Saturday, July 13, 2019
It's a tough life
Ebony Grove
Cool and shady, often with water, these groves are popular with Baboons.
Close to the action
Here we encountered a group of Giraffe, who, with our calm and quiet approach stood until we were less than 100m away - and even then they simply sauntered off just a few metres to maintain their comfort distance.
Every day is a learning day
From the habits and lifestyle of large carnivores, to the smallest of beetles these guides really know there stuff.
This is shown nowhere more than on a game walk. Here, immersed in the African bush they reveal the smallest details of plants, soils, geology, animal tracks and spoore.
In one breath they will use the Latin name for the group a plant belongs to and detail the local medicinal or food uses the plant has.
These are people with the perfect combination of book knowledge and practical know how. I am always in awe of how much our guides know and their ability to explain it to mere mortals like us.
There are worse places to eat breakfast
Here at Nkonzi Bush Camp breakfast is taken informally on the sand of the dry river next to the main camp dining tent.
Wild Dogs relax
There is a good article here highlighting the excellent work being done by the Zambian Carnivore Programme to encourage this threatened species to not merely survive in the South Luangwa valley but positively thrive there.
Wooden pears
An encounter with the scourge of poaching
Whilst out on a morning game drive we found fresh human footprints crossing a road. With one of the seven sets of tracks barefooted and another showing home made sandals it was clearly not tourists from one of the bush camps out on an early morning walk, but Poachers.
Sure enough when we got off our vehicle and walked a hundred metres or so into the bush, following the tracks, we found a very recently abandoned poacher's camp - fire still hot and smoking where they had processed the meat from the Buffalo they had killed.
The picture here shows the fire used to smoke the meat which will be sold to truckers on the main road outside the Park, or taken to towns and cities like Lusaka where the middle classes have an expensive taste for bush-meat.
This was not a case of subsistence poaching (taking animals for the pot) which I can understand, but commercially driven killing of wildlife for profit.
Sam, our expert guide from Nkonzi Bush Camp, called the find in immediately via radio to the national park authorities who sent three teams of park rangers out to intercept the poachers who, we believe, would have heard our vehicle approach as they set off South with their haul of illegal bush-meat. They also put up a plane to try and track the poachers down.
Make no bones about it - the fight against poaching is a serious one and the anti poaching patrols are up against well organised (and armed) gangs. You can find out more about some of the heroic people fighting this scrurge here at the Conservation South Luangwa CSL web site (you can also donate to keep the anti poaching aircraft flying!)
Our own little group then made our way back to our vehicle to carry on with our game drive - feeling more than a little pleased that our information would have given the anti-poaching patrols a bit of a head start.
Nkonzi Bush Camp dining area
This is really somewhere to experience the full feeling of the African bush - the sounds, the smells, the atmosphere of the natural rhythms of a world too many of us have lost touch with.
This open tent is perhaps the focal point of the camp, where the bar is (excellent gin and tonics) and where some of the meals are served.
Other meals are served on the dry river bed visible just through the tent pictured. Under vast african skies it is a special experience to have dinner by candle light here.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Long necked attraction
Sightings of these stately mammals are very common throughout South Luangwa where they can be found selecting the finest browse with long, mobile lips and prehensile tongues.
We saw many on drives and got close to others on foot whilst walking in the bush with the excellent guides from Nkonzi Bush Camp.
Picnic - South Luangwa style
Here, after a cold beer and a delicious lunch, we sat and watched Yellow Billed Storks putting on an airshow worthy of the RAF, wheeling and whirling around as they came in to land on a sand bank in the river, Hippo wallowing in the cool water and Elephant coming down to drink. Then afterwards a snooze as the heat of the mid day sun eased.
The only downside was having to leave our comfortable chairs to drive back to camp - if a fascinating game drive can ever be referred to as a downside!
Happy Hippos
The sound of them creates a sonic landscape like no other -with grunts, screams and the typical "Hippo laughter" filling night and day.
African Jacana
This one was on one of the many lagoons still full of water after this year's rains.
Elephant study
One always feels humbled to be in the presence of such majestic animals.
Back in the Valley in style - thanks to Flatdogs
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| The Tree House deck at flatdogs |
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| Our early morning visitor (the other Ele isn't the wooden one!) |
Last year they were so supportive and helpful when we had to come home early because of an injury sustained due to a fall at another camp just two days into our holiday. To give us a taste of this wonderful accomodation was above and beyond.
To top it all, on our first morning, we were treated to a pair of elephants munching their way around the grass surrounding the tree house - a truly wonderful return to our Safari favourite.
Fifteen nights in the Valley
We need have feared nothing - the trip went without a hitch and replaced the unhappy memories of 2018 with a new gallery of experiences.
Our itinerary was one night at Flat Dogs , followed by four at Nkonzi, three at the Three Rivers Camp, then four at Tena Tena, and a final three back at our old favourite Flat Dogs.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Lucky birds
During the breeding season, Carmine Bee-eaters live in huge breeding colonies, and form smaller flocks when the season ends. One colony in Zimbabwe contained approximately 1 500 Carmine Bee-eaters, according to documented research.
Colonies on flat ground can contain up to 10 000 nests.
The birds emerge from their nesting holes after dawn and perch nearby, preening in the morning sun before flying out to feeding areas.
Bush bar
We've never been treated to a bar in the bush like this though.
In the middle of nowhere a full bar had been set up - with a glass of bubbly to start off with.
Sheer bliss!
Luwi bush camp
Luwi Bush Camp overlooks a large lagoon offering an abundance of hippo and crocodile. This permanent water source attracts wildlife from all over the South Luangwa National park and offers superb game viewing.
Luwi Camp epitomizes the legacy of Norman Carr. The camp barely has an impact on the environment being built with natural materials and dismantled at the end of each season.
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