ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive July 2003 Star of Africa Zambia Update, July 6 2003 Star of Africa is Zambia's premier tour operator. Here is an update from them: Lorraine and I drove to Lechwe Plains in the Lochinvar National Park with our Touring Team - Jono, Liz and Courtney. On arrival we could not believe the size of the Chunga Lagoon located in front of the camp and the sheer mass of birds in the surrounding area. We received a very warm welcome from Petros and his team and had a very comfortable and enjoyable stay at the camp. We went out on a wonderfully relaxing afternoon trip in the mokoros and saw more birds than we could count as well as very large water monitors and lots of lechwe. The sunset that evening was one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen in all my years living in Africa with the most incredible medley of colors. The following morning we went out on an early walk in the Park with Petros, discovering many interesting trees, insects, birds and smaller game species along the way. Kenneth, our chef at Lechwe treated us to some wonderful food…stuffed roast beef, assorted vegetables and mashed potatoes followed by steamed pudding with chocolate sauce for dinner and fresh muffins, eggs, bacon and sausages for breakfast…all cooked in a traditional bush oven - a hole in the ground! Last week Petros has reported a sighting of 180 wattled cranes and 200 crowned cranes in one group - an absolutely amazing site and a new record for us at Lechwe. The wattled crane is an endangered species with only 200 in the whole of Southern Africa so it was something really special. Lorraine and I had a wonderful stay at Kulefu Tented Camp where we were well looked after by Mark, Robyn and Morad - one of our guides who has been with Kulefu for a number of years. Once again we were treated to wonderful meals and activities, the highlight being an early morning canoe trip with Morad finishing up with a delicious bush breakfast a couple of hours downstream. Lorraine and I also went out for a sunset cruise on the river and had an exciting night drive with Morad, discovering various nocturnal animals as well as learning a lot about the moon and the stars. Recently a group of clients at Kulefu saw 3 different leopards - the highlight of their trip - one ONE drive! Another group at Kulefu tracked a group of wild dog on their drive yesterday and much to their delight watched them take on a pride of lions! Not something one would see every day. Mark Rowe-Roberts reports that there are a lot of buffalo and elephants in the area and fishing is still quite good… The Camp is looking really great at the moment with new soft furnishings in the lounge and dining room area. Over the next couple of months we will be bringing in more soft furnishings and upgrading other areas of the camp. Our new boat has just arrived… Lorraine and I spent a wonderfully relaxing 3 nights with Mark at Chichele and were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived! Champagne and snacks were delivered to our room on arrival, followed by a sumptuous dinner on the verandah. During our game drives we had some wonderful encounters with 2 different prides of lionesses and cubs, both prides within 100 meters of the lodge! Botha, our guide during our stay, took us out on a very interesting walk in the area with a National Parks scout….we saw lots of puku, giraffe, elephants and hippo on this walk as well as discovering some wonderful facts about the birds, trees and insects we came across. Some feedback from clients who stayed at Chichele in May - "a world class safari lodge in one the richest game viewing areas in Southern Africa." During our stay in South Luangwa, Mark took us on a site visit to Puku Ridge Tented Camp (which is being built). The camp is progressing along nicely and is going to be superb when it opens. The rooms are absolutely enormous - 12 meters by 6 meters with huge teak verandahs. The view from the rooms is truly breathtaking looking out over green floodplains absolutely teaming with zebra, puku and numerous other antelope. On numerous occasions lion and leopard have been spotted out on the plains. Lorraine and I finished up our trip with an evening at Sussi and Chuma where we were well looked after by Justice, Tendai and their team. Amon, our guide took us out on an interesting afternoon game drive in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park where we saw wildebeest, buffalo, impala, waterbuck, zebra and more giraffe than I have seen in my life time! We finished up our drive with sundowners on the edge or the Zambezi River, watching the sun set over the river. We had a wonderful dinner of roast beef and fresh vegetables followed by a delicious marshmallow dessert. The following day Lorraine and I did some shopping in Livingstone town before heading off to the airport for Lorraine's departing flight on Nationwide. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, July 6 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Up at Tena Tena Camp this week I was surprised by Jacob, one of the waiters with breakfast on my veranda which was a real treat. As I breakfasted on scrambled eggs and coffee I sat watching a yellow billed stork trying to manage his first meal of the day. The stork had caught a large fish in the lagoon behind the camp which measured longer than his bill. Mission accomplished you would think - but no - the business of actually killing the fish proved somewhat difficult. The stork proceeded to flap around trying to kill the fish and kept dropping it into the lagoon and then quickly managing to grab it again - this happened about 5 times until finally the stork swallowed the fish whole after a 20 minute fight. Later in the day I took a drive around the area and came across lots of game including giraffe, buffalo, elephants and various different antelope. Cats were elusive but probably sleeping in the shade as anyone other than a mad Englishwoman should have been doing. However, the next day Ross had to drop a guest at another camp and as he passed by the salt pan came across a pride of 15 lion on a fresh buffalo kill - of course I had decided to be lazy and stay in bed and therefore missed the spectacle. I went out for sundowners that evening and on the way back to camp saw a pair of hyenas munching on a bone and a white tailed mongoose. There is always something to see. Stay well and have a great week, Cheers - Kim Duba Plains Tented Camp June Update, July 6 2003 Duba Plains Tented Camp is located in Botswana's famed Okavango Delta and is reputed to have the highest density of lion in Africa. Here is the camp's June update: The average minimum temperature was 11°C and the maximum 28°C. June saw several overcast days result in a very unseasonal 2mm of rain. The Okavango flood waters stabilized way below levels of the previous few years allowing us access to many more areas we do not normally reach during the flood season. The best news is we are able to reach the Paradise area again. Our first