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July/August 2005 Sanctuary Talking

GENERAL NEWS
12th Annual World Travel Awards

The World Travel Awards 2005 voting opened on 01 June 2005. Thus far the voting cast on the site is up 12% on the total votes cast for 2004. The voting form is now available in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. There are a number new categories so cast your vote now! http://www.worldtravelawards.com/votenow.

Sanctuary assists the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute

Each of our luxurious camps and lodges in Botswana are hosting a trainee from the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute (BWTI) for two months.  In so doing, Sanctuary lodges & Camps is assisting the Institute and the Government with their various skills development programs. These trainees will be exposed to all facets of the hospitality industry whilst in our camps with the ultimate goal of improving the overall calibre of personnel within the Botswana Lodge Industry.

Air ticket fees

A notice from the TCAA (Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority) introduced a charge called the Aviation Safety Fee effective 22 July 2005. The fee is included as a Safety Fee on scheduled tickets but charter flights will be charged directly to passengers similar to a departure tax. The charge is levied for all passengers as follows:
1,000/- or $1 for all domestic flights departing all airports and airstrips
$8 for international flights departing Tanzania.
Information courtesy of Mrs. Caroline Blumer, Regional Air Services

Living With Elephants (LWE)

Palm nut season is in full swing and the annual flood is swiftly infiltrating our area. During a delightful morning walk with a group of guests from nearby camps, Jabu found several real fan palm trees, Hyphae petersiana, bearing fruit. By shaking the living daylights out of these tassel topped titans Jabu managed to harvest hundreds of sweet plum coloured, tennis ball shaped nuts, which Thembi and Morula eagerly helped him gobble.

Later, guests from Stanley's and Baines' Camp, joined the elephants, for a delicious picnic under a shady sausage tree, Kigelia Africana. Afterwards the elephant trio and I continued on our foraging foray. Sampling a few palm fronds first, we worked our way over towards a grove of mature trees. Jabu repeated his shake, rattle and roll routine several times and with good results, nuts were rolling everywhere!

Often when the nuts fall I help Jabu gather his share but this afternoon there was no shortage and I sat down on a log to get trumpet and drinking water out of my rucksack. Ever since my fathers visit, in May, this treasured instrument has become my continuous companion. This is the same trumpet that my dad first gave me lessons on over forty years ago and that he strapped to his bike rack about 60 years ago. With time, wide open space and all the precious primordial patience of an elephant herd plus father, I can finally play a couple of tunes.

As I sat on the log next to Jabu, The Giant, practicing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” Botswana 's national bird, the stunningly coloured lilac-breasted roller, landed right under Jabu's ample belly. The roller was merely hunting for insects in the golden grass but Jabu was slightly startled at first. Then his eye twinkled with, what I would call, amusement and I felt incredibly privileged, blessed - like I was living somewhere over the rainbow and very close to the roots of heaven.

My elephant friends picked their way through thick palm undergrowth and came to a stop under the next big palm tree. As the next harvesting operation got underway, a sudden shift in my companions' composure indicated that we might have a visitor. As I looked up an assertive grey mountain of muscle came crashing towards us. With my trumpet in one hand and elephant hook in the other I moved forward to take control of a potentially chaotic situation. With a sudden shrill blast of my trumpet, I was able to intimidate our intruder and buy myself enough time to organize Jabu, Thembi and Morula into exit formation. As we were leaving the wild bull came charging towards us again. This time, with the trumpet tucked away in my rucksack I discharged my trusty cap gun (athletic starter pistol) to ward him off, while we made our exit.
Field Note by Doug Groves
www.livingwithelephats.org

BOTSWANA
Baines' Camp

Game viewing has been excellent with incredible herds of buffalo's and plenty of zebra and giraffe brightening the horizons. There have also been a number of sightings of smaller cats, including the rare African Wild Cat as well as a very relaxed Large Spotted Genet. The hippos have been entertaining guests on boat excursions as usual, taking every opportunity to exhibit their enormous teeth – every dentist's nightmare! General game viewing has been superb since the waters are subsiding allowing more game to venture into the floodplains to take advantage of sweet palatable grasses.

