I go home to Zimbabwe at least once a year, partly to visit friends and family, partly for a holiday and partly for “work”… and when I say work, there is a whole lot to do – you see for another website that I run (The Safari Guide), it is vital that I have as many good quality bird and wildlife photographs that I can lay my hands on and I can’t think of a much better place in the world to get them than in Zim.

Travel

So every year I “have” to travel all the way across the globe to one of the best places in the world to view birds and wildlife and then whilst I’m there, have to load up the Landrover with all my gear and drive all around this stunning, beautiful country.

Terrible I know!

Patience

But that is just half the “job” done, the next bit is to capture the images and this is where the real “work” begins. Photographing birds and wildlife takes loads of patience as you usually “have” to spend hours and hours relaxing waiting in stunning wild places like Kariba, Hwange, Inyanga or on the Zambezi for the perfect moment to arrive so that you can then take a few photographs of the wildlife you have come to see.

A few examples of this “toil” include the many, many times that I have spent hours and hours on a boat in Kariba in the boiling heat with only cold beer, a fishing rod and my camera to keep me going whilst waiting for the perfect opportunity to photograph a Fish Eagle, Kingfisher, Swallow or an Elephant.

Or there are the times that I “had” to camp in Chirundu or down the river at Mana Pools to get some more Elephant, Buffalo, Wild Dog and Little Bee-Eater shots.

Then there was the trip to Vumba and Inyanga where I spent the cold evenings curled up in front of a log fire in my cabin to keep me warm, just so I could go out in the morning and get the chance to photo a Samango Monkey, Blue Duiker, a Purple-Crested Lourie (or Turaco as they are now called) or even a Redfaced Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza reichenovii).

Ogh and not forgetting the trips all the way to Hwange and Victorial falls for those all important Ele, Giraffe and Trumpeter Hornbill photos.

I also distinctly remember spending hours in Hwange National Park watching and waiting for a lioness and her cubs to get up from under the shade of a tree so that I could get a decent photograph of her walking through the long grass.

But wait, there was also the time in Matopos, with the Rhinos…

I think you get the idea, it’s a tough job and I have to do it!

Equipment

To get really great close-up photographs of wildlife, especially birds means I have to play with use loads of toys complicated equipment – things like cameras, tripods and binoculars, which are incredibly mentally demanding…

Ok, ok…I think I have to stop there as I can’t keep this up any more. Visiting Zim is something that I really look forward to every year and my wish plan is that one day soon… I will stop having to visit and will spend all year round in such a beautiful country.

Until then… my next visit is in a few weeks time. I have a few incredible trips lined up whilst I am there and a whole bunch of new equipment toys to play with, on top of that I am taking my four month old daughter to visit her grandparents for the first time and to spend some quality time with friends and family and I can’t wait!

For those who are interested – I have a shiny new camera to play with and hope to come back with a whole bunch of new Elephant, Hippo, Imapa, Kudu, Crocodile, Hornbill, or any other birds and animals that will hang around long enough for me to take their portrait! You can read my Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR Review here.

You can aso take a look at a few of the photos I took last year: Beautiful Zimbabwe – March 2010

Imire Safari Ranch will be hosting a bushcamp for children aged between 6 and 12 years of age from Monday 30th August to Thursday 2 September.

Facilities include four empty, thatched huts sleeping four, in which sleeping bags and mats can be laid down, one staff/food storage hut, showers with a firewood heating system, one large mess area with a central fire-pit, seating and food service table, outdoor kitchen with cooking done on open fires, outdoor fire-pit with seating around it.

The cost is $100 per child which includes 3 meals daily, all activities and accommodation.

For more information please contact John Olivey, the Imire Game Park Manager on the below listed details:

Tel: 022 22094
0912 522201
Skype john.travers50
imiregp@zol.co.zw
www.imiresafariranch.com

Or take a look at my article on Imire Safari Ranch.

Funny how sometimes things come together. I was recently doing some research on wildlife places to stay when we next go back home to Zimbabwe to visit family and friends and then a TV program about Black Rhino conservation and Imire Game Ranch on the National Geographic Channel began playing in the background.

