The Kafue Experience

[LarsS]

On 11-12-2017 at 2:35 PM, michael-ibk said:

The balloon flight really looks wonderful, and it certainly brought you into areas of Busanga otherwise totally inaccessible - beautiful!

Yes, we we're very lucky the wind blew us in the direction of water with all the hippos, crocs, lechwe and birds. Eric, the captain/pilot (?), was very enthusiastic himself and called it the flight of the year. We flew for almost an hour and over all the best spots you could wish for.  The wind determines the direction and also the length of the flight (indication is 20mins to 1 hour flight).

[lmonmm]

@LarsS I have been "hoarding" this last video for a few days....wanting to savor it so held off watching until today. I have had sooooo much fun watching these. Aaahh- the first balloon ride. I will never ever forget my very first one ever which was over the Mara. It left a stamp on my heart that will never go away. Been lucky enough to have also now done one over the dunes in Namibia and one in Busanga Plains. Sadly, the one in Busanga wasn't the greatest due to lots of bush fires so amazingly, despite going high up, visibility was very poor. But that is safari for you, just never know what a day will bring. Balloon flights afford a perspective that is well worth the activity and I will go whenever I have the chance. I sensed your tiredness and perhaps the sadness that also comes with the end of a trip? The smack in the face that you now have to go back to reality?   Always a little difficult to take. Lars.....dank je wel  for this fabulous report!!!! 

 

[Kitsafari]

@LarsS  enjoying your videos, and appreciated your thoughts on drones.

 

it looks like your stay in busanga plains could have overlapped our stay on the plains although we hardly saw vehicles while we were on the drives.

How was the tse tse fly situation for you on the plains? did you go to the treeline to look for sables?

 

 

[LarsS]

On 14-12-2017 at 1:26 AM, lmonmm said:

@LarsS I have been "hoarding" this last video for a few days....wanting to savor it so held off watching until today. I have had sooooo much fun watching these. Aaahh- the first balloon ride. I will never ever forget my very first one ever which was over the Mara. It left a stamp on my heart that will never go away. Been lucky enough to have also now done one over the dunes in Namibia and one in Busanga Plains. Sadly, the one in Busanga wasn't the greatest due to lots of bush fires so amazingly, despite going high up, visibility was very poor. But that is safari for you, just never know what a day will bring. Balloon flights afford a perspective that is well worth the activity and I will go whenever I have the chance. I sensed your tiredness and perhaps the sadness that also comes with the end of a trip? The smack in the face that you now have to go back to reality?   Always a little difficult to take. Lars.....dank je wel  for this fabulous report!!!! 

 

Glad you liked it so much @lmonmm! I enjoyed making these as well, so I'll probably make videos of my next trip too. Not sure where and when, but by that time I'll write a TR. Unfortunately, it will probably take some time before I'm going back to Africa.

If you flew over Busanga Plains, than you probably flew with Namib Sky (Eric) as well, right? Did you also fly with him in Namibia? If I had known how much I'd like it, I think I might have gone on a balloon flight in Namibia as well when I was there last year.
Sorry to hear your flight wasn't that great in Busanga due to the fires. Hopefully I've given you a taste how it could have been.

Bedankt for all the nice words I got from you and others on this TR.

[LarsS]

On 14-12-2017 at 7:16 AM, Kitsafari said:

@LarsS  enjoying your videos, and appreciated your thoughts on drones.

 

it looks like your stay in busanga plains could have overlapped our stay on the plains although we hardly saw vehicles while we were on the drives.

How was the tse tse fly situation for you on the plains? did you go to the treeline to look for sables?

 

 

 

@Kitsafari I noticed we might have overlapped in Kafue yes. I was in Kafue from October 9 to 16. On the Busanga Plains specifically from October 12 to 15. The tse tse were nowhere on the plains, which actually was a great relieve from other parts of Kafue. Had to fight them from time to time. Only at the treeline there were some flies, but we didn't go there on the gamedrives. On our way in to the plains we found a few sables already, so on our drives we focussed on other parts of Busanga.

We didn't see too much vehicles either on our drives. Only from the Wilderness camps and even then only at the lioness on a kill sighting I believe.

You stayed at Musekese right? How were the tse tse over there? It looked like there camp was more in the bush and may be more tse tse were around there?

[Raelond]

I stayed at Musekese in November and the only tsetse we encountered were after  the turnoff to the camp.  They disappeared by the time we got to camp.

