291
Art. # 291
TRAVEL REPORT (Tourism division)
TRAVEL & HELP (Tourism division)
Travel Report
Text by Elke
Hoeltzcke and Stefan Rust
Photos by
Stefan Rust
2014
(In
terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these texts belongs to Stefan
Rust)
Traveling
with BirdsConTour or making use of BirdsConTour as a partner in tourism (e.g.
guiding) gives reason to scream out loud full of joy, because our mission is:
Welfare and conservation through traveling! Doesn’t that give you peace of mind
while traveling the world for whatever purpose; pleasure, relaxation,
discovery, exploration, getting to know other cultures or building
interpersonal relationships?
Travel description: Kapps Farm (BirdsConTour), Farm
Gauchas (BirdsConTour), Caprivi Tour
(Chamäleon Reisen and Pack Safari, led by BirdsConTour)
Country on route: Namibia – Botswana - Zimbabwe
Duration: 21.6. - 12.7.2014
Distance traveled: 3 723 Km
Participants:
De Wit Hedwig & Jacobus
Freier Petra & Matthias
Goll Petra Christel & Helmut
Leicher Birgit
Ruether Melanie
Rui Giuseppe Emilo
Rui Sandro
Rui-Zimmermann Sybille
Zerbe Erna Monika & Bernhard Alexander
Saturday 21.6.
Area: Windhoek, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine, very cold
Person of the day:
Site of the day: Steinmeister Plot
Plant of the day:
Animal of the day: Elegant Grasshopper (Zonocerus
elegans)
Bird of the day: Fork-tailed Drongo
Accommodation of the day: Windhoek
Sunday 22.6.
Area: Windhoek, Namibia, to Farm Gauchas, Kalkrand,
Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person of the day: Rehoboth Baster. In 1868 the
Basters migrated out of the Cape Colony and arrived in the Rehoboth are in
1870, making it their core territory.
Site of the day: Rehoboth. The Rehoboth town, with
its 21 000 inhabitants, is build around several hot spring. That is why the
Nama (Khoikhoi), inhabitants until the 19th century, called this
area !Anis, meaning smoke. This name
refers to the cloud of condensed water vapour that used to hang over the hot
springs in the morning.
Plant of the day: Candle-pod acacia. During periods
of food shortage the Kavango people supplement their diets with the pods and
even the root-bark can be ground and eaten with porridge as a remedy when blood
is lost during attacks of diarrhoea.
Animal of the day: Donkey. In southern Africa, many
donkeys well over 20 years of age still earn their living pulling a cart. A
donkey should not be put to work before two years of age. The moment it starts
working it needs to receive good food and weigh at least 150 kg. Donkeys do not
get stressed, provided they get treated firmly, yet quietly. Remember that it
is illegal to use a whip to beat the animal. It’s a delight to watch an owner
working with his donkeys, using only the crack of his whip and his voice to
control them.
Bird of the day: Southern White-crowned Shrike. Classified
as a near-endemic species to southern Africa, these two birds spotted in
Namibia, 12 km south of Rehoboth, live on the southernmost distribution area
within Namibia.
Accommodation of the day: Farm Gauchas, Kalkrand,
Namibia
Monday 23.6.
Area: Kalkrand, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person of the day: Argo Rust. As a cattle farmer
almost all his life, Mr. Rust can’t imagine himself living anywhere else except
on a farm. He has always been determined that his environmental farming
practices had to make money, be socially and environmentally profitable.
Site of the day: Farm Gauchas. Argo Rust keeps cattle
on this 2 500 ha sized farm and follows an environmental management grazing
system in which a high concentration of cattle graze on an area as small as
possible for a short period before being removed to the next one, mimicking the
way large herds of game once moved from one area to another – only returning to
an area after the necessary vegetation recovery time.
Plant of the day: Three-thorn rhigozum. This plant is
a very attractive species when in flower.
Animal of the day: Yellow House Bat. They give birth
in summer to litters of 1-3 young.
Bird of the day: Double-banded Courser. With its
reluctance to fly, it is easily overlooked. This bird eats a high percentage of
harvester termites, ants and beetles.
Accommodation of the day: Farm Gauchas, Kalkrand,
Namibia
Tuesday 24.6.
Area: Kalkrand, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person of the day: Fritz Kisting. Fritz is a farm
worker on farm Gauchas. His father being a Damara, Fritz recalls that the
Damara in Namibia use a root infusion of the African indigo plant to treat
venereal diseases.
