Welcome to new members Sally & Craig Shiels who have recently subscribed to CLZ. Sally is a qualified veterinarian from South Africa who has assisted CLZ on darting issues in the past. Welcome aboard, we are delighted to have you join. Farewell and best wishes to our former chairman Mr. Trevor Long and his wife Elle. Elle has recently secured a contract in Guatemala, as a result Trevor and Elle will be leaving Zambia in mid October. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Trevor and Elle for the time and energy they have both devoted to CLZ over the past five years. Many members agree that CLZ would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for Trevor’s foresight and dedication. Thank you both and we wish you well with whatever the future brings.

Trevor resigned from his position as Chairman of CLZ on the 11th August 2001 to allow time for a smooth handover to a new interim Chairman. Grant Cumings has assumed the position of interim Chairman while Ian Stevenson former Vice Chairman has exchanged positions with Alan Watson former Head of Antipoaching. Our new team seem to be working well together and morale within the organisation is extremely positive.

Sadly we say goodbye to Edwin Matokwani and his wife Leah who have been with us in the Valley for the past 12 months. Congratulations to Edwin who has received a promotion to Regional Manager and will now be based in Mfuwe. Thank you Edwin and Leah for the difference you have made in the Lower Zambezi Valley - Luangwa Valley don’t know how lucky they are. CLZ would like to offer a warm welcome to our new Area Warden Ms Bernadette Mwila, we look forward to continuing our support and working with you.

Lower Zambezi National Park had a good record this year as far as ivory poaching goes with only one elephant recorded poached within the park boundaries up until the end of August. Unfortunately, at dusk on the 3rd September Kulefu reported gunshots just behind their camp. A rapid response unit was dispatched that night but the poachers had fled under the full moon and only the carcass was found the following morning. Further investigations revealed another elephant carcass believed to have been taken down by the same group. Sadly we lost a total of 4 elephants during that 10 day period bringing the death toll to five for the year to date. However, the good news is that on the 12th August between the Long family and Jaco, Chiawa Camp Manager just over 500 head of elephant were counted in the park in only 2 herds.

Apologies that our newsletter does not have the space to list every officer and patrol team that have given such an outstanding performance over the last couple of months. It is important for our members to realise that while the rest of Zambia has been on strike the ZAWA personnel responsible for our area of support in the Lower Zambezi Valley Management Unit (LZMU) have not missed a beat. If anything ZAWA has had more patrols out in the last two months than ever before. CLZ has supported ZAWA with deploying a record 835 man days throughout the National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas (GMA) in the last two months. This also included a major operation "Clean Up" masterminded by Ranger Steven Malongo. The operation ran for 5 days from 10th to 14th Sept involving 30 Wildlife Patrol Officers (WPO’s) and 4 vehicles working round the clock. Sweeps were conducted through villages north of the escarpment from Rufunsa GMA through Mulalika Area to Chiawa GMA. The operation was extremely successful apprehending a number of suspects and recovering numerous illegal firearms. If rumors of the effects of ZAWA’s strikes in other Zambian National Park’s are any indication of what is happening elsewhere, we in the Lower Zambezi are extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated ZAWA team. Our congratulations and thanks go to all ZAWA personnel in the LZMU. CLZ has attempted to show our appreciation, even if only in a small way, to ZAWA personnel for their perseverance, during such a difficult period for ZAWA, with gifts of ration packs.

"Bluebird" is at last back in the sky thanks to our Treasurer Tine Astrupgaard who has spent many frustrating hours on the phone chasing the exhaust and payment between Lusaka and South Africa. Ian Stevenson having completed

his Private Pilots Licence earlier this year in New Zealand and his Zambian conversion, has taken over from Trevor as Chief Pilot. Bluebird will now be stationed in the valley. Many thanks to Theo Goveia of Airwaves who has given CLZ free landing and permission to erect a hanger at Royal Airstrip. Thanks also to Burt Groves of Staravia for allowing us free parking whenever in Lusaka.

