Sausage tree flowers and Carmine bee-eaters from eastern Africa is colouring the Luangwa valley wine red.
And at Wildlife Camp these were not the only visitors we received during September. We were lucky enough to welcome a wandering pride of lions in our campsite, a hunting leopard on our river bank, dozens of elephant herds through our river and a camera crew into our chalets. Not to mention the steady stream of guests that came and experienced our authentic piece of Africa.
Camera, Lights, Elephants.
Mbao Ngula and her crew returned to Wildlife Camp to shoot more footage for their documentary on Zambia and its travel jewels, “ravel Zambia.” As with the previous time this made for much excitment as it is not every day that professional camera-men roam the camp.
As mother nature would have it, on the afternoon that they shot the famous Wildlife Camp sunset from campsite bar a herd of 11 elephants, and then another 3 decided to cross the Luangwa river right in front of their lenses. In the subsequent 48hours the count went over 80 ellies making their leisurly way out of the park and onto Wildlife Camp grounds… So, why did the elephant cross the river? To get to the juicy mangoes which are currently in season and being grown in Mfuwe-lagoon.
The crew also gave Tara, Herman & Patsy’s 8-year old daughter, excellent chance to practice her acting skills and showing the whole wide world that Wildlife Camp is indeed a family friendly camp
Domestic Cats & Dogs
Dora, senior manager at Wildlife, loves cats. Her two ‘babies’ are treated with Whiskers and chicken bones daily. During the month of September the number and size of cats at Wildlife Camp grew.
For two nights in a row guests were lucky enough to witness lions on the opposite bank from the camp. On the third night these lions crossed the river and wandered through our campsite. A Belgium couple meticulously measured the distance between the cat-prints and their tent the next morning: Two metres.
Stripes, the resident leopard, made a kill on the sand bank where, during daylight, guests would meander between our two bars. Soon, the unlucky impala was discovered by a gang of hyenas which made no effort to hide their delight. Their laughs woke up the whole camp and torches soon came out to investigate. Unfortunately, by that time, the leopard had made a successful escape from the waiting paparazzi.
The lady behind the name.
When dealing with Wildlife Camp via e-mail or phone, guests soon become familiar with Retha and often wonder about the person behind their friendly responses. Here is some info on the lady behind the name:
Retha was born in Johannesburg and finished her schooling there. Afterwards she moved to Pretoria which she left four years later with a degree in Consumer Sciences. Her road then led her towards Dubai and it was from there that she made the big leap from super-city to the South Luangwa valley.
At Wildlife Camp she keeps herself busy with reservations, communications and logistics and is no stranger to the inside of the commercial kitchen.
So, next time you have any enquiries regarding Wildlife Camp, or want to make a reservation, feel free to contact Retha at info@wildlifezambia.com
Sighting of the month
African documentaries are often guilty of editing out the tedious waits for predators to make their move and the gruesome way in which they do their work.
To illustrate the authentic Africa which is still to be found in South Luangwa I decided to pick Sly and Su’s night-drives as the sighting of the month.
Near to Mfuwe-lagoon, older lionesses from the Mfuwe pride separated a young buffalo from the main herd and brought it to its knees. But what happened next was fascinating! They stepped aside and allowed two juvenile lions to get hunting practice. The two set about “playing” with the young one amid pleading bulks and kicks and attempted escapes. The scene went on for more than 10 minutes before the buffalo finally kicked its last kick. All of this time the older lionesses merely looked on.
Africa is often taken out of perspective by various kinds of media and tourist attractions. Wildlife Camp strives towards showing our guests the real Africa, complete with the geckos against the walls.
And on that note, it is time to bid farewell to September and say hello to October – the last of the dry months of the season.
Warm Regards from Zambia.
Conrad
