Tanzania's Southern Circuit: Selous, Ruaha, Katavi and more - August-September 2015

[twaffle]

@@Safaridude, in one of my recent messages from Squack he mentioned the dearth of elephant sightings in Selous compared to previous visits saying that the decline was astonishing even knowing how bad the poaching had been. Very sad indeed. I feel that it is one place that I've left way too late to visit, but I'm going to go anyway! Eventually.

[Safaridude]

@@twaffle

 

The "good news" is that there is still time. There are still enough elephant populations strewn across the Selous that the elephants would recover well... if the poaching stopped… today.

[Safaridude]

Lukwati Game Reserve

 

That a completely untouched non-national park wilderness area almost twice the size of Katavi still exists in Tanzania is remarkable. So completely untouched are the Lukwati Game Reserve and the adjacent Piti Game Reserve, when these were recently upgraded from a collection of “game controlled areas” to “game reserve” status, nary a soul had to be relocated. The same cannot be said for most of the other “miombo blocks” of Western Tanzania. Just in the past several years, many of the areas in the vast miombo woodland (bounded roughly by Moyowosi in the north, Ruaha in the east, Lake Rukwa in the south and Katavi in the west) have drawn human footprint never thought possible.

 

Lukwati operates as a trophy hunting concession during the dry season, but during a several-day gap between scheduled hunts, we are allowed to explore Lukwati as photographic tourists. A photographic safari through the pure miombo, known for its infertile soil and thus low density of game, is only for the slightly insane – like yours truly and Craig. It is possible to go an hour or even two without seeing a mammal larger than a duiker – that is assuming you do see a duiker – while contributing pints of blood to the tsetse flies (I am fairly certain that Lukwati doubles as the tsetse fly world headquarters). Of course, the slightly insane are willing to endure all that for a glimpse of a jet-black sable bull or a purple-crested turaco in flight, flaunting its translucent red wing tips. But since most people are sane, it is no wonder that most tourist activities in “miombo parks” (Kafue, Selous, Ruaha, Katavi, etc.) actually occur in technically non-miombo areas, where big dry season concentrations of game occur on lower lying, alluvial tracts with more fertile soil.

 

Even in the pure miombo, impressive dry season game concentrations can occur around perennial rivers, but because Lukwati is so well watered throughout (from natural springs occurring at the base of various hills), the game is well dispersed even in September. This translates to some serious bushwhacking through the several thousand square kilometers of Lukwati to see all the game. While the sane would find this tedious and exhausting, Craig and I find it a true privilege and a thrill. In the end, we do get more than glimpses of elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, sable, roan, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, topi, eland, greater kudu, impala, common reedbuck, oribi, common duiker, hippo, and even lion and leopard, plus a Madagascar squacco heron and plenty of purple-crested turacos flaunting about.

 

Hills like this one in Lukwati are typically surrounded by natural springs

 

A breeding herd of sable

 

A bull

 

Another bull

 

Eles gliding through the woodland

 

Lichtenstein's hartebeest

 

Hippo on the Rungwa River, which borders Lukwati to the north

 

A young roan antelope bull

 

Lions

 

She climbs up a termite mound to investigate us

 

A big herd of eland crossing the road

 

At the turn of this current century (just to pick an arbitrary time period), no one imagined the vast miombo woodlands of Western Tanzania, tsetse-infested and sparsely populated then, would ever be under ecological threat. Fast-forward to today, and there are lots of football field-sized, ashen patches strewn all across this biome and visible from the air as we fly from Lukwati to Arusha. These patches are where piles of hardwood trees have been chopped down, gathered and scorched in order to create a layer of organic matter on the otherwise naturally thin, acidic soil, so that the subsistence farmers can borrow perhaps a couple of years of crop growth. These “slash and burn” farming techniques only work short-term until the man-made soil fertility is exhausted (typically, in just a couple of seasons), and the farmers simply move onto the next patch. There is a saying: 10 acres of felling for one acre of farming. It is a desperate attempt by desperate people eking out a living in a place with no options other than “slash and burn” and meat poaching. The organic population growth rate in the area is already one of the highest in the world, and the population is being augmented by refugees from Burundi. It is then that one realizes trophy hunting in the miombo in Tanzania is simply a land-use option competing against other options. Photographic tourism? Aside from the small non-miombo circuits in tiny portions of Selous, Ruaha and Katavi, not a chance. Slash and burn? As long as there is an exploding human population and there are trees left to be felled, it will go on, and edible animals and birds in the way will be consumed. So, can trophy hunting “compete”? If so how well and for how long? The answer, as always, is complicated. The central government, the chief beneficiary of the hunting revenues in Tanzania, can practice what is essentially “autocratic/coercive” conservation of lands for some period in order to keep the revenues flowing. But as a largely disinterested party (the central government officials live in Dar, far away from the bush), primarily interested in extracting short-term revenues, the government will tend to push “over-consumptive” policies (such as unsustainable quotas)… and the Tanzanian government certainly has. And at some point, a system in which the benefits from hunting revenues largely bypass the local (and rapidly growing) communities does not encourage conservation ethos and cannot be sustainable. At the end of the day, the question is what is the miombo in Tanzania worth and to whom. It is simply a race against time: slash and burn/meat poaching vs. timely reform of the Tanzanian hunting regime vs. thousands of photographic tourists suddenly becoming insane enough to want to tour the pure miombo vs. completely altruistic preservation. The latter three are not happening any time soon.

