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back to Tuli!!!

Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

update 26th June Well, as I now get the keys to the Landie, I can drive folks around (well kind of: I get to drive the students up to meeting points with Stuart) its kind of entertaining as theres quite a few ellies around again now…we got charged the other day: firstly we got ambushed – an ellie had pushed a tree down over the road, we got out to try and move the tree but then the ellie appeared so we had to jump back in the landie and wait for it to disappear again. Then after driving another couple of hundred metres, I spotted a small ellie at the side of the road, eating a tree…it was too young to be on its own, so we hung about and waited. soon the Matriarch came thru the bush and was cutting off my escape route along the road, so as it approached I quickly drove off along the road, past it – at which point it trumpetted (so loudly that Stuart who was a good 1/4 mile away heard it) and gave chase. As we escaped we drove past teh rest of the herd which was hiding in the bushes where the young ‘un had been!!

lots of fun eh?

Ive been asked to help out at Tuli, so I’m back in Botswana again!!!

basically Charlie the co-ordinator has visa problems so in the short term, I’m working as student co-ordiantor in the camp

its nice to be back and see Stuart and Anna-lein again – nice group of students here too it seems (apart from the fact that theyre mostly giggly girls) Its interesting to see how much its changed here: much drier and less leaves etc on the bushes, but same old Tuli non the less. The ellies are just returning and theres loads of leopard prints (again) though nowts been seen (again!)

more info laterz

Koro Camp, Tuli Block, Botswana

Wednesday, April 4th, 2007

well, we’re travelling again

flew from Ncl to Heathrow to Joburg, SA (loooong flight) and then car up to ‘Alldays) a small town in Northern South Africa, then another car to Botswana.

we’re just inside the Botswana border in a conservation project in KWA Tuli of the Tuli Block. I’ll record the co-ordinates for it next time (I fotrgot to write them down from me GPS this time) so if yer interested you can check it out on Google Earth…or your very own satellite..if you’re particularly lucky……and rich

basically the camp has about 8 ‘students’ who travel around in a Landie driven by Charlie (a girl) or Stuart: the Project leader. we monitor and record sightings of the various animals and birds and of late, the vegetation – so that a long term study can be made of general animal behaviour  etc. and specifically of the project area. The area isnt feenced so the animals are free to roam in and out (mainly out) of it at leisure

its the end of the rainy season…… which was dry (apparently theres a 14 year cycle) most of the bigger animals have disappeared whilst theres water elsewhere – as soon as it dries again, they’ll return as we have year round water here. Ive seen elephants, baboons, zebra, wildebeest, Impala, jackals, Kudu, Steenbok, Klipspringers and various other stuff too  – pretty close up too! (they are getting accustomed to the Landie) got some photos to load up, but its a standing joke now that as soon as I raise me camera they do off!ellie

we’ve tracked leapords a few times – on foot with Stuart leading (with a gun) but havent seen them for over a week now….actyually they havent been seen since I got here (unlucky, moi?) we think theres 3 adults, one with cubs. I was going to use my SAS training and find them – but I didnt wanna show of

and they lied: there ARE spiders here!…BIG fellas too!!!!!

we live in tents and cook our own meals in a concrete kitchen and scullery- or at least the duties are split amongst us on a daily basis (by Charlie) other duties are cleaning and recording various aspects of the game watches etc.

mostly 18/19year olds here, but us oldies are fighting back…theres 4 of us now. ….and we can drink more too (I think)

my first evening here was partly spent in the outside shower (cold….cos we hadnt lit the donkey!…eh???) under a fantastic starry sky. welcome to Botswana!

more to write when I can get on the net again….not sure how often it’ll be….photos to come too