There has been plenty of activity in the bush – bird life is abundant and the many of the birds have been busy building nests to raise their chicks. The fish eagles are a daily feature in camp life – they are beautiful to watch as they fly above their territory, calling to one another as they settle in a tree branch to spot prey – keen & excellent hunters. The eagle in flight symbolises the freedom in Zambia and the ability to rise above national problems.

The lions have been active, very vocal early in the mornings and at night. The pride that was 14 strong have now split. There were a lot of male cubs which generates competition and threat to the older male as they mature. So 7 young males of around 2½ years of age are now living separately to the pride. At that age they are still relatively inexperienced especially when it comes to successful kills. There is also a small pride that is often seen up near top crossing (Chongwe River) – they had cubs last season but they are quite shy and have a tendency to disappear into the thickest, dense bushes when approached!

On a boat trip up to Tsika Island, we spotted two herds of elephants having fun in the river. They were so absorbed in the fun they were having splashing and rolling about in the water, that we were able to approach and take some wonderful photos.

And of course there’s the elephant interaction in camp – this always causes a thrill and astonishment when a few ton of elephant manages to get so close to you without you actually hearing it.

We’ve seen a few leopards in and around camp – one young male was spotted keeping a low profile in long grass, amongst a rather large herd of impala. The impala were blissfully unaware that there was danger lurking nearby. As the leopard was obviously hunting, he was left to it so that his chances weren’t spoilt.

As guests were leaving camp, one of the guides noticed the birds creating a merry racket. He determined that there was something causing the unrest so whipped out his binoculars and he spotted the perpetrator. Well disguised by a mistletoe bush was a baby python. It wasn’t until it struck that the birds noticed it and by this time it was too late as it had grabbed a bird.  The others went crazy, fly bombing the snake in an attempt to get it to let go of it’s prey.

The impala are rutting which makes them easy prey; they do not eat during the rutting season and get very out of condition. They essentially wear themselves out and are weak and vulnerable as a result. The other day a male come down to the river to drink. He nervously approached the water’s edge and as he bent to drink he caught a glimpse of himself in the still water. Within seconds his head was down, horns on the defensive, he tossed his head at his reflection and satisfied that he had won, bent down to drink only to notice his reflection again – this continued for a good 20 minutes until he had finally quenched his thirst, although we’re not entirely sure that he realised that his ‘opponent’ was himself!

Guests continue to be lucky with leopard and lion sightings, and a fairly rare sighting near Chongwe House was a bush pig! So far in 2012 four elephant carcasses have been found in the Chiawa Game Management Area, of these one, found north of Royal Airstrip, has been confirmed as poached. Although Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) patrol teams were close on the heels of the poachers as soon as gun shots were heard unfortunately there were no recoveries. The three other carcasses died of currently unknown causes but one is suspected to have been a fighting related death and the other two are suspected poisoning. In the Lower Zambezi National Park one carcass has been found. The cause of death is as yet unknown but ZAWA vets have responded quickly to take samples and ascertain cause of death. This month we have also lost a hippo to poaching in the Park and ZAWA vets visited the area to take sample of another hippo carcass and buffalo carcass.

Another horrific victim of the increasing snaring problem in the Lower Zambezi was reported to CLZ last week. Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) vet Dr. Harvey Kamboyi flew in on Sunday 6 May to dart, remove the snare and treat this male lion. Dr Kamboyi is confident that the animal will make a full recovery. Snaring for commercial bush meat as well as subsistence poaching is becoming a significant threat to the wildlife of the Lower Zambezi. As a silent, indiscriminate killer it is hugely dangerous and CLZ will continue to assist ZAWA in protecting the precious biodiversity of Zambia from such threats.

(Information provided by Conservation Lower Zambezi).

Some of our guests felt privileged to have witnessed the whole treatment of the young lion, obviously delighted with the outcome.

May’s full moon was breathtaking.  Rising in the horizon like the morning sun, a deep red in colour and then appearing to punch a bright hole in the dark, night sky.

