THE STORY OF QUININE

Quinine was first recorded by the Jesuits in 1633 but it was hard to come by in significant quantities so the British had tried to established plantations to manufacture it on a large scale but the yields had been disappointing. Then in 1840, a British trader named Charles Ledger got some seeds of a subspecies of the plant while on an expedition in Bolivia and recognizing their potential economic value, tried to sell to the British. They declined so Ledger sold his seeds instead to the Dutch who planted them on Java. The yields were spectacular and its proven efficacy, as an antidote for malaria, was firmly established by 1850 and its wide scale availability would make travel in the interior of Africa survivable for the first time in history. 

As the Empire spread into all corners of the globe quinine became an essential medication and it was usually taken in the evening with a dash of soda water and to mask it’s bitter taste, a teaspoon of sugar- along the way someone added and a slice of lemon and a slug of gin and the Gin and Tonic was born! Charles Ledger died in obscurity and was never acknowledged for the critical part he played in making possible the greatest empire that the world has ever seen and the origin of the world’s most popular sundowner- the G&T!

The "discovery" of Victoria Falls

On the 17th of November 1855, David Livingstone arrived at the falls the local called "Mosi O Tunya" and was presented with the sight that has taken many-a-breath away. There has been much conjecture if he was, indeed, the first European to visit the Falls but one thing is certain, he cannot have "discovered" them since there is ample evidence of human habitation of the area, in form of stone tools, dating back over a million years and I am sure that some of these folk had noticed the waterfall prior to his arrival! The falls were first marked on a map as early as the 1840's when László Magyar, a "Hungarian cartographer", traveled through these parts. It seems certain that he never visited the Falls himself, though he retains the destinction of "put them on the map" for the first time. Other contenders for the title include  Chapman, the trader who first introduced Livingstone to the Makololo in 1848. Chapman had traveled to Linyanti several times to trade for Ivory but he had been a busy man and had no time for sight seeing trips to distant waterfalls, a fact he bitterly regretted to the end of his days. The only other creditable claimant was a colorful rouge named Serpa Pinto, a slave trader of Portuguese extraction who viewed the area of Western Zambia as his personal fiefdom, so much so, that when the boarder was agreed and this area fell under British domain he decided to kill himself in protest. Presumably under the influence of some fairly strong liquor, he strapped himself to a keg of gun powder and lit it on fire intending to blow himself up in spectacular fashion. Since black powder burns but does not explode he ended up with third degree burns over most of his body and died two days later in hospital, presumably in a great deal of pain. None of these claims are credible for one simple reason- anyone that viewed this waterfall for the first time would have to tell the world of their beauty and magnificence, that is the only possible human reaction to seeing them and thats exactly what David Livingstone did!

The truth about "them and us"

Spending 25 years in the wilderness, observing wildlife behavior first hand will give you an unusual perspective on most things but especially our relationship with the other life forms we share this planet with. Most of us are raised with either and implicit or explicit believe that we are set apart from them and that they exist to fulfill our needs, but if you take the time to study their behavior you find yourself with the dawning realization that we are not so different to them as we might like to think. As you are drawn deeper into their lives and learn to understand their silent language the more you understand of their secret lives and inevitably come to understand the parallels between their existence and ours. Since we humans have developed a very sophisticated communication system that uses language and animals have limited vocal communications, we can only learn of their secret lives through observing their behavior and when we understand their body language only then can we begin to appreciate just how vibrant their lives are. The parallels between their lives and ours are so striking to the educated eye that it is not uncommon for field biologists to appear to loose all perspective of the established status quo between "us and them". These researchers begin to show, what appears to be, an irrational bias towards their study subjects and we are accustomed to hearing stories of former dolphin trainers arrested for trying to orchestrate the escape of their former charges and primatologists who becoming passionate animal rights activists. It's no surprise that this happens more frequently with animals that posses higher intelligence since they have richer social lives and communicate more eloquently but the idea attributing "human" behavior to animals is deemed unacceptable by the scientific community. The term they use for this is anthropomorphism and it's frowned upon in academic circles because it's thought that projecting "human" emotions onto our animal subjects only serve's to muddy the waters since we are so different to them. I think the truth is that in reality they are not like us but perhaps we are much more like them than we care to admit! Much of our behavior is driven by the same shared imperatives the only difference being that the animals are not burdened with our elaborate code of "manners" we have had to create to cope with our complex societies, but as we have seen in the wake of some natural disasters, anarchy is but one hot meal away! 

