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News from July 2005: WELCOME TO: Joanne Food and Beverage Manager Gaseone temp for Naledi CM Ethel temp for Tikky CM Bogisang temp for busy season CM Ontiretse temp for busy season CM Modisaotsile poler, tracker, grounds for busy season CO (welcome back!) Jonah maintenance/grounds CO MATERNITY LEAVE: Goodbye and good luck to Boipuso, Naledi and Tikky Good luck to Gabs (CO Assistant to the Managers) and Keesie (Xugana Lodge Manager) in their new positions! Good luck to Moffat (CO) who has become a trainee guide! SUGGESTION SCHEME:
Thanks to KB (CM), Kutlwano (CO), Fox, (CO), KB (CM) and Rebecca (XUG) prize of P200 goes to REBECCA who said 'I suggest that if we co-operate together as one we will improve the standard of our jobs. We should also know our HIV status to improve our own standard of life.' THANK YOU REBECCA FOR THESE SIGNIFICANT WORDS!!
COURSES ATTENDED:
Thanks to ANGERA, KENNETH, ESTHER AND SETCH for representing DDS at HIV/AIDS workshops held by BOTA and ILO during July. Their direction and guidance as our HIV/AIDS Committee is going to be very worthwhile together with Millie and Oarabile of Chobe Game Lodge.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH COMPETITION:
Congratulations to SAM at CM (June)
Congratulations to TAU at CO (June)
Congratulations to James and Katia on their engagement!!
Greetings and thanks from Obie for all the 'get well soon' wishesSIGHTINGS and HAPPENINGS IN THE LODGES:
CAMP O: Guests asked to see how the staff made baskets. Emelda and Florence did so and they were thrilled! Partner presented star gazing talks for guests (Rob trained the guides). Staff have put together the money for a tv and video for their staff village!
Sightings: 20/6 Wild Dog, Elephant. 21/6 five Lion, Buffalo, Jackal, Elephant. 22/6 Buffalo, Elephant. 23/6 Buffalo, 20 Lion feeding on Buffalo kill. 24/6 lion, Elephant, Buffalo. 25/6 over 500 Buffalo, Elephant. 26/6 two Lions, Buffalo, Elephants. 27/6 twenty lions feeding on a Buffalo, Elephants, Sitatunga, Hyenas. 28/6 Waterbuck, warthogs, Elephants, Lechwe. 29/6 Elephants, warthogs, sitatunga 30/6 200 Buffalo, Elephants, warthogs, Lions, Lechwes. 01/7 Buffalo, warthogs. 2/7 Lion on Buffalo kill, warthogs. 3/7 Buffalos, Elephants, saddled billed storks, Lechwe. 4/7 Elephants. 5/7 Malachite Kingfishers, Elephants, genet in camp, saddled billed storks. 6/7 Elephants, Buffaloes. 7/7 Elephants, Hyena. 8/7 Hyena with cubs, Elephants. 10/7 Buffaloes, Striped Kingfisher, Bush buck. 11/7 Lions, Elephants, Buffalo. 13/7 Lions, Buffaloes, Elephants breeding herd. 14/7 Elephants, Lions. 15/7 Elephants, Buffalo. 16/7 Buffaloes, Elephants.XUGANA: Guides started evening presentation of Botswana to the guests and they loved it! Staff have put together the money for a tv and video for their staff village!
Sightings: 18/6, 19/6, 20/6, 21/6 Buffalo, Elephant. 25/6 Elephants. 26/6 Giraffe, warthogs. 27/6 Buffaloes. 28/7 Giraffes, Elephants. 29/6 Elephants. 30/6 Buffalo, Giraffe. 1/7 Lions, Giraffe, Buffalo, Red Lechwe. 2/7 Buffalo. 3/7 Giraffe. 4/7, 7/7 Buffaloes, Giraffe. 8/7 Elephants. 10/7 Red Lechwe, Impala. 11/7 Elephants, Buffalos. 12/7 Elephants, Buffalos. 13/7 warthogs, breeding herd of Elephants. 14/7 saddle billed stock, Buffalos. 15/7 Elephants, African Fish Eagle, Reed buck. 16/7 breeding herd of Elephants, Pels Fishing Owl. 17/7 Elephants, Reedbuck, Giraffes, warthogs, Red Lechwe.SAVUTE:Savute Safari Lodge chefs trying some new recipes.
