Old Mondoro’s first official guests
of 2003 were from Alabama, USA and
they enjoyed some great game viewing
during their two nights there. These
included serval, and three different
leopards totalling six sightings,
two of which had been watching us
enjoying our sundowners on the banks
of the Zambezi! Andy has just
reported lionesses and a 15-minute
honey badger sighting on a recent
walk.
However the highlights to date of
our game viewing this season have
been the sensational wild dog and
elephant sightings around Chiawa
Camp. Over the past two months we
have had nearly twenty wild dog
sightings (some in the riverbed next
to camp), including greeting
ceremonies, kills, fights with
hyenas and chasing buffalo and
elephant! Interestingly both the
elephant and buffalo retreated in
surprise from the pack’s advances.
The dogs are about to den and ought
to be regularly seen again, with
pups, in September this year – book
now for Africa’s best wild dogs!
We
have also had the privilege of
watching a herd of some 300 elephant
around Chiawa Camp for the past few
weeks, with daily drinking visits to
the Zambezi under our viewing hide.
The spectacle of 300 elephants
frolicking in the river, trumpeting,
blowing dust, and chasing egrets
under our noses (and driving through
the same herd on a night drive!) is
what unforgettable memories are made
of.
And if all the elephants and
wild dogs get too exciting, Lynsey
is still offering her increasingly
popular pampering &relaxation
treatments for the ladies.
A few days ago some of Chiawa’s
guests were up in the viewing hide
watching one of the camp Kakuli’s
(old bull buffalo) resting in the
riverbed with his bottom close to
the Zambezi. Suddenly a crocodile
launched itself at the buffalo and
bit it on the behind – leaving
behind a large bite mark on a
surprised, disgruntled buffalo.
Interestingly the crocodile was so
small as to not have had a chance at
ever dragging the unfortunate buff
back into the Zambezi. Needless to
say the same buffalo now rests a few
steps further away from the river,
and the same crocodile patrols the
same stretch of river in hope –
another African status quo!
We’ve had some good fishing too
despite it not being the best time
of the year to do so, and some big
tiger and vundu have been caught &
released – the heaviest tiger of
this season to date is 14.5 lbs. On
the subject of fishing we had an
excellent sighting from the viewing
hide of a fish eagle catching and
devouring a squeaker catfish. Other
great eagle sightings include a pair
of African Hawk Eagles, and an
immature Martial eagle circling low
& slow over one of our game viewing
vehicles, deliberately eying us out.
On the administrative front,
visitors to Zambia are still exempt
from visa fees if they have the
appropriate letter from us or other
relevant Zambian camp or Tour
Operator. If you or your clients are
visiting Chiawa Camp this year and
you would like us to arrange a visa
fee waiver letter please let us know
in plenty of time.
The intensive Lower Zambezi Safari
Guide’s Examinations have just ended
and Steve Cunliffe, who joined us in
April, passed with flying colours.
Chiawa & Old Mondoro’s guiding
(quality & quantity!) remains
unrivalled in the Lower Zambezi,
especially for the walking safaris
but across the board. Having
initiated and implemented the first
safari guide examinations in the
Lower Zambezi in 1996, I am proud to
have helped the system develop and
we are now working closely with the
Luangwa Safari Association and
Zambia Wildlife Authority in
creating a national standard.
Tonight
Craig is preparing a full-moon
dinner on a sandbar in the middle of
the Zambezi for those lucky guests
currently at Chiawa – his meals are
noteworthy and will be featured in
various UK press during the course
of the year, so keep a look out.
Until next time, may your boots
always be covered in Africa’s dust,
& may your Scotch always have a dash
of Zambezi water (I just made that
up!).
Grant, Lynsey & the Chiawa Team.
PREVIOUS CHIAWA CAMP NEWLETTERS
February
2003
December 2002
September
2002
July 2002
December
2001
August
2001 May
2001
November
2000
April
2000
August
'99
RETURN TO
NEWSLETTER HOMEPAGE
The
2003 season is now in full swing and
we have lots to report from the
Lower Zambezi. Bookings are looking
much more positive than they were a
few months ago and it seems that
we’ll be having a great season –
thanks to all of you who continue to
support Chiawa Camp and the Lower
Zambezi!
