CHISHAKWE RANCH, Save Valley Conservancy

Whhrrrrrrrrrrrrr ......

2012-02-28T03:22:00.001-08:00

....... Here They Come!

Areas of Chishakwe have been taken over by large flocks of Quelea birds.

If you are familiar with the way shoals of fish move as a fluid unit imagine this in aerial format, add the whrrrrr of thousands of pairs of wings, and you have an idea of what it is to watch a flock of Quelea in action.

The Red-billed Quelea is a member of the weaver family and is native to Sub Saharan Africa and is the world's most abundant bird species with an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5billion pairs (Wikipedia).

Rush hour at Chishakwe

For some reason several million of this population have decided to nest on Chishakwe this year. The breeding males build small ovoid shaped nests in which the females lay two to four small blue-ish eggs which she incubates for approximately 12 days until they hatch. Initially the chicks are feed on protein rich insects before being fed a diet of seed. The chicks are ready to leave the nest after a period of just 2 weeks.

"Eeep. Where's lunch already?" (Quelea chick in nest)

While we have commonly seen flocks of Quelea in previous years we have never seen them in this abundance. Presumably conditions this year have proved ideal for these birds?

"Forget it. I'll get it myself!" (Quelea chick preparing for flight)

The opportunity to witness huge flocks of birds in motion is not all the Quelea offer. They have attracted a variety of raptors who prey on them and it is great to get a closer look at some these bigger birds which so far have included Heron, Brown Snake Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle and a number of smaller raptors.

A closer look at the Red Billed Quelea

Interested Tawny Eagles

Wild Dog in Action

2012-02-24T01:31:00.000-08:00

Time to Play:

Members of the Bedford Pack in the Save Valley Conservancy get ready to play

These guys need no reminder that life is for living.

Wild Dog are one of the most interesting species to watch as they have complex social interactions within their pack structures. These pictures show some youngsters having a good time wrestling and playing ... but also sorting out who is who in the pack pecking order.

In a dog eat dog world Wild Dog are noted to be very caring towards one another. The whole pack participates in caring for the pups which are bred by the Alpha male and female. Researchers in the Save Valley Conservancy have even recorded incidents of dogs nurturing sick or injured pack members and by regurgitating food for them and returning for them.

All pictures courtesy of Lowveld Wild Dog Project which has been hosted at Chishakwe since inception.

Reaching out for Rhino

2012-02-21T03:04:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying making contact with fellow Rhino lovers and conservationists all over the world through All in for Rhino

A depressing number of animals around the world are facing imminent extinction at the hands of mankind. Among these species are the 5 species of Rhino who are facing persecution due to the mistaken belief that their horns have medicinal qualities.

This belief is perpetuated by the greed of the horn trade king pins in much the same way as drug lords perpetuate the use of narcotic substances. In fact, the illegal trade in Rhino Horn is now considered to be the third biggest illegal trade industry after drugs and weapons.

Unlike the case of drugs; the users of Rhino Horn suffer no ill effects and so are able to use it with impunity. The fact that Horn has been scientifically proven to be constructed of keratin and contain no worthwhile medicinal properties at all does not, at this point, deter users from placing their faith and money in horn as a cure for a wide range of ailments including possession by demons, flu, headaches, fevers and even cancer. While it is undoubtedly the case that some users believe in the use of horn for traditional reasons and they put their faith in it because their ancestors did; it is undeniable that the resurgence of demand for Rhino horn in Asian countries (particularly China) is being largely driven by pharmaceutical companies involved in the manufacture of horn based products.

On the ground anti poaching efforts need to be stepped up hugely to counteract the epidemic of poaching that we are seeing not only in Zimbabwe but also in other countries in Asia and Africa. Without doubt up scaling anti poaching methods is essential to protect Rhino. Modern equipment such as "rhino radar" and DNA testing which can be done on horns will certainly help. These efforts should be fed by accurate intelligence resulting in the arrests of the poaching ring bosses, not just the "foot soldiers" and supported by the legal system dishing out stiff sentences as deterrents.

However, all these efforts are unlikely to save Rhino from extinction. The value of Rhino horn is now such that renewed anti poaching efforts are likely to be met with more vigorous and better prepared poaching tactics and the likely result will be an escalating cycle of on the ground violence with the Rhino in the middle. Clearly, this cycle will not be sustainable in the long term.

What is needed to break the cycle is to seriously damage the demand for Rhino Horn. We need to broadcast the message that Rhino Horn Is NOT Medicine loud and clear and deter people from turning to a bogus "cure" ... sometimes in their most desperate hour. Potentially it is not only the Rhino who are victims in this: What about the sick people who are putting their faith into a product which amounts to no more than toe nail clippings?

Reaching the user markets with this message will not be easy. It requires united and sustained efforts from all those working to save Rhino as well as those working to save other species who are afflicted by the same threat. It requires the support of the media to build a strong and far reaching campaign and it requires the support of the public to galvanise governments into action. It won't be easy but we have to put our full effort into it: What else can we do?

For regularly updated in formation join www.facebook.com/AllinforRhino

Update on Chishakwe's awesome wild dog pack

2012-02-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Rosemary here from the Lowveld Wild Dog Project which is based on Chishakwe Ranch. As the home range of one of our most long-studied wild dog packs centres on Chishakwe, I thought I would post a few photos of them for you.

The pack is called the Mapura Pack, and formed its current composition in February last year through the joining of two other packs; the males from the Bedford Pack and the females from the Star Pack.

When the dogs denned down in July 2011, there were 9 adults. Unfortunately a couple of months later 2 of the adults, an old male called Nyaminyami and a yearline female called Tramp were killed by lions. Luckily this occurred away from the den site so the pups were unharmed.

The pack produced a litter of 7 pups and raised all of them to 6 months. However, sometime in December one adult (another old male called Backstripe) and one of the pups went missing. The pack therefore now numbers 12 dogs, 6 adults and 6 pups, which is still a good size. The pups are almost adult sized now!

They are a lovely pack, and relatively relaxed so they make for great sightings. Here is a photo my scout took in December!!

It's well worth visiting Chishakwe and coming out with a member of the Lowveld Wild Dog Project team for unforgettable and genuinely once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Rosemary

Horn Industry Exposed

2012-01-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

This thought provoking video sheds light on the real issues that lie behind the Rhino poaching epidemic.