[lmonmm]

@LarsS  If I recall, it was Eric both times. I remember in Namibia he landed the basket right on the back of a truck which was pretty impressive. And then gave us a pretty awesome "safari" drive afterwards with some cool stories about living there.  Flying over the dunes and doing "dune scraping" was an amazing experience. I had stayed at Shumba in Busanga Plains and yes, pretty sure he was the pilot then too. Despite the smoke it was a great balloon ride, but your video did truly show me what it would have been like without it. My Dutch is a bit rusty...used to be pretty fluent in it after spending 6 years in St. Maarten and attending school there- had to learn it. Sadly, I've forgotten most of it, but dank je wel just jumped into my head. I did cheat and googled it just to make sure I was spelling it right    I look forward to any TR you do so keep them coming. Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!!

[Sangeeta]

What a fun way to do your TR, @LarsS! All the episodes have been both enjoyable & informative. Very nice to see Fig Tree Camp in such detail.

Brings back memories @SafariChick, doesn’t it? I remember a big rainshower when we crossed the river at Mukambi too!

You are brave to be out & about with no bug suit!

Fabulous Busanga Plains videos, also! All in all, it looks like a wonderful Kafue Safari!

Edited December 19, 2017 by Sangeeta

[Kitsafari]

23 hours ago, LarsS said:

 

@Kitsafari I noticed we might have overlapped in Kafue yes. I was in Kafue from October 9 to 16. On the Busanga Plains specifically from October 12 to 15. The tse tse were nowhere on the plains, which actually was a great relieve from other parts of Kafue. Had to fight them from time to time. Only at the treeline there were some flies, but we didn't go there on the gamedrives. On our way in to the plains we found a few sables already, so on our drives we focussed on other parts of Busanga.

We didn't see too much vehicles either on our drives. Only from the Wilderness camps and even then only at the lioness on a kill sighting I believe.

You stayed at Musekese right? How were the tse tse over there? It looked like there camp was more in the bush and may be more tse tse were around there?

 

 

@LarsS we were in Kafue from OCtober 6-16, of which Oct 12-15 was on the plains. In Busanga, we came across shumba vehicles twice and a chance meeting with another vehicle which had a guest known very well to one of us. I can't recall if there were other vehicles in the plains. 

we did go to the treeline in vain to search for sables and the flies were intense there. but once we were away from the treeline, it was much better. 

 

As @Raelond mentioned, once you turn into the Musekese proper, the flies melted away. there could be one of two at the fringes of the area, but nothing that troubled us.

 

 

[elefromoz]

@LarsS, this has been such a fun, personal Trip Report, its been great travelling along with you.Thank you for your efforts delivering it.

[Ratdcoops]

Thankyou LarsS I really enjoyed this report very nice to watch the videos felt like I was on Safari with you. I have only ever done one Safari previously and this was mobile tented so was good to get a sense of the permanent tented sites.

[ZaminOz]

@LarsS

Very enjoyable trip report. Thank you very much!

[LarsS]

I promised to update this TR with some additional info about my trip and Kafue. It took a while, but here I am again.

 

Yesterday I visited a travel event in Amsterdam which Edjan, the owner of Mukambi, attended as well. I hadn't met him before, but still it felt a bit like catching up and he told me about some developments in Kafue which I thought might be interesting to share with you.

 

First of all, he told about a self started anti-poaching team of which Eric of NamibSky Ballooning is part of. When I flew with Eric, we talked about it afterwards as well. Edjan explained they're doing a pretty good job in their area. They have spotters on the ground and if they see something, they try to get people there by car (or even heli if I'm correct) as soon as possible. It's quite successful as poachers are coming less and less into the region. However, it's only a small area they can cover, so the problem moves to other areas. At least some areas are becoming more safe than others for the animals.

 

As you might know, Kafue is pretty big, almost as large of the entire country of Belgium. So to protect all of the national park against poachers, professional protection is needed. Therefore it is very good news it's as good as certain African Parks will come to Kafue National Park. I heard about it when I was there, but wasn't quite sure to talk about it as things weren't decided yet and they didn't want to much attention for it until it was final. They were hoping African Parks would be operating starting the 1st of January, but some bureaucratic formalities has yet to be completed. Hopefully it won't take too long and African Parks can take over. Edjan was pretty excited about it as Kafue has great potential, but nowadays some areas of the park are a bit abandoned wildlife-wise. A succesful operation could give the park a great boost.