A number of our guests were fortunate enough to witness a leopard hunt its' prey. The leopard first stalked the fearful baboon, then pursued it up a tree before pouncing on its' meal – many such failed attempts are witnesses so this was indeed a treat!

Another great leopard sighting! Martin, a guide, and his guests were indulged with a wonderful sighting of a male leopard. At first, the hanging tail and hunched back suggested that it was just a baboon in the tree. On closer examination though, Martin recognised the spots and drove up for a closer look. As the vehicle drew closer, the leopard leapt down to the ground, strolled along to a termite mound which he used as a step ladder and began his ascent of another tree. The leopard continued to move from ground to branch as another vehicle pulled in to enjoy this magnificent sighting. With such secretive animals, such a display of their climbing skills and acrobatics is most unusual!

Baines' Camp has become increasingly popular with honeymoon couples – and rightfully so…with the privacy and exclusivity of our intimate camp as well as the unique skybeds affording romantic nights under the African skies. Our guests enjoy all the luxuries that Baines' Camp have to offer from a special bottle of champagne, a beautiful card congratulating them on their marriage to private bush brunches and romantic private dinners.

Guests are also returning to camp proving that the personal service and attention afforded to our guests are indeed appreciated. Our gourmet meals have received rave reviews from our guests – thanks to our culinary chef's!

The outside main area boasts crisp new cushion covers and two new mosquito machines – a welcome relief from all the pests in the evenings. The decks have also been just been treated making the area look shiny, new and rejuvenated!

The unique elephant activity offered at both Baines' and Stanley 's Camps is still proving very popular with guests – they love interacting with our three gentle giants! The various boat excursions are also well-received and a welcome change for guests that have been bumping around on a game drives. The educational walks are another favourite with guests who love the idea of understanding the smaller things of the great wilderness!

One fine evening, after dropping staff members home from their evening shift, Nicky made a hasty exit from the village when she suddenly discovered an unexpected visitor - Thomas the elephant! He was much too close to the exit road for her liking and seemed unwilling to move from the ebony tree that was providing his scrumptious evening snack. The staff suggested that Nicky chase Thomas away, but her usual nerves of steel had already gone to bed so she carefully retraced her steps and left him to munch in peace. (Left) Court, a guide, chats to Thomas about his eating habits while some staff members look on.

Chief's Camp

Summer seems to have come early this year – all the jackal berry trees are losing their leaves while the acacia are sprouting new ones and filling the air with the sweet scent of their beautiful flowers. There have been a number of marvelous sightings including a rare opportunity of watching a leopard stake out a warthog burrow. Guests watched the leopard stake out the burrow for some time. When the oblivious warthog finally emerged, the magnificent cat leapt forward and gave chase. The chase was short lived, as the warthog's legs, and it was not long before the leopard was devouring its freshly killed prey - a rare and wonderful sighting indeed!

Leopards have been spotted quite frequently on our game drives. An exceptional sighting for some guests were spotting both lion and leopard whilst on a mokoro excursion – a truly thrilling experience!

Bird enthusiasts were treated to sightings of a breeding pair of giant eagle owls that were based in camp for a while, with our white rhinos often spotted just 2 kilometres from camp. We have also had the pleasure of sharing our dinner experience with a large spotted genet who feasted on a meal of jackal berries while the guests enjoyed a more diverse menu.

A herd of around 200 buffalo meandered towards camps a few weeks ago. The buffalo stretched like a stream of treacle along the back of the flood plain before advancing to within fifty metres of our front deck! This was an amazing sight.

We have fitted latches to the inside of the doors in the guest rooms, which have made the guests feel more secure and at ease. The well stocked curio shop also boasts new clothing racks and the walkways and guest rooms have just received a new timber coating so everything looks brand new!

“It is an excellent camp. Great game-viewing. I always love being here!”
Author of Rory the Lion Cub, Patsy Smith-Roberts.

“We shall return! Now we truly know why you are rated #1. Thanks!”
Gary and Kathy Conrad and Patti and Edward Turrentine.

The Chobe National Park has always been well known for its sightings of Wild dogs. At Chobe Chilwero this is no exception, with the number of sightings increasing every month. An interesting sighting was witnessed in front of the main area where the cunning wild dogs attacked and killed a warthog. With their predatory eating habits the poor warthog was done with in seconds! There have been a number of snake sightings which always gets the guests excited, as well as various ostrich families providing for some interesting sights. An exceptional sighting was of lions feasting on elephants – the past two months have definitely provided excellent game viewing opportunities.

