AFTER his travel diary following a visit to Zimbabwe in November 2009 [DAY 1; DAY 2; DAY 3; DAY 4; DAY 5], Scott Ramsay returned recently and travelled for four weeks in the western parts of the country, discovering deserted tourist attractions, plenty of welcoming locals and more than a few roadblocks.

Want to find out what it’s like to travel in Zimbabwe at the moment? Can you have a good time in the country? Are visitors welcome? Is it safe? Is there fuel? Is there food? How bad is the poaching?

THE answer is “yes”. It’s safer to travel there than in South Africa, where random crime is commonplace. At no stage did I feel unsafe in Zimbabwe. But is it morally acceptable to travel in a country which is still in the vice-like grip of a dictator?

Indeed, Mugabe’s ruling party (Zanu PF) is now sharing a little bit of its power with the opposition MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, but there are plenty of serious question marks over the sincerity of Mugabe’s conciliatory intentions. Farms and land are still being grabbed from white land owners, and most people - black and white – are leading anxious lives. However, the country is in a marginally better state – politically – than it was a few years ago.

By staying away from Zimbabwe, it’s not the corrupt leadership that suffer, but the hard-working people. By visiting, you are contributing to the employment of waiters, wildlife guides, cleaning staff ... and all other employees who rely on the tourism industry for employment. Zimbabweans are amongst the friendliest people in Africa – they will give you a king’s welcome.

Wildlife also suffers from a lack of tourism. If there are no visitors in the parks, then there are no “eyes and ears” on the ground to deter potential poachers, and there is no revenue to equip the rangers properly. Just by visiting Zimbabwe’s fantastic parks, you are making a tangible, meaningful difference to conservation. And there is still an enormous amount of wildlife to enjoy, with very few tourists.

If you’re looking for an escape from the commercial atmosphere of Victoria Falls, then head to Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge, about 70 kilometres up the Zambezi River, towards Kazungula on the Botswana border.

Here, you’ll find an isolated bush lodge with eight chalets, all looking onto the Zambezi River. Owned by Wild Horizons, Imbabala is situated on a 4,000 acre concession in the Matetsi Safari Area, with 11 kilometres of pristine river frontage. The intimate lodge gives visitors to Vic Falls a more authentic taste of the African bush (although recent developments on the Zambian side of the river are worrying – for each of our three nights, we could hear nightclub music from the opposite bank).

A big plus is its proximity to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Imbabala offer day trips across the border to see the 100,000 odd elephants which make Chobe famous. It’s highly recommended, if a bit rushed.  GPS Co-ordinates: S17.81817 E25.28488.

In 2009, Sharon wrote a revealing book called The Elephants and I (banned in Zimbabwe), in which she describes how she gave up her high-flying job in Sydney to live in controversial Zimbabwe in 2001, and then started her die-hard friendship with the elephants.

Along with Alan Elliott, who was the original force behind their conservation, she has perhaps done more than anyone to garner support for the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe. I interviewed her while sitting outside her tiny hut she proudly calls home on the Hwange Estate, just to the east of Hwange National Park.

A: Things have improved. It’s not so much that the elephants are safer. The thing that has improved is the water supply. We’ve had pans scooped [cleared of debris] and the wildlife has more access to water. In terms of snaring, the number of snared animals is decreasing, but the poaching doesn’t stop. There’s always something, but it’s not nearly as bad as the early years [2003, 2004 and 2005], when we were seeing three or four snared elephants sometimes every day. Those were bad times.

A: The anti-poaching teams make a huge difference, although you can never have enough men out there looking for snares in such a large area. And Zimbabwe is trying to penalise poachers more harshly. It is still far from satisfactory, but the fines are much more severe. However, the courts often don’t demand that the fines are paid. Fines look good on paper, but we’ve still got a way to go before they make a real impact. And if poachers can’t pay the fine, they get sent to jail, where they often get released after a few weeks.

A: Most definitely. Recently, we came across fifteen big snares all in a row, designed to snare buffalo. You don’t do that if you’re just trying to feed your family. That’s the sort of snaring that we’re still encountering, even after ten years. That’s commercial poaching, not subsistence poaching.

A: My biggest fear is that because tourism numbers are down, there’s always a chance that someone will try reclaim this land and turn it into a sport hunting concession. Because the profit in tourism is so low at the moment in Zimbabwe, operators prefer to make their money from hunting. If the Hwange Estate is turned back into a hunting concession, the elephants have no hope.

Q: Why do you think it is that people, in this age of conservation, still hunt mega fauna such as elephant, lion, leopard and rhino?

A: You’re probably asking the wrong person! I have no idea why people hunt. What fun is there in shooting something that has no chance of escape? Sport hunting these days is not like the old days, when people tracked animals on foot for days before they actually got to shoot something. Today, many sport-hunters shoot from their vehicles. It’s nothing more than ego. I don’t know what hunters are trying to prove. How can they possibly feel good about themselves doing something like this?

A: Generally, I don’t think it is, but there may be a small role for them. For example, there was an elephant here, which I called Future, whose trunk was chopped off right at the top. The plan was to dart him, and to use him for rides, so people could see what happens to animals when they get snared. He was going to be an ambassador to the Presidential Elephants. To put an elephant like that in a captive elephant facility is a good thing, rather than let him die. Future died before we could help him though.

