We were graced with some uncharacteristically heavy rain showers during April and the country reveled in the continued wet weather. Natural pans and puddles that were almost dry, and grasses that were turning brown were given a final breath of life before winter started to envelope the landscape. May continued with swathes of green grass and natural pans containing water – a rare sight given the past few years of very poor rainfall.
Going into June, warm shades of Autumn colour the horizons of the countryside and temperatures are starting to cool. Hwange is a stunning sight to behold splashed with burnt oranges and yellows, tell-tale winter hints of brown and fading pockets of green.
Lush vegetation has meant animal sightings have been generally sparse although a small female leopard with two cubs estimated to be around four months old were seen at Livingi recently while a lone male lion has frequented the main camp area at night. Six hyaena have taken to warming themselves in the cooler evenings on the main tar road and as if a light switch has been flicked on, elephant activity has suddenly picked up after months of conspicuous absence.
Game Water
The borehole pump and motor Guvalala seized at the older array of two. These were replaced towards the beginning of April. The lifespans of the pumps there are limited due to high levels of salinity. The platform at Guvalala has been without water caused by silting up of the inlet valve. The ripper was used to find and repair the valve making Guvalala ready for inbound campers.
A solar array at Makwa suffered a structural failure on a support arm. Forster Irrigation came to the rescue, and together with our Game Water team, carried out the necessary repairs.
This visit from Forster was tied in with the completion of the electrical work at Kennedy 2 pan and installation of a pump and motor on the new borehole. Trenching for the new pipework was dug and the system connected. There have been no issues thus far.
The motor in the borehole at Dynamite burnt out and has since been pulled up and replaced.
The borehole at Shapi collapsed late last year. Chombe Drilling was contracted to sink a new hole which has been successfully completed. One of the two solar inverters at Shapi is giving problems and has been sent to Bulawayo for repair.
The solar array at Ngweshla was struck by lightning resulting in the inverter going down but after replacing the fuses, the system is once again functional.
The drinking troughs at Dopi, Jambile, Boss Long One, Sinanga and Makwa have been dug out and cleaned. These had all silted up due to animal activity and water run-off from the rains.
Vehicles and Implements
A beautiful vehicle, generously sponsored by the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa, joined our vehicle fleet in April. It was introduced to the landscape with a drive out into the field with the ZimParks Ecological/Roads department for assessments of the terrain. A visit to Harris Auto in Vic Falls was necessary to change the tie rod ends, steering damper, Universal joints and CV joints. The vehicle is running well and we’re most grateful for this very valuable asset.
Unfortunately, while harrowing firebreaks, the blue ten-disc harrow suffered a major breakdown. Two bearings collapsed causing a bearing sleeve to seize.
Two full spools and one half spool cracked and three discs broke causing damage to the shaft. All necessary spare parts were procured and delivered and the harrow has been serviced and rebuilt.
The New Holland TD95 Tractor has had ongoing issues of an overheating hydraulic pump that was found to be a manufacturing fault. The problem is now resolved. The Ford tractor has been fully functional, but requires a pull start probably due to an aging battery.
With one of our land cruisers out of action due to accident damage last month, our trusty Nissan has been fully utilised and is due a major service as well as new tie rod ends although these have proved difficult to source. Replacement of a perished pipe to and from the radiator has resolved an overheating issue. As well as this, lime build up caused the thermostat to seize.
We obtained two new front tractor tyres, one new rear tractor tyre and have patched up another. Our thanks to Hwange Conservation society UK for their assistance with this.
Ongoing tractor and implement maintenance have been undertaken throughout May to give us the best chance at minimising any more damage. Keeping the vehicles and implements fully operational is a hugely time-consuming and expensive exercise, but without them we’d cease to function!
Roads and Fireguards
During April our focus was on maintenance of the fireguards liaising with ZimParks to tackle the most pressing areas first. Late rains slowed progress but did not hinder our determination. With grass so abundant, the firebreaks this year are crucial. An assessment with the ZimParks Ecological department was undertaken within the Mtoa and surrounding areas to ascertain the state of roads and fireguards that have been badly neglected for years.
The following fireguards have been completed thus far despite having a harrow out of commission:
Mpofu gate to Mbiza – 35kms (4 passes = 140kms)
Livingi to Mpofu gate – 4 kms (2 passes = 8kms)
Mpofu to Dete and its sister fireguard (Sibaya) – 17kms (4 passes = 68kms) and 14kms (4 passes = 56kms)
Dete to Tchebema (ongoing) – 8kms (2 passes = 16kms)
**Manga 1 to Manga 3 – 23kms (2 passes = 46kms)
**Manga 1 to Guvalala (ongoing) – 23kms (4 passes = 92kms)
Road repairs dragging tyres over corrugations were completed from Main Camp to Guvalala. The Kennedy road from Main Camp to Kennedy Campsite (30kms) has been attended to with the tow grader, as the rains had caused large ruts and corrugations.
