Our last few safaris were certainly memorable ones – lion killing 2 buffalo bulls in Chitake, wilddog chasing and killing baboons near Ndungu, watching buffalo chase lions and tracking Rhino in the Matusadona are but a few of the highlights of our last month’s safaris. This year’s sightings at the River Camp and Chitake have left us with lasting memories and some amazing moments caught on camera. It is now time to reflect and realise how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful wilderness in Mana Pools and it is the responsibility of all of us to look after our unique and diminishing wildlife areas.

Kavinga Safaris would also like to send their condolences to the Evershed family.   Peter Evershed was killed by lions in Chitake in October and, although we did not know the family, our many years spent in Chitake seem to bond us all.  Those of you who frequent the place will know what we mean.  It was a terrible tragedy and an unfortunate incident. In this age of such advanced communications technology, it is sad that the reporting of this incident has been fraught with misinformation.  If you would like to know the true details of what happened we would be happy to forward you an account.

On a lighter note we find that allowing our guests to write stories of their experience with Kavinga allows you to get a better feel for some of the spectacular moments they have encountered on safari and it also makes our job much easier!  Thank you to Warwick for his account of his safari in October.

“It often takes some serious time in some serious Zambezi bush to put your life into perspective.  We spend time in Kariba, often on a houseboat or at a lodge, and it is always the same – you are here – the game is there.  Whilst it is always a great experience to be in that situation, Chitake Spring offers a truly unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the harsh reality that exists in nature in its rawest form.  Anyone who has seen “The Lion King” will remember that opening scene with the big orange African sun rising above the horizon, and those guinea fowl clucking across the screen.  To the steady beat of the harmony, we are introduced to more and more game, like introducing characters in a book.  Such is the case upon arriving at camp in the middle of the Zambezi Valley.

Chitake is a fresh water spring, which provides the key survival element that all creatures need and that is a constant water source.  It is the only supply of water for approximately 20 km, lying midway between the great Zambezi River and the escarpment.  If this was a Nat Geo programme and we wanted to sensationalise the series, it would be aptly referred to as “The Killing Zone”.  In late October it is the only water around for miles and as such all types of game are forced to the spring to drink and lying in wait is a barrage of predators.  I said earlier it was like being introduced to characters.  First we met the entertainment reps of the Valley, the baboons, along with their soul mates the impala and warthog.  Amazingly we were introduced to the resident pride of lion on our first walk.  Chitake is all about soaking up nature and all she has to offer, it is about walking through the arid, dry bush and coming across lion in a tree.  It is about learning some of the signs that the bush affords us, like the baboon who constantly bark out if there is a lion present and looking up to see circling vultures indicating a kill is near.

At night the hearing sensory kicks in, listening to the competing roar of lions and the territorial rasp of a leopard coming down to the spring for an evening drink.  On the one night seated around the table, after foraging on the most amazing meal prepared on an open fire by the camp staff, we heard the unmistakable bellow of a buffalo, evidently in pain.  It was a full moon, Clyde grabbed his spotlight, beckoned for Andy, our guide to get the rifle and just behind the camp we came across them, six lion including two males had taken down a large male buffalo (or Dagga Boy) and he was on his last legs.  Through the spot light the stare of a male lion is quite something to behold, and you realise the immense power of the King of the Beasts.  When you have had a long hot day in the Valley you always sleep well at night but, when you first lie down, your head is racing with adrenalin of what you have witnessed that day, still the sounds of the night continue, and there is just a piece of canvas tent between you and the circle of life.

Dawn breaks, Lion King style and we hurriedly strap on our boots and head out to see what remains of last night’s activity.  The males have gone but a few females still lie around the carcass, eagerly guarding it from ensuing vultures.  The reason we always visit Chitake with Kavinga Safaris is that they have an amazing team.  A professional guide who is extremely knowledgeable on all critters who reside in the Valley and he is well armed with a supersonic full stop for charging lion or buffalo.  Clyde Elgar, with long flowing locks, also has a vast knowledge on the bush, yet his forte is his camera work.  He is always in pursuit of that perfect photo or sequence, and his energy is addictive.  Then there is Rod Huck, the wise man of the trio, who quietly sneaks off whilst you are watching a kill, and scarpers back to the camp to ensure all is perfect for when you return.  Having no pool, limited water etc. you are always met back at camp after a long walk, with a frozen hand towel, which you crack and drape over your neck.  Trust me, it’s refreshing that, followed by a couple of bitterly cold Amstel, tends to hit the spot.

