Blog - Page 7

LIVING AND WORKING OUT IN THE BUSH JUST NEVER GETS OLD, THE FACT THAT EVEN WHEN AT CAMP YOUR NORMAL OFFICE DAY CAN BE FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME EVEN AFTER SPENDING 16YRS OUT HERE. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AND THE TYPE OF DISTRACTIONS THAT ONE HAS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND NOT REALLY A DISTRACTION BUT AN EXPERIENCE, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT ITS AN EXPERIENCE THAT WILL STAY WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

THIS MONTH STARTED WITH A LIGHT SPRINKLING OF RAIN THAT WAS WELCOMED IN THE DRY, POST WINTER, BUSHVELD. THE RAIN, ALTHOUGH NOT MUCH, WAS ENOUGH TO FILL UP A FEW SMALL MUD WALLOWS AROUND UMLANI MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE LOCAL ELEPHANT AND BUFFALO.

OFTEN IF YOU SPEAK TO GUIDES THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE DRY SEASON IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR GAME VIEWING, THIS RINGS TRUE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE INCREDIBLE SIGHTINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THE LACK OF WATER AS WATERPOINTS BEGIN TO DRY OUT FORCES ANIMALS TO THE LITTLE BITS THAT REMAIN MAKING THEM AN ABSOLUTE HIVE OF ACTIVITY. THE SPARSE BUSHVELD AFFORDS US BETTER VIEWS IN AS WE TRAVERSE THE AREA IN SEARCH OF ANIMALS, WHICH ARE NOW A LOT EASIER TO FIND AS THEY MOVE AROUND MORE IN SEARCH OF BOTH FOOD AND WATER. ALTHOUGH IT IS A TRYING TIME FOR THE HERBIVORES, IT IS A TIME OF PLENTY FOR THE PREDATORS, AND WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS MONTH, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE ENJOY OUR HIGHLIGHTS CAPTURED IN PHOTOS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.

LAST NIGHT THE WATERHOLE IN FRONT OF THE CAMP WAS A HIVE OF LION ACTIVITY, WITH US SEEING THE TWO MBIRI MALES QUENCHING THEIR THIRST AFTER FEEDING ON A GIRAFFE CARCASS NEARBY, THEY WERE LATER JOINED BY THE 4 MYAMBULA LIONESSES AND THEY SPENT THE REST OF THE EVENING LOUNGING AROUND AND REPEATEDLY MOVING TO THE WATER TO DRINK OFFERING AN AMAZING SIGHTING AND INCREDIBLE PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES.

“I dream of vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect the environment.” Nelson Mandela

August saw the bush getting more and more dry, and with that the animals congregate around sources of water. This meant that finding incredible sightings was made slightly easier with the Zebinine pride as well as the Ross pride following the big herds of buffalo frequenting Marcos dam.