Zambezi Canoeing, Mana Pools and Chitake Springs Sept 2011

[twaffle]

What adventures you had, wonderful wild dog sightings and I also like the picture from your journal, very clear what happened. A private guide, excellent. And I love the tents and camp.

[ZaminOz]

Great photos and narrative. I am really enjoying your trip report

[Super LEEDS]

Haha that drawing is a great touch! Little worried though, even with all that fine food, you look a little stick-like.

[yeahyeah]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

[yeahyeah]

Sept 18 - Mana Pools

In the morning Rod dropped off me and Andy and we did a 5 mile walk back to camp. We spent some time with an elephant cow and her calf, about 6 months old. The calf was probably 2 feet tall.

 

 

We saw other groups of elephants on the walk as well and also a large herd of impala, some eland, kudu, and zebra all in one place. Initially jittery, the kudu grew pretty relaxed with us and Andy said that we'd been able to approach closer than usual on foot.

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon we noticed a herd of buffalo moving in our direction. We finished our tea and headed out for an afternoon game drive. We got to the edge of camp just in time for the herd of about 200 to pass by in front of us.

 

 

We decided to go see what the dogs were up to. When we got there they were up and about, getting ready to go hunting. Before long they took site of a female warthog and her two young headed in the dogs' direction. The dogs went after them but they escaped into a burrow. The dogs headed left down the road as we drove ahead of them and waited, as there were some impala nearby. The dogs started to chase two impala away from the road and deeper into the bush. Andy turned around and looked at me and asked me if I was ready to go. We jumped out of the truck and sprinted after the dogs, as Andy thought he might know where the chase would lead. The next thing you know the impala are coming straight back at us being chased by the dogs! We quickly take a seat and watch as they go right by us. I managed to get one shot of the lead dog after they passed.

 

 

 

 

We continued to go after them on foot and the impala basically made a huge circle. Seeing the impalas flee at top flight was awesome. They're abundant and probably overlooked but I really like the impala. They're so sleek looking and agile and the way they prance and jump is amazing. Wild dogs are successful in 85% of their hunts but the impala managed to get away this time. The dogs took off into the bush and the other cars that had been following the action continued down the road. Me and Andy on the other hand start walking towards the river. They've just done a lot of running and probably need a drink.

 

After a brief porcupine sighting we reach the floodplain where the dogs are playing and frolicking in the water. There was a small pool and a little puddle with the river and the sun setting over the mountains as the backdrop. We just sat there enjoying ourselves watching the dogs in that beautiful setting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's with all the running!?! I don't see anyone else running around like crazy people in the bush. I LOVE IT!

Edited December 17, 2011 by yeahyeah

[RedLeopard]

Fab stories - especially the bit about you running after the dogs on the hunt!

 

Keep it coming :-)

[Sangeeta]

Lucky?! That's almost too insipid a word for the stories you've been telling

 

Fantastic adventures, recounted with true enthusiasm! Your photos do them justice. Looking forward to more.

 

You do know you've been spoilt rotten with this safari, don't you?

[wilddog]

Super report, Yeahyeah and you had such fantastic experiences! Thanks for sharing, love the running with dogs and running from buffalo.

 

I think I read somewhere that this was intended to be your 'once in a life time trip' to Africa? I think you will be back some day. Most of us regular safari goers said that once but got bitten by the bug and go back whenever we can. My guess is the bug may have got you too!.Welcome to the club!

[Kavey]

Fabulous report, wonderful images and yes, fantastic luck in your sightings, but I rather think you deserve it - your attitude is so refreshing!

I've been on a few safaris but probably not quite brave enough to stay in open-dorm backpackers or take the unbooked minibuses and taxis... so pleased they were safe and also enjoyable and exciting!

Your wild dog sightings have me envious as hell, I have to admit but so pleased for you that you experienced them. Are you hooked? I bet you are!

If you pass through London again, give me a shout, I'm local and always up for meeting safari-lovers/ travellers either on their way to or from Africa!

[yeahyeah]

Lucky?! That's almost too insipid a word for the stories you've been telling

 

Yep. And it didn't stop, it continued the whole trip.

 

You do know you've been spoilt rotten with this safari, don't you?

 

Oh I know. I was on top of the world, and still am as I relive my experiences writing up this report.

