Camp Tsavo

 

Wildlife Discovery Experience

 

 

 

 

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Location
Accommodation Style
Food & Drink
Communications
Culture
Transport
Projects
Video

 

 

Overview         

 

Camp Tsavo is located in Rukinga ranch, directly south of Tsavo East National Park, and is our biggest and most ambitious wildlife project to date. This ecosystem is home to a large diversity of flora and fauna, many species of which are classified by IUCN (the World Conservation Union) as vulnerable, threatened or endangered, and boasts a large population of predators, especially lions. Rukinga Sanctuary forms part of a vital wildlife corridor (Tsavo Kasigau Wildlife corridor, TKWD) across the ‘Taru desert’ for a population of almost one thousand elephants and hundreds of buffalo that migrate seasonally between the Parks in search of water, temporarily giving Rukinga one of the largest populations of elephants on private land in Kenya.

 

You will participate in a wide range of conservation, research and community projects designed to build on and complement the substantial progress that has already been made by previous volunteers. All activities are designed to make a positive contribution towards the ongoing work of Rukinga Sanctuary whilst educating and enthusing international volunteers on the pertinent issues facing conservation in Africa today.

 

 

Location

 

The Tsavo ecosystem is an area of 43,000 km² and is one of the largest and most important wildlife refuges in Africa. The core of this area is formed by Tsavo East and West National Parks, which together occupy approximately 21,000 km², and the Mkomazi Game Reserve which occupies about 5,000 km² in Tanzania. The vast area adjoining the southern arms of Tsavo East and West comprises privately owned plots of land that are mainly utilised for livestock grazing or limited agriculture. The exception to this is Rukinga Sanctuary, an 80,000 acre area of land that is managed by Wildlife Works for the benefit of wildlife.

 

Camp Tsavo is situated in the centre of Rukinga Sanctuary and is where our camp is based. The camp is set out like a traditional African village and surrounded by endless views of the African Bush..

 

 

Accommodation Style

 

Camp Tsavo is a permanent bush camp in the centre of Rukinga Sanctuary and is set out like an African village, the Centre’s makuti-thatched ‘rondavels’ (circular bandas with conical roofs) were built using local techniques, materials and labour. Eight single sex dormitories sleep up to 40 people and large dome tents accommodate a further 40 people during the summer.

 

Inside each banda there are four pairs of rustic wooden bunk beds. Individual sleeping units consist of a single bed, high-density mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows and sleeping nets as well as shelves to keep your belongings. For our life programme you have the choice of staying in dome tents (for the more adventurous amongst you) or the luxury of the Lodge, a beautiful, fully equipped four double bedroom house overlooking the sanctuary.

 

The camp is surrounded by a fence to provide security from wildlife. There is one large mess area as well as a large campfire area where you can relax after a hard day working in the bush.

 

The following facilities are also available:

 

• Ablution block with showers and flushing toilets
• Laundry area
• Fully stocked laboratory with zoological exhibits
• Study/presentation room
• Education Centre

 

 

Food & Drink

 

There is a large, well-equipped kitchen in camp, manned by our head chef who, with his team supplies a daily menu of fresh local produce. Fish, meat chicken, fruit and vegetables are all part of your menu and a wide range of diets can also be catered for including vegetarian and vegan.

 

 

Communications

 

There is limited phone reception in certain areas of the sanctuary and our camp is also equipped with radio communications directly linked to our coastal office in case of emergencies. We are eagerly awaiting the completion of a new mobile phone tower that will provide full phone reception in the camp over the next few months.

 

 

Culture

 

The total human population in the area bordering Rukinga is approaching 12,000 individuals of whom the vast majority are subsistence farmers. In the past Camp Tsavo has worked with six villages: Bungule, Jora, Rukanga, Kiteghe, Makwasinyi and Kisimenyii. Sasenyi village also borders the sanctuary and is the closest village to Camp Tsavo, only 13 km away (30 minutes by road through the sanctuary).

