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As we come to the end of 2006, Kasanka has been through another whole year cycle since the last newsletter was posted. Yet again this reflects how busy all the staff have been rather than a shortage of news!
The Mulaushi river came up particularly high and lapped against some of the buildings in the new Conservation Centre, but only the garden was lost!
As I write we are in bat season again, so it’s great to be able to look through the images that Kieran took last year. The satellite bat-tracking project done last year by Heidi Richter was very successful in that she managed to track the 4 bats going out to feed and then as they migrated away from Kasanka.
Each year the bats never fail to amaze us all by their shear numbers. Those of us who are privileged to see them each year always think there more than before, but it’s probably because the memory fades! We have had quite some success in attracting visitors from within Zambia to see them this year and as we speak are still in mid "bat season" here. Another exciting wildlife story follow-up from last year is "Blackie" our lonely black lechwe who found his own way into Kasanka. Or has he been that lonely after all? He has remained visible since his arrival last July and his distinctive markings have developed making him a fine specimen.
Then in July this year we spotted a very unusual looking young Puku not far from Blackie’s territory. Careful examination leaves very little doubt that this young female is a cross between a black lechwe and a puku! We have named her the "Puchwe" and she is doing fine growing up with the other young Pukus!
In April 8 we were lucky enough to be able to send 8 of our Kasanka Trust scouts to a full intensive training course with government Wildlife Authority scouts held in North Lunagwa. Their places on the course were funded by the Conservation Foundation (Zambia). This was a great boost our scout force and they all returned with much uplifted morale and determination. They are also helping to pass on some of the skills they learned to the other scouts in Kasanka.
In November this year 25 of the Kasanka scouts were officially gazetted as Honorary Wildlife Police Officers which confers on them the same right to carry firearms and make arrests as the government officers they work alongside.
Despite the continued
pressure from poaching, wildlife sightings have been good and
generally improving in Kasanka. Notably we are seeing more sable
around the Eastern side of the park near Wasa lodge. This
Over the past 2 years Kasanka Trust has faced a big cash squeeze caused by Zambia’s somewhat bizarre economic situation. For about 3 years from 2002 to 2005 the Zambian Kwacha maintained the same exchange rate to the US$ of around K4700 = US$1 but had around 20-35% annual inflation in local Kwacha prices. Hence costs against US$ were rising fast. Then in the closing months of 2005 the kwacha went through a rapid revaluation and the exchange rate moved to around K3000 = US$1 This caused a huge rise in the cost of almost everything when measured in foreign exchange terms and made Zambia about the most expensive country in Africa to live in ! Kasanka Trust has been funded by a mixture of income from tourism and charitable donations, all of which were suddenly worth half what they had been in local purchasing power! We were very fortunate to secure some charitable support from old and new donors including the Holly Hill Trust for core cost funding and Darwin Initiative project, Conservation Foundation Zambia for vehicles communications and uniforms , Save the Rhino Trust Zambia for a nearly new vehicle , Tusk (UK) for solar water pump, Care for the Wild towards Scout uniforms, One World Wildlife for solar panels, Hansard Trust, Maurice Rufford Laing Foundation, Trapnell Zambia Charities Support Fund for core activity funding. In addition we received invaluable support for many individuals for core funding and education sponsorship. Without this support we couldn’t do the work we do so we urge all of you to continue to support us through donations, visiting or just by spreading the word to others to donate and visit! In March Sky Trails air charters, who are based in Kasanka, received their Cessna 337 "push-pull" twin engine plane flown over from USA to join the Cessna 206. The 2 aircraft were busy throughout the year flying visitors to and from Kasanka and Bangweulu as well as around the North of Zambia and beyond. One aircraft was generally based in Mfuwe in Luangwa and this is the plan again from May 2007.
The Trust continued to operate Shoebill Island camp in the nearby Bangweulu wetlands and sightings of the famous Shoebills were better than ever in 2006 as this picture taken by some intrepid visitors in March can prove! Everyone who made the effort saw the birds even through into November which I think is a record! During the earlier months most people were getting very close for pictures and seeing the nest which we located. As I write the plains are turning green from the rains and the thousands of Lechwe and Tsessebe are returning to the area just near the camp. The Darwin Initiative funded project in Kasanka proceeded well and there is an update posted on the Darwin page. The other research activities were a group from Glasgow University and an initial report on their stay is on the research page
The Kasanka Conservation Centre is now almost complete and already very busy with all the planned activity areas. Only the main meeting room/interpretation centre is still be completed, but the structure of that if now finished and roofed and just awaiting internal fitting. The centre is home to the Kasanka Community Project, the Darwin Initiative project, and hosted the Glasgow university research group.
Work is seriously under way to construct the community centre at Kapepa with funding from the Amsterdam Lyceum School and we hope to bring an update on the work soon. Finally just a word of apology to those of you who have been waiting a whole year to see a new newsletter! I do hope to continue the work of updating the whole site and bringing some new images so keep checking! Edmund Farmer 8/12/06
Previous Newsletters
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You
will recall that last year we had a visit from the competition
winning photographer Kieran Dodds who came to photograph the bat
migration. He took such a stunning set of pictures that he went on
to win 1st Prize in the nature section of the World Press
Photography Awards. This is a huge competition with a very high
profile and you may have seen some of the portfolio in newspapers,
and even a 2 page spread in November National Geographic! Through
his generosity he has allowed us to use his images of Kasanka and
Bangweulu to promote the area and support our conservation work, so
that you will notice some dramatic new images coming onto the
website and in this newsletter. Even better news is that he is
trying to put together a return trip for 2007 concentrating on
Bangweulu in the flooded season so look out for some more amazing
photos!
group
of 47 was pictured just 1 km from the lodge.