two crossing to Paradise proved extremely productive with a cheetah on a bushbuck kill, a big male leopard, the four Skimmer Male lions, a Cape clawless otter and pangolin being sighted. Other highlights of the Paradise area included a big herd of waterbuck (only area to see them at Duba), many huge crocodiles and large pods of hippo. The cheetah seen at Paradise has surprisingly remained in the Duba area, successfully managing to out maneuver the lions and hyenas. A total of six sightings were enjoyed with the cheetah relaxing down more and more during each encounter. Lets hope she sticks around. The hyena pups are growing up fast with the older individuals joining the adults on their nightly foraging. Their inexperience and lack of confidence shows as soon as a lion is spotted far off in the distance, they choose to take off at high speed in the opposite direction. Elephant numbers are on the increase resulting in many wonderful hours being spent watching the amusing antics of the calves attempting to imitate the adults. The usual host of nocturnal creatures was encountered, with one highlight being the Pantry Pride cubs at play with a pangolin rolled up into its defensive ball. This frustrated the cubs far too much to continue with the game, eventually getting bored and leaving it alone. As usual the lions have provided us with many hours of fantastic game viewing. The lions were encountered on everyday of the month including 79 different pride sightings. We averaged 17 lions per day, tracking down 44 of the 53 lions during June. One may notice our total has risen from 49 to 53 individuals, this due to a Skimmer female finally bringing out some cubs. They were seen on the last day of the month, across the Paradise lagoon. Unfortunately they were some ways off, so we could not be sure if there were any more cubs or not. We presume these four cubs belong to one lioness, so here's hoping more will appear during July. Only four of the six Skimmer lionesses have been accounted for, perhaps the remaining two will appear with little ones in tow. Surprisingly one of the three-year-old lionesses was seen mating with the Paradise Males, whether she will actually conceive at such an early age, remains to be seen. The Skimmer Males have provided us with some fine viewing. For the first time in many months they were actually located with three of the lionesses from their natal pride. This was short lived as the Paradise Males saw them the very same day. The Skimmer Males appear to be gaining in confidence, resulting in many more sightings of them, always looking well fed and in perfect shape. One fantastic sighting saw the Skimmer Males attack the younger Tsaro Males, managing to isolate one of them and giving him a hiding he would not forget in a hurry. The Skimmer Males have certainly made inroads with the Tsaro lionesses and were once again seen mating with one of the older lionesses. We're expecting many more of the Tsaro lionesses to come into season, hopefully this time most of them will conceive within a few months of each other. The Tsaro Males were not encountered for the last two weeks of June, ever since the Skimmer Males attacked them. This comes as no surprise. At four years of age they should be well on their way to a nomadic life style, until they are big and strong enough to challenge for their own territory. The five males have a very strong bond so should remain together to form an awesome coalition in a couple of years time. With the males away, the demand for food has significantly been reduced, allowing the Tsaro lionesses to focus their attention on hunting warthog. Having said that, the viewing highlight of the Tsaro lionesses had to be them chasing the buffalo herd through a shallow flood plain. With all the confusion, eight lionesses jumped on six buffalo of varying sizes. The buffalo herd returned to help the captured individuals, successfully rescuing three adult buffalo. This left the lions with two calves and a sub adult buffalo to feast upon. The Duba Boys were seen regularly, mostly trailing the Pantry pride or buffalo herd. They no longer get involved in any form of hunting, but prefer to scavenge from their lionesses. They continue to patrol their territory frequently, but only challenged their young sons, the Tsaro Males. One occasion saw the Tsaro Males successfully kill a female buffalo and her calf. The Pantry pride soon arrived, but nervously paced up and down in the distance. The Duba Boys came rushing in from nowhere, scattering the young males. One Tsaro Male attempted to stand up to Dad and received a severe beating for his efforts. Much to the satisfaction of the Pantry pride, they gained a free meal. Most hunting sequences witnessed during June involved more than one pride of lionesses or coalition of male lions. Early June saw the Pantry pride following the buffalo near our staff village. They successfully brought down a buffalo calf and then a young bull buffalo, only for the Tsaro Males to arrive and distract the Pantry pride from finishing off the bull. The buffalo herd saw their opportunity and returned to bravely rescue the bull. The Pantry lionesses showed lots of confidence as soon as the Duba Boys turned up, successfully chasing the Tsaro Males off into the distance. The Pantry pride do know their limits however and were seen jumping on a buffalo close to the edge of their territory. The buffalo managed to fend them off and rejoin the herd, now in the Tsaro prides territory. The adult lionesses immediately retreated, leaving the inexperienced cubs to continue the hunt. The cubs soon realized they had no adult support and ran back yelping their frustrations at their mothers. A very wise decision as within minutes the nine Tsaro lionesses arrived, successfully killing a buffalo calf in the shallow water. Still no sign of the Old Vumbura pride who must be experiencing successful hunting further to the north. With the lower flood levels, hopefully we will be able to reach their territory towards the latter part of the year. Hollywood (male lion) is wisely laying low and was not encountered this month. The coming months are going to be extremely exciting with the potential arrival of many little cubs, even more territorial clashes between all the males and then between the various prides hunting the same herd of buffalo. Not to mention the cheetah, hyena den, increasing elephant numbers and the return of the migratory birds later in the season. Vumbura Tented Camp Update, July 6 2003 Vumbura Tented Camp is located in Botswana's famed Okavango Delta and offers great water and land wildlife and activities. Here is the camp's June update: Dr John Scollard ,a Vumbura guest, noted (sitting around the early winters' morning fire) "being in this place is like having a dialysis of the soul". Dr Scollard and his wife Diane, also a PhD., are preparing to write a book and it seems that Vumbura has been the catalyst that has enabled them to start the work which makes us here at Vumbura very proud indeed. June has been, for us