Site of the day: Farm Gauchas. Holistic grazing
reversed desertification on farm Gauchas. When it comes to erosion and desertification,
agriculture is one of the most destructive industries in the world.
Unsustainable grazing practices affect the effectiveness of rainwater
utilization negatively. Therefore the holistic grazing method applied on farm
Gauchas successfully restores degraded areas of land by having increased the
stocking rate for short periods on demarcated land parcels.
Plant of the day: Blue Buffalo Grass. This is a good grazing grass. Being an
extremely hardy grass it is used as summer grazing and makes excellent hay.
Animal of the day: Steenbok. Unlike other small
antelope they defaecate and urinate in shallow scrapes dug by front hoofs and
are afterwards covered.
Bird of the day: Speckled Pigeon. Since occupation by
Mr. Argo Rust, this is the first spotting of a Speckled Pigeon on Farm Gauchas.
They make extensive and regular daily movements from roosts to foraging sites.
Accommodation of the day: Farm Gauchas, Kalkrand,
Namibia
Wednesday 25.6.
Area: Kalkrand, Namibia
Weather: Cloudy
Person of the day:
Site of the day: Farm Gauchas
Plant of the day: Hairy Love Grass. This species is
an important soil stabilizer in disturbed areas.
Animal of the day: Black-backed Jackal. Calling is
more frequent during the winter months because that is the time when mating
takes place. In protected areas it is frequently active during day but it
becomes a nocturnal animal in areas where it is hunted by man.
Bird of the day: Karoo Scrub-Robin. On Farm Gauchas,
situated on the northern border of this specie’s distribution area, the Cercotrichas
coryphoeus abbotti subspecies only lives in
woodland that lines a dry riverbed.
Accommodation of the day: Farm Gauchas, Kalkrand,
Namibia
Thursday 26.6.
Area: Farm Gauchas, Namibia, to Windhoek, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person of the day:
Site of the day: Windhoek. Windhoek is the capital
and largest city of the Republic of Namibia, having a population of 322 500 in
2012.
Plant of the day: Feather-top Chloris. It is a
valuable pioneer grass because it is often the first grass to establish on bare
ground.
Animal of the day: Striped Mouse. This diurnal, but
also often active at night, animal makes its own burrows from which numerous
runways radiate.
Bird of the day: Helmeted Guineafowl. Before 1900
this species probably never occurred south of the Orange River. This flock
counts 31 members, being the only one on about 2 000 ha. They roost in trees
and some roosts are used for many years. Females tend to walk flat-footed
whereas the males walk erect on toes.
Accommodation of the day: Windhoek, Namibia
Monday 30.6.
Area: Windhoek, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine slightly cloudy
Person of the day: Mr. Claus Goldbeck. Manager of the
Café Zoo. Born and raised in Namibia, 30 years in Switzerland and now back in
Windhoek.
Site of the day: Hosea Kutako International Airport.
Namibias main international airport, located 45 km east of capital city of
Windhoek was opened in 1964. Since 1998 the name changed from JG Strijdom
Airport to Hosea Kutako International Airport, named after the famous Herero
leader and national hero Hosea Kutako.
Plant of the day: Sheperd’s tree. The Sheperd’s tree
is an evergreen tree, native to southern and tropical Africa and common of the
Bushveld. It can grow up to 5 meters tall, sometimes more and kudus, giraffes
and birds often eat its fruits.
Animal of the day: Greater Kudu. The Greater Kudu
antelope is found throughout eastern and southern Africa. They possess between
4 to 12 vertical white stripes along their torso. Females live in small herds
of 6 to 20 individuals. Only the males have large, twisted horns.
Bird of the day: Grey Heron.
Accommodation of the day: Casa Piccolo.
Tuesday 01.7.
Area: Road from Windhoek via Sossusvlei to Little
Sossus Lodge, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine and slightly cloudy
Person/People of the day: Topnaar. The Topnaar people
themselves are an own clan of the so called ‘Oorlam Nama’ originally formed
from mixed-race descendants from indigenious ‘Khoikhoi’, Europeans and slaves
from Madagascar, India and Indonesia. At the beginning of the late eighteenth
century the ‘Oorlam Nama’ migrated from the Cape Colony to Namaqualand and
Damaraland in Namibia.
Site of the day: Sossusvlei. This “Namib Sand Sea”,
located in the southern part of the Namib Desert offers some of the highest sand
dunes in the world (up to 300 meters). It has been declared as a natural World
Heritage Site at June 21st 2013 and is one of the most famous spots
for photographers all over the world because of its red sand dunes and
fantastic sunsets.
