ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive June 2003 Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, June 1 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: It was an exciting week. Guests saw an aardvark and an Albino Fly Catcher was spotted on more than one occasion in and around the camp at Nkwali. There has been some debate as to its type but we seem to have settled on a Blue grey. An even more amazing sight was that of two greater flamingoes who have settled on the banks of the river opposite Nkwali Bar. I was quite excited to see them as I had not seen any before but did not realize the magnitude of the event. Apparently we do not have flamingoes in this part of the world and they are therefore "lost". The last time any were seen in the area was about 15 years ago. They have now been with us for about 5 days and we hope they will stay at little longer. They really are the most graceful birds and a pleasure to sit and watch. Breakfast time has been a wonderful time for cats of late. At Nkwali guests were treated to 5 lions, lying around on the bank just down from camp and stayed for several hours. At Nsefu Ed heard baboons making a racket on the first morning with guests in camp and suggested that they pop to the termite mound by the bar for a look see. Low and behold a leopard walked out onto the "beach" just in front of them. A great start to their season. It is good to have Nsefu open and welcoming guests again. Tena Tena will also open in the next few days and Daudi, Ross and Aniek are now putting the final touches in place and the camp is looking great - or so I am told. I am hoping to go up next weekend to see my old place and will let you know how it looks. Shanie and Jo have been working hard with the refurbishment of the tents and bar and by all accounts it is going to be fabulous. Simon took 2 guests up to the Bangweulu Swamps this week. A short trip for just one night but they had a super time. The sight of thousands of antelope is something that will always stay with them with lots of black lechwe and tsessebe. The main event was of course the shoebill and they had a very close sighting so they were very lucky and pleased on their return. Simon also reported three new birds for him, being the greenheaded sunbird, blackbacked barbet and the longtoed plover. Stay well and have a great week - Cheers Kim Scientists Starve Malaria Parasite, June 8 2003 Scientists have discovered a way to kill the malaria parasite - by targeting its sweet tooth. Malaria kills 3,000 children every day and the parasite that causes the disease is becoming harder to treat as it develops resistance to more and more drugs. So scientists are striving to come up with new ways to combat the killer. A team from St George's Hospital Medical School in London UK are confident they have come up with one such solution. The malaria parasite needs sugar in the form of glucose to grow and multiply in human red blood cells where it lives. The St George's team has effectively starved the parasite of its supply by knocking out a specialized transport protein that it uses to absorb glucose from its surroundings. With its supply lines cut, even drug resistant strains of the parasite cannot survive. Lead researcher Professor Sanjeev Krishna said: "We have spent 10 years developing new ways of studying parasite transport proteins so that we could work out how to block the action of the glucose transporter. "This discovery proves for the first time that it is worth going after transport proteins of the malaria parasite and that parasites cannot live without this transporter working properly. We are very excited about this research, as this new information gives us the potential to design new drugs against malaria." Professor David Warhurst, of the Health Protection Agency Malaria Reference Laboratory, said the research could be very significant. He said: "We are absolutely desperate for any new drugs to use against malaria because of the widespread development of resistance.If they can use this research to develop a specific drug then that would be an excellent way of targeting the malaria parasite because it uses an awful lot of glucose, and relies on transport proteins for its supply." Visitors to Uganda's National Parks Top 40,000, June 8 2003 Uganda received almost 44,000 tourists in the major national parks last year according to the latest figures from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Of all the national parks Queen Elizabeth National Park remains the most visited with almost 28,000 visitors, followed by Murchison Falls with 18,000 visitors. The two leading national parks are still leading even this year with the most recent available figures for March showing 1,891 and 2,062 visitors for Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls respectively. Visitors to Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Tracking Parks have increased and 5,075 visitors were recorded in Bwindi, 340 of those specifically for gorilla tracking. Another 2,293 visited Mgahinga, 1,485 of whom were gorilla trackers. Evidently Mgahinga has more gorilla trackers than Bwindi yet on the whole trackers have generally increased. Last year was the first time the number of gorilla trackers passed the 1,000 mark. Among the other major National Parks, Semliki made 800 visitors, Mt. Elgon made it above 3,000 visitors, and Lake Mburo received 10,800 visitors, Kidepo 1,400 While Mt. Rwenzori National Park received 268 visitors all year round. UK Prepared to Lift Ban on Kenya Flights, June 8 2003 The ban on British Airways flights to Kenya will be lifted once Intelligence reports show Kenya is safe from terrorism. But the ban could be lifted following the stepping up of security according to Kenyan Tourism and Information Minister Raphael Tuju. "Lifting of the ban would be based on intelligence assessment. They (the British) want to lift it immediately but they want to conduct an Intelligence assessment," he said. He added: "I know the threat is now less than when it was announced." Mr Tuju announced that intelligence and security teams from America and the UK were working with Kenya to assess the security situation. They have also given the country technical support. "A lot of things have happened to address the situation, some of which I can not reveal," he stated. The minister spoke a day after he arrived from Britain where he held negotiations over the ban with British authorities and tour operators. He also met the media in a campaign to market Kenya. British Airways suspended flights to and from Kenya on May 15, a day after Kenyan Internal Security minister Chris Murungaru's terror alert. But Mr Tuju said Kenya and Britain now agree that terrorism threats are real but also that the flights' ban had negatively affected the two countries. The minister and Kenya Tourism Federation chairman Jake Grieves-Cook described the flights ban impact on tourism as devastating. "It is not that the country has failed to institute security measures but there has been a serious attempt to carry out terrorist attacks in the country" he said. Reconstruction of Elephant Hills Complete, June 8 2003 The reconstruction and refurbishment of the Elephant Hills Intercontinental Hotel at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe has been completed, paving way for its re-opening on June 20, 2003. Sebastian Mavengere, the general manager of the hotel, said the hotel started accepting guests from the first week of March and will host a full board on the official opening. The opening will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Supermodel 2003 finals to be held at the same venue. He said the hotel, which is part of the Zimsun Leisure Group, took the opportunity to redesign some of its public areas and conference facilities during the rebuilding process to enhance its appeal. Other developments included the introduction of more shops and a gymnasium. The casino has been moved from the hotel to Kingdom Hotel, which is part of the Zimsun Leisure Group. The 276-roomed hotel was gutted by fire in July 2001. All guestrooms, conference rooms and public areas have since been fitted with sprinkler systems and smoke detectors to avert another fire. Meanwhile, Hwange Safari Lodge, which is also part of the Zimsun Leisure Group, is undergoing a major upgrade. Star of Africa Zambia Update, June 8 2003 Star of Africa runs several of Zambia's top safari lodges and tented camps. Here is there latest update: At Sussi and Chuma the river remains very high for the time of the year, with the Barotse Floodplains experiencing the highest water levels in 25 years. With the end of the rains the elephants are taking up residence again in and around the lodge, which has caused lots of excitement among our guests! Our elephants have now moved up to Victoria Falls from the Matopos and are currently being housed with Shearwater Adventures where they are doing some training with their ndunas. We are waiting for their "passports" to come through and will then be moving them across to be based at Sussi and Chuma Lodge. The migratory birds are now starting to move away from