the staff, a memorable month. Guests have experienced magnificent sightings each day in this corner of the wilderness. How to choose certain highlights when each day has been spectacular! Perhaps to mention a few. In all the safety briefings we have given we not only talk about safety in walking to and from the tents in the evening with the guide, but also what to do in the event of meeting dangerous animals during the day. In all my time in he camps, guests have only ever encountered ele's during the day. June was different, as the Vumbura pride often visited the camp (on six occasions coming into the lodge surrounds during breakfast and moving through the camp). On two occasions we abandoned breakfast and followed them on vehicles to witness the stalk and the kill of a buffalo. On another occasion, guests on a three day stay here saw the pride kill two buffaloes at one hunt, followed by a leopard killing a tsetsebe and sorry for this, the two Vumbura brothers (the big males), killing a zebra. Along side this action was the sighting of a relaxed caracal, two honey badgers, and a sighting of two other leopards not to mention the large grazing herds that are occupying the plains at the moment. I nearly forgot the aardvark! Fortunate guests from England, whilst preparing tea on "Same Day" Island, during a break on morning's the mokoro safari, were surrounded by the ten lions who were busy hunting in the channels for lechwe. The guides, gathered the guests at an anthill and the two parties observed each other in silence, the lions with apparent curiosity and the guests with anticipation of the others' private thoughts. The lions ran off to carry on with their hunt for an appetizing meal. The guides explained that at no time did they feel threatened. Our pack of wild dogs are in the area, the female happily and thankfully for us, very pregnant. This bodes well for good wild dog sightings in the months to come. Seven wattled cranes were sited together in the vicinity of the mopani bridge. Our cheetah made themselves visible with regularity as did another small pride of lions with three month old cubs, occupying the area near our hippo pools. South African guests sited a pangolin on one of their trips and two purple galinules on the river, apparently, these birds are really common in India, but here it was a choice sighting. Guests coming in from the airstrip are treated to huge herds of zebra, wildebeest and tsessebe, on the open flood plains. The flood has started to arrive with the flood plains starting to deepen under water. It does not appear that it will be a huge flood but at least the flora and fauna relying on the water will now be content. Temperatures are at 10 degrees minimum and 25 degrees maximum. Vumbura is a happy place, as I write this our waitresses and barladys at the lodge are busy singing away and laughing amongst each other. Yes its great to be here. Kind regards - Roger Gibbs Farm Safaris July Update, July 13 2003 Gibbs Farm Safaris are a tour operator in northern Tanzania. Here is their July update: The past few months have presented a challenge for those involved in the East African region with reports of terrorist threats resulting in government advisories against travel. The safety and welfare of our guests is always our first priority. Fortunately these threats have not materialized and British Airways has resumed flights into Nairobi. They also fly into Dar es Salaam and had not suspended those flights. Fairly strong advisories remain in effect by both the UK and US governments telling potential visitors to be aware of their surroundings and the possibility of danger. Here in northern Tanzania the situation is totally peaceful and normal. There has not been any recorded terrorist activity to date and we can't think of a safer, more sublime place to be than in one of our national parks. Last January Gibb's Farm Safaris had the pleasure of hosting celebrated UK travel writer Brian Jackman and his wife Anabel. They toured northern Tanzania with senior guide Nigel Perks and a good time was had by all. We agree with Brian's assessment that a terrorist attack is least likely to occur in the bushveld. Today's sophisticated traveler has to weigh the risks involved in the wake of increasing global uncertainty. As travel professionals we have the responsibility to provide our clients with the best experience we are able to, coupled with our honest knowledge of the local situation. At this writing Nigel is still in the bush! He's been having a fabulous time with his clients on back-to-back safaris since the middle of March. On a brief stop at Gibb's Farm he did tell us about a picnic lunch he had planned for one group out at Moru Kopjes that was disappointing in the event that when they arrived at the planned spot on the 'Gong Rocks' it was already occupied ~ by a pride of lions! Needless to say they lunched elsewhere. Hoopoe Safaris July Update, July 13 2003 Hoopoe Safaris is an east African tour operator. Here is their latest update: Hoopoe's third community based tourism project (CBT) has commenced in Silela, just north of Tanzania's Lake Manyara on the way to Lake Natron. This beautiful forest is an important elephant corridor into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCAA). The partnership was a joint effort between Hoopoe, the Silela village community, and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). Silela joins Olmolog in West Kilimanjaro and Oloipiri in the far northeastern Serengeti (Loliondo) as villages in partnership with Hoopoe in eco-tourism projects. In all three cases, the villages give concessionary terms to their extensive land to Hoopoe to develop for tourism. In Loliondo and West Kilimanjaro, this has taken the form of a semi-permanent, luxury tented camps. Community based tourism earnings are becoming very important for the communities we and others have engaged. Silela is an easy add on to almost any safari that takes in the Rift Valley area. The key activity here is walking in the thick ground water forest along elephant trails. Most of the forest can be walked in a day and more often than not this is combined with fly camping either just above the forest or alternatively at the top of the rift valley wall. Over a two-day itinerary clients can also visit local Maasai bomas and extend the walking as well as combine mountain biking or horse riding back to Kirurumu or even onto Gibb's farm, towards Ngorongoro Crater. The African Wildlife Foundation is active in working with communities with regards to conservation. One project seeks to secure wildlife dispersal areas and an elephant migration corridor from Amboseli in Kenya to Kilimanjaro and Arusha National parks in Tanzania. Our small seasonal tented camp (10 beds) has been a great success and walks to see the magnificent tuskers (elephants) in the area have become the hallmark of West Kili. Gerenuks in herds of up to 12 individuals are frequently seen, with a few sightings of the elusive lesser kudu. Recently a leopard walked close to camp in broad daylight and lion are becoming more and more evident. Loliondo Camp in the northeastern Serengeti is becoming increasingly popular. Lion have been sighted both from vehicles and on foot and some magnificent nomadic male lions from the Lobo area have been roaming the area. A lioness gave birth to cubs in a cave close to camp where she stayed until the cubs were big enough to join the pride. Walking and night game drives and observing the nearby hippo pool have been the most popular activities. Cheetah and leopard sightings are on the increase. A background to Community Based Tourism and its context in Tanzania's development is important to understand. CBT gives local people the chance to engage directly in tourism and unlock new communal and individual opportunities from a potentially powerful growth sector of the national economy. 