Kariba animal update

Trust Details At Bottom Of Email

REMEMBER: When Driving or walking,

Animals always have the right of way !!!!

ROAD SIDE GROWTH DANGEROUS FOR VEHICLES, PEDESTRAINS AND WILDLIFE

Sadly this is still not dealt with seasonally by the Authorities with not just grass growing right up to the side of the tar but dense bush and trees starting to grow over the tar roads in areas.

This poses a danger to pedestrians, vehicles and wildlife. Not only because of the seasonal Lion activity in Kariba but also on Game corridors/road crossings, where coming around a corner and not being able to see much due to the tall and dense growth only to find Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Bush buck etc. on the road.

This leads to accidents and unnecessary trauma to ALL.

Every year KAWFT cuts the main Game Corridor between Cutty Sark and the top Baobab turn off to lessen the drama.

This year a kind resident has done the cutting and we will go in and tidy up where the grass cutter could not reach.

Big THANKS  and appreciation for this as well as to Breezes for slashing the area they maintain litter free from AMC to Caribbea Bay Bus stop. Also to Padenga who cuts the roadsides from Kariba to Makuti every year and is in the process of doing so now.

GAME CORRIDOR BEFORE CUTTING FRIDAY 8 APRIL 2016

    

 

GAME CORRIDOR AFTER CUTTING FRIDAY 8 APRIL 2016

      

TELEPHONE WIRES AND WILDLIFE – April 3 2016

At the weekend on the Cutty Sark road an Elephant got his tusks caught up in the “low hanging” telephone wires pictured below and when he finally managed to untangle himself he was very very angry.

The Ele caught up in these is the same Gentleman mentioned below in the Road Block

                    

    

We have been pointing this problem out to Telone for almost  2 years now regarding hanging wires, wires left rolled up on the road side.

Snares are being made from these telephone wires and Wildlife is getting caught up in the hanging wires as well.

All of the below photos are taken from March through to July 2015 and still these lines are left for Wildlife to harm themselves in and for poachers to make good use of the wire.

We would like to remind the public that being in possession of copper wire holds a minimum jail sentence of 10 years and if they are made up into snares, more time is added on. Our Kariba Authorities have had a number of criminals sentenced for the above the past year or so.

Telephone wires on the Baobab ext road ( on your right after Cutty Sark road, before Batonka turn off) were also photographed last year, hanging low for an Elephant or Kudu to get tangled up  in.

   

The telephone wires pictured below, by Nyamhunga  turn off have been hanging on the ground for over a year now.

Zebra have been seen trying to pass through them and there will be continued problems with these. The same story goes for the Airport area and along the main road through to Makuti.

ELEPHANT ROAD BLOCK – March 2016

       

The girls eventually ended up in the thick bush down the side of C/Bay towards the shore line.

      

A Kariba resident called at the office at early morning 30th March to say there was a Cow herd on the road near the back gate of Carribbea Bay and some others further on. This is "work time" traffic time, so we needed to get on the road and calm the traffic and Eles down as the girls were with the little ones and were becoming extremely agitated with all the traffic.

The girls eventually ended up in the thick bush down the side of C/Bay towards the shore line.

The boys … .well we have “Sucker” on our foreheads and they know we are going to give them a full on escort, up front and back, to where they have decided to go.

So after visiting with the girls these 3 decided to head towards AMC and Polly’s take away.

These boys hang around Baobab through to Chawara side and most will recognize “Rip” van winkle – large piece of left ear missing. He has tried snapping an electric fence a number of times.

“Rip” van winkle

“Toothpick” is a stroppy young boy !!! – no photo of him on this day as he was playing at being a Mountain Goat down the steep sides of both sides of the road.

A Gentleman of note is this one (am sure he is a sibling of our beloved Sorefoot). This boy with his left ear tattered down the side and right tusk missing a piece, has been escorted before and whilst blocking traffic for a while he then moves off the road to let vehicles pass and then moves on down the road again, urging us to continue forward please …

2 hours later they peeled off the road down into the bush behind Marinland Workshops.

SAME DAY – LATE AFTERNOON  - ignorant and selfish people

Everyone heading home after work.

KAWFT coming from Mahombekombe side, rounded the second corner before AMC to find Rip and Toothpick back up on the road.