As the sun starts setting the Chobe River waters become warmer and this is when the renowned tiger fish surfaces to feed - their razor sharp teeth slashing at anything in their path. At Chobe Chilwero exciting day fishing excursions are offered *. We supply a well-equipped boat and professional guide who assists you in catching the 7kg Tiger Fish! The other more exhilarating option is to try your luck at fly fishing which requires more skill but is very fulfilling. August saw the return of Bream, Nwembwe & Three Spotted with bream being one of the best fish to place in a frying pan at Chobe Chilwero – our chef will certainly indulge your tastes with your very own catch! * additional cost applicable 

On a recent boat cruise we came across a dead elephant and a group of scavenger birds fighting for their savoured pickings. From our vantage point in the boat, guest could watch the vultures hopping and dancing about while the few Marabou storks stood proudly with goodness knows what in his beak! Guests were enthralled by this episode and stood watch for at least an hour.

Alan, a guide, and a few guests were lucky to witness a tussle between a leopard and a mother cheetah with grown up cubs. This was at a water hole so it was clearly a battle of wits rather than a kill.

Throughout the months game viewing has been really good with lions, leopard and even cheetah being spotted frequently! There is also a phenomenal amount of buffalo in the concession making for truly intriguing game viewing experiences.

Herewith some amazing pictures of the water in front of Stanley 's camp swimming pool. The camp environs are in full flood and what makes it so spectacular is that large tracts of land were burnt leaving open areas of land prior to the waters infiltrating the area. The environment is now covered in water and looking absolutely beautiful! The floodwaters have attracted the village fishermen and mokoro builders into the concession as well.

‘Very enjoyable, the camp was cared for immaculately, the tables set for all meals were beautiful, creative and a work of art. Very good staff with great attention to each creative detail. I very much appreciated their efforts. Food was the best of all the places we stayed in.
Botswana , SA and Zimbabwe .'
Pilar Helmers

The pictures below were sent to us by another satisfied guest - Laurens Fortini. Laurens and his dad had a wonderful holiday in Botswana and commended Stanley 's Camp staff and management for the excellent hospitality experienced. Thank you very much for the pictures and hope to welcome you to Botswana again.

EAST AFRICA
Olonana

OLONANA REFUBISHMENT

The furniture in all public areas have been refurbished maintaining the camps' old-world charm while offering the ultimate in luxury and comfort.

MEET MINNIE, THE HOSTESS AT OLONANA

Minnie Kiruka recently joined the Olonana team as the Camps' hostess. Minnie has 12 years experience in the hospitality industry and brings a wealth of knowledge with her. Prior to joining Olonana , Minnie worked at a Restaurant on the coast of Kenya and holds a diploma in human resource and business management, among other qualifications. Welcome from the Sanctuary team!

Around mid-July the migration started moving in small numbers from the Serengeti into the Masai Mara. The animals entered the Mara through the south-eastern corridor, via the Sand River side. Guests staying at Olonana have been lucky to witness several big river crossings much to their delight! Recently, Elly, the head driver guide at Olonana , was with clients who were amazed as they watched about ten thousand animals crossing the river – they could not believe their luck when they witnessed another river crossing later that day. Elly managed to capture some of these exciting moments on camera.

It has been raining in the Mara and there are still a lot of animals who seem to be taking a break from the river crossings and just enjoying the green grass. Large herds of wildebeest are concentrated at the southern plains and we expect the river crossings to start again soon. Other game is also plentiful and drama is unfolding at every corner … the Mara's great predators are well fed and guests on safari have reported seeing several hunts in the past few weeks…..an unbeatable experience!

OPEN GAME VIEWING VEHICLES AT OLONANA

Four of Olonana 's vehicles were converted into open game viewing vehicles and delivered to the camp in August. The new vehicles, with their open sides offer a maximum game viewing experience. They vehicles boast canvas roofs for sun protection and the sides may be rolled down as and when required.

Guests relaxing at the Olonana pool after a long day in the bush can now enjoy the use of the brand new swimming pool changing rooms which were recently completed.