Picture the scene:  Mufasa sits young Simba down and explains to him that all creatures exist in balance and that one day he will die and become a part of the Circle of Life.  After seeing the lion kill in the early morning sun, Murray was looking down into the gorge near the spring and saw a dove come to rest.  “Well at least nothing eats them” he calmly said.  No sooner had he said that when a Tawny Eagle swooped down and killed it, leaving a puff of grey and white feathers.  It’s the killing zone for everything.

The days are always eventful, but we commented this trip that we should sleep during the afternoon so as to take in all of the action at night.  After dinner we would take our chairs and sit by the spring and see what came along.  Every night a Jungle Book style column of elephant would quietly stroll past.  On one occasion we were particularly close to a cow and calf drinking near us, it was quite a sight to look up at that massive body silhouetted in the moonlight.  On the same evening, we all went dead silent as we watched a lioness quietly walk in front of us, we paced it out the next day and she was seven metres from us.  I remember looking back and seeing Andy with the rifle cocked and ready.

When you spend time in the bush with no iPods, no TV, no cell phones and no internet you realise the reality of the Circle of Life and that we are all a part of its natural structure.”

Thank you to Gerrit, Nigel and Warwick for their contribution of photos.  We would also like to thank Jenny and Karl of Rhino Safari Camp for their hospitality whilst in their camp – we will certainly be back.  Just because the rains have come, that does not mean we won’t be in the Valley.  Kavinga will update you after Christmas on all the amazing things we will see over the holidays.  From Rod and Lou, Clyde and Leah and Andrew we wish you all happy and safe holidays.

Kavinga is giving you just a brief account of what’s been happening in the Zambezi Valley, as we’re leaving it to one of our guests to describe her experience with us.

With the inland pans drying up, vast numbers of game are making their way to the Zambezi River and herds of buffalo, as well as eland, kudu, impala and warthog are regular sightings on the floodplain.

The acacia albidas are currently in full bloom, bringing elephants to our camp throughout the day.

There have been excellent sightings of the wild dogs, even from the camp we watched them on the hunt.  Whilst running with the pack, we watched them kill a small baboon and an impala within 10 minutes and then another baboon the next morning.

The lions have been rather elusive but Andy was able to track them down on several occasions.  They seem to enjoy spending their days in the vitaveria grass near the banks of the river – perhaps it is cooler there.  However, they did manage to rouse themselves and attempt a buffalo kill behind camp.

The fishing has certainly been exciting.  Jim will remember for many years his first attempt at bream fishing – with 9lb line and a sinker and hook, his first cast hooked into a monster that kept him busy for the next 2.5 hours!  When he at last managed to land his catch, it was certainly no bream but a 40lb plus Vundu that he had hooked in the whisker. After taking a few pictures it was time to release this magnificent river beast back to its watery home.

Annabelle, wrote about the experience she had whilst staying with us:

“You know you’re in the thick of the African bush when your sleep is disturbed by the midnight distant roar of lion. I drifted off to sleep in my tent, next to the Chitake River, listening to the birds whistling their final chirping. Just after midnight into my dreaming seeped a lion’s roar, somewhere above camp in the arid bush. You don’t get much more African bush than that.

My six night safari with Kavinga was all about that…..being surrounded by the mannerisms of the African bush in every possible way.

At Chitake, the camp was next to a spring, where baboon and elephant would regularly wander down for water. In the distance I’d see buffalo, also seeking water to ease the effects of the hot dry climate. It was powerful on the mind and eye, to see the sun setting against the Zambezi escarpment in the evening, leaving the wildlife as mere silhouettes. During dinner, under the starlit sky, the steady sound of elephants carefully and slowly plodding down the river, just metres from our table, could be heard. The sounds of the bush at night, whether it be the creak of a branch or an animal’s footstep, are superbly amplified when the ability to see the action is minimized. It was both thrilling and humbling to wake up in the morning knowing we had minimal control over what our day would involve.

The game walk etiquette was learnt quickly; stick together, but be sure not to rush. Keep voices quiet, but feel free to ask questions and discuss the quirky bush details like the termite mounds and varying sounds. During our early morning walks an attentive eye would let us notice footprints in a certain line, the odd patch of fur or feathers, all providing clues to the previous night’s action in the bush. On one such walk we were provided the thrill of seeing a herd of buffalo come down the banks into the riverbed. The dust and noise was as thrilling as the beasts themselves.

During the day there were sightings of impala and eland…..birds in the baobab trees and lion would gracefully scale the trees as the air cooled.

After two nights at Chitake it was time to move to Mucheni at Mana Pools.