Each sunrise seems to differ from the previous one, and on the morning of the full moon, day break was spectacular. The sky was an artist’s palette of colour, the horizon a deep, luxurious purple that gave way to azure that faded into a smoky pink that grew deeper and deeper in orange, as the sun made it’s slow ascent into daylight.

Lake Tanganyika has long been renowned as one of Africa’s most unique and beautiful natural wonders. A biological wonder that is home to 2,000 species of animal life, there are few places that can compare with its unique biodiversity and unparalleled scenery.

So much that makes Tanganyika special is embodied in Nsumbu National Park: a wilderness area that includes forested mountain slopes, mysterious Mushito swamp forests and the last “Itigi” combretum stands in Africa, as well as providing one of the most productive and diverse underwater habitats in an already astounding lake.

Poaching has increased

Unfortunately a decline in tourism through the eighties and nineties has lead to an inevitable increase of poaching activities of both terrestrial big game and of fish from within National Park boundaries. This in turn is diminishing Nsumbu’s potential of becoming one of Africa’s great tourism destinations and all the benefits to both conservation and community development that brings about.

Tourism can help

Tourism has been shown to sustain and indeed develop communities in Lower Zambezi, South Luangwa and Mosi -o- Tunya National parks, a large part of this has been the successful implementation and continued existence of fully inclusive wildlife societies like Conservation Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa Conservation Society.

We believe that the creation of Conservation Lake Tanganyika can provide a bridge between the immediate needs of the communities that live in the area and the protection that is required to allow a recovery of wildlife for longer term viability.

Our Aim

Our aim is to take representatives to Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa to see what tourism can offer and if that is an economy they want. If the answer is yes, as we suspect, we will begin to work with communities on wildlife education, basically there is no tourism without wildlife and fish.

At the same time we intend to raise funds to immediately give benefits to locals through training and infrastructure development as well as lobbying government for permission to use all funds raised locally through park and fishery fees to remain in the area for further development and self sustainability.

SWIM FOR NSUMBU

The “Swim for Nsumbu” event will pit a few brave and concerned people against whatever we face in the Lake to bring attention to the plight and needs of Nsumbu National Park. We intend to swim the entire lake boundary of the national park in our efforts to save Nsumbu but we need help in making Conservation Lake Tanganyika a reality.

Without an ultimate injection of cash our passion to save this beautiful National park for the benefit of all stakeholders cannot happen.

Swim details: The swim will be approximately 35kms total distance.  The starting point will be the Western Park Boundary in Nsumbu Township and the ending point will be the Eastern Park Boundary at the mouth of the Lufubu River.

Swimming will be done in 20 minute stints or relays.  After 20 mins the next swimmer will take over. Swimmers will be rotated throughout the day. There will be a kayak in the lead so that the swimmer does not have to worry about direction, they will be following a trail line pulled by the kayaker. A safety boat will be off to one side and there will be a main boat with the rest of the swimmers in a short distance away.

Swimmers have given themselves 5 days to do the distance; if good weather prevails they hope to complete the challenge quicker. Weather will be the biggest factor to contend with. Fins and hand paddles will be allowed. Craig Zytkow has done some test swims in the lake and found that if everyone can manage 300 mtrs in 20 mins that they will do the distance in 5 days. In calm water with fins he manages 300 mtrs in about 6 mins, so on average they should cover good distance quite quickly. In rough weather the 300 mtrs  takes almost 20 mins. There is also the safety of the boats and kayaker to consider, so in rough water they will most likely stop swimming even though  the distance can still be covered. Any stops due to weather/end of day will be marked on GPS so that they can return to the same spot to continue.

SWIM FOR NSUMBU KICKS OFF JUNE 16TH 2012 FROM THE ZAWA PUMPHOUSE (NP BOUNDARY) AT 0700HRS IN WATER!

We would appreciate if you could dig deep and support this cause – contact Chris Liebenberg – christiaan@iconnect.zm – thank you!

The baobab tree also known as the upside down tree because most of the year (when it is leafless) it looks like it’s been planted upside down in the soil.