75% of the Tanzania population live in rural areas and therefore natural resource management is fundamentally important to economic growth and poverty reduction. Environmental management is determined by the ability of the government through various institutions to control and manage natural resources. Historically this has not been a people driven process and a colonial heritage saw the beginning of the alienation of large tracts of land for parks and game reserves at the expense of the local residents who were often translocated or displaced to less favorable areas. In the 1970's during the socialist era, laws governing wildlife were firmly entrenched with few provisions for community participation or benefit. In the early 1990's the government started working on new policies that were supposed to change the direction of Wildlife and Natural resource policies by giving the people more secure rights to land and wildlife and natural resources. "It is essential to the future of wildlife conservation in Tanzania that local communities who live amongst the wildlife should derive direct benefit from it." Wildlife Sector Review Task Force, Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment, 1995. However an inordinate amount of time has passed without any change in the status quo. At this point it is useful to chart the last three decades whilst remembering that although very large areas of Tanzania are given over to conservation of wildlife and that parks have been very successful in conserving most animals there has been an underlying weakness in Government policy as the human population of the country expands and competition for natural resources has intensified. Large tracts of land outside the National parks and protected areas are vital to the long- term survival of wildlife as they act as dispersal areas and migration corridors. These areas are populated and villagers have benefited little from being the de facto custodians of wildlife on their lands. The Government has managed wildlife outside parks taking trophy hunting fees and deciding how wildlife should be utilized without considering the villager as the primary stakeholder and beneficiary of wildlife resources. The 1970's and the 1980's witnessed the wholesale slaughter of once huge elephant and rhino populations and the carnage swept the country both within and without the protected areas and often the people on the ground entrusted with conserving wildlife aided and abetted and profited from the slaughter. The last decade has seen wildlife come under more intense pressure than ever before although the elephant population has made a remarkable recovery after the success of the CITES agreement banning world-wide trade in ivory. The larger mammal population in the Northern Tanzania rangelands has become greatly depleted and in some areas by as much as 80%. This is adequate demonstration that there is a serious conservation problem with many facets to it. These include widespread bush meat poaching an trade, poorly controlled resident hunting & habitat loss to an ever-expanding human population. People are pursuing agriculture in marginal semi-arid areas. The division of existing hunting blocks in Game Controlled Areas which effectively almost doubled the number of hunting blocks for sport hunting since the 1980's may be a contributing factor. Legal hunting takes place on village land but the benefits accruing to the villagers are minimal. The migratory herbivores such as zebra, wildebeest and eland in the Tarangire eco-system have reduced by at least 30% or more, and possibly 50% in the last decade. One of the main culprits is the uncontrolled bush meat trade that feeds the Tanzanite mines of Mererani on the edge of the Maasai steppe and the urban areas such as Arusha. Habitat loss has seen a loss of 30% of the Tarangire rangelands to agriculture as population growth and pressure from migrants from the crowded Arusha area move to the Simanjaro area. To add insult to injury easy access to the Simanjaro area from urban areas such as Arusha means that resident hunters are taking a large toll of wildlife. Licences are issued at District level to the wealthy urbanites who have the mobility to reach these areas. The licences are so cheap that a buffalo license can be purchased for about US $6 for a Tanzanian and US $27 for a non citizen resident. A buffalo could earn the hunter US $500 or more for the meat sold (illegal but not easy to monitor) and an eland carcass would fetch not much less than a buffalo. Not surprisingly eland and buffalo outside the national parks and protected areas in Northern Tanzania have been drastically reduced in numbers. If any one should benefit from resident hunting it should be the local community. However the rural poor could never afford a hunting license however cheap, so resident hunting is the preserve of the wealthy urbanite. Licenses issued in Districts where most large mammals have been extirpated should not be issued at all but the hunters acquire the licenses anyway then hunt illegally in a neighboring district with impunity. The local district councils and the district game officers do not have the resources to police a huge area and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute Conservation Information Monitoring Unit (CIMU)has little capacity to do proper monitoring. Therefore hunting is not conducted at sustainable levels and off take that should be 2-5% to be sustainable is clearly being exceeded. The Department of Wildlife is equally under-resourced and does not control sport hunting in game controlled areas properly and its officers are susceptible to being bribed when offences are committed. Game officers are poorly paid. The picture is a grim one and each community we deal with complains bitterly that game is disappearing faster than ever before and they do not feel in control of the situation and in the long term they see themselves as the losers or are tempted to give up a pastoral way of life for alternative means of living like agriculture. The Government has responded to the prevailing situation by introducing The Wildlife Management Areas in the Wildlife Policy of Tanzania wherein Wildlife Management Areas are described in the Policy as areas "set aside by the village government for the purpose of biological natural resources conservation" and declared by the Minister to be so. Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) are a strategy of the Policy to deal with the problems of lack of involvement of rural communities in wildlife management. The Policy defines the role of local communities in implementing the Policy as follows: "The local communities living adjacent to PAS [protected areas] or in areas with viable populations of wildlife have a role of managing and benefiting from wildlife on their own lands, by creating WMAs." However up to the end of 2002 the reality is that despite the rhetoric the situation on the ground has remained little changed and the existing laws governing village land rights often conflict with one another. In the mean time local people have been caught in a web of spiraling poverty rather than being able to strengthen and diversify their livelihoods. In December 2002 new legislation has allowed for the creation of 13 pilot Wildlife Management areas or WMA's on village lands whereby community- based -organizations or CBO's will take over the management of village wildlife resources but the procedure is very complex and it could be said that the new law is designed to fail. But hopefully not. This could be a defining moment and possibly the last chance for Tanzania to save its wildlife and natural resource heritage outside the Parks to almost certain destruction leaving relatively small islands of genetically isolated populations of wildlife in National parks and protected areas. So what hope is there? There is a ray of hope and perhaps light at the end of the tunnel. As stated above CBT earnings in the Loliondo area for example have in a relatively short time become significant. The same pattern is being repeated in the eastern boundary of Tarangire where a de facto buffer zone is developing as more safari camps and lodges are established on village lands outside the park. In West Kilimanjaro there are now two seasonal tented camps and one Tented Lodge established. However these benefits have been hard won and despite the Government not because of it. They are not the outcome of an empowering environment created by the authorities. CBT over the past few years has been dogged by the harassment of non consumptive tour companies, a court case, & threat of court cases as non consumptive and consumptive (hunting) interests have clashed. Perhaps the pilot WMA's will be a turning point and hopefully signal a change. We feel that the future of wildlife lies with the communities living in wildlife dispersal areas and corridors and that if the Government is sincere and gets behind the policy changes that will allow local people to benefit from conserving animals and at the same time help to secure the national heritage for future generations. The Government must make a reality out of well meaning reforms and create a genuine enabling environment and must overcome stiff resistance from vested central interests. Then all stakeholders need to be singing of the same song sheet if Tanzania hopes to remain one of the premiere wildlife destinations in the world. Chiawa Camp Update, July 13 2003 Chiawa camp is a magical tented camp located on the Lower Zambezi River in Zambia. Here is the camps latest news: Wildlife viewing has been spectacular, especially the 20+ wild dog sightings we have already enjoyed this season. Only two days ago guests watched as wild dogs kill an impala - from the comfort of their tent's veranda! The wild dogs were then seen soon afterwards taking down and devouring another two impala just behind camp. Kellie Leigh, Old Mondoro's resident wild dog researcher, has been spending a lot of time at Chiawa Camp this year as this seems to be where this pack is most regularly spotted. We highly recommend coming on our Conservation Safari where guests get to spend a day with Kellie Leigh tracking wild dogs, and also spend a day at Conservation Lower Zambezi Headquarters to learn about and experience two very successful examples of Responsible Tourism. Speaking of Old Mondoro, which is just about to celebrate its first birthday, our bush camp has a new loo with a view, and reopened June 5th. A safari combining Chiawa Camp & Old Mondoro (which is a little less luxurious and a little more wild than Chiawa) is surely one of Africa's truly great safaris! Guests may transfer from Chiawa Camp to Old Mondoro by canoe however transfers in our brand new specially designed motorboat are quicker and no less rewarding. Please note that boating safaris are not available at Old Mondoro. Old Mondoro's first official guests of 2003 were from Alabama, USA and they enjoyed some great game viewing during their two nights there. These included serval, and three different leopards totaling six sightings, two of which had been watching us enjoying our sundowners on the banks of the Zambezi! Andy has just reported lionesses and a 15 minute honey badger sighting on a recent walk. However the highlights to date of our game viewing this season have been the sensational wild dog and elephant sightings around Chiawa Camp. Over the past two months we have already had more than twenty wild dog sightings (some in the riverbed next to camp), including greeting ceremonies, kills, fights with hyenas and chasing buffalo and elephant! Interestingly both the elephant and buffalo retreated in surprise from the pack's advances. The dogs are about to den and ought to be regularly seen again, with pups, in September this year - book now for Africa's best wild dogs! We have also had the privilege of watching a herd of some 300 elephant around Chiawa Camp for the past few weeks, with daily drinking visits to the Zambezi under our viewing hide. The spectacle of 300 elephants frolicking in the river, trumpeting, blowing dust, and chasing egrets under our noses (and driving through the same herd on a night drive!) is what unforgettable memories are made of. And if all the elephants and wild dogs get too exciting, Lynsey is still offering her increasingly popular pampering & relaxation treatments for the ladies. A few days ago some of Chiawa's guests were up in the viewing hide watching one of the camp Kakuli's (old bull buffalo) resting in the riverbed with his bottom close to the Zambezi. Suddenly a crocodile launched itself at the buffalo and bit it on the behind - leaving behind a large bite mark and a surprised, disgruntled buffalo. Interestingly the crocodile was so small as to not have had a chance at ever dragging the unfortunate buff back into the Zambezi. Needless to say the same buffalo now rests a few steps further away from the river, and the same crocodile patrols the same stretch of river in hope - another African status quo! We've had some great fishing too despite it not being the best time of the year to do so, and some big tiger and vundu have been caught & released - the heaviest tiger of this season to date is 14.5 lbs. On the subject