What had been the base at Chitake, including every homely necessity from hot showers and basins to a permanently stocked drinks area and spacious comfortable tents, was transformed back to its original state in a matter of half a day – a bare patch of land with only memories left behind.

Driving the dusty road to Mana Pools took just over an hour, and provided an introduction of anticipation and excitement. The combination of colours and bush changed, as did the wildlife.

Baobab trees were swapped for the Acacia Albida forests. The Zambian escarpment provided a new dramatic back drop and the watering holes of the Chitake river were replaced with the hippo and crocodile filled mighty Zambezi River. Zebra and waterbuck were added to the mix. The yellow billed kite swooped the sky, looking for a generous helping of leftover picnic treats.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face when I was there. I watched many hippo heads bobbing up and down and suggesting a challenge for any daring human. The odd bull elephant strolling into camp just metres away from our tents.  Seeing a pack of wild dog relaxing in the shade was magic, their painted coats are just so varying. Baboons and monkeys going about their cheeky ways, keeping a watchful eye on both human and animal form amongst their communal grooming sessions.

The beauty of Kavinga was that the bush in its rawness and complexity was never escaped. So the choice to either sit at camp or go on game drives and walks were both memorable experiences. The hospitality of the entire Kavinga team was seamless; cool drinks when the mouth was dry, fire baked bread when the tummy rumbled and a beautiful three course evening meal, all enjoyed alongside hot showers and comfortable sleeping.

As the sun went down, the fire crackled beside the river and the Southern Cross joined the stars, each evening a sprinkling from heaven…….and as the hippo snorted goodnight and the lions roared, the excitement of the following day would build.…..”

Thanks to Gordon Wilson for the picture of the lovebirds and Auntie Peng for the pictures of Jim and his vundu.

Download the pdf version of this newsletter here

We were fortunate to be in one of Mana’s great camps – Mucheni 4 – but it wasn’t without its challenges.  With 3 of the flood gates being opened at Kariba, the river has risen about 1½ meters above its last year’s level and this has pushed the water along the streams that are normally dry but we managed to cross in our trusty Landcruisers with no hiccups, however, Landrovers might have had a problem. So be warned if you are off to Mana and have either Mucheni 3 or 4 booked, you will need some serious 4×4 skills or 2 vehicles.  The BBC site is not accessible at all.

The bush is thick at this time of year but it is still a pleasure to see, compared with the harshness of the dry season, but it does make game viewing challenging, especially when it comes to the smaller species of game that inhabit Mana. The dominant species of plant at this time of year is the Indigofera tintura, derived from the Latin word Indigo, with some of these species used to extract the indigo dye used in the fabric industry.

This time of year affords us the time to look at the smaller things that we tend to overlook in the dry season whilst in pursuit of nature’s larger and more colourful species.  If anyone can identify this caterpillar, then please let us know we would love to hear from you.

That’s not to say that we didn’t pursue the pride of Mana – their calls at night had us up early each morning in the hope of catching a glimpse of these great cats. The Mana Chronicles written in the sand told of the previous nights escapades and some unusual stories were written. The movement of crocs from inland pans is something you don’t see during the dry season and we were lucky enough to catch up with one of these super reptiles one evening on its journey to a new location. Nature has a great way of rewarding us, so for all our early morning rises we did manage to see a leopard early one evening, so we guess the early bird is not always the winner.

Evenings in Mana never fail to impress and comments from those who live in the big cities are testament to the magnificence of this awesome place we are privileged to call home for a short space in time. We are grateful to all who have supported us and for those who are returning to us this year we hope that you will find your suggestions have been fulfilled – if not please can you blame Rod. We really look forward to having all old and new clients with us in Mana this year – it certainly looks to be an amazing one and, if you have any ideas or suggestions, we would love to hear from you.

We hope that you all had a happy and safe Easter.

Rod, Clyde Lou and Leah.

The last two months of the safari season were very full and we have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with a mixed group of guests, from local, regional and global destinations.

September and October are always the best game viewing times, with water pans getting dry, the game is driven to the last remaining sources of water and the concentration builds up daily. The herds of Buffalo at Chitake this season were way beyond the norm and the excitement of being able to get down into the spring and see these magnificent animals coming over the lip of the embankment, with all the dust, low bellowing and the continuous swirling of red ox peckers flitting from one animal to the next, made it a photographers dream.