Plant of the day: Nara Plant. This is the most common
plant of the Namib Desert and an unusual melon. It is endemic to Namibia and
only can be found besides “Rivieres” and on sand dunes if its roots are able to
reach the ground. The melons serve an essential food source for Topnaar people
in dry regions.
Animal of the day: Gemsbok. This large antelope is
native to arid regions of southern Africa and the Kalahari Desert. It does not
depend on drinking water. In dry periods it is able to eat the highly toxic
Euphorbia damarana which then covers up to 25 % of its nutrient requirements.
The gemsbok can reach running speeds of up to 60 km/h.
Bird of the day: Spotted Eagle-Owl. Often a host for
ticks. They bath and drink regularly if water is available but they can survive
in areas without water such as in Sossusvlei.
Accommodation of the day: Little Sossus Lodge.
Wednesday 02.7.
Area: Road from Little Sossus Lodge to Sea Breeze in
Swakopmund, Namibia.
Weather: Sunshine and misty at the coast
Person/People of the day: Strandloper. Their name is
Afrikaans for “beach walker” and refers to coastal communities with subsidence
economies based on beachcombing and marine diet. The “Strandlopers” are
San-derived people who live by hunting and gathering food along the beaches of
South-Western Africa. Most of their communities disappeared through
assimilation during the 19th and 20th centuries. The only
tribe that is still distinguishable from their assimilating neighborhood are
the Topnaar people who live in small settlements along Kuiseb River in central
Namibia.
Site of the day: Walvisbay Lagoon. An approximately 7
km long and up to 2,5 m deep lagoon in the south east corner of the bay area of
the Walvis Bay city. It is one of the richest and most important wetlands in
Southern Africa. With its richness of birdlife (up to 250 000 birds), it was
designated as a Ramsar site in 1995. The lagoon is one of the best flamingo
viewing localities in the world. As the lagoon together with the tidal areas is
a key wetland in ecological terms, a high density of fish and marine mammals
can be found.
Plant of the day: Hoodia. The Hoodia grows in Namibia
and South Africa and has medical properties. The flowers smell like rotten meat
and are therefore pollinated mainly by flies. The use of the meat of the plant
to suppress appetite for example on long hunting trips in the Kalahari Desert
has long been known by the indigenous people of Namibia and Southern Africa.
Animal of the day: Etendeka round-eared sengi. This
brand new discovered sengi species is related more to an elephant as to a mouse
although it is small as a mouse and looks like a mouse. It is the smallest of
the 19 known sengi species and it lives in an isolated part of the Namib
Desert, a small and remote arid area where it was recently discovered from a
team of scientists from Namibia and California. It only weighs less than an
ounce, its coat is rusty-toned and as a specialty it lives in monogamous
relationships.
Bird of the day: Cape Eagle-Owl. Although classified
as an uncommon species, it might occur more often than records suggest.
Accommodation of the day: Sea Breeze Guesthouse
Thursday 03.7.
Area: Swakopmund to Etosha NP, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine, few clouds
Person/People of the day: Dr. Laurie Marker. She is
the founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund CCF, based near Otjiwarongo in
Namibia. Mrs. Marker has committed her life to protect the cheetah and founded
this non-profit that developed a diverse range of programs to scientifically
study this endangered species. One big success of the CCF was, for example, to
stabilize the Namibian cheetah population to near 4 000 individuals. That means
that Namibia has the largest cheetah population of any African country.
Meanwhile Dr. Marker is considered one of the world’s premier experts on the
wild cheetah.
Site of the day: Outjo. In Otjiherero-language the
name “Outjo” means small hills. Germans founded it under the command of Colonel
Theodor von Leutwein as a military base in 1897. Today it’s a city with 6 000
inhabitants, 6 schools in the direct surroundings, hospital and airstrip. It’s
best known as gateway to Etosha National Park but not only for that: travelers
to Etosha love to take a stop at the Outjo bakery that offers delicious German
light-lunch snacks.
Plant of the day: Euphorbia damarana. The plant also
known as Damara milk-bush is one of the most toxic plants in Namibia. It has
been reported that the toxic milky latex of the plant is capable of killing
animals and humans. Only oryx and rhino feed upon it. Desert elephants use the
Damara milk-bush as a mattress to protect their sensitive soles against the
rough ground.
