp's June report: All I can say is that I think elephants were made to keep camp managers running around. I have spent more time this month fixing walkways than 'fishing'! But that is what we are here for, what I privilege to be able to live in a place where we clean up after elephants. I think that I should start with the Linyanti's wildlife!! Everytime when I think that it can't get better, IT DOES!! There is so much wildlife everywhere! Our friendly young resident male leopard has been pleasing guests as always. The baboons think otherwise. He was watched the other night chasing baboons up a tree at the underground hide. Talking about the sunken hide, this place is unbelievable!! We are using it almost everyday and the guests are getting their fill of elephants. An injured hippo has taken to the water hole. He chases everything around that tries to come and drink. The other morning a pack of 11 wild dogs were trying to drink and he wouldn't let them. Also the lions were not allowed to drink. Obviously he doesn't know the Linyanti lions, and their liking for hippos! The weather has been very strange, with winter hardly showing its face this month. Instead it has been cloudy making it warm at night. However by morning drives are very refreshing. Duba Plains Tented Camp June Report, July 14 2002 Duba Plains Tented Camp is located in Botswana's Okavango Delta. The area around the camp is reputed to have the highest density of lion in all of Africa. Here is the camp's June report: Winter is in the air. The winds are assisting in drying up the flood waters, already several of the channels have dried up and it won't be long before we can reach "Paradise" again. As expected, lions stole the show yet again. We have been recording data on the lions for 19 months now and this June has ended as our most successful to date. We managed to find the lions everyday of the month, with an unbelievable daily average of 21 different lions. In total we had 61 pride sightings, with 52 different lions seen during the month. Kills witnessed included 1 x kudu, 4 x warthog and 24 x buffalo of various ages. The buffalo still seem to be doing well, even with all the lion pressure. The month began on a high note, with the Pantry pride killing a big male kudu in the camp and bringing all ten cubs to feed. Subsequently it proved fairly tricky to get the guests onto the vehicles for their wildlife viewing drive. Fortunately for the Pantry pride, a large herd of buffalo has moved into their territory from the Vumbura area. The reason being the expanse of fresh, green grass which has sprouted since the veld fire. This has been as huge positive for the Pantry pride as they now do not have to compete with the Tsaro pride for the other large herd of buffalo. Some bad news for the Pantry pride however, was the loss of one little cub. How? We are unsure. The rest of the Pantry cubs are very lucky to be alive as there was a clash with another pride from the Vumbura area. From the tracks, it was evident that this new pride of two males and two females chased them off a buffalo kill, fortunately more intent on food than killing the cubs. After two days of worrying if the cubs were alive, we were pleasantly surprised to see all nine cubs and five lionesses re-united and very playful. The Tsaro pride was seen on 26 days during June and provided plenty of fine viewing. On several occasions they were seen killing up to three buffalo at a time. The highlight had to be the whole pride chasing our young male leopard up an Umbrella Thorn and a very poor effort at climbing the tree after him. Eventually they lost interest in the leopard and chased the herd of buffalo, killing a calf. The action did not stop there as a herd of elephant arrived, attempting to charge the lions from their kill. The lions then continued hunting the buffalo unsuccessfully. The Tsaro pride was seen pushing further than ever into the Pantry pride's territory, managing to kill an adult female buffalo, only to have it stolen by the Duba Boys. The following day, the Pantry pride was seen feeding on the same kill, cubs and all. The Tsaro pride are no longer the most dominant pride in our area. The Skimmer pride has certainly taken that title, or rather the two Skimmer Males. One occasion saw the Tsaro pride being chased right through the middle of their territory. The Tsaro's month ended with mixed fortunes. They succeeded in killing three buffalo calves, only to be challenged by 18 hyenas. As they were spread out between the three kills, they could not successfully defend them. One lioness was isolated and surrounded by the hyenas. As the hyenas moved in on her, she managed to jump into a deep channel of water and remain there until the threat passed. The noise of the clash attracted the Duba Boys to the scene, who soon saw off the hyenas. Unfortunately for them, too late for a free meal. The Skimmer pride continues to do well, albeit with much help from the Skimmer males. The water is drying fast, so it should not be long before they return to their normal territory in the Paradise area. Still no sign of the two missing cubs, however, a little bit of hope still remains as one lioness is often missing from the pride. It may be possible that she is returning to the cubs on the other side of a big channel of water. We'll keep our fingers crossed. Three sightings of the Old Vumbura pride were enjoyed, still hanging around in the northern part of the Pantry pride's territory. Priority for the Pantry pride is to protect their cubs, so