Skubies Blog 2023
...and here we are again in Zanzibar! A second attempt ( after 3 months wasted last year) by Chuck to beat bureaucracy and actually renew his Tanzanian Pilot licence. During our short time in the Old Town we visited our favorite roof top bar - the Maru Maru - where the half price coctails warmed us up for the evenings outings. Chuck did a bit of training on a Ninja aircraft (that he hated and he was never going to fly again, just because that was the plane he was going to be examined on) and a few weeks later obtained the renewal. Hoorah!
The Simba Cat foundation I started last year did not survive my absence. Simba now with Mama Paka( Cat) Clinic for Neo Natal kittens.
Many of the cats at the clinic have suffered from the Pavo Virus that results in their eye or eyes having to be removed. Thankfully a vaccine can prevent this if available.
Sarah founded Mama Paka and is the most amazing woman I have had the chance to work with. I will go back next year for a month to help and learn more about the care of kittens under 3 months.
Managed to get a few more dives in on this visit, but sadly met a mass of jelly fish! The stings over my arms and legs resulted in antibiotics to stop the stinging and itching! Not fun!
One again our friend Modi shouted us to a few days at Kusini Beach Bungalos. A bit of snorkelling and relaxing before we headed out for the bush!
Maddie(left) had a cancerous tumour and Bomba(right) had Rheumatoid arthritus. Every morning I would dispense tablets and breakfast and then we would enjoy sitting together and enjoying the peace. Sadly today on the 21st of July, Maddie passed away. Broken hearts will remember her sweet disposition and those gorgeous brown eyes.
IRINGA
Before heading out to Lunda Camp we had several days in Iringa. I had the bitter sweet opportuniity to take care of the ageing alsations of Trevor Jones' who is the Founder of STEP.
The Officers Club!
Roxannas - outdoors for dinner
Our local supermarket
10 years in Africa Anniversary
2013 - 2023
Lunda: Mpomipa Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem
Lunda camp and our beloved Elephants from the air
We are once again ensconced in our camp at Lnda on the NE bank of the river Ruaha that forms the eastern border of the Ruaha NAtional Park.
We are glad to be back to the simple life again. The ever shrinking river is a water source for the elephants, hippos, giraffe, impala, Kudu, water buck and a Civet! They are all regular visitors while the lions, leopards and hyenea can only be heard in the night making their calls.
The hippos are a real bonus as we normally arrive too late to see them. However, they have found an area of water sufficient for them at the moment. There are 22 in total. How they will handle the drying of the river, we dont know. It will be a desperate time for all.
We usually rise at around 6am , have a coffee and a biscuit before taking off at dawn in our new savannah aircraft. 2-3 hours are spent on a different part of the WMAor GCA carrying out surveillance. We are on the look out for any illegal activity such a poaching of animals for bush meat, or ivory in the case of elephants. We also report on signs of fish poaching such as nets, canoe making etc; illegal tree cutting; illegal bomas for cattle; cattle and goat incursions; and honey poaching.
Anyone of these activities are opportunities for the others and elephants are particularly in danger when humans are in the protecteed zone.
If we see anything we take a GPS coordinate and a photo. We then report back to the rangers awaiting our return. The flights are also an opporunity to gather information on elephant numbers, herd make up and geograohical location.
On our return a short report ot STEP in made in our sumptuous office, and then it is time for a late breakfast!
The plane itself is also a source of work! BK had to repair 3 flat tyres before the rangers, equipped with straw brooms, carried out a 'chicken parade' down the centre of the airstrip removing all stones and three corner jacks, that constantly puncture not only tyres but shoes as well! The reward for such effort... a choice of eggs, baked beans and tomatoe jaffles in our camp using our good old Aussie iron!
The plane has to be washed on occasion to reduce air drag and refuelled every second flight.
Our afternoons are spent reading and snoozing before an early dinner in front of the fire.
The GPS records the positipon of the sighting. As the blocks we survey are near to villages we need to know if the illegal activity was actually in or out of the protected zone. The other 2 maps indicate this. The latter we can use in flight.
Flat tyres due to stones or thorns from Acacia or three cornered jacks are a pain and a bain to our flying! The strip was swept by the rangers to remove the main culprits. Charles's sturdy airforce trunk issued in 1975, 48 years ago, is still in good use!
Fron the air it is clear to see the illegal livestock bomas and the devastating desertification of the habitat by them. It is not easy seeing the timber cutting but sharp eyes get used to the tale tell signs of loose planks and small barren areas.
On the ground we can see the signs of Vervet monkeys, Elephants and our pet Civet!