1.
Rare Species - Ground Hornbill
The Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is a large
prehistoric looking bird, with distinctive blood-red eye and neck
wattles. Their predilection for scavenging by the roadside makes them a
common but enjoyable sighting in the Kruger Park. However, a recent
workshop, convened to develop a conservation strategy for the species,
revealed that the population of 1500 birds in South Africa is in steady
decline -
read more
2. Have Your Say
Kenya plans to send 300 captured wild animals to a Thailand theme park.
According to reports, Kenya will receive in return elephant trainers
from Thailand, and the Kenyan tourism sector will be promoted in
Thailand.
This same theme park – now standing by to receive Kenya’s big cats,
rhino, giraffe and hyena – recently euthanased a large number of tigers
who had contracted avian-flu. However, even if there were no threat of a
similar death for the African emigrants, we would not condone Kenya’s
actions -
read more
ecoAfrica has introduced
6 selection criteria - measures that
represent the ethical underpinning of ecotourism. We adopted these
criteria as a means of ensuring that the operations we promote are
committed to true ecotourism, ensuring that the wilderness is conserved
and the local communities supported. One of these criteria is that the
operation does not promote the luring, taming or killing of wildlife for
entertainment. This obviously includes theme parks but extends to
elephant-back safaris as well.
Do you agree with us?
Click here and have your say!
3. Ranger Reports
Okavango Delta - Orient Express
In
the rainy season game disperses throughout the region, effectively
reducing the population densities in any specific area. Having said
that, the general plains game has been seen in abundance in wet
floodplain areas and birding remains consistently excellent. We are all
looking forward to the yearly migration of buffalo, zebra and wildebeest
through the Savute area and our
Elephant Camp. This should begin in a
short while and will no doubt be a spectacular event – bringing a
selection of predators that take advantage of the abundance of food.
The Greatest Show on Earth - Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
From
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in the
Serengeti come reports that an estimated one million wildebeest and
thousands of zebra are moving towards the Ndutu Area, in the
south-eastern corner of the Serengeti National Park where it borders the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There are also thousands of Thomson &
Grant gazelle on the plains of the Northern Ngorongoro Conservation Area
and southern Serengeti towards Naibi Hills Gate. It has been a year of
poor rainfalls and as a result the herds are constantly on the move in
search of greener pastures. It makes for a challenging day out for
rangers and guests as they attempt to keep up with the fast moving
herds.
4.
Traveller Feedback - 7 day Tanzania Wildlife Week
My wife and I had a fabulous 7 days on your
Tanzania Wildlife Week safari! It was a
great holiday and organised extremely well by yourselves and Albatros.
In addition to the Big 5, we saw a Wildebeest calf being born and
running very quickly, within 15 minutes or so! We also particularly
enjoyed being with and observing the people, and the scenery and terrain
were stupendous and the Ngorongoro Crater was magical...a true Garden of
Eden. We couldn't have wished for a more professional guide and he
certainly contributed very strongly to the best holiday I've ever had in
my 50 years!
Very
warm regards, Jerry and Paula
