We hope you are all okay despite this horrid Covid continuing. Here in Zambia most people have now had their first vaccination with the second in September / October. We have today got a new President which is wonderful news – all calm in town which is also good news. I am now back in camp after a long time stuck in the UK. My journey was pleasantly uneventful. I got a local travel health clinic in Sussex, UK to do the Covid test for travelling which came back the next day, I had an airline ticket that could be easily changed and off I went, arriving Friday June 18th. A few extra forms to fill in at the airport but it was very smooth and professional - took my temperature on a wide screen TV, a few questions, handed over the COVID PCR copy letter and I was through formalities – all very easy. Masks are still being worn in all public areas and with the Delta variant, some places have had to close and wedding guests limited once again but generally in Zambia, life is very normal. More tests before coming home but that is a long way off so I am not stressing about that just yet.
I am very happy to report that the Kafue National Park has been taken under the wing, on a one year (hopefully to be formalized as 20 years) trial, by African Parks. This is the best ever news for us and all lodge owners appear to be delighted. There was another big meeting a few weeks ago at Mukambi and The Kafue Park Operators Association (KPOA) had contacted us about our requested priorities. For us, we requested early grading – now all done and an excellent job, burning of firebreaks to be back with the responsibility of the camps, not the grader driver! No more collaring, no more game capture, better patrols (although poaching in our area is not really an issue), it is, however still around on the park boundaries, between the camps the request list is long – so watch out for my next newsletter for an update on how they have got on.
For the camp it was obviously a quiet year in 2020 but 2021 has picked up a bit with local visitors and some Internationals. These times, if there were funds, you can do major work on the camp but none of us knew it was going to happen and “battening down the hatches” was the only option. As many of you are aware, we split the staff into two teams, so 9 went off duty without pay for a month and then returned for a full month, swopping alternatively. None of them complained as they all understood the worldwide situation and fortunately with farming etc. some had a chance to extend their home ventures.
The 2020 was quiet, despite a lot of local marketing – we had bits and pieces of business and we put our prices as low as we could in the form of “specials” but it was tough for everyone in the industry. Many camps did close completely, some pushed on, as we did, some went under. The fact we are one of the most accessible camps made a difference so it was mostly weekends we had guests for overnight stays but you cannot live off that.
The assistance to businesses in Zambia was nothing like what was on offer in the UK and on my return in June 2020 to the UK, I applied for a “Bounce Back” loan from Nat West – our UK business bank. I have to say how impressed I was with their phone service and the simple online application – I filled it all in and sent it on a Friday, the money was in the Kafue Camps account on Wednesday! So for the months when we could not meet the salaries, fuel and food, this money was a life saver! Obviously it has to be paid back but it gave us some breathing space. We are not “out of the woods” yet but business with the locals is picking up with lots of public holidays, (known as Long Weekends) around this time of the year.
Sightings have been very good with the drives, walks and boat cruises we are doing. The elephants are prolific and there were Lion in the campsite last night but I don’t think the campers were even aware! Two weeks ago around dinner time a Leopard came into the workers compound and took 2 shoes – one from each pair that Dominic (guide) had left outside his house to dry. The Leopard then returned for a 5 litre container! I think he thinks he is a hyena! Also about the same time, we had 2 Lions at the campsite and they had killed a baby Hippo right by the campsite lounge area.
A rare sighting was a Honey Badger – about only the 4th sighting since we started in 2006. This was on the road into camp. On the first week in June we had a sub adult Lion in camp also. For those of you who are keen birders, we had our first sighting of a Buff Spotted Fluftail which is very rare indeed – this was near the entrance to camp. Yesterday Dominic saw two Cape Clawless Otters by the dining room in the river and about three days ago a male Leopard was seen on Cheetah Loop and was very calm with the vehicle – he was calling for a mate. We had Pangolin sightings but these I don’t advertise generally on newsletters due to the high poaching situation.
Finally we had, in the late rains, a pride of Lions on the beach and also a Lioness has been seen with 2 cubs. Good to see we have some youngsters to grow up in the area.
In the time of writing this newsletter, we have had some other excellent sightings of our two male Lion brothers on Zamloop behind the camp, an otter taking on a very large crocodile and also various good photos all taken by a new young client Iain Macdonald from Solwezi area of Zambia. Finally just now, 2 Lioness from the boat a few minutes ago and a Leopard on the bank the day before when guests were fishing.
Keep in touch and reserve your clients’ provisional booking for later this year or 2022.
Very best regards
Pippa, Patrick and all the Mayukuyuku team.