 

 

In addition to this, I thought it might be interesting to share some pictures of poachers Eric and his team (not sure if it's his team or he's part of a team, but let's call it this way) helped arresting. Obviously the pictures aren't pretty, but I did found them interesting as it gives you an image instead of only talking about it.

 

If you think these pictures are inappropriate, just let me know and I'll remove them.

 

Eric and his team patrol the area and sometimes they discover some poachers. They try to catch them and call in the authorities to make an arrest. Poachers are coming into the park with bikes. They catch all kinds of animals (warthog, baboon, antilope) by shooting them or using snares. They dry smoke the meat and push their bikes back to the village on poachers tracks, sometimes carrying over 100kg on each bike.

 

 

This is Eric of NamibSky:

[LarsS]

I'm now going to tell a little story about expectations, which may be make me sound like I'm whining, but I'm not. I just want to share an experience, but find it hard to describe it. So, if you think I'm whining, please realise that's because I couldn't find the right words to say it.

 

This was the first time we visited the same national park for a second time. The first time we had some very good sightings. Add to that that we've been on several safaris on which you've seen a lot of things, and it will spoil you. This time we we're travelling in peak season instead of just after the rains. That made expectations pretty high, and actually too high. After the first evening drive we realised we had to reset our mind again, realise this is Kafue, a park where you need to put in some effort sometimes to see great things instead of the zoo-like parks of serengeti and kruger.

 

Our expectations were so high that we just expected to see leopard and elephant all the time. That was the case the previous time, so now probably even better. This, ofcourse, is a totally unrealistic approach. For us, a good lesson for the future if we decide to go back to one of the parks we've been before.

 

We didn't see a leopard until the last evening. But what made me worry more, was the low number of elephants. I was really afraid poaching had become so significant it was way harder to find elephants in the park. We did see a few around the main lodge and Fig Tree camp, but 'last time it was better'. As ellies are (one of) my favourite animals, this felt disappointing the first one or two days. Luckily, they were around Busanga Plains camp, coming closer to camp every day and eventually walking by our tent about 25 meters. (in hindsight a bit strange, as I realised the trampled people near livingstone were about the same distance from the elephants...)

 

Still, we didn't see a breeding herd on the plains and all the talking about poaching kept me worrying. Although it was just a couple of hours after we left the plains, I was really happy to see an update with pictures from the staff of a HUGE elephant herd on the plains. Ofcourse it was a pitty not to see it my self, but I was so happy and relieved they are out there in good numbers. The staff of Mukambi estimated this was a herd of 196!! elephants coming for a drink at the river.
 

So these pics aren't mine, but shared by Mukambi on their facebook page. I thought it was so special and because of how I felt, this is also bit part of my TR.

 

 

[LarsS]

On 19-12-2017 at 8:54 AM, Kitsafari said:

 

 

@LarsS we were in Kafue from OCtober 6-16, of which Oct 12-15 was on the plains. In Busanga, we came across shumba vehicles twice and a chance meeting with another vehicle which had a guest known very well to one of us. I can't recall if there were other vehicles in the plains. 

we did go to the treeline in vain to search for sables and the flies were intense there. but once we were away from the treeline, it was much better. 

 

We almost met each other  But I think our camps were just too far away. It took quite a while to drive directly from Mukambi to Shumba, let alone on a gamedrive. We wouldn't have been able to drive a lot around the area passed the Wilderness camps. For you probably the same the other way around.

[Peter Connan]

What you describe in your last post is a problem for large, under-utilized parks.While growing up, my grandfather owned a patch of land in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, part of the greater Kruger. As such, we used to go only there, and practically nowhere else. The upside of course is that we got to know the area quite well, and got to experience the same area through all seasons.

 

For most of that time, the Klaserie was run on a no-commercial-use basis, thus only land owners and their own guests were allowed. As a result, the chances of seeing anybody else were very remote.

 

The upshot of this was that the game (and especially the predators) were quite wary. I think the first time we saw Leopard I was well into my teens. This despite their being a resident that was often heard in the river-bed passing the camp.

 

Anyway, the point is that it was common to see almost nothing for a whole trip, and see at least four of the big five every day on other trips.

 

I guess one needs to choose the park you go to with this in mind. In some places, you can rely on relative solitude, but not on great sightings, while in other you can rely on lots of confiding behaviour from the animals, but you must be prepared to share that with other people?