Every Day Life: Power and communications

2012-01-26T23:50:00.000-08:00

One of the problems that we frequently face in Zimbabwe is disruptions to our electricity supply. We are so used to it that if there is no immediate and pressing need to use power we just do without and consider this a good way to reduce our usage and be more "green". When necessary we switch on the generators (an essential "appliance" in every Zimbabwean home).

Spikes or voltage fluctuations are more difficult to cope with.

Recently a major spike hit our office/admin block and destroyed our printer and our satellite modem so we had to rely on the use of a cell phone as our only means of communication. This entails finding some high ground where cell phone reception is available. There are a few spots which are usually fairly reliable but confusingly not always; so one might find oneself wandering around for a while looking for THE spot.

The drawback, of course, being that it is not easy to contact us as we are then only available when in the spot ... and other than by pre-arrangement. So, one can see how staying in touch can get a little complicated ....

On the plus side: The view from the "phone booth" is usually great!

There are some advantages to phoning from high ground!

The Little Guys

2012-01-25T02:50:00.000-08:00

With things looking so much thicker and greener and the carnivores having to work so much harder to find and to catch them the herbivores sure are looking happier!

Game drives can be a bit disappointing as it is so much more difficult to spot animals hiding out in thick vegetation. One always wonders how many you have just passed by because they chose to remain still! Can imagine them laughing among each other: "heh heh ... fooled again ..."

This being the case it is sometimes more rewarding to look out for the little guys. Despite being small they tend to be easier to spot ... often because it is not too hard to spot something when it is crawling or hopping around actually on you!

If you do happen to stop at a clump of grass or a bush you are bound to see a myriad of little creatures going about their business there. Closer examination often reveals that they are really very beautiful ... and occasionally it reveals that you should be really happy that the little chap you are looking at is LITTLE ... because if he was Rhino sized he really would be terrifying!

2012 ... the begining of a new year ...

2012-01-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

A slightly belated but nevertheless sincere Happy New Year to all!

We are hoping that we can make 2012 a year that really counts ... as well as having a lot of fun of course!

The first month of the year finds us encouraged by the impact of the rain on the vegetation and the beneficial knock on for the animals. We hope for another month or two of good rain so that the effects will be sustained until the end of the next dry season.

We hope that our work in the conservation field continues to preserve habitat and species alike and are looking forward to expanding our education projects and working with some high schools whose students will help us to further the goals of our neighboring primary schools.

We will be working hard with Rhino conservation organisations and Rhino lovers around the world to promote the message that RHINO HORN IS NOT MEDICINE. The key here is to reach critical mass so that the issue reaches the attention of the press and governments around the world. Everyone can help no matter where they are by joining www.facebook.com/AllinforRhino and keeping in touch with news and events through that page.

Keep in touch for details and progress on all of our projects as well as some great pictures.

Keep it coming...

2011-12-15T02:07:00.000-08:00

And down came the rain again.

Another 38mm Yesterday and more expected this whole weekend. The dams are spilling, the rivers are flowing and the vehicles are getting stuck.

Don't you just love it!

With age comes wisdom

2011-11-21T01:57:00.001-08:00

On Saturday evening we spent the evening celebrating Wild Dog at a magical Safari Soiree fundraiser for the Wild Dog of Zimbabwe. It put us in mind of this little story about a Wild Dog which was sent to us by a friend. Enjoy!

One day, not verylong ago, a very old and decrepit Wild Dog starts chasing rabbits in theveldt and before long, discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices ayoung lion heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old wild dog thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep trouble now!"

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chewon the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the lion isabout to leap, the old wild dog exclaims loudly,

"Boy, that was one delicious lion! I wonder, if there are any more aroundhere?"

Hearing this, the young lion halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terrorcomes over him, and he slinks away into the trees.

"Whew!," says the young lion, "That was close! That old wilddog nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a squirrel who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree,figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection fromthe lion, so off he goes.

The squirrel soon catches up with the lion, spills the beans and strikes a dealfor himself with the lion.

The young lion is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here,squirrel, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that connivingcanine!"

Soon the old wild dog sees the lion coming with the squirrel on hisback and thinks, "Oh hell, what am I going to do now?," but insteadof running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending hehasn't seen them yet. Just when they get close enough to hear, the old wild dogsays...

"Where's that damn squirrel now? I sent him off an hour ago to bring meanother lion!"

Moral of this story...

Don't mess with the Wild Dogs... Old age and Treachery will alwaysovercome Youth and Skill, ... and Bull Shit and Brilliance only come withold age and experience.

Craft book launched

2011-11-11T05:04:00.001-08:00

A new book on the craft of Zimbabwe was launched on Friday 11th November at the Tambira Galleries in Harare.

Crafters and artists as well as fans of their unique hand made wares attended the launch and spent time sipping wine and swapping ideas.

The book, written by Jane Lee and Jane Stillwell is a resource guide for buyers of craft items but is also a beautiful book for anybody who is interested in arts and crafts.

We are proud that a number of items from the Chishakwe Crafts Project were included in the book and were present on display at the launch (better yet we noticed a number of sales from our display!). Our crafts project has taken a position slightly to the back of the burner since the collapse of the Zim dollar in 2009 and the subsequent difficult adjustments to "real" money.

We are hoping that our presence in this beautiful book will be just what we need to get our craftsmen busy boosting the local economy again!

Congratulations Clive Stockil

2011-11-07T03:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Clive Stockil, who recently received the prestigious French award of the Ordre National du Merite. Thank you for all of your hard work in the Save Valley Conservancy and for your contribution to the protection of Zimbabwe's Natural Heritage.

Here is a condensed version of the Ambassador of France's lovely speech.

Following the example of Napoleon the 1^st with the Legion of Honour, General de Gaulle created the Order of Merit in 1963 to distinguish not only those who brought the highest contribution in defending the country, but also to its intellectual, moral and economic development. The Order of Merit is a consecration, which rewards a fulfilled life, but is also a tribute that salutes your destiny and opens a future. It gives the holder the strength to do even more, proving furthermore their qualities that have justified their distinction. The laurels just above the cross that I will give you in an instant, weave in a circle of hope.

