Chiawa Camp – Crocs, Lions, Leopards & More -

 AUGUST 2008

The 2008 season is flying at quite a pace and the game viewing at Chiawa Camp is doing likewise, perhaps more exciting than it has ever been. Certainly more live kills have been witnessed than in the past, with lucky guests recently getting to see a leopard take down an impala right in front of their vehicle in broad daylight. The hapless, luckless impala ambled past a palm tree, which happened to have a leopard lying behind it …

And there is more! I was fortunate to take out a drive one afternoon and whilst sipping sundowners overlooking a lagoon heard a male lion calling not far from us. We quickly packed up the table, not forgetting to quaff our glasses of Chiawa’s finest house red, and headed in the general direction of the noise that can only be described as “Africa!” Within a couple of minutes we picked up a pride slowly moving in single file, looking hungry but not particularly interested in anything in particular. After a few minutes the 15 lions were well spread out with one young male lying next to our vehicle gazing balefully up at us. All of a sudden a rush from our left and heading at full speed more or less towards us was a young waterbuck with a couple of lionesses on its tail but being left in the dust.

Having been fortunate enough to witness this action we decided to head slowly back to camp with the hope of picking up a leopard or two on the way back, and we weren’t to be disappointed. After dark we heard the frantic warning calls of a herd of impala, which could only mean LEOPARD!

After weaving through some long grass and a few bushes we came across a large female leopard dragging her impala to the base of a winter thorn tree and in the blink of an eye, up she shot. It is always incredible to see a leopard do this, hold a creature of its own body weight in its jaws and climb with little apparent effort, 10m straight up. And then … another blink of an eye later and just behind her, one of the resident male leopards, a magnificent tom, charged up intent on claiming his share. What a cat fight, with us parked underneath we were treated to a snarling, hissing, spitting, growling feline tug of war that will forever be etched in my mind and our lucky guests.

By the time we got back to camp we were still full of adrenalin that still more glasses of Chiawa’s finest house red couldn’t quench - what a drive! The tom stole the carcass by the way but not before the female had managed to wolf down a few mouthfuls.

 

On the subject of females it is appropriate to introduce Petrinah and Rebecca who are doing a fabulous job of taking our reservations service to its next level and who replace Julie Matthews; Julie has moved on to be with her partner in the bush before taking on a teaching job next year. Many of you do not know of Juliet Chanda who works tirelessly with Jenny behind the scenes as our “head shopper” and making sure that all those vital and oft hard to come by supplies that Chiawa Camp needs are obtained. For all the wonder that is Chiawa, it could never be without the energy and support of Jenny and her team in Lusaka making sure everything happens when it needs to.

A male scarlet chested sunbird gets a telling off from his less beautiful mate – Chiawa guest

Camp is settling into "Jeki" transfer mode - it makes for an exciting transfer, either way, sometimes by road and river and sometimes by road.  With the entire trip being within the National Park it is an advantage and has offered some great game viewing, particularly with early morning lion and hyena sightings. We ask all our tour operators and travel agents to please ensure their guests know they are flying in/out of Jeki now!

 

Back in the camp this morning, two elephant are drinking in front of Hippo & Buffalo tents, 4 bushbuck are browsing in camp and I have just come off a walk having seen lion (squabbling over the carcass of an open bill stork, of all creatures!) having tracked them from the banks of the Zambezi, followed by watching a fabulous herd of ele's feeding in the bushes in front of us and then walked along side various bull elephants whilst amongst herds of leaping impala, sounders of snuffling warthogs - waterbuck
bounding out of the long grass - pure magic!                                 Photo;  Christian Pellegrini

 

Photo: Sue Ellis

The other morning lucky guests in one of our Superior Tents were woken up, with their morning coffee, to four lions lying on the grass in front of their tent, silhouetted in the morning light. In fact we have seen lion many days this season from camp and later that day the same cats killed and ate a warthog in the riverbed for all to see. In fact we are tripping over lions at the moment especially now that a small pride of what seems to be 3 males and 2 lionesses has crossed over from Zimbabwe; we know they are from Zimbabwe as the older lioness is sporting a collar.

Yesterday afternoon's drive spotted lions splashing after buffalos at Sunset Strip, Douglas the pride male lazing in the sun close to camp, herds of elephants wallowing in the marsh and, fortunately for the lioness, a crocodile snapping (everyone in the vehicle heard its jaws shut!) at but missing a lioness crossing the marsh.

Photo: Paul Grobler

Speaking of crocs we just had Phil Collins hook a large catfish which part way through the struggle appeared to get bigger and heavier. After a prolonged battle and some superb boat handling by Derek (our new fishing guide) Phil brought to the side of the boat not only his catfish but the 2 meter crocodile that had attached itself to it. At that point the croc released its prey (who would argue with Phil Collins after all?) and Phil boated and then subsequently released his rather, by now, annoyed catfish. True story but if any of you are asking if that was the Phil Collins, no it wasn't. Phil says though that he is a keen supporter of the London Wasps Rugby team if that's any consolation and that it does get him the occasional good seat in a restaurant. Interestingly Phil came from the same agent I recommended to Rod Stewart who I met on a trans-Atlantic flight and who ended up booking a private safari in the Serengeti so perhaps this was payback time for them.

Since Kayla’s newsletter referring to the elusive malachite kingfisher photographs we have received a slew of ‘em from guests past and present in some sort of poetic sympathy. Surely this image from Irene Pluss is the best!

Photo: Irene Pluss

We also just learned of some more fabulous accolades to add to our Best Guiding Team in Africa award – this time from the World Travel Awards that short-listed Chiawa Camp for two awards – Africa’s Leading Safari Lodge and Africa’s Leading Safari for 2008. Although we did not win either, Chiawa Camp was yet again the only Zambian camp in the shortlist for these two categories and so we can be justly proud of what certainly is Zambia’s very best safari camp! Thanks to everyone who nominated us and thanks to all at Chiawa Camp who work so hard to keep it so special.

Photo;  Christian Pellegrini
 

Well, until next time – in the meanwhile keep on traveling and reading our newsletters.

With best wishes,

Grant and the Chiawa Family