LAKE MANZE CAMP NEWS & STORIES

Many different shapes, many different colours for generous variety of mushrooms that popped up in and around Lake Manze camp this month...... read on

 

  
Leopard cubs and newborn Impala in Selous

October 2009 – Lake Manze Camp Selous

The season of impala birthing is starting. Also some tiny leopard’s cubs were recently born and a lot of baby baboons can now be seen jumping off from their mothers’ back.
Everybody is starting to live except the most important thing: vegetation!
Rain doesn’t come and very dry weather heralds the first steps of the hundreds of little impala newly born, the baby zebras who cannot find fresh food around and the many little giraffes testing the last leaves still on the trees.
If the rain will not come soon animals will be at risk.

Alpha male of the Manze wild dog pack with young impala kill - Selous

Good news is that the pack of dogs that were denning near Manze until last August are now being seen again frequently and all 4 adults and 6 cubs are fine, and taking advantage of the plentiful supply of baby impala…

From Sarah, Malcolm, Richard and all the Lake Manze Camp Staff.
We wish you a great Safari in Tanzania!

..if you would like to learn more about wild dogs, visit this site:
www.africanconservation.org/wilddogs/

..and you can contact us at:
www.facebook.com/lakemanzecamp
and www.selous.cc

   

Wild dog puppies in June 2009, near Lake Manze

 

Wild dog pups in July 2009

August 2009 Lake Manze Camp News

For the past eight weeks our guests have been delighted by almost daily sightings of hunting dogs. A family of four established a den not far from the camp, so we could almost guarantee an encounter with them, usually with their seven pups. We could follow their progress, week by week, as they grew bigger and bigger. It is not an easy job for such a small pack to raise pups successfully. With only a small number of adults to go hunting, they have a hard time to bring back sufficient food to regurgitate for seven growing young ones. However, it was frequently commented that the pups looked well fed. Unlike in lion society where the biggest and strongest eat first, in dog society it is the young that eat first. And what formidable killers these adults proved to be. One evening, about 6.30 p.m., they killed an impala by the edge of the lake, near the place where our guests embark for their boat safari. Unfortunately, the kill was stolen from them by a crocodile. Amazingly, only half an hour later, they were spotted eating another impala about 50 metres away from tent no.1. About three weeks ago one pup disappeared and we never found out what happened to it. Then a week ago, the entire family disappeared. Clearly, the pups were now old enough and strong enough for the pack to resume its very wide-ranging lifestyle. The home range can be 150-250 sq.km. in the Selous and as much as 2,000 sq.km. in Ruaha National Park. They go with our thanks for giving our guests so much pleasure and our hopes that the pups will continue to flourish and become healthy adults.

 

Meanwhile, back at the camp the doum palms have been fruiting for the past few weeks and this has attracted many animals, both large and small. The elephants and the baboons find them irresistible. It is only the male elephants who come to this feast. Some of the elephants have learned how to bring down the fruit. One cannot but be filled with awe at the sight of an elephant laying his trunk vertically up the trunk of the tree, leaning against it with his great bulk and giving it a vigorous shaking. The tree trunk bends under the assault and the elephant is usually rewarded with a pitter-patter of fruit falling to the ground. The fruit of the doum palm is known to help human beings with high blood pressure. Does it have the same effect in elephants?

From Richard and all the Lake Manze Camp Staff

Time: 07.05

Guests were just finishing their tea and preparing for their walking safari, when there was a shout of “Dogs!”

Coming from the direction of tent no.7 and running across the dining area was a young impala, hotly pursued by two hunting dogs. The impala was clearly tired and the dogs were closing rapidly. Not 50 yards from us, they caught the impala, killed it, and proceeded to devour it before our astonished eyes.

In 15 minutes it was all over. A few bones, some pieces of skin were all that remained. The dogs departed in the direction whence they had come, and immediately had a confrontation with two young elephants just beyond the dining area. One elephant adopted a threatening posture, ears extended and trumpeted a couple of times, but it was nothing serious. The elephants moved off in one direction, the dogs in the other, and we were left looking at each other. The words “amazing”, “incredible”, and “fantastic” do not do the incident justice. Perhaps the best expression is simply “Wow!”

Richard and the staff at Lake Manze Camp Selous

 

We’ve been back in Manze since 23 May getting ready for the start of the new season on 1 June. The level of the lake is quite high, even though the rainfall in the Selous has not been very good. It’s been raining further upstream in the catchment areas for the Kilombero and Ruaha rivers, so the Rufiji and the lakes have reasonable levels of water. However, already the vegetation is drying out and we are only at the start of the dry season.

For the first week, we had no guests and we worked in the office in the quiet of the night. Each evening at almost exactly the same time, about 7.45, we heard the heavy footfalls of a running animal. By the light of a torch we could see a hippo running smartly towards the staff quarters. It happened so regularly each evening that we began to wonder just why this animal should keep up this nightly activity. Could he perhaps be in training for a hippo Olympics, we speculated? He was evidently getting faster night by night, so the training programme was doing some good.