they are avoiding any possibly conflict with other prides and thus having to relinquish parts of their territory for the time being. The hyena den continues to thrive, with all the pups doing well and as inquisitive as ever. Our young male leopard was seen regularly this month, spending three days around the camp. He ended his camp stay by killing a side-striped jackal and dragging it up a Rain Tree at the entrance to the camp. No sign of the female leopard with her new cubs, but we'll continue to search for her. Elephants have returned in a big way, with many large herds regularly encountered. With lots of flood water still around, much enjoyment has been had watching the elephants wallowing and crossing channels, not to mention showing the lions who the real kings of the jungle are. Of the smaller wildlife: serval, wild cats, porcupine, side-striped jackals, aardwolf and bat-eared foxes were regularly seen. The bird watching continues to be fantastic, but will get even better as the flood waters recede and fish get trapped in isolated pools. Gametrackers Botswana June 2002 Report, July 14 2002 Gametrackers was recently voted "best tour operator in Africa". Operating in Botswana only, here is Gametrackers June 2002 report: I think it would be fair to say that the entire region has been held firmly in the grip of typical June winter weather. As is very much the norm, the days have been mild to warm, with the nights being on the chilly side. On the 16th of the month Savute saw the mercury plunge to 1 degree Centigrade. At Eagle island camp the bulk of the annual Okavango flood water seems to have arrived. The current water level is 115cm at the camp and has been steady for some time now. From the air one's initial thoughts are that this years flood is massive as the vast burnt areas are just sheets of water. Despite the reality that this years flood is nowhere near as good as last year (165cm at the peak), the water continues to stream over the Boro channel banks and into the surrounding floodplains making for spectacular views and sunsets. Further to the east the Khwai River's flow is strong and the level now remains fairly constant if not rising ever so slightly. Sable Alley, the small channel that runs around the back of Khwai River lodge is always a good measure as to how the water is progressing. To date Sable Alley is filling but is not yet in line with the airstrip. Khwai could very well start to see the influx of some more water in the later half of July - just how much however remains questionable. As for an overall view of the 2002 annual flood the current water levels in the panhandle of the Delta are dropping rapidly. On a more positive note however, it would seem that Maun will see some water later on in July. The influx of the floodwaters has solved the fire problem. Questions have however been raised as to just how big an impact the current burnt areas have had on the actual floodwaters. Typically the floodplains would have at least some vegetation that would obviously displace some of the water. The current bare flood plains will therefore understandably use more water. Another consequence is that of increased evaporation. The rate of evaporation on large expanses of open water would be much greater, if compared to areas with flooded vegetation. Add to the equation a mediocre flood and the effects are sure to be noticeable. Throughout the region the dry winter conditions combined with the additional impact of animals congregating around water points has had a marked effect on the vegetation. This is very typical for this time of the year and is bound to continue into October. At Eagle Island camp the real fan palm fruits are now ripening and as a result the elephant bulls are paying very special attention to these trees. Elephant adopt a some what awkward stance, trunk up against the tree stem. A funny vibration then emanates from the hindquarters of the animal in order to dislodge any ripe palm nuts and unsuspecting baboons high up in the foliage of the plant. All in all, the entire region has experienced some fantastic wildlife viewing this month. Sightings have ranged from two wild dog kills right in front of Savute Elephant Camp, to herds of up to a thousand head of buffalo at both Eagle Island and Khwai River Lodge. Khwai has also had numerous viewing drives where all the big cat species have been sighted; lion, leopard and cheetah. Interestingly the tiny elephant that was being looked after by a lone bull a good six months ago has been seen in the Savute area again. The youngster is now much bigger, stronger and seems to be doing well under the guidance of the obviously experienced bull. Although the leopard that drinks from the fountain in camp has not put in any 'dinner appearances', a very tenacious honey badger has. The honey badger has the attitude of a grizzly bear and much the same a nose for food. Luckily to date the small creature seems more preoccupied by the water than the kitchen - although the chef has knives, my money will be on the badger! Despite the increased water levels at Eagle Island Camp, wildlife viewing has been impressive. The motorboat activities have proved the most successful in locating the sightings. Lion, leopard and large herds of plains game have been seen up the Boro channel from camp. Birdlife at all the camps remains constant. Good sightings of a large variety of species can be recorded with reletive ease. At Savute the need for water draws birds of all shapes and sizes to the pumped water points. It