Well, hello there. Can you believe how we have suddenly reached the last few weeks of the year… I am not entirely sure where time has gone but apparently it has and as we welcome the rains and the transformation of the bush, we also welcome the updates from the camps. So, for this week we are heading to Kuthengo Camp. Mike and Jenn over to you:
“Kuthengo has had an amazing dry season with some incredible sightings. The lions have been very present with a naughty trio that has started to stray into camp and harass the poor waterbuck who until recently, thought that they were safe. They have certainly added a bit of excitement to the mix that is for sure!
As the dry season comes to an end with the rains starting – a little earlier than anticipated this year – but very welcome nonetheless, it has brought the start of the impalas and other mammals giving birth to tiny and sweet babies which are constantly delighting us all with their cuteness.
The cheetahs in the park have been flourishing as Liwonde National Park has welcomed cheetah cubs who are the 40th and 41st cubs to be born in Liwonde National Park since they were reintroduced to the park in 2017! These cute little fluff balls have been spotted only a handful of times as their mother has hidden them well. The research team has been working hard to monitor their progress and we look forward to seeing how the cubs grow and mature in the next few years.
The lions have also been busy, this month one of the original lionesses that was re-introduced into the park in 2018 has just given birth to three little cubs. These 3 being the 24th, 25th and 26th lions to be born in the park since the reintroduction. They are also the first lion cubs to be born this year.
Wildlife in Liwonde National Park is doing well!
The rains have brought out the appearance of Liwonde National Park’s littlest creatures too, such as the shiny dung beetles furiously rolling their little treasures around the pathways, as well as the cicadas singing in the trees around camp with deafening might. Other sounds that can be heard from the treetops are the calls of the Woodland Kingfisher, concreting that the rains have started. We are looking forward to hearing the calls of the African Emerald Cuckoo soon too!
Truly it has been the time of new beginnings in more ways than one as Mike and I celebrate our new beginning as a married couple. From meeting in high school over 10 years ago and falling in love on our first trip to Liwonde National Park over 2 years ago, it was very fitting that we celebrated our special day in the park. We were fortunate enough to have a very small and intimate ceremony under the fever trees in one of our favourite and very loved spots along the Shire River.
We were surrounded by not only our closest family, but our Kuthengo family as well who sang for us as we got back to camp. Truly special! The fish eagles were calling as if to send their well wishes as we spoke our words of love. The hippos grunted in approval of the special setting. Even our well-known elephant Nicolas made an effort to be there on the day! He knew he could not miss an opportunity for some wedding cake! It was truly a magical day, one that will be in our hearts forever.
We are looking forward to the start of the festive season and celebrating our second Christmas here at Kuthengo!”
Congratulations to you both! What a perfect place for you to celebrate your special day. Thanks also for the wonderful updates on what has been happening in the park. It’s so wonderful to see such success in the reintroduction programs and the conservation of the National Park itself.
In other news it is pretty quiet here in the Luangwa on the guest front as we have closed Nkwali Camp for a few weeks before Christmas to do some general maintenance around camp and as the entire team gets a well-earned break before the Christmas rush the maintenance team have leapt into action and the peaceful air around camp has been transformed to one of frantic work.
So let me crack on with keeping a close eye on progress and leave you to your week ahead. We hope that you have a fabulous week with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
