Guests at the Islands of Siankaba in Livingstone, Zambia will soon be able to participate in a new eco activity – bamboo bike rides through the local villages! These bikes are made out of regionally grown bamboo and produced by a local business to help develop artisans in the community. The bamboo is extremely tough (some even say a replacement for carbon fibre), and yet it is very light so makes a perfect frame. The wheels etc are all assembled from imported parts. The company making them was started by a couple of Americans and is being run in such a way as to develop local craftsmen and promote Zambian business. The Islands of Siankaba have placed an order for a number of these bikes and they will be delivered in a couple of weeks. They will then be able to give guests the chance of going on a walk or a cycle through the local villages.

Another new development is the donation of a ‘Zambulance’ by the lodge to the local clinic to enable them to move patients back and forth from the clinic. At present some patients are ‘delivered’ to them in wheel barrows or precariously balanced on the back of a bicycle.

Four of the worlds last eight Northern White Rhinos have been flown from the Dvur Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Kenya’s Laikipia District.

The transfer is aimed at providing this rare species of rhino with the most favourable breeding conditions, in an attempt to pull the species back from the verge of extinction. It is thought that the climatic, dietary and security conditions at Ol Pejeta will provide them with higher chances of starting a population, in what is seen as the very last lifeline for the species. The transfer marks the beginning of ‘Last Chance to Survive’, a project by the joint efforts of the Dvur Králové Zoo, Fauna and Flora International, Back to Africa, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000 acre private wildlife conservancy situated on the equator, between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya. It is home to some southern white rhinos and with 83 black rhinos is East Africa’s largest Black Rhino Sanctuary. The most exclusive place to stay at Ol Pejeta Conservancy is Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, a small owner-run camp which offers guests the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of carrying out interactive conservation safaris – right in the heart of one of Africa’s most important wildlife conservancies.

Nkwichi Lodge, located on the Mozambique shores of Lake Malawi, focuses much of its efforts on the local communities.

One project is the fuel-efficient stoves that are hand-made on their community farm and then sold to the local villages. These stoves are made by hand from clay gathered in the area. They are produced by the community and sold to the community at a very affordable price, encouraging the support of the micro economy within the area. This has had a noticeable effect, the stoves use between 40% to 70% less firewood, depending on how carefully the wood is used pre and post cooking.

These stoves help sustain the growing number of people while slowing the detrimental effect to the environment caused by chopping down trees for firewood. They have also been selling the stoves to Likoma Island Residents (Malawi) who for years have been going across to the mainland to chop down trees for firewood or buy firewood from the mainland residents. With the introduction of these stoves, these firewood collecting or buying trips have been reduced by between 20% and 50% depending on the time of year.

Namibia has become a favourite amongst both fly in and self-drive travellers to Southern Africa, leaving one with everlasting impression of this unique country, with her abundant wildlife, rich bio diversity and photographic opportunities around every corner. For the adventurer at heart, Namibia is a kaleidoscope of experiences in one country.

Namibia takes her name from the 80 million year old Namib Desert, one of the driest places on earth which stretches along the entire west coast of the country, covering the 800 mile Skeleton Coast. The Kalahari Desert, although named a desert is really semi-arid savannah, runs along its south-eastern border with Botswana. Windhoek is the capital city and is well connected to the rest of Southern Africa by means of daily flights and an excellent road network.

Why travel to Namibia?

• Unrivalled vistas and landscapes – Namibia offers some of the most varied landscapes for visitors to enjoy – Fish River Canyon, Damaraland, the Skeleton Coast and Sossusvlei are amongst some of the most popular.


• Ship Wrecks - the Skeleton Coasts is the last resting place of over a thousand wrecks all with interesting stories behind them.


• Wildlife – Etosha is Namibia top wild life destination, home to Africa’s tallest elephants, the endangered black rhino, and 91 other species of mammal. Etosha National Park is one of the biggest game reserves on the African continent and does not disappoint when it comes to wildlife viewing. Etosha is famous for its “white ghosts” – Elephants with a thick coating of white dust that lets them blend in with the landscape, a sight to behold!


• Sunny Climate – with winter temperatures reaching up to 23 degrees, and hot summer months of 40 degrees, Namibia makes for a great all year destination. Keep in mind that in winter the desert can cool down dramatically at night.


• Photographic Paradise – from the budding amateur to the serious professional, Namibia’s dramatic landscapes and spectacular wildlife will keep photographers occupied for hours on end. Etosha is especially popular with photographers in the dry season who flock to the waterholes (along with the wildlife).

When to go:
Namibia has a dry climate typical of a semi desert country where droughts are a regular occurrence. Days are mostly warm to very hot and nights are generally cool. Sporadic rain falls in summer from November to March, and travelling at this time can be extremely hot!