[lmonmm]

@LarsS  Thanks for the update on what's happening in Kafue. And, I don't think you sounded like you were whining at all. I doubt that anyone who has returned to Africa for safari doesn't compare it to their previous one (or two or more   ). It's difficult sometimes to curb ones eagerness to see everything, again and again. I too would have been a bit disappointed to not see elephants as they are my absolute favorite thing to see. Just from a personal level, I've tried to be much more relaxed about my trips now and focus more on relaxing, listening, watching and distressing. I try to remind myself that I'll see what I see and all of it is good, no matter what. I think it's working....I've come home with fewer pictures the last two trips   so I think I'm just watching and enjoying it more and less concerned about the documentation. Anyway- just my personal take.

[ForWildlife]

A big elephant herd like that is often not a good sign. It can be a sign of a population under pressure, seeking safety in numbers.

What one often doesn't realize is that poachers kill a lot of carnivores too. Their smoking of meat often attracts lions and hyaenas. I read a dissertation once where they had interviewed poachers in the Luangwa Valley, coming from the Muchinga escarpment. Many of them indicated they killed a lion about every other poaching trip...

As for the management of Kafue, it would be great if an organisation like AP can take over the management, the park has a huge potential.

[Kitsafari]

@LarsS thanks for sharing your thoughts on Kafue. I think it's great that an anti-poaching team has been started. short of taking the law into its own hands, the team appears to have followed the right process by handing the culprits to the right authorities. as you say the park is massive, and it'll take more than one such team to cover the entire park and dissuade the poachers from crossing into the park. 

While @ForWildlife has given one reason for the grouping of the elephants, another could be the search for water. You went in October which is almost the peak of the dry season. It's not surprising then that the elephants would head for the water. although they might have appeared as one single group, in reality they could have been many families coming together to quench their thirst. 

we saw a number of breeding groups in Musekese, and a group of bulls while up in the plains. They were not super wary nor were they trying to avoid us, which suggested that they are not being poached badly. or it could be that they have come to where it is secure - in the Musekese area. 

The plains is full of herbivores so while you were disappointed not seeing elephants in Busanga, we were a little disappointed not seeing lions and sables. But we saw a cheetah which more than than made up for the disappointments as that cat is uncommonly seen on the plains. 

Again, it'll be great news if AP does take over Kafue and halt the poaching which has the potential to chalk up as a signature success if that happens. But it's still not a done deal so we'll just have to wait and see. 

[ForWildlife]

@LarsS I was wondering how does this new anti-poaching unit work with GRI? Over the past many years many many people have had a great love for Kafue and wanted to help, but many initiatives have stranded because no consensus was reached between groups. This is one of the many advantages AP could bring. Kafue-wide good management and protection with everybody on the same, AP and DNPW's page.

[LarsS]

Somehow I sometimes miss updates on reports as I don't always seem to get notifications, hence my late response on your posts @ForWildlife and @Kitsafari. I tend to rely on them, so not receiving notifications means no updates to me and made me miss the last comments till now as I wanted to post something myself. But first, I'll get back to your comments.

About the ellies; I think this group was especially so big (most certain several herds indeed) because of the need of water in peak of dry season as @Kitsafari stated. The people at the lodge mentioned they see more and bigger groups of elephants in the dry season.

A cheetah is a very good sighting indeed! I haven't seen any on my last trips (partially because they were not around), so looking forward to find them again one day.

About your last question @ForWildlife, I don't think that the anti-poaching unit works with GRI. They were doing it very much as a 'spare time activity', although they were busy stepping up by creating a foundation or something with official bank account etc. I've had contact a few times with Eric of the balloon company as I wanted to donate, but haven't heard anything about it. Not sure why, may be they don't rely on donations from 'ordinary people'. AP could really make a difference in Kafue I believe, but no official news about that I believe.

 

 

[LarsS]

The other day I received an email from Mukambi lodge about my videos. They liked them so much, they wanted to use them on their website and youtube account and asked me for a copy of the videos. They will credit me for the videos, but no other kind of compensation.

I'm a bit in doubt about what I think of this, so I'm curious about your opinions: should I do this or not?

Pro:

Ofcourse, I think it's a huge compliment they want to use my videos for their marketing. It would also may be attract a larger audience for my videos.

Con:
The videos feel very personal, it was the first time I vlogged and purely for own use. Not sure what I think of providing them with a copy of my personal videos. Also, I put quite an effort in making the videos. I don't expect me to become a famous youtuber or anything like that, but I like that it's my own small channel with my own videos, which would change a bit if the videos can be found on other places as well.

So, what would you do?