There are various myths/superstitions that surround the history of the baobab include:

• That bushmen believed that things that happened inside the baobab so offended God that in his wrath he uprooted it and cast it back into the earth upside-down.
• It is said that if you drink its sap you will receive protection from crocodile attacks but if you pick its flowers you will be torn apart by lions!
• It is also claimed that when God was creating the world, each animal was given a tree to plant and that the hyena planted the baobab upside-down and, as a result, it should never have grown. But it did grown, and today baobabs are dotted throughout southern Africa and some are reputed to be thousand of years old.

The Baobab Tree is also known as the tree of life. It provides shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal kingdom as well as humans. The cork-like bark or huge stem is fire resistant and is used for making cloth and rope. The leaves are used as condiments and medicines. The fruit, called “monkey bread”, is rich in vitamin C and is eaten and mixed into porridge or milk hence earning itself the name, monkey bread tree in some areas. The tree is capable of storing hundreds of litres of water, which is tapped in dry periods. Mature trees are frequently hollow, providing shelter for numerous animals and humans alike. Trees are even used as bars, barns, wine and beer shops and more. Radio-carbon dating (baobab trees do not have age rings like some trees) has measured that age of some Baobab trees at over 2,000 years old.

Our journey started off from the office in Lusaka. We had two land cruisers and a land rover to drive down.

The original plan was for the girls to get to Gwabi, (near Chirundu, the border with Zimbabwe), and where the pontoon crosses over the Kafue River. From there we would take a boat for the rest of the way, taking some goods and picking up some of the staff along the way, leaving more room in the vehicles to do the same. When we got there was no boat, so we continued by road. At this point the route becomes dust roads and whilst there hadn’t been a huge amount of rain, the rain that had fallen caused enough pot holes and some stretches were a little challenging to pass due to the soft, wet ground. It was also incredibly hot and sticky and as all vehicles are open we had to cover up as best we could. A few us looked very suspicious in our make shift cover ups and could have passed for bandits but we arrived without horrendous sun exposure, although we were all very dusty, sweaty and hot and cold showers (all that was on offer) were welcomed.

At the end of each season everything is packed and stored away from harm’s way – bugs, water damage, rats, mice, heat etc. Anything that’s not fixed to the floor we pack up. It is a fairly mammoth task and of course it is all locked away securely in various store rooms. We then make a list of what is where so that we can easily lay our hands on it when we return at the beginning of season to unpack and put everything back together.

So the entire first month entails a full on maintenance programme. Tents need fixing, erecting and fitted with fixtures and fittings. Walls need to be washed and painted, paths weeded and grass cut, which is done by hand with machetes. Linen and rugs need to be washed and aired. Kitchens cleaned and all equipment washed and put away. Decks repaired, extended, sanded and oiled.

At the end of last season the kitchen and store rooms at Chongwe River Camp were demolished and rebuild so they have been painted, door and window grates fitted and the kitchen is being fully kitted out so that it can be operational. We also assess damage from the closed season – with so little rain in the closed months damage is less this year than last. We then put together orders for all the materials needed to complete all the necessary works required to bring the camps back to life.

Unfortunately due to heavy rains which arrived far later than expected our deliveries have been hampered and works delayed.  The roads were impassable so we resorted to the river.  With two weeks left to go its all hands on deck to ensure everything is completed and perfect for the arrival of the season’s first guests.

Everyone agrees that it’s good to be back in the bush – the call of the fish eagle, the gentle oomph, oomph of the ground hornbills, the lions roaring, the bickering and bellowing of the hippos, the rumbling and trumpeting of the elephant herds, bird song both diurnal and nocturnal,  the clarity of the wonderful starry nights and of course the stunning sun rises and sunsets.  With the rains arriving so late we have also been treated to the most picturesque cloud formations:

There’s been plenty of wildlife in and around camp and some of the guys were lucky enough to spot a female leopard crossing over the road into the thicket which is lush and dense.  There were hundreds of impala and a couple of warthog families around so we reckon she was checking dinner out.  The lions have been incredibly vocal, although we haven’t yet seen them.  And of course, hundreds of elephants – sadly a mother abandoned her baby and whilst Conservation Lower Zambezi tried to save it, it died the day after. The post mortem revealed that the calf had been suffering from acute pneumonia which is probably why it had been abandoned in the first place. The pod of hippos that frequent the confluence where the Chongwe River meets the Zambezi River have a new baby so they are grumpy, and are prone to lots of ‘yawning’ and bellowing!  Bird life is busy with many building nests and the Egyptian geese are driving us insane with their loud honking, usually early in the morning.  One of the most beautiful sounds has to be the fish eagle and they are spotted and heard daily.