of fishing we had an excellent sighting from the viewing hide of a Fish Eagle catching and devouring a squeaker catfish. Other great eagle sightings include a pair of African Hawk Eagles, and an immature Martial Eagle circling low and slow over one of our game viewing vehicles, deliberately eyeing us out. On the administrative front, visitors to Zambia are still exempt from visa fees if they have the appropriate letter from us or other relevant Zambian camp or Tour Operator. Chiawa & Old Mondoro's guiding (quality & quantity!) remains unrivalled in the Lower Zambezi, especially for the walking safaris but across the board. Having initiated and implemented the first safari guide examinations in the Lower Zambezi in 1996, I am proud to have helped the system grow and we are now working closely with the Luangwa Safari Association in creating a national standard. Soon Craig will be preparing another of his fabulous full-moon dinners on a sandbar in the middle of the river - his meals are noteworthy and will be featured in various UK press during the course of the year, so keep a look out. Until next time, may your boots always be covered in Africa's dust, & may your Scotch always have a dash of Zambezi water (I just made that up!). Grant, Lynsey & the Chiawa Team. Africa at its best ... Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, July 13 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: I am sitting at my desk shoeless today - this is my choice as I sometimes like to feel the earth between my toes. However, the other day Jason had a bit of a boot crisis. His client's were due to arrive at the airport and so he when to his room to change - no sign of his boots anywhere. On investigation he found that Aliale our bedroom attendant had taken them to be washed as he felt that they were looking a bit shabby. He was unrepentant when Jason said that they were his only pair and what was he going to wear to collect his guests. Aliale promptly said that a guide of Jason's standing should have at least 2 pairs of boots and he should therefore stop on the way to the airport to buy another pair! Jason infact borrowed a pair of Simons boots - a little too big for him but he managed not to trip over them as he walked out to meet the guests from the plane. Ross was guiding guests at Tena Tena last week when he had to make an unscheduled "comfort" stop. Ross ducked behind a bush and spotting a crack in the ground took aim. Seconds later a snake sprung out of the crack and looked around bemused - no doubt trying to work out why the rains had started so early this year! Tony Green has been guiding for us this week at Nkwali to help out during this extremely busy week. He had stopped the vehicle to look at some impala when a porcupine appeared on the road in front of them. Obviously having his mind on other things he just walked along the road towards the vehicle and bumped straight into it, shook himself and trotted off into the bush - a Kamakazi porcupine! Phenomenal leopard viewing with Paul at Nsefu. Guests came across a leopard on an impala kill at the stork colony. Lions appeared and stole the impala from the leopard who must have been hungry as he then killed another one right in front of the guests. Fabulous - what more could you ask for on a night drive - well actually 4 more individual leopard sightings on the way back to camp! (Warning - this is not normal - please do not demand a refund if you do not see 6 leopards on each gamedrive at Nsefu - but feel free to mention to your guides that Paul did it and so can they - the pressures on guys!!) Stay well and have a great week, Cheers, Kim More Accolades for South Africa, July 20 2003 South African Tourism CEO Cheryl Carolus has expressed delight and praised several of the country's tourism operations that received top honors in this year's US "Travel + Leisure" magazine's prestigious "The World's Best Awards". The seventh annual awards are featured in the magazine's August issue, where results represent best hotels, cities, islands, tour operators, airlines, car rental agencies, cruise lines and spas, as selected by the magazine's readers. South African Tourism said the Londolozi Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands Reserve in Mpumalanga achieved top honors. It was voted the Top Hotel in Africa and the Middle East and Top Small Hotel in the World. Londolozi also came second with a score of 91.61 percent in the Top 100 Hotels in the World after The Peninsula in Bangkok. The Cape Grace in Cape Town was ranked 29th in the Top 100 Hotels category, while the Mala Mala Game Reserve in Mpumalanga clinched the 37th spot. The latter combines unpretentious comfort with unparalleled game viewing, including the Big Five. Other South African winners were the Table Bay Hotel and the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, the Palace of the Lost City at Sun City and The Grace in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The Western Cape took home additional honors with Cape Town being voted fifth in the Top 10 Cities in the World and Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cederberg voted one of the Top 25 Eco Lodges in the World. Ms Carolus said the awards confirmed South Africa's status as one of the prime tourist destinations in the world seen as a country alive with possibilities. 'These awards are a well deserved recognition of the immense commitment made by all the winners to South Africa's tourism industry and clearly indicate the wealth of quality, value for money experiences that we as a country can offer visitors,' Ms Carolus said. She said these further enhanced the 'enviable' reputation that South Africa was gaining as a preferred tourist destination. Rekero Update, July 20 2003 Rekoro is located in Kenya's famed Masai Mara. Here is the camp's latest update: After a cold June, July is warmer with daytime temperatures in the 20's, although the nights are still cool. The red oat grass (Themedia Triandra) in some places is waist high, rippling like golden waves in the wind as it ripens. At Rekero Cottages a young mature bull elephant has appeared in the afternoons, leaving a trail of destruction, tearing down our favorite Acacias amongst the cottages, and disturbing the guest's afternoon naps. As the vegetation has dried off, our waterhole in front of the cottages is now starting to get good usage, particularly from elephant, buffalo, impala and our resident warthogs. At Rekero Tented Camp everyone is gearing up for the annual migration of the wildebeest, and we are told by the boffins at the Serengeti Institute that this year's migration is going to be a super spectacle, with 1.5 million wildebeest joining the march north from the Serengeti Plains into the Masai Mara. We are looking forward to some amazing river crossings in front of the camp, placed strategically, just above the junction of the Mara and Talek Rivers, within the Masai Mara Reserve itself. The zebra are already coming into the Reserve en masse and will shortly be followed by the wildebeest. This