I posted an article last night about a new lodge in Tsavo East National Park, Aruba Dam Lodge. I noticed in the article that "planned activities at the dam include boat riding and fishing".

This would be an extremely negative thing to allow. Aruba Dam, for those who don't know what it is or what it looks like, is about the size of a small pond or lake in most countries. It is also the main waterhole for millions of animals in the southern Tsavo east area. Most of the animals come at least twice a day to Aruba to get their supply of water. Aruba Dam is also seasonal. After the rains it is filled. Heading into the dry season the water levels in the dam drop precipitiously. Indeed, before totally drying out, many animals have gotten mired in the thick gooey mud. It hasn't been dredged out in years, if at all.

Aruba Dam area is one where almost every tour operator in Tsavo takes their clients twice a day because you are almost 100% certain to see large families of elephants, hundreds of buffalo, zebra and many other animals. Because there are so many herd animals, there are also a lot of lions in the area. There are also hippo living in the water when there is water there. When Aruba dries up, they walk 20 miles to the waterhole at Satao Camp which has a borehole so the waterhole there is full year round. Thus allowing anyone to put small boats into the water would indeed ruin the safari experience of every person in Tsavo.

It would also present a potential danger. With the numbers of animals at the water edge (and in the water), if a boat was overturned and someone injured or killed by an animal, then KWS would be called in to kill the animal.

It was also my understanding that NOTHING could be taken from the parks. THus even if fish were stocked in the Dam, how could they legally be taken?

I have written the head of KWS today asking "please tell me it just ain't so" regarding boating and fishing at Aruba. I hope KWS will decide it just shouldn't be done - not only to make the safari expeience better and more natural for people, but more natural and safer for the wildlife in the area also.

Good news! I just got an email from Julius Kipngetich, head of Kenya Wildlife Service, and he said "No such thing will happen in a protected area! Where did you read that?" Thus I imagine after my pasting the article to him that I found in Business Daily he will act upon it.

Excellent Jan, well done!

ha ha hahaaa, well done, Jan. Excellent !! Just a single email and you got the ball rolling. Let's see how far that stone will roll.

Keep us informed.

It will also be interesting when I get to Tsavo in February to see if this company that is running Aruba Dam Lodge has fixed the dam and dredged out the "pond" area. Apparently as I understand it, when requests for bids were sent out by KWS, one of the requirements of anyone chosen to build the lodge was that they would repair the dam which was built around 1950. Because of this stipulation, many companies wanting to build the lodge dropped out along the way as they knew the cost of fixing the dam and dredging would be astronomical. It would indeed be great if they pulled this off. Will keep my fingers crossed but won't hold my breath.

I am back again......

Well done Jan.

Carsten; Aruba dam to remind you (may other bushdrummers not read this) - was when we "borrowed" Emms car from his parents when we were around 14 / 15 years and went to Voi area for a couple of days. We decided to jump a railway line with the car.... that is where the dam is situated... ahahaha - remember?
Oh yes, we also saw lots of buffalo at the dam.