A day before we were due to open, our faithful visitor, Rafiki, put in an appearance. All the staff were assembled in the lounge and the subject of wages was being discussed. Rafiki came right up to the building and waved his trunk in greeting as if to say, “What about my pay? Do I get an increase, too?”

Yesterday, 3 June, was a remarkable day for game viewing. The first guests to leave on a game drive reported the sighting of a leopard, with a freshly-killed impala. The guide reported the location to us on the radio, so we were able to send off the other guests to see the leopard too. Then the first car saw a pack of four hunting dogs right next to a den, and they could hear sounds from within the den, indicating that there must be pups inside. This is a most exciting development. Although this pack of four was seen regularly last season, this is – as far as we know – the first time they have had pups. We certainly hope they will raise them all successfully. To round off the drive, the guests came across a lioness eating a young giraffe which she had just killed. The news of these sightings was also reported to the camp by radio, so we could arrange for the other guests to see these animals too. Last night we heard lions roaring and a hyena whooping not far from the camp. What a great day and wonderful start to the season!

Richard, Micol and the staff at Lake Manze Camp Selous

End of Season

The season at Lake Manze Camp is drawing to a close. Nearly ten months have passed since we opened for our second season. The first half of the season saw us consistently beating all records for occupancy. More recently, however, the world’s financial problems have penetrated even as far as Southern Tanzania. The number of guests has declined at little, but nothing like as much as other camps in the Selous. Could it be because word is getting around that the game-viewing at Manze is consistently good and the camp has a wonderful ambience, simple but natural, and represents outstanding value for money? Whatever the reason may be, we thank all the wonderful guests who have visited Manze during the last 10 months. We are grateful for your support and we look forward to welcoming you here again...... to read more please click here

16th November 2008

Hunting Dog Update!

Last week we sent you news about a pack of 20 dogs seen near Lake Manze Camp. They continue to provide our guests with thrilling game viewing. Yesterday afternoon, 15 ovember, only 15 minutes' drive from the camp, guests found the pack looking to hunt. Such is the dogs' reputation that there were already some vultures in the trees - perhaps in anticipation! The guests watched the dogs as they hunted and killed an impala. The dogs had nearly finished eating the animal
(it doesn't take long for 20 hungry dogs to devour an animal the size of an impala weighing only 50 or 60 kg.), when three lions arrived. This cranked up the tension again. These were youngish males, in the
prime of life, and the dogs knew better than to risk a skirmish with them. One dog managed to run off with the impala's head, but the remainder of the carcass was left to the bigger and stronger lions. This was mostly just bones and a couple of fleshy parts, but that was all.

Lake Manze is probably not the best place to be if you are an impala, but it's a great place for visitors. This pack is confirming the hunting dogs' reputation as the most successful of all carnivores when it comes to making a kill. (Note to anxious guests: there is no report of dogs ever having attacked man!)

We also have some interesting information from Micol (who used to managed Selous Impala Camp, and is now running Mdonya Old River in
Ruaha). She made a detailed study of the two packs of dogs seen in the Manze area, and she reports that one female from the larger pack of 20 has now moved from this pack to the smaller pack of 3 and has been accepted by them. This is good news indeed. By increasing the size of the smaller pack this helps to make it more viable as a unit for raising puppies successfully. Good luck to them!

07th November 2008
News Flash - Lake Manze

Manze is the Hunting Dog capital of Africa.

For the past three days a pack of 20 hunting dogs has been seen near Lake Manze Camp.

One guest, who has been coming to Africa for 20 years wanting to see hunting dogs, had his wish fulfilled. While he was watching, the dogs started to hunt an impala. Although he did not see the kill itself, he caught up with the dogs only a minute after they had made the kill. The pack includes juveniles as well as adults and they made short work of the impala. The guest took over 200 photos to record the event. Such are the benefits of digital photography.

This morning at 7.00 am one of our Maasai watchmen reported dogs close to tent no.1. Instantly breakfast was abandoned, eggs left uneaten, and coffee went cold while everyone grabbed cameras and binoculars and rushed off to tent no.1. There, just a hundred yards away were 20 dogs, clearly visible! We quickly organised two vehicles, everyone piled in and they set off to get closer. The dogs had killed a male impala and already nothing remained except bits of the skeleton. The dogs were clearly still hungry and were fully alert, sometimes walking, sometimes trotting. There was a small herd of impala some distance away, but as soon as they spotted the dogs, they started running. Rafiki, our resident elephant, was close by, but he ignored the dogs and the dogs ignored him. Two giraffe were also ignored as the dogs moved on, but by now the guests were already late to leave for the airstrip, they had to return to camp. They may
not have had much a breakfast, but they had certainly had a thrilling end to their stay at Manze.