The hope that you give to this country, by your action in favour of the protection of wildlife, the hope you give to people around the world to see the values you defend, promoted everywhere on this planet, beyond cultural differences. It is the action of a lifetime, as you continue today at the institution you used to chair for more than a decade: The Save Valley Conservancy.

...

Your fight in favour of wildlife is not limited to the creation and the management of the [Save Valley] Conservancy, but is a long progression, from the beginning of your career as a guide and professional hunter. It may seem surprising but it is probably at that time that you got to know and appreciate the value of wildlife. Soon after, you became responsible for wildlife management at Hippo Valley Estate.

But your real awareness of the problem of wildlife conservation came in 1982, with the conflict between the Shangaans and the National Parks Authority. The Shangaans, a traditional group living in the South-East of Zimbabwe, had been moved off their land in the 1970’s to allow the creation of the Gonarezhou National Park. The Shangaans, who used to hunt wildlife for their subsistence, were forbidden to kill animals. They began to see wildlife as a nuisance, damaging their homes and destroying their crops. As a result, they were forced to poach and many of them were arrested.

So in 1982, thanks to your knowledge of the Shangaan language, you were a mediator of this conflict and an agreement was reached between the National Parks Authority and the Shangaans : they were allowed to use the benefits of wildlife for the development of their community, giving them an incentive to preserve the animals on their land and in the National Park. They received the meat and a percentage of the revenue from commercial hunting on their land, and the funds were used to improve their living conditions with schools, clinics and electricity and water supplies.

The success of your mediation pushed you to create a programme called Campfire (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources). The programme seeks to empower rural communities for conservation and sustainable development through a number of different activities, in particular harvesting natural resources. Campfire helps manage the wildlife and it’s sometimes over population and generates profits for local communities.

You have proved that economic development and conservation of wildlife are not incompatible. Chiredzi Wildlife Investments and the Save Valley Conservancy that you founded are an example of this new trend. Thus your conservation efforts that I mentioned earlier are mostly self financed by the activities you propose; lodges, safaris, fishing, hunting permits and trophies, cultural tours...

Finally, you offered your large experience to suppo0rt the same approach in other conservation areas, and contributed to the linking of the Save Valley to Gonarezhou National Park, and beyond to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

All your achievements have contributed a lot to the cause of wildlife, preservation of biodiversity, but also improved the livelihoods of the communities that dwell in and around the conservancy and their perception of nature.

...

Your passions, your perseverance despite many challenges, and your successes have been considered exemplary by the President of the Republic and justify the recognition by France, who awards you today the Order of merit. You see that the colour of the ribbon is blue. It is a reminiscence of the most famous French royal Order of the Holy Spirit. So this spirit will now be upon you.

...

Clive Stockil, on behalf of the President of the Republic, we knight you in the National Order of Merit.

Rain Rain

2011-10-29T23:58:00.000-07:00

Yippy!!! Last night the skies turned a beautiful shade of midnight-blue-ish purple (is that a colour?), the lightning came down, the thunder crashed and we were finally blessed with some rain!!! A whole 26mm!

Keep doing your rain dances... we still need more to get the grass growing.

We can't wait for everything to turn green again!

Elephant Fans (the kind that cools, not the kind that cheers)

2011-10-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

I stared at my motionless fan dreaming that some magical fairy would come and make its blade turn to relieve me of the heat induced oppression I was currently suffering.

The power was out again and although I like to think I can rough it in the bush, I must admit on hot days like these I have a great fondness for my fan (which at this moment was completely letting me down).

I went to bed lying like a starfish and sweating like I’d just finished a marathon.

The next morning there was still no power … I wandered down to the office to see the cause of the problem… not only were the power lines down, but there was a tree on top of them.

It would appear that an elephant had decided that this particular tree was not to his liking and took it upon himself to have it removed (along with our electricity).

The boys were busy with the chainsaw cutting up the fallen tree as I walked by.

Later that day I saw the large-trunked suspect wandering near the house… just casually eating what he could scavenge as if nothing had happened.

As I watched his ears flap all I could think was ‘gee… those elephants have it figured out… portable self-propelled fan… hummmm maybe I need to grow bigger ears’.

Shumba

2011-10-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

In the Shona language the word ‘shumba’ means lion. It is with great pride (no pun intended) that our Scout team is named the "Chishakwe Shumba"... a perfect title for a dedicated team working hard to protect our wildlife.

The Shumba patrol daily, scanning the area for evidence of poachers, snares and other problems. Each team walks about 15km per day in the hot African sun to make sure that the animals of Chishakwe are safe!

I have been going on patrol regularly with them over the last few weeks. Sweating like crazy (ok maybe just me) we move silently through the bush, communicating through hand signals. Occasionally we will stop so that they can show me a certain foot print or tell me about an animal.

The Shumba have a 6th sense for tracking. We will be following a trail, and then suddenly it will disappear (well, to me anyway… I look everywhere but don’t see anything); but somehow the scouts will find small clues and continue their pursuit. I am always surprised to find that we are still following a spoor that I thought we had lost a kilometer earlier.

Here at Chishakwe we are very proud of our Shumba!! They are our first line of defense against poachers and an important component in wildlife conservation. It is through their dedication and hard work that we are able to continue to protect these incredible species for future generations.

Thank you Chishakwe Shumba for all of your hard work!!

Bad News/Good News

2011-10-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

The bad news first... A mother rhino and her calf were attacked by poachers a couple days ago in the conservancy.
The good news: So far both have survived the attack.

Members of the Lowveld Rhino Trust and people from the conservancy gathered at Chishakwe two days ago to assess the health of the two rhinos that were attacked by poachers earlier this week. The Vet came and organized the team, first looking at the calf who had been seen limping the day before. Unfortunately the calf had a bullet in one knee. The vet administered antibiotics and treated the small rhino for infection.

They had to use a chainsaw to cut the branches away from the calf to look at the wound.

We had all returned to the trucks when we got the call (from the ultra-light plane flying above us) that the calf had woken-up and was heading our way. The other truck, had just started its engine in time when the little calf came charging towards them. The truck sped off down the road for about 400m with the rhino in hot pursuit.

Rhino Calf Chasing the truck... despite a bullet in the leg this little rhino's got spunk.

