This lone male lion was hanging around the lodge this week. Here he was photographed just off the lodge driveway in the northern savannah where he relaxed in the shade for most of the day. Later on, he retreated to the car park where he continuously treated guests to a concert of roaring periodically throughout the night. He was still in the car park in the morning when the staff came to work, but eventually moved on down towards the river below the lodge.

Rock pythons have been seen with increasing frequency around the reserve lately. These photos were taken this month on a game drive in which the guests watched a python devour a female Uganda kob from start to finish. They originally came upon the dead kob in the grass and noted that on its leg it had a bite wound that looked like it came from a python. So they decided to sit and wait for the python to return and sure enough, 10 minutes later the python returned to eat. As you can see, the python started at the head and slowly moved along until he had ingested the entire kob. The whole process took about 30 minutes.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

There has been lots happening at Clouds, Melissa has had several meeting with local groups. We are currently discussing plans for a HIV/AIDS satellite clinic, and eventually a community clinic, run by Bwindi Community hospital. Melissa has just met with the health Inspector in Rubuguri, to talk about public health issues we are facing and we will be meeting again to start a program of sensitizing.

There are negotiations for a Cultural center in Rubuguri and we are discussing a garden project with the Orphan group here in Nkuringo. Two of our establish school gardens projects have received more seeds and advice from Tophil and the NCDF with our help has applied for funding for growing lemongrass in the Buffer-zone, we have been an active member of the buffer-zone sub-committee on livelihoods in the Nkuringo community. Richard from Virunga Artisans has donated more seeds and sweet potato plants that we distributed to the Orphans, Batwa and local community members.

Very sadly one of the twins in the Nkuringo group of gorillas has passed away, They think the mother wasn’t producing enough milk.

Melissa personally bought some world maps for a local school, though we do need more it has been a great start for teaching the children. NCDF is currently building school teacher facilities so that the teachers can get to work without hours of traveling to and from the school.

We have been continuing work on the weavers shed, using NCDF and IGCP funds as well as donating a couple of employees from the lodge.

Weather is favorable for gorilla trekking as there is not too much rain for this time of year.

The Nyiragongo Volcanoes is still active and from the main building of Clouds you can have spectacular viewing on a clear night.

Apoka Safari Lodge

Kidepo has seen a lot of rain this last month, the grass is high but we are still having fantastic sightings of our lion prides. Early mornings are a struggle to get out of one’s scratcher but slowly the day heats up and it makes it all seam worthwhile.

Recent agents staying at the lodge from Spain and Belgium, enjoyed Karamajong true hospitality whilst visiting Lorukul village, Apoka’s closest village.

Too much about shoebills, I know, but I had to show off this shot anyway. Shoebills tend to overshadow the fact that a Semliki boat trip is spectacular for so many other species of birds. Marsh harriers, osprey, fish eagles, purple herons, purple gallinules, whistling ducks…the list goes on. After five years of boating on Lake Albert, I recently saw two things I have never witnessed before. One was this beautiful little Pygmy goose, a lifer for me. Then this open-billed stork with a meal hardly any other bird can manage, a fresh water mussel. The shape of its bill makes it the perfect tool to pop the shell open.

Our guests have recently been enjoying close encounters with shy water birds by poling through the marsh channels in local fishing vessels. A new, small association of fishermen for the shoebill have been meeting us on the lake where we can enter their smaller, lighter, silent boats and explore in peace. We are pleased that tourism is helping fishermen to establish a vested interest in the conservation of special habitats and species.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

The Uganda Wildlife Authority report on the 2 gorilla families closest to the Lodge.

Nkuringo Gorilla family

The family is very stable with a very strong leader silverback.” SAFARI”. The group has 20 members with twins Muhozi-male & Katungyi-female. The twins are doing very well and they can now be left to move on their own and play with their brothers and sisters.

Nshongi Gorilla family

It is the biggest family in Uganda with 34 members. Trekking this group from the lodge is a drive away but It is here where you go through the real impenetrable forest. Trekking sometimes can be long but is always very rewarding.

