'Beyond the Hour'

Our partners at Sanctuary Retreats’ lodges and camps in Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania all eagerly supported Earth Hour on Saturday, 26 March between 8:30 and 9:30 local time, switching off generators and all the lights in and around the camps. In line with Sanctuary's theme this year the lodges and camps all managed to “Go Beyond the Hour"! Here, they share the efforts and celebration with us.

The staff at Sanctuary Olonana, our tented camp in the Masai Mara, spent Saturday afternoon at the nearby Enkereri Primary School where Julius, one of our staff members, gave a talk on sustainable practices. Sanctuary Olonana donated 50 trees to the cause and each of the students planted their own tree. All these trees were tagged with the students’ names and we believe this will create a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Later that evening, guests in camp celebrated Earth Hour with a candlelit dinner and even asked if the lights could stay off after 9:30 pm… Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp’s staff and guests also commemorated the day with a tree planting session. The camp staff then launched their ‘Conservation Club’ who will ensure that though various practices they not only conserve power but also come up with innovative practical ideas on environmental sustainability at the camp.

Hundreds of candles and lanterns were lit at all of our lodges and camps during dinner, with traditional song and dance performances by the staff providing the background music and entertainment for an unforgettable night under the African stars.

In Botswana Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero staff built a tree using recycled items and spelled “Earth Hour” with candles on the lawn in front of the lodge. At Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma in Zambia, the guides led a stargazing presentation well into the night - showcasing Sanctuary’s pledge to “Go Beyond the Hour”. Want to visit one of these great eco-lodges? Give us a call to plan your trip!

Photos courtesy Sanctuary Retreats

Kings Pool Camp Sightings - March

Something interesting or exciting is literally always going on in Botswana; and most times our partners at Wilderness Safaris are there to see it. This game report comes from Kings Pool, a beautiful, luxurious camp in the Linyanti Reserve in Northern Botswana.

Kings Pool Camp has nine beautifully appointed tents of canvas and thatch. Each has a large bedroom area, lounge, private plunge pool and 'sala'. The spacious en-suite bathrooms are tiled with double showers and hand-basins - as well as an outdoor shower for those who wish to shower close to nature. The lounge, dining room and pub areas are on expansive raised decks. There is also a communal pool and an open-air 'kgotla' for dining under the stars. Game viewing at the camp is wonderful, as evidenced by the following sightings report.

As the sun slowly sets at the close of another great African afternoon, a range of vibrant colours reflect off the great Linyanti River as it leisurely meanders downstream. Just before the colours disappear completely, the tranquil water surface explodes, and the last afternoon light sparkles off of each water drop as a hippo breaks the surface in front to breath.

Hippo males have been fairly aggressive towards other males this month and two hippos have died from male territorial clashes. These carcasses have been located close to camp on two separate occasions, attracting numerous vultures and other carrion eating birds as well as hyaenas, jackals and on the second carcass - the lion.

Another recent addition to the Kings Pool package is a resident male lion. Guests have heard his majestic roar calling his lioness and cubs on most mornings and evenings. These contact calls have been so close on occasion that they can be heard above the cracking and rumbling of thunder and lightning during a typical summer storm. This male lion has also attracted the attention of another two males form the concession next door and they have been making brief visits to the Kings Pool area. The Kings Pool lioness and cubs have also been playing their part in entertaining our guests this month. The cubs always put on a good show as they pounce, run, stalk, bite, and play attack each other - fun, fun, fun!

Elephant are never far from the area, with breeding herds slowly moving through camp and the big males moving around without a care in the world. Our guests this month have had the pleasure of spending an afternoon on the Queen Silvia - the Kings Pool double-storey barge - and witnessing elephant crossing the great Linyanti River. From the upper deck of the Queen Silvia, looking down on a small herd of elephant swimming, playing, splashing and at some points fully submerged with only their trunks out of the water for air is truly a magnificent sighting - just add a gin and tonic and a beautiful sunset and life cannot get much better.

