Meet the Manoneys,

Ten elephants who waltzed their way into our hearts and will never, ever leave.

 

One day, two years ago, a huge female elephant crashed through the bush and faced off with us, ears flared wide, head shaking, seven metres away.

A stand-off ensued, with Kristen and I standing side by side talking softly to her until she backed away and disappeared into the bush near Tent 6.

We already knew and loved elephants as a species, but we had no idea at the time that we were about to begin a relationship with this elephant and her family.

 Her name, we learned from the staff, was Maasai, so named for her pierced ear lobe.  Masaai, everyone said, was very dangerous.

One should never hold it against wild animals when they show aggression, especially elephants.  They are intelligent enough to learn, to remember and to express deep emotion.

Maasai was showing us that she knew we were dangerous, because so many humans she had met in her forty odd years of life in the bush had taught her so.

We decided then that we would do everything we could to make Maasai and her family welcome in our camp.

This is the story of the Mahoneys of Chada Katavi...over the next two months, we will introduce you to the whole family, one by one.

Who Likes Pigeons?

Pigeons aren't usually winning beauty pageants in most peoples' minds.  Strutting on a city street, they endear themselves to some people who make a hobby of carrying bread to scatter for them.  To others they are mess makers.

Now have a look at this beauty, with its striking green plumage, vivid red markings and a breathtaking soft blue eye.  Many people report a sighting of this bird like this: "I've just seen an amazing green parrot with a red bill!"

Well, its a pigeon.  A gorgeous, fruit-eating African Green Pigeon. 

Wee, Wet and Wobbly

Brand new to the world, this little thing with its gangly legs and still-wet stripey fur was a sight to see.  During the short time we watched him he even threw down a couple of attempts at bucking playfully.  His mother had a chat with him about priorities, so he re-concentrated on simply walking in a straight line.

Good luck little guy...

Mystery Dinner Guest

Not so long ago, Richard Knocker was in camp.  As our guide and scout trainer for Nomad, his visits are an opportunity for us to spend valuable bush time with a patient, meticulous teacher. 

Richard walks confidently behind the scouts he has trained.

We do like to keep track of the clients we've hosted at Chada, so we were wondering if Richard might be able to help us remember the name of this voluptuous client who showed up at dinner one evening during his last visit.  Any idea, Richard?

Slow Down...Cobra Crossing

When a black-necked spitting cobra crosses the road, some of you might hope your guide keeps driving, over the snake.  Tsk tsk.  Cobras are as protected as elephants and lions, and they can only spit about three metres.  As long as you're wearing sun glasses, you don't have much to fear.  Stop the car and enjoy the show...from a distance.

Pelicans

 

These are Great White Pelicans, believe it or not...they're a bit muddy.  They form up in dredging lines and feast on mudfish until they are so heavy that flight becomes an issue.  This may be why they have one of the largest wingspans of any flying bird in Africa, measuring up to an incredible 3 metres (10 feet).

Conservation...

What do you see when you look over  the Chada plains?  Do you see more than a herd of elephants?  Does this landscape give you a sense of satisfaction when you think of the protection wildlife enjoys in Africa’s national parks and reserves? If so, then you have a conservationist’s heart, and it is time for you to see more...

Read on with care, for this may be disturbing.  If you do not wish to see the fate that befalls many of our wild animals at the hands of men, go no further.  The lust for ivory and the greed that fuels the quest for it is nothing for the faint of heart to look upon.

But if you can’t bear to look, what can you possibly do to help?

Where does a lion go to hunt?  Where the prey is, of course.  And where does a man go to find ivory?  He goes where the elephants are.

This is the body of a bull who was in his prime.  He was shot 15 times.  His face was taken off with an axe and a machete, because a third of an elephant’s tusk length is imbedded in his skull, and greed dictates that not an ounce of ivory is left behind.

Do you wonder where the rangers are?  They are here, of that you can be sure.  They are fighting this war every day.  They are the reason you can visit our parks, the reason for the existence of what remains.  They are the reason that only two elephants were killed from a herd of many.  A poacher knows his shots may be heard, so he attacks swiftly and retreats into the vastness.  He is a needle in a haystack.

For two weeks every month, each ranger lives in the bush, away from his post, sheltered by a rain poncho and subsisting on field rations.  He spends his days standing guard over what he believes to be the future of his nation.

Ranger

 A ranger also fights an enemy he cannot see.  Asian demand for ivory continues unabated.  The tusks of this elephant will be carried on shoulders, bicycles, vehicles, boats and airplanes until they reach the ultimate buyer. 

Through informant networks, the net closes around poaching rings, uncovering ivory shipments while more poachers step up to fill the void. 

If you are a conservationist, next time you are on safari, remember to appreciate each idyllic scene with a deeper understanding of the price being paid to protect it.  Every ranger you meet, at every park gate or airstrip, give him a nod and tell him “Thank you.”  

Ranger in a swamp, returning from the scene

The Nomad Trust is one avenue for you to also fight poaching.  Visit our projects on your next safari to see how community education and development can help to combat poverty and reduce reliance on income that is derived from poaching.