Then we looked at the mom.... we found 7 bullet holes in her, 2 of which were in her head. Again the vet treated for infection, but there was not much else we could do.
The two rhinos are now being monitored carefully, and will hopefully recover from their attack (despite the extra metal inside them).

It was a sad day to see rhinos so badly injured, but it was good to see such a big group of dedicated individuals come together in their defense.
Lets keep working together to protect this incredible animal.

Collaring a lion

2011-10-16T01:25:00.000-07:00

At Chishakwe radio collars are used to help us understand the status and health of lion populations.

A female lion was collared a couple nights ago; here is the account by one of our volunteers:

If someone told me ten years ago that Iwould have my hand in the mouth of a live wild lion I would have laughed andsaid “yeah right”. But there I was,fingers in the lion’s mouth, thinking “is this really my life?”

I was having a quiet afternoon putteringaway in the office, when the knock came: “Would you like to come with us? We are going to try to collar a lion!” How could I possibly say no? So I jumped in the truck and went with them insearch of lions.

We drove out to some beautiful lionhabitat, set the bait and waited for it to get dark.

Once the sun had gone down we blasted thesound of a baby buffalo out of the loud speakers and waited… and waited… nosign of lions.

We waited some more… I could hear things moving in the bushes, butnothing had come to the bait.

We shone a softlight out into the bush only to discover that the lions were there watching us;crouched on the ground looking at the truck. But still they had not taken the bait- they must not have been hungry.

I sighed a little thinking that maybetonight wasn’t the night to get a lion. We shone the light in the bush again to see if they were still there butthis time there were no eyes staring back. They just weren’t interested.

But we had to try one more time. Rosemary played the buffalo call again.

I could see a glint and some movement underthe moonlight, one of the lions had finally taken interest and was going forthe bait… she was in the perfect position to be darted.

We waited for her to fall asleep and thenusing the best care carefully put a tracking collar around her neck, took bloodsamples and measurements. I then had theslimy pleasure of holding her gums apart as they took photos of her teeth (theylooked good by the way)!

Once we had collected all of theinformation, the lion was given the antidote and freed.

Driving back to base that night I felt solucky to have had the opportunity to not just see a lion but to activelyparticipate in their conservation.

Thank you so much to Rosemary with the AfricaWildlife Conservation Fund for allowing me to participate, and Chishakwe Ranchfor hosting me here in this incredible place!

Dylan Lewis

2011-10-07T01:07:00.000-07:00

We are very often asked about our beautiful and much admired logo. Here is some information on the artist who very kindly gave us the exclusive rights to use it:

Dylan Lewis is a second-generation South African whose grandparents moved to South African from the UK at the turn of the 19th century. His father was the much respected sculptor of bird forms; Robin Lewis.

Dylan started his career as a painter and had forged a reputation for himself before turning his attention to sculpture. Initially he followed in his father's footsteps and sculpted mainly bird forms. He soon developed his own style and added successive animal subjects to his repetoire and has since been recognised as one of the world's foremost sculptors of the animal form. Lately Lewis has been exploring the development of humans out of animal form. A sense of raw power and energy is a thrilling quality of all his sculptures.

Lewis believes that in large parts of the world our sense of the wild has disappeared and with it, something of deep value. What he seeks to express is the value that lies in wildness -wildness of spirit, wildness of soul.

We consider ourselves most fortunate to have a logo from the sketch pad of Dylan Lewis!

For more information and to see some of his stunning sculptures please check out www.dylanlewis.com

All In for Rhinos: World Rhino Day Video

2011-09-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this fabulous video showing all of the amazing international World Rhino Day events!

Children Show They Care in Colour

2011-09-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

What would WRD be without the Rhino Song?

After all the fun and excitement of World Rhino Day itself on 22nd September we have now had a chance to get to some of the schools who joined in by plastering their walls, halls, windows, notice boards and anything else in reach with beautiful colour pictures and slogans.

Many schools held classes or assemblies on the 5 Rhino species, the threat that they are under and the complete waste of killing beautiful animals for horns that have no medicinal properties at all. Thanks to the educators of Zimbabwe the children of Zimbabwe are leading the way when it comes to Rhino Awareness campaigns! On behalf of Rhino everywhere and all the people who care about them: A big thank you!

We are still spotting cars sporting this year's Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine posters in their back windows! Hope that we are not the only ones and that the message is getting across loud and clear!

WORLD RHINO DAY: A SUCCESS!

2011-09-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy couple of weeks leading up to World Rhino Day: We have worked closely with Zimbabwe National Parks offices to make this year's World Rhino Day count!

The day brought music, inspiring speeches and art to Harare's Africa Unity Square.

The day began with students, National Parks staff, NGOs and rhino lovers gathering at Town House (City Hall). With posters reading "I love Rhino", "Rhino horn is NOT medicine" and “Save the Rhino” (amongst others) the group began their parade.

Leading the march was the Police band playing some very rousing march music. Theparade wove its way through the city centre into Africa Unity Square where thecelebrations continued. Leafletsfeaturing the slogan “Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine” were handed out to those watching along the way withthe request that they be displayed in shop windows, taxis, cars ... anywherethey might be seen ... until the end of the month at least.

Music continued to play a key role in Harare's Rhino Daycelebrations.

The nation's favourite musician Oliver Mutukudzihad dignitaries (including Minister and Archbishop!) and crowds bopping for rhinos with his rhythmic andinspiring rhino themed music. Passerby's stopped to join in and the party grew. One rhino lover spontaneously stopped in to contribute by playing his mbira! A group of children stoop up to sing their own song: "Join Hands for Rhino"....

All this could have combined to overshadow Minister of Environment, Minister Nhema's, speech and yet thanks to the sobering realities facing the world's rhino; it did not:

"It is a day for everyone to sharestories, photos and ideas about wildlife and rhino species in particular. Unless concerted and collaborativeefforts are made to salvage endangered animals from the current onslaught thebeautiful animals may become extinct. A loss of one species in the world makesthe world poorer and diminishes the capacity of the environment to operateoptimally".

Minister Nhema and invited dignatories who included Director General of National Parks, Vitalis Chadenga, senior officials and Ambassadors then looked at a display of children's posters and art made especially for World Rhino Day. These gorgeous artworks represented the special involvement and project of Chishakwe for World Rhino Day as has been mentioned in previous posts.