is not uncommon to see thousands of cape turtledoves congregating around these spots. Within the camp the raucous behavior of Meyers parrots at the fountain is hard to miss as these beautiful birds literally clamber on one another's heads to get a drink. The organization behind Wattled crane research in the delta, Birdlife Botswana, will be sponsoring "guide of the year", Onx Manga to attend a crane workshop in Zambia. Gametrackers will once again be assisting in the research this year and the need for a trained representative in the Khwai area has been identified by the organization. Onx will be trained in crane observation, surveying, etc. and will depart on the trip in mid July. The cold has kept snake activities to a minimum. Eagle Island guides however have seen a good number of African rock pythons and recently enjoyed one especially interesting sighting. Whilst out on a walk some jackals were spotted feeding on a +/- 3 meter python. Upon observing the jackals behavior for a few minutes both guides and guests were very surprised when a herd of zebra feeding nearby chased the jackal from their kill. This action by the zebra is not quite understood, but I would expect that the zebra were merely focused on the jackal and were not even aware of the dead snake. With the exception of an increasing amount of hippo activity at night on Khwai's beautifully manicured lawns and a few baboons testing the baboon proofing at Savute, no other major problems have been reported. Usually at this time of the year the Savute Elephant Camp water hole is wall to wall of elephant consisting mostly of huge bulls. Recently however, some small breeding herds have been putting in appearances at this site. The interaction between the pachyderms at the water point is always interesting, but when the ladies and their babies are around the action really heats up. Amazingly babies are tolerated to venture right in amongst the regular giants for a drink, despite a definite pecking order between these bulls. At the slightest hint however of an adult female trying pinch a drink, all hell breaks loose and the females are challenged. This pressure on the females leads them to eventually leave the water point in order to try elsewhere or return at night when there are fewer bulls. During the month, the wild dogs at Savute have persecuted one of Africa's truly majestic African antelope - the kudu. Male kudu are huge and weigh up to 300kg while females weigh between 150kg and 200kg. Males have huge spiral horns as long as 1,5m. The kudu is a browsing (leaf eating) animal that favors scrub woodland. They also eat fruits, herds, tubers and flowers. Kudu usually mate between May and August. The animal's gestation is 9 months after which one youngster is born. Calving normally peaks in the rainy season. Kudu are incredible jumpers and can easily clear 3m; a 2m high fence would be considered more an inconvenience than a barrier. Kudu give a sharp dog like warning bark when threatened. The tsetse spraying is now into its third cycle and to date has seemed to be very successful. The numbers of flies in the Xaxaba area has dropped from more than 500 captured in a day to 1 captured in a day. A further two or three cycles are still to come in order to ensure that newly hatched flies are targeted. To date no disturbance to safari operations have been reported. Continued environmental monitoring is also being carried out in both this year and last years spray blocks. Regards Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp June Update, July 14 2002 Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp is located in Namibia. Here is the camp's June report: June was a great month for going to the Vlei. Even though winds were blowing at camp at breakneck speed, it was calm in the dunes. Weather allowed us to stay out over the afternoons and made walking in the dunes more enjoyable. Temperatures turned on a high of 37 degrees Celsius, with a low of 8 degrees Celsius. There was no recorded rainfall for this month. Trips to the dunes at Sossusvlei have been the main activity. The cooler weather resulted in an increase in numbers volunteers to try climbing "big daddy" (the largest dune). The excursion has been changed to a full-day event, with brunch in the morning, lunch under a nice shade tree after walking around to Deadvlei and then going back on a round trip to Sesriem canyon for a short walk in the cool and shady canyon. The fine weather the last month with little or no wind has made the excursion enjoyable and producing good light for photography. The afternoon sundowner drive is always popular, with Christine the ostrich paying a regular visit. Wildlife wise it is as if nature has come to life with a lot of activity in the area. Sightings of aardwolf, jackal, oryx and springbok have become common. The veldt is still in a very good condition, with the wildlife looking forward to a good season, with plenty of food. A dry and windy winter is on its way. Oilspill Averted off Kenyan Coast, July 14 2002 Hawk-eyed radar watchers at a Kenya Ports Authority lighthouse averted an ecological disaster after ordering an oil vessel out of a beach marine park. The vessel, the Mount Alam Bistari, carrying 36,000 tons of gas oil and jet fuel from Saudi Arabia, was approaching the port of Mombasa from the north coast when it was spotted inside the Bamburi Beach Marine Park. It was immediately ordered out of the conservation area. "We realized that they were too close to the coral reef and ordered them to move