Well hello there. I do hope that you are fabulously well and sitting tightly for a wonderful Its Monday from the team at John’s Camp in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. Let me not give you any spoilers and hand you over to the team…
“Every day in Mana Pools is a great day, and the same can be said about every guest that we have at John’s Camp. This is what makes it such as special camp, affording our guests truly memorable safari experiences in our corner of Zimbabwe.
A lot of our guests come bearing incredible photography skills, seeking out great safari photography spots and wildlife, but it isn’t every day that we have a winner of the National Geographic Photographer Contest…
Nicole Cambré won the prestigious National Geographic Photographer Contest of 2014 in the Nature Category for her shot of the great migration of Wildebeest in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. See her award-winning photograph here.
Nicole, her family, and all our other wonderful guests have been treated to a stellar season so far in Mana Pools, with amazing African wildlife sightings occurring with every trip. As the temperatures have started to climb in the months of July and August – key months for an African safari – we have seen the inland pans and water sources dry up and an abundance of wildlife has descended upon the floodplains of the Zambezi River. Elephants are common residents at John’s Camp as they migrate to the banks of the river for water. Lions are becoming an ever more regular sighting and our fantastic guides, Mark, John and Obert have been tracking their roars, footprints, and other tell-tale signs to ensure that most of our guests get a sighting of the most famous member of the Big Five.
Seeing a lion on safari is always special, and Nicole has captured these incredible photographs of a trio as they took their morning drink before progressing with their day of hunting.
The incredible wildlife photography and sightings didn’t end with just the predators.
No African safari trip is complete without seeing elephants, and Mana Pools is extremely lucky to have one of the most famous elephants in the world – Boswell. He is our resident performer who often treats visitors to his incredible party trick of standing on his hind legs to reach for the most precious leaves. Boswell and the other handful of elephant bulls that can rear up on their hind legs are often seen with a herd of elephants in tow, hoping to profit off the incredible reach.
Boswell is also blessed with remarkable ivory, making him a fantastic specimen for any budding wildlife photographer and is never shy to strike a pose for visitors.
Our fantastic sighting in July was thanks to the legendary John Stevens, after whom the camp is named, who skillfully guided our guests around the expansive floodplains in the west of Mana Pools to ensure that they could get the best sighting and photographs of the incredible elephant, all whilst remaining incredibly safe and comfortable.
Mana Pools is truly springing into life, and the abundance of wildlife over the next few months is sure to be a treat for all our guests, whether they be budding beginners or seasoned like Nicole.”
Wow! Thank you so very much for sharing this with us. Sounds like Mana Pools has lots of great sightings in store, and we hope to hear more from the team. On that note, have the most wonderful week ahead with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