Lochinvar. The herds of zebra and lechwe continue to grow with herds of up to 500 zebra and over 1000 lechwe being sighted. WWF continues to support this wetlands area with the road network within the Park being shortly upgraded." What an exciting start to the season in Lower Zambezi…this promises to be an excellent year in terms of the overall guest experience. The arrival of Mark and Robyn Roberts in the valley has seen guests treated to some amazing experiences. Mark offers a truly memorable walking experience in the Lower Zambezi National Park…We have had various sightings of wild dog in the past three weeks, with 2 separate sightings of 2 different packs in one game drive! With the movement of buffalo in large numbers down towards the river the lion are also far more noticeable. Mark from Chichele reports that the property is looking superb at the moment with the end of the rains. We have had some great animal sightings from our viewing platform…clients have seen wild dog, leopard and lion. The buffalo have moved down to the river now and are often seen on the plains surrounding Chichele Hill. The loop roads in the Park have now been regraded allowing us access to the many wonderful river viewing points. Progress is now well under way at Puku Ridge with us being on-track for a soft opening the first week of July. Our first residents of Puku have been the "Chichele" pride of lion, making the ongoing construction work very interesting! The pool which has just been built has already been put to good use with a resident hippo! Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, June 8 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: We were happily surprised a couple of days ago to find a third flamingo had joined our other couple. We were hoping that maybe we will find one addition a week and have a huge flock in front of Nkwali by the end of the season! However, yesterday morning one of them got into a bit of a fight. A fish eagle was spotted attacking the larger bird in the air. The flamingo then fell to the water and after an initial look, the fish eagle decided to leave it alone - probably because he know it would be too heavy for him to get out of the water even if he managed to kill it. However, it now appears that the flamingo has sustained a broken leg. We are hoping that maybe it is not as serious as it looked and will recover with some protection from it's friends, it will be sad if it does not manage to pull through. I will keep you posted. Again from Nkwali Camp, Keyala had the amazing sight of 2 palmnut vultures sitting on a winterthorn tree, on the other side of the river. This caused much excitement as it is very rare to see these birds in this area and they are certainly the prettiest of the vultures. The guides at Nkwali have reported increased sightings of buffalo in the park and only yesterday guests watched a herd of some 150 progressing along the river bank opposite camp. Now to Nsefu. Newly opened and reporting superb game with 14 leopard sightings in the first 7 days. Ed and Claire have settled in and are doing a great job up at the camp. Continuing the birding sightings they have even had the rare view of a secretary bird. In fact these birds have been seen by the guys on three separate occasions! They have also had a giant eagle owl perching behind room 6 and saw a juvenile whitebacked pelican at the stork colony, which by the way is now in full swing with crocs and raptors taking any opportunity for an easy meal. Other interesting birds seen in the area include a pygmy goose at Lunga Lagoon, hottentot teal and painted snipe at the salt pan, a peregrine falcon at the Kawaluzi river crossing, a pair of Dickenson's kestrels in the mubisa drift area and finally a whitebreasted cuckoo shrike. Ed was out for an all day drive with guests and come across 2 male Cookson's wildebeest - they were looking for eland but unfortunately did not find them, however, as luck would have it the guys went on a firewood run later in the day and came across a small herd of 6. Not to be out done, Jacob had an amazing drive seeing not only a secretary bird and a pride of 8 lions but also 26 wildebeest. Very happy troops returned to camp that evening. Jacob also came across a lovely python at Tena Tena's 2nd ebony grove. In addition lions have been seen on the bank opposite camp as well as many leopard sightings around the area. Unfortunately pukus have been in for a tough time with both hyena and leopard being seen with puku kills. Stay well and have a great week! Cheers - Kim Malawi Airport Departure Tax Increased, June 8 2003 The Malawi Government has increased the country's airport departure tax from US $20 to US $30. Linyanti Tented Camp Update, June 8 2003 Linyanti Tented Camp is located in wildlife rich northern Botswana. Here is this small camp's latest report: The bush has thinned out considerably in the past weeks and we are starting to see under the Knobbly Combretum shrubs. The leaves of the Kalahari Sand Apple (Lonchocarpus nelsii) have started turning yellow and much of the scrub mopane has started turning brown. Autumn colors are showing in the veld. Towards the end of April and the first half of May the Purple Pod Terminalias were in full fruit and were very beautiful to look at, competing with the rich golden colors of the kidney-shaped mopane seeds. Both hanging like Christmas decorations in the woodlands. The grass is rapidly disappearing and we can here the termites chewing away in the nights. The water in the Linyanti River is getting lower and lower as the days go by, and the elephants are starting to stream in. The Acrotomes and Vernonias have finished flowering and there are fewer butterflies around. Towards the end of May the Cat's Claws (Clerodendrum uncinatum) started showing off their beautiful blood red blooms (the color warning one of what your fingers will look like if you pick them - they have sharp thorns - hence the name). The leadwoods have finished throwing their seeds all over the front area. The nights and early mornings are getting chilly and the clouds seem to have disappeared towards the end of May. The mopane pans are all rapidly drying up and the game is starting to move in towards the river side. The impala have been great to watch this month as they have been rutting, and thus chasing each other all around, fighting and generally making lots of noise. The rut is now ending and the males have lost a lot of their former condition. Just out of interest - Chantelle found, on gamedrive, a tiny baby impala of only a few weeks of age. This is very unusual considering the time of the year. We have seen it on numerous occasions afterwards and it seems healthy and doing well. On the 18th of April one of the Chobe Boys (lions) was still seen at the giraffe carcass, gnawing on the rotting remains. On the 9th of May we witnessed one of the Chobe Boys mating with presumably one of the Kings Pool lionesses. On the 18th of May we found the 2 boys sleeping near the turnaround point at Kings Pool Airstrip. They paid no attention to us and carried on sleeping even though there were planes landing nearby - typical lions - just lying around. On the night of the 20th we found the two Chobe Boys walking along the river road towards LTC. Just prior to seeing them we had bumped into a breeding herd of buffalo in the riverine ahead of them. The two boys looked thin and hungry and we were expecting that something may happen when the lions found the buffalo, but as things happened the lions carefully avoided the buffalos and carried on their way. Whilst waiting for the lions to pitch up at the buffalos we sat for a while with the lights off at the buffalos and stared at the African night sky, while listening to the buffalos chewing and moo-ing all around us - What an awesome evening. Kings Pool Pride (4 adult females and 3 subadults) have been quite active in the area during May and we have seen them on quite a few occasions (usually between the Botswana Defense Force Camp and Kings Pool Airstrip). They tend to frequent the area close to the river and riverine/floodplain vegetation. On the night of the 8th of May we saw 1 Kings Pool Lioness with two of the subadults. She had a bad wound on the tail and we could even see the bone inside. On the 12th three females and 2 of the subadults were seen in the thick riverine vegetation near the BDF Camp. We did not notice the female with the wounded tail, maybe she was lying somewhere in the thick vegetation with the other subadult. On the 15th the four females and the three subadults were lying near the river close to the airstrip. The wound on the tail of the female was still clearly visible. The lions had obviously fed earlier as some still had blood on their chins and chest. On the 28th the four females and three subadults were seen sleeping in the floodplain grass near Boscia Lagoon. They all looked well and quite content (possibly a little hungry) and were seen lying close to each other, rubbing against each other and licking each other. The Linyanti Pride were not seen again during the period after they left the giraffe carcass. Unlike last month, this month we