 

In the mean time, a few ethical and conservation-minded hunting operators in Tanzania (with an emphasis on the word, “few”), such as the one operating in Lukwati, continue to borrow time.

 

A result of "slash and burn"

Edited October 28, 2015 by Safaridude

[Julian]

More excellent photos - I really like the ones taken in the woodland.

[twaffle]

Looking at the photos and reading your descriptions of Lukwati, I could see one attraction for the world weary traveller. Not as a photographic tourist, nor a trophy hunter but perhaps the few who can afford to do the normal circuit to see many animals but who also want the 'no other person in sight', 'this is what the African adventure used to be' kind of escape. Armed with bug suits and great tented camps, perhaps a commune with tough nature would be an antidote for the urban jungle.

 

And maybe not!

 

Certainly an interesting glimpse into an area most of us won't visit any time soon.

[Anomalure]

WOW. Lukwati especially looks absolutely incredible. One of my dream safaris now is visiting Lukwati, Ugalla, and Moyowosi...

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Safaridude - excellent segment.

Did you find largish lion prides at Lukwati? Did you find the Elephants skittish/aggressive?

[Zim Girl]

@@Safaridude

 

Lukwati looks amazing. Your pictures are excellent considering how skittish the wildlife will be. Love the herd of sable through the trees.

Do you have any more pictures of the landscape?

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

The elephants were not overly skittish or aggressive.

 

We saw lions twice. 2 individuals; and 3 individuals (though there may have been more… in the thick bush)

 

In the pure miombo, lion prides are necessarily small. There's just not enough prey. I believe miombo lions lead a totally different existence from the ones we are used to.

[Marks]

It is simply a race against time: slash and burn/meat poaching vs. timely reform of the Tanzanian hunting regime vs. thousands of photographic tourists suddenly becoming insane enough to want to tour the pure miombo vs. completely altruistic preservation.

 

A sobering analysis. I am glad that your miombo expedition, at least, was successful!

[michael-ibk]

Your trip reports are simply in a league of their own - outstanding stuff. Never heard about Lukwati, what an interesting-looking place - even if it is only for the mad ones.

 

Too much stellar stuff to point out, but particularly love that Roan sighting in Katavi.

 

Go publish a book with you collected trip reports already, it will be a hit!

[Safaridude]

@@michael-ibk

 

Much too kind. Thank you.

[Caracal]

Superb report @@Safaridude from go to whoa.

 

The beautiful photos of Lake Siwandu really resonated with me and took me back to my one and only Selous visit in 2000.

 

By the way that was late July and the dogs were denning.

 

I never got to see sable at Ruaha but did see roan on my two visits. It was only when I saw your photo of hyena that it ocurred to me that I don't remember seeing hyena at all in Ruaha.

 

Love the elephant sundowner but then love all the photos.

 

Do crocodiles hanging around the sand caves entrance looking ready to head inside at short notice count as aestivating ? - if so they were aestivating back in 2005!

 

When we were staying at Foxes there was a magnificent lion they called Fabio.

 

Fascinating to learn about Lukwati - how did you get there from Katavi @@Safaridude?

 

Like the eland crossing photo but am a little worried about your definition of "road"!

[Safaridude]

@@Caracal

 

So, you also did not see the dogs in the Selous or did you?

