Giant Sable Conservation Efforts
Found only in central Angola, the giant sable is one of the most impressive but also one of the most critically endangered African antelopes. It was unprotected during the civil war that began in 1975 and only ended in 2002. Government and rebel armies alternately occupied the 8,280 sq km Luando Integral Reserve of the Giant Sable and the 630 sq km Cangandala National Park, 50 km from Malange, the provincial capital. Without a giant sable bull, the sable in Cangandala were doomed to extinction, hybrids or no hybrids.
To read his article further and see the slide show of the operation, go here.
Breaking News - Giraffe kills Impala
Fresh scarlet brain-blood had flowed from the baby impala's nostrils to pool thickly in the footprint of a bull giraffe Read further...
How can we help you!
With holidays, career breaks or future employment opportunities taking a back-seat, many people are looking towards doing something constructive, affordable and above all for themselves. EcoTraining offers a wide variety of courses to suit many individual needs for now and the future!
Why Choose EcoTraining?
•We’ve been training since 1993 - one of the first organisations to conduct formal training.
•We train in great wilderness areas including the Kruger National Park.
•Our students train while living in the middle of the African wilderness, with wild animals potentially right outside their tents as our canvas tented camps are unfenced.
•We have trained Field Guides for top tourism operators such as Wilderness Safaris, Tanzania Wildlife Safaris, KZN Wildlife, Heritage Group and various privately-owned game lodges in southern Africa.
•and more reasons to choose us…
Join the Butterfly Survey at Makuleke
Let us know if you encounter these butterflies at Makuleke in the Kruger National Park. 79 species were recorded during the last survey, a couple of species that were of interest eluded the team. We need your help in documenting the species below.
It would be great if the presence of the following species can be confirmed for the area, as the current records are either very old, doubtful or based on single records only, which could indicate that the specimens recorded were onlymigrants into the area. The species that would be really great to record again are:
• Acraea acrita (Fiery Acraea)
• Charaxes bohemani (Large Blue Emperor)
• Euxanthe wakefieldi (Forest Queen)
• Cyrestis camillus (African Map Butterfly)
• Dixeia doxo (Black‐veined white)
• Andronymus caesar philander (White Dart)
• Andronymus neander (Common dart or Nomad Dart)
| Lewa Camp |
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THE LOCATION The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a private reserve in north-east Kenya near Mount Kenya National Park, Samburu and the Aberdares. The number of visitors to Lewa has been greatly restricted, giving you the opportunity to experience Africa at its wildest. Lewa is malaria-free and is situated at 4,500 to 6,500 feet (1,400-2,000 metres) above sea level. The Lewa Downs within the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a 16,000 hectare ranch that has been the home of the Craig family since 1924. They manage the Lewa Safari Camp and Wilderness Trails lodge. In addition, Ngwesi Lodge, as part of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, is a community run tourism project that has won world acclaim. Only three other operators on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy offer safaris and only the lodge visitors may enter the reserve. So, when you visit Lewa Conservancy, you will be far from the crowded safari trails and can enjoy the vastness of this beautiful region in tranquillity. In 1995 the Craig family turned their entire farm on the northern slopes of Mt Kenya into the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, with a mandate to protect and conserve the wildlife of Kenya. They had to convince the local communities to stop seeing animals as competition for their cattle's grazing and instead see them as a source of income. This was achieved and many fences were taken down and old migration routes were re-opened to the animals. Lewa Downs is now an area of outstanding natural beauty with the Lewa River giving life to dense woodland and patches of open savannah providing the perfect habitat for a whole range of Kenya's animals.
ANIMALS AND BIRDS The Conservancy has grown and now supports an impressive array of wildlife, much of it indigenous to the area. The 18,211ha area has more than 25% of the world's threatened Grevy's zebra (there are approximately only 3,000 left). At the end of 2002, eight new precious rhino calves were born (4 white and 4 black rhino), bringing the steadily increasing numbers to a healthy 32 indigenous black rhino and 33 white rhino. There are of course a host of other animals native to this part of East Africa including elephants and reticulated giraffe who have bred so successfully, that the Conservancy was faced with an over population and had to relocate some of them. There are thought to be only about 50 shy aquatic sitatunga antelope in Kenya and Lewa Plains has about 20 living in the swampy riverine areas of the reserve. Other antelope to be seen in some numbers are eland, oryx, impala and waterbuck. Predators are not here in great numbers but lion, leopard and hyena are around.
SEASONS The days are usually hot and dry and the nights quite cool. Typical Kenya seasons go something like this: Rainy Season: The long hot and humid rainy period starts around April and lasts until June, and then the short rains come during the warm months of November and December. Dry Season: January through to March is hot and dry, while July to October are warm and dry. The warm dry season is the best for game viewing and for personal comfort. During the rains the camps and lodges are closed: |
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