A little later on some more guests followed the pack and watched as they started to chase a male impala. In order to escape from the dogs, the impala took refuge in Lake Manze and started to swim to safety. Alas for the impala, it was out of frying pan and into the fire. The impala attracted the attention of some crocodiles and soon there were ten of them tearing chunks of flesh off the carcass. The crocodiles do this by clamping their jaws onto part of the body and
then spin round like a top to rip off a piece of meat. Crocodiles have no lips and cannot chew their food like other animals, so they swallow it in lumps. They are known to swallow stones, equal to about 1% of their body weight. It is not known for certain why they do this. The stones may help them to sink down in the water, or they may be used to help grind the meat in their stomachs.

The dogs were left on the shore, growling in frustration.

Richard and the Manze camp Team

The dry season gets drier. This brings both benefits and a few problems. The benefits are that animals are concentrating closer to the lake. Our favourite elephant, Rafiki, is now sharing the camp with a number of other elephant visitors. Some are solitary bulls, and some are families of 10 or 12 animals. One family has two calves which we judge to be less than a year old. They glide quietly through the camp at all times of day and night.

Sightings of the rarer animals are becoming more frequent. Five nights ago the guests in tents 8 and 9 awoke about 2.00 a.m., looked out over the side of their canvas bathroom and saw a leopard dragging an impala kill past their tent. We also had a pride of four lions spend the day about 200 metres from Tent no.1. Two parties of guests have been thrilled to see leopard on their way from the airstrip to the camp, and one family saw hunting dogs, leopard and lions all during the 45-minute drive from the airstrip to the camp. When we enquired what they had seen during their drive, their reply was, “Everything!”

One problem, however, is that the falling water levels mean that the boats can occasionally run aground. Don’t worry – our staff are ready for any challenge and they got back to the camp with all six legs intact!

And here is a short note for the bird lovers. We have a Pearl-Spotted Owlet in the camp. This bird has been seen several times, perched in an acacia tree, being mobbed by white-browed sparrow weavers that clearly object to its presence. These owlets are partly diurnal and can prey on nestlings and birds as large as doves, so the sparrow weavers’ anxiety is understandable!

Paolo, Daja and Richard
Lake Manze Camp
30.8.2008

 
"Rafiki" and Paradise Flycatcher at nest, Lake Manze Camp

June 2008

The camp re-opened at the beginning of June after the usual closure for the rainy season. Actually, the rainy season this year did not produce as much rain as it should have and already the park is looking drier than it should do at this time of year.

The first guests were welcomed back by Rafiki (friend in Ki-swahili). He is a young bull elephant who often comes into the camp. He is very tolerant of human beings and, although it would be foolish to approach him closely, he has never displayed any aggressive tendencies. One evening he walked around the entire dining area during dinner and could be clearly seen by the light of a torch, stepping gently past the two fires – which are meant to deter animals!

Game viewing has been good, with frequent sightings of a pride of lion, consisting of one male, three females and seven cubs. The different sizes of the cubs indicate that they are from two different litters. However, they suckle freely from either of the lionesses in milk. Some people say that this shows what good mothers lions are, freely giving milk to any cub. Other people say that this shows what poor mothers they are, being unable to discriminate between their own cubs and those of another mother! Be that as it may, the cubs have entertained our guests by playing and romping, without any apparent concern for the delighted guests and the continuous clicking of their cameras. There have also been sightings of a pack of three wild dogs, and the occasional leopard. Osprey have been seen from the boat on Lake Manze.

Perhaps the most exciting event occurred during dinner a few days ago. We were astonished and delighted to see a leopard walk quietly through the camp. It was easily visible by torchlight and all thought of food was forgotten as guests jumped up to get a good view. We know that leopards do pass through the camp during the night when it is quiet, but to see one at 8.30 in the evening was a new experience.

We also have two temporary additions to our staff in the form of paradise flycatcher chicks. The parents built a nest near the kitchen and one day it was seen that the nest and the chicks were over-run with small ants. The chicks were removed from the nest and the ants removed. The nest was also cleaned and the chicks replaced. Happily, the parents continued to feed them. Then we found one chick on the ground, some yards from nest. Close inspection revealed a nasty wound to the right shoulder and damage to the young wing and its feathers – possibly the result of an attack from a squirrel. It seemed most unlikely that, left to themselves, the parents would be able to take care of the chick. So it was transferred to a new “nest” – a cardboard box filled with grass. We attempted to feed the chick by hand, but it refused all offers of butterflies, so we tried leaving the box near the true nest and to our delight the parents have continue to feed the chick. Two days later a second chick was found on the ground, apparently in good health, but too young to fly. Perhaps it had fallen out of the next. So this chick has joined his/her sibling in the cardboard box, and amazingly the parents are continuing to feed both of them. Yesterday, there was an alarm when a green, tree snake was seen snooping around near the nest, but it was successfully scared away.

We cannot predict what the outcome of this episode will be, but we are hoping that at least one chick will fledge successfully. Wait for further information in our next newsletter.

Lake Manze Camp
Paolo, Daja and Richard