It's Monday 8th August 2005 and the Kiss of Death

PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING – The following article contains material which readers with a weak stomach may find upsetting!! But hey that is what nature is all about so if you do not mind a bit of blood and gore, read on…..

Yes Doctor Death is back and staying at Nsefu. True to form he saw a kill on his first morning drive. Well not the kill itself but almost. Paul Deniger, who is on his 18th safari with us, was out with Rocky when they saw drag marks on the ground. Following them into the bush they came across a male lion with a small buffalo in its grasp. This was the second kill of the morning. Earlier, during breakfast, the sound of excited hyenas had drifted up from the direction of the river. Daudi spotted two hyenas coming over the bank opposite camp. One had a baby bushbuck in its mouth and was clearly being chased by the other. I think this must be Paul’s record – less than 12 hrs in camp and kills are already being seen – definitely confirmation that he has some magical effect on the place. Unfortunately Rocky did not get any photos as he says he was still half asleep and too intent of eating his freshly made waffle.

Earlier this week, Simon took a couple of superb photos of a striped bellied sand snake catching a frog. The second photo clearly indicates that burying your head in the sand is not going to help.

Continuing on the death theme, Simon and guests returning from the last mobile came across lions on a buffalo just before the river crossing to Tena Tena.

The lionesses had first pickings before letting the cubs come in for a feed – this is the last picture in our killing fields theme so now on to the gentler side of life in the bush.
Wildebeest – a treat for the last mobile group as they are rarely seen in this part of the park, indeed Simon says that he had not spotted them in the Mupamadzi area for over three years.

And to finish – some pretty birds. This next shot is one that Simon has been trying to get for a year. This is a blue grey flycatcher but it is white. It is not an albino but a colour morph, which has been seen around Nkwali for some time but always when no-one had a camera. 

Finally, we like to leave you with a sweet image. This fantastic photo of a grey headed shrike was seen at mobile camp three last week. Apparently he was very relaxed and busy hunting insects.

 

So, on that note we shall leave you.
Stay well and have a great week.
Cheerio