Hi Everyone,
Please visit our new Mbali Mbali website - www.mbalimbali.com for all blogs and updates from Kungwe Beach Lodge.
Thank you,
The Kungwe Beach Lodge Team
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Dinner..
Samjee is not only an expert Tracker making sure all our guests view chimps, he is also a very talented fisherman, always supplying fresh fish for Kungwe's Barbeque nights!!!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Last week we travelled to Kigoma for a couple of days to (sort of) civilization....
Christina, the mother of Christmas, is expecting to give birth any day, she recently started moving very slow and looking very tired most of the time..... Arriving back in camp, when we first heard about the new baby in Mahale we immediately assumed it was hers, but it seems not!
Christina, the mother of Christmas, is expecting to give birth any day, she recently started moving very slow and looking very tired most of the time..... Arriving back in camp, when we first heard about the new baby in Mahale we immediately assumed it was hers, but it seems not!
Not any of the Rangers or Trackers knew that Omo, a migrant female that joined the group in 2009 was pregnant, so it was a great surprise to see her with a new Infant – pictures of her (then 3 day old) Infant is posted on our previous blog.
2010 was a ‘baby boom’ year here in Mahale, and by the looks of it 2011 will be just as good! Not only are we welcoming the new Infants, but also a number of new Immigrant females. Around 4 to 5 new Females joined the M group between 2009 and 2010 and again a few more now in 2011.
September, who was given this name as she joined the group in the month September, and November, who was given this name, well..., because she joined the group in that month.
Both left the group again shortly after they joined in 2010, as they were not accepted by the rest of the M group females... Now we have seen them back in the group again, and it seems this time around they are being accepted, lets hope they stay!
With the birth of new Infants we also seem to have lost one. Abi, who gave birth in December 2010, was spotted a couple of days ago without her Infant. Researchers and Trackers are not sure what the cause of death could be, but suspect Cannibalism.
With the birth of new Infants we also seem to have lost one. Abi, who gave birth in December 2010, was spotted a couple of days ago without her Infant. Researchers and Trackers are not sure what the cause of death could be, but suspect Cannibalism.
In this picture above is Fatuma, the mother of he Alpha Male, Pimu, with her Infant which was also born in 2010
Friday, January 21, 2011
New Member in the group!
Omo, A migrant female that joined the group in 2009, gave birth 3 days ago.. today we managed to get a few shots of this brand new infant !!here in the pictures Omo is being gently groomed by Orion..
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Banded Water Cobra
We spotted this Banded Water cobra right under our jetty, poking his head in between the rocks looking for fish.
Unfortunately no one was brave enough to jump in for a good shot.. so we had to take it from the Jetty!!
The New Kungwe
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Caesear and the Blue Duiker
On a recent trek we found this baby Blue Duiker at the stream we were crossing. Usually they would scatter off quite quickly so it was quite unusual to see it standing there in the open allowing us take pictures.
We continued along the path, only having to return back the same way about 20 minutes later as the Chimps were on the move and changed direction.
Once we reached the Stream again Caesar was already there, with Christmas, Alofu and a few females and babies.
Caesar arrived at the Stream first, surprising the baby Blue Duiker, and he quickly snatched it up! Even though his mother Cynthia, and a few of the others begged he refused to share his prized source of protein with any of them!
Chimpanzees are omnivorous, so their feeding depends on fruits, leaves, buds, seeds, bark, insects, eggs, and small mammals. Even though their favourite diet is fruits, which they usually spend most of their day searching for or feeding on, they would never allow a good opportunity to feed on meat pass by.
Especially not the M group chimps, they enjoy meat quite often and hunt anything from young pigs, monkeys to small antelope.
(Picture – Blue Duiker ... before) (Video – Caesar and Blue Duiker ... after)
We continued along the path, only having to return back the same way about 20 minutes later as the Chimps were on the move and changed direction.
Once we reached the Stream again Caesar was already there, with Christmas, Alofu and a few females and babies.
Caesar arrived at the Stream first, surprising the baby Blue Duiker, and he quickly snatched it up! Even though his mother Cynthia, and a few of the others begged he refused to share his prized source of protein with any of them!
Chimpanzees are omnivorous, so their feeding depends on fruits, leaves, buds, seeds, bark, insects, eggs, and small mammals. Even though their favourite diet is fruits, which they usually spend most of their day searching for or feeding on, they would never allow a good opportunity to feed on meat pass by.