 

I think I read somewhere that this was intended to be your 'once in a life time trip' to Africa? I think you will be back some day. Most of us regular safari goers said that once but got bitten by the bug and go back whenever we can. My guess is the bug may have got you too!.Welcome to the club!

 

Let's just say I'm extremely envious of the people that don't live an ocean away from the African bush

 

Fabulous report, wonderful images and yes, fantastic luck in your sightings, but I rather think you deserve it - your attitude is so refreshing!

I've been on a few safaris but probably not quite brave enough to stay in open-dorm backpackers or take the unbooked minibuses and taxis... so pleased they were safe and also enjoyable and exciting!

Your wild dog sightings have me envious as hell, I have to admit but so pleased for you that you experienced them. Are you hooked? I bet you are!

If you pass through London again, give me a shout, I'm local and always up for meeting safari-lovers/ travellers either on their way to or from Africa!

 

It's not for everyone, but if that kind of adventure sounds exciting to you I'd highly recommend it. I met lots of nice people at the hostels and it was fun traveling via minibus. I have to personally thank luangwablondes. He was a big help when it came to the minibuses and if it weren't for him I'm not sure I would have felt comfortable using them for the longer transfers from Lusaka to Chirundu and back again.

 

Thank you for the London invite, very kind of you.

[yeahyeah]

Sept 19 - Mana Pools

Last night I woke up at 3AM to find a hippo feeding on the sausage tree blossoms that had fallen beside my tent. I didn't know whether to stay up and watch or go back to bed but I eventually went back to sleep.

 

In the morning we set out in the direction that we had heard lion during the night. We eventually found tracks along the road and found them relaxing in the shade. After sitting with them for awhile we continued on until we came to a group of 8 or so elephants. We sat in the vehicle to watch and the bull came and stood 5 meters from us and took a nap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man these guys will eat anything

 

We spent a good amount of time with them and then headed back to camp. As we neared the lions another guide told us that they had just attempted to kill a buffalo. One of the lionesses had jumped on its back but the buffalo escaped. The lions were on the move so me and Andy got out of the truck to follow them.

 

 

They eventually stopped in a shady place to do what lions do best.

 

Back at camp we caught some elephant crossing the river.

 

 

 

 

 

Pat was interested in looking for some nyala, so after breakfast we headed to Lungfish Pool in the eastern part of the park. Nyala are more likely to been seen in this area and we hoped to see them come for a drink in the afternoon heat. At the pool when we got there were a hyena, 3 hippos, some yellow billed storks and a few egrets. We found a good spot and parked. While we waited a few elephants came up from behind us but when they caught our scent they took off. We waited as a troop of baboons and a zebra came for a drink. A couple of lilac breasted rollers flying around also added to the scene. We didn't see any nyala but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Back to camp to re-fuel before venturing out once again.

 

 

 

 

 

Can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is?

 

Around 4 o'clock we decided to go see what the lions were up to. We walked into the bush and found them in the same general area that we had left them. We watched them for a little while, then got a little closer and sat on a termite mound ~60 meters away. The cats were lying on a ridge and we eventually decided to walk around and down the ridge and view them from below. There was already one cat lying there when we got there, and we got settled near some logs. Over the next 20 minutes or so, the lions gradually came down the embankment one by one. It's nice that they felt comfortable enough to approach us. They were probably 30 meters away and we stayed until dusk.

 

 

 

 

That evening as I got out of the shower I heard some leaves rustling nearby. I walked to the edge of the shower, shined my light to the right and 10 feet away from me was a hippo. I waited a minute or two for it to pass and then walked rather quickly over to the tent for dinner.

[inyathi]

Great report

 

 

Can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is?

 

 

 

Crested barbet

[yeahyeah]

thank you inyathi

[Atravelynn]

A crested barbet is something to crow about!

 

 

 

I think I can see your photography improving as the trip goes on. Maybe getting more comfortable with taking photos on the move.

 

After seeing all these photos and hearing/reading your adventures, does your dad want to join you on a future trip now?

[yeahyeah]

I had a 70-300mm lens on a camera with a 1.6x crop factor. My biggest mistake was not getting the lens early enough to practice with it. The result was a lot of pictures where the focus is not as good as it should have been. I learned a lot from all of my rookie mistakes (unfortunately I didn't realize much of this until after I got home and uploaded the pics to my computer) and I think I may eventually post about it for others in the photography forum.

 

That being said I did learn as the trip went on and it was more difficult to take pictures from a moving canoe (down river and up and down movement).

