Why not start with the
planned reconstruction of the Senanga-Sesheke road. I’ve kind of
been there before…Highway 61 revisited…again and again. Since
the establishment of the road construction camp several months
ago not a great deal has happened. However, some preliminary
upgrading of some of the worst stretches has been carried out
and the road is probably now in a better condition than it has
been since I first came here in 2006. But there are still many
parts that are in dire need of some rehabilitation, including an
overall grading to smoothen out the bumpy ride. The idea seems
to be to do all the preparatory work during the rainy season
after which application of tarmac will follow sometime next
year. Maybe I am just impatient but the mobilization period
seems to have been quite long. What the problem is, if there is
a problem, I don’t know. People closer to the information
highway say there is no problem and the finance is in place. The
planned construction of a bridge over the Zambezi a few
kilometers upriver from Sioma Camp has apparently reached the
stage where a contractor has been selected. Somebody told me
that a Chinese contractor had won the tender. Another source
claimed that a South African company had got the contract. As
usual one hears conflicting rumors. I still don’t get it….how do
diametrically opposing rumors get started in the first place….
either it is a South African or a Chinese contractor….right?
But at least something is happening. The problem from my point
of view is the long time horizon involved. When will the road be
completed and even more importantly when will the bridge? The
road has been my main problem since the start of Sioma Camp as
it has been attacking me from two flanks consistently been
taking out my vehicles one by one (incurring huge repair and
maintenance costs) and at the same time deterring tourists from
going all the way out here (thereby causing reduced income). The
bridge is vital as it will enable tourists to travel through
Western Province all year round and not as today only from July
to January (this year the pontoon started operating again around
10th July). So I hope the necessary funds are in place and that
the contractors will soon start to really ‘hit the road’. I am
normally a non violent person, but this road needs a severe
beating.
Let me turn to an issue very much related to the road situation.
The financial situation of Sioma Camp which, perhaps needless to
say, remains fragile. After five disastrous months in terms of
income June, July and August finally brought some hope although
then September once again produced red figures on the bottom.
Nothing will probably really change to the better before the
bridge and road is in place. Until then I don’t know how Sioma
Camp can survive. I am considering my options which include
returning to Denmark next year. (I am still on sabbatical leave
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Anyone interested in
buying a safari camp in a remote and less visited part of
Africa? Or perhaps just manage the camp for a few years while I
am recovering – financially …and mentally? - in Denmark? The
salary will be low (and definitely performance based) and the
entertainment options limited to starry nights and an occasional
full moon over the Zambezi. Did I forget to mention the drumming
and marimba playing in connection to traditional ceremonies in
nearby villages. Well, so far I am only joking, but I will soon
need to make some hard decisions. For now I just hope that
October to December will be better. I have no religious
inclination, but perhaps miracles can happen even to
non-believers. Luckily Liuwa Plain with its wildebeest migration
is attracting a good number of visitors some of whom will be
staying at my camp on route. I am still longing for the day when
they will visit Sioma Ngwezi National Park in its own right.
So, what else has happened? Let me mention some of the guests we
have had at Sioma Camp. The organization Open Africa paid a
visit in July briefing me on the activities and their plans for
the future. A main focus of Open Africa is on creating links to
local communities enabling them to benefit from tourism
activities on a sustainable basis. The Barotse Trail is one of
the many routes they are marketing in Southern Africa. You can
find more information on Open Africa on their website:
www.openafrica.org. I put up a nice ‘Open Africa Barotse Trails
Route’ sign next to the Sioma camp sign on the main road.
Surprise, surprise…it got stolen.
End of July Sioma Camp hosted a meeting between two of the
Senior Chiefs from The Barotse Royal Establishment. Senior Chief
Inyambo Yeta from Mwandi Kuta (between Sesheke and Livingstone)
and Senior Chief Lukama from Kaunga Mashi Kuta (close to
Nangweshi) met to discuss issues in relation to the
implementation of Peace Park plans for the Kavango Zambezi
Transfrontier Conservation Area. The Zambian Wildlife Authority
used our library for a planning meeting and Sankandi Basic
School has been here for a picnic. (35 children on the back of a
Toyota Landcruiser! Guiness Book of Records note please). We
have had several guests that have visited nearby villages where
they have talked to school teachers, students and villagers
about living in a remote and fairly isolated part of Africa
without electricity, internet access or any other modern
amenities. It has turned out to be quite an interesting cultural
encounter for the villagers and the tourists alike. Ken Scott, a
volunteer (an expert – with a PHD. – on grasses,
savannah/rangeland management etc. ) from Australia was in the
area for some time and did research on bush fires and fire
management issues while simultaneously collecting information on
plants (grasses/shrubs/trees) in the area. He has produced a
tree/shrub inventory as well as a pamphlet on some of the most
common local species (including the trees/shrubs on the pathway
providing a very short nature trail leading from the main camp
center of Sioma Camp to our chalets).