phenomena is undoubtedly one of the wonders of the world and for those who have not yet seen it, we would strongly suggest that you jump on a plane and get out here sometime during August and September as this could easily be the last migration of this magnitude, and Rekero Tented Camp still has some space available. Best regards from the Rekero Team Kenyans Want Lufthansa to Lift Flight Ban, July 20 2003 Kenyan Tourism and Information Minister Raphael Tuju is in Germany to hold talks with German airline, Lufthansa, in a bid to secure resumption of flight services on the Frankfurt-Nairobi route (flights were stopped due to terror concerns). A statement from Germany said Tuju and top Lufthansa officials will discuss the possibility of a resumption of flights to the country. Tuju told German reporters that terrorism and other security concerns are a global phenomenon and that Kenya should not be singled out unfairly. Tuju faced a barrage of questions from reporters who wanted to know Kenya's commitment to fighting terrorism. He assured them that Kenya was committed in developing the tourism sector as an important sector of the economy. Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Edward Clay, will join Kenya Airports Authority Managing Director George Muhoho on a tour of the Moi International Airport, Mombasa. Clay said the visit will establish the progress so far made in upgrading the airport's security. However, the envoy was quick to add that only experts are in a position to certify the airport as safe for British planes. He said the British Government was keen on lifting the ban on direct flights to Mombasa once all the security measures are put in place. "As we said three weeks ago, when we lifted the ban in Nairobi, British flights will resume once the measures taken at Jomo Kenyatta Airport are transferred to Mombasa," he added. He said his government has provided the necessary training and advice to the Kenya government on the improvement of security in its airports. "We have done all we can to assist the government and we wish we could do more." Kenya had appealed to the British Government to lift the ban on flights to Mombasa because it was hurting the country's economy. One Kenyan minister said the ban issued two months ago was a drawback to his ministry's effort to promote culture. Chitabe Tented Camp Update, July 20 2003 Chitabe Tented is located in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Here is an update: On the 1st August it will be a year since we re-opened after last years fire and the new camp has settled comfortably and has developed a very cozy and relaxed atmosphere. The annual flood waters have arrived in front of the camp and when one looks out from the tents and the bar area you gaze upon a beautiful tranquil channel and floodplain - a meandering slice of blue waters within a sea of wheat colored grasses. The waterhole in front of Chitabe Trails camp is full and the elephants are seen on a daily basis coming in for their afternoon drinks. Sitting on Chitabe Trails pool deck with a glass of red wine raising a toast to the elephants seemed to be the right thing to do. I was very pleased to see the variety of game in the area and when we drove out of camp one afternoon we saw zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, ostriches, impala and kudu all within 100 meters of camp. There are lots of elephants around and even came across a baby which had just been born and was still wet from the after birth. Predator sightings in the Chitabe area have been amazing and lions are everywhere. It's always a treat to see predators in the bush, but to see them interacting is what I enjoy and find really exciting. Africa's life cycle was very evident over the course of five days when the following was seen by the game drive vehicles: A cheetah was seen stalking and taking an impala followed by a leopard which took down an impala only to be chased off by some hyenas. Without so much as a pause the female leopard abandoned her impala and turned and ambushed a warthog - 20 meters from the vehicles. She promptly took the warthog up a tree, just to make sure the hyenas wouldn't confiscate this meal. The following morning both the leopard and hyenas where finishing off the impala carcass only to have the last remains stolen by three wild dogs. The next day we watched four male lions eagerly feeding on a giraffe. However, not to be outdone by the larger predators we also witnessed an African wild cat stalk some francolins . To top it all we have had a number of sightings of pangolin -a real treat! We've had such superb sighting of the female leopard with her two three month old cubs that I think I will issue them with Chitabe uniforms. Both the female and cubs are very relaxed with the vehicle and we spent half an our gazing at their little faces which were perfectly camouflaged. They decided to give us an added bonus by playing in the sun and jumping up, over, around, and under a fallen leadwood tree. Both Chitabe and Chitabe Trails rooms have been refurbished and now have new double doors. This has brightened up the rooms and given them a nice little face lift. New curtains and some extra special touches have added to the ambiance of the tents. During the winter months the indoor showers are usually used at morning and at night - and during midday the outdoor showers are often used. The Chitabe sleep-outs and walking trails are a hit with all guests of all ages and nationalities. Being able to sleep under the stars, snuggled warmly under blankets and duvets on raised platform "hides" is proving to be the perfect recipe for many guests. The staff go out of their way to ensure safety for all guests and yet bring adventure and excitement to the "sleep-out". I'm so proud of the guides at Chitabe who are all "accredited walking guides" and really enjoy being able to put their feet on the ground and share their knowledge of the smaller details such as insects, shrubs and flowers to the guests. Take care, Helene Hamman Jao Camp Update, July 20 2003 Jao Camp is a platinum level camp located in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Here is the camp's latest update: A very cheery hallo from all of us here at Jao. The Maximum temperature this month was 28 with a minimum of 11. We have had a great month with many a happy guest enjoying their stay with us. Bush dinners and brunches have been a favorite once again and the colder weather did not dampen any spirits. Boma evenings around the fire are always enjoyed with the staff's cultural participation a highlight. Winter is truly upon us, so every bed now has an extra warm mohair blanket, and in the evenings a hot water bottle welcomes everybody. This after a sumptuous meal,and festive time around the table or fire. The floods have not been as high as last year but we have opened the boat channel to Handa. The all day picnic trips to the island have been a huge success. Guests have been enjoying the mekoro and walking experiences - with strong emphasis on the truly