IN LIVINGSTONES FOOTSTEPS

 

150 years ago a missionary, searching for a trade rout to the outside world, stumbled upon a waterfall so magnificent that he described it as “the most impressive sight I have seen in all my years in Africa” The discovery was to launch David Livingstone’s career as an African Explorer which, in the next 20 years, would see him traverse over 28 000 miles of uncharted territory and add to the know portion of the globe, over 1 000 000 square miles.  It is hard for us today, to grasp the dangers and challenges these hardy souls faced in their line of work. At this time, the life expectancy of a European in the hinterland of Africa was just 6 months and for each individual that triumphed and went on to fame and fortune there were many more who tried and failed and paid the ultimate price. I have always marveled at what drove these men and women and when the opportunity presented itself to retrace Livingstone’s rout down the Zambezi River to Victoria Falls I jumped at it. I joined a team lead by the famous British polar explorer Sir Ranulf Fiennes, and it was our intention to follow Livingstone’s rout as closely as possible using the same form of transportation as he had.

Our journey began at Mwande Village, a medium size settlement about 150 kilometers upstream from the Falls in Zambia. That first night we were treated to a spectacular thunder storm that marked the onset of the rains and it is interesting to noted that Livingstone had been experienced this same event, just one day earlier, all those years ago. Progress has touched even this remote corner of Africa bringing with it cell phones, roads and fishermen from far flung corners of the globe in search of the legendary Tiger Fish. In spite of this it’s heartbeat remains uniquely African and the cadence of village dogs, distant drumming and murmured conversation quickly lulled us to sleep under a leaden sky. We embarked on our adventure the next day in the gentle rain and as we set out I recalled an entry from Livingstone’s journal “I have been wet time without number……”  It seemed to me that I was about to get my wish and find out exactly what Livingstone had experienced! The river in this section meanders lazily along the length of a vast floodplain and not knowing how far we had to go, we forged ahead as best we could. What we had discovered from our research is that, understandably, Livingstone had only noted the names and locations of points along his journey that he felt, might be of interest to his readers but on the occasions he had camped out in the wilderness, he made no mention of it. In keeping with this tradition our first night we camped on a nameless, pristine sand bank alongside the Zambezi. The river in these parts is like a life giving artery threading its way through an otherwise barren landscape and as the human population has risen this pressure has sadly, take its toll on the wildlife. After two days of canoeing we reached the Katambora Rapids and disembarked there, as Livingstone had done, to walk around the rapids. The following morning was crisp and clear and as we walked along the tapestry of village life unfolded around us. Children in their neat school uniforms accompanied us, taking the opportunity to practice their English, older folk sat in the sun warming their bones and the village ladies gossiped as they went about their morning chores. I was struck by how little life here had changed since Livingstone passed this way and it was daunting to think how the pace of change, in the world outside, continues to accelerate and what significance that might hold for the people of rural Africa. Perhaps this was the insight I had been looking for- perhaps this same sense of urgency was what drove Livingstone to explore Africa with a view to opening it up to the outside world. Our last full day of canoeing took us down the section of the river about which Livingstone had written, “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by Angles in their flight” and true to form, the scenery was spectacular. The river is braided in narrow channels around basalt islands and the deep water below these chutes are prized by the many herds of hippo’s found hereabouts. We spent that last night in a magical setting on Kalai Island, where we had previously discovered the visible remains of the grave of Chief Sekoti documented by Livingstone 150 years earlier. Having this tangible link to the past and knowing we were camped exactly on the site used by Livingstone, under a full African moon, ensured that this was one of the most memorable nights of all.