Especially not the M group chimps, they enjoy meat quite often and hunt anything from young pigs, monkeys to small antelope.
(Picture – Blue Duiker ... before) (Video – Caesar and Blue Duiker ... after)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
This week's Fishing
This week's fishing: Freddy's two good-sized Sangara (Tanganyika Perch) and Samjee's 25kg Catfish!!!!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Christmas taking some down time
He is the son of Christina and was given this name as he was born on Christmas day 15years ago.
Also one of the upcoming males within the group, he doesn’t mind the camera and just loves showing off to anyone interested in watching, but always very careful only to do so when the older males are not too close by!
Also one of the upcoming males within the group, he doesn’t mind the camera and just loves showing off to anyone interested in watching, but always very careful only to do so when the older males are not too close by!
This afternoon a group of about 46 Chimps arrived at the swamps behind camp, Christmas was part of the group and just enjoyed chilling out under the trees.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Alpha Male PIMU ruling with an Iron fist
A very large amount of trees bore fruit this season, ensuring an abundance of food for the chimps all over their territory. To such extend that even some of their favourites in camp often went untouched.
This has caused the chimps to move large distances almost daily, North to East to South and back again. But even though they made it quite challenging for us to keep up with them, we still managed to have some excellent sightings full of action and drama – mostly caused by the unpopular Alpha Male, Pimu, who rules his group with an Iron fist!
Pimu, now still at a young age of 22, for years have been known as an aggressive and hostile chimp. He is the only male in the group who, having reached sexual prime, did not even avoid his own mother Fatuma when she was in Oestrus, and often attacked her against her refusal.
He displayed and fought his way to the top and is very physical with females, and because of this he does not gain their support, but instead instils fear.
About 6 females have come into Oestrus, making Pimu all the more aggressive and hostile and charging in hot pursuit behind any male that might find themselves a bit too close to any of them!
Recently on a track we encountered Darwin, Alofu, Bonobo, Michio, Puffy, Vera and Pimu. They all seemed extremely tense - Pimu was trying to get Vera, who was sitting high up in a tree feeding, to come down. Vera - a migrant female who joined the group a few years ago and recently lost her first born baby within the ‘M’ Community – headstrong as she is, kept on feeding and ignored him.
This infuriated Pimu and he decided that if she’s not coming down, he is going up to get her! All of a sudden Pimu was after Vera and Alofu and Darwin was also up the tree after Pimu, there was screaming, leaves falling and branches breaking – we all lost sight for a minute of who’s where and what’s happening!
Minutes later Pimu is down the tree again, without Vera and extremely angry, chasing every chimp in his view. He then decided to get hold of Puffy instead, another young female in oestrus and finally calmed down.
Seems that Alofu, the previous Alpha Male and long time favourite of many, and young Darwin, slowly building on his confidence, would not allow any harm to Vera in their presence – Well done for teaching Pimu a lesson!
This has caused the chimps to move large distances almost daily, North to East to South and back again. But even though they made it quite challenging for us to keep up with them, we still managed to have some excellent sightings full of action and drama – mostly caused by the unpopular Alpha Male, Pimu, who rules his group with an Iron fist!
Pimu, now still at a young age of 22, for years have been known as an aggressive and hostile chimp. He is the only male in the group who, having reached sexual prime, did not even avoid his own mother Fatuma when she was in Oestrus, and often attacked her against her refusal.
He displayed and fought his way to the top and is very physical with females, and because of this he does not gain their support, but instead instils fear.
About 6 females have come into Oestrus, making Pimu all the more aggressive and hostile and charging in hot pursuit behind any male that might find themselves a bit too close to any of them!
Recently on a track we encountered Darwin, Alofu, Bonobo, Michio, Puffy, Vera and Pimu. They all seemed extremely tense - Pimu was trying to get Vera, who was sitting high up in a tree feeding, to come down. Vera - a migrant female who joined the group a few years ago and recently lost her first born baby within the ‘M’ Community – headstrong as she is, kept on feeding and ignored him.
This infuriated Pimu and he decided that if she’s not coming down, he is going up to get her! All of a sudden Pimu was after Vera and Alofu and Darwin was also up the tree after Pimu, there was screaming, leaves falling and branches breaking – we all lost sight for a minute of who’s where and what’s happening!
Minutes later Pimu is down the tree again, without Vera and extremely angry, chasing every chimp in his view. He then decided to get hold of Puffy instead, another young female in oestrus and finally calmed down.