[Atravelynn]

A photography "seminar" for those in a similar position as you would be helpful.

[Sangeeta]

Keep it coming, yeahyeah! No long gaps allowed between episodes. I'm waiting impatiently for Chitake...

[yeahyeah]

Sept 20 (morning) - Mana Pools

 

For our last activity in Mana, Andy led me on an hour and a half walk. We started at camp, headed west and made a loop. Among other things, we spent some time sneaking up on eland.

 

 

 

We saw a large herd of buffalo headed towards the river. We went ahead of them and climbed a tree, sitting on a branch about 10 feet off the ground. Andy had predicted the herd's path exactly and they were headed right for us. As the first buffalo approached I snapped a pic. The buffalo reacted and the herd's course shifted slightly so I decided not to take anymore pics. Every once in awhile one of the buffalo would catch our scent, stop and look around, but they never looked up. Being up in that tree so close to the buffalo was such an awesome experience.

 

After the majority of the herd had passed I remembered that I had my phone in my pocket capable of recording video. I took some video of the stragglers which doesn't justify the experience, but you get the idea. Some of the herd walked literally right under the branch we were sitting on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EWRd4vM5_E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb4LwzC5a30

 

Some other photos from the walk

 

 

 

After the walk we started off towards the park office to pick up Len and Susan from their canoe safari. On the way we came across a pack of 9 wild dog close to the road. They were enjoying a lazy afternoon and we didn't have a lot of time so we continued on our way.

 

The bull elephants in Mana are known for standing up on their hind legs in order to reach acacia pods higher up in the tree. There's a couple of older bulls that do it as well as a younger bull, who Andy thinks is actually more impressive because he really has to stretch out to reach up. On the way to the office, we see the young bull and some people watching it. "He's gonna do it." Andy says. We get out of the truck and position ourselves for a photo op. "Ok get ready. Get Ready..." Nope. He decides to catch a few z's.

 

 

Ok he's active again. He walked over to a different tree and we re-positioned ourselves. The elephant leaned back, lifted his trunk, and eyed his target. Then up he went, full extension.

 

Well we're going to be a little late picking up Len and Susan, but I'm sure they'll understand.

 

Once we're all together we head to Long Pool to have some tea and biscuits and talk about our experiences the last few days.

 

This afternoon we made the drive to Chitake. Pat would be leaving us and going his own way, and Rod's friend Marty would be joining us in Chitake. Being a mobile camp, everything including the flush toilet was packed away, transported to Chitake and reassembled.

 

Before taking off for Chitake, we headed into an area in the eastern(?) part of the park towards a pool. We were hoping that it would still have some water in it but we're not really sure. This also gives us a chance to see a different area of the park and allows Rod and the camp staff to go ahead of us and set up camp at Chitake. The scenery is very different here. Gone are the floodplains which have been replaced by red sand and pebble beds. We eventually made it to a dirt road with thick brush on either side.

 

 

It's apparent that this road doesn't get traveled too often and Andy's careful to keep the branches from poking our eyes out. We arrived at the pool and it's dry. Not much going on there other than a saddle billed stork. Andy shows us an ebony tree with some dark exposed wood and a seed that if eaten is fatal to humans. He asks if we'd like to take one home for the next time someone gets on our nerves.

 

It takes an hour or two from where we are to get to Chitake. We traveled down a wide dirt road that seemed very much the same the whole way. We manage to see a duiker along the way which is something I hadn't seen yet.

Edited December 30, 2011 by yeahyeah

[yeahyeah]

Here are some other photos that didn't make it into the report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

The non-report photos are great too. Loved the ele on its hind legs. Nice timing. The video from the tree was a cool perspective.

[Sangeeta]

Is tree climbing allowed in any other African NP at all? If you haven't been chased up one by an animal, I mean?

 

Very nice ele picture indeed.

[kittykat23uk]

Just caught up with this! How lucky were you! I take it you hadn't payed for an exclusive guide and it just worked out that way? Those dogs! I hope we have the same luck when we go in August. Do you know when the bee-eaters arrive in the area? I believe they wont be there when we go, which is a shame.

[kittykat23uk]

That's what I thought, in which case we're very unlikely to see any. But I did see a colony in Botswana in November so it's no big deal. We're timing it for the dogs.