Each day the camps are coming more and more to life and it won’t be long now until we will be welcoming guests again.

After this he was a very common and most welcome visitor to all camps in the area, at Chongwe, we would all talk to him, welcoming him back and asking how his day was going, he never caused us any problems. Personally, I (CJ) have very happy memories of the fantastic sightings he gave us over the years, carefully removing chairs on the deck to reach a particular tree, swimming in the reeds under the deck, his passing us by whilst eating with guests at dinner, and his “talking” (the typical elephant tummy rumble) to us in the office whilst feeding outside. Supplies delivery days were always a favourite of his, to see if he could beat us to the bananas and oranges. My particular favourite has to be following the felling of a tree leaning on the office when he raced through camp at the sound of the tree falling, screeched to a halt in front of it and promptly started feeding, still as we were cutting it. He amused us by lifting a branch, tucking it under his tusk whilst picking up a second branch and eating it, and then returned to the first one retrieving it from under his tusk to eat, before repeating this double portion over and over.

Late in 2008 he disappeared, never to be seen again around the banks of the Chongwe River. Each year we would wait for his return but he never came, though his name and stories were oft repeated to guests and new staff alike. In September 2011, we received a report that he had been roaming the Zimbabwe side of the Zambezi and was found dead in November 2010 on an island not too far from his old Chongwe home. Believed to be natural causes but confirmed he had not been poached.

We often wondered what had happened to him, fearing the worst and whilst a sad end to our favourite elephant, it is a relief to know he wasn’t betrayed by man. Chris Liebenberg says “in 16 years I never met a nicer chap”.

RIP Ollie – you will be remembered.  by Caroline Jenkins – Reservations Manager

We first visited Chongwe Safaris in 2007 and we arrived in on the overnight BA flight, so after lunch we flopped into our tent for a much needed sleep.  As I emerged from my groggy, sleepy state, I was aware that Sean was already awake and alert.  I started to stir and he told me to be still and quiet.  I quickly tuned into the exciting scene unfolding directly outside our tent.  A large bull elephant, with a twist in his tail was amusing himself with the sun lounger mattress.  He was curling it up into a ball and throwing it over his head, and then stamping on it, picking it up again and repeating the process.  Each time he was moving further round the tent until he was just the other side of the open air bathroom.  He chucked it again and it landed in the shower.  We held our breath, wondering what he would do next. Suddenly his trunk followed by his ears and head popped over the top of the bathroom wall as he reached into the shower to retrieve his ‘toy’.  We laughed when we wondered how we would have reacted if one of us had been in the shower at the time.  Oliver eventually tired of his game when his mattress landed in the river, he gave it one more cursory glance and wandered off for a munch on a nearby bush.

Oliver put in some wonderful appearances over the course of the few days we were at Chongwe and even had a snooze, trunk resting on the ground, leaning slightly against a termite mound.  He would come right up to the lunch table and gently move around us going about his business.

On our follow up visits to Chongwe, we were delighted to see Oliver again.  Coming out of the back of tent 1 into the bathroom, he was happily stretching to grab the branches that hung high over the tent.  He stopped what he was doing, looked directly at me and we just held a gaze.  It was a wonderful moment of connection and acceptance.  For such a large elephant, Oliver moved very deliberately and softly and has to have been one of the greatest encounters we have ever had with a wild animal.

Jane Keogh – Chongwe House

A recipe for disaster? Read on…

We hadn’t been to Africa since a wonderful holiday to Kenya nearly five years ago. So when an idle conversation with family friends turned into a firm plan to visit again I was charged with finding an itinerary that would suit all of us, including new activities for those who’d visited before, as well as a proper, classic safari for the first timers.