A trip to Kings Pool would not be complete without seeing a leopard or two. Our guides found male leopards, female leopards, climbing leopards, leopards with kills, shy leopards, sociable leopards, young leopards and old leopards during the course of the month.

Unusual and rare sightings this month have included roan antelope, cheetah, wild dog, Osprey and Bat Hawk. So all in all, quite an exciting wildlife month here at Kings Pool.

Guides - Khan, Diye, O.D. and Lemme

Wildlife photos courtesy O.D., camp photo courtesy Dana Allen - Wilderness Safaris

Shrimp Peri Peri

Peri peri is a native African bird's eye chilli that grows wild in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Peri peri means 'chili chili' in KiSwahili and saying it twice makes sense as it's one of the world's hottest chilis. It's terrific dried in spice blends (some commercial peri peri blends are available - Nando's is a favorite and comes in a variety of heat options) and also as a fresh sauce served with chicken or fish.

This recipe is fairly simple and showcases the chilies themselves. This recipe is adapted from Marcus Samuelsson; an Ethiopian born, Sweedish rasied, world renound chef. You can sample his creations yourself with his fantastic cookbooks (this comes from Discovery of a Continent), or visit one of his amazing restaurants in New York, Chicago, California or Sweeden to cut out the middleman.

Peri Peri
Makes 1 cup

8 red bird's-eye chilies, seeds and ribs removed to reduce heat, chopped
Juice of 3 lemons
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves
1/2 c olive oil

Combine all incredients except for oil in a blender and puree until smooth. With the blender running, add the oil slowly and blend until well combined.

Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Peri Peri Shrimp
Serves 4 as a starter

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c plus 1 tbsp Peri Peri, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 limes

Toss the shrimp with 1/2 c of the peri peri in a large bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until opaque. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with the salt. Squeeze one lime over the shrimp.

Serve atop hot, cooked rice or cous cous. Mix the additional 2 tbsp of peri peri throughout the cooked grain prior to topping with the shrimp. Garnish with quarters of the second lime.

Be warned - this is a very hot dish! A cold beer would go nicely alongside.

Owen & Mzee - The Language of Friendship - book review

This wonderful, true story describes the unlikely friendship between a rescued, orphaned hippo and a 130-year-old tortoise living together in a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. It's possible you've heard of this pair, as they made headlines around the world in 2004 when they first met. This children's book is full of charming photos and describes their first year or so living together.

Owen the hippo was only a baby when he was rescued from a coral reef at the mouth of the Sabaki River and brought to the sanctuary. At the time, Owen was only two feet tall (but about 600lbs!). He has thrived in the sanctuary through his friendship with Mzee (Swahili for 'wise old man'), and despite Owen growing much larger, Mzee the tortoise is most certainly still in charge.

The book is one of a series focusing on Owen and Mzee written by father and daughter team of Craig and Isabella Hatkoff in conjunction with the director of Owen and Mzee's care, Dr. Paula Kahumbu. It is a positive, uplifting story of friendship through adversity and is appropriate for all ages. If you'd like to visit Owen and Mzee at Haller Park in Malindi, Kenya - call us to plan your trip!

Tubu Tree Camp Sightings - March

This game report is courtesy of our partners at Wilderness Safaris. We can never get enough reports on the big (and little) cats!

With anticipation growing daily we were finally shown the new kittens of Tubu Tree. Since the beginning of November, when the Jao Concession lion pride was last seen together, the daughter looked as if she was ready to give birth any day. She disappeared for a while only to be seen in December again - looking thinner and obviously lactating. Then she was seen in the daytime hunting, even hunting out front of Tubu Tree Camp on the floodplain. This got everyone excited and all decided to try and follow to get the answers to all the questions of how many cubs there were, where they are, male or female etc.

