Shenton Safaris - Newsletter archive
October 2001
Greetings from the bush !
A lot has happened in the world over the last month and our thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by the horrific events of September 11.
In the South Luangwa National Park, temperatures are soaring as we enter our 'hot' season. The 5 o'clock wake up drums in the morning and increased liquid consumption are compensated by the incredible concentrations of wildlife along the Luangwa River and nearby waterholes.
The sheer number of prey, predators and scavengers in our area is staggering. Among the highlights are the herds of 800 buffalo, 60 or so elephant on Lion Plain, thousands of impala, puku, zebra and other small game and of course the huge colony of carmine bee-eaters. The lagoons such as 'Fish Eagle' are white with storks and other fishing birds as they compete with hungry crocodiles for flapping catfish in the muddy waters.
Kaingo
The drives and walks from camp at the moment are producing the usual good cat sightings; 11 separate leopard viewings over a single week for one visiting couple - The Higgins. Patrick even witnessed an adult leopard chasing a month old giraffe.
The lion prides, three in all in the area keep within earshot of each other but are generally avoiding confrontation with each other. Their territories are now small, probably a third of their rainy season size, but with an average intake of 7kg of meat/day i.e. 12 buffalo or 20 zebra a year per adult lion - kills are not hard to find at the moment.
The hippos at hide-corner are living closer together and a recent fight caused the death of one which attracted over 100 crocodiles.
Mwamba
The bush camp has had its share of excitement with early rain showers last week. Recently a male lion killed a half grown buffalo in the Mwamba river and proceeded to drag it back up the steep bank into a thicket (60m); he was protecting it from females of the Mwamba lion pride who seemed as impressed as we were by his strength.
At this time of year (also in the rains) elephants drop their calves. The other evening we came across an hour old baby elephant - still weak on his feet - all shiny and new in the world.
Meanwhile in camp, we now regularly see wildebeest and other game coming down to drink from the waterhole and the resident leopard has chased a bushbuck through camp two nights running.
Rainy season boat trips
We are offering three 5 night rainy season boat trips to Kaingo next February/March. Itinerary - 2 nights in the Mfuwe area with game drives and 3 nights at Kaingo by boat. Activities - boat trips & short walks. It will be a great opportunity to experience the green season and see the Luangwa in full flood. Email us for more details on special low season rates if you are interested.
Salani bwino - Derek Shenton
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