LEFT: Tourism Park Warden CONSTANTIA MAFFA.
Jacana birds have unique and interesting life
styles. These rare birds which are found at Katavi National Park, lay
eggs and then assign their husbands (males) to incubate and hatch. After
hatching the males are given another task of taking care of the young
ones. What if this task happened to human beings? Our columnist GERALD
KITABU interviewed Tourism Park Warden CONSTANTIA MAFFA who sheds more
light on these rare birds and other unique animal species found in the
Park. Her Views:
QUESTION: Briefly tell us about these rare birds
ANSWER: Before I explain about these rare birds let me briefly talk
about Katavi National Park. This park is Tanzania’s third largest
national Park (4471 km²). It is the heart of one of the biggest and
richest wildlife areas in Tanzania.
It is located along the rift valley escarpments in western
Tanzania; it offers incredible scenery including immense wetlands,
roaring waterfalls and original miombo woodlands, where the Sable
antelopes often hide.
During the dry season, huge herds of buffalo, zebras and impalas
gather with elephants, waterbucks and duikers around the drying water
reserves of Lake Katavi and Lake Chada.
The Katavi ecosystem was first protected in 1911 during the German
colonial occupation within the Bismarck hunting reserve. In 1951 it
became a game reserve under the British administration.
During Nyerere’s leadership it was upgraded to a National Park
status in 1974 with a size of 2253 km. However, it was extended in 1996
to its current size (4471 km). Katavi National Park was officially
opened by the Former President of Tanzania in 1998, William Benjamin
Mkapa.
Q: What are these Jacana birds?
A: The Jacanas also known as Jesus are interesting rare birds found
in this Park. They are known as Jesus for their ability to walk on the
water. The Jacanas are long-legged marsh birds belonging to the group of
tropical waders in the family Jacanidae.
They inhabit freshwater ponds, the margins of lakes, swamps and
lagoons where it feeds on insects, small mollusks and seeds of aquatic
plants.
Jacanas are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable
them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their
preferred habitat.
Food consists of insects, small mollusks, seeds of aquatic plants picked from the floating vegetation or the water’s surface.
Female jacanas are fighters, towering over the males. They are
stronger than males, vastly more aggressive, and they have the larger
weapons. Sharp yellow spurs just forward like daggers from each elbow.
Bigger females fare better in fierce battles, and as a rule only
dominant, top condition females manage to hold a territory for long
enough to breed.
Once the female produces eggs it leaves them to the males, and
after hatching the males are given another task of taking care of the
young ones.
These birds are some of the wonders of the national park as some
tourists come just to experience and learn about their life style.
Q: What are other unique tourism attractions in this Park?
A: Another very interesting tourism attraction which is not found
anywhere is that this park is a home to the spirit known as Katabi. It
is believed that Katabi walks from one part of Katavi National Park, his
home, through the park to greet his wife Wamweru who lives on the other
side.
While walking towards his wife, local communities believe that
Katabi spirit appears as an unusual human being or a strange animal,
like a bird with one leg, deformed animals or albinos.
This is the spirit of the Wabende and Pimbwe tribes in Mpanda which is married to the equally strong spirit called Wamweru.
The Katabi spirit is known to exist near Lake Katavi in a twin pair
of Tamarindus indica trees and his wife Wamweru stays far from him on
the other side of the lake in the hills called Wamweru.
For Mpanda residents especially the Bende and Pimbwe communities
believe that their spirit Katabi could grant them fortunes, magical
protection and discover traditional medicines to cure some diseases.
Today, some members of the local communities still use the site for
worshipping. Leopards are sighted frequently close to Katabi’s tree.
Other exceptional resources available in the Park include high
habitat and species diversity with high concentrations of large mammals,
extensive wetlands and important water catchments areas, wilderness
character.
Such areas include the Katavi-Rukwa-Lukwati protected area complex
which still retains a distinct wilderness character and interesting
vegetation mosaic ranging from wetlands and lakes to riverine vegetation
and various types of woodlands and shrublands; for example, the
woodlands of the inselbergs of Kapimbye, Kapapa and Igongwe.
“The Park is also home to some endangered and unusual species: wild
dogs, roan and sable antelopes in the woods of Ilumbi as well as eland,
often encountered at lake Katavi, Kaselami Mbuga, the northern Chada
plain, Kataukasi, Katsunga and Kakonje Mbugas,” she said.
Q: You hinted on some historical and cultural resources, what are they?
A: There are many, they include the Karema-Inyonga-Tabora slave route passed through the protected area.
Stone Age and Iron Age sites, sites of 19th century towns, Wamweru
Hills and Katabi tree, just 14 km from the airstrip are useful features
that students need to learn about.
Katavi National Park has scenic diversity with escarpments, rugged hills, flat alluvial plains, marshes, lakes and rivers.
The scenic spots include hot springs at Majimoto outside the park,
waterfalls at Ndido, Chorangwa and Lukima and beautiful views from the
top of the escarpment down into the Rukwa Valley such as the view of the
steep Mlele escarpment close to Mpunga Mbuga just to name a few.
If one visits this Park, he would see large herds of animals at
Magogo Pools, Lake Katavi, Ilyandi Sandridge, Katisunga Mbuga and Kasima
Springs, Lake Chada and hippo schools at Ikuu springs, Ikuu bridge and
Sitalike.
Crocodiles are found in large numbers in the Katuma riverbed and at
the Ikuu Bridge in caves as well as in Kapapa River, Rungwa River and
Ndido Falls.
Q: How can a tourist reach the Park?
A: It is very easy; this Park is accessible throughout the year by
roads via Mbeya, Sumbawanga from the South, by train from Dar es Salaam,
Mwanza, or Kigoma to Mpanda via Tabora or by chartered aero planes.
There are also regular flights that take tourists to Katavi through
Mpanda Airport.
Q: What is your call?
A: This park has many to offer and wonder, for example, for a
tourist comes here by road, when he or she approaches the park, he or
she is likely to see and hear a thunderous wheezing sound from a heap of
Hippos that floats on Katuma River near Sitalike Village.
This scenario is very strange as it is not found anywhere in the
country. Many tourists tend to defy the scotching sun so that they can
capture every event taking place in the River.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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