February 2016

MDONYA OLD RIVER CAMP

News from the wild side

Rainy season in Ruaha National Park is spectacular. We can obviously affirm that El Nino effects are visible: when it rains it seriously rains. Roads of the National Park have suffered damages by the unexpected heavy rains. However our guides and drivers are doing their best during the game drives, spotting animals in a tall grass and giving wonderful experiences to the guest with a extra little touch of adventure thrown in when driving on the muddy roads crossing streams full of water.

Sightings of elephants are wonderful and are spotted daily, carnivores are more difficult to find but we had frequent encounters with lions, leopard and wild dogs, crossing the roads hanging around the game areas.

Bird life is wonderful and rich in camp with some truely beautiful birds such as the Eastern Paradise Wydhas who are now residing in camp, Black-winged Red Bishops, Lesser Striped Swallows nesting next to the tents, colorful European Bee Eaters, White Browed Coucals and Violet Tipped Coursers are populating the camp as are the Woodland kingfisher and the African Hoopoe.

At night on the pathways you can see the Eurasian nightjars resting and on a couple of occasions lions killed impalas just behind the car park and near the common area during the night. Overexcited hyenas stole the prey after engaging in a fight with the king, to the excitement of the managers who were nearby to were all the action was happening providing an exciting conversation topic over breakfast with guests. Some sunny and hot days are now drying up the waterlogged soil and the vegetation is lush, dense and abundant. Beauty is everywhere in the park.

By Rebecca, Andrea and all Mdonya Team.

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LAKE MANZE CAMP

Paradise has a new meaning

The safari season in the Selous will end in the middle of next month for the big rains and we reopen with a bang at the beginning of June. We can emphatically say that many a happy and content guest has left Lake Manze Camp since the beginning of the season. So many great memories have been created here and will be passed on and discussed in length with friends and family over time. Until Africa calls you for the next adventure.

The rain has finally abated after some spectacular African storms. The plentiful rain at the beginning of the month has left us with this green wonderland and a lake that is brimming with water. This abundance of water should last us until the end of next season.

Great news. After the untimely demise of the grandmother lioness of the Manze pride, her daughter has given us two brand new baby Lion cubs about three to four weeks old. A male and female addition to the pride. We will follow their progress and antics with keen interest. Watch the video of the adult female that climbs down a tree with hesitations and the very small cubs video.

The wild dogs have been sighted on a couple of occasions but can be elusive as they travel many kilometers a day. The pups are doing well and look very healthy.

With the abundance of food around we have had less Elephants in camp this month but there have been great sightings outside of camp of herds of Elephants indulging in the many delicacies that are in abundance. Laygos has obviously been in camp a couple of times gobbling up the Marula fruits which are falling this time of the year.
Watch video I and video II of elephants playing in water in front of the camp.

Our first water buck in camp this season was a delight as it ambled past oblivious of our excitement at its presence so close.

As our guests come from all corners of our beautiful earth we wish you all a warm under a blanket winter, a sweet smelling spring, a sun kissed Summer and an awesome Autumn,

See you all soon.

By Shaun, Milinda and all Manze Team.

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FANJOVE PRIVATE ISLAND

WILD FANJOVE: Setting up an example for future generations.

Far off the eastern coast of Africa, a diverse ecosystem thrives.
In the Indian Ocean, restoration efforts are giving vulnerable native species a second chance on an island in Tanzania.

Privately owned Fanjove Island was once commercially exploited for fish and coconuts but is now prized for its marine biodiversity and seabird colonies. In 2012 the island was made into an eco-lodge. Its conservation is managed by Essential Destinations together with camps Ruaha and the Selous.
Among its biological treasures is abundant coral reef fishes, green sea turtles nesting, humpback whales calving, healthy populations of coconut crabs, migrating colonies of crab plovers and terns, the resident egrets and pied crows, pods of hundreds of spinner and bottlenose dolphins and more.

On Fanjove, the staff live that connection daily, on sea, on land, even within their work shifts. Weavers build their nests on light fittings and shower rails, and steal the occasional necklace to decorate the nests.

This place changes you life, you see things differently.

Yours in conservation,

Hassan, Hakim and all Fanjove Team.

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