Proceedings finally wrapped up at lunch time with everybody feeling very inspired by what they had seen and heard and already talking about next year's World Rhino Day. Of course the important thing is to keep Rhino in our hearts and minds for all the days in between now and then and think about ways we can all help with Rhino Conservation.

Bush Camp (Boot camp?)

2011-09-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Fifteen boys and one girl between the ages of 9 and 11 have recently completed a one week bush camp at Chishakwe.

The kids arrived from Harare in a state of high excitement with boxes of sugary treats in their tuck boxes. The first thing the instructors did was confiscate the sugary treats. They were a little less excited after that ... but not much!

The wake up call and dawn exercise session on the first day came as rather a shock to some of the children.

The next few days saw them gathered in a whirl of activity. Hours spent in the bush: Tracking, making twine from bark, trapping, fishing, visiting a rare wild dog den site ... learning about the bush, about animals, about birds ... learning evasive action techniques to stay safe.

In between there was the obstacle course, initiative tests, volley ball and swimming.

Some of the nights were busy too. There was a night drive with a spot light, time spent listening to night sounds, question time around the fire.

Despite the fact that the instructors were necessarily strict and there were not menu options for those who did not like a particular food item; the children seemed to have a wonderful experience. Certainly if the feedback we have received since camp is anything to go by they had a ball despite the fact that they were challenged and in a totally foreign (for most of them) environment.

PS: The instructors survived the experience too! ;)

On a tracking exercise

September is World Rhino Day Month!

2011-09-02T03:24:00.000-07:00

September is also Spring month in Southern Africa so we thought that this yellow Rhino could do as a Spring celebration as well as a reminder that World Rhino Day is coming up on 22nd September. Don't forget to join the World Rhino Day 2011 page on Facebook and to join in by posting some of your ideas and letting us know how you are celebrating World Rhino Day this year!

August Events

2011-09-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Somehow it is already September and August has gone! It was a very busy month and had zoomed by before we had time to write up some of the highlights on the blog ... so here goes ... Sorry a little late so not really breaking news.

The Chishakwe Soccer Shield Final was played on Saturday 6th August (Wow, time certainly has flown!) between the Black Bulls and the All Stars. It was an exciting and hard fought match; very much enjoyed by the spectators who at time took a very participatory attitude and had to be asked to leave the field.

Header

Fans!

The All Stars won the match 4 goals to 2; a popular result as the match was played in their home village.

The All Star Victors with the shield

Dates have already been set for next year's event and it looks like there will be almost double the amount of teams entering.

Chishakwe hosted a three day environmental education workshop for teachers in the two schools we work in Muvava and Uteke. We were greatly assisted by the African Wildlife Conservation Fund who presented materials specific to carnivores and who provided funding for a UK based teacher to assist with hosting the workshop.

Reviewing materials for presentation

Attending a talk on endangered animals

August was also the month of Chishakwe Managers Nicky and Duke's Birthday. They had a party at their house which was well attended by many conservancy members. The radios were rather silent next day ... nothing to do with the tequila shots of course ...

Dog News

2011-08-26T02:48:00.000-07:00

The Mapura pack have established a den site on Chishakwe. They have chosen the spot well. Unfortunately it does not offer great viewing opportunities but it does offer the pack maximum safety and a rear exit!

These pictures are among the first of the camera trap photos of puppies emerging from the den.

The puppies, at this stage, are an almost uniform black and have not yet developed their markings. Some white can just be seen on them and these markings will be what are used to identify individual puppies at this stage.

Sadly not too long after these photos were taken two of the dogs from the pack were killed by lion.

Lion pose the biggest danger to wild dog after man. They kill dogs and puppies if they can in order to lessen the competition for food.

The two dogs that were killed were killed away from the den site while hunting so it seems like the den site remains secure for the puppies. The down sizing of the pack size may effect the dogs ability to successfully hunt though we hope that the pack remains large enough to overcome this.

We hope to post up dated news and some more pics of the pups soon.

Muvava Project winners 2011

2011-08-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not already know: Chishakwe works in two schools situated in villages neighbouring the Conservancy; Muvava and Uteke schools.

Each year we conduct a competition featuring a chosen environmental or conservation theme. The winning children win a day on Safari at Chishakwe and their projects are displayed in the little Chishakwe Museum. The prize and the competition have proved most popular.

This year the project theme featured termite mounds and the important habitat resource that they provide. The children really enjoyed the hands on work of creating their own termite mounds and made some excellent posters with illustrations to accompany them.

Pangolin Up Date

2011-08-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to report that the Pangolin mentioned in our last blog has made excellent progress! He began by going on long evening walks and foraging around for ants for dinner.

Ultimately he grew so strong that he made his escape into the wild! We miss him but cannot deny that as a wild creature he is better off living on his own in the bush.

So the Pangolin story has what can only be considered a happy ending after all.

Pangolin heading out on a walk just before he left for good

Pangolin

2011-07-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another victim of poaching.

This afternoon a pangolin was found with a quite badly cut up head and face. The victim of an attack by poachers. Pangolin are another wonderful and ancient species under threat due to ongoing demands for traditional medicines even though they are scientifically proven to have no actual medicinal value!

He is in a fairly bad way but we are doing what we can to pull him through.

Pangolin curl up to protect themselves. Not much help against poachers with machetes!

2011-07-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Official Face Book site for World Rhino Day now launched jointly by us and Saving Rhinos.org

Please become a fan and take a look at plans and events and let us know what you are planning to do for Rhino Day this year.

Act now to save a species from extinction!

http://www.facebook.com/WorldRhinoDay2011

Rhino Art

2011-07-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

Here are our first two rhino pics. Please feel free to use them and add your own appropriate slogan to make a poster to display in the run up to and on Rhino Day on 22nd September.

If you would like to contribute a design or some slogan ideas to share please do send them to us. All contributions and feed back gratefully recieved.

We have created a special page just on World Rhino Day 2011 so please refer to it for some ideas and information on plans. Of course we would love to hear yours too. Please get involved and help save a species from extinction!

Rhino and Black Eagles by Harry

Rhino Sunset by John Oscar

Big Stretch.

2011-07-20T02:18:00.000-07:00

This is a somewhat unusual view!

Elephant have 6 muscle groups divided into 100,000 muscle units in their trunks.