have seen many buffalos. Almost every day we have come across either breeding herds or "dagha boys". We have also bumped into a few on the walks that we have taken. Just adding that bit of excitement and reminding us to move around very carefully, listening often, reminding us that Africa can be a dangerous place. The elephants are definitely piling in and in the afternoons, in particular, we are seeing numerous come down to the water to drink. We often see elephants whilst on the canoes and have had a few cross the river right in front us. It is amazing how big they look when you are so close to the water level. On one canoe trip we saw over 70 elephants come down to drink. The elephants often swim across the lagoon in front of camp, just showing the tops of their heads, trunks and backs. They also go into the reeds on the other side of the river and we are only given notice of their presence by the sounds of breaking reeds and gurgling water (sounds like a scuba diver). In one of the breeding herds seen this month we noticed a youngster without a tail and with only half a trunk. We wondered what caused this mishap and marveled that this poor creature was still looking in such good condition considering. On the 9th of May we saw a breeding herd come down to the river to drink and play around. We noticed that there was a very tiny calf with them. When they had all had their fill of water the herd proceeded to cross the river to the other side. We could see that the mother of the calf was quite concerned and she kept on walking up and down the water testing it. Finally she attempted to cross, with the baby following. Where the youngster started struggling the mother and another female assisted by pushing the baby's backside with their trunks until they were all over. It was great to see the motherly emotions and protection and left us all in awe of the mother and the courage of the youngster. The few guests that we have taken into Kings Pool Sunken Hide during gamedrive have all been amazed at the close proximity that one gets to the elephants. I am quite sure that these periods will remain etched in their memories forever. On the 24th of April we came across a group of elephants that were extremely agitated near the Chobe Border. Then we noticed a male mount a female and proceed to attempt to mate with her. She started to move away from him and then ran away, with the male right at her heels. Suddenly the rest of the herd charged us and we had to rush away and leave them behind. The leopards have given us a great show all this month. On the night of the 18th of April we heard the baboons barking loudly near camp. I took the Land Rover out while the guests were all having supper and discovered a female right near the manager's tent. We tried to gather all the guests on the other vehicle, but by the time they managed to get themselves together and ready it had disappeared into thick bush and we could not find it again. On the 27th of April we were out early in the morning when we noticed that many impala were staring in one direction. Upon looking round I surprised a young female who ran away. Later on in the evening before coming to camp we made a turn back to that place in the hopes of finding her again, and got lucky. Whilst following her she led us to a site where there were two other leopards. It was a mother and her two subadult cubs at an impala kill. While we were watching them a hyena pitched up and managed to steal the kill, which the leopards had left on the ground. The next morning we came back to the spot, without really any hopes of finding the leopards again when we came across the young male, cornered up in a mopane tree with the hyena at the bottom. The young female was also in the nearby vicinity. On the 30th we again saw the LTC mother nearby camp. She was calling constantly (presumably to find her youngsters). On the 5th of May, very close to the spot where we had seen the young male in the tree with the hyena below, we came across the LTC Female again. She had just killed an impala and quickly moved away from the kill site as other impala were all snorting at her. We returned later on in the afternoon to find that she had dragged the kill under a fallen mopane. We had great views of her, but the next morning when we returned to the site we found only tracks of hyenas again. On the 9th we managed to get some good views of the BDF leopard female near Ele Carcass Loop. On the 12th we saw her again near Mowana Plains, stalking impala. On the 17th we again bumped into her near the BDF on a night drive. We again saw her on the 22nd, stalking impala. She was very relaxed and allowed both vehicles very good views of her as she lay on a fallen tree trunk before getting up, yawning and then getting on to stalk the nearby impala. This BDF Female is definitely the most relaxed leopard in the area and has allowed us some great views of her. On the 28th of April I was following the tracks of a male lion when I managed to spot a male leopard stalking impala. I quickly got the guests and went in to view him. He was very skittish and only allowed us a brief view before disappearing into thick vegetation. We think that this was the Inkwe Hide Male. On the 24th of May we were going to the airstrip to drop off guests when I noticed vultures dropping down and landing in a nearby dead tree. I quickly got out of the car and went to investigate. There I managed to surprise the Inkwe Hide male, who was staring at a hyena who had just taken his impala kill. He ran into thick bush and we couldn't find him again. After dropping off the one set of guests we quickly came back to the area and found him picking at the bones the hyena had left over. I then took the second set of guests back to the airstrip for their transfer. On the 28th of May Kenneth, from Kings Pool spotted an impala kill in a large leadwood tree. When we arrived the leopard was not to be seen, but later on in the evening the Inkwe Hide Male was observed crunching on the head of the unfortunate impala. On the 5th of May we bumped into 1 unknown male leopard near the Chobe border. He was quite unconcerned with us and seemed to be waiting for animals to come and drink at a nearby pan. The wild dogs have also been good to us this month. There are 2 distinct packs which move through the area. One pack consists of between 14 and 16 dogs, while the other consists of 6 or 7. The pack with 14-16 we assume is the same pack that frequents the Duma Tau area. The other we have named the Linyanti Pack. On the 21st of April we found the Duma Tau pack lying in the shade nearby the airstrip, as we were picking up new guests. We then saw them again on the 9th of May running through Kings Pool and also on the 14th (halfway between Kings Pool and LTC). We noticed that one of the younger dogs was limping. On of the adult males looks extremely old with grey fur around his muzzle and tattered ears. On the 16th, while we were having tea at the sunken Hide this group of dogs came and joined us. They were quite unconcerned that we were all standing around, to the delight of the guests and photographer Hans Rack. On the 26th of April we saw the Linyanti pack near Waterbuck Pan. They were resting in the shade. The Alpha Male is very dark in color and one of the females seems to have a slight case of mange on the rear end. We then saw them again on the 2nd of May near the BDF Camp, sleeping with full bellies. On the 6th they were seen hunting at Ele Carcass Loop. On the 9thg they were again seen hunting in the same vicinity. We were having sundowners when they ran past. They took no notice of us and proceeded to disturb a female impala and gave chase. They missed it, but the guests were all stoked by the sighting. On the 24th whist transferring guests to the airstrip we found this pack sleeping in the mopane near camp. The next morning we bumped into them again, whilst on a walk in the BDF area. They lay down nearby us and even waited so that we could call in some of the Kings Pool guides who were on gamedrive. On the 1st of May we were alerted of a single male cheetah resting in the shade of a Blue Bush near Kings Pool Airstrip. On the 28th Chantelle was taking new guests back to camp after picking them up and found a dead impala just in the riverine nearby Lechwe Flats. When she got out of the car to investigate a male cheetah sat up and stared at her. She returned to the car and the guests had great views of it feeding on the impala and dragging the prey into the shade nearby. The cheetah was quite alert and was constantly looking around for other predators. We have had 3 sightings of sitatunga this month. Twice from the canoes and once from a vehicle. On the 22nd of May we were out on the canoes when I saw the ear of a female sitatunga peaking out from the papyrus beds. We approached carefully and she then came out into the open giving us great views and even allowing some of the guests to get photos of her. She was extremely relaxed and then slowly made her way into the papyrus beds. We were all very excited at the views she had given us. On the 28th of May Chantelle was on her way to go and pick up