away to avoid running aground from an oncoming tide," an official at the lighthouse said. The radar watchers said the captain could not turn the ship near the reef and was forced to reverse the giant tanker for over three hours, causing fear and anxiety to thousands of revelers at the nearby public beach. After the long reversing exercise, the vessel headed out to the open sea, where she berthed for the night until it was cleared to offload its cargo at the Kipevu oil terminal inside the harbor. Five years ago, a 60,000-ton tanker, the Mount Sunetta, ran aground at the entrance to the port. There was an international scare for two days that she could spill her cargo into the sea. US Tourist Arrested for Taking Photos of President's House, July 14 2002 An US tourist in Zimbabwe was arrested on charges that she took photographs of President Robert Mugabe's official residence. Carol Dean Howard was detained last Sunday and released early the following Monday along with a Zimbabwean, Margaret Maria Carlisle. Both were freed after making formal statements to the police, said police spokesman Inspector Andrew Phiri. They were charged with violating Zimbabwe's Protected Places Act, and told they might be summoned to court for trial. If convicted, they could face two years' imprisonment. "Police investigations are still in progress. Should there be need for them to be taken to court they will be summoned," Phiri said. Ultimate Africa advise all travelers, wherever they may travel in Africa, to avoid taking photos of airports and government buildings to avoid a similar situation. New Cultural Experience in Nairobi, July 14 2002 Kenya's capital city, Nairobi, now offers a new cultural experience to travelers. As of last week, at 5:45 PM each afternoon (except Thursday & Friday) the Carnivore Restaurant in conjunction with a local theatrical company will present a 90 minute performance called "Winds of Change". The performance focuses on the country's history starting in the 16th century through the slave trade and colonial eras to the present day. Few tourists come to Kenya with any knowledge of its rich history and culture. "Winds of Change" educates and entertains visitors with live actors and musicians. Advanced lightning and sound technology are used to transport audience members through the major events of the last 400 years. Upon entering The Carnivore, guests will be greeted by the sounds of Africa together with a live percussive ensemble. The set design encompasses not only the stage, but reaches into audience area, creating and interactive experience. Guests will be seated at a table with the option of ordering food and beverage before the 90 minute show's commencement. The production begins with the famous "Winds of Change" speech delivered by Harold Macmillan after his tour of Africa in 1958. The main body of the show is comprised of four 'playlets'. The stories are connected in that each character represents a younger generation of the same family. The first 'playlet' tells the story of Juma, a boy of Arabic and African descent, who lived through the revolt in Faza in 1584 that witnessed the overthrow of the Portuguese rulers and the massacre that occurred upon their return. The audience then meets Awiti, a young girl who is enslaved, journeys through East Africa with the ivory slave caravan, and is finally sold to the clove farmers in Zanzibar in 1824. The story then follows her grandson, Hemedi, a slave who plays an interesting role in the negotiations between the British Consul (Kirk) and the Sultan of Oman that lead to the banning of slavery on the coast. Hemedi's journey includes a trek across East Africa with early colonials, a first hand experience of the building of the railway, and an encounter with the lions at Tsavo in 1902. Finally, his two grandchildren, Ikua and Wamaitha, bring the story to the 20th century. They witness the effects of World War 11, the struggle for Independence, the imprisoning of Jomo Kenyatta, and the effects of Mau Mau organization. The audience sees these events from the contrasting vantage points of this brother and sister. The two reunite and look to the future of Kenya with uncertainty and hope. Each of these ' playlets' is framed by East African myths using traditional arts of story telling and mask work together with live singing and dance. The show ends in time for the restaurant to open. A traditional Carnivore dinner allows most get enough time to catch their onward flight home from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Gorilla Family Splits, July 21 2002 At Bwindi in Uganda there are two families of habituated gorillas, Mubare and Habinyanja.Recently Habinyanja split, hence there are 3 habituated families that 16 travelers a day can trek to see. Gorilla permits may be booked up to 2 years in advance. Robin Pope's Weekly Wildlife Update, July 21 2002 Robin and Jo Pope operate safaris in South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Wildlife viewing has been sensational this week - lion mating, leopard at Nsefu and Tena Tena, Robin and his walking clients near Camp 2 observing a lion pride with the remains of a buffalo kill, teeny lion cubs playing on a log, ground hornbills, striped polecats, a record number of squirrels, tawny eagles, Tena Tena and Kim's first experience driving guests to Kawaza Village and Jason's hidden lagoon saga in the Nsefu Sector! In addition I must say that there was lots of commotion at Nkwali last night! A large bull elephant trapped Nkwali guests inside