Kusini

We were honoured with a leopard sighting in camp during one of our dinners – amazing! The leopard walked up the Kopje behind the dining room and settled on the rocks to give us a grand view. We have had some other fantastic sightings in camp as well - leopard, elephant, giraffe, warthog, buffalo, klipspringer, dik dik, jackal, striped and spotted hyena just to name a few. We've also had prolific birdlife around the camp, with the Fischer's Lovebird being top of the list – a bird lover's paradise!

The open plains are quiet at the moment, with only Grants and Thompson Gazelle. We do, however, see cheetah on a regular basis. We have a mother and 3 cubs of about a year old as well as some cubs that are about 2 weeks old. A pride of about 16 lions have been staying around the Simiyu area making for some interesting sightings.

The past few months have seen an increase in honeymooners staying at our camp. Our honeymooners treated to a sumptuous private dinner on the deck of their tent with a romantic turndown of fresh rose petals and sparkling wine.

Aggrey Edward joined the Kusini team in July and brings with him a tremendous enthusiasm for animal research and passion for the wilderness.

Swala

THE BEST PLACES TO DRIVE

In the dry season, most of the game tends to gather alongside the river, particularly in the northern section of the park (close to the River Picnic Site). Here guests can view the largest concentration of female elephant herds, general game (including the zebra and wildebeest migration) and consequently predators, especially prides of lions. However it is in this area that they will see the most number of tourist vehicles.

Silale Swamp is the second most popular area after the river; however game viewing thus far has been strangely quiet. Last year there were large herds of elephants, a large pride of lions in the southern tip, and the tree climbing pythons along the western bank - we hope that this will be the case in the coming months! For the moment there are a few elephant herds, a large herd of buffalo and some general game to be viewed in the area. Leopards are still to be found here, and cheetah can be spotted near Kuro Airstrip. Silale has a fantastic picnic site with good public amenities, and fortunately does not have high numbers of tourists.

Minyonyo Pools area, currently used on some of our game drives, offers complete privacy. This is technically an off-road area to the south and west of Silale Swamp alongside the banks of the river. There are generally never any vehicles in this area so guest quite often have the entire area to themselves.

Beside Swala Camp we have Gurusi Swamp , which has seen a large number of animal concentrations this year. The swamp was burnt at the end of the rainy season which has opened the area up it up to herds of zebra, kongoni, and eland, while aggressive bull elephants are common throughout the surrounding forest. The resident pride of lions tend to be found on the western section of the swamp (the 'Ostrich Plains' area) and leopards are not uncommon on the drive into Swala, though leopards are quite common everywhere in the park. Three cheetahs recently moved into the Swamp, the first seen in this area, possibly having crossed over from Minyonyo.

Further North of Gurusi we have the Elephant Springs and Bwawa Mbili area, stretching up to Poachers Hide, which are also used on our game drives. All three locations are interesting, and guests have a good chance of spotting eland, elephant and oryx.

When conducting our drives we try to find a balance between the privacy of the south and the quantity of sightings in the north - people that spend three nights get the best overall deal as they have time to see the herds of elephants up north, but get to spend most of their time having relaxing drives in the south.

DISH OF THE MONTH
CHOBE LENTIL AND SPINACH SOUP
(this recipe comes to us from Chobe Chilwero)

Green or red lentils 350g
Olive Oil 15ml
Leeks, finely chopped 3 each
Garlic, crushed 40g
Potato, peeled and chopped 3 each
Bay Leaves 20g
Thyme 0.25 bunch
Oregano 025 bunch
Vegetable Stock 40g
Water 2 litres
Spinach, cleaned and chopped or 500g
Frozen spinach
Fresh Lemon Juice 6 each

Method

• Place lentils in a bowl, cover with cold water and allow to stand for 2 hours.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Add the leeks and garlic and cook for 6 minutes until golden brown and soft.
• Add potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, stock, water and drained lentils.
• Stir and leave to simmer for 40 minutes until lentils are soft.
• Add spinach and lemon juice.
• Taste to check the seasoning and cook for a further 1 minute.
• Serve

To Serve / Garnishing

Serve in a heated bowl with a dash of cream and sprinkle with paprika

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