Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
points and they waved us through. I was still jet-lagged, and in need of sleep and not
particularly talkative or observant.
The Bubye River Conservancy, the hunting area managed by Mazunga Safaris, is south
east of Bulawayo. As we went south we were descending from areas of grassy plains and
fields to Lowveld bush, and the Limpopo Valley.
The Lowveld is dry with scattered grass, a lot of thorn bush, and mopane scrub. Late
August is early spring or late winter in Zimbabwe and there are a few leaves left on the
trees and a lot on the ground, and, in general, there are not a lot of green areas around. At
this point in the year the vegetation is at its sparsest and the land is dry.
As we got farther from Bulawayo, the villages get a little bit more rugged looking with
open drains clogged with trash, unfinished or abandoned building with broken glass,
barbed wire fences, window grates replacing the glass in windows, and dogs and half naked
children on streets that were once paved but now have a lot of potholes in them. Along the
road outside these villages are rusted signs and broken gates to farms and ranches with
faded European names of past owners. There are electrical stanchions and telephone poles
without wires and parallel to the road there was a railroad bed without trains and without
tracks.
The sun was getting low on the horizon as we turned into the entrance to Mazunga. The
Bubye Valley Conservancy (or restorancy) is about a million acres of former cattle ranches
that have been “reclaimed” for game and game hunting. It is surrounded by a road and a
double layer of fences so that the animals of the conservancy are not competing with cattle
for the sparse vegetation or eating the cattle. The Mazunga headquarters is a combination
farm yard and industrial compound that is the center for the organization. Brent introduced
us to Blondie, a sixty-ish year old man and his lovely wife, Katrina, who are in charge of
the area.
After we looked over the compound, Brent stayed to talk with Blondie, and Katrina took
us to see a young rhino that appeared to be about a year old that had been found where his
mother had been killed by poachers a week or so ago. Mazunga has a rhino restoration
program and currently about 130 black rhino and 57 white rhino reside on the property.
Poaching is a serious and consistent problem and despite guards that are trying to protect
the rhinos, they have lost two in two years, actually not a bad record. This restorancy is
about as safe a place that you can be in Zimbabwe if you are a rhinoceros.
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