Gorilla trekking with your UWA guide in Nkuringo can be strenuous because of the difficult terrain but you will be rewarded with increasable scenery and in depth Knowledge of the gorilla habitat, habits and family relationships .

If you still have not become a fan of our Friend a gorilla web site www.friendagorilla.org

Here’s a photo of a youngster who was very curious about us.

Best time to see Chimps in Semliki? July and August, also January and February. This was taken in early Feb.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

The Volcano in Congo has been active and the views from the lodge have been exquisite … a safe place to stand from and admire the views, it erupted early January 2010.

Apoka Safari Lodge

Kidepo was alive with game this last weekend, on the first game drive out in the afternoon we came across a lion and lioness darting off the road after a warthog and her piglets. In less than a second she ran off with a small pork chop in her teeth, not interested in sharing her kill with her mate.

The Valley was dry, but we still managed to come across huge herds of Buffalo and good numbers of Elephant.

And while you’re busy letting go, have you noticed the variety of life fluttering past you? Semliki is a haven for butterflies and moths for the simple reason that the lodge is perched above a forested river valley, with savannah woodland stretching out behind it, giving us a tripling effect when it comes to habitat. With diversity of habitat comes a greater diversity of life, and the Lepidopterans are here in abundance. With moths and butterflies come caterpillars, and sometimes they are even prettier than their future selves. Roberto Cavalli need look no further for inspiration.

Wild Places Conservation Trust , Semliki

We have been extremely lucky to have Sarah Chudnovsky, a conservation education volunteer, working here with us at the moment. Sarah is working in several local schools on the park boundaries, using the PACE curriculum (Pan African Conservation Education) to teach the importance of conservation and preserving the environment, each lesson focusing on a different aspect of the environment. She has also organized several environmental days where the school students spend the day participating in eco-friendly activities, such as rubbish removal or tree planting.

So far, this education campaign has had a great positive impact, and we plan to continue the program next year. Sarah will train teachers on conservation education methods which can be integrated as part of their regular curriculum. She is also currently teaching local families to build fuel efficient wood stoves with the aim of reducing the need for firewood by up to 70%.

By January, the former Uganda Wildlife Headquarters will have been converted into a Community Nature Center, providing a meeting point for any further conservation activities. Sarah has done a fantastic job and we are looking forward to rolling out the program into next year.

Nkuringo Orphans Group

The Nkuringo Orphans Group had a magical Christmas with Arthur having the opening party to his new home on New Years day and the children being spoilt with a great party The group really started the year off very well. The Nkuringo Orphans Group also received a donation for Christmas which they have managed to buy a nice plot of land with the future plans of building an education center and a safe house for Children of the community.

The Sponsored children performed very well in 2009 and have all been promoted to their next level of Primary school, so they all have a big year ahead.

The NCDF has also launched their own website www.ncdfuganda.org so please log on and read the interesting things they are doing and how you can get involved.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

The Volcano in Congo has been active and the views from the lodge have been exquisite … a safe place to stand from and admire the views, it erupted on the 2 January 2010.

The Nkuringo Gorilla Family is doing very well, giving birth to a healthy baby boy in December. The numbers steadily increase and the park officials keep doing all they can to protect them. If you still have not become a fan of our Friend a gorilla web site www.friendagorilla.org

Apoka Safari Lodge

Recently from Clients that had been on a Wildplaces Safari with TUSC

Wow! What a holiday. Uganda was extraordinary. We loved it. If you haven’t been, then you have to go. Astonishing wildlife experiences, beautiful and diverse scenery, superb lodges, great people and all of the arrangements worked like clockwork. We were glad to spend some time in this beautiful country rather than do a fly-in fly-out hit on the gorillas.

Bookings

For Bookings and more information on our Wildplaces properties, please contact:
info@wildplacesafrica.com

For Safaris in Uganda please contact our sister company, The Uganda Safari Company
sales@safariuganda.com

Doreen has left the Clouds Family to pursue a wonderful opportunity that she has been presented with… to study overseas.  We wish her so much luck and success!