Elephants are extremely dexterous with their trunks and are able to pick up tiny, fragile objects as well as break huge branches. They smell with their trunks, drink through their trunks, pick up mud and dust, play, wrestle and explore with their trunks ... and of course reach for things ...

It is generally accepted that if a charging elephant's trunk is tucked up then he means business; if it is held loosely then he is mock charging.

It takes at least six months for baby elephants to learn to fully control their trunks.

World Rhino Day 2011

2011-07-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

In 2010 WWF promoted World Rhino Day on September 22nd. They asked people to blow their vuvuzelas, honk their horns and shout out against rhino poaching.

We have been unable to find out if there are any plans for a World Rhino Day this year but we would like to repeat the effort and declar 22nd September this year as World Rhino Day. Perhaps this year people could put up posters in their cars, offices, businesses and anywhere else they can think of.

We are going to try to have some posters available for free downloading and printing but there is no reason for people not to make their own. Maybe the kids would like to get involved with this one? This could be a great project for school teachers to take on with their classes.

Get out your paint brushes and get creative! Please scan and mail us your efforts so we can display them online.

We are really looking forward to a colourful rhino day and you can help!

A rare picture of a rhino with a horn. All rhino in the Save Valley Conservancy are regularly de-horned for their own safety.

Winter Colour

2011-07-12T03:36:00.000-07:00

Flowering aloes add a bright splash in the cool dry winter months. We appreciate their looks. Elephant appreciate their taste! Must be bitter ... eeuugh.

Badge

2011-07-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Check out the cool Stop Rhino Poaching badge we have added to our FB profile pic. You can do it too. Create awareness before it is too late!

Get it from picbadges or get the link off our facebook page.

What is the point?

2011-07-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time we mention rhino it is bad news: a poaching incident, horrific pictures of mutilated animals, how very endangered they are etc.

On the surface it seems really depressing. All the time, all the money, all the effort to try and preserve these animals in the face of ever increasing pressure. We record the ones we lose and feel those losses sorely but cannot say how many we have saved or similarly track our successes.

Perhaps it is time to look at the animal itself for inspiration. What is it about these animals that has so many dedicated conservationists dedicating their lives to trying to prevent their extinction?

Great, grey boulders of animal. Tough skin, shrewd eyes, listening ears, mobile mouths and ridiculously small tails ... and of course the famous and deadly (in more ways than one) horns.

Anybody who has ever seen one of these animals going about its business in its natural environment cannot doubt its intelligence and personality. Grumpy, stubborn, forceful, self confident, smart ... lovable against all odds. Doctor House of the bushveld! They are special and unique and the world without them will never be the same again.

This is why we do what we do and it is why you should care. We do it so that the children and their children and theirs will be able to see these amazing creatures for themselves someday. So that the world does not lose that indefinable something that the rhino brings to it.

Another Rhino Gone

2011-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

For the second time in 6 weeks we have lost a rhino to ruthless poachers.

Another white rhino bull.

Our scouts tracked the poachers into the night but finally lost them meaning that they got away again. It was a close run this time and hopefully they have at least had a bad scare.

Efforts to protect the rhino are ongoing but are very difficult to sustain in the face of the huge demand and resulting financial rewards to the poachers and the greedy bosses behind them.

We have said it before and we will say it again: If we can make a dent in the demand we will see a corresponding dent in the poaching incidents!

All and any ideas as to how to get the message to Chinese and Korean horn users much appreciated!

Lion Survey

2011-06-27T03:49:00.000-07:00

The lion survey is in full swing in the Save Valley Conservancy.

The aim is to try and identify population numbers and members and learn more about the lion that use our areas.

Meat baits were dragged to establish scent trails (not the most attractive part of the operation) before being strategically set to allow for maximal observation. The lions were then called in using recordings of lions making a kill and feeding. This took about an hour.

Once the lion arrived they fed at the bait for approximately another hour.

A male and a female of those who fed at the bait were darted and collared. Researchers say that the female has definitely had cubs before and judging by her teeth think she is approximately 7 years old.

The lions photographed here were taken by camera traps at bait sites after they had been collared.

Leopard Kill

2011-06-27T02:26:00.000-07:00

Our scouts found a fresh Leopard kill yesterday morning. Due to all the foliage it was too difficult to determine if it was a male or female. As it was not hidden very well the leopard might just loose its kill to vultures or other little scavengers.

Great Offer!

2011-06-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Become a follower of our blog and qualify for great discounts and offers. 20% discount for all followers making a booking for dates in August 2011.

Contact us on bookings@chishakwe.com

2011-06-24T04:03:00.000-07:00

The dryness of a Lowveld can be harsh but it is certainly beautiful in its own way and the increased visibility without all the greenery and leaves on vegetation sure helps with game viewing.

Black Eagles

2011-06-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

On the nest

Not many people can say that they have looked DOWN on a flying Black Eagle.

A few lucky clients are able to make this claim after making the tough climb up the back of Castle Rock to look down on a Black Eagle nest site a few weeks ago.

They saw the female sitting on the eggs and were able to get a photo of her from above a little while later.

A Black Eagle from above!

The pair nest in the same place each year and have raised several chicks successfully over the years. Hopefully this year will be another success story for the Black Eagles of Castle Rock, Chishakwe.

Dogs Denning

2011-06-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

The first Wild Dog Den has been found and the pups captured on a camera trap at the den site.

"This is the first record of pups this year – the denning season has just started and I hope to be able to report on lots more pups over the next few months." reports Rosemary Groom of the Lowveld Wild Dog Research Trust.

Eclipse

2011-06-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might have

missed this wonderful sight, we caught it! As you can imagine the

view from Moon Rock was

Magnificant!

The photo on the right shows the moon when it was totaly in the shadow of the earth.

The next eclipse is due on

Sept 28th 2015.

Dogs and Baboons do NOT mix

2011-06-10T02:34:00.000-07:00

Maddox who is an exceptionally large dog (probably weighs in at about 80kg) got into a fight with a baboon. Despite out weighing the baboon quite considerably he was quite badly malled and has a deep gash on his throat. He will have some scars but is expected to recover ... and has hopefully learnt some respect for baboons!

Maddox is the big guy on the right in this picture.

