"TAFIKA FUND NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2009"
- 11 November 2009 00:00
The Luangwa Valley is heating up... literally and figuratively. We are enjoying a mind blowing windup to an excellent game viewing season with little wartlets charging around madly, spindly legged baby impalas, leopards and lions aplenty.
Although our funding reduced this year due to 'GLOBAL', Zambia's description of the global recession, Tafika Fund forged on with reasonable success. We supported 21 high school students, 5 teachers at trainin...read more |
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"Mwaleshi News by Ernst Jacobs"
- 03 November 2009 00:00
As “all good things come to an end”, Mwaleshi camp’s 2009 season has come and gone….what was once our comfortable lounge is now a skeleton of upright poles and a pile of grass to be wind blown and termite consumed . As the surrounding Mopane trees have gathered their strength and burst into a lime green flourish of leaves, Mwaleshi camp has settled into slumber for the next seven months.
It has been a memorable season, but as all the other pre...read more |
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"Who Says Tsetse Flies Were Good For Nothing?"
- 28 October 2009 00:00
For our guests out there who have donated precious blood to many a Tsetse on safari – here is your moment to get your own back.
I cannot credit the unknown artist who sent this “Dead Fly Art” to us via email – but whoever you are thanks for the laugh.
...read more |
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"Zambia Celebrates 45 Years of Independence"
- 24 October 2009 00:00
On Saturday the 24th of October we celebrated 45 years of Zambian Independence.
The Tafika Kitchen created a cake in the Zambian colours and guests were treated to a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem in perfect Zambian harmony.
The Fish Eagle is the national bird and graces our flag with outspread wings. A photograph of a white backed vulture had to suffice on the day! Rabbie, our night watchman, who spent a few years of his youth...read more |
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"October 2009 Draws to a Close"
- 22 October 2009 00:00
Amber days give way to ruby sunsets as rain clouds gather, bringing the promise of renewal. This spectacular time of the season reassures us that, despite the changing material world around us, the Luangwa remains the same.
Game viewing continues to be impressive – some highlights recently include a wonderful sighting of a herd of 19 roan antelope at Chikoko by Isaac and his guests. These antelope are not commonly seen in the riverine area...read more |
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"The Salt Pan Pride – Tafika Pride in Trouble"
- 09 October 2009 00:00
Many of our past guests from 2007 will remember the Salt Pan Pride with its many cubs. This pride has actively rejected any permanent adult male company over the years so remain queens of their pride.
This year the remaining core group comprised of 13 individuals: 5 adult lionesses, 4 sub-adult males and 4 sub-adult females which have frequented the area around Tafika, leaving the salt pan to 4 big male lions!
This has been great for Tafik...read more |
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"CARMINE BEE EATER COLONY HIDE NEAR TAFIKA"
- 24 September 2009 00:00
Over the last month a carmine bee eater colony has developed along the bank from Tafika. Although some couples are still digging their holes of 1 metre or longer into the bank, most appear to have laid their eggs and are now committed to raising their young at this site. To make the most of this situation Bryan and the lads have built two hides, one above the bank and one on a spit of sand reaching out in front of the site.
Bryan took the opp...read more |
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"15 Minutes Game Viewing Before Breakfast"
- 03 September 2009 00:00
The website of every wildlife tourist camp/lodge in Africa will boast wonderful game viewing, but in all my 25 years of living in the Luangwa Valley I can tell you that this year has produced the most consistently amazing viewing that I can remember in any given year.
My microlight flight with our guest Lynn Walker this morning was a prime example. Immediately after take-off and right next to our driveway we circled over 13 lions (Salt Pan pri...read more |
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"Baby Elephant Rescue"
- 31 August 2009 00:00
One early morning two weeks ago, we received a message from nearby Mkasanga Village that a baby elephant had been found in a newly dug latrine pit. It appears the baby had fallen in sometime during the night and the mother, giving up hope of recovering the baby, had left as the village awakened predawn. She was nowhere around when the baby was discovered.
We alerted the game scouts at Chikwinda Gate and drove two of them to the site to protect...read more |
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"Leopard Kill at Tafika"
- 20 August 2009 00:00
This morning one of our guests awoke quite certain that she had been hallucinating in the night – there had been a rhino in her loo and something dying in front of her chalet!
The rhino was admittedly a hippo – not quite in the loo but certainly munching happily on the grass outside. The sounds of hippo feeding are enough to confuse anyone experiencing their first night in the African bush.
Her death and dying visions materialized into an u...read more |
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