We have a new child!  About 4 weeks ago, Tamara found two little puppies abandoned near Room 3. They were in a terrible state, and unfortunately the one did not make it.  Shenzi however is now incredibly strong and healthy and a wonderful companion to Ringo.  We are completely convinced that all guests enjoy the dogs company more than ours!

Our Gorilla Family

We are very happy to report that our Nkuringo Group is doing well especially with the continued effort that UWA puts towards conservation.  We think that the one female is pregnant so we are all holding thumbs and hoping that we see another newborn baby again soon. We will keep you posted. Kisoro (silver back number 2) has moved away from the group and moved past the lodge. We sent a team of HUGO members out to try and chase him back to the forest but he was not interested. As for Kisoro we think he has found raiding farms more fun than living in the forest. We are trying to monitor his movements however resources and manpower are limited.

The twins are doing very well. We have not managed to get down there for some time to take pictures but some of our guests have had amazing viewing as they grow in size and confidence. The other day our Head Chef, Michael, managed to get a permit to go trekking for the first time! He came back glowing and loved the experience. It was really rewarding for us to see his appreciation at seeing them for the first time… he said that getting to see the gorillas was a wonderful experience and working on the top of the hill in the middle of nowhere is now worthwhile.

Tamara was also fortunate enough to be able and go and trek the new Nshongi Group that opened for tourism at the beginning of June (it’s a 45 min drive from the lodge). The group is larger than Nkuringo and is doing very well. The trekking is quite tough but very worthwhile.

Our Community

Things are developing in Nkuringo, in spite of tourism being a bit slow – the pressure of the economic situation is not helping. We are however seeing many small changes that really make our work worthwhile. The weavers are making some amazing baskets and we have three different groups (that increase in number daily!) that we are working with and developing. A few days ago we took a group of guests to meet with them and the guests ended up fighting over who bought what basket! It was so fulfilling to see how happy the women were!  One of the biggest struggles we have is to find markets for the baskets, but Virungan Artisans continue to support the weavers here, and we are just so grateful! The baskets are really beautiful and we are very proud to be able to create this small difference with the weavers.  Since we have been working with them, the quality has increased dramatically and the weavers are all beautiful women to work with.

The Ntungamo School Vegetable Project is doing well and it is so pleasing to see the children harvesting some veggies to prepare lunch for the teachers. We have 24 students that have entered a competition to grow a vegetable garden at home. It is fantastic to know that with this small project the diet of 24 families is improving – we are looking forward to this filtering to their neighbours. We have not yet managed to break the ground and start building the teacher’s accommodation but we are hoping to start some time this year. We have managed through the kindness of some guests to clear ground at another two schools to start vegetable gardens which we are very appreciative for.

Other great news is that one of our pigs gave birth around two weeks ago to 10 little piglets. The members of the Pig Project are so happy. We are really pleased that they are now starting to see the rewards for their hard work and dedication. We painted the NCDF office and craft shop to give it a bit of a face lift and now it really catches the visitors’ attention when they are at the UWA office for trekking. We are hoping that this will improve guest interaction at the NCDF shop and get more people interested in getting involved with our projects.

Nkuringo Orphans Group continues to amaze us with their passion and energy, and whether they entertain one guest or ten, their performance never fails to impress. The few sponsored children are doing very well at school. It is watching these children and seeing the slow but meaningful changes that make us realize just how important this lodge is for everyone.

We often wish things could move along faster but appreciate that things take time over here. It is because of our friends that have visited us at the Lodge that we are able to create a difference and for your support we are all eternally grateful.

Upcoming Plans

Well, I kept my promise and the Spa is now officially opened. Lydia has completed her massage training with 8 ladies and we have now recruited 3 ladies to join her team. It is very popular and almost all of the guests enjoy a good massage after a hard gorilla trek. A few guests have been able to see Colobus Monkeys during the massage, which make the experience even more special. It is in the most glorious setting, with views over the Albertine Rift Valley below and is surrounded by forest.