Seems that Alofu, the previous Alpha Male and long time favourite of many, and young Darwin, slowly building on his confidence, would not allow any harm to Vera in their presence – Well done for teaching Pimu a lesson!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Mahale Mountians National Park, by Rick McKenna
A trip report written by recent visitor, Rick McKenna....As we flew into the Mahale airstrip it was hard to take our eyes off the amazing expanse of the crystal clear, fresh water of Lake Tanganyika...Overrunning this very short airstrip here would put you straight into Lake!
We had a brief wait for the camp manager and his boatman to arrive in their motor Dhow boat, for the 1.5-hour boat ride to Kungwe Beach Lodge.
Several women came by, having collected water from the lake at the foot of the airstrip and carrying 5-gallon buckets on their heads. How do these women do that? Five gallons of water weighs about 40 pounds!
Once aboard the dhow, we had some difficulty getting underway, as the anchor had evidently gotten hung up in the rocky bottom. After several attempts to dislodge it from above, the boatman peeled off his shirt to dive in. I thought the ladies on board would swoon at the sight – he looked like the cover hero on a romance novel! I was very happy that I didn’t have to take MY shirt off... Anyway, a few dives to the bottom and he had us free to depart.
Motoring down the shore of Lake Tanganyika was quite scenic. At first, we passed by a couple of villages with quantities of fish laid out drying on the beach, and then passed into the park.
As seen from the lake, Kungwe Beach Lodge is a vision. A beautiful thatched dining and lounge building, along with thatch-roofed chalets (tents set up on stilts on raised wooden platforms) situated on a lovely beach, with the “jungle” and steeply-rising Nkungwe Mountain rising immediately behind... What a setting.
Once aboard the dhow, we had some difficulty getting underway, as the anchor had evidently gotten hung up in the rocky bottom. After several attempts to dislodge it from above, the boatman peeled off his shirt to dive in. I thought the ladies on board would swoon at the sight – he looked like the cover hero on a romance novel! I was very happy that I didn’t have to take MY shirt off... Anyway, a few dives to the bottom and he had us free to depart.
Motoring down the shore of Lake Tanganyika was quite scenic. At first, we passed by a couple of villages with quantities of fish laid out drying on the beach, and then passed into the park.
As seen from the lake, Kungwe Beach Lodge is a vision. A beautiful thatched dining and lounge building, along with thatch-roofed chalets (tents set up on stilts on raised wooden platforms) situated on a lovely beach, with the “jungle” and steeply-rising Nkungwe Mountain rising immediately behind... What a setting.
After the usual greetings and briefing from the managers and staff, we were off to our chalets to unpack. Within minutes, however, the manager was back to each chalet saying we should assemble in the lounge area as a group of chimps had just entered camp. Fabulous!
The Camp’s senior guide has been working in the Park for more than eight years and from all accounts, he is highly respected by the local rangers and even the guides from neighbouring camps. He gave us the run-down on the rules.
The Camp’s senior guide has been working in the Park for more than eight years and from all accounts, he is highly respected by the local rangers and even the guides from neighbouring camps. He gave us the run-down on the rules.
You must wear a surgical mask whenever you are within 50 meters of the chimps (evidently, a few chimps in past years had died of what appeared to be influenza, so the masks are a precaution against transmitting disease to them), and you may not approach closer than 10 meters (although it was not uncommon to have chimps approach much closer, usually in the act of walking past you from point A to point B). We donned our masks and he led us to the chimps.
There were about 10 chimps in this group, including the aggressive alpha male, Pimu. These chimps are part of the ‘M Group’, which I believe is the only group habituated to humans that tourists can see. They’ve been studied constantly by a group of Japanese researchers for 40 or more years.
We spent about an hour with these chimps in camp, and then returned to the dining area for a late lunch, after which we immediately left on a forest walk. We soon met up with a Ranger on the path, and he led us to the chimps that had previously been in camp. We followed and watched them for about an hour before returning to camp.
On the morning of our first full day, we set out on a walk after breakfast and encountered 6 or 7 chimps soon thereafter. We stayed with them for 30 minutes, and then set out to find a larger group that Kungwe’s scout had reported as being in the next valley. This is where the leisurely walk turned into a trek...
It started to rain as we climbed steeply upward and then down the other side, crossed streams and slippery rocks... We met up with a Ranger who was headed the other way with a group of German tourists and their guide. We hijacked him to turn around and accompany us to the chimps. It took some doing, but the chimps were found around mid-day. They were somewhat on-the-move, stop for a while, then go, and we kept with them for well over an hour before heading back.