After a bit of head scratching Zambia and Malawi got the nod: Zambia for the wealth of safari activities on offer, and Lake Malawi for its reputation as a wonderful spot for post-safari relaxation.

We started in Livingstone, an area well known for adrenaline fuelled pursuits, and we seemed to have been there just five minutes before our lot were hurling themselves off a bridge, headlong into the Zambezi Gorge, attached only to spindly pieces of elastic. They loved it, can’t say I particularly enjoyed watching but it was certainly an exhilarating start. Pictures of the Victoria Falls do nothing to prepare you for the real thing – they are quite magnificent, and the spray, even when the water levels are fairlylow, is something to be believed. We got totally drenched. A sunset river cruise and island picnic lunch organized by Tongabezi, where we stayed for the two nights, was just a taster of what was to come.

Next stop was the Lower Zambezi National Park – an area I’ve wanted to see for a long time having heard others in the office wax lyrical about its abundant wildlife and beautiful setting. I’d plumped for Chongwe River House here, a stunning property which looks like something Fred Flintstone might have built. I’ve been fortunate to see a fair few wonderful African camps but this place is really breathtaking. On arrival you look right through the house, to the pool and garden and straight down to the Chongwe River beyond. For once that teenage expression of ‘totally awesome’ is truly accurate.

What Zambia offers over and above some other safari countries is a vast range of activities. Yes, there are great game drives, but you can also night drive and walk, and in the Lower Zambezi spend time exploring on the river too. We canoed a lovely channel off the Zambezi River. The two oldest had their own canoe and scared themselves witless when they thought they’d spotted a hippo close to their craft. Since we were in water only a foot or so deep, their imagination had got the better of them but it kept them alert (and obedient) the whole trip. Watching families of elephant ambling across the river in front of us was magical. Despite being out of season we managed to catch a few tiger fish, even the small ones look pretty ferocious. A 30kg vundu (a type of catfish) was hooked amid much excitement but managed to make its escape before it could be brought to the boat. After surprise bush suppers, an amazing lunch on a sand spit in the middle of the Zambezi – watching the chef clear the tiny island of a group of basking hippo was certainly a novelty – I was a bit concerned that we’d peaked only half way…

By Charlotte Opperman – family holiday August 2011

Charlotte and family finished their trip to Zambia in the South Luangwa and then headed to Malawi.

I am no hunter and don’t know how to measure the weight of an elephants tusks and frankly could give a shit what they weigh now I think about it. All I know he had the biggest ivory of any elephant that we see these days in our area and he is gone, not to poachers, but to a foreign hunter and this is the name of sport? Not sure what I have been doing all this time and not sure what to do anymore?

Christiaan Liebenberg     -  Managing Director

Oliver – another gentle elephant who hasn’t been seen for a couple of years – who knows what his fate was.

The next morning a large male leopard killed a male impala near the watering hole between camp and house, and dragged it into the thicket nearby.  He is rather skittish and retreated further into the bushes.  It’s widely believed that he is the father of the two cubs.

Elephant activity has also been plentiful with some magical moments and very close interaction.  Guests were sat on the deck when a large male decided to wander up the steps onto the terrace to sample a delicious looking tree – the winterthorn pods are ripe and a favourite for the elephants.  It is quite incredible how such huge creatures can gently pick their way around furniture, walls, decks and steps to get to their favourite bar snack!

There are literally hundreds of elephants around at the moment – often wandering through the different properties, using the sprinkler systems, the ponds, water holes and river to their full advantage.  Elephants communicate through a low deep rumbling – it can be very loud or barely audible but they can hear it for miles away.  We are very fortunate to have some incredibly special moments with these majestic wild animals and whilst some can appear very mellow it’s advisable to keep reminding ourselves and our guests that they are unpredictable.

From time to time a very grumpy elephant or two, pass through,  protesting loudly at anything that moves and charging without any warning.

We have had some rare sightings in the last week, pel’s fishing owl, bush pigs and samongo monkey’s.

The hippo that died up stream weeks ago if finally being feasted upon by the crocodiles – they have waited very patiently for the tough hide to soften (by rotting). The feeding frenzy is violent but spectacular and good entertainment for strong stomached guests.