I watched with sadness as well as admiration for all the work that John and Judy Travers as well as John Olivey, the Game Park Manager and all their staff were doing to help protect these and the many other wonderful animals on their reserve as well as in Zimbabwe. From what I have heard they have, like many other wildlife areas in Zimbabwe, gone through some really tough times recently. The good news is that they are still up and running and what is more, they have plenty to offer:

Accomodation at Imire

Located just over 100km kms by road or one and a half hours drive south east of Harare, in-between Marondera and Wedza lies Imire Safari Ranch making it an ideal location for a weekend getaway. At Imire there are a few different types places to stay, depending on what you are planning on doing, and obviously if you plan to ‘rough it’ or not. There is always a limited number of people that Imire can handle, so it pays to book early.

• Numwa House
  This is a beautiful five bedroom farmhouse set within the game park just. Guests are entitled to two elephant rides each and are able to walk within the area to their hearts content and are encouraged to bring their own fishing equipment as the house is set upon a fish rich dam. Although no motors are allowed on the waters boats can be brought to the dam and guests are also able to make use of the boats available.
• Sable Lodge
  A simple farmhouse lodge consisting of 6 thatched rondavel cottages with en suite bathrooms set in the heart of the Imiri Safari ranch. The Lodge is small, but there is a dedicated staff to look after you and the atmosphere is intimate and friendly and you will get the attention and service you deserve.
• Bush Camp
  Facilities include four empty, thatched huts sleeping four, in which sleeping bags and mats can be laid down, one staff/food storage hut, showers with a firewood heating system, one large mess area with a central fire-pit, seating and food service table, outdoor kitchen with cooking done on open fires, outdoor fire-pit with seating around it. Ideal for those with their own transport including families, backpackers and school groups. Activities include: fishing, however no motors are allowed on the dam and you must bring your own fishing equipment and boats. Elephant rides, rhino walks and game drives can be organised at extra cost with guides upon arrival or during stay.

Imire Wildlife Volunteer Program

What could be a better way to help wildlife than to volunteer your time and do your bit in saving these astounding animals from extinction. Imire offer you the fantastic opportunity to live in close contact with black rhino, elephants, buffalo and all the other species of animals. To volunteer at Imire the minimum stay is 2 weeks, but a stay of one month is preferable.

Directions
Travel out on the Mutare Road, at the 68 km peg you will cross a railway line, at the 70 km peg (3 km before Marondera) you will see an Imire sign post, turn right here. Travel down this road for 2.5 km and you will see another Imire sign, turn left here. Travel down this road for 40 km and will come to the Imire butchery, go 800m past this and you will come to the Sable Lodge turn off, turn left here and it is 1 km down this road to the lodge.

More Information

For more information on Accommodation prices and booking as well as the Volunteer program, check out the excellent Imire Safari Ranch Website

Zimbabwe Travel Guides

If you are not a local and are looking for accommodation and things to do whilst on holiday in Zimbabwe, the books below feature Imire as well as many other excellent places to stay.

Zimbabwe Travel Guides

Zimbabwe (Bradt Travel Guide)
As political tension relaxes, wildlife enthusiasts and curious tourists are returning to Zimbabwe. With some of the finest national parks in Africa, the country is blessed with stunning landscapes and an abundance of wildlife. The mighty Zambezi River offers adventure holidays and Victoria Falls will leave visitors breathless, while the range of birdlife draws enthusiasts year-round. Game viewing in some of Africa’s finest national parks is a rewarding experience and this guide offers in-depth information on the facilities, advice on itinerary planning as well as how to select a safari. Accommodation is covered with up-to-date information on everything from luxury safari camps to budget stays for younger travellers who arrive overland, heading for the fast flowing waters of the Zambezi gorge.

UK
Zimbabwe (Bradt Travel Guide) on Amazon.co.uk

USA

Zimbabwe (Bradt Travel Guide) on Amazon.com

Southern Africa (Lonely Planet Multi Country Guide)
An excellent book if you are travelling in the region, although it can be a little hit and miss as the book is essentially cobbled together out of other Lonely planet books on the individulal contries and therefore some of the information is out of date. Countries covered include Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

UK
Southern Africa (Lonely Planet) on Amazon.co.uk

USA

Southern Africa (Lonely Planet) on Amazon.com

Link South Africa is selling a wildlife screensaver to raise money for The Friends of Hwange Trust, a group of dedicated Zimbabwean conservationists who have taken into their own hands the care of the wild animals and maintenance, particularly water supply, of Zimbabwe’s largest national park.

