Nevertheless, the camp guards and company conservation guards have battled hard to protect the areas immediately around the camps and this can be clearly seen, as most of the game has concentrated in the protected area. We hope to patrol and protect larger areas of the concession during the next off season.
Short rains did not materialize in December and January as expected and it seems this is the dominant new climatic pattern. The rains did arrive in March though and came down hard all through end of April. The valley experienced a heavy flood for a change. The high waters did the habitat a lot of good, but the wildlife did suffer due to being forced onto higher ground, which is now mostly occupied by human settlement and teak plantations. We suspect that many predators feel again to the indiscriminate poisoning practiced by invading pastoralists in the Kilombero Valley. The buffalo and puku have not been as heavily hit as in the past, but with continued encroachment into the Kilombero Game Controlled Area, things could get worse in the future.
Many positive sightings have been made during this off season by my trackers and camp staff and this should make for an interesting hunting season ahead. A pair of lions with three females occupied the Catfish Camp for a week and caused some loud sound effects during their stay. Once they vacated the area, two separate old lions took over the camp area for another couple of weeks, one on each side of the catfish tree line. Camp leopard was ever present, with an estimated three different leopards around. Other sightings included; warthog, bushpig, bohor reedbuck, bushbuck, serval, genet, civet, zebra, elephant, hippo, buffalo and crocodile. The numbers of crocodile, hippo, elephant and buffalo all have a clear increase in numbers and density around camp.
Well done to the camp caretakers and conservation team for doing a good job in providing a safe haven for the wildlife in the Kilombero Valley.