Early the other morning what appeared on the surface to be a panicked hippo hit the water,was in fact a crocodile kill.  An unsuspecting bush buck was plucked from the river bank and probably never knew what hit it.  The splashing was monumentous & dramatic, after a short while the croc submerged and the water was still, UNTIL, after approximately 30 mins, the croc reared out of the water, and crashed sideways into a death roll. It’s large tail hitting the water with a force that would have stunned anything that dared get in the way.

The kudu around the game management area are relatively relaxed and don’t bolt off into the bushes so we have had some lovely sightings close up.  These two were spotted courting.  She was coy and feigning disinterest as she nibbled the bushes, tail slightly raised.  He was distracted and not at all interested in eating and kept on giving her gentle nudges.  She carried on ignoring him but continued to let him fuss over her.  A fairly large mixed group are often seen around the camps – it is quite rare to see them so relaxed and they are wonderful to watch, despite being a little skittish.

Back to leopards and we were stunned the other night when there was a commotion outside house – we went to investigate and it looked like an impala was fighting with another, on second glance the impala was stood up seemingly on top of another animal.  What we then realised, was that there was a male leopard attached to the impalas throat from the underneath. Seconds later the impala was flat out and the leopard patiently hung on until the impala died. It was swift, clean and relatively quick.  We were speechless with the closeness of the whole kill, heart rates raised and adrenaline pumping through our bodies.  The leopard then dragged the kill a little distance away under a tree.  The next morning, with new guests arriving we decided to move the kill a safe distance away – we didn’t want to scare the leopard off and we didn’t want to put our guests in danger.  We had a few days of exciting viewings, especially as the female came across the kill and decided to share it.  This presented no problem initially until the male returned and became very possessive about his prize and a mighty row erupted.  Snarls, grows and spits were heard whilst guests enjoyed dinner on the deck, all the more thrilling with leopards fighting nearby, The next morning the kill had disappeared – it is believed that the male moved the kill for his own consumption.

And as well as these superb viewings guests saw the large pride of lions in the National Park, porcupine, buffalo, hundreds of elephants with babies, hippos, huge crocodiles, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, lion ants, fish eagles, bee eaters, ground hornbills, warthog, baboons, vervet monkeys and so much more.

Serves 8

2 chops per person (depending on size of appetite)

2 tbsps of mint sauce

2 tbsps of lemon juice

2 tbsps of olive oil

2 tsps of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together and place lamb in mixture overnight or for 3 to 4 hours.  Place in a medium oven covered in tin foil for one hour and then remove foil and cook for a further 15 mins.

Serve with mixed green salad, &  roasted vegetable with tomato couscous, and carmelised foccacia bread – recipes to follow.

The mighty Zambezi River is usually fast flowing and furious, and on this afternoon, the water was still like sheet glass, reflecting the clouds perfectly.  The river appears to take on multiple personalities – it is very beautful in a unique way depending on the time of day. 

These red basker dragonflies – kibes drop wing, were around in abundance when the flood gates were opened at Lake Kariba.  Due to the water levels bugs were plentiful.  They are so vibrant in colour and this one reflects it’s shadow perfectly on the pool side.

We’d gone to investigate the state of a dying or dead hippo up near top crossing when we heard that there were some lionesses with cubs near the airstrip – so we went in search and came across to lionesses with four cubs.  They were resting after feasting on a kudu and the little ones were a little unsure.  This little guy attempted to scare us with a noiseless open mouth snarl and then settled into a comfy postion to keep an eye on us!

This is a new spot for a bush dinner.  The fallen stump is beautiful and is the perfect drop back for the table.  We light a fire for guests and a fire for cooking and sit under the stars to enjoy an al fresco dinner. 

Sunrises and sunsets are stunning throughout the year and worth getting up early for! 

This sunrise lastest minutes at the most and the sun then disappeared into the clouds until later on in the day.

Sunset is rapid has different stages of colours even after the sun has disappeared behind the mountains.

The bee-eaters whilst out feeding during the day, congregate in the late afternoon over the water, catching the insects.  They seem to work together to ensure plentiful snacks are eaten.