After this year’s late flooding the water level of the Zambezi
is slow in getting down. Even compared to last year the drop in
water level is almost one month behind schedule. It has become
very hot, earlier than normal, which may indicate that we will
have early rains this year. Normally the rains will start around
Independence Day end of October.
We have had several encouraging observations of wildlife. Just
to mention a few examples from a few bush drives we have seen
herds of giraffes (7-10), sable (7-15), tsessebee (5-8) and
kudus (5-8) on several occasions as well as reedbucks, roans,
zebras, steinbocks, duikers and impalas. Usually we have seen
many tracks from elands, lions, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas.
Around my bush camp wild dogs have been spotted several times in
packs ranging from 8 to 12 individuals. One pack had killed a
duiker close to camp. Leopards and hyenas pass by almost every
night. 4-5 lions were staying under one of the platforms next to
the camp for several days on and off. Groups of elephants have
been walking through camp on a number of occasions recently. At
the river camp tracks from hyena, jackal and leopard have been
spotted. A ‘civetry’ (territorial marking by civet consisting of
droppings) is placed on the rocky peninsula next to the main
building. Vervet monkeys are getting closer and closer,
sometimes trying to enter the kitchen. I do not see many hippos
or crocodiles at the moment. One day though I saw 5 otters
passing the rock mid river in front of the main building. One
morning end September my driver/tracker Mubita on his way to
Sesheke saw about 200 elephants crossing the road at Kale (15 km
from here) on their way to the river. The pools in the park are
drying up so the elephants are now turning to the river for
water.
One day when I visited the local ZAWA office I was shown the
skin of a leopard recently shot by ZAWA officers. The leopard
had a deformed front paw (probably from snaring) and had
attacked and wounded a villager. With the danger of turning into
a ‘man eater’ it had to be shot. I will not argue against that
position, although I think a sport hunter should have been
contacted to do the shooting thereby generating an income
(preferably for the injured villager/the affected community). In
my view if you absolutely must kill a wild animal in this part
of the world, why not make some money out of it to benefit the
local community? The other leopard was a handsome and very
healthy looking male (It had not yet been skinned). In this case
the leopard had attacked and killed a goat and the owner of the
goat had tried to ‘rescue’ the goat. Of course the leopard got
annoyed with this person trying to steal its kill (‘Go and kill
your own goat!’) and attacked the goat owner. I am not aware
what happened to the owner of the goat, but I assume he was
severely wounded. ZAWA then hunted down and killed this leopard
as well. In a case like this in my view the leopard should not
have been killed. It was not a ‘man eater’, it was merely trying
to defend its kill against a person who – from the leopard’s
perspective – tried to steal what was rightfully the leopards
kill. In my view the whole situation is a bit absurd and
symptomatic of the misconceptions ruling human wildlife
conflicts/interactions in an area like this. A goat is worth
about US$ 12-15 whereas a leopard is worth at least US$ 2,650 in
terms of a hunting license fee payable to ZAWA for a
professional hunter (the total value if a sport hunter from
abroad would do the shooting as part of an organized hunting
safari would be much higher). To me it is just another example
that we are not attaching the real value to wildlife. With all
due respect for the unfortunate owner of the goat shooting this
leopard is just an example of a short sighted revenge mentality
(with a ‘shoot on sight’ logic driving the process) and on top
of that it is bad economics. Do not misunderstand me please. I
am not as such placing wildlife over people; that is a false
dichotomy in the first place anyway. I am merely trying to
indicate some of the elements necessary to put together a model
for a more positive and sustainable modus operandi between
wildlife and people sharing the same area. Would it not be
better to put a compensation scheme in place (as I understand
they have done in Namibia in some of the communal conservancies)
and compensate the unfortunate goat owner and let the leopard
live on? The owner of the lost goat of course has my sympathy
(trying to defend the basis of his fragile livelihood), but
something is fundamentally wrong when you feel you have to risk
your own life for something worth only US$ 12 to 15. As an
object of photographic tourism leopards can generate an income
far higher than the damage they admittedly once in a while
inevitable will cause to domestic livestock. Again, I hope this
is one of the sensitive issues in relation to human –wildlife
conflicts ZAWA/Peace Park and the WWF supported Community
Economic Development Program will eventually address.