the bar and away from their waiting dinner table! He was munching around the bar taking his time to enjoy his own evening meal and would not move! There was much grunting and burping to be heard, and late at night once everyone was able to get to their dinner and safely tucked up in their chalets, much branch snapping and movement - there were many eles in camp and they made SUCH a lot of noise! Fresh ele droppings all over the place this morning - lovely!! Last week Robin came across one of the biggest baobab trees he's ever seen in the South Luangwa! He was up along the Mupamadzi River to survey the road leading into the mobile camps and to site a new camp. The baobab overlooks the Lundu Plain on the southern side of the Mupamadzi River. It measured 28 yards in diameter with an enormous room in the center! There were 3 extrusive beehives attached to the tree - keeping guard over it and preventing anyone from getting too close. It was a very impressive sight! Robin said that along the Mupamadzi there were lots of buffalo and lion tracks. He saw eland and lots of small game in the area. At Tena Tena Ross spotted 13 leopard in 11 night drives! On Saturday night Ross was out admiring the sight of a leopard hunting a puku antelope followed by 3 lion. He also saw 2 honeybadger's digging in the sand, 3 porcupine, lots and lots of civet and genet and a Pel's fishing owl to top it all off! On another occasion Robin, who has been spending the last few days up at Tena Tena, watched a leopard hunting baboons. I spent last weekend at Tena Tena with some Australian friends and one night as we were driving with Ross, my friend Robert was holding the spotlight whilst I made the comment in the back about how I would just love to see a leopard. As though we were in the middle of a perfectly stage-managed performance, Robert's spotlight fell on a stunning male leopard as he emerged from the bushes and began walking along the edge of a dry lagoon. We sat admiring him pass in front of us until he disappeared from sight. Robert turned the spotlight back to where the male entered, stage left, and a female leopard then repeated the process and gracefully followed the same path as the male until she came to lie down under a large sausage tree. Quite a lovely sight to witness a mating pair. Five minutes later we came across honeybadgers digging once again! The following morning, just behind Tena Tena, our vehicle swung around a large termite mound and arrived at the scene of mating lions in the middle of business. Nsefu's week has also been full of surprises. Lots of Pel's Fishing Owl (Jason's favorite!) including four spotted in one night. In camp last night he could clearly see a leopard on one side of the bar and six lion on the other! I wonder if he then poured himself a double whisky?! This camp is such a gem - it just looks better every year and Jason & Buffy are doing a superb job. Last year visitors will remember an enormous sandy beach that stretched a long way out from camp towards the bend in the river, a perfect spot to sit at the end of the day and watch the sun turn red over the horizon. It only took one rainy season to dispense with all of that! The river changed its course ever-so-slightly by moving the beach to the other side of the river, leaving a new vertical riverbank drop from the grass down to the water below where once there was a gradual decline onto the sand! It didn't take long to get over it with Buffy's wonderful champagne and pate sundowner special - my Australian friends, fresh to Zambia, were quite literally breath taken with the beauty of the Nsefu sunset experience! Zimbabwe Expects More Tourists, July 21 2002 Tourists from the United Kingdom are expected in Zimbabwe in coming months, as a result of a visit to the country by a group of UK-based tour operators. The group was brought by Meikles Africa Hotels Limited, which is at present carrying out a major awareness and promotion campaign for itself and for Zimbabwean tourism in the UK through its newly-appointed London-based public relations consultancy, Millennium PR. The touring party, who traveled to Zimbabwe for six days, visited Victoria Falls and Harare, where Meikles Africa Hotels operates two leading hospitality establishments, The Victoria Falls Hotel and Meikles Hotel. Roy Meiring, chief executive of Meikles, said the visit had been very successful and the operators had left fully convinced that the destination was safe for international visitors. Kenya Airways Launches Two More Flights to South Africa, July 21 2002 Kenya Airways has introduced two more flights between Nairobi and Johannesburg. The Tuesday and Friday night flights push the airline's weekly flights to nine. Previously, the airline operated daily return flights to the South African city. The inaugural flight was on Tuesday. Last week, South African Airways announced two additional flights between Nairobi and Johannesburg. SAA currently operates a daily flight. The new flights will be on Friday and Sunday. Elephant Back Safaris Come to South Africa, July 28 2002 South Africa's Kapama Private Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province will soon offer elephant-back safaris to guests staying at one of the camps within the Reserve. The Reserve will offer a four-day "elephant experience" package which affords guests an interactive experience with the herd, including being involved in looking after the elephants. Possible Zimbabwe Airport Departure Tax Increase, July 28 2002 Several sources have indicated that