Zambia

A day in South Luangwa National Park

Posted on by Iaraf

I am a sucker for species in their natural habitat. I enjoy nature and seeing the God’s creation in all its purity. So when I had the opportunity to visit the South Luangwa National Park in Mfuwe, Zambia I was super excited. I was looking forward to seeing the various wildlife and birds. I was only sad that this impromptu visit meant that I did not have the camera equipment to capture the beautiful scenery and had to rely on a mobile device. That’s OK though because this means I will have to go back and enjoy this properly and I shall be well equipped.

We set out for our three (3) hour game drive within the national park which covers a surface area of 9,050 km² (Now that’s HUGE!). The animals I was looking forward to seeing were Lions, Leopards, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Rhinos and Elephants. Our wonderful guide, who was very knowledgeable of the park and had been a guide for six (6) years, was very enthusiastic and eager to share the ‘magic’ of the South Luangwa National Park with us.

This time of year the Luangwa River is quite dry and as such the land is dry and bare and the rivers are crowded with hippos and crocodiles sharing the little water that is available to them.

Hippos in the L

I saw the mighty African Fish Eagle from a distance in one of the trees and I was in awe of its magnificence. I couldn’t believe that I was physically gazing on its majesty in ‘real life’ because I would always see it on ZNBC (Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation) descending to catch a fish in the river.

antelopes

Impala grazing. Notice that impala have black markings on their rear and they have a white patch on their belly area.

We got to see a herd of antelope grazing in the park. There were quite a number of them. I was actually on the impression that all these antelopes were the same until our guide informed us that the ones I was convinced were Impala were actually Pukus. He actually indicated that there are a number of breed of antelopes.

Pukus. Image courtesy of wikipedia

Pukus. Image courtesy of wikipedia

An elephant family taking a stroll. Notice the female elephant's head is more pronounced compared to the male who is next to the tree

An elephant family taking a stroll. Notice the female elephant’s head is more pronounced compared to the male who is next to the tree

I got to see so many elephants in the park. It was truly a phenomenal sight. It was not my first time seeing elephants but It was my first time seeing them in their natural habitat and that was just an amazing experience. I saw a number of elephant families and got to understand a little bit more about them thanks to our guide. I initially thought that if you wanted to differentiate between a male and a female elephant it would be through their tusks. I thought the male had longer tusks and females had much shorter tusks. But lo and behold, my assumptions were very wrong. The way to tell them apart is the size and the shape of their heads. He also eager to inform us on the fact that some elephants have no tusks and that is is because of their genetic make up.

As we were enjoying the wonderful views of the park, our guide got a tip that a spotted animal was lurking in one of the trees in the park. Our guide/driver quickly stepped on the pedal and voom, we set off in pursuit of the tree that had the leopard. As we got to the tree, I could not believe that I was gazing at the live leopard in the WILD! I wanted to scream but couldn’t . Our guide told us that we needed to whisper so we do not agitate or scare off the leopard and so I had to express my excitement using my ‘library’ voice. Before we knew it, more  game viewing vehicles came through to see the park celebrity. The spotted fellow realised that he had company and began to ascend higher into the tree and hid amidst the branches. I could not get a picture of it because of the device I was using and also because he (or she) did a great job with hiding from the crowd. Unlike the other cats, this spotted animal usually ‘rides’ solo and is seemingly quite a loner.

We also heard there were a pack of lions taking a ‘power’ nap in the park but they too were so well camouflaged. I think they are undoubtedly one of the best at blending in with the environment. By the time, we got to the spot where the lions were, we found that they had moved and gone into one of the nearby lodges and we could not access them but could only see them from a distance. It took me over five (5) minutes to spot the King of the Jungle lying down and that took using a pair of binoculars!

After our cat appetite had been quenched, we took a drive to the other side of the park and found the tallest animal in the park who is the giraffe-the Thornicroft’s giraffe or Luangwa giraffe to be specific. This long-legged created is endemic to this national park.

The Luangwa giraffe or Thornicroft’s giraffe. The distinct feature is that it does not have patches from its knees to its feet.

The Luangwa giraffe or Thornicroft’s giraffe. The distinct feature is that it does not have patches from its knees to its feet.