Edited January 7, 2019 by wilddog

[yeahyeah]

Sept 20 (afternoon) - Chitake Springs

 

At Chitake we were introduced to Clyde and Leah (also of Kavinga, and are working on shooting a documentary at Chitake) and another guest Marty who's a friend of Rod and Clyde.

 

Camp is set up, literally, right along the spring.

 

 

 

It's just a trickle at this time of year. The whole area is really just a dry river bed. Over time the river has carved out a big gorge which has steeper cliffs and is really beautiful further upstream from camp. Upstream from us is the source of the water during the dry season. The water seeps up from an underground aquifer and then runs a little over a kilometer before drying up. The spring is the only source of water in the area. This place is the real deal. It's the kind of place where films are made about the struggle for life during the dry season. It's wild. It's remote. It's survival. If the floodplains are the Garden of Eden then this is the Valley of Death.

 

Did I mention that we're the only people staying here? That's right, there's only 3 camps at Chitake and 2 of them are empty. Once again I seemed to have lucked out. It was the middle of the afternoon when we arrived so we spent the time sitting by the spring, watching whatever came by. Two elephants came through and there were plenty of baboons and some impala to be seen. A bateleur landed in the spring. I don't know how common they are and what not but they're an awesome looking bird of prey, however it was too far away for me to get a decent shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Once it cooled off a little bit we went for a walk. From the top of the gorge we saw a group of elephants enjoying an ele spa.

mudbath and scratching post

 

 

 

 

 

We walked a little further and on the other side of the gorge were two lions. We crossed to the other side to have a better look and found a third lion up in a tree. The three lions consisted of a mother and her two older cubs whose manes were just starting to come in.

 

 

That night during dinner we heard a commotion. Andy went down to the edge of the spring and shined his light across to the other side. All of a sudden three panicked buffalo came barreling out of the bushes. They were headed straight towards the dinner table and I could see the concern in Rod's eyes. Andy did a good job shouting and trying to misdirect them and at the last second they changed course. Had it not been for Andy, they would have without a doubt run right through camp. It was presumed that they had been chased by lion.

 

After dinner Marty was having a smoke and noticed a honey badger on the bank opposite from camp. Andy got his torch to see what else was around. There was a grysbok, a civet, and... a what... a cheetah?! It wasn't the best sighting for a cheetah, but it was a great sighting in that we had actually seen a cheetah at Chitake. Rod said it's been four years since he's seen a cheetah here and Clyde had never seen a cheetah at Chitake. We also saw a porcupine around camp that night who must be staying in the area as we saw it a couple of other times and .... also mentioned it in his report.

 

At 1 in the morning we heard elephants screaming loudly. They were so close and loud that there's no way anyone could have slept through it.

[yeahyeah]

Sept 21 - Chitake Spring

 

In the morning I discovered what all the commotion had been about. Maybe 80 yards away from camp were the 3 lions we had seen the previous day feeding on a small elephant.

 

 

After a quick bite to eat we went to go get a better view.

 

 

 

 

 

After spending time with the lions we continued on our walk and Andy noticed a herd of buffalo on it's way to the spring. We hurried down the bank and climbed up the ridge on the other side. After a short wait, the buffalo made their way down the bank to the spring. Andy estimated there were 500-600 of them. It was amazing to watch such a big herd come into the spring.

 

Marty had a camera hidden away in his pocket and I forgot that I had seen him snapping some pics earlier so I ignorantly asked if he would use my phone to take video while I took pictures (safari foul!). It didn't dawn on me until a few minutes later when I saw Marty filming with one had and taking pictures with the other at which point I felt like a complete ass. That being said, here's the video. It's 10 minutes long and still only captured about half the herd.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEEpuuxMMg0&feature=youtu.be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time at camp was spent watching a cow elephant and her calf and watching the lions chase off vultures.

 

In the afternoon we went back to the kill.

 

 

 

Look at how fat that belly is getting

 

When we got back we watched 10 or so elephants right in front of camp.

 

During dinner we heard a distressed elephant and then other elephants screaming loudly. We quickly got up and shined a light down the spring. We didn't see any elephants but we did see 2 adult male lions feeding on the previous night's kill. Best guess is that lions had gone after another elephant but it escaped.

 

That night we also saw a leopard. It very far away but it was a leopard none the less.

 

If you had some good night vision gear, I'd seriously recommend sleeping during the day and watching the spring at night. There is a lot going on at this place!