guests at the airstrip when she managed to see roan antelope halfway between KPL and LTC. It was very skittish and ran away as soon as it saw the vehicle. No sable were seen this month. The general game is great and we are seeing impala, kudu, baboons and giraffe every drive. There are also a fair number of zebras around and a group of +/- 20 wildebeest have also arrived. One of these wildebeest has a radio telemetry collar around its neck. On the 22nd we had great views of a couple of giraffes mating near camp. On the 24th of April, on a night drive, we came across an African wild cat who was spitting and snarling at something in the grass. After the cat left we went in to investigate and found a python of approximately 1 and a half meters. The migrant birds have now left us and we saw our last Paradise flycatcher at the end of April. Gymnogene sightings have been great. On the 5th of May we were all having tea at the main area when we heard a thud in the grass nearby. There, in the grass we saw a large chameleon fighting with a male boomslang. They had obviously fallen out of the leadwood by the main area. The fight continued for almost an hour, coming right up to the fire-place. We then left them and went on drive. I was told by Meshak that the fight continued almost until sundown. Peter Warrick was here at the beginning of the month and we enjoyed a long walk from LTC to KPL. It took us 5 hours and we bumped into 12 different groups of elephant and 2 groups of buffalo en route. Jacana Camp Update, June 8 2003 Jacana Camp is located in Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. Here is the camp's latest update: It has been another very enjoyable month in our water paradise here at Jacana Camp. We have had some stellar sightings and guests have been very happy. Our resident elephant named Jack spent a good part of the last month on the island. At one stage he was present right in camp for 10 days straight alternatively thrilling and scaring guests. Occasionally we will have other large bull elephant's visit us and we have to be careful to determine whether it is Jack or not. Jack is generally very placid so we have to be a bit more careful if it is another elephant. Pel's fishing owl sightings were on an absolute high nearing the end of the month, with sightings every day (sometimes twice). We have also had regular sitatunga antelope sightings, from both boat and mekoro. When guests have been more interested in the bigger game, the Kwetsani flood plains have been very productive with regard to lion and general game sightings. The birding on surrounding islands has been fantastic as usual. A highlight of many a guests stay has been our traditional dinners, staff village tours and bush brunches. The staff village tours take guests through the many traditions that are still carried out today by our staff who mainly come from villages in the surrounding areas of the Delta. We follow this up with a meal consisting of all the traditional foods, eaten with hands while sitting on cushions on the ground around the camp fire. This is then followed by singing and dancing with the staff. The bush brunches take place in the heart of a nearby small island only accessible by water, under the shade of a large sycamore fig tree. We have plans to also do dinners on this island next month. The guests have all enjoyed themselves immensely this month, and we have really enjoyed the fact that they have all embraced the water aspect of the camp. There are many activities that take place at Jacana Camp that are just not possible in many other places. The main two are mekoro rides across the vast and open flooded plains, sometimes to relax and other times to search for birds, sitatunga or Pel's fishing owl as well as all the general game of the Okavango. Another very popular activity is to mekoro to a large island in the area and take a walk amongst red lechwe, zebra (that are trapped on these islands for the season by the rising floods), baboons, vervet monkeys and elephant to name a few. We expect that the boating season will end rather early this year due to the low floods. Currently there is plenty of water for all activities but we expect that use of the motor boats will become more difficult as time goes on. Fortunately mekoros are a good backup in the time between boating and driving. Botswana Top in Good Governance, June 15 2003 Botswana has been ranked the least corrupt African country in a list compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Tunisia, Gambia and South Africa followed Botswana as the countries with the best standards of governance. Nigeria and Chad were named as having the worst public institutions. The Swiss-based organization graded 21 countries on the rule of law, impressions of corruption and the enforcement of contracts. The survey looks at law enforcement and corruption, combining the two to give an overall ranking on good governance. South Africa was dragged down in law enforcement because of its high rate of organized crime. Zimbabwe, which is facing a political and economic crisis, was ranked 16 and judged to have the least independent judiciary. Botswana Government Takes Strong Stand against SARS, June 15 2003 The Botswana Government is being very cautious and conservative about SARS to ensure that the country stays SARS free. Their SARS policy is changing week by week depending on the status of SARS around the world. For this week, the position in Botswana is that people from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Toronto (not Canada) will be put into quarantine on arrival in Botswana Anyone arriving in the next week or two from these countries / area should look at alternative destinations for their holiday. If you are transiting through one of the places infected by SARS, but not staying there, it appears that you will not be quarantined. The Return of the Lions to the Skeleton Coast, June 15 2003 After an absence of more than a decade, a small pride of lions has made its way back to the Hoarusib River in the Skeleton Coast Park of Namibia. It caused concern among the local community at Purros. On their way through to the Park, the pride killed the stud bull of one of the headman of the community. The local Himba people at Purros are pastoral people and have a long tradition of fiercely protecting their livestock against predators. In the meantime the lions took eight more head of cattle and several donkeys. The community members are therefore well within their legal rights to exterminate these lions if found outside the Skeleton Coast Park. The conservation personnel officer of the Skeleton Coast Park as well as the staff of Wilderness Safaris, operating in the Skeleton Coast Park, welcomed the return of the lions for its ecological importance as well as the tourism potential. This has become a classical situation of clashing interests in a truly African context. The previous pride of lions to inhabit this region could be described as exceptional. They were lions that covered a vast area, roamed the coastline and fed off Cape Fur seals and beached whales. They however also moved inland, crossing the boundary of the Skeleton Coast Park and killed cattle. They were all exterminated by herdsmen in the late 1980's. According to Dr. Flip Stander, head of Lion Research at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the four lions that entered the area of the Hoarusib in July 2001 are vagrant members of the Damaraland pride that lives in the region of the Aob and Barati rivers to the south. These lions, three males and one female, were driven out by the dominant Aob and Barati lions after they reached adulthood and became possible contenders in the dominance hierarchy. They walked two hundred kilometers north / north west to reach the Hoarusib River. While still in Damaraland two of the males and one of the females were fitted with radio collars by Dr. Stander. It seems as if the pride have since learnt to remain within the boundaries of the Skeleton Coast Park. They roam the immediate vicinity of the Hoarusib river valley where there is plenty of water and shelter. Their main prey species is gemsbok (Oryx gasella), which are concentrated in the riverbed during the dry season. The lioness disappeared for a while about a year ago. Her track was last seen at a fresh water spring at the foot of the dune field at the mouth of the Hoarusib River, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. She was seen months later with two small cubs. The lion sightings by Wilderness Safari guides have become more and more frequent. These lions are far from habituated; sometimes it takes half a day of tracking with a vehicle and on foot to catch find them. The sightings of the three males are by far the most frequent. They are in exceptional condition, with blond and red manes. One is considerably bigger than the other two and seems to be dominant and definitely more aggressive. The female and cubs have been seen in the area of the Hoarusib Poort and the Clay Castles. The cubs are growing big and are in good condition. The Hoarusib River flooded four times between December and April. For a long time