What the Friends of Hwange Trust Does

Since 2005, FOH has been responsible for 10 key northern waterholes in Hwange National Park. These are Kennedy One, Kennedy Two, Makwa, Sinanga, Tshebe Tshebe, Mabuya Mabena, Shumba, Tshompani, Inyantue and Shapi.

Owing to the expense of diesel (a single borehole engine uses around 500 litres a month) alternative methods of pumping have been explored. Since 2007, five Poldaw windmills have been established at Kennedy One, Shumba, Mabuya Mabena, Shapi and Tshompani waterholes. Whilst the windmills are robust and affordable, their pumping capacities are limited. Their function is to provide a head start for the waterholes so that they are at least as full as possible by the start of the long dry season, thereby reducing diesel requirements for the drier months.

In the dry season (July – November) the pressure for available water increases, especially from elephant. The Lister engines are kept running continuously and the need for diesel is at its maximum.

One of the trustees, Dave Dell, decided something he could do to help raise money for the plight of Hwange’s animals would be to photograph the wildlife and landscapes inside the park. We have built our screensaver from Dave’s stunning images.

So please sacrifice a couple of coffees this week, spend 10 Kiwi Dollars downloading our screensaver, and help The Friends of Hwange Trust save many many animal lives in Zimbabwe, while you get to enjoy Zimbabwe’s beautiful wildlife on your computer screen every day!

• Click here For more information and to download the screensaver
• Friends of Hwange Trust Website

Video of some short clips from my trip to Kariba in 2009

I only take video when not taking photographs or fishing, so there is plenty that I missed and I just use the video mode on my camera, so sorry for the camera shake! You can take a look at the photos I took on my last trip here: Beautiful Zimbabwe.

A few people have recently askd me about what equipment I use:

Binoculars
As well as a camera, I always have a good pair of binoculars with me and I would go as far as to say that they are as important, even more important than the camera. I mostly use a Steiner 10×26 compact when I travel or walk in the bush as they work well and fold up small enough to easily put in your pocket:

Best Birdwatching Binoculars

Camera
Believe it or not, I don’t use an SLR camera for my photos or a video camera for the films – rather just a single Digital Compact SuperZoom or Bridge camera and in particular the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ series of cameras (The model has been upgraded through the years). The main reasons for this are cost and size. They cost a fraction of a good quality digital SLR and that is not including the telephoto lens that you would have to buy for the SLR as well and they are also far smaller an lighter – therefore much easier to take on holiday with you. I also like the Panasonic’s because you can also get Telephoto Conversion Lenses for them to increase your zoom even more.

For more information, take a look at some article I have written on the Safari Guide website:
Best Digital Camera for Safari and Travel

Music is “Dreaming” by Bud Cockcroft and has been used with his permission – Go to www.budcockcroft.com for more of his songs and to buy.

I have just returned from my latest visit to Zimbabwe where I had an excellent time catching up with family and friends.

Every-time I go back I am stunned by just how beautiful the country, the people, it’s scenery and the wildlife is. Below are a few of the many, many photos I took either in my parents garden in Harare, at Mazvikadei Dam just outside Banket or on Lake Kariba.

Whilst in Kariba I went to see the dam wall because I knew that they had opened a few gates, I had not however expected to find three gates open! The power of the water coming through is incredible and you could even see the spray rising over the town of Kariba from Antelope Island in the early morning!

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher

I hope you enjoy the photos, if you would like to use any please feel free to contact me. I have also recently had a few people ask me about what equipment I use:

Binoculars
As well as a camera, I always have a good pair of binoculars with me and I would go as far as to say that they are as important, even more important than the camera. I mostly use a Steiner 10×26 compact when I travel or walk in the bush as they work well and fold up small enough to easily put in your pocket:

Best Birdwatching Binoculars

Camera
Believe it or not, I don’t use an SLR camera – rather a Digital Compact SuperZoom or Bridge camera and in particular the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ series of cameras. The main reasons for this are cost and size. They cost a fraction of a good quality digital SLR and that is not including the telephoto lens that you would have to buy for the SLR as well and they are also far smaller an lighter – therefore much easier to take on holiday with you. I also like the Panasonic’s because you can also get Telephoto Conversion Lenses for them to increase your zoom even more.