 

I would say that counts as estivating crocs (just between you and me).

 

We flew from Katavi to Lukwati.

 

The road where the eland are crossing… the roads were actually quite excellent there (not reflected in the photo).

[AKR1]

Slowly savoring this exquisite trip report. Apart from the erudite descriptions and sumptuous photography ( getting carried away here), it's quite educational for me. I had never heard of Lukwati.

@@Safaridude, my favorite photograph amongst all your amazing images is the monochromatic one of elephants under a bent Acacia tree in Katavi. The photograph brings to life the mostly untouched remoteness of the park.

[Caracal]

I was fortunate @@Safaridude to see the dogs in Selous.

 

The den was in a thicket and it was difficult to see the pups other than occasional glimpses through the vegetation. However there were a number of relaxed adults lying and standing around in the open.

 

I well recall the pungent smell of the den emanating from the thicket!

 

Still pondering over the dilemma you pose over the slash and burn activities of a desperate population competing with sustainable conservation of land and wildlife.

 

A problem in so many different parts of the world. Oh for an answer.

[johnkok]

A masterful TR, as usual. A pleasure to read, even the sobering analyses sprinkled throughout.

[Atravelynn]

Fortunately you are one who is "insane enough to want to tour the pure miombo" along with many other unknown locales. Letting people like those on safaritalk know of these far flung and fascinating destinations is one way to help buy a little of that precious time.

 

Your reports are a true education. Thank you.

Edited November 8, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Sangeeta]

@@Safaridude - this has to be your "moody trees' TR - so many lovely (esp the wide shots) images of trees of such distinctive character and shape interspersed throughout - and all so very emblematic of the parks themselves - from the borassus palm in the Selous, to the baobab in Ruaha, the fig trees of Katavi and finally those beautiful miombo woodlands of Lukwati. Personally, I love to see photos of wildlife where we can get a sense of their size and proportion from the surrounding flora and fauna and you have so many of those images here.

 

You got all the antelopes you wanted, but I wish someone had taken a photo of you when the roan came out to play

 

Lovely, relaxed reading (even with the sad bits) and very memorable photographs. Estivating crocs have suddenly appeared on many wish-lists, I bet! Thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to do this...

[SafariChick]

@@Sangeeta I am always lobbying for some photo of @@Safaridude in his natural habitat (that is, anywhere in the bush in Africa) but he does not like to cooperate!

 

Love the report about Lukwati. Like others, I had not heard of it. I'm glad to hear the animals were not too skittish and many graced you with their presence. Very interesting to hear about this place.

[Kitsafari]

Roans have suddenly become one of my favourite antelopes. how delightful those bunny ears are , and how adorable are their young!

 

estivating crocs? i've heard and seen in documentaries about crocs burying themselves under the mud until the rains come, but that is a powerful word to learn. thanks @@Safaridude.

 

agree with @@Marks, sobering thoughts on Lukwati. they are breaking it up into islands and with no corridors the wildlife has little chance of survival. and yet what is survival when the humans themselves need to survive as well? without the government to give them the support they need, there are really not many options left for them. no right or wrong in such situations. nevertheless, it's still a depressing thought.

 

Primatologist Dr Birute oftens says the elephant in the room is the boom in human population that's putting pressure on our planet. increasingly, i can see she's right.

 

Thank you for sharing - i've enjoyed the wonderful photos and thought-provoking prose.

[Tom Kellie]

@@Sangeeta I am always lobbying for some photo of @@Safaridude in his natural habitat (that is, anywhere in the bush in Africa) but he does not like to cooperate!

 

~ @@SafariChick

 

That wouldn't be a portrait taken in an airport waiting area?

Tom K.

[TonyQ]

@@Safaridude

I have just got to the end of Ruaha. I love the lion cubs!

Your photos are superb, and writing very engaging and informative

 

@@xelas

How do you see the EXIF data (you mention that it is intact)

 

I have just seen that there are more excellent pictures from Ruaha - the baby hyena is exceelent, and the elephant sundowner is beautiful

Edited November 23, 2015 by TonyQ

[Safaridude]

@@SafariChick

 

Here is me in my natural habitat...

 

 

 

 

@@Kitsafari

 

I agree the roan calves are adorable! This below is from Busanga Plains, Kafue, Zambia… the ears!

 

[SafariChick]

@@Safaridude you are one gorgeous specimen! I also love those ears on those roan calves - too cute!