Animal of the day: Mountain Zebra. There exist 2
different types of Mountain Zebras, the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, which occurs
in Namibia, and the smaller Cape-Mountain Zebra, which is usually a bit smaller
and can be seen in South Africa. Mountain Zebra are the only zebra species to
possess a skin fold on their throats and their body is striped except for the
belly. The animals generally occur in small non-territorial groups that mostly
contain a male stallion and 1 to 5 mares with their young. Their preferred
habitat is mountainous terrain and escarpments with a diversity of grass
species. Mountain Zebras are listed as vulnerable and the Namib-Naukluft Park
in Namibia was initially created as a sanctuary for the Hartmann’s Mountain
Zebra.
Bird of the day: Shaft-tailed Whydah. Breeding males
have mainly December till June four rectrices greatly elongated with a long
slender racket at tip. Now in July they still have their breeding plumage.
Accommodation of the day: Etosha Safari Camp
Friday 04.7.
Area: Etosha National Park, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Friedrich von Lindequist.
Friedrich von Lindequist served as Governor of German South-West Africa from
November 1905 until May 1907. He developed the social and administrative
structures of German South-West Africa and as an example, he introduced Karakul
breeding to the white settlers of the German colony. In addition, Lindequist
expelled in 1907 the first game-park, the precursor of the today’s Etosha
National Park in the north of Namibia.
Site of the day: Etosha National Park. With an area
of 99 526 square km the Etosha NP was founded in 1907 as a game reserve by the
Governor of German South West Africa, Dr. Friedrich von Lindequist. Since then
the park area was reduced several times up to 22 270 square km nowadays. It was
elevated to status of National Park in 1967. The name Etosha comes from
Oshindonga word meaning Great White Place, referring to the Etosha pan. The
park is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including
the very endangered black rhinoceros.
Plant of the day: Mopane Tree. The mopane can be a shrub or a tall
tree up to 30 m, depending on soil conditions and water availability. It can be
found all over Etosha NP for example near Halali and has distinctive
butterfly-shaped leaves and strange seeds. It’s difficult finding shade under a
mopane tree because it’s leaflets fold together and present the smallest
surface exposure of the leaf surface. In summer the leaves are fed on by swarms
of mopane worms, which are rich in protein and are eaten by people either
roasted or dried.
Animal of the day: Giraffe. There are 9 subspecies of
the giraffe which differ in their coat patterns. They are found in numerous
national parks all over Africa. Giraffes see in color and their senses of
hearing and smell are also sharp. They have good all-round vision from their
great height. Their tongue is about 50 cm long and their fur may serve as a
chemical defence with at least 11 main aromatic chemicals that have the same
function like insect repellents but also may have sexual function.
Bird of the day: Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark. Their
movements are poorly understood. Currently plenty of them are present in the
Etosha NP.
Accommodation of the day: Etosha Safari Camp
Saturday 05.7.
Area: Grootfontein, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Karl Johan Andersson. Karl
Johan Andersson (March 4, 1827, in Värmland, Sweden – July 9, 1867 in Angola)
was a Swedish explorer, hunter and trader as well as an amateur naturalist and
ornithologist. He is famous for being one of the most notable explorers of
Namibia. In 1851 he discovered Etosha pan and in 1860 Okavango as one of the
first Europeans. In 1863 he became the one and only European commander of the
Herero.
Site of the day: Otjikoto Lake. The first Europeans
to discover the lake in 1851 were Charles John Andersson and Francis Galton.
The otjikoto lake is a sinkhole lake near Tsumeb, that was created by a
collapsing karst cave. Because the lake tapers into a lateral cave system it is
impossible to determine its exact depth. In 1915 the “German Schutztruppe”
dumped war materials like cannons and ammunition into the lake. Since 1955 it’s
a national museum of Namibia.
Plant of the day: Mountain Bush Aloe. This is a
species of flowering succulent perennial plant endemic to the south eastern
part of Southern Africa. Its flowers are red and occur in May and June and its
natural habitat consists of mountainous areas. This species of aloe is found
growing from sea level up to the tops of mountains. The mountain bush aloe
cleverly avoids the possibility of self-fertilisation as the stigma is able to
recognize its own pollen, and only accept pollen from other plants. The leaves
are used as a first aid treatment for burns.