wild and untouched nature of the Jao area. Quite a few sleepouts have been done this month with David and Cathy. The incredibly luxurious set up of the camp sites is always very impressive for guests when combined with the adrenaline filled nights out in the African bush. A large numbers of honeymooners have enjoyed this wonderfully romantic location as well as private dinners, either in their rooms or around the pool. The wine cellar has also been a wonderful setting for dinners. For those who did not want to take advantage of their siesta time, there were mekoro poling lessons, candle making, back of house tours, elephant dung paper making sessions and most notably Milly's massages to enjoy in the afternoons. There is a lot of general game around the Jao floodplain with zebra, giraffe and a herd of about 100 wildebeest included in this. Guests have been fortunate enough to witness some lion kills this month and more recently we have been watching with fascination 2 new male lions in a takeover bid for the floodplain pride. Fortunately at this stage the cubs have survived this time of intense stress and aggression and we hope to see them prosper in the future. The female leopard has returned to camp again and is even more relaxed than ever providing guests with unparalleled photographic opportunities and some breathtaking encounters as she saunters past the vehicles. Farewell The Jao Team Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, July 20 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: This mornings sunrise was quite spectacular with the sky a riot of pinks and purples. Of course the delicious porridge also helped! Jason Alfonsi sets off tomorrow with one of the mobile safaris and he has been very lucky of late. On his last trip to the Mupamadzi guests had the rare sighting of bush pigs. They were in view for about 40 minutes by one of the lagoons - a really special sight as they are normally extremely shy and when Simon and I saw one last year it dashed straight into the bush. I did not realize what a fabulous treat this was until Simon said that the last time he saw one was several years earlier! Guests at Nkwali unfortunately finished tea too early yesterday. Just as the vehicles departed for the afternoon gamedrive, 2 lions appeared on the sandbank opposite the camp and chased a puku across it and up onto the bank opposite the bar - a nice sight for those of us "stuck" in camp. We have had a lot of elephant activity at Nkwali of late. The elephants love the ebony fruit which are now carpeting most of the area. They regularly wander through but a few nights ago one came around the side of Ryan's house as a hippo was coming in the opposite direction. Obviously both were concentrating on food and oblivious to anything else in the area. It must have been quite a shock when they almost bumped into each other. Loud shouts from both were followed by a swift exit in opposite directions leaving Ryan wondering what was going on as he heard the retreating foot steps. Stay well and have a great week. Cheers, Kim Security Tightened in Maasai Mara, July 27 2003 Police are keeping a 24-hours security vigil at Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve as the tourist high season begins. All entry points, including gates and airstrips, have been put under tight guard to ensure the visitors' safety. Narok District Commissioner Opuka Odino said that a major security operation was underway and asked those with no direct connection to tourism activities in the reserves to stay away. He said the police will also be monitoring tourists checking in and out of lodges and camps to ensure no incident mars the peak season which ends in October. Odino said regular police, the General Service Unit (GSU) and Narok County Council rangers will guard all local tourist attractions, including the Narok Mara Road. The peak season kicked off with the crossing of hundreds of wildebeests from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Maasai Mara through the crocodile-infested Mara River. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, July 27 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Due to the cooler temperatures at this time of the year guests have been able to go out on full day trips and picnics. It is an ideal time of year for such outings as people do not get too hot and the wildlife is fairly active throughout the day. Robin has been up at Tena Tena for a few days and did one of his 'specials'. He got up and left for the saltpan at 5 AM and had the most fantastic viewing, in true Robin style! Robin and his guests arrived at the big baobab tree, just as the sun was rising, to find a large herd of eland. It was hard to work out the numbers as it was still relatively dark but Robin estimated the herd to be 30 plus. On the way up to the saltpan they had a lovely sighting of a bat hawk. This is not a common sighting at the best of times but very seldomly seen in the morning! Bat hawks are crepuscular by nature (active at dawn and dusk in laymans terms) and are most commonly seen in the evening so it was a great sighting to catch one the early morning. On the saltpan they were greeted by another lovely herd of eland. Water supplies in the back country are obviously drying out as we are seeing more and more eland as the season progresses. Amongst other things on the saltpan were the early arrivals of carmine bee eaters. These early arrivals are often last years youngsters that have not migrated with their parents and have, instead, spent the rains in the back country. With stomachs rumbling, a big fry up was next on the agenda and Robin, with the help of the guests, proceeded to cook up a scrumptious breakfast for all. A gentle meander back to camp arriving at around 3 PM for a late lunch. Robin decided that there was little time for rest and that they would just pop out for a quick sundowner after their belated lunch and then head back to camp. How typical that these short little outings produce some of the most fantastic viewing. A leopardess was spotted on the edge of Lunga Lagoon. She posed beautifully, sharpening her claws on a nearby tree and then made use of a nearby termite mound as a great vantage point, possibly eyeing up dinner! On to sundowners south of camp and three large bull elephants crossed the river as the sun went down - Spectacular! A short trip back to camp produced yet more amazing sightings with a big male lion roaring by the vehicle and another 2 female leopards before arriving back at camp! I must add a day in the bush does not always go like this!! Some of the other great sightings this week include a first aardvark sighting at Nkwali by Marcus, just out the back of camp. Keyala had a great view of a leopardess with her 3-4 month old cub up a tree with a puku kill. At Nsefu, Ed came across a pride of 8 lions feeding on a buffalo that had been stuck in the mud whilst he was on a walk downstream from camp. Anyway, that is all from us - have a great week. Take Care, Simon Return to Weekly Update Archive |