 

Historically this area has been too harsh for people to exploit and so people only started settling here over the last century. Local indigenous people offer a wealth of rich and diverse cultures and traditions. Tribes include the Wakamba, Wataita, Masai, and the Waliangulu.

 

 

Transport

 

Camp Tsavo is supported by all of our available transport, which varies from minibuses to Bedford Trucks and 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers.

 

 

 

Projects

 

The following information should be used as a guide only. All project activities are subject to change and may vary depending on the time of year, resources available and changing priorities.

 

Arrival and Introduction

After transferring to camp, you will be introduced to the team and given an informal introduction to the surrounding area and communities, the work done by Camps International, pertinent conservation issues as well as a thorough safety briefing. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect to accomplish during your stay.

Community Projects

Improvement of a rural Primary School

Many schools in the area surrounding Camp Tsavo are in varying states of disrepair. Many classrooms are built without foundations or adequate structural reinforcements. Others are missing doors, windows or concrete flooring and do not contain any furniture. This means that children are either taught outside, underneath the shade of a tree, or are simply given a large stone to sit on during classes. Many of the kitchens are also in poor condition, often just a shack with an open fire inside.

 

Over the next few years, our community project activities will include the following:

 

• Reconstruction and refurbishment of a rural primary school
• Improving access to the school
• Construction of sports and play facilities
• Providing teaching assistance with particular emphasis on environmental education

 

By providing tangible benefits to those communities that live alongside wildlife, children will learn to appreciate the economic value of animals and this should help to alleviate conflicts.

Promoting local micro enterprise initiatives

You can assist on various potential retail projects designed to provide means of alternative income generation for the local communities instead of being solely dependent on farming or environmentally unfriendly activities such as poaching and charcoal manufacturing.

Agriculture Day

You will spend the day with local families engaging in various daily chores in order to gain a deeper understanding of Kenyan rural life and the issues people have to deal with including human wildlife conflict.

Craft and Culture Day

This offers you the opportunity to learn about the cultures of Taita-Taveta District and the surrounding area. You will be working alongside local artisans, making traditional African crafts including baskets, beadwork, jewellery and simple furniture.

In the afternoon, you can visit a traditional Masai village to learn about their culture and traditions before joining in with traditional songs and dances.

 

Environmental Projects

Environmental Workshop

This workshop will be a mix of theory and practical work with the aim of educating volunteers on the Tsavo ecosystem and appreciate its importance for the people and wildlife living here. Work may include animal survey techniques, collecting zoological samples and improving educational displays for the centre.

 

Habitat Management

You will participate in various activities around the sanctuary designed to optimise this area as a wildlife refuge. Water activities in the sanctuary will ensure that water levels remain higher during the dry season and play a vital role in the survival of the wildlife in the area. Activities may include excavating waterholes and improving inflow channels. Other activities may include tree planting and establishing an indigenous hardwood tree nursery.

 

Wildlife Research Projects

Waterhole usage monitoring

The Tsavo ecosystem is very dry, receiving less than 20 inches (50 cm) of rain each year. Therefore, the availability and distribution of surface water highly influences the diversity, density and distribution of wildlife, livestock and human settlement in the area. Small groups of volunteers spend part of the day monitoring the usage of selected waterholes by wildlife to monitor numbers of animals within the sanctuary.

Wildlife viewing and recording

You will get the chance to go on a number of game drives within the ranch (depending on the length of your stay) and will be asked to complete your own species checklist. This information is important for monitoring wildlife population fluctuations throughout the year. This also gives you the chance to improve your animal identification skills! The day should be finished by having an informal discussion of the pros and cons of wildlife tourism.

Elephant Identification

The Tsavo ecosystem has been shaped by elephants more than any other animal, and supports more elephants than anywhere else in Kenya (up to 10,000). During game drives, you will identify known elephant populations and monitor age/sex classes. This information can then contribute to our understanding of the social structure and movements of these animals.

Bush skills Day

An outward bounds day where you learn and practice authentic bush skills in a safe and controlled environment. Activities may include orientation and map reading exercises, animal tracking, fire making, and the use of medicinal plants.

 

Video