I hope you are doing well and had a lovely weekend! We have certainly been abuzz with activity, but not just on the wildlife front! Last night our camps across Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe had front row seats to the blood moon during the lunar eclipse. With our camps set deep in the bush and far from the bright city lights, there really was no better way to enjoy this celestial event. Despite the mysterious name, the blood moon isn’t mystical at all, it’s simply a trick of the light. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes fully into Earth’s shadow, and light from our planet’s sunrises and sunsets reflects onto its surface, painting it a deep red-orange glow. And that’s exactly what unfolded last night. Guests, our camp teams, and even the wildlife seemed to pause to take it all in.
Over at Pumulani, Godfrey was in his element, showing our guests the blood moon through the stargazer! At Kuthengo, Camp Manager Casper captured some incredible images of the eclipse while waiting for his guests to return from their game drive. He was so absorbed that it took him a while to notice a curious civet on its usual evening stroll (Watch: Civet during lunar moon).
Over in Mana Pools, Head Guide at John’s Camp, Mark was also watching the skies with his guests. He described the moment as surreal and said everyone was amazed by the sight. He managed to photograph the full sequence of the eclipse.
At Nsefu Camp, our guests, along with resident wildlife filmmakers Will and Lianne, enjoyed the view and captured a striking image. It’s safe to say the eclipse was a memorable experience for all who witnessed it.
And while we’re on the subject of special moments, the wildlife sightings around camp have been just as impressive. In South Luangwa, guests at Nkwali were lucky enough to spot an aardvark, a very rare sighting and highly sought after.
We thought given its elusiveness that the aardvark sighting might be September’s ‘best sighting’, but Mkulumadzi across the border in Malawi was about to prove us wrong. Guests were out on a drive with their guide JB and came across a pangolin (Watch: Pangolin in Majete). This animal is rarely seen and, given their history of being among the most trafficked animals in the world, it’s encouraging to have a sighting in Majete. But the guide at Mkulumadzi were not done showing off and Thoms guests saw 3 different prides of lion while Malis guests saw lion cheetah AND wild dog, all in one drive! (Watch: Wild dogs feast)
Not to be left out, Mana Pools offered its own piece of magic. Mark shared photos of a young bull elephant rearing up onto his hind legs — a signature move of Mana’s elephants, who’ve learned to stretch high into the trees. Considering that an African elephant can weigh anywhere from 3 tonnes upwards, this feat is truly remarkable, and not something often seen among neighbouring Zambia and Malawi.
Gosh, I really can’t believe it’s only been a week into September — and what a start! From rare wildlife sightings to a lunar eclipse lighting up the skies, the month is already full of surprises. Speaking of lighting up the skies, the carmine bee-eaters usually arrive later this month, turning the South Luangwa skies into a carnival of colour. It’s one of my favourite times of year, and I’ll be sure to share plenty of photos with you once they’re here.
Have a great week ahead and look after one another.