**The road from Jambile to Manga 3 has been dragged and graded to level it and remove large rocks.
**Much appreciation is due to Verney’s Camp of Machaba Safaris that sponsored the fuel for this critical work, and for providing rations and accommodation for our work team.
We had hoped to complete harrowing the firebreaks during May although maintenance has unfortunately been so costly that the Game water team slowed the firebreak workload and parked up the tractors to try offset this cost. We are seeking funds to continue.
Completed fireguards marked in Green. Fireguards still to tackle are in pink – we hope to engage the 4×4 club for assistance.
ZimParks in collaboration with Hwange Lion Research (HLR) have requested our assistance in providing better access to the Mtoa area and northern boundary for a camera trap survey as art of a survey to establish the baseline population densities of large carnivores in previously unassessed protected areas . Opening up the fireguards and roads is critical to facilitate the project.
Anti-poaching
The Anti-Poaching (AP) team has been kept busy, collaborating with other AP units in patrolling the park’s boundary areas. At the start of April, the team undertook a snare sweep in a joint patrol with Main Camp Rangers on the eastern park’s boundary at Water Loop. They also patrolled the northern Mambanje boundary for poacher incursions and cattle herding inside the park. Seven snares were found and there was evidence of poacher movement and cattle herding which need future monitoring.
A two-night joint patrol with Parks Main Camp Rangers was spent checking for snaring and tree cutting on the Detema estate near Dete town. Two fresh wire snares set by Detema lodge staff were recovered. The culprits were issued a stern warning.
In further collaborative efforts, the team was deployed alongside the Ukhozi (DART) and the Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) AP teams. This was a very successful deployment in the Dete, Miombo and Marist Brother Estate area. Twelve people were apprehended for the illegal cutting of trees, and more than 40 wire snares were removed from various regions over the course of five days. Further snare sweeps around the Dete area in collaboration with ZimParks and other AP teams have resulted in the removal of many more of these heinous and indiscriminate devices.
It was discovered that some of the old PTC phone lines were down in the above mentioned areas and that the attached wires are being used for snaring. The teams were able to make a start in removing the wires from the poles in order to better protect our wildlife. This is a big task and will continue in coming weeks.
During May our AP team made a monumental bust with the arrest of a truck carrying 214 bags of illegally produced charcoal. This arrest was a collaborative effort with the Forestry commission on the Victoria Falls road. High accolade is due to all involved.
Other
Mowing has finally slowed, however the late rains have meant a final push of growth in areas we attended to in back March. The last stretch of the main road was unable to be completed due to lack of resources, but the community banded together to try to tame this remaining wild stretch. Some of the FOH team were able to assist in cutting back trees and slashing areas that were impenetrable. The verges along the main road have been teaming with life: waterbuck, wildebeest, steenbok, impala, hippo and giraffe.
In a joint effort with ZimParks, work was undertaken at Kennedy 1 picnic site to repair the main entrance sign, the braai stand and the bird bath – a long-awaited, much needed task.
The First Friday national clean ups in Mabale were once again well attended. Together with ZimParks we continue to support this worthy cause each month.
The vegetable garden sponsored by Hwange Conservation Society, UK is coming along well. Tomatoes, Okra, Chillies, Chamolia, Sweet Potatoes, Regular Potatoes, Carrots, Eggplant, Rape and Peppers are all growing well with the first harvests expected soon.
The house at the FOH Office received a much-needed face lift. Over the course of April, in-between the rains and other day to day demands, the team worked on cleaning, scrubbing, and painting the house inside and out, as well as planting of grass and a hedge.
Jason came across a Southern Ground Hornbill chick that had been struck and injured by a vehicle. He met with Roger Parry, from Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (VFWT) to hand over the bird for urgent care. It was quickly stabilised and thankfully is on the way to recovery. Grateful thanks to VFWT for their quick response, and to the ZimParks Main Camp Area Manager for her swift reaction in attending to the paperwork for smooth transportation of this vulnerable species.
We bid farewell to Gary Cantle after 17 years of loyal service to the FOH cause. Gary has been at theforefront of Water for Wildlife in Hwange since his arrival in 2006. This is a huge feat deserving of our most grateful thanks and the warmest wishes for his new venture in Victoria Falls.
You will have noticed that the FOH website has had a complete overhaul. Thanks to James Keegans of Zero Gravity Design for his hard work, artistic license and patience. Check it out at www.friendsofhwange.com
Reporting and Images – Carmen MgGregor and Paula Dell