Our guide regaled us with many more wonderful facts about the various animals in the park and we got to see lots of other animals such as the kudu, buffalo and birds like the guinea fowl ( yeah there were a zillion of them in the park) and the vultures. I even had an opportunity to get a selfie in the midst of all the game viewing :). If you see notice, there is one particular animal that was on my must see list that I did not see not because  it was hard to find but because of other reasons which I will share in my next blog. I really look forward to going back there again and this time I shall be well equipped and also make sure to experience the night game drive too.

A warthog or wild pig enjoying the shade and relaxing in the park

A warthog or wild pig  infamously known as ‘Pumba’ enjoying the shade and relaxing in the park

Taking a selfie in the park with a school of hippos in the background

Taking a selfie in the park with a school of hippos in the background

What have been your experiences with the wild? Let me know.

Elephantiasis

Posted on by Iaraf

Over the weekend a friend of mine shared an article on Elephantiasis and how it has affected 10% of the population in Kitwe (http://www.postzambia.com/news.php?id=8891.) It got me interested in how much people know about this disease and whether they know that it can be prevented. According to the World Health Organisation over 120 million people are infected, with about 40 million disfigured and incapacitated by the disease. That is a huge population to be affected by the this disease and even more concerning is that people are unaware of its dangers.

So what is Elephantiasis and how does one get the disease. Elephantiasis or Lymphatic filariasis is a disease that affects people in the tropics. This disease is transmitted to human beings from mosquitoes.  You can get more information on this disease here http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs102/en/

Mosquitoes are infected with microfilariae by ingesting blood when biting an infected host. Microfilariae mature into infective larvae within the mosquito. When infected mosquitoes bite people, mature parasite larvae are deposited on the skin from where they can enter the body. The larvae then migrate to the lymphatic vessels where they develop into adult worms, thus continuing a cycle of transmission.

Infection is usually acquired in childhood causing hidden damage to the lymphatic system and so one can have this for a long time without it showing. As such, the Zambian government is currently undertaking a massive administration exercise against elephantiasis to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to receive these drugs. These drugs will kill the worms in one’s body that could most likely cause the disease. Various districts are already undertaking this exercise. I would encourage you to visit your local government clinic to get more information and also obtain the drugs.

The Case of the Dodo Bird?!

Posted on by Iaraf

I am an avid fan of the Travel Channel and it usually has these “did you know” segments where they give some facts about different countries. I came across one on Mauritius and that the Dodo bird. This flightless bird was once in abundance but is now extinct and all we have left of it are its remains in British museums and Wikipedia that tell us of its existence.
Over the weekend I read an article on Mwebantu News Media Facebook page indicating that the ban of hunting lions and leopards had been lifted by the Minister of Tourism. I was taken aback by this statement because just two (2) years earlier then Minister of Tourism banned the hunting of these animals because their numbers were decreasing. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zambia/9793371/Zambia-bans-hunting-of-big-cats.html)

“The cats are gone, and no amount of convincing from any sector or group will convince me otherwise,”

I was very keen to hear whether the lifting of this ban means that the numbers had become too many and the hunting would help moderate the numbers but all I got from the statement was that this is a very profitable business and that the revenue that would be collected from this would be ‘beneficial to all Zambians’ (http://www.times.co.zm/?p=59137). I would like to know what are the current numbers and what measures have been put in place to ensure that the hunting would not endanger our Big Cats from being extinct like the Dodo bird. Have the lions and leopards managed to breed to such an extent that in two (2) years their numbers are so large that they can be hunted? Has this really been well thought?
Currently, there is a petition to stop the government from lifting the ban on social media and I have seen many foreigners have signed it. I also noted that some have even vowed not to visit Zambia because of the fact that we are now allowing our cats to be hunted so this leaves me to wonder who then will be hunting and how will this attract tourism if it is not being received positively. (http://www.zambiatourism.com/zawa-explains-hunting-ban-lift)
I personally feel this decision should be revisited by the government. It may be a lucrative venture according to them but what about being stewards of the creation that God has blessed us with. I don’t want my children to be reading about lions and leopards in Zambia from Wikipedia and not be able to physically see one because we failed to be good stewards of our wildlife. Or maybe we enjoy seeing Facebook posts from Melissa Bachman smiling next to her kill.
Here is a link to the petition.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/840/418/945/stop-government-who-is-lifting-ban-on-the-hunting-of-lions-and-leopards-in-zambias-game-parks/?taf_id=13797762&cid=fb_na#