For more information, take a look at some article I have written on the Safari Guide website:
Best Digital Camera for Safari and Travel

Below are a few great Coffee Table type books on Zimbabwe:

The Wankie (Hwange) National Park Beginnings

A story of how Hwange Game reserve begun, taken from “This is our land” by Frank Clements

IT WAS NOT until 1926 that people in Southern Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe) began talking about establishing a game reserve. The idea was first put forward in the Legislative Assembly by Colonel Boggie in 1927. As a result, Native Commissioners were asked to suggest which tract of country would be most suitable, and it was at last decided to set apart an area of some five thousand square miles lying to the west of the railway between Bulawayo and Livingstone and south of the Deka River. It was called the Wankie Game Reserve, and Mr. Ted Davidson was appointed the first Game Warden.

He established his camp near Dett, and pat-rolled the area by lorry under the guidance of a local hunter, Mr. J. G. Lundin. The season had been very dry and the only game to be seen were a few giraffe and ostriches. Never- theless, Ted,Davidson decided to persevere and his first task was obviously to.provide water. The bushmen were his allies, for they had their secret watering points and knew where under-ground water could be found. Ted Davidson spent years wandering around the unmapped interior. There was so little information about the country that when he was asked by his African assistants where he was going, he usually just said “in that direction” so that he was given the name of Dubanyika, which roughly means “through the country.”

Tsetse fly threatened to invade the reserve from the Sebungwe District, and. they could only be driven off by shooting the game be-tween the Reserve and the Gwaal River, and when a fly-free cordon had been established, the park was opened to visitors in 1932. Contemporary accounts report that they were thrilled, although there was little to see, the game population amounting to something between fifty and one hundred beasts only. However, water supplies and protection Increased the game enormously, and by 1949 rest huts and roads had begun to be built. Most important of all, the reserve boundary ha been extended to the Deka River, thanks the generosity of a farmer, the late H. Robins, who bequeathed his 20,000 acrer to the people of Southern Rhodesia to be game sanctuary. Intervening patches of lan were bought and in 1949 the old reserve a the Robins Game Sanctuary were proclaimed a National Park.

As the game increased, additional wate supplies were built up by the sinkiing of boreholes and the construction of dams. The road system by which tourists were able to reach the best game areas was extended and proved, and recently tar roads have made their appearance.

Ted Davidson relinquished his post as Chief Warden in 1960 after 32 years, for 28 year of Which he was ably assisted by his wife Connie, who spent much of her life on horse back with her husband, observing game, tracking poachers, and mapping the country. Ted himself has now donned a white shirt and colla as Assistant Director of National Parks, an when he did so he left behind him a staff which had grown from one European and ten Africans to eight Europeans and one hundred and fifty Africans, working together to preserve the oldest and still the best-known game sanctuary in Southern Rhodesia.

The Rhinoceros is one of my favourite animals and I have had some truly excellent experiences with them. As a guide working on a reserve in South Africa that had a large population of White Rhinos, they always provided me with excellent sightings for both me and my guests. However mostly because of poaching they, especially the Black Rhino are highly endangered.

Save the Rhino Campaign

Bud Cockcroft’s “Run Rhino Run” was the theme tune for the very successful “Save the Rhino” Campaign  in Zimbabwe in the 1980′s that brought the black rhino back from near extinction. The song brings back loads of memories for me, as it was often played on  ZTV’s “Sounds on Saturday”. This video below was filmed back in 1998 at “The Inn Place” at the Holiday Inn, in Harare Zimbabwe, in 1988:

Go to www.budcockcroft.com for more information and to buy Bud Cockcroft’s music including Sunrise in Zimbabwe (the old Air Zim ad), Run Rhino Run music video, and the Dreaming about Zimbabwe.

Len Strydom
The lead guitarist, who you catch a glimpse of playing the awesome guitar solo about halfway through the song was called Len Strydom. On a personal note: I used to have guitar lessons with him in his flat in Harare in the early 90′s, If he ever reads this, I would just like to thank him for all his patience and for creating calluses on my fingers that are still with me today! I’d love to hear how he is doing, if anyone knows.