Londolozi has introduced the first zero emissions, electric safari game drive vehicle. The vehicle moves guests silently through Londolozi’s 16,000-hectare traversing area in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, with a significantly lower carbon footprint than a conventional 4×4.

Using rechargeable batteries, Londolozi has moved a step closer to more efficient use of propulsion energy. They will continue to work closely with the prototype developers to use increased battery efficiency and solar power to achieve a zero emissions status for this new technology.

Londolozi is justly famous for its ground-breaking conservation work, and for establishing that the welfare of the land, the wildlife and the people are intertwined. Londolozi’s Dave Varty was among the first to question and measure the energy costs of a safari, and is proud to have the opportunity to help with the development of the silent, zero-emissions vehicle. The aim is to increase battery efficiency and harness solar power to achieve zero emissions and enable guests to experience the bush and its sounds.

Scaling up on Pangolin Conservation, By Wendy Panaino, University of the Witwatersrand.

Few people have ever heard of a pangolin, and very few have seen one in the wild. As part of my MSc degree, I have been extremely fortunate to be able to track and observe ground pangolins (Smutsia temminckii) for the past year in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, situated in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.

Little is known about how pangolins might cope with the direct (heat) and indirect (prey availability) effects of a changing climate, so I am currently investigating the body temperature, diet and activity patterns of free-living ground pangolins in a semi-arid environment. Tswalu lies on the south-western edge of the species’ distribution range, a part of Africa that is predicted to become hotter and drier with climate change.

During my time following pangolins at Tswalu, I have had the enormous pleasure of witnessing many interesting behaviours exhibited by these extraordinary creatures. In September 2015, two female pangolins gave birth to a single pup each.

Since then, I have been able to observe the growth and development of the pangolin pups through the use of camera traps placed outside the burrow. On one occasion, a female pangolin brought her pup out of the burrow while I was conducting behavioural observations. This was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had. With pup on her back, the female pangolin came to investigate my presence, sticking her long, sticky tongue out to get a real sense of the foreign creature that was me.

After a few months, that pup left its mother to go on its own solo adventure to investigate the world.
My experiences throughout this study have been nothing short of phenomenal, and I hope that the results that come from it can ultimately contribute to the conservation efforts of ground pangolins.

The jewel in the Governors’ Camp crown – this camp is for those who want an exclusive taste of the Governors’ experience. Private Camp can either be booked by one family or group at a time, so it’s yours to enjoy, as the name suggests, in private, or it can be booked on a tent by tent basis to share with others.

We’ve picked a spot where animals come to drink, hippo laze in the shallows, elephant bring their calves for a playful dip. The forest around the camp is home to many beautiful birds from rare Trogons and Turacos to nesting Hornbills. Personal attention is the hallmark of a stay here. Your manager is also your host and is on hand to see to all your desires and answer all your questions. You benefit from our very best guides and trackers, whose knowledge of the Reserve is unsurpassed. Backed by the vast resources of the Governors’ Family of Camps this is the ultimate safari.

We accept individual bookings at Governors Private Camp which means you can book a tent and share the camp with others. The camp will still be available for private groups too, in order to book the whole camp privately you must book and pay for 6 tents for a minimum of two nights or if your group will occupy more than 6 tents, you must book and pay for every tent occupied.

Property Location: Masai Mara

Only eight tents ensure peace and privacy at Governors’ Private Camp. Large comfortable tents are designed to offer guests the traditional safari experience of times gone by. The tents are luxurious with handmade furniture.

Private Camp bathrooms have hot and cold running water shower and basins and flush-toilets. The tents at the Private Camp are positioned on wooden platforms with extended verandahs. There is electric lighting in the tent and charging facilities and a new bar and dining tent overlooking the Mara River with wifi. The food is delicious; our desserts have been called "sinful", and the drinks all free, except for champagne. Meals are served on fine china and crystal. You can even tailor your own menus with our Executive Chef. Governors’ Private Camp is booked exclusively by one family or group; the minimum requirements are four pax to book the Private Camp for three nights.

Masai Mara Activities

All the Governors' Camp Collection properties are located inside the Masai Mara National Reserve in the heart of one of the best wildlife viewing areas, which means you won't waste time getting to the action. All our guides are highly trained, enthusiastic experts who know this area of the Masai Mara and its wildlife like their home. We maintain a fleet of custom built 4wd vehicles specifically designed for wildlife viewing in this terrain and we offer a wide variety of activities to explore the Masai Mara National Reserve and its wildlife. “The following excursions are available from all Governors’ Camp properties in the Masai Mara ” Game Viewing in our Custom built 4wd vehicles, Hot Air Balloon Safaris,  Masai Cultural Visits, Lake Victoria day trips, Great Wildebeest Migration,  Spa treatments in Camp, Specialist guiding: ornithology,  Bush Breakfasts, Bush Dinners and Sundowners.