from August 1, 2002 Zimbabwe's airport departure tax will increase from US $20 per person to US $30 per person. There is also word of an internal US $5 per person departure tax. We have yet to have these rumors verified by officials. Gorillas Killed in Rwanda, July 28 2002 Two adult female mountain gorillas have been killed and a three-year-old youngster taken captive in an attack on the slopes of the Virunga mountain ranges in Rwanda. A male was also killed as it tried to defend the group and a youngster was found suckling from its dead mother the next day. Two suspects have been arrested. There are only 650 mountain gorillas left. Human Diseases may be spreading to Wildlife, July 28 2002 Fears are growing that ecotourism could be harming wildlife by spreading human diseases to wild animals. Three outbreaks of tuberculosis among mongooses and meerkats in Botswana have been cited in a recent research study as an example. The study also notes the appearance of human intestinal parasites in rare mountain gorillas in East Africa where the animals are subject to intense interest from tourists. Light Aircraft Grounded As Fuel Shortage Hits Kenya, July 28 2002 Some 200 light airplanes have been grounded in Kenya following a severe shortage of aviation gasoline. The month-old scarcity will continue until the next shipment arrives in Mombasa next week. The shortage of aviation gasoline, used in light aircraft, was blamed on a problem with the refinery in Abu Dhabi, from where local oil companies get their supplies. However, the supply for Jet A1 fuel, used in heavy commercial aircraft, was said to be normal. A source at Total Kenya confirmed that the fuel would be available from next week. "We have fresh stocks in the country. There is a ship loaded with the cargo in Mombasa," the source said. The chairman of the Aero Club of East Africa, Mr Harro Trempenau, said the shortage had hit tourism, with several visitors being stranded because of lack of air transport. KLM Conducts Fleet Renewal Program, July 28 2002 KLM Royal Dutch airlines has announced an extensive renewal program for its intercontinental fleet. The airline is committing hundreds of millions of Euros in aircraft that will meet KLM's needs for the next 15 years. As part of the renewal, KLM will replace its intercontinental fleet made up of twelve Boeing 747-300s, ten MD-11s and twelve Boeing 767s with a combination of Boeing 777-200 Extended Range (ER) jets and Airbus A330-200s. KLM Vice President for Fleet Development Jan Witsenboer has hailed the renewal program. According to him, the timing is ideal because since there is little demand for aircraft right now, prices are low. . Foreign Visitors to SA Increase, July 28 2002 More foreign travelers visited South Africa from January to May this year compared to the same period last year, according to South African Tourism spokeswoman Liz Sheridan. "The growth boom seen to date in 2002 has been driven by arrivals from the UK, US and Europe," Sheridan explained. South African Airways Posts Profit, July 28 2002 South African Airways (SAA) has posted one of the biggest turnarounds of its financial life, moving back into the black with a profit of R553 million (US $55 million) for 2001-02 against a headline loss of almost R1 billion (US $100 million) previously. The turnaround came against a backdrop of turmoil in the global aviation market in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. SAA CEO Andre Viljoen said the airline managed to buck the trend by managing its currency risk, growing revenue, improving yields, maintaining passenger volumes and increasing fares. "Over the past months, while everyone focused on the gloomy outlook for the airline industry, we quietly realigned our structures, improved our operations and customer service and embarked on a program to renew our fleet," he said. Viljoen said this all formed part of the airline's strategy of "perfecting the basics" which aimed to set it on course of sustainable profits. Looking ahead, Viljoen said SAA had now established a good platform from which to grow in the future. SAA would soon have the most modern fleet on the continent, positioning it as the major airline player in Africa. Malawi's Tourism Industry Registers Growth, July 28 2002 The tourism industry in Malawi has registered significant growth in tourist arrivals contrary to fears that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US would negatively affect international arrivals. According to the Malawi Ministry of tourism the industry has registered a 17% increase of international tourist arrivals from 227,600 to 266,300 tourists within the last two years. The United Kingdom and Ireland continued to generate the bulk of international tourists followed by other European countries such as Germany, Holland and Italy. Robin Pope Safaris Weekly Update, July 28 2002 Robin and Jo Pope are two of Zambia's most respected lodge / camps owners. Here is their weekly update from the bush: The cold snap of winter finished quite suddenly last week with long pants and shoes normally worn during the day cast off to hide in the wardrobes! One can almost dispense with long sleeves at night too! The Natal Mahoganies are flowering early and the wildlife is starting to move down to the river and to the lagoons with water remaining in them. The sky is hazy and everything is drying up! There is also that distinctive smell of the warmer, dry months in the air once more. Fishing parties are forming again! The wonderful sight of a large number