One of our questions is now answered as camp guide and guests recently investigated a Hooded Vulture sighting and found the mother feeding on a wildebeest. Having heard an unusual sound, they decided to sit and wait it out to see what would happen. Their patience was rewarded when over an hour later, just before full darkness, four little ones came out to join mother. What a sight - they were able to catch a couple of pictures and spend a little time with them before they went back into hiding.

Tubu Tree Camp is also known for leopards. Of course they were not to be outdone by the lions: our resident queen leopard, Boat Station Female was also seen lactating on the 23rd of November 2010. She also kept her cubs hidden for a while and then sightings started up again and tracks were seen of a little one with her, which just added to the anticipation for cubs.

Finally we had some sightings but with the bush being lush and thick it made it hard to follow. One morning drag marks were spotted going across the airstrip and into the bush. Just a few metres in, there she was with an impala kill and one little cub who was full energy and a little shy of its safari vehicle encounter.

This now leaves us with three young male lions just over a year old and four little lion cubs making a total of seven young lions running around, coupled with two one-and-a-half year old leopards and another young leopard cub. The questions is now how many kittens can Tubu Tree have? Never enough, it seems.

Observers: Justin Stevens, Jacky Collet-Stevens, Brooks Kamanakao
Photographers: Cathy Kays, Brooks Kamanakao

The Boy Next Door - book review

The Boy Next Door is the debut novel from Irene Sabatini, though you would never know that this was her first book. She weaves a tale of two people whose lives are intertwined despite the political and racial difficulties they face in the fledgling nation of Zimbabwe. She no doubt draws from her childhood growing up in Zimbabwe to paint such a vivid picture of this fascinating country.

The story is told in the voice of Lindiwe, a teenager living in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in the 1980's at the book's inception. She and Ian, a white neighbor a few years older than she, become friends after Ian is accused of a terrible crime. The author follows Lindiwe and Ian's lives as they grow apart and then back together over twenty years.

Ultimately this is a love story, but the environmental aspects of the book are equally intriguing. Between the challenges that Ian and Lindiwe face as a mixed race couple and the changing politics during the 80's and 90's in Zimbabwe, the reader will be engaged on many levels while enjoying this book.

Want to learn more about Zimbabwe and see what things look like now? We have a terrific trip called 'Essential Zimbabwe' that will fit the bill, or we can customize an adventure to suit your needs. Call us to plan your Zimbabwe exploration!

The Last Lions - movie review

I'm just back from a screening of The Last Lions and I'm still breathless. The movie tells the story of a lioness and her cubs and their struggle to survive in the African bush. It also paints a picture of the need for conservation, as lion numbers have decreased from 450,000 just 50 years ago, to around 20,000 today. With the constant expansion of human settlements and encroachment on to once protected lands, lions are more threatened than ever before. The cinematography in the movie is absolutely stunning. The images have an almost still photo quality about them, but are brought to life in a way that keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat for the entire movie. From the quiet beauty of the Okavango Delta landscape, to the images of birds skimming the waters for fish, or capturing the erie nighttime fog surrounding an enormous herd of Cape Buffalo; this is National Geographic at its best. The story itself is more tense than I thought possible; over 90 minutes of intense action in the lives of this little lion family. This movie is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for young children or those sensitive to the occasional violence seen in nature. It is however for lovers of Africa, its wildlife and nature in general. It is typical of National Geographic and does not shy away from difficult images or an unhoped for result in nature, so be prepared. The other bit of magic worth mentioning is the sound. Sitting in the theatre (even one with a somewhat dated sound system) made me feel like I was in the bush. The morning sounds of African birds, the nighttime sounds of hippos and insects, buffalo marching through the tall grass...it's all there invading your senses and takes you straight to the African wilderness. Kudos to National Geographic and Dereck and Beverly Joubert for making a masterpiece. Feel free to share your thoughts on the film with us on Facebook or leave a comment below. Don't forget to watch the trailer; for every trailer viewing on YouTube, National Geographic will contribute $.10* (up to $100,000) to lion and big cat conservation in Botswana. You can also text LIONS to 50555 to donate $10. (msg & data rates may apply). Donations go to the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative. Want to visit the Okavango Delta? Call us to plan a trip to Duba Plains where the movie was filmed.