Animal of the day: Banded Mongoose. The banded
Mongoose live in savannas, open forests and grasslands in central and eastern
parts of Africa. They live in colonies with a complex social structure. There
is generally no strict hierarchy in mongoose groups and aggression is low. In
comparison to that the relations between the groups are highly aggressive. In
most breeding attempts, all females give birth either on the same day or within
a few days. They often sleep in abandoned termite mounds. Banded mongoose feed
primarily on insects, myriapods, small reptiles and birds and have long claws
that allow them to dig in the soil.
Bird of the day: Hartlaub’s Gull.
Accommodation of the day: Ghaub Guestfarm
Sunday 06.7.
Area: Grootfontein to Divundu, Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Dorslandtrekkers. Towards
the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th
century the Dorslandtrekkers (Boer-farmers based in the Orange Free State and
Transvaal), undertook a series of explorations from South Africa to reach
better living conditions and political independence in a territory further
north. On their journey, the settlers had to traverse the vast, arid areas of
the Kalahari desert, in what is today the countries of Namibia and Botswana. It
was the harsh and dry conditions that they experienced in the Kalahari that
gave the trek the name Dorsland Trek which means “Thirstland Trek” in the
Afrikaans language.
Site of the day: Okavango Delta. The Delta serves as
an oasis in an arid country. In Botswana the Okavango River reaches a tectonic
trough in the central part of the Kalahari. The water of the Okvango river does
not flow into the sea, it is mostly evaporated in the Kalahari. It is one of
the “Seven Natural Wonders of Africa”. During the dry winter month the delta
swells to three times of its permanent size and attracts animals from far
around so that you can find one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of
wildlife.
Plant of the day: Marula. The tree is a single
stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown and a grey mottled bark which grows up
to 18 m tall mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands. The fruits are rich in
vitamin c and contain a walnut-sized, thick-walled stone inside. The seed
kernels of this stone are high in protein and fat, with a nutty flavor. Marula
oil, made from the seed kernel, is a delicious additive to meals in Africa and
can also be used as skin-care. The bark is used as treatment for malaria. Well
known and delicious is the fruit based Amarula cream liquor which is
distributed and sold all over the world.
Animal of the day: Hippo. The closest living
relatives of the hippopotamus are whales from which they diverged about 55
million years ago. The hippopotamus is semiaquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes
and mangrove swamps. An adult hippo is not a particularly good swimmer nor can
it float. Territorial bulls preside over groups of 5 to 30 females and young.
While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary
activity in the evening and hippos are not territorial on land. Hippos leave
the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to 10 km to graze on short
grasses, their main source of food. Their teeth sharpen themselves as they
grind together. A hippo’s lifespan is typically 40-50 years and it is regarded
as an endangered species.
Bird of the day: African Scops-Owl. Occasionally
hornbills in competition with nest boxes kill these tiny owls.
Accommodation of the day: Nunda River Lodge.
Monday 07.7.
Area: Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip), Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Mbukushu Tribe. Communities
of the Mbukushu live on the fringes of the flood plains of the Okavango River
of Ngamiland. For centuries the Mbukushu were the subordinates of the Barotse
Kingdom and at least they reached the height of their powe in the mid
nineteenth century. Mbukushu chiefs attained great prestige because of their
“rainmaking abilities”. Further the Mbukushu emphasize the matrilineal
importance of women in society so the girls go through a month long puberty
ceremony and children belong to the mother’s lineage. They believe in a High
God, called Nyambi, who is far and, like the wind, is invisible.
Site/Subject of the day: Popa Falls. Before the
Okavango River enters Botswana, near Bagani and the Trans-Caprivi-Highway, the
river drops four meters down rocks consisting of quartzite, across the full 1.2
km-width of the river, in a series of rapids known as Popa Falls, visible when
the river is low, as during the dry season. Today, the region around the Popa
Falls is part of the Bwabwata NP.
Plant of the day: Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa). Monkey orange is a thorny shrub or small tree, 1-9
m in height, indigenous to tropical and subtropical Africa. The bright yellow
fruit is edible and often sun dried and used as a food preserve. It is believed
that the presence of strychnine in the bark and unripe fruit along with other
alkaloids are responsible for helping overcome the venom of certain snakes,
such as Mamba.
Animal of the day: Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus
niloticus). The Nile crocodile is a very
aggressive species of crocodile that is capable of taking almost any animal
within its range. The cold-blooded animals usually sleep during the day and
start hunting by night. They are very social crocodiles with a strict hierarchy
that is determined by size. The Nile crocodile has often been classified as
worse pest fish. It seems, on the contrary, to have a very useful function in
the ecosystem of African inland waters: In many areas where the Nile crocodile
has been eradicated, the fish stocks have not increased but declined. This new
theory has yet to be studied scientifically.
