In scenes reminiscent of the massive Operation Noah that took place in 1958 when Kariba Dam flooded the Zambezi valley, rescuers, who included the management from Bumi Hills Lodge and Luke & Suzanne from Vayeni (who happened to be on an educational trip to the new luxury lodge at the time), managed to successfully assist 3 struggling waterbuck on their 2.5km swim to the mainland from the aptly named Starvation Island. Waterbuck are grazers and they have recolonised islands close to the mainland, during low water level periods, where grass is abundant on the flood plains created at these times.
The lake has not reached it's full capacity since 1983 and as a result the waterbuck have had no need to move off areas like Starvation Island. The first animals to suffer are the grazers, but the pressure is also telling on animals like impala and baboon that are also resident on the island. They are mixed feeders and able to browse too, but even this resource is now being reduced due to overgrazing. Bumi Hills is spear heading a project to feed hay to the animals still on the island, until such time as the water levels recede again. Funds are required in order to do this. Please contact us if you would like to assist or for more information on vayeni@vayeni.com
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