That afternoon, we went for a scenic boat trip down the coast. Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second largest fresh water lake (by volume) and is second only to Lake Baikal for depth. The steep mountain slopes bordering the lake continue their steep decline beneath the water’s surface and, drifting just 50 meters or so off shore, we were in 120 meters of water. Several folks tried their luck fishing with hand lines, with our Guide having the best results.
There were about 10 chimps in this group, including the aggressive alpha male, Pimu. These chimps are part of the ‘M Group’, which I believe is the only group habituated to humans that tourists can see. They’ve been studied constantly by a group of Japanese researchers for 40 or more years.
We spent about an hour with these chimps in camp, and then returned to the dining area for a late lunch, after which we immediately left on a forest walk. We soon met up with a Ranger on the path, and he led us to the chimps that had previously been in camp. We followed and watched them for about an hour before returning to camp.
On the morning of our first full day, we set out on a walk after breakfast and encountered 6 or 7 chimps soon thereafter. We stayed with them for 30 minutes, and then set out to find a larger group that Kungwe’s scout had reported as being in the next valley. This is where the leisurely walk turned into a trek...
It started to rain as we climbed steeply upward and then down the other side, crossed streams and slippery rocks... We met up with a Ranger who was headed the other way with a group of German tourists and their guide. We hijacked him to turn around and accompany us to the chimps. It took some doing, but the chimps were found around mid-day. They were somewhat on-the-move, stop for a while, then go, and we kept with them for well over an hour before heading back.
That afternoon, we went for a scenic boat trip down the coast. Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second largest fresh water lake (by volume) and is second only to Lake Baikal for depth. The steep mountain slopes bordering the lake continue their steep decline beneath the water’s surface and, drifting just 50 meters or so off shore, we were in 120 meters of water. Several folks tried their luck fishing with hand lines, with our Guide having the best results.
Among other things, he caught a little sardine, left it on the hook, and soon brought up a nice looking yellow belly. There were many Palm Nut vultures seen along the lakeshore. These have got to be the most attractive looking Vultures anywhere. We enjoyed sundowners on the lake, watching the sun set over the Congo...
The following morning, a 2-hour hike was required to locate the chimps. They were quite active and moving through the forest in the trees and on the ground, stopping periodically and, at one point, joined by a second group of chimps. We spent nearly an hour with these chimps and observed lots of interaction, particularly grooming themselves and one another. Pimu, the alpha, gave close grooming attention to a subordinate chimp. Evidently, he maintains his position not only by intimidation but also by granting favours to subordinates. When it was time to return to camp, we had to pass two chimps who had parked themselves in the middle of the foot path, walking by them within touching distance...
After lunch, the chimps were again in camp, which seems to be quite usual for Kungwe during certain months - sparing us the need to go hiking to find them. Pimu was again among the group and, at some point, something set him off, as he charged another chimp, screaming and with teeth bared. This set off quite a ruckus, with all the chimps screaming and moving about. It was actually a bit frightening and made me think of the opening sequence of “2001, A Space Odyssey,” where one group of chimps chases another group away from the waterhole... Once things calmed down, Pimu strode passed one of the women of our group and gave her a deliberate shove as he passed. He was letting her know who’s boss, I guess, and she said that the shove was powerful enough to get the message across without pushing her over. Yikes!
After spending 3 days with these noisy, curios, intelligent and social animals, on a secluded beach with clear waters and wonderful sunsets, we left Kungwe the following morning, flying from Mahale to Katavi to Ruaha to Dar. Here we parted ways, with two of the group continuing their Safari and the rest of us heading home.
The following morning, a 2-hour hike was required to locate the chimps. They were quite active and moving through the forest in the trees and on the ground, stopping periodically and, at one point, joined by a second group of chimps. We spent nearly an hour with these chimps and observed lots of interaction, particularly grooming themselves and one another. Pimu, the alpha, gave close grooming attention to a subordinate chimp. Evidently, he maintains his position not only by intimidation but also by granting favours to subordinates. When it was time to return to camp, we had to pass two chimps who had parked themselves in the middle of the foot path, walking by them within touching distance...