Education: A world of Possibilities

Posted on by Iaraf

My husband recently told me a story about a lady who appeared on Oprah and told her story of how she came from a village and was not allowed to go to school. She then taught herself how to read and started doing her brother’s homework and eventually earned a doctorate degree in the United States. I then googled this story and found that the name of that lady is Tererai Trent. It was not an easy road for her because there was opposition for her to go to school but she was so determined to get an education. She now has a foundation that helps impoverished communities in Africa. You can see more of her remarkable story here.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Tererai-Trents-Story-Video
I then remembered an article I read a while back where the outgoing Chinese ambassador to Zambia was appealing to the Zambian government to invest in the Education sector if development is to be achieved. He indicated that when education was not emphasised in China, the country’s development was slow with a GDP per capita of $2000 but when it emphasised education, the GDP per capita increased to $7000.
Zambia’s GDP per capita stands at $821.56 as of 2013 (http://www.tradingeconomics.com/zambia/gdp-per-capita). That is a serious disparity with what China had in 1978. Clearly there is something we are missing and I believe former ambassador Yuxio is right.
(http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/06/16/economy-can-improve-fast-zambia-invests-heavily-education-outgoing-chinese-ambassador/)

Illiterate people cannot contribute to the development of the country hence the call for the Government to invest in the education sector.

I tried to search the web to see what exactly our situation looked like in terms of Education in Zambia and what I found was alarming. Overall in terms of the Human Development Index, Zambia is one of the worst ranked in SADC and when it came to education stats, the picture is quite grim.  These statistics from the UNICEF website and give an overview of how education looks like in the Zambian context. (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/zambia_statistics.html#0).

I could not find any publications of our own from our indigenous think tanks like the Zambia Institute of Policy Analysis and Research. So it could either mean two things: 1) I may have overlooked it or 2) No official research has been done for Zambia showing how Education has impacted on development and how the educational policies have created an enabling environment for development to happen.
Yes it’s important to celebrate the milestones and having more children accessing primary education is great but there is still the possibility of a girl being married off at 14 and a boy completing his secondary school education but cannot afford to go to university.  And even if there is a population that manages to attain post-secondary school education is it sufficient enough to drive the economy and is what they learn practical enough to use to develop the country? Ambassador Yuxio indicated that he was god-smacked at the fact that Zambia relies on foreigners to develop its mining sector. For him, this was unfathomable and he couldn’t understand why Zambia allows this to happen.  This says a lot about our current education sector and that we still need to do a lot more to ensure that the human capital is relevant and kept abreast with the current prevailing environment for development to occur. With the current stats, it shows we have merely won a battle but not the war.

To Have and To Hold

Posted on by Iaraf

I recently attended a wedding ceremony in my small town this past weekend and it left me in awe. It’s got be one of the best wedding ceremonies I’ve attended hands down. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia on how wonderful wedding ceremonies are and how we have lost the value of attending what is the essence of the wedding and opted to enjoy free drinks and food at a reception.
People were not wearing the latest fashion trends or had the most expensive and elaborate hairdos and the couple did not leave in a black limo but they all had one thing in common – they were SO HAPPY! (Not that I am saying having a limo at your wedding is a bad thing)
As the groom anxiously waited for his bride with nervousness and excitement and as the bride waited in the car patiently for her grand entrance, I observed with surprise how full the church was with guests anxiously waiting to witness the ceremony. It was a little shocking to me because in Lusaka where I am from, services are rarely filled to capacity-at least for the weddings that I have been privileged to attend.
The couple were not able to afford a wedding reception so the church ceremony was tailor made to accommodate certain activities usually seen at the reception. After the vows were exchanged, the couple cut the wedding cake and the family representatives gave speeches and thanked everyone for their contribution to making their special day possible.
It brought warmth to my heart when an elderly couple decided to sing for the newlyweds a special song talking about how marriage is wonderful and that it is not ‘Shipikisha’ Club (a marriage where you just have to endure). They talked about how it is great being married to your best friend and that 1+1 in marriage equals 1. We all left the wedding refreshed and I more so, with renewed hope as a married person. I just wanted to give my husband a big kiss and reaffirm that being married to him was the best decision I ever made in my life because of what I just witnessed at the wedding ceremony.
I couldn’t help but think of how we can be so consumed with the details of the wedding that we forget that there is a marriage that is taken place- a union of two souls, a lifetime of friendship that is about to begin.
In the end it’s not about the lavish accessories and intricate details of how the weddings looked but about the celebration of witnessing two individuals make a life commitment to one another -the true essence of marriage.