Hassan

2011-06-10T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have found some pictures of how Hassan looked in life. I am posting them in his honour ... this is how he should be seen and how he should be remembered.

What a waste!

Moon Rock

2011-06-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

Just realised: We have the perfect spot to watch the eclipse from: Moon Rock.

Moon Rock is a large granite dome about 3/4's of the way up a kopje on Chishakwe. From Moon Rock it is possible to watch the sun set on one side of the sky and the moon rise on the other. When it is dark it is totally dark with no electric lights to be seen anywhere ... and that is even IF the power is on!

Perfect spot for watching lunar eclipses! Bit chilly up there at this time of year though so maybe a bonfire would be a sensible addition to the event.

Lunar Eclipse

2011-06-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Look out for the lunar eclipse on the 15th of June. It will be visible from South Asia, Australia and Africa.
It is due to start at about 19h22 universal time and reach its peak by about 20h12 universal time.

Ignorance Kills. Spread the word.

2011-06-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

This horrifying picture says it all.

Hassan is (was) the white rhino bull we reported poached in our last post.

He was shot multiple times by AK47's. The poachers responsible are ruthless and dangerous men who care for little other than the money they will recieve for their part in this horrific incident. But are they really the ones to blame?

Certainly they are immoral and greedy men who care little for the pain of the animals or the damage to the country's wildlife heritage. Nevertheless they would have no reason to do what they do were it not for the stubborn ignorance of those who use the horn for what they believe are medicinal purposes.

As it is a well established fact that rhino horn does not have any medicinal purposes at all these people are putting themselves or whoever they are treating at risk as well as providing the reason for the senseless and bloody massacre of one of Africa's most iconic animals. Rhino's are critically endangered for no reason other than the archaic and mistaken beliefs of some misguided people on the other side of the world. If that is not tragic then what is?

We would like to start a social media revolution to spread the word around the world: RHINO HORN HAS NO MEDICINAL BENEFITS!!! Perhaps if enough people say it often enough eventually the ripples will reach the areas where they may make a difference. Tell everyone you can think of to tell everyone they can think of!

Sad News

2011-06-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening (3rd June) poachers shot and killed a white rhino bull on a property near Chishakwe.

This comes as a blow to scouts who were engaged in tracking the poachers but could not prevent the incident. Efforts to prevent further incidents are ongoing.

CONGRATULATIONS TO RAOUL DU TOIT

2011-06-02T04:58:00.000-07:00

Raoul Du Toit has been honoured by being named as one of the winners of the Goldman Environment Prize for Africa for 2011 in recognition of his efforts to conserve rhino in Zimbabwe. The awards were made at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and later the same day the recipients got to meet President Obama who congratulated them on their achievements.

"Conserving rhinos saves much more than the rhino themselves - they are flagships for biodiversity and for national development based on sustainable wildlife management in Africa" Raoul told Phyllis Kachere of Sunday-In-Depth during an interview after his return to Harare.

In the meantime the battle to save the rhino from unscrupulous poachers in ongoing in the Save Valley Conservancy.

HIPPO HIPPO HOORAY!!!

2011-05-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

Chishakwe is working with Hippo Haven to re-locate a hippo from near Marondera to our dam.

The hippo is being traumatised in the dam he has chosen to live in near Marondera due to people stoning and otherwise harrassing him.

He is currently being fed a mixture of cubes and vegetables in an effort to eventually tempt him into a crate so that he can be sedated and moved down to the Lowveld.

We are looking forward to welcoming our new resident!

Water Tank

2011-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Due to the dry seasons that we are having we are rebuilding our Mt Willson's tank. Attempts have been made in the past to build this tank but the pressure from the water was too much for the walls to hold and the tank burst open.

As you can see in the picture above this was not going to be easy.

Building started in April and progress has been fairly quick.

Reinforcing had to be done extra strong this time to ensure the wall will hold.

The higher we build the more difficult it gets!

We are now nearly at the end and photos will follow when the first water is pumped into the tank.

Lets hope that this is the last time this tank will ever have to be re-built.

Scout Training

2011-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Chishakwe Shumba scout team have just completed their advanced training course.
We hope that they put their new skills to work and stop the poachers coming in!

Proud to announce!

2011-04-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dadox and Madison are the proud

new parents of 6 beautiful puppies.

BIG TREE

2011-03-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Story That Happened Around The Big Tree.
I want to tell you the story of a beautiful place from the point of view of a tree that has stood there for a long, long time. For between two and three and thousand years, to be exact. During this time it has seen it all – some of it more than once. What, for you or I, represents years of toil and endeavor is but a moment for the Big Tree of Chishakwe …
Its story, as I mentioned, begins long ago. At a time when there was nothing at all but the sun rising and setting on the bush and on the animals that lived in it. Each day was much the same as the next and each season ran its inexorable course, unrecorded other than by the growth of the trees.
The only people were the cave dwelling people who lived in the area. From time to time they passed the tree, gathering roots or bark, or berries … or perhaps silently stalking some or other animal to shoot with a sharp, hand crafted arrow. Such was the harmony with their environment and its bounty that these people left no sign behind them other than their art on the walls of the caves where they sheltered.
In time more people came. Tribes people and European people. These people had hard lives. They were at odds with the environment; trying to tame it and bend it to their will. They battled illness, drought, wild animals and even each other. The Big Tree saw it all.
They left behind them their graves and many stories of brave adventure, of grief and pain and some of love and joy. And still the Big Tree stood; keeping its silent vigil over the passing of time and the enduring cycle of nature.
And at last the people turned back to the natural ways. They formed a vast Wildlife Conservancy and directed their efforts to restoring the animals and the innate natural balance to the area.
Now, once again, the Big Tree stands in peace, enjoying the natural rhythm and the serenity of the African Bush. Only the passing of animals and the odd visitor staring up, with a sense of something very close to spiritual awe, create gentle ripples in its long existence.
The Big Tree of Chishakwe is without peer amongst the many grey giants of the Save Valley Conservancy. There are those that are noteworthy for their size or age, others that stand out for their unique shape or position. All are worth seeing and as well as being an attraction in their own right they provide a statuesque back drop (and in some cases, home) to multiple birds and animals of the Save Valley Conservancy.

Baobab trees the new favorite snack!

