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Update on first fuel delivery to Hwange
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF)
October 28, 2005

Kudu looking for water at a dry pan

In the report we circulated about our first fuel delivery to Hwange National Park, we said that we were waiting for photographs that were taken in Hwange after our departure. We have now received them. Below are a small selection of the numerous photos received.

Second delivery
A very special thank you to all the wonderful people who were generous enough to donate funds which enabled us to buy a further 10 000 litres of diesel and our heartfelt appreciation goes to the Unifreight Group who assisted us with a truck to take the fuel to Hwange. The truck we used was not able to carry the full amount so we delivered just under 9 000 litres - half to Sinamatella and the balance to the Main Camp area. We will deliver the remaining 1 000 litres on the next trip.

We loaded up the diesel and left Harare on Wednesday 19th October. Joanne Buckley Lamb, a member of the ZCTF team and a qualified conservationist followed the truck in her landrover. We booked her into Sinamatella for a month so that she can monitor and supervise the distribution of the fuel and report back to us at regular intervals.

We offloaded half of the fuel into the underground tanks at Sinamatella. We discovered whilst we were there that the fuel shortage is not the only problem in Hwange. Several of the pump engines are not working and the National Parks staff there, most of whom are very concerned about the welfare of the wildlife, are fighting a losing battle because they are unable to obtain the spare parts to repair the engines.

Johnny Rodrigues watches as fresh water is pumped into a trough

We hope that we have delivered enough fuel to last until the rains start but it has now become top priority to source spare parts for the Lister engines. Even with the fuel we have delivered, the situation all over Hwange National Park is catastrophic and we have to get those engines running. If anybody can help with Lister spares or engines, either as a donation or for sale, please contact us as soon as possible. Contact details are below. If we can raise more funds, we will buy spares and/or engines so if anyone can help with funds we would be most grateful.

We spent the night in Sinamatella and early the next morning, set off for Main Camp. We delivered the remainder of the fuel to The Hide in the Main Camp area where it will be carefully monitored and distributed by Barry Wolhuter whose invaluable assistance is greatly appreciated.

After our first fuel delivery of 7 000 litres to this area, 9 pumps were running but Main Camp is experiencing the same problems as Sinamatella. The engines have not been maintained and have all started breaking down. Due to this, The Hide is one of the very few places that still has water, although the water in the pan is extremely low and is so muddy that the animals are not able to drink it.

At The Hide, fresh water is however being pumped 24 hours a day into the trough in front of the pan but there is such an intense concentration of animals drinking from it, that the trough never gets full enough for water to overflow into the pan. Under normal circumstances, there would be several watering points for the animals and they would all be spread out throughout the park, drinking from different pans but in this critical situation, where the watering points are so few and far between, the animals will naturally congregate where they know they can get water.

Animals rush to the water trough and pan

The sight we were greeted with when we arrived at The Hide can only be described as total mayhem. For as far as the eye could see, were herds and herds of buffalo walking towards the trough to drink. Around the pan and the trough were more animals than we have ever seen before. At one time, we counted 10 different species all there at the same time. It was the saddest, most incredible sight we have ever seen.

We sat and watched the drama for hours on end. It went on all day and all night. Buffalo take precedence over the smaller animals so whilst the buffalo were drinking from the trough, the smaller animals such as zebra, kudu, sable, impala, monkeys and wildebeest had no option but to wait their turn. The buffalo would not allow any other species to come near the trough while they were drinking and this took a few hours in view of the huge numbers of buffalo wanting to drink.

The zebras became more and more impatient and finally, in desperation plucked up the courage to try and force their way in but they were quickly put in their place.

Hippo in the mud. He was seen lying like this in the mud for 2 days and then he disappeared so he is presumably still alive.

Eventually, the buffalo moved off and the zebra had their chance to rink. Then the sable came in and forced the zebra out with their lethal horns. We very seldom saw two different species drinking from the trough at once - the animals wouldn't allow it.

After all this, the trough was almost dry, despite the fact that water was flowing into it constantly through a pipe so we decided to fill it with 2 000 litres of water from The Hide's bowser. When the landrover towing the bowser approached the trough, the animals all moved off into the trees nearby and waited for it to leave so that they could return to the trough.

As soon as the landrover drove away, the smaller animals such as monkeys and impala seized the opportunity and managed to drink for a few minutes before the larger animals came back.

Total mayhem as herds and herds of buffalo walk towards a trough to drink water

It wasn't long before the buffalo forced their way in again, but not for long because towards evening, the elephants came in and they are a force to be reckoned with. Several families of elephants lumbered in, flapping their ears and swiping the buffalo away from the trough with their trunks. It was quite clear who the "King of the Jungle" was.

Within half an hour, the water level in the trough was very low again but the elephants stayed all night. We could hear them trumpeting all through the night and they were still there around the trough when we woke up the next morning.

We would like to thank Barry and Bridget Wolhuter and the management and staff of The Hide for once again accommodating and feeding us in the interests of conservation. It was a great privilege for us to stay in this beautiful, world class safari camp, albeit for one night, where the food and service is second to none. The Hide is like an oasis in the desert and we highly recommend it to anyone.

Dead buffalo in trough. There was actually water in this trough and it is thought that this buffalo found the water too late and died of exhaustion.

Although our trip to Hwange was unforgettable and spectacular as far as game viewing goes, we were also witnessing a tragedy. When animals are so desperate for water that they will kill each other to get it, we have to do something to help. The elephant in this last picture was killed by another elephant in a fight for water and several animals have already died of dehydration.

As soon as we start raising more funds, we will buy the spare parts for the engines and go up to Hwange with a team of mechanics and do the repairs. Our plan for the future is to make regular visits to Hwange to ensure that a crisis of this nature never happens again.

If anyone can help, please contact us as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more animals are going to die.

Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

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