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Calabar and Cross River
The Picathartes Search
14th-16th October, 2005
This year’s search was organised by Hugh and Robin Campbell, and was their first in their capacities as joint chairpersons of NFS. The standard they set was high because a complicated programme was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
On Friday 14 October ten souls travelled from Lagos to Calabar on two ADC flights, nine in the morning which nearly became the afternoon because of the storm, and one in the evening because of work commitments. Four Canadians (Hugh and Robin, Andre and Barbara De Leebeck), four Germans (Matthias Wolandt, Uschi Boersint, Marita Buschendorf, Erika Brieke), an Indonesian (Pollyanna Bariou) and a South African (Kim Fraser) gave a diversity score of 4/10.
The advance party were met at the airport by Andy Dunn, the Project Manager for the Nigerian Conservation foundation in association with the international Wildlife Conservation Society. He delivered folks to the hotels, Le Chateau for seven and The Mirage for the other three. Le Chateau was modest and reasonable but clean, and the Mirage was just that, shiny and more costly, but with no service complaints.
Friday afternoon was spent looking at the museum (mostly a collection of pictures) and the circapan which, by second hand reports, was missable. A more attractive alternative would have been a walk around old Calabar.
The evening was spent dining at Le Chateau, with the fully constituted party, Andy Dunn and his wife Sylvie, and Zoe, a British expatriate who manages another conservation project near Bashu. The guests explained their efforts at conservation in Cross River State, as well as the challenges from communities, government interference etc.
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Saturday began with breakfast together, and then we boarded the bus hired from Cross River State National Park and went directly to the Pandrillus property in Calabar
town. Pandrillus is an organisation run by Liz Gadsby and Peter Jenkins for the re-establishment of viable numbers of the highly endangered drill
monkey, as well as the recovery and rehabilitation of illegally captured
chimpanzees. The drills breed in captivity at the Calabar site, and are then moved to the reserve area near Afi
Mountain, reported later. Liz and her capable staff Abi and Sunday, showed us around the property and introduced us to their
tenants.
We did a brief tour of the presidential villa and port area and departed Calabar at about 10:30 and travelled north towards
Bashu, collecting a jack at the Cross River National Park office as a minor
diversion. The rubber plantations along the way reminded us of a great industry which has
receded. A bit of essential shopping (for a pot in which to heat the
dinner) was done along the way, a sandwich lunch was taken on the run and we arrived at the appointed transfer point just before 3
pm. Hugh concluded the transaction and we loaded ourselves and our provisions onto twelve okadas (150 cc
machines) and set off along a road which became a rutted track and then a jungle path.
An hour of that exhilaration was remarkable, with river
crossings, backside bouncings and nothing like a fall. Arriving in Bashu at 4 pm it took us half an hour to introduce ourselves to
Mbeson, the Director of Bokie Birds, and park our kit in the neat chalets in the A P Leventis Picathartes Ecolodge Villa! Then we set out for the Phil Hall
Hide. After surviving the ride so well the record was ruined when Robin fell in the first river we
crossed, but was lucky to hurt only her pride.
The walk from Bashu to the hide is a scenic but humid thirty minutes through tropical forest with the most magnificent trees towering
above. All made it on the Saturday evening, except the picathartes that is! It darkened quickly at the
hide, but it was lighter when we emerged, and that allowed for more settling in and washing in the stream or buckets before
dinner. The Campbell’s fine fare was complimented by chicken and rice dishes offered by the good people of
Bashu.
The chalets have mattresses on the floor, and all seemed to sleep OK after a longish day, although some were disturbed by the cacophony of forest
calls. On Sunday morning part of the group went birding (again unsuccessfully with respect to
picathartes), some went walking in the forest, and others explored the village which was alive with church and other
activities.
The 9 am pickup by okadas turned into half at 10 and half at 11, so we were all back at the bus by 12. The delay gave us ample time to say farewells to the citizens of
Bashu, with the senior elder accepting a spiritual gift (in a bottle) from Hugh.
We bussed further north to the Drill Ranch adjacent to the Afi River Forest Reserve, below Afi
Mountain. This is where Pandrillus stages the chimps and drills in preparation for their ultimate release back to the wilds of Afi
Mountain, where they will share the forest with established troops of
gorillas, drills and chimps. There we met Peter Jenkins, and his staff showed us the enclosed forest camps housing the drills and
chimps. A fine display was of chimps opening coconuts with their bare
hands!
After a happy visit with our near relatives, we began the 4.5 hour journey back to
Calabar, arriving in one piece at about 8 pm. We were joined at dinner by Peter,
Liza, Andrew and Sylvie whom we thanked for all their kindness and
assistance. Again most stayed at Le Chateau, while three went next door, which was marginally cheaper but much worse than the Mirage!
Monday morning ADC delivered us back to Lagos on time and in good shape after a really exceptional
weekend.
Kim Fraser (South Africa)
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Lagos Branch