After lunch, the chimps were again in camp, which seems to be quite usual for Kungwe during certain months - sparing us the need to go hiking to find them. Pimu was again among the group and, at some point, something set him off, as he charged another chimp, screaming and with teeth bared. This set off quite a ruckus, with all the chimps screaming and moving about. It was actually a bit frightening and made me think of the opening sequence of “2001, A Space Odyssey,” where one group of chimps chases another group away from the waterhole... Once things calmed down, Pimu strode passed one of the women of our group and gave her a deliberate shove as he passed. He was letting her know who’s boss, I guess, and she said that the shove was powerful enough to get the message across without pushing her over. Yikes!
After spending 3 days with these noisy, curios, intelligent and social animals, on a secluded beach with clear waters and wonderful sunsets, we left Kungwe the following morning, flying from Mahale to Katavi to Ruaha to Dar. Here we parted ways, with two of the group continuing their Safari and the rest of us heading home.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
This, that and Chimp season
Already in September and time has flown by so fast, it feels like just last week that we first started the blog... Probably as nowadays we are all communicating on Facebook. It is just wonderful to be in contact with so many of you on such a regular basis. We also love receiving all the emails, pictures and letters sharing your experiences and memories with us. Thanks to everyone who have been sending, we will posting some of these in the next few blogs and on our FB page...So for those of you that have visited us, and haven’t joined our page yet, please do so right away! We would also love to see your pictures posted on it...
August was a wonderful and exciting as every other month of the year.
The beginning of the month we completed all our Camp renovations. It was a fantastic feeling to see the end product of all the hard work and dedication our team of Carpenters, workers, colleagues and staff put in.
As usual we met a number of wonderful and interesting people visiting our camp, then we all managed to take a break for a short trip home, our staff travelled to Kigoma, Arusha and Dar, and we booked a flight to Amsterdam. Although it was great to be back home for a while to see family and friends, must admit, we definitely did not see any signs of what would be referred to as ‘summer’ in that side of the world.. brrrr!
It was a great feeling arriving back in the African sun and to what we call home, flying over the beautiful Lake Tanyanika, arriving at the airstrip only to be met by smiling and familiar faces.
September is truly a special month for us, not only is the dark clouds and thunder hanging over the Congo mountains, and the increase in humidity a clear sign that the rainy season is approaching soon, but it is also what we here at the camp call ‘chimp season’.
This year the chimps of the ‘M’ group have been rather stubborn if we may say, and the Alpha Male, Pimm, have definitely gone through many lengths ensuring that we are not only ‘walking’ to find his group, but do some serious and strenuous trekking!
It has been up and down, each day a new surprise as to which way, and how far we would have to go to find them. So it is now a great relief to learn that the entire group have moved lower down the mountain slopes, and not only are they about a 30min to 1hour hike from camp, they have also frequently stopped by for a few visits.
We are still in the process of building our ‘M’ group Chimp tree, and will continue posting their profiles on our blog and FB page. If you have visited us and want identification or information on any of the chimps you encountered while in Mahale, please feel free to contact us.
Well, just to round it all off, we post some messages left by our recent visitors;
“Thank you to all the staff for a great stay. What an experience trekking with chimps, fantastic!”
Clare & John Dowty
“Two wonderful chimp treks. One nice Yellow Belly! Wonderful staff and Accommodation.”
Mackey Family
“A great place to visit. Has given me a lifetime experience. The hosts are very kind and caring. Service is great.”
Vimal Awasthi
August was a wonderful and exciting as every other month of the year.
The beginning of the month we completed all our Camp renovations. It was a fantastic feeling to see the end product of all the hard work and dedication our team of Carpenters, workers, colleagues and staff put in.
As usual we met a number of wonderful and interesting people visiting our camp, then we all managed to take a break for a short trip home, our staff travelled to Kigoma, Arusha and Dar, and we booked a flight to Amsterdam. Although it was great to be back home for a while to see family and friends, must admit, we definitely did not see any signs of what would be referred to as ‘summer’ in that side of the world.. brrrr!
It was a great feeling arriving back in the African sun and to what we call home, flying over the beautiful Lake Tanyanika, arriving at the airstrip only to be met by smiling and familiar faces.
September is truly a special month for us, not only is the dark clouds and thunder hanging over the Congo mountains, and the increase in humidity a clear sign that the rainy season is approaching soon, but it is also what we here at the camp call ‘chimp season’.
This year the chimps of the ‘M’ group have been rather stubborn if we may say, and the Alpha Male, Pimm, have definitely gone through many lengths ensuring that we are not only ‘walking’ to find his group, but do some serious and strenuous trekking!
