Oltukai Conservancy

Category: Uncategorized, Wildebeest, general wildlife, lions, predators, zebra | Date: Dec 02 2008 | By: oltukaiconservancy

This morning the Ol Tukai Game Scouts called to report lions have moved into the conservancy. This is a rare occurrence in the conservancy because during dry months the larger prey species like zebras and wildebeest migrate north to the Serengeti or south to the near by Tarangire national park.  During the rainy seasons, November-December and April-May the lions occasionally follow the herds to the fresh grazing grass of Ol Tukai.  Patrick Fleming Ol Tukai Team

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Category: Wildebeest, general wildlife, water, zebra | Date: Nov 11 2008 | By: oltukaiconservancy

The long awaited short rains have returned to Ol Tukai. For 6 months the dry season has taken its toll on the arid land which makes up the eastern shoreline of Lake Manyara. Fresh water sources had all but dried up months ago and the migratory wildlife had moved off the Conservancy heading southwest to the more permanent water sources in Tarangire National Park. On Nov 7th, the 2-3 week “Short Rains” started to fall turning a once arride landscape into a now green healthy eco-system. Within a couple of days the Wildebeest and Zebra, the largest and most abumdent large mammals in Ol Tukai began to return in great numbers. Fresh green grass has attracted them back to Ol Tukai and water levels in the lake have began to rise bringing back many migratory bird species.

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Category: Wildebeest, general wildlife, predators | Date: Apr 04 2008 | By: admin

The Wildebeest (Eastern Race of the White-Bearded Gnu, not to be confused with the Serengeti gnu’s, the Western Race) are normally associated with flat open land areas, and that these animals will therefore do well only in the Northern grassland savanna areas where scattered trees also occur.These Wildebeests prefer an open land of Tarangire-Manyara ecosystems (including OL Tukai village, where The Conservancy is operating).

The social structure consists of a territorial bull with few cows and calves.Such groups may join up with other groups( they are really moving in a hundreds and thousands herds). Normally these are also bachelor herds of young, older bulls and mixed herds. The mating season occurs in April and may, where the gestation period is about nine months, and the Calves are born, during late January and February.The Calves are able to walk ten minutes after birth and join the herds, The Calves hide in the tall grasses for the first week after birth. Later they walk with their mothers. The Wildebeests are actually grazers, in which they can eat up to one third of their weight in a short time.Their food consists almost entirely of grasses, but ocasionally seeds, stalks and leaves.

Lions, Hyenas and Leopards are responsible for predation of Wildebeests. Although it is young, weak and old animals which are mostly attacked/killed by Lions, Hyaenas and Leopards,
Below find the pictures of the Wildebeests while grazing in the open land.
Thank you for your interest on these animals.
Boniface Ngimojino.

Tags: , 517, 523, 547

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Category: Wildebeest, general wildlife, predators | Date: Mar 25 2008 | By: admin

Hallo All!

Just received the latest report from the game scouts at Ol Tukai. For the first time in years we have wildebeest breeding again in Ol Tukai. This is a wonderful development and really bodes well for our effort. The scouts got a photo which shows the young wildebeest, its not the clearest image but the animals are there!

We also have more and more predation within the conservancy…now on wildlife as opposed to livestock…which is a great relief and another demonstration of how the land set aside for wildlife is recovering well.

Also we had a lovely herd of Elephants in Ol Tukai last month. They were very nervous and stuck to good cover but the scouts managed to get a decent photo of them…

Thanks again for all the support!

Tags: 330, 474, 517, 523, 535, 6

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Category: Wildebeest, general wildlife | Date: Mar 07 2008 | By: admin

Here are some graphic representations of the trends in wildlife populations in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem. This information was provided by Dr. Charles Foley of the Tarangire Elephant project.

These numbers are now 10 years old, it should be interesting to see the latest results of surveys as they come out…the prognosis is not great, but since the publication of these trends lots of efforts have been made to at the very least stall this precipitous decline.

Corbett Bishop

Tags: 46, 523, 536, 539, 541, 544, 546, 548

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Category: Wildebeest | Date: Feb 19 2008 | By: admin

Hello,

Dear Readers and Partners,

Please kindly, can you share with me this information on the wildlife called Wildebeest?
The Wildebeests and Zebras normally have, the similar breeding and Gestation periods of about 287-294 days(9-10 months). Their breeding season start from late January to early April every year.

The Conservancy then moved to address key Wildlife dispersal areas around protected areas. The Tarangire -Manyara ecosystem including Ol Tukai plains, is one such area. This area is critical to the long term survival for Tarangire- manyara ecosystem because it facilitates Wet season dispersal and breeding season for Wildlife, especially wildebeests and Zebras. This area is not severely threatened by Land conversion to Large scale Agriculture. The Conservancy is working with Wildlife Division(govt Authorities), and Communities on the process of zoning and management planning in the area in order to protect it for use by Livestock and Wildlife for dispersal.

We have reports from the game scouts of many wildebeest giving birth as I write on the lake shore.

With completion of the plan, the dispersal area stands a higher chance of being conserved for Wildlife and Livestock use.

Thank you for your attention,

Boniface Ngimojino.

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