the river was non-negotiable by vehicle. The lion tracks however were seen during that period at the fresh water spring at the mouth of the river. It is possible that the female could be pregnant again. The rains this year weren't good. It will cause the herdsmen from Purros to move their cattle downriver, closer to the Skeleton Coast Park boundary. If that happens it is inevitable that there will be conflict between herdsmen and the lions. It must be mentioned that the Purros community is a conservation-minded community, which is evident when you travel through their land. Herds of springbok, oryx, mountain zebra and giraffe abound in their area, often sharing pastureland and water with their cattle. They are also a shining example of peaceful co-existence between man and elephant. The elephant herds of the area move past their villages undisturbed, which is truly remarkable. These are elephants that were subjected to poaching and harassment less than twenty years ago. Their cattle however, take top priority and predator conservation is an alien concept. Wilderness Safaris has implemented a compensation system for cattle losses. Hopefully this and other benefits derived from the tourism industry will bring about a change of heart. In the meantime there exists an uneasy relationship between man and lion. Written by Christiaan Bakkes, Skeleton Coast Oldest Human Skulls Found, June 15 2003 Three fossilized skulls unearthed in Ethiopia are said by scientists to be among the most important discoveries ever made in the search for the origin of humans. The crania of two adults and a child, all dated to be around 160,000 years old, were pulled out of sediments near a village called Herto in the Afar region in the east of the country. They are described as the oldest known fossils of modern humans, or Homo sapiens. What excites scientists so much is that the specimens fit neatly with the genetic studies that have suggested this time and part of Africa for the emergence of mankind. "All the genetics have pointed to a geologically recent origin for humans in Africa - and now we have the fossils," said Professor Tim White, one of the co-leaders on the research team that found the skulls. "These specimens are critical because they bridge the gap between the earlier more archaic forms in Africa and the fully modern humans that we see 100,000 years ago," the University of California at Berkeley, US, paleoanthropologist noted. The skulls are not an exact match to those of people living today; they are slightly larger, longer and have more pronounced brow ridges. These minor but important differences have prompted the US/Ethiopian research team to assign the skulls to a new subspecies of humans called Homo sapiens idaltu (idaltu means "elder" in the local Afar language). The Herto discoveries were hailed on Wednesday by those researchers who have championed the idea that all humans living today come from a population that emerged from Africa within the last 200,000 years. The proponents of the so-called Out of Africa hypothesis think this late migration of humans supplanted all other human-like species alive around the world at the time - such as the Neanderthals in Europe. If modern features already existed in Africa 160,000 years ago, they argued, we could not have descended from species like Neanderthals. "These skulls are fantastic evidence in support of the Out of Africa idea," Professor Chris Stringer, from London's Natural History Museum, stated. "These people were living in the right place and at the right time to be possibly the ancestors of all of us." The skulls were found in fragments, at a fossil-rich site first identified in 1997, in a dry and dusty valley. Stone tools and the fossil skull of a butchered hippo were the first artifacts to be picked up. Buffalo fossils were later recovered indicating the ancient humans had a meat-rich diet. The most complete of the adult skulls was seen protruding from the ancient sediment; it had been exposed by heavy rains and partially trampled by herds of cows. The skull of the child - probably aged six or seven - had been shattered into more than 200 pieces and had to be painstakingly reconstructed. All the skulls had cut marks indicating they had been de-fleshed in some kind of mortuary practice. The polishing on the skulls, however, suggests this was not simple cannibalism but more probably some kind of ritualistic behavior. This type of practice has been recorded in more modern societies, including some in New Guinea, in which the skulls of ancestors are preserved and worshipped. The Herto skulls may therefore mark the earliest known example of conceptual thinking - the sophisticated behavior that sets us apart from all other animals. "This is very possibly the case," Professor White said. Kenyan Tourism On Verge of Collapse, June 15 2003 The Kenyan tourism sector is on the verge of collapse according to Kenyan Tourism and Information Minister Raphael Tuju. This he said is due to the recent cancellation of major flights to the country. However, Tuju said the Government has launched talks with the other countries to see that the advisory measures taken against the country are lifted. "The Government is doing everything possible to ensure that the advisory measures taken against Kenya, will soon be lifted," said Tuju. Tuju called on all tourist hotels in the country to start offering cheaper rates to all Kenyans as a way of promoting the sector. UK Explains Kenya Air Travel Ban, June 15 2003 Britain said it sympathizes with what Kenya is undergoing after it slapped a ban on British Airlines flights to the country in the wake of terrorist threats. At the same time, Britain expressed gratitude that Kenya has taken firm measures to improve security around its international airports. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it is unfortunate that his government had to slap a ban on British airlines flying to Kenya and cruise ships advised not to call on Kenya's ports, in the face of the "current threat of terrorist attack" confronting the country. Straw acknowledged that the current state of affairs caused severe economic hardship and damage to investor confidence.He, however, pointed out that the move was necessitated by the seriousness of the threat adding that the impact of a successful attack on an airliner or a comparable-scale outrage would be catastrophic and long-term. His sentiments were contained in a letter he wrote to Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Kalonzo Musyoka in the wake of intense lobbying for lifting of the ban on British airlines and the reversal of the advisories against non-essential travel to Kenya. British High Commissioner Edward Clay delivered the letter to Kalonzo. Spearheading the Government's initiative to have the decision reversed are Musyoka and his Ministry of Tourism and Information counterpart, Raphael Tuju, among others. Straw stated that Britain is constantly reviewing the nature of the threat with intelligence agencies and gave the Kenyan Government an assurance that the standing advisory would be challenged once it is ascertained that the threat has been reduced. He asserted that some of the terrorists were believed to be Kenyans while others are of different nationality and living in the country. The terrorists, he said, were suspected to be planning attacks both from within and outside Kenya's borders. He claimed that the terrorists appeared to be targeting western interests whereby Britain command the largest portion in terms of investments, residents and visitors. The Secretary stated that whereas the primary responsibility for defending against and neutralizing the threat of terrorism rested with Kenya, the problem required collective redress. He reiterated that Britain would work with Government authorities to help improve Kenya's defense against terrorist attacks and to take active steps to disrupt any planned activity. British experts, Straw said, were already in touch with their Kenyan counterparts while Scotland Yard are sending investigators to work alongside Kenyan police in their investigations. Britain has since dispatched experts on airport security and defense against Man-Portable Air Defense Missile attacks and will soon be followed up with training and provision of equipment to the General Service Unit to assist in the patrolling of airport perimeters, Straw said. Cheli and Peacock Directors Join Guests on Safari, June 15 2003 Cheli and Peacock, one of Kenya's top tour operators, clearly understand that travelers are nervous about visiting Kenya. Here is an update from Nairobi: Our international airports have added security all round and are certainly as good as, if not better than other African destinations. The government and security forces here have made massive steps to ensure the safety of its citizens and travelers alike. We, and all the business community living here, genuinely feel the travel advisories are alarmist and unjustified, especially given certain foreign governments leniency to other countries eg Morocco, Saudi Arabia, UK itself and USA itself. Our people are peace loving and the new government is committed to peace and economic stability. Tourism is the driver and future hope for Kenya's recovery. To destabilize it now due to unwarranted advisories is unfair and unnecessary. As a personal demonstration of our commitment to client's personal safety our directors and camp managers - namely Stefano Cheli, Simon Ball and Paul Wood will personally accompany clients on safari from start to finish to ensure their well being and re-assure them that Kenya is safe. They are charging a nominal fee of US $95 per day to cover the cost of accommodations and park fees. This offer will be available from June 10th to September 30th, 2003. South African Tourism Growth Defies All Odds, June 15 2003 South Africa has recorded a 5% increase in the number of tourists who visited the country between January and March this year. This translates into over a million visitors. According to the 2003 first quarterly tourist arrival statistics, the increase in tourists' numbers represents about 11% improvement when compared to the same period last year. Environmental affairs and tourism minister Mohammed Valli Moosa has welcomed good news. 