But some companies capture young elephants from wild, healthy populations ... that’s horrific. It’s banned in South Africa, and supposedly banned in Zimbabwe now too. But I also don’t believe that orphans of culled elephants should be taken into captive industries. I’ve seen video of how some companies train these young elephants, and it’s horrific. Maybe there are some companies that do it better, but I think it’s better that the young elephants are shot along with their family, when the parks do an official cull. I think that’s less cruel than taking them off to an elephant back company where they could be mistreated.

A: Yes, because it’s possible to get really close to wild elephants here. Surely an experience like this outweighs climbing on top of a captive elephant?

Q: Leading on from that, what would you say to people who believe you shouldn’t be actively approaching and habituating wild elephants, like you do? Is it not potentially dangerous for tourists?

A: I understand the concerns, but how sad would it be if elephants are safer by fearing man? These elephants on the Hwange Estate have been protected from hunting for 40 years, and – touch wood – there have been no incidents. Also, I always make it clear to visitors that nobody must approach any elephants without an extremely experienced guide present in the vehicle.

In fact, no self-drive vehicles are allowed onto the estate. Only authorised lodge vehicles with guides are allowed to bring visitors to see the elephants. The risks are therefore very low. Also, these elephants are choosing to approach people, and I think that’s an amazing, lovely thing.

A: It’s all about how they take care of their family, how they caress and greet each other. I also believe they have a sense of humour. They have an obvious intelligence, and a real love of life. It is very human-like, and very different to any other species. I think they are the most intelligent animals, and at the same time they have fun together. I enjoy that a lot about them.

Sharon’s presence on the Hwange Estate is important to the survival of Zimbabwe’s flagship elephant herd and other wildlife. Because there are few tourists at the moment, would-be poachers have more incentive to intrude on the conservancy, so Sharon’s persistent vigilance acts as an effective deterrent.

She also helps various wildlife researchers to free snared animals. Sharon works purely on public support and needs fuel-funding to keep her rickety Range Rover mobile.

Self-drive visitors aren’t allowed onto the Hwange Estate. Only visitors to lodges may gain access to the property. Ivory Lodge are offering their guests a special elephant tour with Sharon Pincott. Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to the elephants, guided by Sharon and Ivory’s wildlife guide Dumisani Moyo.

Tours are conducted on the Hwange Estate in Ivory Lodge’s Land Rover. While Sharon gives a fascinating and entertaining account of the Presidential Herd, the wild elephants will most of the time approach within a metre of the car. It’s a unique experience, but not for megalophobics (people scared of very big things!).

For several years, Getaway Magazine, Brett McDonald of Flame of Africa and Mario Gomes have been raising money from readers to supply funds to Hwange National Park. These funds have been used to repair pumps, buy diesel and maintain certain campsites.

These days, the pumps are maintained by a sister, non-profit organisation called Friends of Hwange, a group of equally passionate and concerned wildlife lovers who look after about ten pumps in the south of the park. The man currently doing all the hard work is Gary Cantle, who spends his days making sure each of the ten pumps is working and has enough diesel. The other 50 or so pumps are maintained by the national parks staff.

Mario and Getaway Magazine from Save Hwange also help Gary and his team, especially when it comes to fundraising. The ten pumps use more than $6,000 of fuel every month, not to mention oil, spare parts and other odds-and-ends. Also on the shopping list is a decent bakkie for Gary, as his old Mazda is now on its last legs – the heavy loads of diesel and pump equipment, combined with the bad roads, have made mince meat of the Mazda’s chassis and suspension.

Without Gary’s diligent work, the animals aren’t assured of drinking water, and because Hwange is prone to drought, and there are no perennial natural water supplies, pumps are vital for their survival.

The rangers of Victoria Falls National Park and Hwange National Park do as much as they can to stem the poaching that takes place. However, certain private individuals and organisations are permitted to help the rangers in their task.

Charles Brightman of the Vic Falls Anti-Poaching Unit leads a team of 18 scouts who have had considerable success in removing snares and apprehending poachers. Since 1999, they have removed more than 19,000 snares. Charles is a licensed wildlife guide by profession, and while he’s not helping snared animals, he’s taking small groups of tourists on tailor-made safaris.

To book a specialised wildlife tour with Charles, or make a donation to his anti-poaching unit, e-mail him on cat@yoafrica.com or tel +263-11-209-144 or +263-13-45821 or web www.vfapu.org.

In Hwange, Martin Stiemer of Animal Life Line and his team of 15 scouts have had similar success. After a series of wildlife volunteer projects, Martin gave up his job protecting the royal family of Holland to come live in Zimbabwe permanently.

“There are too many people that just talk and don’t do anything about it,” said Martin. “Obviously not everyone can give up their jobs to do something like this, but they can help by donating.”

If you need any help while travelling in Zimbabwe, contact Zimbabwe Tourism, who are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. In Bulawayo, call Lizzie Murandu or Nomvuyo Mathonsi on +263-912-268-126 or +263-11-324-053. And in Vic Falls contact Paty Kateketa on +263-320-426.

[You can e-mail feedback on Scott Ramsay's diaries to scottnramsay@googlemail.com]