Sightings: 18/6 Tssessebe, 7 ostrich. 19/6 Leopard at Pump Pan. 20/6 Lion x 3 at airstrip, two Bateleur Eagles and Leopard at lodge waterhole. 21/6 Lion x 18, breeding herd Elephant. 22/6 two Leopard in different spots, three male Lion. 23/6 two Cheetah, Leopard. 24/6 Lion x 20 plus two small cubs feeding on Elephant, one leopard 25/6 Lion on Elephant kill. 26/7 four Giraffes, bat eared foxes, warthogs, Savute Lions. 27/6 mother Leopard and two cubs at pump pan. 28/6 two Cheetah, two sable antelopes, 1x female Lion 2x Wildebeest. 29/6 four Lions, Kudus, warthogs, roan. 1/7 twenty Lions at pump pan, 1x female Lion with two cubs, one Leopard, three ostrich. 02/7 Tsessebe, adults Giraffe and babies, ostrich, Giraffes at waterhole in camp. 3/7 four Wild Dogs in camp waterholes, three Leopard mother and two cubs, two Blacked backed Jackal. 4/7 nineteen Lions, Leopard. 5/7 Giraffes, Black backed Jackal. 6/7 Elephants, honey badgers, five Lions, Leopard in camp. 7/7 Giraffes, warthogs. 8/7 Elephants, Cheetahs. 9/7 two Cheetahs, Tssessebes. 10/7 Lion, Giraffe, vervet monkeys. 11/7 Cheetah, Lions, Steenbok, ostrich. 12/7 Elephants, Lions. 13/7 Lions feeding on Elephant, Giraffe, steenbuck, warthogs, tsessebe. 14/7 Lions, Giraffe, roan antelope. 15/7 Cheetahs, Lions on Elephant kill. 16/7 Leopard, Lions feeding on Elephant.CAMP MOREMI Sightings: 19/6 Buffalo, Elephant. 20/6 Wild Dog, Cheetah, Lion. 21/6 Lion, breeding herds of Elephants, Tssessebe. 22/6 Lion, Buffalo, Elephant. 23/6 Lion hunting Buffalo, Elephant, ostrich, python. 24/6 Lion, ostrich, olive grass snake. 25/6 Buffalo, Lion, Cheetah, Lion in camp. 26/6 Buffalo, Elephants, Genet, Giraffe. 27/6 Giant Eagle Owl, Buffalo, breeding herd of Elephants. 28/6 Lion, Elephants mating, Buffalo. 29/7 Elephants, Lioness attacking old Buffalo bull. 30/7 Elephants, Leopard, Lioness, Buffalo, python. 1/7 Leopard, Elephants. 2/7 Leopard, Giraffes. 3/7 nineteen Lions, Buffaloes. 4/7 six Lionesses bringing down a Buffalo, Lionesses in camp. 5/7 Lions on Buffalo kill, Leopard, three Lions in camp. 6/7 Lion, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra. 7/7 Elephant, Lions. 8/7 Cheetah, Lions, three Leopard. 9/7 female Leopard stalking bushbuck. 10/7 Lionesses, Lions, Leopard close to camp, Lions on Zebra kill, Giraffe, Zebras, waterbuck. 11/7 Leopard in camp, Lionesses, Lions, Elephants, Giraffe, Leopard at entrance gate. 12/7 Elephant, Lions, Cheetah chasing Impala, Giraffes chasing Lionesses. 13/7 Cheetah with cubs, Leopards on different spots, Elephants, Cheetah with cubs with kill. 14/7 Leopard, Cheetah with cubs, Elephants, waterbuck. 15/7 Elephants, Zebra, Giraffe, waterbuck, genet. 16/7 Cheetah with cubs, Elephants.Guest Comments:CAMP OKAVANGO
'a beautiful setting immaculately maintained';'the managers and especially each staff member tried to make the holiday as comfortable as possible and they did many thanks an incredible holiday';'the service and meals were more than excellent';'the meals were fantastic the cook did a great job!';'Partner and Thapelo were great we had a wonderful time thank you again to both guys';'friendly competent staff';'very beautiful camp and gorgeous room! excellent food! Thapelo very friendly, knowledgeable and reserved gentleman'; 'keep up this amazing standard Rob and Tammy and staff thank you very much for your friendly hospitality' John very friendly and helpful';'a wonderful stay and very nice people';'John very very experienced, knowledgeable and fun, really enjoyable and