The tent where I am sleeping unfortunately has a lot of holes
and on occasion mice get in (as long as they stay out of my bed
it is acceptable). I realized that I should have put more
efforts on eradicated the mice when one morning in mid August I
came to pick up my towel (heading for a shower) and out of the
corner of my eyes caught sight of a black and metal colored
(gunmetal color as I have seen it described in some snake books)
snake coiling up against the tent wall behind my laptop bag just
half a meter away. I knew it was most likely a black necked
spitting cobra and obviously I decided without much reflection
to leave the tent in a hurry. We then tried to ‘pepperspray’ the
snake out of the tent, but the snake had no intention of
vacating my premises. It got a bit annoyed and was spitting
after Justin (a friend of mine from South Africa working on a
nearby investment scheme) when he sprayed the gas. We tried to
scare the snake away hammering sticks along the tent wall, but
no, the snake stayed put. We left the tent for an hour or so and
then came back and pulled out my bed. We assumed the snake would
be behind another smaller bed next to mine. When we pulled the
mattress of the smaller bed out we realized that the snake was
hiding under a ‘Guardian Weekly’ newspaper. We had to shake the
mattress several times before the more than two meter long cobra
reluctantly ‘snaked’ away and hid under the water tower. I have
not seen the snake since then and yes, at least for now I do
check for ‘monsters’ under my bed every night before going to
bed. If interested you may see a few photos of the cobra on the
Sioma Camp Facebook site. My staff wanted to kill the snake, but
I don’t see the point of killing ‘wildlife’ unless in self
defense. This snake was really not aggressive (only when Justin
‘peppersprayed’ it; and that spray is really unpleasant, so I
can understand the snake being a bit ‘pissed off’) and just
wanted to be left alone.
A few weeks later I saw a smaller cobra under the deck of the
restaurant. Unfortunately my red cat – he is always hungry and
nicknamed Garfield by some guests - had sensed the locomotion
and went to check the bush where the snake had disappeared.
Before I could grab him and get him out of there apparently the
snake had been spitting at him. Next day he did not look well
and apparently had been scratching his eyes. Luckily, he has
recovered by now.
All my goods stored in Sesheke has now been brought up here and
placed in the storage house which occasionally also houses an
African wildcat (probably the one who killed a chicken a few
weeks ago).
Driving down to Livingstone - where I am right now finalizing
this newsletter - I could observe how much of the bush between
Sesheke and Livingstone has been burned. Controlled burning may
be ok, but this kind of uncontrolled and late burning makes me a
bit depressed and I find it difficult to see the rationale
behind it. No green grass will sprout this late in the dry
season and the intensity of the fire is too high and probably
damages young trees. Fire management is another ‘burning’ issue.
An officer from Environmental Council of Zambia told me that
setting fire to the bush is illegal and even failing to report
cases to the relevant authorities is an offence. So, based on
first hand observations of many bushfires all around I must
conclude that there are a lot of ‘lawbreakers’ in the rural
areas of Zambia. There are many pros and cons on bush fires
though. More localized research on implications – positive and
negative - is needed. Ken, the volunteer from Australia made a
good start. I hope someone can make a follow up. If anybody
wants to know more about his findings you may contact him on:
kenneth.scott@hotmail.com
.
Finally…on a more personal note…From a recent trip to Lusaka (I
went to apply for a new passport to replace my completely
‘overstamped’ one following my many ‘Shoprite’ trips to Katima
in Namibia) I brought back my old Subaru Impreza WRX, STI, RA.
It is really a rally car (slightly modified for normal road use)
and has a lot of power and an impressive acceleration. It is so
fun to drive. Once the road gets a little bit better I will be
able to offer very fast transfers between Sesheke and Sioma.
Please fasten your seat belts before take-off.
Hans Aaskov Sioma Camp .
3. October 2010
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