Bird of the day: Wahlberg’s Eagle. The population
density of this species is almost two times higher in protected areas as in
adjacent unprotected areas in southern Africa. This intra-African breeding
migrant arrives August till September and departs to Nigeria up to Sudan by
March and April. It is recorded that some birds remain south of Equator, a few
as far south as Zimbabwe.
Accommodation of the day: Lianshulu Bush Lodge
Tuesday 08.7.
Area: Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip), Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Okavango Delta People. The
Okavango Delta People of Botswana consist of 5 separate ethnic groups each with
their own ethnic identity and with their own language. The 5 groups are:
Hambukushu, Dxeriku and Wayeyi (all Bantus) and the Bugakhwe and Xanekwe
(Bushmen). Today, people from all 5 ethnic groups live throughout the Okavango
Delta.
Place/Subject of the day: Bwabwata NP. The formerly
Caprivi Game Park is 6 100 square kilometers and extends for about 180 km from
the Okavango River in the west to the Kwando River in the east. It is now named
Bwabwata NP after a village in the reserve and Bwabwata means “the sound of
bubbling waters”. The park contains deciduous woodlands, dominated by trees
such as wild seringa, copalwood and Zambezi teak. 339 bird species have been
recorded there and the numbers of wildlife like sitatunga, lechwe, roan, kudu
and elephant are steadily increasing.
Plant of the day: Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana). Its name in Afrikaans is “worsboom” (sausage tree)
and it grows up to 20 meters tall. The fruit is a woody berry from 30 – 100 cm
long and up to 18 cm broad; typically it weighs between 5 and 10 kg, and hangs
down on long, rope-like peduncles. To humans the fresh fruit is poisonous and
strongly purgative. It is eaten by several species of mammals, including
baboons, bushpigs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, monkeys and porcupines and the
seeds in the dung of these animals are again eaten by Brown Parrots and
Brown-headed Parrots. An alcoholic beverage similar to beer is also made from
it.
Animal of the day: Red Lechwe Antelope (Kobus
leche leche). The red lechwe is a medium
sized aquatic animal with characteristic dark markings on the forelegs. The
sustainable herds are found primarily in the Okavango Delta of Botswana and the
Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip) of Namibia. The lechwe are at home on the shallow
floodplains, along swamps and rivers in areas between the reed beds. These
“edge species” are excellent swimmers but cannot move very fast on dry land
because they have widely splayed, elongated hoofs that only support them on
soft ground. Their coat is greasy and water-repellent and they feed on aquatic
grasses and graze the grasses that spring up as floodwaters recede.
Bird of the day: Rufous-bellied Heron. Classified as
an uncommon species in southern Africa. Only along the Okavango, Linyanti and
Chobe River and associated wetlands in Caprivi (Namibia) and northern Botswana
it occurs quite often.
Accommodation of the day: Lianshulu Bush Lodge
Wednesday 09.7.
Area: Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip), Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Mafwe People. Mafwe People
are one of the largest groups living in Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip). The
Mafwe people are matrilineal, so if your mother is Mafwe, you are Mafwe.
Subsistence farming, hunting and fishing are still their way of life. Along the
river banks they grow maize, millet, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, pumpkins and
melons. They celebrate the annual Lusata cultural festival that takes place on
the first Sunday of October and is one of the main features on the annual arts
and cultural calendar of the Zambezi Region (Caprivi Region).
Place/Subject of the day: Chobe River. The river
rises in the central plateau of Angola where it is called “Cuando’ (Kwando in
Namibia). The Cuando forms the border between Namibia and Botswana. Below the
Linyanti Swamp on the northern border of Botswana the river changes its name in
“Chobe River”. Some 10 014 years ago, the Cuando merged with the Okavango River
and flowed south to Lake Makgadikgadi but land in that area was uplifted while
the river broke up into many channels and swamps and then turned east to the
Zambezi River.
Plant of the day: Red Chillies (Capsicum). Christopher Columbus encountered them on his first
voyage to the Carribean in 1492. Chillies did so well in West Africa that they
became naturalized and now the chillies grow wild in West Africa. But besides
the use as so called “Piri-Piri” in hot and spicy meals, in Africa chillies are
used in a very special way. Chilli bombs are produced to protect a certain
terrain from elephants. The chilli bombs are made of a combination of half
crushed chilli and half elephant dung, mixed with water and left to dry. These
are placed around the fields and set on fire. Elephants are driven away because
they have an excellent sense of smell and do not like the spicy pungent smell.