'South Africa has maintained its performance of 2002 in the first quarter of 2003 despite adverse global conditions that included the war on Iraq, recession in three of the world's major economies and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars).' North Island Traveler's Report, June 15 2003 The new North Island Resort is located in the Seychelles. Here is a recent travel agent report: We visited the three main islands in Seychelles and viewed several hotels and guesthouses every day - not exactly a holiday! But on the 2nd day we took the boat to North Island and that was holiday! I immediately wrote down my impressions. Here are those of North Island. 03 June 2003 The sand is white and feels like walking through flour. It is difficult for me to describe how fantastic the island is. One feels like Robinson Crusoe - except one has all the comfort one can think of. The entire complex is extraordinary, exclusive and takes getting accustomed to, absolutely mindboggling!!!!!!!!!!! A dream! There are so many different styles represented: rustic, modern, African, luxury, indescribable! Rob is responsible for us and shows us the lounge, the swimming pool, the library with museum, the dive center and then he takes us with a beach buggy to villa #6. We walk into the villa and we see an extraordinary open lounge with a view onto the sea. Left from the lounge is a studio with two single beds, in front a round pool, next to the pool a sala and on the right hand the main bedroom with a massive bathroom with a sunken bath, two basins and a restbed. Divided from that is a large toilet area with toilet and bidet, and of course also a indoor and outdoor shower. The windows in front of the studio, bedroom and bathroom are sliding doors and can be pushed completely to the side, so that one has a view from the bed and bath onto the sea. The rooms have a telephone, the desk has an internet connection with different plugs and switches, so that I could load the battery of my video camera and laptop without a adapter. There are several resting areas and unusual lamps, which when dimmed change the room into a romantic and pleasant light. The lamps at the bed look like rocks. There is also a kitchen with fridge/freezer (filled with drinks - non alcoholic drinks are included in the rate, guest have to pay for beer and wine) and cooking utensils. The electric and therefore very quiet buggies are the means of transport on the island. For every villa there is one. We drove through a natural "jungleforest" to the other side of the island. We stopped every now and then to enjoy the marvelous silence. The forest opens up onto a indescribable view: 1.5 km, snow-white soft sand beach with a clear, turquoise colored sea. One can see Silhouette Island in the distance. I have seen many beaches in the world, but this beach took my breath away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We felt as if we are in paradise. We returned to reality as new guests arrived by helicopter. Andrea went snorkeling, while I went back to our villa, then went for a quick swim in the sea, then in our pool, wrote my report and soon the afternoon was over and time for dinner. The atmosphere is very romantic at candle light. After an aperitif at the bar, we were spoiled with a lovely prawn curry. Amazingly the chef is from New York, but he lost his heart in Africa. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, June 15 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: On the wildlife front we have had a "normal" week with several sightings of lion and the usual suspects at Nkwali. One drive really stands out - it was an all day picnic. The guests were treated to a pair of giraffe have a "necking session" which turned into a bit of a tussle. It was later described as looking like a pillow fight but with the giraffes using their heads to take great swings at each other instead of pillows. Later in the day the lucky troops found a small leopard who had just killed a puku. They stopped to watch and a larger leopard suddenly appeared and stole the puku. All pretty exciting stuff but then a hyena came on the scene and tried to steal the puku from the second leopard. Being older and wiser than the youngster he was having none of it and promptly took his prize up the nearest tree. This was all caught on video by one of the guests and a replay at the bar that evening enthralled the rest of us back in camp. Good news on the flamingo front. The 3rd flamingo which arrived and then had a bit of a hard time from a fish eagle has recovered and all three are still here and well. Fabulous to have them in front of camp and we hope they will stay a little longer. Tena Tena opened last week and Daudi, Aniek and Ross are all happy to have the season underway. The camp is looking superb and I for one am dying to get up their for a weekend soon. At Nsefu there was a correction from last week's report - in fact Ed saw 2 lone wildebeest and then a group of 36, so even more exciting than we thought! Claire reports that they are finding spores in and around camp and hearing calls most nights but have not seen the illusive lions now know as the Phantoms of Nsefu. Cheers, Kim. President Bush To Visit Five African Countries, June 22 2003 US President Bush will travel to Africa July 7-12, 2003 to build America's relationship with the continent. The President will visit Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, and Nigeria. Terror Threat Closes American Embassy in Kenya, June 22 2003 The US State Department has announced that the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, which was closed Friday, June 20, 2003 because of what officials termed "a serious terrorist threat," will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. The closure followed a decision by the Pentagon to raise the threat level in Kenya to 'high', U.S. officials said. 'High' is the most serious of four terrorism warning levels In November, attacks on an Israeli-owned hotel and airliner in Mombasa left 16 people dead, including 10 Kenyans and three Israelis. Al-Queda reportedly claimed responsibility. In 1998, car bomb explosions at U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, capital of neighboring Tanzania, killed 224 people, most of them Africans. State Department spokesman Phillip Reeker said that the closure would allow the embassy "to review its security posture." While American embassies in the region, and in many parts of the world, are shut down periodically for security concerns, officials said this action was prompted by specific information about planned activity. The information is highly classified, the officials said. The embassy is housed in a new, high-security facility that was built after the 1998 bombing in Nairobi. Kenyan Official Wants US and Britain to Pay for Tourism Losses, June 22 2003 Kenyan Member of Parliament Paul Muite (Safina) wants the United States and British governments to compensate Kenya against losses from reduced tourism earnings after two terrorist attacks in the country. Muite said that the Kenyan Government should be bold and assertive and tell the two governments that they should bear the losses incurred by Kenya as a result of plummeting tourist numbers. "We should go to the US, who were the targets of the two terrorist attacks here, and tell them we want a check for US $1 billion if they want us to associate with them, " said the MP. Muite told Parliament that the collapse of our tourism sector can be attributed to them," said the MP. But Burra MP, Ali Warrioh (Kanu) differed with Muite on the issue of compensation, saying it was a Cabinet Minister who was responsible for the dwindling tourist numbers after he issued an alarmist statement. Warrioh told the House that there was no need to look further than the minister and there was no need to blame the US and UK governments for the mess. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker, David Musila wants the Kenya Government to review diplomatic ties with both the US and British Governments. Musila said Kenya is a peaceful nation but had twice been targeted by terrorist attacks because of her relations with the two states. "We are targeted because of them but they have done nothing to compensate us. It is time Kenya reviewed our relationship with them," Musila told the House. Kenyan Travel Advisories Challenged, June 22 2003 Outgoing German Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Jurgen Weerth has challenged the US and British governments to withdraw the adverse travel advisories against Kenya. Weerth said the two countries need to review their positions in order to save Kenya's tourism sector from possible collapse. Speaking during a farewell lunch at a Nairobi hotel Weerth expressed pleasure that Germany had since relaxed her advisories. He urged other countries to follow suit in the interest of Kenya's economic growth. Weerth noted that Kenya was an innocent victim of terrorist attacks, which required support to cushion adverse effects arising from measures taken to counter potential threats. While challenging the above-mentioned countries to heed his call, Weerth said Germany remained a leading tourist source market for Kenya with close to 200,000 visitor arrivals per annum. He added that Kenya is popular among Germans and 70% of the arrivals were repeat visitors. Earlier in his office, Kalonzo made a passionate appeal to the British government to at least downgrade the travel advisories forbidding UK nationals from visiting the country. Belgium Lifts Kenyan Travel Advisory, June 20 2003 The Belgian government has lifted a travel advisory against travel to Kenya. "As of June 17, 2003 Belgian tourists and other visitors are no longer warned not to travel to Kenya," the statement said. However, Belgian nationals are "still advised to exercise caution and observe such precautionary measures as are warranted by circumstances." Belgium was among seven foreign countries that issued travel warnings to Kenya for fear of terrorist attack. They are US, Britain, Germany, Austria, France, Denmark and Belgium. The British government was the first to ban its national carrier, British Airways, against flights to and from Nairobi on May 15. Britain's Department of Transport said the move was taken because of increased terrorist threat in Kenya. US State Department warned Americans to defer all essential travel to Kenya. The US government said there were indications that terrorist attacks aimed at US and Western interests, including civil aviation, were imminent. Belgium officials said its national carrier, SN Brussels Airline, never interrupted its flights and is still flying five times a week between Brussels and Nairobi. "Taking into account reliable information concerning a possible terrorist threat in Kenya as well as negative travel advisories issued by governments of a number of countries, the Belgian authorities had added to their own travel advisory a clause advising to refrain from undertaking essential trips to Kenya." South African Airways offer a Summer Sale, June 22 2003 South African Airways is offering a summer fare at US $1,249 per person plus taxes until August 31, 2003 from select cities across America. Keep in mind that there are many restrictions - you must travel via JFK, domestic flights must be on Delta only, tickets must be purchased within 72 hours of booking, travelers do not earn mileage and there can be no changes, no refunds, no exceptions, no waivers whatsoever… Wildebeest Migration Update, June 22 2003 The vast herds of wildebeest are currently in the Moru area of the Serengeti in Tanzania and are heading west and north. Wildebeest numbers this year are said to be the highest in decades and have been estimated at 1.5 million. Serengeti Balloon Safaris operate in the Seronera Valley in the center of the park, and the huge herds are expected to be in this area within a few days. Since the Seronera River offers permanent water, the wildebeest are likely to be here for several weeks and afford visitors the wildlife viewing experience of a lifetime. Robin Pope's Weekly Zambia Update, June 22 2003 Robin and Jo Pope run several very successful safari camps in Zambia. Here is their weekly update: Nsefu Camp have reported that their phantom lions have now appeared in the flesh. Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately for any guests who prefer not to have close encounters - they were only seen in camp by staff. The first incident being when Claire was in camp waiting for guests to come back from the evening game drive and 2 lionesses walked between the bar and room 1. On the second occasion guests had just been shown back to their rooms after dinner when Ed and Claire came across 2 males strolling between room 6 and the fuel store. The lions are obviously very considerate and wait for the guests to be safely in their rooms before taking their promenade through the camp. The highlight of the week however was eland in the Nsefu sector. Firstly 2 males were seen in the Game Management Area (GMA) near the Kauluzi and then a lone male at Lunga Lagoon. Later in the week Ed saw a group of 30 eland consisting of 19 adults and 11 young, again in the GMA. This is early for them and a real treat. Wildebeest have also been much in evidence with sightings of 2 different herds, the first, a group of 32 seen at Kahchangja drift and then a different herd of 11on the Kauluzi plain. Birding at Nsefu has also been good with sightings of, amongst others, a peregrine falcon, 4 male painted snipe, a temminck's courser, black sunbird and mosque swallow. Meanwhile Tena Tena not to be out done report flying baboons. Ross saw around 20 baboons at play, running up a tall tree and leaping off a top branch onto another tree some 4 meters away. They then scrambled down, across to the same tree and repeated the antic. With 20 baboons doing this, there was a continuous trail of "flying" baboons. The larger ones found it quite easy, but the smaller ones were determined but only just made it. And this went on for 30 minutes! Another highlight of the week - during lunch at Nkwali, a squeaking noise revealed a snake eating a frog! Guests were out on the platform overlooking the lagoon and the snake, on a branch in the lagoon, thought he had lunch secured. Suddenly a western banded snake eagle swooped down and grabbed the snake - lunch inside lunch inside lunch!! Stay well and have a great week, Cheers Kim. Okavango Delta Flood Update, June 22 2003 Relative to other years, the water in the Okavango is lower than normal this year. This is quite surprising as the Zambezi River in contrast is at record levels. The Zambezi has had the biggest flood for about 40 - and many of the Caprivian villagers in Namibia have been flooded out of their homes. Yet, the Okavango and the Zambezi Rivers both have their catchment areas in central Africa, and the Okavango has had low floods. For safari goers the low water will make getting around the parks to view wildlife a lot easier! Zimbabwe Update, June 22 2003 Zimbabwe continues to be "in the news" but other than the political problems, nothing has changed as far as safaris go. Many have expressed their concerns about food and fuel shortages that sadly plague the country. As the tourism industry earns hard currency, the hotels and other tourism suppliers are able to import all the commodities they require to maintain their operations to a standard expected by international visitors. Consequently tourists do not feel the pinch of food shortages and the lack of fuel, and continue to enjoy the high standards of service in the camps and elsewhere. Ultimate Africa recommends that all guests fly from location to location. Most camps and lodges are located in National Park areas far removed from urban hotspots. Ultimate Africa works very closely with several tour operators in Zimbabwe and they will not operate any itinerary if there is the remotest concern of potential danger to guests. Victoria Falls Update, June 22 2003 Here is the latest update on several of the hotels in the Vic Falls area: At Ilala Lodge they are busy doing a refurbishment. So far the reception area and dining room are complete in a new colonial style, but still with Ilala's own "special" atmosphere. The rooms are next. The Elephant Hills InterContinental's River Wing is open and the conference facilities are now ready. Work is still going on in the banqueting room (old casino) and the rooms on the Golf Course Wing. The shops and tours desks have moved to rooms before the River Wing, and upstairs (where they used to be) is now an internet cafe, offices for the banqueting and conference managers, etc. The Mapopoma Bar is no longer a circular bar, and there is a lot more light and seating around for large conferences. The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge have had colorful mosaic work done in their reception and dining area as well as in the suites. Plans are afoot for a spa under the pool deck overlooking the waterhole, and a gym to the left. Victoria Falls Hotel Ranked Among Top Ten in Africa, June 29 2003 The Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe is ranked among