of water birds feeding off the fish stranded in water that is drying up. We are beginning to see yellowbill stork, Marabou stork, spoonbills and egrets congregating around these waterways. Sometimes there are huge flocks lining the water edge and it quickly becomes a feeding frenzy - a photographer's delight! Apparently the eastern white pelican has not been seen yet. They are localized migrants and will appear soon. A more amusing story from John and Ross during a Tena Tena night drive recently. A civet was seen killing a spitting black cobra - the wriggling snake was almost dead by the time the troops arrived on the scene. Once it was finally dead the civet moved off with the snake in its jaws. A remarkable sight in itself! After a snake dies it takes a while before the muscles stop contracting so the body continues to slither and move...giving it the appearance of being very much alive and dangerous! So it happened that this snake's body curled over a log as the civet was making off with it. Noticing the movement, the startled civet dropped the snake, let out a loud bark in fright and ran off into the bush! What a waste of a good meal! We've had a spate of excellent sightings over the past month and it looks set to continue. However what we don't want is the formation of a universal impression that a stay with Robin Pope Safaris will guarantee excellent lion and leopard.....so we are not going to talk about them for a while! Before this self-imposed censorship begins I cannot resist sharing a report from Nsefu by my friend David from Sydney, on his first visit to Africa, of the remarkable sighting of a pride of 18 lion up at the salt pan! Over half of the pride were cubs and it made the most fantastic sighting. And according to Robin the "good old days" have returned to Tena Tena with the rise in leopard numbers seen in the area - in one day last week he saw five! Speaking of David's first ever visit to the African bush...his experiences remind me of why we are all here! From the moment he disembarked the plane his enthusiasm for everything was patently obvious...he marveled about everything he saw, smelt, tasted and heard! I just loved watching how a long-suffering urban creature adapts to the wilderness! It was what he expected but much more and as each day went past the boundless energy and excitement evolved into peaceful thought and total immersion with nature. He walked a lot (including a walk from Nsefu to Tena Tena passing about 300 buffalo watching him), he bounced around the Park in our wildlife viewing vehicles, he spent a whole day at Kawaza Village soaking up Zambian local culture and he met lots of guests and staff with whom he engaged in conversation. It was a pleasure to witness somebody making the most of every moment, enjoying it all and admitting at the end that it was a 'life changing experience'! As David said "you couldn't do anything BUT have a great time here"! Paul Joynson Hicks came to photograph our camps last year for our new brochure. He so loved the South Luangwa and Robin Pope Safaris that he convinced me that we should do a book together. He returned in October for 3 weeks to take lots of wildlife shots. During the rainy season we had a number editing meetings (in Hampshire, UK, in Cape Town, then in Dar es Salaam and finally back in the Valley!) And now I have 3 advance copies of the final product on my desk. Sooooooooooo exciting. I am delighted with the outcome. A coffee table book with 156 pages of superb photographs. No one here believe that he took so many great shots in just 3 weeks! We called the book "Safari Dreaming". The 5,000 copies are on the high seas from Singapore at the moment but when we have them I will advise you how to order one! Now on to Mike's July 17, 2002 report - quite a wildlife drive. "We set out on our afternoon drive with the excellent guide, Jacob, and his trust spotter "Hawk-eyes" Fanton. We headed towards the stork colony area for the promise of sundowners watching giraffe. En route we saw buffalo (being chased by a young bull elephant!) and the rarely seen Pel's fishing owl (our 4th in 3 nights). While sipping gin and tonics and watching the giraffe, as promised, we heard an explosion of noise from a troop of baboons. We then saw two hyenas approaching the plains to investigate the commotion. Jacob assured us that there must be a leopard around so we climbed back into the vehicle, drinks in hand, and went to inspect the gulley running through the plain. Sure enough, Fanton found our leopard lying in the gulley with it's jaws around an unlucky impala's neck. The leopard then began to eat the impala as a hyena paced up and down the bank of the gully. After missing the leopard twice, the hyena stopped, turned and caught sight of it's target. It quickly approached and the leopard fled further along the gulley. After a hearty meal, the hyena walked away from the carcass. The leopard then seized the opportunity to return for more, but didn't get a chance to take a bite before it was spotted and chased away by the hyena. The leopard tried this strategy several more times, with more hyena approaching on the scene. Every time the leopard was chased away, once even up a tree. In the end the four hyena finished off the impala, while the leopard had to make do with the intestines left in the gulley. To add to this amazing scene, Fanton spotted a second leopard across the plain. But since we were already late for dinner, we didn't hang around for the adventures of this one. What a night!" Tena Tena