It has been up and down, each day a new surprise as to which way, and how far we would have to go to find them. So it is now a great relief to learn that the entire group have moved lower down the mountain slopes, and not only are they about a 30min to 1hour hike from camp, they have also frequently stopped by for a few visits.
We are still in the process of building our ‘M’ group Chimp tree, and will continue posting their profiles on our blog and FB page. If you have visited us and want identification or information on any of the chimps you encountered while in Mahale, please feel free to contact us.
Well, just to round it all off, we post some messages left by our recent visitors;
“Thank you to all the staff for a great stay. What an experience trekking with chimps, fantastic!”
Clare & John Dowty
“Two wonderful chimp treks. One nice Yellow Belly! Wonderful staff and Accommodation.”
Mackey Family
“A great place to visit. Has given me a lifetime experience. The hosts are very kind and caring. Service is great.”
Vimal Awasthi
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Orion
Only 18 years of age, he is a big and handsome chimp.....A while back he started displaying vigorously to raise his profile, and it seemed to work well, as he was often seen in the centre of all the action.
Orion is also often seen in the company of Bonobo, who he seems to worship. He used to be one of the most solitary males among the group, and also became very anti-social after the death of his mother, Opal in June 2006.
Recently he has been seen more often within the group again, and he is also one of the males that likes to play-charge people.
He joined a group of males and females that visited camp a few days ago, in this picture he is sitting quietly to one side, keeping a close eye on everyone, but not joining the group whilst feeding.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Mahale Renovations Complete
Finally all Kungwe renovations for 2010 have been completed!
Herewith some pictures of our new tents, bathrooms and decks..
Herewith some pictures of our new tents, bathrooms and decks..
Saturday, June 19, 2010
What our guests had to say..
This week we post comments from John and Jenny, who spent 4 days of their honeymoon here with us at Kungwe, and had wonderful sightings of both the males and females within the ‘M’ group. .JPG)
And even though Jesper, Nicolas and Dharbar only had a short 2 night visit, they also managed to get some quality time with the chimps.
Their sighting was of Gwekulu, one of the oldest females within the ‘M’ group, and Puffy, a female youngster, for who Gwekulu permanently cares for since her own mother, Pinky passed away.
“We had to climb and crawl though the forest, and then all of a sudden they were right in the middle of the path in front of us - It was almost like they came down especially just to greet us. But every minute was worth it!”.
On the last evening of their stay, we laid out the fresh marinated Yellow Belly on the barbeque and enjoyed our dinner under the stars.
The evening ended off with a bit of singing, drumming and dancing (and a whole lot of laughter!) from the Kungwe Team.
“Of all the places we have visited, this has been the most perfect. Thank you to all the staff for such a memorable visit. We also loved the chimps!”
Jenny and John Fletcher
“Beautiful lodge, very good staff including management, thank you to all of you for making our stay a memorable one - Simply outstanding”
Dharbar, Nicolas.JPG)
and Jesper
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And even though Jesper, Nicolas and Dharbar only had a short 2 night visit, they also managed to get some quality time with the chimps.
Their sighting was of Gwekulu, one of the oldest females within the ‘M’ group, and Puffy, a female youngster, for who Gwekulu permanently cares for since her own mother, Pinky passed away.
“We had to climb and crawl though the forest, and then all of a sudden they were right in the middle of the path in front of us - It was almost like they came down especially just to greet us. But every minute was worth it!”.
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On the last evening of their stay, we laid out the fresh marinated Yellow Belly on the barbeque and enjoyed our dinner under the stars.
The evening ended off with a bit of singing, drumming and dancing (and a whole lot of laughter!) from the Kungwe Team.
“Of all the places we have visited, this has been the most perfect. Thank you to all the staff for such a memorable visit. We also loved the chimps!”
Jenny and John Fletcher
“Beautiful lodge, very good staff including management, thank you to all of you for making our stay a memorable one - Simply outstanding”
Dharbar, Nicolas
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and Jesper.JPG)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Pongo, Our Resident Male
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The shy and elusive bushbuck is distributed over sub-Saharan Africa and in East Africa, it is found in a variety of habitats, though rarely in open land. Bushbucks are forest-edge antelopes and live in habitat including Rain forest, Montane forest, forest-savanna mosaics and Bush savannas.