the top 10 prestigious hotels in Africa. This came out of a survey done by Departures magazine, a monthly publication produced by the American Express Publishing Company. More than 655,000 readers of the magazine expressed their views on the leading hospitality establishments in the world listing each of the main geographical tourism areas. Readers voted the Mount Kenya Safari Club the best hotel on the African continent. The Cape Grace in South Africa is also in the top ten while hotels in Morocco and Egypt were also voted among the best in Africa. "We are delighted about the accolade from a respected and a worthwhile source of comment and deliberation," Victoria Falls Hotel general manager Mark Sonenscher said. He said winning the awards and accolades was recognition of efforts made by the whole team within the hotel to achieve world class standards. The award has come at a time when the hotel will be celebrating its centenary, marking 100 years of operation. The Victoria Falls Hotel is situated on a high point overlooking the gorges of the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls. The recognition of local hotels will help put Zimbabwe back on the world map as one of the best destination on the continent. Last year the resort town of Victoria Falls was named amongst the top 50 destinations the British public would like to visit before they die. Kenyan Minister Slams US, UK for Issuing Travel Advisories, June 29 2003 A Kenyan Minister slammed the United States and British governments for issuing travel advisories that have wreaked havoc on Kenya's tourism industry. Assistant Minister for National Planning and Development, Musikari Kombo, told the Kenyan Parliament that the two countries could "get lost for all Kenyans cared". He said Kenya was "sufficiently able to deal with her security problems", contrary to allegations that not enough has been done by the Government to combat terrorism threats. Britain to Withdraw Kenyan Travel Advisory, June 29 2003 The British government will soon withdraw the advisory to its citizens against visits to Kenya. Kenyan Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kiraitu Murungi said the Kenyan Government, with the assistance of the US and the UK, were doing all it could in the fight the terrorism threat. "This is a temporary problem and Kenya is to go back on its recovery track," he said as he contributed to the Budget speech debate. But the minister took issue with critics of the efforts. "Terrorism is a psychological thing and we must not be controlled by fear," he said. A number of members of parliament criticized the US and British governments, with some asking that they close their embassies in Kenya. They accused the two governments of undermining Kenya's tourism. Discovery Channel to Film Uganda, June 29 2003 The Discovery Channel will shoot a film on the Source of the Nile and other major tourist attractions in Uganda. The film is part of a Ugandan government strategy to market Ugandan tourism, State Minister for Tourism, Jovino Akaki Ayumu, said while speaking at the Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja during celebrations to mark the hotel's third anniversary. Crews from Discovery Channel will be led to Jinja by President Yoweri Museveni. Filming is scheduled to start on 8 July, 2003. Ndutu Safari Lodge Update, June 29 2003 Ndutu is located on the boundary of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Here is the lodge's latest update: May was the most beautiful month to be at Ndutu. The profusion of wild flowers brought on by the late rains at the end of April transformed the plains and woodlands and turned the African bush into a giant alpine meadow. The covering of yellow, red, white and purple flowers made grand opportunities to take photographs of wild animals standing amongst a carpet of color. But hard perhaps to convince your friends at home that you really were in the Serengeti. The late rains also kept the wildebeest migration on the surrounding plains to the end of May, which meant that we witnessed the spectacular annual wildebeest rut for the second year running. A striped hyena was seen troubling a cheetah mother with three small cubs one evening. Concerned guests went out early the next morning to search for the cheetah and were rewarded with great views of her and the 3 young cubs so obviously the hyena must have lost interest in them. It was probably looking to see if they had killed anything, which might be worth stealing rather than trying to attack the cheetahs themselves. Very little is known about striped hyenas compared to their larger cousin the spotted hyena. It's possible to count over a hundred spotted hyenas on a morning game drive during the wet season around Ndutu but to catch a glimpse of a striped hyena is quite unusual. However with a little luck it is possible to get good sightings of striped hyena here and is another reason why Ndutu is so special. Spotted hyenas killed a wildebeest behind room number nine last month, which caused quite a stir especially for the guests staying there. They probably didn't get too much sleep as it was, putting it mildly, quite noisy. Buffalo have been seen at Lake Masek recently. Ndutu is not known as good buffalo country, so the herd, which number about 120 are always a welcome addition to the variety of wildlife around the lodge. There have been many good sightings of serval cats this month and even I managed to photograph one as he stalked through the grass one evening. Other interesting things this month are the flocks of red-billed quelea crossing the plains. They look like clouds of smoke from afar but are infact thousands of tightly packed birds flying in tight flocks. How they don't crash into each other is one of nature's many secrets. Porcupines, lion cubs and even a zorilla have been seen running through the lodge recently. The zorilla must have been frightened by something and panicked as it's very rare to see them in the day-time. If you were wondering what a zorilla looks like, it's a bit like a skunk and is related to the weasel family. During the last week of April a very forlorn looking elephant was seen in one of the small valleys running into Lake Ndutu. We went out to look and found a young female elephant in a small pool of water, constantly spraying herself with the brown liquid. Her ear was hanging down, having been very badly torn. I wondered what could have caused such a terrible injury but on further observations it was noticed she had wire trailing behind her. She had been caught in a steel wire snare. Elephants wander huge distances and very often out of protected areas. In certain places some people set snares to catch antelopes and buffalo for their meat. This type of poaching is highly illegal and the authorities work hard to stop it. Unfortunately, it's also a very cruel and indiscriminate way of hunting. Whoever set the snare wasn't trying to catch an elephant, probably a buffalo which is why the snare loop must have been so huge to be big enough for a small elephant to pass her head through. Having pulled herself free by snapping the branch/tree the snare was tied to and tightening the snare in the process, she must have headed to safety. This was when we found her, by which time the wire had cut deep into her neck and virtually severed her ear. We called the veterinary department from the Serengeti National Park. They came down immediately, and had to tranquilize the elephant before the snare could be removed. The snare was cut off, but the wire was so thick and so deeply embedded into her neck that it took over half an hour to do so. She was given antibiotics, painkillers and the antidote to the tranquilizer and was soon on her way. I saw her the next day and was surprised how relaxed she was. She was in the same place, and still constantly spraying the wound with water. She took no notice of us, not even bothering to look up, so she was obviously none the worse for the stressful experience of the previous day. I haven't seen her again, but we've done all we can and can only hope she will be all right. Researchers from the Serengeti cheetah project have been staying with us this week. Ndutu is part of their study area in a long-term project spanning over 25 years. While here they found the cheetah known as Cinnamon around the Big Marsh and with her were two tiny cubs not much more than two months old. We know Cinnamon because her mother, called Chablis, is regularly seen around the Ndutu woodlands. Cinnamon was part of a litter of three born in 2000. Her two brothers, called Cardamom and Nutmeg were last seen in January 2002. Being just over three years old this is certainly her first litter. She was seen again yesterday in the same place but this time there was a large male lion snooping around close by. It all sounds rather stressful for the people watching because if he had found the cubs, he would almost certainly have killed them. Luckily he moved off but the cubs are going to need all the luck they can get if they are to reach adulthood, so fingers crossed! Paul. Ndutu Safari Lodge. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