Photo - Beverly Joubert / National Geographic

A day in the life - Pafuri Camp

We want to share this 'day in the life' from Sean Carter and our friends at Wilderness Safaris. Sounds like a great (and not atypical) day at Pafuri Camp in the Makuleke Concession in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

I was hosting six great guests who are all birders and therefore I knew the pressure was off about searching only for big game or the "Big Five." Our second evening together proved to be quite incredible.

We headed out on our afternoon drive along Luvuvhu West. Our plan was to drive to a recent elephant carcass which has been fascinating to view, as well as being a hive of activity. On the way there we bumped into a lone elephant bull, the first of what would turn out to be a very rewarding few hours. When we arrived at the carcass, as expected, there was an entourage of vultures (Lappet-faced, White-backed, White-headed and Hooded) and a number of hyaena picking the bones dry. The smell was quite unbearable and it wasn't long before everyone in the vehicle was ready to head off.

As we drove back towards camp we were called with the news that we had just driven past a leopard. Needless to say we turned around and headed back finding the camouflaged leopard lying flat in an appleleaf tree. She was extremely relaxed and we watched her from 30 metres away for about 45 minutes. She eventually stretched and gracefully climbed down the tree. She had been watching impalas in the distance and we followed her towards them. The impalas were quick to spot her and started panicking at the same time as a huge herd of buffalo appeared. All of this was taking place at the same time as the sun was setting over the Hutwini Mountains ahead.

We had just lost sight of the leopard when we heard a faint mumble behind us. Lo and behold there were two rhino making their way towards us. This was by far the best sighting I have had of rhino at Pafuri as they were in the open instead of making off into the distance which has been my usual experience.

At this point we chose to head back to camp, having had a fabulous evening, but on the way decided to pass the airstrip to see if could catch a glimpse of the male lion which had been spotted in the area that morning.

We did hear the lion calling, but unfortunately our luck had run out as our search proved hopeless. However, we did see a baby chameleon, a greater bushbaby, an African wild cat, two Barn Owls, an African Owl and two Pel's Fishing-Owls before getting into camp.

After a celebratory dinner I was heading to the staff village only to come across a lioness 20 metres from the boardwalk. Another incredible day in Africa!

Recipe: Senegalese Rice

Today, we're going retro with our recipe. During a recent 'better books' sale at our local library, I picked up 'Recipes of All Nations', which was complied and edited by Countess Morphy back in 1935. It's a charming, dated book that is mostly focused on Europe, despite its more diverse sounding title. Way in the back, near page 800 or so, they have a small section on Africa. It's very interesting and includes dishes like 'Fricassee of Iguana' (which I'm hoping isn't on menus anymore!). I chose something more tame to share with you today: Senegalese Rice. This is (nearly) verbatim from the book:

SENEGALESE RICE is as popular a dish in Senegal as the couscous. It can be made with meat, chicken or fish. The pork, mutton or chicken is cut in somewhat large pieces, and the fish also. The pieces of meat or fish are first of all fried in oil with a chopped onion, seasoned with salt and pepper and, when well browned, they are covered with hot water and seasoned with chilli pepper or cayenne, cloves, and other spices. Then all kinds of vegetables are added, and always very small marrows and tomatoes. All this is simmered till tender-the meat, of course, takes longer than the fish. When done, the meat and vegetables are removed from the stock and kept hot. The rice-unpolished rice is used-is cooked in the stock, which should not only cover it but be quite two inches above the rice. This is simmered till the rice has absorbed all the stock and is quite dry and flaky. If the rice "catches" and is slightly burnt in the bottom of the pan the [locals] are delighted, as this is considered a relish. The rice when done is put into a large gourd with the meat or fish and the vegetables.

Bon appetit!

