Tamarind Trees and Elephants

By Philip Pendaeli - Guide, Chada Katavi

We were enjoying an afternoon game drive along the Katuma river. After seeing a lot of hippos, crocs, old buffalo bulls and so on,  we saw an elephant bull in the distance under a tamarind tree. We decided to get closer for the better view and found elephant collecting tamarind fruits on the ground,  as well as vervet monkeys in the tree.

We stayed there for about 10 minutes and the elephant was finished the fruits on the ground so he decided to look for more.  To get them down from the tree, he started shaking the it.  It was great to see him shaking the tree, but more amazing was watching the very surprised monkeys that were in the tree. They held on tight, trying to save themselves from falling to the ground. Luckily, all made it safely!

Hippos moving out of the Katuma River

By Frank Japhet - Guide, Chada Katavi

Hippos spend most of their day submerged in water in order to avoid sunburn, and generally come out at night to graze. In Katavi, you can often see them out during the day time, grazing along the river where it is quiet and secure for them. Hippos have a mucous gland, with a secretion which helps prevent their skin from sunburn or infections.

Also in Katavi some of the hippos leave the Katuma river and establish huge hippo pools in the spring water near Ikuu ranger post. They use the mud to keep their skin constantly moist and to protect their wounds from red-billed and yellow-billed oxpeckers. The mud also reduces the itching from ecto-parasites.

A few years ago from September to December, the Katuma river dried up completely. The hippos recognised this problem and at the beginning of each July they start to shift from the Katuma river to the Ikuu spring waters. That hippo pool is the union of different small family groups, which are know as ‘schools of hippos’. There are currently between 300-400 hippos at Ikuu hippo pool.

Picture by Philip Pendaeli - Sept 09

Katavi's Plain of Amazement

By Emmanuel Moshi, Guide - Chada Katavi

This is Katisunga Plain which is 425 sq km. This extra-ordinary plain looks like the endless plains of the Serengeti. The difference is that the Serengeti plain occurred as a  result of the volcanic eruptions which cooled and created a hard pan which does not allow tree roots to attach. But in Katisunga the area is surrounded by the black cotton soils that hold a lot of water in the wet season, which causes the roots of the trees to rot and not grow. However, the edges of the plain are surrounded by a long chain of borrassus palms.

The area has been a key point for finding different game. The area serves many animals such as topis, which depend on the termite mounds to advertise their territory and scanning.

It also has massive herds of buffaloes that can range from 100-4000 in the same area, always being accompanied by the Katisunga North pride of 12 lions with 6 cubs. Again, it’s a good place to see hippos mudding themselves with their tails in a water hole. Zebras and giraffes supplement their diet by grazing on short grass in the plain for some of the season. 

Picture of Katisunga Plain by Peter Brack

United we stand

 

By Jackson Shirima, Guide - Chada Katavi

One morning we were on the temporarily water-filled Chada Lake and there were eight lions stretching and getting ready for the day. In a distance there was this big buffalo herd of six hundred or more individuals. A few metres from the main herd there was a small group of old bulls and among them a young calf of four months or so.

The lions moved closer, laid ambush as the herd moved on. Three lions closed in on the small group and managed to get the calf. The bulls came to the rescue of the young calf and managed to chase away the lions but then more lions came in and chased the buffalo herd into confusion. In the stampede the lions managed to get the same calf again.

This time the bulls accompanied by a number of females chased away the lions and managed to save the calf. The lions re-grouped and after a short while five of the lions, two young males and three females went for the same calf for yet another time. They managed to get the calf which was getting weak by this time. They held it down for about two minutes before the whole herd of buffaloes closed in on them. A number of females surrounded the calf as if to guard it while some bulls kept a hot pursuit on the lions for about 50 metres and left them.

After about thirty minutes the buffaloes were ready to move on. The lions came to collect their kill but it wasn’t anywhere to be found…the calf had survived!! It is surprising to see how animals can be organized and cooperate to ensure the survival of each other in the given species.