efficient';'Thapelo was very friendly and knew so many interesting things for us to learn about';'overall a happy holiday, no problems';'left with a good impression of camp and its staff';'Robert was very friendly, nice and was very knowledgeable' 'Robert and Moses did a great job on our walk they handle all aspects of our visit with smiles and helpfulness';'we've had wonderful excursions with Partner and Moses we've learned a lot';'Tammy gave us as a honeymoon couple a very special and warm welcome';'our guides John, Partner, Moses deeply impressed us with their experience and professionalism';'Robert impressed us with his knowledge about the galaxy stories and constellations as well as his camp fire stories';'Tammy is very warm, friendly and at all times gave us a very special honeymoon feeling';'about John we already heard very good stories in Maun and at other lodges and we are happy to have been walking with him, he is the Delta, Partner has a great future ahead of him he is an expert at a very young age, Moses made our mokoro trip a highlight';'John very nice guy';'presentation of cabin flowers on bed etc was great! excellent first impression' XUGANA
'I mostly appreciated the efforts made and the kindness that surrounded my birthday';'courtesy and service was first class, Joseph our guide was very responsible and friendly an excellent guide';'the rooms were cleaned and prepared nicely this is first class lodge';'Lets- great eyes, eagle eyes very nice man a truly unforgettable experience wonderful staff!';'wonderful warm welcome with all staff introducing themselves with Botswana handshake';'beautifully folded towels with leaves and papyrus stalks, rooms always immaculately clean and tidy and well presented';'Jo is wonderfully accessible, obliging, thoughtful, helpful, informative and gracious';'we found all the staff extremely friendly and helpful, Mc is a credit to any company';'you extended warm friendship thank you, lovely comfortable beds appreciated the flower, foliage arrangements';'we thank you for your wonderful Botswana hospitality';'highly recommends the camp facilities!';'Joseph was informative and friendly';'excellent chef, good managers, guide very good' News from March/April 2005:News from Savute Safari Lodge:The lodge was closed for renovations until 15/3 during which time new new pathway lights and palelo privacy screens were set up. There was also a lot of sanding and varnishing.
Savute choir has new t-shirts!
SIGHTINGS: Highlights this month have been: Leopard at lodge waterhole, two male cheetah, female cheetah, klipspringer, female Leopard and two cubs, female Lion feeding on Kudu, Stanley's bustard at Pump Pan, 21 Lion stalking Giraffe, two Bat eared Foxes hunting on marsh. An extract from the Savute Safari Lodge guestbookGuest questionnaires:
I didn't expect the accommodation to be so nice
The food was very good and served attractively
We really enjoyed our stay at Savute, wish we could have stayed longer
I have really enjoyed my stay and I hope to come back in October
Friendly reception, outstanding food, beautiful surroundingsWe had a Lioness on our deck one morning!
A fantastic place, the quintessential African safari lodge. Beautiful and wild, this place made the end of our trip to Africa extra memorable. Nothing was too much trouble, food was fabulous. Savute is fantastic, we got engaged here so we will remember this place for ever. Very well organized, excellent food, thank you so much for a wonderful end to our African adventure.