The last day, as we approached the Falls, we began to see Helicopters overhead, a bit of a shock after five days of being in the wilderness. I have always found returning to “civilization” after being in the bush a mixed blessing- along with the convenience comes so many distractions after the simple rhythm of traveling. As we approached the Falls we first spotted the spray which gives rise to their local name Mosi- O- Tunya, The Smoke that Thunders, and we began working our way down stream through the maze of channels. A miscalculation here would spell disaster as the river flows strongly just above the Falls so we had to be sure to emerge at exactly the right point to give us a shot at reaching Livingstone Island, on the lip of the chasm. We finally landed at midday where we were greeted by the full magnificence of the Falls in their entire splendor which was a great finally to a memorable journey. Later that evening we attended an official reception with all the pomp and ceremony that such an event entails. After years of leading an isolated existence Livingstone had never been at ease in society and that night I felt a real empathy with him. I think I finally understood why this enigmatic man had spent 26, of the last 30 years of his life, living and traveling in remote areas of Africa. In spite of the hardship and danger I believe he found the freedom of traveling in the Africa truly intoxicating.

Lion- The King of the Beasts?

Hi there, sorry I've been so remiss in posting but it's been a busy year!

I have just got back from an excellent  marketing trip to Singapore and Hong Kong where I delivered a presentation entitled "Africa's Eden's" about the Okavango and Serengeti which was warmly received. One of the things I touched on in that presentation was the role of dominant male lions because I am getting tired of the misinformation, parroted by successive wildlife documentary's, about how the dominant male lions don't pull their weight! They do, indeed, not usually extend themselves while hunting with the pride, unless their superior strength is required, and they may take "the lions share" at the kill but these creatures are hardly idle.

If you analyse the demographic of any wild lion population you will find that females outnumber the males by 70% to 30% and yet they are statistically born in the ratio of 50/50 so there is something going on! Young males are booted out of the pride as soon as they attain sexual maturity and become, what we call "ittinerent males", that wander far and wide for the next 5 years of their life, without the support of the pride. This prevents inbreeding and is a necessary "stirring" of the genetic pot that serves to spread genetic material far and wide as these males often end up taking up residence hundreds of miles from where they originated. During their wanderings they are not tolerated by the dominant males in any of the territories they cross and are often driven out of the reserve's altogether where they face other dangers- coming into conflict with humans usually as a result of predating on livestock. For many years they hunt for themselves and if they get injured while hunting, (a common occurrence), without the support of the pride, they will starve to death, ultimately falling prey to the hyena's- a grizzly fate indeed. If they survive this furnace of natural selection they still have to challenge an existing resident male in single combat,  a sight and sound you are unlikely to ever forget if you are luckey enough to witness it, and IF they survive that encounter and emerge victorious then, and only then, can they can claim their rightful place with their new pride.

This is a seemingly wasteful process as only a small fraction of males will make it through this gauntlet to emerge triumphant at the end but it is, the very forge, of genetic fitness. Every female is valuable to the species provided she can bear offspring but most males are surplus to requirement- you really just require one! It makes sense that the brutal process, first described by Charles Darwin, should find it's focus among the males of the population, putting them through the mill of natural selection in the knowledge that only the fittest will survive and emerge to pass on their genes.

So just to set the record straight then- the male lion you might encounter on safari is no indolent playboy as the documentary makers have cast him but rather the toughest, fastest, meanest, strongest, stone killer of an entire generation of tough, fast, mean, strong, stone killers who were themselves sired by the best of the previous generation. Stretching back 500 000 years, this process has crafted that one lion into a supreme predator and we should count ourselves fortunate to be in the presence of a creature, forged in the crucible of evolution into the ultimate killing machine. We should not be complacent that the 250 kilograms of sinuous muscle and bone- red in tooth and claw may look like an overgrown tabby cat- he is anything but!

National Geographic Safari July 2011

 Just got back from a safari visiting Mala Mala, Mashatu, Xakanaka and Livingstone to view Victoria Falls. We had wonderful game viewing which began within 5 minuets of landing at Mala Mala with a leopard on the road from the airstrip to camp! For those of you that haven't been on safari, this does not happen often! The highlight, for me, was the sighting of an Aardwolf which is quite rare but I also got two excellent pictures of cats. The leopard (left) is a young male we spotted in a river bed and we spent two agonizing hours watching him stalk a young bush buck. His stalk was made almost impossible by an open sand river bed as well as the presence of a pair of squirrels. These eagle eyed rodents have a distinctive alarm call which alerted the bush buck in question that something was afoot. When the squirrels finally left they were replaced by and equally alert pair of Spurfowl- there are no free meals in the bush!

