Merry Chistmas!
The world did not end!
Now that the world did not end on the 21st of December 2012 as many people predicted, I guess now is as good a time as any to wish all our loyal newsletter readers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2013! To all of you who visited us here in the majestic Luangwa Valley during 2012, thank you very much for your support. To those of you planning your safari-holidays for 2013, we really look forward to having you with us here in camp!
I was lucky enough to witness some spectacular bush-moments during 2012. These are not necessarily the best moments of the year; our professional safari guides Billy, BJ and Su surely have better stories to tell. But I was lucky enough to have my camera by my side on these occasions to share some moments with you. The album is also available on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/WildlifeCamp. If you have any photos that you would like to share with us, please post them onto our facebook page, or e-mail them to me at conradtcooke@wildlifezambia.com.
Here are some of the moments in 2012 that I really enjoyed:
Monitor Lizard
· A large monitor lizard outside my house got into the habit of catching squirrels. I was never in a position to see his modus operandi, but I did catch him a couple of times red-handed, enjoying a furry snack.
Lions
· Earlier this year three young males took over one of the local lion prides. The take-over led to a lot of mating – very exciting for safari guides and guests alike!
Crocodile
· Out on a game-drive, a young crocodile made himself comfortable on the little Land-Rover path and refused to move. It gave all of us great photo opportunities!
Puku
· A barely born Puku with his mother was a fantastic sight. We stayed with the couple for a while, watching as the little one tried to get onto all fours.
Vultures
· An old elephant bull died close to chipela lagoon. Naturally, when this happens, the hyenas usually feed first (if the lions are not around) but in the end the vultures also got their share.
Leopard
· What more can I say – a perfect hunt and we had the prefect vantage point! And all that in broad daylight!
Wild-dogs
· 7 Wilddogs right in front of camp! Only at Wildlife Camp!
Giraffe
· Baby animals are inevitably cute- but baby giraffes even more so.
Pelicans
· The return of the Pelicans- they arrived a little later than normal, but it was a great spectacle once they found their way into the Luangwa Valley.
Elephants
· Elephants in camp – it happens so often, but we’ll never get tired of their visits!
And that is that for 2012!
Merry Christmas from Herman, Dora, Retha and all the wonderful other staff here at Wildlife Camp.
Conrad
