Conserving themagic wildlifeof Tanzania
LOTS of bad news comes out of Africa — much of it to do with the continent’s endangered wildlife. But it’s not all doom and gloom, certainly not in northern Tanzania, where a Texan family works tirelessly to deter poachers, while welcoming safari lovers from around the world.
The Friedkin Conservation Fund finances an anti-poaching unit, backed up by two reconnaissance helicopters.
Alongside, it has launched the Legendary Serengeti Mobile Camp — a tented palace that moves around the national park following the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, chasing the rains.
Each guest tent has an en suite bathroom with its own fire-powered boiler.
‘When you go on safari, you are watching the most amazing film in the world. When you go on a Friedkin safari, you are the lead role,’ says Dan Friedkin, the founder and driving force behind the organisation.
Well, he would say that. But what I like especially is being asked every day what we would like to do first.
On day one, we choose to drive from the camp’s commanding view over the Serengeti into the midst of the Great Migration. At one point, we are surrounded by more than 1,000 wildebeest and zebra gilded by an African sunset. The greatest show on earth.
The 300,000 acres of private Friedkin reserves mean we weave freely through roaming herds of buffalo and ‘journeys’ of giraffe — to use the correct collective noun.
Talking of which, on day two we push our luck and ask to drive closer to a ‘crash’ of 20 hippo wallowing in the misty morning light.
We drive right up to the escarpment overlooking the pool. The thought that only a 6ft gap separates us from the most dangerous animal in Africa is banished by pure adrenaline.
We also get to hear about the dangerous humans in the area and the carnage they cause.
Twelve months ago, pilot Roger Gower, a highly respected conservationist, was shot down and killed on an anti-poaching flight. Even so, in patrolled reserves, poaching-related arrests have fallen from 3,000 a year to fewer than 1,000.
On DAY three, we drive one hour south to Mwiba Lodge. Perched atop a rocky hillside, this permanent lodge has ten bedrooms of subtle perfection designed by Dan and his wife, Debra. Tarnished copper taps hover above bath tubs with some of the best views in Africa. The infinity pool cascades into an open landscape, ending at a waterhole frequented by buffalo and
elephants. With no fences allowed in Tanzania, animals are free to roam, and from my bedroom I watch a kudu — a kind of antelope — gracefully eat shoots from an acacia tree next to my balcony.
The following day, we take a guided walk with the Hadzabe tribe. They have spent centuries hunting what we are looking to photograph. Through a carefully nurtured relationship, they are vital informers for the anti-poaching teams. And they generously impart their wealth of knowledge to tourists on safari.
Master hunter-gatherers, they conjure up delights from the land such as honeycomb and even marula nuts picked from elephant dung. not wanting to disappoint, we are surprised at how tasty the half-digested nuts can be.
We reluctantly embark on our last day by being asked the usual question: what would you like to do next? We gamely say we have never seen a leopard in the wild.
Later that day, we are driven to within feet of a female leopard. She is beautiful.
With the dismissive air of a bored supermodel, she nonchalantly observes us through haunting emerald eyes. Tired of our gawping, she leaps to a higher branch to resume her midday nap.
The Friedkin family has invested more than $300 million (about £ 246 million) into Tanzanian conservation and employs more than 600 local staff.
One project we visit is at the Olosiva School, where the fund provides more than 1,000 lunches for pupils. The head teacher is mobbed by giggling children as she shows us around.
‘For many, this is their only meal of the day. It allows the children to stay in school,’ she says. If the next generation can learn conservation projects are linked to the prosperity of their community, a rhino may one day be worth considerably more alive than dead.
TRAVEL FACTS
TRUE Luxury Travel ( trueluxury.travel, 0203 137 1247) offers a sixnight safari with Legendary Expeditions, staying at the Serengeti Mobile Camp and Mwiba Lodge, from £5,600 pp. Includes flights from Heathrow to Kilimanjaro, all meals and drinks, park fees and twice daily activities, including guided walking and open Land Rover safaris. See legendary
expeditions.com for more information.