Operators in the valley are doing a brilliant job reporting any abnormal activity in the valley to ZAWA and CLZ as soon as possible. Thanks to them not a lot goes on unnoticed.

Four years ago CLZ facilitated a meeting where an agreement was reached between Valley stakeholders and the local community. The operators agreed to pay a Land User Fee to the community and in return the community would refrain from hunting and commercial fishing in the Chiawa GMA east of the Zambezia Wildlife Sanctuary. Problems have arisen as even though Operators have continued to pay their Land User Fees the community has not received these funds. As a result since June this year a number of fishing groups have been sent to raise money.

5 months and USD$5000 later (not including fuel contributed from stakeholders) our road crew and grader have been withdrawn, and what do we have to show for it? Not only a relieved Riccardo but also 163 kms of main roads and 49 kms of loop, side roads and access routes to Observation Posts (OP’s). We now have 12 OP’s, 9 that have road access and 3 with foot access. The OP’s are strategically located close to the base of the escarpment offering a good coverage of most of the valley floor between Chakwenga and Munyameshi. Unbeknown to Ministry of Roads they have kindly parked their grader at Masstock for the wet season. We hope to have use of it again next year to enable us to get the road graded earlier and finish off a few more OP’s and an access road right along the base of the escarpment from Chongwe to Chakwenga and part of the Eastern GMA.

Our repeater system seems to be coping OK with less solar panels. The only hitch we have found so far is a slight problem with the alarm system. It appears that during the heat of the summer months the natural expansion of the set up is enough to trip the alarm. With the assistance of ZAWA’s technician we hope to have it sorted out sometime early October. It appears many operators have experienced technical difficulties after having had their radios programmed. This has allowed them access to other operators’ private repeater channels. We would like to ask operators to please have these problems rectified and advise them that it is illegal to transmit on someone else’s private channel.

3 months down the track and our valley net has proven to be a very useful form of communication between CLZ, ZAWA and Operators.

On the last valley net it was decided that 1400 hrs on a Tuesday would be a more suitable time than 1200 hrs. The new time will take effect from Tuesday 9th October.

Our heartfelt thanks to Yancey Walker, Mr. D. Hibbard and the Cincinnati Zoo for their extremely generous donation to CLZ for operations. With the final round of Danish funding ending in November research is currently underway for CLZ to take on a two year educational project, one that is perhaps well over due - watch this space!

Donation boxes haven’t done quite so well over the last couple of months but every little bit counts. Royal Zambezi USD 46.00

Kanyemba USD 40.00

Sausage Tree USD 20.00

Chiawa Camp USD 9.30

Misc USD 5.40

Well done to all the above camps your efforts are much appreciated. As we are approaching the end of 2001 season we would like to advise all Operators that leaflets are no longer on ration therefore please feel free to issue to all guests. Should you run out just contact Lea or Ian at CLZ Base Camp.

Business as usual means busy as usual, not only have we had the busiest month ever with antipoaching, we have also hosted a number of CLZ and Valley meetings.

11th August CLZ Board Meeting

13th-15th August Expedition to Luangwa Boma by river

19th August LZOC Meeting

26th August LZOC Meeting

7th September CLZ Board Meeting

18th & 19th September AWF visit to Lower Zambezi Valley

23rd September LZOC Meeting

October and November already is heavily booked with an AWF/ZAWA Wildlife Capture Course and Serum Survey, Safari Guides Examinations and MARS First Aid Courses. Once again thanks go to Musa of Bundu Auto Repairs who with his team is doing his best to keep ZAWA’s vehicles on the road. CLZ is currently investing in a new Landcruiser. Our old green cruiser donated by Humba Bush Foundation has served us well but unfortunately can no longer keep up with the ever increasing demands placed upon her. She would however make an honest game drive vehicle for anyone willing to give her a good home. Interested parties please contact Alan Watson or CLZ Base Camp.

© Afrikeye 1999 - 2007 (certain items under permission of original copyright owner)

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