Animal of the day: African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta
africana). African Bush Elephants are the
largest living terrestrial animals, being up to 3.96 m tall at the shoulders.
An adult elephant may eat up to 450 kg of vegetation per day. In order to
obtain this amount of food he needs 18 to 20 hours. Their large ears are used
to radiate excess heat and their trunk is used for communication and handling
objects and food. Elephants live in herds of related females and their young
and lead by the “matriarch”, the eldest female who shows them all the water
sources she knows and who decides the routes. The relations among the members
of the herd are very tight. Adult males usually leave the herd when reaching
adolescence to form bachelor herds with other elephants of the same age.
Bird of the day: Goliath Heron. Possibly this species
falls prey to hippopotamus quite often. An encounter with an incidence of a
hippo chasing a Goliath Heron during take off gave this thought. After the huge
heron took off because of the approaching boat, a hidden hippo leaped out of
the Kwando River in an attempt to snap the low-flying heavy bird. The hippo
fell into the water and jumped out of the water a few meters onwards, mouth
wide open, trying to catch the bird, unsuccessful. Was this chase a territorial
defense or a deliberate hunt trying to catch the Goliath Heron for food? Adult
hippos can run rapidly on the bottom of a river and hippos are selective
grazers, but do they sometimes supplement their diet with flesh? Whether
territorial defense or deliberate hunt, this remarkable observation provides
the first hard evidence of such a phenomenon.
Accommodation of the day: Camp Chobe
Thursday 10.7.
Area: Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip), Namibia
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Barotse People. Today, the
Barotse (or Lozi) people live in “Barotseland”, a region in the western part of
Zambia but in March 2012 their government declared Barotseland as independent
sovereign state. It is said that their former kingdom stretched into Namibia
and Angola and included parts of Zambia. Under British colonial administration
their kingdom maintained much of its traditional authority. A king, the
‘Litunga’, who acts as a ceremonial head of State, today leads Barotse kingdom.
The Barotse people are a unified group of formerly diverse tribes. They speak a
complex language, Silozi, derived from several languages.
Place/Subject of the day: Katima Mulilo. It was
founded on 28th January 1935 when the administrative centre of the
Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip) was moved to Katima Mulilo which today is the
capital of the Zambezi Region, Namibia’s far northeast extension. In 1971 the
area around Katima Mulilo got involved in the South African Border War because
it was a strategically important location and also the settlement was at the
centre of the armed Caprivi conflict in the 1990s. Until now the town benefits
from the military presence in terms of infrastructure and employment, and there
are still a number of military bases surrounding the town.
Plant of the day: African Water Lily (blue)(Nymphea
caerulea). The African water lily is found
in many parts of Africa. The lily’s petals only open in the daytime when there
is sunlight to reproduce or pollinate and remain closed by night. After having
been pollinated the seeds float on the water’s surface and are spread via water
currents or birds that eat them. When they become saturated with water the
seeds sink into the mud where they germinate.
Animal of the day: Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus). The water monitor is Africa’s largest lizard.
Monitor lizards may possibly reach 2 m, of which 60% would be tail. Water
monitors are fearsome predators, hunting in the water. The twin ends of their
snake-like tongue collect odour particles from the air. They are able to detect
differences in strength on each tongue tip and from this gauge the direction of
the scent, allowing the monitor to follow scent trails. Water monitors are
important predators of crocodile eggs and excellent swimmers.
Bird of the day: Lesser Striped Swallow. A pair of
this species is observed roosting during the night in a rodent hole on the
level ground only one meter away from the restaurant at the Camp Chobe. Read
more in the next issue of Words of Feather
article 300 under www.birdscontour.com,
click news.
Accommodation of the day: Camp Chobe
Friday 11.7.
Area: Zambezi Strip (Caprivi Strip), Namibia, through
Chobe NP., Botswana, to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Mr. Roy Sesana. Mr. Roy
Sesana (‘Tobee’ in his own language) is a bushman of the Basarwa group, living
in Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in Botswana. Mr. Sesana, who grew up as
a hunter and never learned to read nor to write foundet the “First People Of
The Kalahari” (FPK) which promotes the traditional way of life, protecting the
nature. When the rights of the Basarwa-people began to decline (last in 2005)
and the group was forced from government to remove from their ancestral lands
within the Chobe NP, Mr. Roy Sesana and “First People of the Kalahari” took the
Government of Botswana to court to seek the right for the relocated people to
return to the reserve. Even if they did succeed the group still is under
pressure and often prevented from hunting and water supply. For his efforts to
defend human rights Mr. Roy Sesana received the “Right Livelihood Award” in
December 2005.