Zimbabwe Black Rhino Conservation

Zimbabwe is home to the fourth largest population of the  black rhinos in the world.
Unfortunately with the collapse of the economy and just about everything else, there has also been a massive increase in poaching. Poaching of black and white rhinos in Zimbabwe has more than doubled in the past year and organized poaching gangs may have literally been getting away with murder.  Not only do the poachers slaughter rhinos, but they have also been firing on the people who try to protect them. According to Save the Rhino, the London-based organization which supports on-going rhino conservation through financial and in-kind support, the combined population of black and white rhinos was about 830 at the end of 2007, but by December 2008, the numbers had fallen to about 740, despite good birth rates. Already in 2009, 18 rhinos have been slaughtered by poachers who kill the one- ton animals for their horn.  Because of collapsing law-enforcement efforts, not a single Zimbabwean rhino poacher has been sentenced in a court during the past three years.

By the end of 2008, eighty percent of Zimbabwe’s black rhinos and half of its white rhinos were located in the lowveld. These large tracts of land, converted from cattle ranches to wildlife management areas, were created to safeguard the rhino.  Despite recent losses, the lowveld conservancies, monitored by the Lowveld Rhino Trust and linked with Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, still hold 360 black rhinos and provide the best hope for their survival.   >> More Information

Volunteer Program
If you would like to help save the rhino, you can get involved by working as a volunteer on Real Gap’s ‘Black Rhino Conservation Project.’ This ‘save the rhino’ project is based in the beautiful Midlands of Zimbabwe and is endorsed by the WWF. Volunteers help save the rhino by helping out with important day-to-day tasks such as monitoring the local black rhino population out in the field and recording relevant data. The type of people working on this ‘save the rhino’ projects ranges from local Zimbabweans through to other volunteers and respected conservationists. As well as doing your bit to save the rhino it’s also a great way to experience ‘real’ African culture and meet both local people and other like-minded fellow travellers.

The efforts of ‘save the rhino’ campaigns such as this one in Zimbabwe will hopefully help stabilise the black rhino population. However the fight to save the rhino is very much an on-going process and there is no room whatsoever for complacency. By getting involved with this fantastic project you can do your bit to save the rhino for future generations of visitors to Africa.  >> More Information

Other Wildlife Volunteer Programs in Africa

If you are interested in volunteering with wildlife, take a look at my guide to Volunteering Wildlife Work in Africa on the Safari Guide website.

White Rhino and a young calf. I took this photo whilst working at Welgevonden Game Reserve in South Africa

About Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage

Registered Welfare Organization No: (38/77)

Location: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Chipangali is a wildlife sanctuary for animals which stand little chance of survival in the wild. Animals which have either been orphaned, abandoned, injured, born in captivity or brought up unsuccessfully as pets. It is often the last refuge for those brought in sick or injured, and increasingly it is a sanctuary for confiscated animals.

The wildlife Orphanage was established in 1973 by Vivian Wilson and his wife Paddy. Chipangali is not a zoo, it offers a home to orphaned, abandoned and sick wild animals. When possible, rescued animals and birds are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. If safe release into their natural habitat is not possible, animals are cared for and kept for educational purposes and study. Endangered species may undergo captive breeding programs.

The word Chipangali derives from the Chinyanja language it means ‘open friendly country’.

Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage is a registered Welfare Organization (38/77) in Zimbabwe.

You can assist Chipangali’s endeavours by either:

• Joining their volunteer program
• Adopting an orphan
• Making a donation

Chipangali will be greatfull for any support you can give!

Chipangali Wildlife Volunteer Program

No two participants will have the same experience due to the ever changing nature of work being under taken at Chipangali. during your four, six or eight week stay you will be involved in a number of activities which may include:

• Bathing of the black rhino
• Hand rearing of leopards, lions and antelope
• Darting of animals
• Carnivore research
• Radio tracking of leopards, cheetah and brown hyena in the wild

For more info: www.chipangali.com

Other Wildlife Volunteer Programs in Africa

If you are interested in volunteering with wildlife, take a look at my guide to Volunteering Wildlife Work in Africa on the Safari Guide website.