Currently in the news is that that certain bee species were placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act recently, which highlights how important the article below is in terms of positive conservation.

People living near the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania are enlisting the help of bees to reduce escalating tensions between them and elephants that trample their crops. As a result, a fence made of beehives is being built around a 500m2 smallholdings close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area as part of the pilot project to see if the buzzing of bees will deter the elephants.

The bee fence concept has been deployed in Kenya and Botswana.

As natural habitat is converted into farmland, elephants go there either to eat the crops or simply because their traditional migratory routes passed through the area. People who attempt to drive them out with firecrackers or gunshots can provoke an aggressive reaction from startled elephants, leading to deaths on both sides.

Conservationists have searched for nonviolent remedies to such human- animal conflicts, which also exist in India and Sri Lanka, such as planting chilies near crops or using drones to scare elephants away.

But the bee fence could be the most promising idea of all, with a coalition of groups looking to roll out the concept in the tourist haven of northern Tanzania, which includes Serengeti’s 1.5-million-strong wildebeest annual migration and the Ngorongoro Crater which teems with wildlife, including the big five – lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes.

A farm near these neighbouring World Heritage sites will be surrounded by a wire strung between tall wooden polls. Beehives will be hung on the wires and the bees will be alerted to the presence of elephants when the wires are disturbed.

The idea was conceived by zoologist Lucy King, who grew up in East Africa and the pilot study is being funded by a $6 000 grant from the Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

Hayley Adams, a United States veterinarian working on the project, said: “Once the bees vocalise, the elephants will be alerted and run away.

“Elephants are highly cognitive, so if they have been stung before, you’ll see an extreme reaction to the sound of bees. It’s a cliché but elephants have good memories. Some of the younger elephants don’t realise and get stung on their ears, which are very sensitive, so they remember not to go near there again.”

Adams said the year-long trial, if successful, could be expanded across the region and prove beneficial to people living in these areas by not only reducing altercations with elephants but also supplying them with honey for consumption or sale.

“This is far better than firing in the air or using sticks to hit elephants, which just makes them aggressive,” she said. “We need a holistic approach that benefits both people and elephants.”

Adams’s non-profit group, the Silent Heroes, which supports wildlife conservation in 13 countries, will also be involved in the launch of Tanzania’s first elephant orphanage. The Ivory Orphans Project, which is set to open this month, is located near Arusha and will be able to care for up to 40 young elephants whose kin were slaughtered by the worsening poaching crisis in Africa.

About 30 000 African elephants are killed each year by poachers for their ivory. In Tanzania, elephants are being lost at a rate of about 60 a day, although the government insists it is now on top of the problem.

“There are a lot of gaps in the system in looking after orphaned elephants,” Adams said. “I have seen a lot of orphans suffer a lot of behavioural issues; there are a lot of parallels with veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. “We need to step up the care, not just medically but socially and emotionally.”

Written by Oliver Milman of the Guardian News & Media 2016

http://elephantsandbees.com/

Selected for their unique habitats and extraordinary experiences, Wilderness Safaris Camps in Botswana combine perfectly to create a luxurious and thrilling safari, where land meets water. This luxury offer includes a visit to either Jao Camp or Vumbura Plains, both which celebrate the true spirit of the Delta as well as the classic African safari experience.

Jao Camp is the ultimate in relaxation and its exceptional island setting sees its opulent tents overlooking surrounding waters, while Vumbura Plains is a sumptuous retreat of contemporary design that boasts open and expansive rooms with a broad vista over a magnificent floodplain.

Your second destination is the ultimate wildlife destination – Mombo Camp. This quintessential luxury safari camp looks out on the almost-continuous presence of wildlife, from large herds of plains game to lurking predators. Celebrated for its longstanding and important elephant conservation, the majestic Abu Camp is an inspiring finale. This extraordinary sanctuary transports you into the serene, sensory world of the African elephant.

Lucky guests at Wilderness Safaris’ Mombo Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, are witnessing incredible interaction between a single wild dog female and a number of black-backed jackals.

As lion increased in the area, wild dog numbers in the Mombo Camp area decreased until just one pack remained. The numbers fell until a single female remained, and it was felt she would have to integrate into another wild dog pack to survive.

However, she seems to have adopted another strategy by seeking out the company, and associating with, hyenas and black backed jackals. She is now hunting on her own as the Mombo area is dense enough in wildlife for her to survive. It seems that her relationships with these other predators have taken the place of her usual relationships within a wild dog pack. Her behaviour continues to amaze both guides and guests.

She has made the airstrip her home, and has been seen lying next to the windsock pole whilst planes take off and land not 20 metres away from her. She does not even look up from her slumber as the planes roar past!

(Images courtesy of Russel Friedman / Wilderness Safaris)