Place/Subject of the day: Caprivi Region and its
pottery. Caprivi’s unique location between Angola, Zambia and Botswana is
particularly well known for its creative and skilled potters. With firewood and
clay they have developed interesting burning techniques and produce vases and
sculptures as well as cooking bowls. Also pottery creates an important
additional income for women and their families. The radiocarbon method shows
that the pottery shards, which have been found in the Caprivi region may date from
the iron age and the first settlements of the bushmen.
Plant of the day: Camel Thorn (Vachellia erioloba) The tree is commonly found in Namibia. It can grow
up to 17 meters high and has vicious thorns. Giraffes have a specially-adapted
tongue and lips that can cope with these thorns. Camel thorn grows ear-shaped
pods, which are favoured by a large number of herbivores including cattle. The
wood is extremely dense and strong and good fuel for fires. The camel thorn’s
seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans.
Animal of the day: Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus
pygerythrus). The medium-sized, mostly
vegetarian vervet monkeys, with black faces and grey body hair color, are
native to Africa. They have a complex and fragile social system and live in
groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals. They have been noted for having
human-like characteristics and significant studies have been done on vervet
monkeys for their communication and alarm calls, specifically in regard to kin
and group recognition and particular predator sightings.
Bird of the day: Grey-rumped Swallow. This scarce to
locally common species nests during winter months in deserted rodent burrows.
Only once it has been recorded making use of such a hole on a suburban sports
field. Here at Camp Chobe it nests in a deserted rodent burrow only about one
meter away from the restaurant on the lawn.
Accommodation of the day: Gorges Lodge
Saturday 12.7.
Area: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Weather: Sunshine
Person/People of the day: Mr David Livingstone. David
Livingstone is Scottish medical missionary and explorer who explored the
African interior within an expedition to the north (which at last failed) in
the period 1852-56. He is believed to have been the first European to view
Victoria Falls in November 1855. The qualities and approaches which gave
Livingstone an advantage as an explorer were that he usually traveled lightly.
He preached an Christian message but did not force it on unwilling ears; he
understood the ways of local chiefs and successfully negotiated passage through
their territory, and was often hospitably received and aided. He did contribute
large collections of botanic, ecological, geological and ethnographic material
to scientific institutions in the United Kingdom and is buried in Chupanga,
Mozambique.
Place/Subject of the day: Victoria Falls. Victoria
Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world and is
classified as the largest waterfall based on its width of 1 708 meters and
height of 108 meters. But it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in
the world. This part of the Zambezi River is forming the border between Zambia
and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the
1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘the smoke that thunders’. The spray from the falls
rises to a height of over 400 meters and sometimes even twice as high, and is
visible from up to 48 km away. At full moon, a “moonbow” can be seen in the
spray.
Plant of the day: Jackalberry tree (Diospyrus
mespiliformis). The jackalberry tree
(African ebony) is a large deciduous tree found in the African savannas. It got
its name because jackals, and other animals, eat its seeds. The fruit is edible
for humans and its flavor is lemon-like. It grows on termite mounds, and this
is one of its main adaptations to the hot dry climate of the savannah. These
termite mounds help nourish and moisturize the plant providing the plant with
aerated soil. The roots provide the termites protection and in return, these
termites never eat the jackalberry tree’s wood!
Animal of the day: Sable Antelope (Hippotragus
niger). Sable antelopes live in savanna
woodlands and grasslands during the dry season, where they eat mid-length
grasses and leaves.. They do not eat Grass, which is less than four inches
high. They need a steady water supply that never should be more than 1 km out
of reach because they have to drink regularly. The sable antelope is sexually
dimorphic, with the male heavier and taller than the female. Females and
juveniles are chestnut to dark brown, while males begin darkening and turn
black after three years. Both sexes have ringed horns.
Bird of the day: Verreauxs’ Eagle. Pair members stay
close together for 75-95 % of the day. At first light and dusk they are most
active and their distribution closely follows that of the rock hyraxes.
Accommodation of the day: Gorges Lodge
ENJOY TRAVELING,
Kind Regards
Stefan Rust
Your
partner in travel business!
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