Chitake is well known for its lions, this year however the pride consisted of two females and the four cubs, the cubs are fairly big now, having been born in sept and nov last year and we were privileged to experience the females catch a warthog and then leave the cubs to finish off the kill, very gruesome but all part of natures training. The Chitake lions seem to spend more time up in trees than they do on the ground and our guests were able to get some good footage of this. The male lion was very secretive and we were only able to spot him on a few occasions. Down at the river camp however, the lion population seems to have increased and sightings were a daily happening.

The ‘adrenalin hit’ of the season though was in Chitake where we walked into the six lions who were all sitting up a small rain tree, the big female came down and gave us a bit of a growl but seemed fairly relaxed and we were well away from her comfort zone. For no apparent reason she suddenly came rushing forward in a low attack position and stopped about 12 paces from us, Clyde managed to get a great couple of shots of her.

Looking back on the past few months it is the wild dog that gave us the most memorable experiences. Jacquie in the shower and the kill taking place 10 meters from her, the dogs took down 3 impala in about 30 minutes at Mucheni and then in Nov, 33 dogs chased a bushbuck down the Chitake and killed it about 20 meters from us. Watching them tear apart their prey in literally minutes is something you don’t forget.

A great deal of interest is always shown with the walk to the dinosaurs fossils at Chitake, and having Peter on one of the safaris to explain the rock formation made it that more interesting for us. This year saw a team, under the guidance of the Bulawayo museum in conjunction with National Monuments remove a large piece of the rock that the fossils are embedded in, and taken away for further research. This was also done a few years previously and a fully articulated skeleton was reconstructed from the bones recovered. The original name given to the dinosaur was syntasis rhodesiencis but since the reconstruction the name has changed to Coelophysis.

Another memorable event was sitting one evening at Mucheni 1 and having more than 60 elephants feeding on the islands in front of us, sitting there quietly with a cold drink in hand, the sun going down, hippos snorting and the abundant bird life going about their evening chores, made this evening for me, what the river is all about. ‘The complete relax’.

It is only left now, on behalf of Kavinga Safaris and the animals big and small of the Zambezi Valley, to thank a few who have assisted us this year, Stretch and Flo, Nick Murray, Steve Chinhoyi and last but certainly not least Andy Smith for the professionalism that he bought with him when guiding for us.

To all of you who spent time with us this season, thank you for your support and we hope to see you all again in the not to distant future. May we all hope for a happy Christmas and that the New Year can bring stability to this wonderful country of ours.

From the Kavinga team

Rod & Lou

Clyde & Leah

Steve & Clare

Patrick, Keyo, Kenneth & Robert

Our intrepid explorers tried their hand at paddling down the Mighty Zambezi River and after trying to paddle up stream they soon got the hang of the steering and aimed there canoe in the right direction , we were on our way, thanks to Steve Chinoyi I was able to enjoy the experience and did not have to paddle but instead managed to capture those Kodak moments. As you can see we had a few of those “Houston we have a problem” moments, but nothing that wasn’t sorted out with a lift here and a push there. We saw a multitude of bird species and many of the more common larger residents of the Zambezi River, the Hippo. As you can see Lisa had Gary well trained in the art of canoeing, we just not sure if this method is the correct one for paddling down the river, half in and half out but maybe we are the ones doing it wrong.

There was a definite air of change in the valley, winter was leaving us and summer was knocking on the door and the first Acacia Albida pods were starting to drop. It’s a great time of year as even though it was still early for the full burst of pods it was like a restaurant, the tree as the host, the ele’s as the waiters and the pods as main course, and a variety of customers waiting to forage. We saw Eland, impala , warthog, Buffalo, baboons ,waterbuck, warthog and a host of others in various combinations all feeding from the same tree, with the elephant serving up the pods with each shake of the tree. It’s a great time to sit and watch all these magnificent creatures feeding on the protein rich pods and for those close and special moments with Mana’s largest residents.

Kavinga Bush Camp also had some great sightings, with the inland pans drying up and unable to support the large herds of buffalo, they descended upon the spring. At present we estimate that there are 2 large herds drinking and its great to see that some of the more recognizable members of the herd were back . The lion are still a bit fragmented but with the water holes drying up we are sure that the pride will start coming together. It was great to see that last years 2 sets of 2 cubs have both survived, they are now about 9 and 10 months old and looking great. Every day we walked we managed to find them on and around the spring, we had the most exciting experience with the lionesses capturing a warthog which we thought they would kill, to our surprise they let it go and let the cubs kill it, something in all the years of being in the bush I had never witnessed, an awesome sighting.