Note: 'marrows' refers to zucchini

Botswana Chitabe Lediba Camp Update

From our partners at Wilderness Safaris comes this excellent game report from Chitabe Lediba.

Weather
The month of January has had some good rainfall and we've recorded 295mls, which in previous years would have constituted half our annual rainfall. We've also had some spectacular storms, as only Africa can produce, with laser-like lightning shows coupled with thunder that at times literally made the earth shake.

Landscape
The concession is alive with youngsters of all living creatures. Everywhere you look there is an enormous variety of birds - especially waterbirds - and animals and the flora is looking beautifully lush and green. It truly has become a paradise.

Wildlife
The wildlife sightings have been spectacular as usual, even with the rain. Chitabe can proudly announce a few new family members in our various groups of predators. The collared cheetah was found and to the surprise of everyone she proudly paraded her four new gorgeous cubs. However, it does appear that towards the end of January, she may have lost one of the cubs as we only spotted three little faces on the last few occasions that we have seen them. Mortality rates among cheetah cubs is high, so we do keep fingers crossed that the mother's good parenting skills will enable the remaining three to survive.

Our resident leopard are also sporting and nursing new offspring, together with our two small prides of lion. The Chitabe pack of wild dog have been seen only a couple of times during the month, which is normal as this is the time of year that they traverse their home ranges. Numbers fluctuate between 24 and 26 dogs, but we are pretty sure that the pack is still at full strength with a total compliment of 26 members.

Love seems to be in the air as our guests and guides spotted both leopard and lion mating. We hope therefore that we can announce some new arrivals in the near future.

All the general game including impala, giraffe and zebra are also in abundance and all proudly showing off their young. It is such a treat to watch these young animals running and playing with their herd mates, so full of energy and excitement.

Birding
Birding has been absolutely amazing. The summer migrants that visit us at this time of year are still keeping the camp and concession entertained by their beautiful song and chatter. Thanks to the rainfall all the floodplains and depressions have filled up, attracting a huge variety of hunters and waders, congregating together as friends.

Camp News
During the last two weeks of January all the old rooms at Chitabe Lediba were dismantled and removed and the sites have been prepared for new structures. In addition to all new guest rooms, Chitabe Lediba will also be replacing the swimming pool and the decking surrounding the pool as well as putting in a new kitchen, laundry and a couple of storerooms.

Photographs courtesy Bill and Barton Barker; Sondra Lee and Debra

The Last Lions - part 2

We've written about the new movie The Last Lions before. We want to keep your attention focused on this special film in hopes that you will get out to see it when it's available in your city, as it is likely to be a limited engagement.

In order for The Last Lions to play in more theaters, National Geographic and the filmmakers need YOUR support! Call your local theaters and ask them to book it. Then chat it up with friends, family, local community groups and get them to go. The better the film does, the more theaters it will show in. The more people that see it, the more people will understand what is required for these majestic creatures to survive.

"The Last Lions," is a spectacular feature documentary with breathtaking cinematography from National Geographic (and narrated by Jeremy Irons) about a wild lion and her cubs in Botswana. Check out the trailer here.

Here's where it will open this coming Friday:

Scottsdale, AZ Camelview 5
Berkeley, CA Shattuck 10
Irvine, CA Westpark 8
La Jolla, CA La Jolla Village
Sacramento, CA Tower Theater
San Diego, CA Hillcrest 5
San Francisco, CA Pleasant Hill 21
San Francisco, CA San Rafael Regency 6
San Jose, CA Santana Row
Denver, CO Esquire
Wilmington, DE Theater N (Ends March 13)
Lake Park, FL Mos-Art Theater (Ends March 17)
Sarasota, FL Burns Court
Atlanta, GA Tara Cinemas
Chicago, IL Pipers Alley
Baltimore, MD The Charles Theater
Detroit, MI Maple Art 3
Minneapolis, MN Uptown
St Louis., MO Plaza Frontenac 7
Charlotte, NC Regal Cinemas Manor Twin
Brooklyn, NY Bam Rose
White Plains, NY Cinema 100 Quad
Portland, OR Fox Tower Stadium 10
Dallas, TX Angelika Film Center 8
Plano, TX Angelika Film Center & Cafe
Seattle, WA Harvard Exit

For a complete listing of theatres and release dates, check here.