We have not constructed the hot tub as yet but hopefully will be able to do this really soon as I personally can’t think of anything better than sitting enjoying a good bottle wine overlooking the Great Rift Valley after a hard hike!

The lodge is looking great with Tophil and his team putting extra attention into the gardens and our mason reconstructing the walk ways with lava rock. Michael and his staff are doing a fantastic job in the kitchen where his culinary skills are being complemented with our productive veggie garden.

Recipe

We have decided to include a recipe in each of our newsletters, and to make a great impression we will start with the Famous Sticky Chocolate pudding!

(Makes 8 portions)

Ingredients:

Cake

• 200g  butter cut into small blocks
• 200 g dark chocolate roughly chopped
• 4 whole eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 250mg sugar
• 125mg flour

Sauce

• 125ml milk
• 125ml sugar
• 125ml cocoa powder
• 100g dark chocolate roughly chopped

Method:

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180*C
• Butter 8 Remikin dishes (small round oven proof dishes)
• Melt together the butter and chocolate in a double boiler
• Whisk together whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until stiff peaks are formed
• Slowly mix in the chocolate sauce once cooled into the egg mixture
• Stir in the flour
• Pour into Remikins about 2/3 full
• Bake for 15 – 20 minutes – just till crusty but centers are still runny

Sauce

• Bring the milk, sugar & cocoa powder to the boil
• Remove from heat and add chocolate – stir until melted
• Turn out warm puddings onto individual plates and cover with warm chocolate sauce
• Garnish as you like!

We hope you enjoy the dessert and think of us in Nkuringo while you serve it at your dinner parties.

Gorilla Greetings,
Gary, Tamara and the Clouds Family

The local community had their ground breaking ceremony in March and over three and a half thousand people turned up for the celebration.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, with the ultimate goal of protecting the natural habitat of the mountain gorilla, will also directly benefit the community of Nkuringo who have a significant stake in the venture.

Clouds is being built on Nteko Ridge, on the edge of the southern side of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Buhoma Bwindi is on the northern side. You can walk between the two areas through Bwindi Impenetrable forest and it will take about 5 hours. Driving takes about the same amount of time, as you have to drive the long way around. We are a good 1,000 feet higher than Buhoma so you are looking down over Bwindi from the lodge.

From Kisoro, the road will then climb up towards Nkuringo, which offers excellent views including the triangular peaks of the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda and the Congo, the Western Rift Valley and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

We have built 10 Stone Cottages with 2 of these being double-roomed family units for people traveling together. The main building with reception, dining, shop and bar area will also have six fireplaces to keep it a cozy area throughout the day. Views from the main balcony area stretch across to Rwanda and the Virungas as well as all the way across the border towards Goma in the Congo.

We have had an exciting month at Semliki with night time visitors, an animal rescue and the discovery of a new reserve species.

Since the lodge sits along the Wassa River, the dry weather has brought many animals into the camp as they search for water. Lions are common visitors these days and herds of elephants have currently taken up residence in the riverine forest. The lion pictured here is fondly known as “Mr. Clean” as he has no visible scarring or notches in his ears. He is a beautiful creature and has been seen regularly near the lodge and along the driveway.

Other excitement this month centered on an injured buffalo and the medical rescue performed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority veterinarian. The buffalo, which had a gaping wound on it’s neck, was successfully darted and treated with antibiotics and it’s progress has been monitored by rangers and lodge staff and we were very excited to see him with his mates looking scared but very healthy.

Semliki is also very excited about the discovery of a forest buffalo within the reserve. These buffaloes are a West African species so it is very rare to find them in East Africa, they do have the specific physical traits that distinguish forest buffaloes from their savannah counterparts: small stature when fully grown, lighter brown color and smaller horns.