[KaingU Lodge]

On 12/19/2017 at 9:54 AM, Kitsafari said:

 

As @Raelond mentioned, once you turn into the Musekese proper, the flies melted away. there could be one of two at the fringes of the area, but nothing that troubled us.

 

 

 

A few of my random thoughts on some of the thread.  

1) Elephants in the Busanga plains.  I have revisited the plains 2017 and 2016 after a hiatus of maybe three years.  I lived there for three years prior to this.  On both visits I was impressed by elephant numbers and how they were (relatively approachable).  There is absolutely no scientific basis that justifies an impression from a few days snapshot, but I saw more than in previous years.  The congregations of herds into 'super herds' are not unique to Busanga.  One memorable occasion here at Kaingu we counted 200 crossing the road.  I have seen a herd of 50 in the river.  This however only happens in the very late dry season.  Apparently it is quite common with many large herbivores apart from elephants.  

 

2) Eric's anti-poaching efforts I am familiar with.  Basically when he is there he uses DNPW scouts there on the ground, his balloon vehicle and staff (and visitors!) and goes out and responds or checks hot spots. He and his team have caught a few.  He does contribute also to green season patrol initiatives that are being done by Ntengu Safaris (hunting operator in Kasonso Busanga).  This initiative which is being supported by Eric, J&M, Wilderness (and maybe others) and of course Ntengu use Ntengu's robinson helicopter and microlight to survey and deploy scout teams.  This has nothing to do with GRI.  As anyone would realise, a helicopter is about the only way to catch people in the plains in the green season.  If anyone really wants to directly support anti-poaching in Busanga then they should  probably get in touch with either J&M or Ntengu.  Obviously running a helicopter does not come cheap!!! 

 

3) Kafue expectations.  Since becoming a part-owner of Kaingu I have channeled a lot of work into seasonal game loops development just south of our lodge but in the National Park.  We have also done a huge amount of work there with regard to fire management.  Over the 5 years that we have been at Kaingu we have seen definite increases in game densities in this area, last year for the first time the predator sightings really also picked up.  This area and the Shishamba loops (and a few others) are the areas that we use the most.  Obviously with an increased presence in the area and by developing roads it allows us also to facilitate DNPW scout movements and call in illegal activity.  Overall, going by my sightings book 2017 was the best year for Kaingu in terms of sightings.  This is not to say that poaching doesn't happen - it does.  Big time.  But 2017 was the first year since I came here that we did not have an elephant (at least that we know about) killed in the area we operate (both park and GMA).  The great elephant census (or whatever it was called) declared Kafue's elephant population as stable/possibly increasing.  The Kafue is vast.  Tourist utilised areas are a TINY portion of the park and all confined to areas with permanent water sources.  The Kafue is largely miombo woodland and while the carrying capacity of the park is depleted through poaching we must also understand that there are huge areas of the park that never had and never will have the game densities of different ecosystems.  It depends on your expectations.  Peter C has actually put it really well, so I am not going to re-hash the fact that the bottom line is that super game rich areas have a gravitational pull.  This pull means that lodges will spring up and visitors will come in their numbers, the game will be better protected than ever before and the pull becomes even stronger.  To be honest I have had guests on a two night stay say "how can you do safaris here?" on the other hand I have had people on 9 day safaris declare the experience to be their finest ever.  It depends on you and it depends on what you are going to see.  To be honest the more time I spend in this industry the more (for me at least) it is about the whole package.... the game, the circumstances of seeing the game, the guiding standard, the scenery, the camp, the people and culture.  Again, bottom line - if there is no cooperation and mutual respect and understanding then complex issues will never be solved and tourism in its many shapes and forms will be experiencing a thin veneer not connected to most peoples daily reality and struggles.  It is people that will solve all these challenges, not animals.  Personally I feel far too many guests that speak with vehemence to me about poaching do not even realize why people poach and are often incapable of seeing any sort of bigger picture beyond uttering "all poachers should be shot".  Of course this is a generalisation, but don't expect every safari goer is as informed as you are.  

 

4) Elephants being relaxed.  There is an old bull that often times hangs around Kaingu.  He is so relaxed that he has walked up the steps to our house and poked his trunk in the door while we were crouched on the floor 1m away.  On the other hand I have seen a younger bull in his entourage that gives chase to people as soon as he sees them.  Bottom line: you cannot say elephants are relaxed in an area as it is "safe" - there are no safe areas for elephants anywhere any more.  Not just the Kafue, not just Zambia but Africa-wide.   Each and every elephant has had different experiences with people.  They cover huge distances.  Some of the most easily spooked elephants are those of the breeding herd in the plains (around Kapinga island).   Elephant behaviour in a given area on a given day is not really an indication of what is going on in that area.  

