Well hello there, I do hope that you are well and have had a fabulous weekend. Here in the Luangwa, gosh its certainly getting a little toasty which means the water levels are dropping and the predators are making the most of the wildlife hanging around the river.
Let me tell you it has been non-stop everywhere, but this week we are heading up to Nsefu Camp to hear their news.
From camp, the daily patrol of elephants across the river continues to be a highlight especially at breakfast time but last week it was replaced by the Kaingo pride of lions who came across and headed straight through camp. They have been causing havoc with the hippos and buffalos and have been incredibly busy hunting, killing, eating and sleeping!
The Nsefu pride has also been very busy but there seems to be a slight imbalance on the feeding ladder as they were found a few days ago with a male and 4 cubs looking lovely and fat but the 6 girls were looking a little on the lean side as they hadn’t really got a look in at the waterbuck that they had taken down a few days prior. So after the sun had set the girls headed off on a serious mission. The cars were unable to follow as they were heading through some thickets and impenetrable bush but they were seen yesterday looking a lot ‘healthier’ around the middle.
Olimba our resident movie star has been living up to all expectations with her 2 cubs and the guests were spoilt with an incredible sighting of her up in a sausage tree with an impala kill once again providing another feast for her family.
Its not just the predators that have been wowing the crowds the elephants seem to have taken on a very relaxed approach to the cars and have been slowly wondering past dustbathing and taking their time to let the guests get some incredible close up shots of these incredible wrinkly giants. And last but by no means least, the most stunning bird sightings up on the salt pans with dozens of crowned cranes, sacred ibis, open billed storks all fishing together making an almost mosaic like pattern in the bush, beak chattering not to mention the familiar sound of the crowned cranes calling “owani owani”. Whilst on the topic of birds we have had a very early call from a red chested cuckoo which usually symbolises the beginnings of the rains but as of yet there is no sign so maybe this one was just a little bit confused we shall wait and see what happens over the next week.
Other than that, down at Nkwali we seem to have been mainlining wild dogs this week with sightings every other day. Even Rob and I saw 2 lone dogs on the back road behind Luangwa River Camp as we were heading there for our weekly inspection. Whilst it was just the two dogs they were certainly not alone as we also saw a dozen possibly more giraffes hiding in the shadows of the ebony trees and then as we got to camp it was a slight obstacle course to get around all the elephants but we eventually made it.
Over at Luangwa House the animals continue to pour down to the lagoon to quench their thirst with everything from elephants to warthogs but it’s the giraffe that provided the most prolonged sighting as they took a good hour standing on the edge of the water mustering up the courage to have a sip. But once they started there was no stopping them.
Gosh that’s an awful lot of happenings for you so I better sign off for this week and leave you all to the rest of your day and whilst doing so bid you all a very fond farewell and hope that you have a wonderful week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