Bushbuck are solitary animals. Most group associations, except for a female and her young, are very temporary and only last a few hours or days. Most have small home ranges and which may overlap with those of other bushbuck. Even so, there is still not much contact and as adult individuals prefer to stay by themselves in their separate areas, mature males usually go out of their way to avoid each other.
In Mahale Bushbuck are often spotted along the edges of the forest, and here at Kungwe we have one resident male that has included the camp as part of his home range.
Pongo – as we call him (Swahili name for Bushbuck, or also referred to as Mbawala) is often around early mornings, strolling along the beach or feeding in between the tents at the forest’s edge. He seems to be quite relaxed around humans and will allow one to come rather close to him... During 2009 he appeared one morning with serious injuries, and from the injuries we concluded that he probably had a narrow escape from the male Leopard, which also often passes through camp. But this little male healed quickly and was soon healthy again.
Recently he disappeared for a while, after a few weeks had passed without seeing him around we thought that perhaps the Leopard finally got to him.
This morning we found him again in Camp feeding. And then we spotted a little female on our South beach! So it seems he is doing just fine after all....
Bushbuck are solitary animals. Most group associations, except for a female and her young, are very temporary and only last a few hours or days. Most have small home ranges and which may overlap with those of other bushbuck. Even so, there is still not much contact and as adult individuals prefer to stay by themselves in their separate areas, mature males usually go out of their way to avoid each other.
In Mahale Bushbuck are often spotted along the edges of the forest, and here at Kungwe we have one resident male that has included the camp as part of his home range.
Pongo – as we call him (Swahili name for Bushbuck, or also referred to as Mbawala) is often around early mornings, strolling along the beach or feeding in between the tents at the forest’s edge. He seems to be quite relaxed around humans and will allow one to come rather close to him... During 2009 he appeared one morning with serious injuries, and from the injuries we concluded that he probably had a narrow escape from the male Leopard, which also often passes through camp. But this little male healed quickly and was soon healthy again.
Recently he disappeared for a while, after a few weeks had passed without seeing him around we thought that perhaps the Leopard finally got to him.
This morning we found him again in Camp feeding. And then we spotted a little female on our South beach! So it seems he is doing just fine after all....
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Welcome back!
In 2009 we were blessed with early visits from some of the members of the ‘M’ group. In April they were rather scattered and we had several chimps travelling through camp to feed on the Lemon trees. This year, after returning from our well deserved break, we heard the chimps were far South, feeding on the Mabula plum which seems to be fruiting early this year. John and Jenny, our fist visitors for the season, tested out their walking boots with their track’s ranging from five to seven hours to find the group.
They tracked south, with no luck, then between the northern and southern valleys as well as up Skyway and finally on day two managed to find the group. The remaining days gave them sufficient viewing time to make the trip worthwhile...Alofu showing off with charging displays, Pim and Kalunde grooming and even got to see the latest additions to the group, Fatuma had a baby recently and Vera also showed off her little one.
‘The group will be moving down soon’ Sixtus told us after returning to camp, and we hoped that when moving from south to north, they would take their usual route through camp.
Late that afternoon, we heard their calls coming from the forest and sure enough, there they were! We grabbed our cameras and headed out to the pathway behind camp. At first the forest was quiet, we thought they had passed already. Then we hear the tree branches breaking and know which way to head.
Once over the bridge we find Mitsuya, sitting quietly in the middle of the pathway, starting at us. A few feet behind her is Wakusi, Teddy and Zantip, relaxing in the afternoon shade of the trees. Wakusi points out something on the forest floor to Teddy, who then stares with interest. Mitsuya, enjoying the attention, gives a few turns for the camera. Zantip falls flat on her back, arms and legs stretched out... a lazy afternoon indeed.
Suddenly there is a call from further down the pathway, the females quickly gets up and moves into the trees. ‘The males are coming’ Sixtus said and after a few minutes Christmas comes strolling along the path, with Fanana following close behind him. They stop for a few seconds to finish off the lemons they have been holding, and then pass by close to us. Then Orion appeared, followed by Darwin, Michio and also Kalunde, who never seems to miss a visit to Kungwe.
Once all the males passed, the females came down and decided to join them and soon they continued on their route north...
Once all the males passed, the females came down and decided to join them and soon they continued on their route north...
Wakusi is the large, old female in the first picture, she is the mother of Alofu and sitting next to her is Teddy who is the daughter Toxi. Zantip, relaxing behind them, is the daughter of Christina and Mitsuya, the little one with the pose in the other 
pictures, is 
the daughter of Mia.
pictures, is 
the daughter of Mia. Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Kalunde
The oldest male in the group by 14 year
s, this is one incredible chimp and a favourite of many staff and visitors in Mahale.