reports.... " ......Crystal and John had a wonderful drive with Ross seeing 3 leopard, 4 lion on a zebra kill and a striped polecat. The polecat is a very rare sighting (editor Jo - I cannot remember when one was last seen). However, Ross did not see it, only the guests but after long discussion with the books out it had to be a polecat! Kim was driving guests to Kawaza Village and experienced her first elephant mock charge - handled with cool, calm expertise of course but she had to wait 20 minutes for the elephant and her little calf to move off the road. Then around they corner they came across Robin and his guests blocked by 3 lioness and a cub basking in the middle of the road. So a late arrival at the village but well worth the delay. All thoroughly enjoyed the day at the village and Kim proved to a be an expert hip wriggler with the dancing ladies (according to Lawrence, the Tena Tena chef, who witnessed it!). But to cap it all......Daudi was walking guests from Tena Tena to Nsefu. The walkers spotted 2 male lions lying near Lunga Lagoon. After watching them the walkers moved on. A group of impala ran toward the lion and one was grabbed. Only the legs of the impala could be seen so the walkers quickly climbed a large anthill from where they could see the whole scene. As they were quietly watching, two hippo chasing each other ran towards them, passing by at 50 meters. With no where to go the walkers just watched from their anthill. Much excitement! And a lioness was seen an hour later. Quite a walk!" And there is more - what a week of kills. Jason A, staying at a bushcamp, reported that their quiet campfire drink was interrupted by a scuffle and distinctive strangling noises. Putting on a spotlight, they saw a male leopard with a young puku....close....very close...20 meters from the fire. The night was spent listening to the noises of ripping and crunching! Robin's first mobile of the season was rewarded with a story unfolding. On the third afternoon the walkers saw a large herd of buffalo near the camp. During the night the lions were nearby, calling loudly. Then the sounds of a buffalo kill was clearly heard. The next morning Robin tracked the buffalo for quite a while and started to feel that they would not find the lions. Suddenly there was lion spore over the buffalo tracks and they saw a tawny eagle dropping into the bushes. The group, very very slowly and very very quietly creeped through the bushes and saw 4 lioness with 3 cubs feeding on the kill. By the next morning, there was only a skeleton left. All the guest said how exciting is was to have such a build up to the scene. I could give you more but enough of kills...... Marcus from Nkwali finally saw the new cubs of the Chichele pride - 3 tiny miniature lions emerged from a bush. After playing with mum's tail they endlessly tried to climb over a small log and continuously fell off - much to the amusement of the guests. And the pride that live behind Nkwali have been feeding on a buffalo or hippo 100 meters from Matthew and Sara's house. The game drives have seen the lions drinking at the river - from the opposite bank. After a few days Matthew mentioned to me that he had been hearing lots of hyena activity at night. I said - well not surprising - there is a lion kill near you. He had no idea - "thanks for telling me" - and looked rather sheepish that we all knew and he did not! Robin has put a new road from Camp 3 on the Mupamadzi, across the Lundu plain, to be used on the journey out of the area. Driving through the open plain with the early morning light touching the golden grass is a beautiful experience. And there is the baobab. Jeffery has already told you about it - 27 meters in circumference, 9.3 meters in diameter - it is a HUGE tree. The guests are all coming back saying it is quite the most awe inspiring sight. And a few have said it is a "religious" experience. I am going to have to drive there to see it but you have to brave the bees from the 5 huge bee hives in the branches. Jan, an American who was with us a couple of years ago, was the first guest to spend a week at Kawaza Village. She had a truly wonderful time enjoying daily village life preparing nashima, fetching water, working with the children at school and evenings around the campfire singing, dancing and story telling. Now she is busy planning her next trip! The "Brigadoon Lagoon" saga at Nsefu.....Jason is adamant that there are two beautiful lagoons around the Hidden Lagoons area behind Nsefu. He has walked in the area this year a few times trying to find them but has failed! Much to the amusement of the staff he has now asked Lameck, on of our tea bearers, to help him. But each time Jason comes back from the area he has an excuse....:well I am sure we were walking in the right direction but our efforts were thwarted when we came across a fantastic herd of elephant so had to detour!". Yeah yeah - sure J. And a few short ones.....the lioness who was darted to remove the snare at Tena Tena is doing well. And her cub is still with her..... and the male who was de-snared last year is in the same pride and is busily mating away! Nothing wrong with him..... Robin also saw a ground hornbill coming out of a hold in a tree - possibly doing a recce for a nesting site. We will keep an eye on the whole.....and the Nkwali guests were trapped in the bar for a long time the other night, delaying dinner, as a huge male elephant nonchalantly hung around - feeding on a bush. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