We will be visiting Denver's Esquire theatre to see the film; we'll have a review next week, but we have no doubt it will be fantastic! Afterward, we'll plan to watch this Q&A with the filmmakers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert.

Photo courtesy Gretchen Healey

Botswana Savuti Camp Update

From our friends at Wilderness Safaris comes this exciting update from Savuti Camp in Botswana.

The first three weeks of February were unseasonably dry and hardly any rain fell at all during this period. Some rains and cooler weather returned toward the end of February, however due to the results of the first three weeks the roads becoming quite dry, and many of the seasonal pans becoming quite shallow and muddy. Elephant viewing was good through the month as a consequence, and at times elephant densities were similar to what we see in the dry season. Some herds were close to camp, but most were seen along the Linyanti River.

We enjoyed some good sightings of all the major carnivores, with the single male cheetah that frequents the area showing up twice, once on the airfield and once near Dish Pan. He appears to be doing well despite the loss of his coalition partner some time ago.

There were a few lion sightings that took place. Most were of the lioness known as the Savuti Female and her two sub-adult male offspring. For February they seemed to be spending most of their time to the west of Savuti, and we found them eating a kudu quite close to Zibadianja Lagoon. We are hoping they will cross the river and move a little closer to their old haunts around Savuti in the months ahead. The Linyanti Pride was also seen on a few occasions, usually to the north of camp.

The Linyanti wild dog pack put in some good showings for us too. All four pups are still alive, and the pack is maintaining its size of 11 animals in total. They were finding it a little harder to hunt than in the earlier months of the summer, when baby impala were easy pickings. They caught a baby kudu close to the Linyanti early in the month that we were able to see. Late in the month they moved east and out of our game drive area.


Spotted hyaena sightings remain quite consistent, especially in the area along the Linyanti.

Undoubtedly the star of our month in terms of the carnivores was the DumaTau male leopard. He was seen a number of times, two of these occasions found him mating with females. In another incident we watched him attack an adult female warthog. As he was trying to subdue the warthog, her two adult companions attacked the leopard, one from each side, butting him with their tusks in his side. He let go of his victim, but after they had all fled, managed to follow the wounded warthog and finish her off. Aside from a bit of a limp, he appears to have come through the warthog attack in one piece and was seen again a few days later again hunting warthogs. He obviously has a taste for them despite their dangerous defences.

The Savute Channel itself is maintaining quite a high level. On some days there are hippo in front of camp, and waterlilies are growing along the channel in profusion. Carmine Bee-eaters added colour to the grassy edges of the channel.

Photographs courtesy Anna Butterfield and Grant Atkinson

Book Review - The Elephant Whisperer

The Elephant Whisperer is about a conservationist in South Africa who takes in a group of unwanted elephants on his Zululand game reserve. While the title is a bit trite, the story itself certainly isn't.

Lawrence Anthony is approached by the Elephant Managers and Owners Association about a 'troublesome' group of elephants in Mpumalanga, and is as asked by EMOA to take the animals in. This is ostensably because Anthony has a way with animals (and his own game reserve). Despite major reservations, he does so; as his acceptance of the elephants is their only chance. They will otherwise be destroyed. Predictably, it changes his life.

The book is the ensuing story of Anthony's 'way' with animals. He works to habituate the elephants to human presence and to correct their 'troublesome' behavior, he and his staff protect them from poachers, and eventually they introduce the elephant family to guests to help maintain the upkeep of Thula Thula, Anthony's game reserve. There are highlights and heart-wrenching moments, and overall it's a very satisfying read.

Care to visit Thula Thula and these very special animals? Give us a call!

Cover image courtesy Amazon.com