Kalunde is the first chimp we encountered after arriving in Mahale over a year ago. One afternoon we found him quietly feeding on tree bark in the bushes along the beach. This old, bald and grey chimp immediately stole our hearts.
But we soon realized that there's much more to him than just a gentle face. He is also known as 'The King Maker' because of his successful political techniques, and the influence that he has on the rest of the group.
He is the only survivor from the Ntologe regime and although he might be thought too over the hill to be considered a ranking male these days, (and on a one to one basis, most males could beat him) he tends to control the group through the others.
He is also a favourite amoungst the females in the group, and has a special friendship with Mkobo, and older female.
Kalunde often visits Kungwe, we often find him at the camp in one or two of his favourite spots. In this picture he is relaxing on the beach in front of the Managers tent.
s, this is one incredible chimp and a favourite of many staff and visitors in Mahale.Kalunde is the first chimp we encountered after arriving in Mahale over a year ago. One afternoon we found him quietly feeding on tree bark in the bushes along the beach. This old, bald and grey chimp immediately stole our hearts.
But we soon realized that there's much more to him than just a gentle face. He is also known as 'The King Maker' because of his successful political techniques, and the influence that he has on the rest of the group.
He is the only survivor from the Ntologe regime and although he might be thought too over the hill to be considered a ranking male these days, (and on a one to one basis, most males could beat him) he tends to control the group through the others.
He is also a favourite amoungst the females in the group, and has a special friendship with Mkobo, and older female.
Kalunde often visits Kungwe, we often find him at the camp in one or two of his favourite spots. In this picture he is relaxing on the beach in front of the Managers tent.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The Kungwe blog is online!
Mahale and the Chimps
During this time of year it is not unusual to wake up to the sound of thunder and the sweet smell of rain, dark clouds hang overhead and sunsets over Congo Mountians are wild with colour.
As we now reach the end of our closed season, we know that slowly the heavy rains will also be coming to an end.
We prepare for June and July, knowing that these are the months that our guides and trackers are put to the test and have to be at their best to find our habituated group of chimps, known as the ‘Mimikere’ group.
The home range of these chimps covers a very large area, rising up from the lakeshore through the forest to the top of the Mahale Mountians. Normally from late May to July it becomes quite tricky to find them because food is scarce, and this group, consisting of about 60 individuals, are spread out through the forest. During these months they also prefer higher parts of their home range.
Our guides and trackers, Sixtus, Given and Samjee, are not intimidated by the climb though and will readily set off into the forest in search of clues and the whereabouts of the group.
Then from August all the trees start bearing fruit, making Kungwe a hotspot with activity for a few months, as during this time the chimps are often found feeding in or around the camp.
Our camp team is currently working on our ‘M’ group Family tree, which we are hoping to complete soon. The Tree we will not only be giving information about the birth dates, but also the characteristics, behaviour and pictures of each chimp, which will make it easy for guests to read up about their favourites. We welcome any suggestions, and will be happy to receive any photo’s that you would like to share with us.
Kungwe, a Season of change
Our team have been working hard to prepare the camp, which is now ready to receive our first guests later this month. Last year we slowly started with small upgrades in and around the camp, with which we will be continuing throughout the season. There are quite a few projects in the pipeline which we are very excited about, and will be posting regular updates and pictures about this too..JPG)
After all, apart from the rewarding chimpanzee experience that has become synonymous with Mahale, it is also the time spent at the lodge and the small things that makes your stay unique and memorable....
Watching the sun set over the Congo Mountians and sipping on a cool drink around a crackling fire. Evening forest calls of Frogs, Insects and even a Bushbaby or two. An afternoon Kayak trip on the lake, or snorkelling in the shallows along the shoreline. Having the feeling that you don’t have to do any activity at all, and simply relax on the beach.
All of these things, and of course not forgetting the great taste of Tanganyika Perch or Yellow Belly straight from the lake to the barbeque, is what makes Kungwe a truly personal experience.
We look forward to the season ahead of us and will keep weekly updates on the blog of our sightings and Camp news. So be sure to check back often as these and other posts are added.
If you would like to share your images of Kungwe or Mahale with us, or comment on our news we will be posting, simply scroll down and use the link below.
So until next time, we look forward to hearing from you!
The Kungwe Team
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