 

5) AP involvement in the Kafue.  Just do it please.  The way financial resources are being distributed to DNPW it requires a conservation body with MASSIVE resources to step in.  DNPW is cash strapped.  Operational funds are just not there.  Its great that there are bodies (among which I also include operators as most operators go way beyond what is expected in supporting the Kafue) that are involved in helping conserve the park, but to get the Kafue to where we would like it to be will take millions of dollars and dozens of boots on the ground.  We (as in operators) can do what we can in our 'little areas' to support DNPW but we are putting out fires with barbie sized extinguishers.  It helps but it cannot be the only solution.   But the whole issue is doubtless complex, fraught and with all sorts of dimensions to it.  Saying that a bit of information being put out by AP/DNPW and stakeholder consultation could surely do no harm.....?  To try and show the other side of the coin so to say, I did hear someone say "would you be happy to send your first born child to an orphanage if you can't take care of him?" as an analogy to AP taking over the Kafue.  I am only trying to show that not everyone perceives an AP presence in the way that you or I might. 

 

 

6) Allowing others to use videos for promotional uses.  Disclosure: I know Edjan well.  

It is something that I have also pondered (but with regard to photography).  I have been approached by a few publications and so on over the last couple of years to use my images.  I have no intention (read: delusions) of becoming a pro photographer.  so long as my images are credited and that permission is sought then I am okay with that.  Obviously final use is a factor.  The Huffington post asked to use one of my images.  That made my day!!  But if it had been the Daily Mail or SCI newsletter (assuming such a thing exists) then my answer would have been no.  But as your videos are VLOGS and hence more personal then I understand the dilema.   But again on the other hand (I am real fence sitter at times) you published them on Youtube so you cannot be afraid of them being seen by a wide audience?  My advice would be to ask Edjan if he would consider giving you a few bednights at some point down the line for you or friends/family as a trade.  That way you both win. 

 

7) Just a closing thought.  There are few things "sexier" in safariland than antipoaching.  Catching bad guys with guns is always going to be the sharp end and get the attention.  But there are many, many people who contribute massively in other less glamorous ways.  

 

My own opinion is that from a purely anti-poaching perspective a hell of a lot has been done by everyone involved recently.  The Kafue is still an amazing place.  The sheer size of it has allowed it to escape in ways that a smaller protected area would not.  We should also remember that there are also huge areas of South Luangwa where few operators go and you can drive and drive and drive and see almost zero.  There we go... Kafue insecurity about S Luangwa finally comes out!  

 

I could go on about this topic the whole day, but there are guests around and a generator needing attention so I had better shut up now and go.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ForWildlife]

I think @KaingU Lodge gives a very knowledgeable and balanced view of things.

 

@LarsS I've had organisations use photos from me. If it's for conservation or education (non-commercial) I'm happy to share. If it's commercially for their own financial gain, then they have to pay one way or the other, simple. If a lodge would want to use my photos or videos to promote themselves, I would at least expect a good discount on a next stay.

[LarsS]

Thanks for sharing so much information with us @KaingU Lodge, really interesting to read!

 

19 hours ago, KaingU Lodge said:

"how can you do safaris here?"

This is all about expectations I believe. If you want to see all (or most) iconic African animals, Kafue probably isn't the best place to go. I'm planning a trip with my parents to share our African experiences with them. We thought about Kafue as we liked it so much, but figured out it isn't the best option for a once in a lifetime safari, which it probably will be for my parents. I don't think they will dislike it, but I think their expections will include giraffes, rhino and bit higher density.

 

21 hours ago, KaingU Lodge said:

I am only trying to show that not everyone perceives an AP presence in the way that you or I might. 

Yeah, now I realize it's easy to say something like AP should take over when you're not involved. But if you're among the people who are working so hard and with great dedication, it's not easy to accept if someone else wants to finish your job and get a lot of credits for it when it becomes a success. How does this actually work? Does AP 'take-over' or work together with existing people/organisations?

 

 

@KaingU Lodge and @ForWildlife Thanks for your thoughts about sharing the video. Your thoughts as well as someone else's I talked to yesterday made me think a bit differently about my videos. As the series felt a bit of my 'baby', but when I take a step back, I can see they're not as personal as they appear to me. I'll contact them to discuss some more details and guess I'll probably figure something out with Mukambi. Thanks for advice!