Well hello there, I hope that you are fabulously well and have had a wonderful weekend. Here in the Luangwa, well, it is hot, hot, hot, and everything is drying up very quickly now. As we look up longingly for clouds to build up, they still appear to be very absent, so we shall wait and see what happens over the next few weeks. It is always bittersweet, as when the rain arrives, it is just heavenly during the event, but afterwards, the humidity is unreal. But then we get the instant green that appears throughout the bush, so it is worth the humidity just for the onslaught of beauty and colour.
In the meantime, however, as it remains dry, the animals all remain focused in the areas where there is water, which means that the game viewing has been fantastic. Whether it be baboons digging around trying to find whatever scraps of food they can, or warthogs and elephants locating any small puddle in camp where they can cool off, it’s just been absolutely fantastic. Up at Tena, Lunga Lagoon, which still has water in it, is a hotspot, and there have been some fantastic fishing parties taking place, with occasional interruptions from the elephants that are coming down to drink.
Throughout the park, there is the annual die-off of hippos, which is creating a feeding frenzy for the crocs. You would think they would have had their appetites satisfied. However, sadly, this week at River Camp, as the guests were driving through the river to head into the park, they saw some splashing in the water. It would appear that a leopard had come down to drink and was snapped up by a waiting croc.
Staying at River Camp, it seems that everything this week has been geared towards making sundowners as difficult as possible! On several occasions, John has had his plans changed. The first time was due to some elephants. Having just chosen his spot and parked up, John and the guests spotted a large herd of 30–40 elephants walking with intent towards the river. So, after a quick discussion, sundowners were put on hold and John moved position. The guests were treated to watching the whole herd come down to drink and then cross the river. Watch the elephants crossing the river.
The second time, sundowners were all set up when suddenly there was a noise and a burst of activity, and an impala belted out of the bush, closely followed by a lone wild dog. Everything was packed up very quickly, and they moved around to a different spot. John’s quick thinking and clever positioning gave the guests front-row seats as the dog successfully took down the impala (always a bittersweet event, as no one wants to see a life lost, but it does mean the dog got a meal). Having killed the impala, the dog started eating, still all on its own. It seems this dog had a clever plan, and only after it had had its fill did it call in the rest of the pack, who then all arrived and made short work of what was left.
The third time, well, John didn’t even get to the spot he was hoping to reach, as on the way there he came across a huge herd of buffalo, possibly more than 500, all coming down to a lagoon to drink in the golden evening light. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect if it had tried. The herd all came down in a constant flow of animals, taking their turn and leaving space for the next lot to come in. Just a very peaceful and magical moment for everyone to enjoy. Watch the buffalo coming down to drink.
So there you have it for this week. As you can see, it is all go. For now, though, it is time for me to run off and leave you to the rest of your week. I hope that you have a great one with plenty of smiles and laughter, and don’t forget to look after one another.
