Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi

Subject: Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:56 pm

Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi

Sara Evans joins a team of conservationists on a perilous after-dark hunt for endangered repiles on the banks of the Zambezi.

Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi Trees

In a small aluminium boat we navigate slowly down the river by the light of a big fat moon. Ahead of us, giant lily pads form a dark olive patchwork. As we carve a watery path through the eerie greenness, I can make out the reedy and tree-lined shores on either side.

On my right sits Zimbabwe. On my left, Zambia. Downstream from Lake Kariba on the border between the two countries, this is the Zambezi in its middle stretches. The fourth longest river in Africa, the Zambezi supports a wealth of wildlife.

On the Zimbabwean side we float past Mana Pools National Park. A World Heritage Site, this park is home to lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and black rhino. The Zambian side is wildlife-rich, too – more than 300 species of birds and plenty of hippo and antelope grace its protected shorelines.
Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi Croc3

Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi Croc3

The Nile crocodile may have a reputation of killing at least 200 people a year, but its survive is vital to the region's ecosystem

But I'm not here on night-time safari looking for the Big Five by watery moonlight. Rather, I'm looking for Africa's biggest crocodile – the Nile crocodile – around 16ft long and with a reputation of killing at least 200 people a year. As part of a Crocodiles of the Zambezi expedition (organised by the international environmental charity Earthwatch), I'm here with three volunteers and crocodile scientists Kevin Wallace and Audrey Detoeuf-Boulade. We're hoping to capture crocodiles, measure, sex and tag them, in order to help assess their numbers in the Middle Zambezi Valley.

The number of crocodiles here is thought to be diminishing. As in most of southern Africa, the Nile crocodile, despite its endangered species status, is under pressure from human encroachment and poachers. while its eggs are taken to stock crocodile farms (the skin makes a very nice briefcase) – though reputable establishments insist they release a higher percentage of hatchlings than would be expected to survive naturally.

By capturing, recording and interpreting data, and researching their nesting and breeding habits, Earthwatch scientists and volunteers can help determine the impact of these activities on the local crocodile population and recommend special protection measures if necessary.

Protecting the Nile crocodile is important because if this king of reptiles disappears, not only does the region lose a magnificent top predator, but as a "keystone" species, the whole of the local food chain could also be affected.

It's the Nile crocodile that keeps down the numbers of barbell catfish – a voracious breed which, if left unchecked, can deplete other fish stocks, with devastating effects on the animals that depend on them for food. They're river cleaners too – consuming dead animals that would otherwise pollute these waters, making them vital for the health of the river.

So capturing crocodiles to help determine their numbers makes sense, but how do you actually catch one? This I am about to find out. Sitting at the front of the boat, Kevin turns on a powerful, hand-held spotlight and sweeps from left shore to right shore. The boat speeds up and our search for crocodiles begins.

Even with the piercing light of the spotlight, crocodiles are not easy to spot. Their khaki skins merge with the water and blend seamlessly with riverine vegetation. But there's one thing that crocodiles can't camouflage and that's their eyes. When light catches crocodilian eyes at night, they shine back red – bright as car brake lights, unmistakable and easy to spot in the dark.

As we speed through the water, bats dance around the high branches of trees on shore and giant moths, attracted by Kevin's light, flutter and skim the water alongside of us. Then Kevin alerts to me to something less serene. Two red eyes appear on the water surface. As we approach, the eyes stay put.

Almost within touching distance of the croc, Kevin grabs his capture equipment and stands up. He leans over the side of the boat and successfully lassos the crocodile as it lurches out of the water. It looks massive; about 15ft, estimates Audrey. As Kevin hangs on to his rope, the crocodile's huge primordial teeth glint in the darkness.

Thrashing loudly, the animal is doing all it can to stay in the water – rolling from side to side and whipping its tail frantically. It won't be brought on-board in this state, but after 15 minutes or so of thrashing around, a big croc like this will just tire itself out, and can then be handled safely.

Brought on to the boat, its enormous jaws will be bound together. Laid out, it will be measured and tagged. This done, the crocodile will be taken to the side of the boat, have its jaw freed and then be tipped into the water where it will swim away unharmed.

Our thrashing croc won't be joining us tonight, though. Strong, big and clever, it has escaped and disappeared from view. Undeterred, our search for crocodiles continues.

Within 10 minutes, another pair of eyes shines back red at us from a reed bed on the Zambian shoreline. This crocodile is much smaller. It's a hatchling – around 24 inches long; a tiddler by crocodile standards. Using not much more than a small rope, Kevin brings the mini-croc on-board. Its jaws, though not as fearsome as an adult's can still deliver a nasty bite, so duct tape is used to bind them carefully together.

Owls hoot and tiny reed frogs, in their hundreds, sing around us as we discover this crocodile baby is female and probably just over a year old. I can handle it relatively easily. Its skin feels sculptured and textured; the pale belly smooth and sensual by contrast. The faint patterns on the skin synchronise hypnotically from its warm bright amber eyes down to the tip of its tail. It is a perfect crocodile-in-waiting. Crocodile-lite and beautiful.

Our little she-croc is placed gently back into the water. As we watch it swim under a lily pad, an unexpected clap of thunder fills the air. Raindrops, the size of bullets, begin to fall. Heading back, we dodge hippos that break the surface like grey stepping stones.

Back at camp, our work continues. Our samples are put into Petri dishes, test?tubes filled and datasheets filled in. As well as assisting in captures, volunteers also work along the shoreline by day. Crocodiles are radio tracked, their nests located and their eggs counted. All this information is the analysed by scientists.

Without the input of volunteers, much of this work would not take place. But with them, creatures like our little she-croc stand more of a chance of growing into big crocs. Something that's not just good news for the species but also vital for all wildlife on the Zambezi, where a whole ecosystem depends on the conservation of these extraordinary animals

Posting Python Number of posts : 1295 Registration date : 2007-12-27

gosh that was good felt like i was there on the boat...you are so lucky living where you do

Subject: Re: Zambia: Conservation On The Zambezi Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:34 pm

Thanks tilly790
I am fortunate to have the choice of the wild a couple of hours drive away. Sometimes not that far.

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