Garden of Eden in the middle of nowhere, lovely staff, excellent fresh food, unforgettable, the staff sang, danced and touched our hearts. We are writing this in number 1, it is quite thrilling to see the Lions come down to the waterhole, but the most thrilling was seeing one of the male Lions come up and walk past our door we were inside but it was up close and personal!!What's new at Xugana Island Lodge:There has been a lot of rain during the month and much work has been done on the gardens. Guests are enjoying the deck dinners and the new room decorations.
SIGHTINGS Buffalo, Hippo, Elephant, Lions, warthog, honeybadger, sitatunga, kudu, side-striped jackal, giraffe and a big male lion have been sighted on the activities. A highlight was the lion that was sighted from a mokoro.
WE HAVE NEWS OF THE CROCODILE FAT ALBERT he is happy and settled in his new home up in the panhandle which is wonderful news, he is being tracked with a radio collar and had gone missing for a few months we thought he was swimming home!!Fat Albert - the transfer by M.C.We had a resident Crocodile which has been living around Xugana area for more than 30 years. His name is Fat Albert and well he has been part of the family since the lodge was built in 1968. To distinguish him from other Crocodiles in the area one could see he was missing a toe on his right front foot, also a pink scar on his back and a pink snout (probably from all the fighting with other Crocodiles to defend his territory). Crocodiles are very territorial especially the males but females also defend their nesting sites.
Yaah! Fat Albert started to get out of control. Read the rest of the saga on the last page.What a visitor had to say about Xugana Island Lodge:MC was extremely helpful and always in good humour Jo is very knowledgeable, strong emphasis on safety, excellent service
Everything perfect, brilliant guides, staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, will definitely recommend Xugana and the delta
Impressive reception by MC at the airstrip, made to feel welcome from the beginning, including a warm welcome by Pinkie at the lodge.
The food was presented and explained nicely, we really enjoyed dining and conversation with Amanda. Rarely does one find the knowledge and enthusiasm as found with MC.
You have a rare and fascinating Management staff, Pinkie showed true compassion and concern, Amanda was absolutely great, making us feel at home, she gave us a unique perspective, guiding by MC doesn't come any better talk about knowledge and communication skills he is the best.
Xugana will be very high at the top of our recommend list
Attention to detail outstanding, nothing was too much trouble
Everyone went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful stay, a special dinner on the first night was unforgettable
Clearly exceeded our expectations.The latest happenings at Camp Okavango:The camp was closed until 15/3 and much sanding and varnishing took place.
Suite bathroom has had a face-lift
There has been a great deal of rain during the month.
Rob and Tammy took over as Managers.
A problem Buffalo in camp had to be shot by wildlife department.
SIGHTINGS Lion, Elephant and Buffalo have been sighted on the activities. During the time that camp was closed for renovations four Lions wandered into the staff village. What the guests thought:It was very impressive to be guided by a man who is born on these islands and knows everything like the back of his hand
Partner was very good
Superb accommodation of dietary needs. Camp Moremi news:The rains have been good during the last month.
New electric pathway lights have replaced the flares and new 'ZZZ' [do not disturb] signs, made by Fred and Sikiri, are being put up at tent entrances
SIGHTINGS Sightings this month have been excellent as usual with Elephants, Hyena, Ground Hornbill, Cheetah, Giant Eagle Owls, Leopard, Sitatunga in camp, two Leopard on Impala kill, Leopard cub, Wildebeest, and Hippo.
Sightings of great interest included Alison the Croc spotted in camp, genet and kitten in camp, a bull Elephant charging a Lion and big Croc eating another dead Croc.Quotes from guests at Moremi:All the staff are very nice, we are feeling part of a family
It is very kind the way they present the menu, everything was delicious, congratulations to the kitchen team
A very high standard of management, service and staff inclusion/development a model of its kind
Excellent to see staff creativity being encouraged and ownership of menu design, very high standard of guiding.
I don't normally fill out questionnaires, but Moremi was such a strong model of management, that I feel it deserves recognition
Many thanks for excellent vegetarian options
Warm family atmosphere, very well kept surroundings, nice clean pool, perhaps too much to eat, presented in a very happy way.