For Bookings and more information on our Wildplaces properties, please contact:
info@wildplacesafrica.com

Recent guests to Semliki Safari Lodge were treated to the unusual sight of watching a black chested snake eagle catch and then swallow a full grown puff adder. The snake eagle didn’t waste time chewing, but instead swallowed the large viper like spaghetti!

The dry season brings out the best nightjar viewing in Semliki. The long-tailed and pennant-winged nightjar have been seen in the warm evenings, as the road surfaces attract these beautiful birds and are a regular sight on night game drives in Semliki.

Having spent the weekend at Semliki with some friends we had the most spectacular game viewing. Lion, Leopard, Forest Elephant and lots of Uganda Kob and their young were spotted on a Friday night game drive. In the morning on Lake Albert we found Shoebill, red-throated bee-eaters, African pygmy-geese and northern migrants. You don’t have to know a lot about birds or even twitcher to enjoy being on the lake. Semliki has had 100 percent success rate with the Shoebill sightings in 2007 and so far in 2008, long may it continue!

Apoka Safari Lodge

With the dry season in full swing in Kidepo, it has caused our game to concentrate around the water holes and the Narus River. Walking safaris have become much easier after huge amounts of burning, we have rediscovered forgotten areas, they had become restricted due to last years heavy rain’s and long grass. Herds of Elephants in the valley are happily gorging on the fruiting Desert Date trees.

The World Conservation Society team has been busy fitting GPS radio collars on six female Elephants, we hope to know where our Elephants migrate to and if they really go deep into the Sudan. WCS want to also research the crocodiles in Kidepo to discover more on why they are so small and how they have survived.

More babies for Kidepo, as we found one of Tim’s pride lioness has three, two month old cubs, also our Eland herd has a another addition so are now up to eleven.

Kidepo is baby booming at the moment, we found one of our Kidepo lionesses next to the road resting in the shade of a Sausage Tree with her 5 very small cubs and another mother and daughter are frequently coming to the lodge water hole for an afternoon drink. Along with these, 9 new very cute Warthog piglets and their watchful mum have been coming in for daily wallows. Our Giraffes are doing well, with two calves born in the past few months – bringing our population up to 18. We also have had good Eland sightings, having not seen them for a few months, and are delighted to see that the herd has also increased with 2 new calves pushing the herd up to ten heads.

December has been a very good month for Pangolin and we were lucky enough to have two sightings of these elusive anteaters, both sightings were within a week and during daylight hours – a very exciting find!

Semliki Safari Lodge

Semliki Safari Lodge is currently participating in an elephant DNA study. Dung samples are being collected from around the reserve and given to the Uganda Wildlife Authority which is facilitating the study within Uganda. The dung provides valuable DNA information that will be used to create an international elephant DNA database to help wildlife officials combat the illegal trafficking of elephant tusks. Anti trafficking officials will soon be able to match the DNA from confiscated tusks to DNA in the database in order to determine the origin of the tusks and thus identify elephant populations in need of improved protection and better anti-trafficking measures.

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

We are really looking forward to the opening of our new Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Opening mid to late 2008.

At long last the rain have subdued and October has treated us to some Kidepo sunshine. The warmer weather has attracted large herds of elephants to the water logged areas in the valley below. The buffalo mud bath and the fresh water hole in front of the lodge have enticed a remarkable number of waterbuck, buffalo and zebra & hartebeest . The other day we counted 22 zebra fighting for a quick drink in a hot afternoon sun.

The Lions have been magnificent with common sightings of as many as eight in a sausage tree! Romance ran high with Winston and his new lioness, they stayed for 3 days in a big sausage tree over looking the river.

Quite a sight to see a 450lb male lion in a tree. Huge herds of Cape Buffalo have also been making their way back through the park, we counted easily over 1,300 buffalo! We had a confirmed sighting of a Denham’s Bustard, a huge bird similar to the Kori Bustard. Both these birds are on the Kidepo bird list but have not been seen for a while. We also had a very quick sighting of a Caracal, one of our smaller cat species.