In Mashatu we sat with this cheetah and her cub till  they started hunting in the late afternoon and I managed to catch this shot of her as she rounded the bush in the late afternoon light. Cheetah are an endangered species for reasons I will discuss in my next post but Mashatu is one of the best locations to see them in Southern Africa- we have excellent results and I will be back there next week so I will hopefully have more photos for you then.

Packing for safari

If you’re reading this, then chances are, you are contemplating an African safari which will probably include a flight in a light aircraft, at some point. That means you face the rather daunting task of trying to pack everything you need into the correct size piece of luggage. If this seems an impossible task don’t despair, you’re not alone- this is probably one of most common complaints that I hear from people coming on Safari. I recently had the very frustrating experience of taking someone on Safari who had decided, in the face of this seemingly impossible task, to leave their SLR camera and 300 mm lens at home and that is what prompted me to write this article. Your agent will have given you a guideline on what size and weight of luggage is permitted and you need to stick to this but you should have no problem coming in under weight and the more important consideration is making sure that your bag is “squashable” Do not, on pain of death, bring your favorite Samsonite you you may well find yourself boarding the plane with your belongings repacked into plastic bags and waving farewell to your suitcase which will remain behind! The luggage has to fit into the belly pod of the aircraft and if your bag does not fit through the small opening then it will be left behind! The best safari bag on the market at the moment is the North Face “Base Camp duffel” which is virtually completely waterproof, dustproof and bulletproof and has the added advantage of only being available in hideously bright colors so it’s impossible to loose!. So now we have a “squashable” bag but what should be in it? The first thing you need to know is that most safari camps, even in the remotest areas, have a free, same day laundry service. It is unnecessary to have more than three or four changes of clothing and bear in mind that a safari is not supposed to be a fashion parade – the Lions are not going to care about your sartorial elegance or lack thereof. Typically I pack 4 changes of shirts and shorts- you can get by on three but on travel days you can’t get laundry done so I always pack an extra change. You may prefer trousers rather than shorts- trousers with zip off bottoms offer the best of both worlds. Modern, nylon fabrics are perfect for trousers and shorts but I prefer cotton shirts for their breathability in the heat and these days I wear long sleeved shirts for the extra sun protection they afford. In winter, against the cold, I carrying a heavy jacket with a fleece liner that I can zip out and in summertime I substitute a fleece and a waterproof, light jacket for the heavy jacket. In winter I always carry a beanie (I don’t have much natural insulation on top these days) and a pair of gloves – don’t underestimate the cold in Africa. If I had a nickel for every time I warned people about cold only to hear the age-old response “ Oh we’re from Nebraska- we know all about cold!” Now there’s not a shadow of doubt in my mind, that Nebraska is much colder than Africa but I’m also fairly certain that the good people of that fine state do not to get onto the back of an open truck, at five o’clock in the morning and go driving around in subzero temperatures! If you plan to be here during the cold season you need to bring warm clothing but the good news is that usually by 9 or 10 o’clock it’s warmed up to the point where you’ll be comfortable in shirt sleeves and shorts. I usually pack two pairs of shoes, one pair of sandals such as Tevas or Keens to wear around camp and a pair of trail shoes/boots to wear in the Bush. A couple pairs of socks, a couple of changes of underwear, something to sleep in and hat and the list is complete. There is really no need to bring much more than this; it is seldom that I find myself wishing that I bought anything else. I have never bothered to weigh this, but I would doubt that it came to even half of what the standard weight allocation would be aboard a light aircraft. In addition to this I carry a daypack which I take with me on game drives and this contains an assortment of the things that I need to have on hand while out on Safari. Apart from my camera equipment and binoculars I carry sunscreen, a small medical kit, a head torch, nylon poncho in case of rain, cleaning equipment for the camera, spare batteries for the camera, spare memory card for the camera, water bottle and I always have cotton kikoy handy in case the sun becomes a bit too much! Apart from a good pair of Polaroid sunglasses I also carry a second set of clear glasses, to wear after dark, on the way home. There is often a lot of dust and insects flying around after dark- you can keep your sunglasses on and protect your eyes, but then you don’t see much! I also carry a small roll of duct tape and a bunch of cable ties which are handy for securing the zip on your bag on moving days, especially if were going through large airport. I carry an ultraportable laptop for photo editing along the way, which is an optional extra- personal toiletries and med’s round out the list and with a good book and an mp3 player for long flights you should be good to go.