Parked in a precarious and dangerous area between two corners, frantic phone call to Bob Collet at Marineland to please come up and slow down the end of day traffic coming from the other side, past or from AMC.

Gentleman Ele was now visiting his bin outside AMC/Polly’s and would not allow anyone near or to pass, until he had finished searching for any treats – So Bob was stuck there !!!

A white car came speeding around from AMC side, passed between Rip and KAWFT, did a fast turnaround behind us at the first lay by, sped back and stopped the car just in front of us and at the very most 4mtrs away from Rip, who was on the side of the road.

The driver took photos, eles were calm so no drama.

Then the driver advised his wife holding a small baby, to get out the car and stand between the Elephant and the car so he could get a photo of them !!!

The Elephant’s response was obvious and the lady and her baby are VERY LUCKY that they were not tossed and trampled by the Ele.

The lady jumped back in the car and the driver sped off, leaving KAWFT praying that Rip did not continue his charge onto us as we were unable to go forward or backwards. A very scary few minutes ensued as the Ele calmed down again, leaving us in shock and VERY ANGRY with the behavior of this person.

As normal,  selfish and ignorant people put other people’s lives in complete danger and those of Wildlife at risk by their inconsiderate and completely foolish actions.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals – Mahatma Ghandi

EASTER WEEKEND – Porkies

Photos taken by KAWFT on an early morning jog, 2 little Porcupines. They were off to search for their Easter treats.

      

LION SIGHTING REPORTS WEEK BEFORE EASTER TO DATE

LIONESS - reported to Parks along with photo

07:30am Easter Sunday 27 March 2016 -  opposite Nyanhewe primary school in Nyamhunga.

LION  - PETERS POINT, CAMP HILL, KUSHINGA LODGES

The week before Easter there were numerous reports of sightings in this area.

Easter Sunday 27 March 2016 Lion were also heard calling mid morning in the dense gulley running down the side of Kushinga Lodges.

LIONESS DR MUZA – Sighting  main road – Heights

Thursday 24^th March. The first report of this lion sighting below was around 2130hrs,then when driving down from the heights about half an hour later she was seen still lurking in the bushes just off the road.

LION ACTIVITY  5 APRIL

There have not been any recent reports from residents. Parks seem to have chased the part of the pride that was hanging around the Peak area and hunting dogs.

However they have been acitive around the Dump area with spoor and calling the night of the 4^th April.

PLEASE REPORT BURNING OR CHOPPING OF TREES . DOMESTIC HUNTING DOGS, INTIMIDATION AND ILL TREATING OF WILDLIFE AS  WELL AS ILLEGAL SAND & STONE REMOVAL, TO KAWFT AND BELOW PARKS AUTHORITY NUMBERS

PARKS & WILDLIFE

ZIMPARKS AREA MANAGER  -  Mr D Sithole 0775 971 799

ZIMPARKS SENIOR RANGER – Nicholas 0772 762 500

MUNICIPAL SECURITY – for Municipal areas

MUNICIPAL SECURITY OFFICER – Mr Nyamapfeka  0773 920 726

For any donations, help offer, more info, or information on injured animals or incidents with Wildlife please contact below

kawf2011@gmail.com

Phone numbers

Nick Grant  0772 607 214 – HARARE

Debbie Ottman  0773 996 487- KARIBA

Sonya Mc Master  0772 874 352 – KARIBA

Dick Mc Cowan Hill 0772 600 187 – KARIBA

WHATSAPP  NUMBERS -for photos or messages

Sonya Mc Master 0778 733 784

Debbie Ottman 0784 512 921

DONATION PAYMENT OPTIONS

  www.paynow.co.zw/kawft

ECO CASH REGISTERED NUMBERS for donations below

Sonya Mc Master (Registered Name – Stroebel) 0772 874 352

Debbie Ottman  0773 996 487

Or contact us for KAWFT bank acc. details

FACE BOOK -  www.facebook.com/KaribaANimalWelfareFundTrustKariba

ECO CASH DONATIONS/REMITTANCES FROM OUTSIDE ZIMBABWE

Remit your donations from outside Zimbabwe to one of our Eco cash numbers by following the below link and choosing which Agent your would like to go through

https://www.econet.co.zw/ecocashdiaspora/chitoro.html

ECO CASH AGENTS & PARTNERS

Chitoro – from UK only

Worldremit – around the world

Western Union – around the world

Moneygram – around the world