One of the areas hidden gems is the Dinasour bones, I have always been more inclined to care for the living , but when you are standing in front of a forty foot high embankment looking at the bones of a creature that lived some 200 million years ago , its hard not to conjure up what the same place might have been like all those years ago and how this creature succumbed to remain fossilised for millions of years, it just goes to show how short our time is here and decisions we make for wildlife in the future will effect their outcome long after we have gone. Its quite a trek there but well worth the effort and well done to Peter and Rachael for theirs.

It’s a great time of the year to be in the Bush camp, there is always something to see , big or small, and knowing that in an instant the lion could come out of know where and have a kill happen right in front of you, it happened to us. There is something to be said about the early bird catching the worm, well we caught him and here he is in all his glory , a Puff Back with the “early worm” . Until our next newsletter we at Kavinga Safaris wish you great sightings and will keep you up dated on our future adventures in the Valley.

Further on down the road, we stopped at a pan which was resident to a few hippo and, after a quick lesson on some of the tree species found along the waterways by our knowledgeable guide Steve, we were back on the track.

We had heard that the wilddog sightings had been good near Long Pool and, after meeting a few people who confirmed they had just seen them, we decided to follow up. We found their spoor (tracks) but could not pinpoint their location and then we spotted the vultures rapidly descending, so we parked the vehicle and followed the vultures. Not too far in we saw a Spotted Hyena in a bush with a host of White Backed Vultures at his heels – the Wilddogs had just killed an Impala Ram and we had missed it. Still the excitement of walking in and finding the hyena and the carcass and just knowing that one of Africa’s most efficient killers was here a few moments earlier was enough to satisfy our need to be in and amongst nature.

After a late breakfast and siesta back at camp, we decided to track the lions we had seen earlier that morning. At this time of year there are still many inland pans and walking alongside them we saw a variety of birds and game and fresh lion tracks. Our walk was interrupted by a herd of cow eles but, after changing our course to make way for the herd and their babies, we were surprised to hear them trumpet when the wind was in our favour. However, a shout of “there!” and a very quick glimpse, the eles had found the lions for us and just like that they were gone. The sun was setting and it was time for sundowners back at the car while we watched the herd of eles in front of us, a fitting end to another great day in the African bush. But that’s not all, back at camp after a fine dinner, provided by our fantastic wives, we were visited by another 2 lions. We discovered in the morning that they had walked right up to the camp, they are by nature extremely inquisitive so I am sure the odd noise from the camp was enough to stir their curiosity.

We were up early the next morning ready to investigate the night’s mysteries and, with the lion roaring all night, we were not surprised to see their spoor all along the road. Not too far down the road, whilst attempting to photograph a bull ele feeding on the Acacias, an almighty roar erupted from behind us. With a bit of high speed clambering on to the vehicle, we shot around to another road, parked and followed the sounds on foot into a thicket, where we came across a pride of lion that had just made a kill. With the ferocity of them on the kill, whatever had fallen victim was no more. All we could find was blood spoor, so we assume it was something small – what an adrenalin rush!

Long Pool was the stage for another kind of feeding frenzy – a hippo had died and the vultures were there en masse. We managed to position ourselves under a bush and had them landing right in front of us, so we got some great shots of them touching down. To top it all off, we did eventually see the wilddogs, unfortunately for Richard and Pat they had already left the camp, but it’s something to look forward to on their next trip. They did, however, manage to clock up about 80 bird species without too much effort, so well done – it’s certainly a figure to beat next time. Kavinga will be back in the Valley next week so tune in then for our next newsletter.

On our first morning game drive we were lucky enough to see a male lion and then several kms down the road near the Mucheni Camps we came across 4 lion cubs lying on the road, the lionesses were know where to be seen and later when we came back there were white backed vultures and a lappet faced vulture in the trees so we assume they had made a kill as we could hear them in the thicket.

The fishing in the mighty Zambezi was extremely productive and thanks to a little patience on behalf of our younger members in the party they managed to land 2 great tiger fish.

One of the highlights of the trip was a mass of a few hundred crocodiles feeding on an elephant that had died in the river, we all know how we exaggerate when it comes to the size of crocs but a there were a couple of monsters that were dominating the carcass, one of which had his throat half bitten off in the feeding frenzy.

The lion were at it again near Mana mouth when they killed a waterbuck on the side of the road, with 9 cubs feeding and 2 adult lionesses also trying to get their share amongst the youngsters. Although the bush is thick, we still saw many other species including impala, warthog, kudu, zebra, waterbuck and a host of other species, the roads have been graded and Mana Pools is set for another exciting year. We hope to see you down there, either with us or just in passing whilst we all exchange stories of what we have seen and what is still to be seen.