2011-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

The elephants have been on a destructive streak again. It must be the moisture in the trees that they are after. But what ever it is the elephants have eaten through 3 trees in the last 2 weeks.

Hooray!!!!

2011-01-26T02:43:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful way to start a year. Our dam is spilling!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-18T01:41:00.000-08:00

We at Chishakwe would like to

wish you all a very

Merry Christmas

and a fantastic
New Year!!

Strange

2010-12-17T00:38:00.000-08:00

We are not sure what happened but all the swallows in this roost were killed in one night. There are no tracks of any animals. We just find it very strange that when what ever it was started killing the birds the rest did not fly away. There must have been over 20 birds killed.

2010-11-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

We had 19.5mm rain last night. Lets hope it keeps coming.

Rain

2010-11-30T05:14:00.000-08:00

It rained 6mm last night. We are so grateful but really need more and soon. We are having the most horrendous power cuts at the moment so have been unable to pump water to any of the water holes for days now and everything is drying up. Lets hope that tonight is an even better night for rain.

Mini Tornado

2010-11-15T00:38:00.000-08:00

One of our resident elephant bulls decided that it would be fun to reek hovoc in HQ this weekend. He went into two of the gardens and distroyed the fruit trees, veggies and a lot of fences. It looks like a tornado pulled through HQ and now we have a weeks work ahead trying to clean up his mess. We do hope that he got what ever it was out of his system and does not come back for more.

Wild dog sighting

2010-10-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

The wild dogs have been at it again, this time though they happened to catch their meal right near HQ.

We seem to have 2 packs that are hanging around Chishakwe at the moment. There is the all famous 'Star Pack' and then this little pack with only 4 dogs, three of which can be seen in this photo

2010-10-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Rain Dances seem to be working. Yesterday it was 48 degrees and today it is overcast. Keep dancing we getting close!

Dry Dry Dry

2010-10-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Due to the last few years of poor rain we are now appealing to all our friends to start doing the "Rain Dance".

The Bush is dry, the animals are hungry and water is scarse.

Lets hope that this year the rains are good and our magestic veld can be restored to its natural beauty.

Why do we live in Africa? For moments like this!

2010-09-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Bush school

2010-08-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

During the holidays we did an education day with all the children on Chishakwe.

Helen McGregor, a teacher from the UK, taught the children about the food chain and how it works.

After the lesson we divided the children into groups and did a small quiz with them. The winning group received some colouring pencils to take home.

Wake up call!

2010-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Helen, one of the ladies currently visiting Chishakwe had a very different wake up call.
A pack of Wilddogs killed an Impala right out side the room she was sleeping in.
Something spooked the dogs and they ran away leaving their kill behind.
Not sure I would want to wake up to those noises in the middle of the night!

Muvava School Project

2010-08-07T00:45:00.000-07:00

The yearly projects that Chishakwe does with the grade 7 classes at Muvava Primary School have been judged and the top 10 projects have been chosen. These students have own a trip to Chishakwe where they are going to learn more about the animals that occurred in their projects.

Congrats to the winners!!

Pangolin

2010-07-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

Our scouts managed to come accross the path of what has to be one of the cutest critters in the bush, a Pangolin!

It is amazing how hard the scales are and what a tight little ball he can roll into.

New stock!

2010-07-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

Our shop has had a face lift!

As well as all the hand carved animal carving we have in stock we now also stock hand painted pottery from Amadaka.

These pieces are truely unique and lovely.

A must see when you visit Chishakwe

Rhino Ops

2010-06-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

This past week we have been very fortunate in hosting the Rhino Opperations Team here on Chishakwe.
They have been going out every day to monitor and track rhino and collect valuable information for their data base. Some of the work that they have been conducting includes ear notching (for better future identification) and installing radio transmitters (for better tracking of the animals).

The team have a small aircraft that they use for spotting the Rhino and then use a helicopter to go in closer to enable them to dart individuals that need de-horning or ear tagging.

Here is a photo of the team with their bush savvy Helicoper.

We would like to also take this opportunity to thank the team for all their hard work in protecting this wonderful and rare species

Muvava Primary School

2010-06-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

Every year Chishakwe sponsors 10 children their schollarships to attend Muvava Primary School.

We also do a project with the Grade 7 class every year. This year we are doing to Food Chain.

As you can see in the photo the teachers are very excited to start the project and it should be completed in the next few months.

There after the projects will be judged and the 10 pupils with the best projects will be given a free conservation trip to Chishakwe where they will learn more about wildlife and habitats.

Pictures of the winners and their projects will be posted when the judging has been done.

Once in a lifetime!

2010-05-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

How often do you see a Lioness stalking its prey in the wild. Not to often other than on National Geographic. Well we got to see it in real life. On one of our gamedrives we saw a lioness stalking something. We waited a few minutes and saw her take off and dissapear down the river bank where, it became apparent, she caught a young warthog. We drove up to the river bank and could at first not see anything but we then heard some crunching sounds coming from a bush below us. On closer inspection, there she was eating away and a young male had joined her for the feast.
Talk about the right place at the right time.
Where is a camera when you need one?

Painted dogs

2010-04-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

Chishakwe is the proud host of the Lowveld Wild dog Project that is represented by Dr Rosemary Groom.

This week we are happy to announce the first den site of the season.

The 'Bedford' pack have set the trend for the season and we now look forward to the many den sites that will soon follow.

As soon as the pups come out to play we will let you know.

Elephants

2010-04-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

We have seen a servere increase in elephant activity in the last week. One group of elephants was over 100!

We think this increase might be caused by a lot of poaching in the south of the conservancy so they are looking for new stomping grounds with us in the North.

These elephants are very cunning in their methods of trying to cover all the roads with trees so that we can not use our roads. Let the games begin!

Another year begins

2010-02-26T00:46:00.000-08:00

The begining of 2010 has set off to a dry start.

We need rain!

While some rain has been recieved it is not enough to renew the grazing and there are some areas of the ranch that look somewhat barren for this time of year. Having said this it should be noted that a lot of the bush and shrub plants have made a bit of a come back so there is some browsing available.

Keep having to remind ourselves that drought is part of the natural cycle and that it is likely prove to be particularly advantageous to predator species.

We have had a couple of offers to ship some rain over from the wet and cold UK. Just not sure how to do this!!!