Everyone in the camp was great from the Managers to the serving staff. It is amazing to find such a wonderful place in the jungle, thank you for everything I liked it all very much, good food.Fat Albert Relocation (story by MC at Xugana)We had a resident Crocodile which has been living around Xugana area for more than 30 years. His name is Fat Albert and well he has been part of the family since the lodge was built in 1968. To distinguish him from other Crocodiles in the area one could see he was missing a toe on his right front foot, also a pink scar on his back and a pink snout (probably from all the fighting with other Crocodiles to defend his territory). Crocodiles are very territorial especially the males but females also defend their nesting sites. Yaah! Fat Albert started to get out of control, he was coming during the night to the boats and stealing life jackets off the boats, also a blanket and he broke a chair this is very strange! I witnessed the last time he took a life jacket at about 8pm at night, this surprised me because it is in the middle of winter which is very cold and reptiles are hibernating and not feeding.
Well we decided that since safety is our first concern to our guests and staff we must report this behaviour to the Dept of Wildlife and National Parks. As we are not in the national park we got permission to shoot him. But since we are conservationists, we didn't want to shoot Fat Albert. Our GM did a wonderful job of organizing the Crocodile research people (staying in the panhandle studying Crocodiles near Sepopa) to come on the 5 August with a licence to capture and relocate our old friend. Thanks also to Mr Boatlhogile from the Dept of Wildlife who supervised everything.
Okay, so on arrival they set up 2 different traps. The first night a small Spotted Genet stole the bait but luckily didn't get caught in the trap and then another resident Crocodile Blackie (3m in length) came into the other trap and swam out again quickly without pulling the bait. He then hung around until Fat Albert came and chased Blackie away. But Fat Albert was too clever he stayed next to the trap the whole night!!!So the next day another plan was made, we put lethaka around the trap so that the Genet couldn't get to the bait and the angle of the bait in the other trap was changed. Just after sunset Fat Albert came to visit but would not go near the traps and just stayed in the water near the fire place! We decided to 'snout' him with a noose and once he got tired after fighting and fighting I drove the boat around so we could pull him out of the trees. I was so scared!! The research people told me to drive fast so that he didn't attack the boat! I put the 50hp into full throttle but it was a battle, Fat Albert is very heavy, eventually he co-operated.
Okay so then we pulled it out onto the shore, closed his mouth, covered his eyes, it took 8 strong guys to pull him out of the water. Sperm and blood samples were taken for research purposes, they measured him and tied his legs together, wrapping him in a net. The research people stayed with him (undrugged) all night to protect him from other Crocodiles and Hyenas.The next morning he was drugged then loaded into our cargo boat Modjei at 6am and taken to Xakanaxa. He was then loaded very carefully into the research truck and driven to Sepopa, loaded onto another boat and finally released at 10pm that night. He probably travelled a distance of 600-700km what a lucky boy!
Before they released him they put a radio collar around his neck and a tag on his back so he can be monitored. He was released in an area where there is a very limited human population. These guys have already captured and relocated about 430 Crocodiles in the Delta. They were thrilled to have Fat Albert's genes for breeding.
Fat Albert was number 435 and the biggest of all 4,5m and about 600kg!! The adult Crocodile can grow up to 6m and 1000kg weight, living up to 80 years in the wild and 120 years in captivity.Fat Albert UpdateThis is just a short note to update you all on Fat Albert. Sven from Crocodile Research has just popped in to let me know that they have located Fat Albert. Tico McNutt (from Wild Dog Research) set up his radio tracking equipment with the frequencies used by Crocodile Research and flew over the panhandle area to assist in locating tagged animals. Fat Albert was located in Phillipa's Channel about 10km from where he was released.
This means that he has spent a breeding season in that area and has obviously claimed an area for himself. Sven is of the opinion that this is an indication that he has settled and is comfortable with the territory that he has claimed, and will not move again. Sven has said that now that they know where he is it will be a lot easier to monitor his movements and keep an eye on him. He has also promised an update as soon as he has seen Fat Albert, and will then let us know if he is healthy and in good condition. I will keep you updated as soon as I hear from Sven. |
